Courtesy Of: April 2016

Monday, April 18, 2016

Caroline: Lights Out

"As the darkness falls over the light,

Lights out.

There goes the day, and this fear that comes won't go away. "

I have attended several of these sort of games and highly recommend the activity to everyone. It is a ton of fun and DOA's themed rooms and creepy historically accurate details make the game that much more interesting!

I had the chance to talk to the GameMaster of DOA Room Escape!

Just look at this picture from one of their rooms to set the mood:

1. In your own words, will you describe what DOA Room Escape is?

D.O.A. Room Escape is, at its foundation, a puzzle game. You are locked in a room with a group of people and and tasked with getting out before 60 minutes is up. To accomplish this, you solve puzzles, riddles, and discover hidden objects that will all lead to your eventual escape. Everything we do is based in history-so everything has actually HAPPENED. We enjoy being able to educate as well as entertain.

2. How does one go about starting a business in Room Escape?

Very first thing should be having a passion about what you are doing!!! If you are just in it for making money then this business is not for you!

3. Could you explain the backstory/reason for the theme of "The Garage?"

The Garage is based on Al Capone and the St. Valentines' Day Massacre. The room is as historically accurate as we can make it (based on photos and information that we researched)

4. Could you explain the backstory/reason for the theme of "The Basement?"

The Basement is based on H.H. Holmes and the book Devil in the White City All clues are derived from H.H. Holmes and his life story. He is widely regarded as America's FIRST serial murderer. It is a horror based room-but NOT scary-though creepy would be an accurate word to describe it.

5. How often do you change the rooms and how do you find inspiration for the next theme?

We update rooms every 9-12 months. History is wrought with events and interesting people to base rooms on. The bigger the event, the more information there is available to us to research. Eventually, something catches our eye and we start to talk about it and develop it. It just takes a spark of inspiration to get one of these rooms rolling...

6. How do you come up with the string of clues that lead the teams to opening the door?

Through lots of hard work and trial-and-error!

7. Can you tell us one of the craziest or weirdest moments you have experienced with DOA Room Escape?

I wouldn't call it crazy or weird... but it was certainly memorable! We had a couple get ENGAGED here at DOA! The last clue was swapped out with a clue that ended up saying Will You Marry Me? When she turned around, he was on one knee with the engagement ring! We had rose petals and took pictures! It was beautiful! Not a dry eye in the place!!!

8. Why do you think people are so interested in an activity like Room Escape?

People love puzzles and riddles. They like to think and use their minds to figure out a challenge.

9. What suggestions or words of wisdom do you have for someone who is interested in going into the Room?

Communicate, stay organized, communicate, use logic and common sense, communicate, investigate EVERYTHING, communicate...

10. What makes your Room Escape different from others?

The fact that we are based in real life happenings. There is nothing so interesting as history.

GameMaster

D.O.A. Room Escape

http://www.doaroomescape.com/

Thank you, GameMaster and DOA Room Escape!

Seriously, guys...
Just take a look at some of what DOA Room Escape has to offer:

Tune in next week for more information on Caroline's favorite murderer, the infamous H H Holmes as I take a look at his book and story!

Just so we know what's up:

Until then,

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Olivia - Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Olivia here!

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Today I'm going to share some information about this difficult topic, including some ways to support yourself or someone you love.

What is sexual assault?

Sexual violence includes rape, incest, child sexual assault, ritual abuse, non-stranger rape, statutory rape, marital or partner rape, sexual exploitation, sexual contact, sexual harassment, exposure, and voyeurism. It is a crime typically motivated by the desire to control, humiliate, and/or harm — not by sexual desire.

It is estimated that in the United States, an American is sexually assaulted every two minutes.

What is rape culture?

Sexual assault is so prolific, in part, because we live in a rape culture. Essentially, we make light of sexual assault. Have you ever been harassed on the street? Has someone made an inappropriate comment about the way you look? Has anyone make sexual comments about you without your consent? Have you ever heard someone say, "They were asking for it"? This is rape culture.

What can you do?

If a survivor comes to you, believe them. Support them.

If you are a survivor, do not blame yourself. Find someone you trust and talk to them. What happened to you does not define you. It is not your fault.

If you live on or near a college campus, attend your local Take Back the Night Walk, an event dedicated to reclaiming the night from sexual violence.

If you see something, say something. It's on us to stop sexual assault.

Resources

Call (800) 656-4673 for the National Sexual Assault Hotline

It's free, confidential, and open 24/7.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

***All info from http://www.nsvrc.org/.***

Monday, April 11, 2016

Caroline: She's a Rebel

"She's a rebel. She's a saint. She's the salt of the earth and she's dangerous.
She's a rebel. Vigilante, missing link on the brink of destruction."

Hiya, Puddin'!

Alright, I love comic books

Superheroes

Superhero movies

Superhero video games

You name it.

Today, we'll take a look at some of my favorite ladies in the DC Universe.

