December 2011
6 posts
Have yrself a merry little whatever
The Unusual is going on holiday.
We’ll be back in January.
Come hang with us.
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Don't Ask Me For Adderall Again
During my three years at the University of Miami, I’ve run into a certain paradox which repeatedly appears at the end of every semester: students buying drugs to assist them with schoolwork.
First off, to every student sitting in the library, or “Club Richter” as semi-motivated facebook-whoring dorks call it, you should be slapped. Never in my right mind would I congregate in this center of...
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Best I ever had...
The best class I have ever taken at the University of Miami wasn’t a class at all. In fact, I think that classes are the least important academic facet of University life. Don’t get me wrong. I study my ass off, and take my grades very seriously. What I mean is that there are more important things that students can do, academically, outside of class.
A substantial part of the school’s endowment...
Uh Oh...Liz is watching you again...
I don’t dig dudes in Fedoras. Not only is the uber-feminine summertime accessory totally two years ago, its festival season targeted look is repeatedly overplayed everywhere from lincoln road to the local middle school. No thanks. In my opinion, it’s always looked douche-y but now I have a legitimate reason to express resentment. It didn’t even work for K-Fed, before he...
Observations of a gym gawker
The Rat used to be the number one “people watching” spot on campus. Now that the Rat sucks, the gym has taken its spot. The Patti and Allan Herbert Wellness Center is one of the most interesting places at UM. Today while trying to distract my mind from the torture I was inflicting on my body, I did some serious people watching. Sometimes the iPod just doesn’t cut it. I noticed that I could take...
I'm no angel. I sell underwear.
This year I decided to be a real person and become part of the work force. My place of work? Victoria’s Secret. The brand associated with fun, sex, confidence, and of course their famous Victoria’s Secret angels. Those crazy beautiful models who all girls want to be and all guys want to screw. I work for the company, but I am definitely no angel. Neither are my coworkers.
I need to keep myself out...
November 2011
104 posts
Maybe next year
Does an $80 jersey mean nothing when your quarterback sucks? Now I can sit here all day and rant about how much I hate Jacory Harris as a QB, but that wouldn’t change anything. The damage is done and the statistics are set in stone. All I can say is, “Thank you Jacory. It’s been fun, and Good luck with that thing they call the NFL.”
Stephen Morris on the other hand, well I have high hopes for...
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Best I Ever Had: THA 101 with Patricia Dolan...
This class is called Theatre 101, but it is more accurately Life 101. I only took the class for gen ed purposes, and I thought it would just end up being a boring, easy A class. I was right about the easy A, but I also learned to think about college and life that go beyond a simple grade. While you could probably survive the course without going to half the classes, I found myself not wanting...
How to Ace Your Finals
Write, and rewrite, and rewrite, and rewrite. If you want to get an A that’s what you gotta do. I don’t care how beautifully typed and formatted your notes are, they’re just not gonna cut it.
There is a proven link between writing out notes and memorizing them. When we write, our brain simultaneously processes the movement associated with drawing the letters along with the actual information being...
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Surviving the Holidays
People always talk about ‘surviving the holidays with the family, as if it’s the hardest thing in the world. But what about all those people who have to survive the holidays without family? What about all those people suffering loss or, better yet, isolation during a season that thrives on family bonding and being kind to strangers? What about those people who have to deal with months of...
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The things I love are illegal, immoral or...
I’ve been a smoker for nearly 6 years. I regret that I started and I’ve tried to quit several times but I’ve had no success so far. I know it’s bad for you and I know that it can cause serious illness but at this age I don’t really feel the difference. I keep on telling myself that a time will come when I will quit this once and for all even though I know that there is no perfect...
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Occasional Daily Briefing: November 29th
FAMU’s band is in jeopardy after a seemingly negligent death. Al Golden stays with the U and talks about this and next season. UM basketball season has started, with mixed results awaiting us. American Airlines joins most other airline companies in filing for bankruptcy. And the Miami Heat’s big 3 win their first NBA championship together.
