The Fandom High Times, Volume 7, 4th Edition

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

Investigation: Fandom
Spring Break and Studying
by Annie Edison

Most of the student body (and a large part of the staff) were in Rio over spring break. There were plenty of activities to keep everyone busy, including helicopter tours, sight-seeing, hang gliding, and of course, Carnivale. Even if you wanted to take it easy, you'd find plenty of your fellow Fandomites on the beach, or relaxing at the pool or spa at the hotel. For a week Fandom High treated us to the best spring break that most of us could probably ever imagine.

The point of this article is not to make anyone who didn't go jealous. No, the point of this is to study the aftereffects of a week of vacation.

Besides the obvious effects of things like spending your week hungover (And let me take this moment to point out that Rio does have a legal drinking age, so if you did... tsk.) or say, needing a trip to the clinic to take care of any ailments you picked up on vacation, there's also a sense of fatigue that tends to follow people around in the following week. Classes had an increase of movie days, excluding that one class that always has a movie day. It's just harder to keep focus when you come back from vacation and then go right back to work and school. However, taking an extra week off to recover from your vacation can be detrimental as studies show that the longer you spend away from something, such as your studies, the harder it is to come back to them.

This reporter's suggestion? Online classes during vacation that we can all check in on and homework we can have completed on our own time. Why not work on your homework while you're working on your tan? It may not be the most popular solution, but I believe it to be the right one. Please don't throw anything at me.








FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK

Back when I ran for Student Council - in an election it was literally impossible for me to lose due to only having two candidates to fill two sophomore positions - one of my classmates expressed concern that we might spend too much time planning dances. I disagreed with that sentiment then, but now I wonder if there was a valid point there. Just maybe not where it was intended.

I have a true passion for tap dancing. I could see doing it professionally. This new hobby and potential career has strengthened my relationships and made certain people think of me as less of a nerd in a surprising twist on what you might expect. This passion started one day when everyone woke up singing and dancing and I found I couldn't stop doing tap.

Then this past weekend, I was involved in what can only be described as an impromptu dance cleaning party to tidy up the third floor common room. It was fun and the common room looks nicer than it has in months. The decision to dance out of nowhere truly accomplished something worthwhile to the lives of the denizens and visitors of the third floor.

So maybe we as both a Student Council and a student body do spend too much time planning dances. But the key isn't to cut down on the number of dances. The key is to be more spontaneous about it. It's good exercise, it's fun, and you never know what might happen. I suggest trying it out.




The Art of Observation
by Lucrezia Borgia

Welcome once more to the art of observation. This week, the lesson shall be in the use of gentle contradiction, or making statements contrary to that of what one supposes to be true.

Many people are naturally reticent when questioned; interrogation means that one is seeking information, and people are therefore wary of providing it. However, if one suggests information that is mistaken, those same people may go to the trouble of correcting one.

As a hypothetical: let us suppose that a dowry were to be discussed, and one did not know the exact amount involved. Direct inquiry would be met with reproach; such topics are rude, of course.

On the other hand, if one imagined that the dowry was modest, one might stir a response by asserting the opposite. One might say that one has heard servants whispering that the dowry was outrageous, at which point one’s conversational partner may counter this with the exact amount, and a lecture about the importance of not listening to gossip. One then meekly apologizes, curiosity sated.

As in all such matters, a level of delicacy is required. One must not overuse this technique, for fear of appearing to make ridiculous claims. It is, however, a skillful tool to have in one’s kit, if wielded properly.




FANDOM STRANGENESS UPDATE
by FHT Staff

• There was no island-wide strangeness last week. This is almost more disturbing than having island-wide strangeness. Prepare for the worst, just in case.




THE FINAL WORD
by Dave Nelson

Remember, March comes in like a lion and goes out with gambling on college basketball. While the Fandom High Times does not advocate gambling, I would like to note that history has a habit of repeating itself. And last year in my time, Lousville won. So keep them in mind when you fill out your brackets in the coming weeks.




Coffee Pin-Up






credits:

editor: Dave Nelson
words: Lucrezia Borgia, Annie Edison, Dave Nelson
pictures: So many people from Fandom High Times past
adviser: Jaye Tyler

Questions? Concerns? Got a hot tip? Send a letter to the editor: letters.fhightimes@fandomhigh.edu!

Want to promote your business and support the newspaper? Contact our ad department!