In no particular order, I present:

ARTEMIS

As the protege of Green Arrow, Artemis has no super powers, but she certainly packs a whalop with her mastery archer knowledge, dangerous past, incredible agility and impressive fist fighting. What I love so much about her is that she had a rough childhood and her family members all became super villains. Despite this, Artemis took the other path and made a name for herself. She's also very sassy and won't put up with anything, even if it means arguing with team mates.

BATGIRL

You all know her. In the old TV show, it was constantly proven that Batgirl is a better hand to hand combat fighter than both Batman and Robin. What makes her so amazing is that as a teenager, she decided to join Batman, without permission from him or anyone else. Making her even more awesome, when the original Batgirl gets injured and sentenced to a wheelchair, she continues doing hero work as the Oracle, giving out directions and advice to any heroes who call her.

RAVEN

Oh man. Where do I begin? Raven is the daughter of Arella and Trigon. It's worth mentioning Trigon is this massive demon who wants to destroy everything. Trigon uses Raven as a sort of "key" to Earth so she can assist him in bringing about the end of the world. Knowing this, Raven tries her best to work with the good guys and hopefully counteract the evil that's inside her. This, plus her amazing powers and super cool outfit, makes her one of my favorites!

BLACK CANARY

As one of the league's best combat fighters, Canary doesn't put up with anything. With no super strength or flying abilities, Black Canary specializes in taking down enemies who are more super powered. Because of this, she is selected from the entire league to train the newer recruits. Her power is very interesting in that she can use a "canary cry" that is glass shattering and ear deafening. It can also cause explosions and create chaos for everyone and everything it's directed to. This is truly a dame you don't want to mess with.

ZATANNA

Zatanna truly is a classic and I have a special place in my heart for her. She's a master magician who has a unique gift, anything she says backwards happens instantly. As a close friend of Batman, Zatanna typically plays by the rules but always dazzles things up with some magic. Zatanna trained under her father, Zatara, and watching them work together means double the magic and double the epic-ness. What also makes Zatanna so cool is she's a working woman! When she isn't fighting with the League, she does stage shows as a magician!

HARLEY QUINN

Oh my Odin. This girl.
I cannot begin to explain how much I adore this character.
Named Harleen Quinzel, this criminal psychologist was assigned the Joker as a patient. The Joker twisted her mind and in turn, this innocent doctor became the psychotic criminal she is today! Stuck in an abusive relationship with the Joker, Harley becomes the punching bag until Poison Ivy befriends her and they take over Gotham.

I cannot do this character justice in this small paragraph so just wait for a better post!

HAWKGIRL

Shayera Hol was born on Thanagar and quickly became the top fighter. There's a long, complicated story about her being a spy but it all works out in the end anyway so we'll skip it. Shayera clearly has the power of flight, incredible strategic skill, and wields an electric mace that disrupts all forms of magic. What makes her number one is her attitude, where the mission is all that matters to her and you better not get in her way. She even has a tiff with Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman is the woman to crack first! You seriously do not mess with HawkGirl.

POISON IVY
Doctor Pamela Isley gets into a bit of a situation when her plant study goes up. As a vegetation enthusiast, this redhead is immune to toxins and can kill anyone with the poison in her kiss. She sometimes has the ability to manipulate plants, or at least communicate with them. Poison Ivy is basically a sister to Harley Quinn and is deeply concerned about feminism in Gotham!

WONDER WOMAN

Wonder Woman is one of the top 3 guns in the League. The Princess rocks out with her super strength, flight, and fighter attitude. Born as a warrior, the Princess of Themyscira was sent to America (hence the outfit) to fight in the war. Awesomely enough, being born onto a land with no men, Diana is proud of her feminist attitude and as an amazon she is truly a wonderful woman!

Shout out to DIana for almost always being the only one to represent her entire gender in Justice League marketing!

I wish I was joking.

DUELA DENT

Duela Dent has a fascinating backstory.
Rumored as the daughter of Two Face, the Joker, or possibly even the Riddler, Duela lost everything when her father was murdered in front of her by the Gotham Police. Taking her father's last words to heart:
"Give them chaos... and it will drive them mad. Then you can rule the world."
Duela Dent goes around blowing up banks and messing with gangs and the police. She even teams up with Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman to start world domination!

There ya go!
Ten of my personal favorite female DC characters!
Want to talk comics? Feel free to shoot me a message!

Yours truly,

Friday, April 8, 2016

Collab - Favorite Princess

Greetings!

Today, we look at C and O's favorite Disney princesses.

Let's go.

Courtesy of Olivia,

Belle is the Disney princess with whom I first fell in love. That's likely because of our shared strong love for reading. Belle is also a dreamer. She might live in a small town, but she wants to go out and see the world. But more than that, she wants an adventure. And she certainly finds it!