FAMU band is in trouble
Last week, a...
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it's the last week of classes
Boom. Thats the sound my brain makes. Boom. Boom. Boom. Yep, it’s the last week of classes. Pow. That’s the sound my grades make. Pow. Pow.Pow. I can’t continue to act like the pile of books/assignments on my desk is just going to disappear. Puff. That’s the sound I wish my assignments would make as they evaporate into thin air. Knock. Knock. All of the girls on my floor knocking at my...
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A soundtrack straight from the bowels of hell (aka...
10. Frosty the snowman
9. Santa baby (aka the slut song)
8. I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus (the aforementioned slut’s daughter’s song)
7. Feliz Navidad (the one Spanish song played all year in a South Florida business…how do they make money?)
6. It’s the most wonderful time of the year (for you)
5. Baby, it’s cold outside (In Florida, that amounts to 65...
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O Miami, what's a poor fashionista to do?
Shopping as a broke college student (I neither have access to daddy’s plastic nor a trust fund) can be beyond heart-breaking. Shopping in Miami is killer! It’s not even like just Downtown or just “this” mall has the best shopping… it is literally every other street corner. Every time I set out to accomplish something important and see fashion merchandise, I’m...
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Smart kids do it in the stacks...
I don’t normally study, but when I do, I determine my studying location upon my mood and how difficult the material is. It all depends on your style and how much noise you can take while trying to concentrate. My top 5 favorite places, run as followed.
5. McArthur Engineering Building
When approaching the engineering building there are three tables under the shade. This is a quiet place to...
And what have you done this semester?
Former Cane and current Milwaukee Brewer, Ryan Braun, has been named Major League Baseball’s Most Valuable Player.
In other news, several Unusual staff members went to the gym a couple of times in late September.
Congratulations to Ryan, and really, to each and every one of us.
Because we’re all valuable players in one way or another. Because when one Cane wins, we all win. ...
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Hottie(s) of the Week: The Shawty Twins
We’re in luck this week…twins! While these sisters are half the size of their fellow palms, they have nice curves and hang out at the law school. They’re bound to be smarter than the average gal.
And you know what they say…it’s better to have loved a short one, than never to have loved a tall.
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I came all the way from Bulgaria for this?
10. Snakes - I’ve seen a snake 3 times on campus. Now I am scared to walk in the grass.
9. Crowds in the food court or Starbucks - I don’t know anyone who likes crowds.
8. Ducks in the Business School - Those nosy bastards. They are scared of nothing. they shit everywhere and it gets worse when maintenance decides to clean it.
7. Girls wearing Uggs - We are in Miami,...
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insomnia
Not some club in south beach. Just plain old, unlivable sleeplessness. I suffer from the worst case of insomnia. The type that’s so addicting that the reason why I don’t fall asleep is cause I want more hours in the day. More seconds to ponder, more minutes to wonder, and more hours to simply waste away doing nothing.
My mom used to say that I was little, around 5yrs old, I hated falling...
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Girl cuts for boys
This past Friday, I did something I thought I would never do. I got my hair cut at a girly salon.
With my hair gone too wild for anyone’s good, I was faced with a decision. I’d heard that you could get your haircut at the Holiday Inn, but that it would be shitty. Supercuts was another option, but a shitty one nonetheless. With neither a car nor the patience to go find another...
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the reason this site has kind of sucked the last...
There’s that second. No it’s more like a minute. Nope there’s that hour. That always tears against what I am thinking and what I actually want to write. It’s like the perpetual potential of anything, and everything that I could possible write is stagnant just waiting. Waiting to appear on my blank screen on my three-year old computer. That’s how I tend to feel every time I sit to write...
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If it's the "most diverse" university in America,...
Name: Can Gulec
Hometown: Istanbul, Turkey
Grade: Senior
Major: Finance and Computer Science
How did you end up studying in Miami? It was either LA or Miami. I asked my cousin to tell me where to go. He suggested that I Google Miami nightclubs and LA nightclubs and go to the one that has more search results.
Most interesting person you met here? Once I met Neal Schon , while coming out from...
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Take a shower. Put on some clothes. And go on a...
You should check out this bistro called Mandolin. It is set in a 1940’s house in Miami on the NE 2nd corridor between the Design District and Historical Buena Vista. You’ll feel like you’re in the Greek islands as soon as you walk through the back garden. There you’ll find a white-washed building with blue trimmed windows, brimming with bougainvillea, sitting in vintage...
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Who Dat?
Hometown: Bergen County, New Jersey
Grade: Junior
Favorite Place at the Food Court: If I’m forced, Niko’s.
Where will I be on Thanksgiving Eve: stuck in Kansas City, Missouri with my fabulous relatives.
Deal Breakers: Guido, if you smell bad, if you’re on roids, if youre not funny, if you have spiked hair, anyone that looks stupid or acts stupid.
Deal Makers: Tall, dark handsome…obvi. Funny,...
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It's Sunday. We're going to bed.
Why not browse the stuff you’ve missed this week and join us again on Monday morning?
We shall miss you terribly, The Unusuals.
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Thus I have overheard
the oasis deli in UC is usually a pretty quiet space to catch up on work in between classes but when you really listen you hear things like…
“i could not shower for three days and i still wouldn’t smell”
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Don't steal this look.
Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? Is imitation the lowest form of flattery? Are UM chicas entirely without self-respect? These are the questions I spend sleepless hours pondering. You’d think an environment so affulent would create endless creative possibilites, regarding wardrobe. But you know what they say: “Mo’ money, mo’ problems’.
Don’t get me...
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Jamnesty
If you don’t know Imri, you should. First off, he’s got this amazingly crazy curly hair and secondly, he’s one of those people who is really going to make a difference in the world. His positivity is absolutely contagious. So when he told me about Jamnesty I had to go check it out.
Imri is the chair of UM’s chapter of Amnesty International. He helped organize and host UM’s first ever...
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The Coolest Rocker Ever
Any Clash fans out there? Paul Simonon, their bassist, was recently arrested for working as an undercover Greenpeace activist aboard the MV Esperanza.
Talk about a dude that never gets bored! Aside from recording a new album with the Gorillaz, he and seventeen other activists found some time to storm the the Leiv Ericksson oil rig in speedboats off the coast of Greenland.
According to Simonon,...
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Thus Have I Overheard
“The difference between 3 inches and 12 inches is extremely important in trying to determine our abilities to replenish populations.”
-My oceanography professor
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Some kid in my class
This is some kid in my class. His name is Alex. You probably don’t know him. Alex is a junior at UM. He also works 28-hrs a week at Macy’s. They pipe in music at Macy’s. If you are not mentally fit, this will slowly drive you insane. Alex’s favorite tune at work is Wendy Save Me. “You have no idea how excited I was when that song came on”, says Alex. ...
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A very serious topic. A very important message.
Back in the day, you used to be able to down a fifth of Johnnie Walker’s and then drive to Publix for more. Everyone drank and drove in our parents generation. Cops never pulled anyone over, and the breathalyzer hadn’t even been invented. It was a beautiful time.
But then some staticians figured out that drinking and driving was responsible for killing people, and the madness...
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It's thursday night, here's what two of our...
Lauren: Well, i have business law until 9 but then, sadly, predictably, i’m going to the grove. Listen, it’s not like I’m psyched about it. But go I must, and go I shall. First though, I have to go home to Merrick and spend about an hour and a half making myself look like all the other girls at El Sitio. This involves ironing my hair, wedging my feet, jean shorting my ass,...
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Who is the most attractive RA on campus?
People on campus are always claiming their residential college is better than another.
“Hecht has a nicer lobby!”
“Mahoney is so much better”
“Stanford is my ‘hood”
But let’s get down to business. Nobody cares about your lobby. Nobody gives a hoot who wins Sportsfest. When it comes to UM, there’s only one thing that matters—hot...