The rest of the fairy tale/Disney movie features Belle living an adventure straight out of one of her story books. And, this is likely my second favorite thing about Belle, she rises to the challenge of adventure. She makes new friends in a house full of strangers. She learns to make a new life in an unfamiliar world. Yes, she falls in love, but that does not make her any less of a feminist. Belle finds someone to love her exactly as she is, and she feels the same way about The Beast (Prince Adam, if you like).

P.S. I do not feel the same way about the Belle on Once Upon a Time. The writers ruined her. Belle deserves better

_________________________________________________________________________________

Courtesy of Caroline,

Alright, kiddos...

Let's take a moment to appreciate Caroline's favorite Disney Princess...

Cinderella

Cinderella gets a bad rep for being helpless and having everything handed to her. People think she was just rescued by a Prince and called it a day. I'm gonna shed some light on this subject!

Take a step back and realize how tragic her story is. Her mother died when she was a child and her father married Lady Tremaine and Cinderella was given two step-sisters.

Still as a child, Cinderella's father passed away and her step-mother and step-sisters quickly forced Cinderella into a servant position in her own home.

Never complaining aloud or making a fuss, Cinderella went about her life serving her own family.

Blah blah blah she was super kind to animals and the mice and whatever...

CINDERELLA NEVER ASKED TO BE SAVED.

Talking about the Ball, Cinderella got invited and she did everything asked of her so she could go spend one night dancing. That's all she wanted. One night off to go to an event she was openly invited to.

Fast forwarding...

Cinderella's step-sisters destroy the dress she planned on wearing (mind you, it was the last thing Cinderella owned that belonged to her dead mother) and SURPRISE!!! Fairy Godmother.

Just look at that.

Cinderella's transformation was one of Walt Disney's most favorite scenes.

Cinderella dances with the prince, not knowing he's the prince. Then she leaves.

That's all she went there for! This lady just wanted one night to go dancing. The end!

Fast forwarding...

Whatshisface (seriously the prince's name ranges from "Charming" to "Henry" to "Alto August Ferdinand") heads out, finds the girl and takes her away.

Briefly touching on the sequels, Cinderella holds no grudges towards her family. She even assists Anastasia in finding love! Also, Lucifer finds love but let's not get into that...

The third movie is fantastic. Absolutely. Cinderella reveals just how badass she is.

Just look at this ONE screenshot.

Plus, Cinderella III is where we find this gem:

So yeah, Cinderella is pretty fantastic.
That's kind of all I have to say about that.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Olivia: College Tips and Tricks

I have one (!!!!!) quarter left at Northwestern, so now seems as good a time as any to share my school tips! Northwestern is on the quarter system, so we just started our spring quarter. It's back to school for me, again! These tips will be useful regardless of what year of school you're in, even if that's high school. It can be especially hard to hit the books once spring hits, so dive into these tips!

1. Go to office hours.

My first three years of college, I hardly went to office hours. Honestly, it was only if I really, really, really had to. But during my senior year, I go all the time. Have a paper due? Go meet with your professor. Exam coming up? Go meet with your professor. Confused about a reading? Go meet with your professor. Not only is it helpful to get clarification directly from the source in a less public setting (hello classes...), but it lets the professor get to know YOU much better, which will hopefully lead to better feedback/more attention in class, which will hopefully lead to better grades.

2. Read strategically.

You're probably thinking: "Oh, great, she's going to tell me how to be an 'effective reader' with reading strategies." You're wrong! Actually, I'm here to tell you that you don't need to read every single assignment with the same depth. Let's say you have three reading assignments for your next class. Pick one and read it thoroughly: take notes, highlight, add questions in the margins, etc. Those other two readings? If you can skim each reading, great. If not, read the last paragraph of each. BOOM. Now when you're in class, you can contribute to discussions about the one you read thoroughly, and also won't feel completely out of the dark for the rest of class!

3. Check your syllabus again, and again, and again, and again...

Do you only look at your syllabus on the first day of class? Well, you're likely going to miss assignments or do them incorrectly. Syllabi are jam packed with all sorts of information. So go over each one on a weekly basis. This will ensure you don't miss any assignments or quizzes!

4. Find a note taking system that works for you.

Seriously. If you ask around, everyone takes notes a little differently. Whether you use your laptop, a tablet, pen and paper, highlighters, post its, etc., as long as it works for you, keep at it! Personally, I like to use pen and paper. I find I'm more likely to remember things if I write them down. I also like to use highlighters when I'm working on class assignments. And I'm definitely big on color coding...but more on that another time!

5. Take a break!

{Run away with us for the summer. Let's go upstate!}

Taking breaks is extremely beneficial for mental health. Whether that means you work in 25 minute chunks before taking a 5 minute break (the Pomodoro method), or working hard on a task until completed before taking a longer break, or whatever system works for you, make sure you take breaks. And once on your break, make sure to stretch your legs, drink some water, and relax! I like to use that time to dance to Beyoncé, check my Instagram, and refill my water bottle. Do whatever works for you! Also, naps totally count as breaks. =)

Questions? Suggestions? Comment below!

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