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Occasional Daily Briefing: November 17th
A UM student was caught growing pot, midnight openings on Black Friday causing employee petitions at Target, Herman Cain isn’t doing so well, Newt Gingrich is the newest Republican star of the month, and Obama runs away from the far left to get re-elected. So we haven’t really missed all that much from last week.
UM student in Red Road Commons found growing pot
Word to the pothead...
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Go to Lincoln Road
Go to Lincoln Road. It’s on Miami Beach, dummy.
Park in one of the two parking garages on Euclid Ave and 17th street. This garage is cheap and in a great location.
Rent a bike at a Deco Bike Kiosk or just walk Lincoln Road. The Kiosks are cool because they have stations all over the beach. You can rent a bike for a full day for $24 or you can rent one hourly.
Visit French Connection and...
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Liz is looking at U (and she's not always liking...
Women—dress yourself before you wreck yourself, and please avoid making the following mistakes:
MESSY BUN ON TOP OF THE HEAD Ugh, why do girls think this hairstyle is even REMOTELY attractive?! I can’t think of a single girl (I’ve seen guys with buns before but not particularly on top of his head) that actually looks half decent with a bun pulled to the top of her head. ...
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Working the Rat...
I love a little school spirit. Why else would one travel to South Miami to attend a university? Why else would one travel to any university, period? Part of what makes students so spirited the University of Miami is our love for all things alcohol-related and the ability to bond over failed attempts at out-drinking our friends. But the whole facade of drinking with strangers, making...
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When rich kids play dress up
Yesterday I decided to skip class and volunteer at the UM Hillel Fashion Show. The show took place in the backyard of a rich Jewish family on Star Island. The second we showed up, the coordinator assigned us the job of signing in the guests. It was probably the worst job. We had to sit outside in the humidity and listen to Jappy Miami moms screaming their last names in our faces. What’s worse is...
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Good Morning, Good Looking
Old School.
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Thus I have overheard
“who would want to eat at a strip club?”
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Top 3 Sorority Philanthropy Events
Football Tournament? Lame. Talent show? Pain in the ass event that every frat boy sucks at and no one wants to see. Here are the sorority philanthropy events that are worth participating in.
1. ADPI Calendar Shoot: ADPI is brilliant for coming up with this one for the Ronald McDonald House Charity. 12 IFC fraternities=12 months of the year. The ADPI girls invite you to their beautiful...
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sweet bird of youth
Right now I’m sitting in a distant corner of the Rat.
It being Thursday after work, students and employees have formed a long line to the counter, where the majority are taking advantage of today’s special, namely, a pitcher of Rolling Rock or Grolsch for $4.99.
I have a pitcher of Grolsch already at the dregs. I’m drinking out of a plastic cup and I’m wearing a neon green paper bracelet, which...
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GDI in the 1920s
These University of Miami women are deployed to spell out the letters ” H I M.” These letters were an acronym for organization of non-fraternity women in the early days of the University. The HIM( Happy Independent Women) was an organization of non-fraternity women in th early days of the University.
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10 Reasons I Don’t Like Your Home Friends
1. They think Panera Bread is healthy.
2. They say terms like “I sweat that shit”, “When are we ridin’?”
3. They think their fat but are 5’9 and 115 lbs.
4. All day they talk about how fucked up they were last night and anticipate how fucked up they will be tonight.
5. Then, they take bars to forget the night but rely on the pictures they took to remind them that they had a sick time.
6. They act...
deep muscle
It’s awesome that we have a packed gym. Aside from the occasional cigarette smoker, we have one of the healthiest campuses around. But I know that the health benefits aren’t the reason that most of the guys on this campus head to they gym. Before I start my rant, let me say that I fully endorse trying to make it to the gym as often as possible. In fact, weightlifting and running have...
on dealing with the tragic realities of monday...
Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence. —Buddha