Anyone who knows me will tell you I don’t stress. It enrages my friends and family all the time. Some say it’s a curse, and others are jealous. To be honest, it has its ups and downs.

During the semester I’ll find myself pushing things to the last minute, not worrying about important deadlines and some serious matters. This at times will affect my academic performance. However, I get a nice advantage by not stressing during finals week.

While everyone panics and frantically tries to study for their exams, I stay relatively cool. The key is knowing what you have to do to get things done. I understand, with experience, how much studying I need to put in and how to prioritize. During exams I’m relaxed, and when I look over at my classmates, I selfishly smile to myself as I watch them in their frantic states.

Cruel, I know.

Now that my first college finals experience is upon me, I wonder how I will handle it.

So far, so good. Very calm. And I appreciate my lack of stress as I hear my hallmates freaking out on the other side of my door.

Good luck over the next two weeks my fellow DMLers,

Stay calm, cool and collected 🙂

I think students more often than not take teachers for granted. It takes a lot of work and preparation to make an outline for a single session, not to mention an entire semester for several different classes. Weird to think of it now that I’ve tried it out – sort of. Then there is the presentation component of teaching, something students see every day but again, don’t appreciate. It’s a tough job, at any level.

I think if I learned anything from my experience at MUMS it was just that. I don’t really have much else to say about it. If I were to give pointers, I would say: 1. Be prepared (seriously though, know what and how you want to teach, allocate time, etc.) 2. Speak up and with enthusiasm, grasp the student’s attention. 3. Be confident, you run those kids, let them know who’s boss.

All in all, good experience. Something every student should try once.

One of the first things I realized when I  came to the United States two years ago was how little coverage hockey got. Granted the majority of the country knows little to nothing about the sport where multi-billion dollar businesses such as the NFL, NBA and MLB dominate, hockey has a lot of excitement and entertainment to offer.

Here is a clip from Chicago during the other night’s Blackhaws-Jets (Winnipeg) game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fogKPUqt0uU

To summarize what transpired; a Winnipeg player was hit hard into the glass causing the panel to break loose and fall into the stands. A scrum ensued and the recipient of the body check was  pushed into the crowd. This made way for a memorable moment as a drunk middle-aged Chicago fan (you gotta love what alcohol does to some people) reached over and pulled the helmet off the opposing players head. This is remarkable in its own sense as helmets are strapped under the chin securely- in this instance probably not secure enough – and the man was able to rip it off with one hand. He then proceeded to go back to his seat where he put the helmet on his own head and finished the remainder of his beer, all while keeping a straight face.

This got quite the laugh back home in Canada where the video went viral and made it on nearly every news station in the country. Here, however, very few people saw what may be the funniest sports sequence of the year. Interesting considering it transpired in an American city and required no hockey knowledge to understand the humour.

I’m not going to dwell on my bias that hockey should be embraced by the sports fans of my adoptive nation. But I can express my feelings towards something we all have in common: alcohol.

As freshmen we hear about the dangers of alcohol coming into college, and most of my classmates have been able to see the effects it has (firsthand of otherwise) once the weekend rolls around. Voices get louder, the guys get rowdier and decisions become more questionable.

Yes, trouble can often follow alcohol, especially if it’s consumed irresponsibly. Being legal to drink at home, my mom used to always stress that I leave the bars a half hour before they close because that’s usually when “all the bad stuff happens”. At the time I fought her on this, but I have come to realize that when large groups of people have had a lot to drink and have no where to go, fights break out, ambulances are usually needed, and cops are on a field day issuing tickets and making arrests.

Alcohol is dangerous. But what about its advantages? It’s legal, as apposed to recreational drugs, so there must be some societal benefit, right? Although I don’t know for certain why this is, the video of the drunk fan definitely points in that direction. No one got hurt, there were no negative consequences, and everyone got to have a good laugh. We are all a lot funnier when we’re drunk. We do things we normally would never do, we’re less wound, stress free and generally happy. It’s no wonder why drinking is so big in college. Monday through Friday students are buried in work. We are young, we want to enjoy our youth, and alcohol provides us with exactly that while removing us from our stressful academic life.

To conclude, alcohol is a good thing for society despite its negative consequences. I am strongly against the drinking age in the U.S, but like hockey, I won’t get into it.

It’s interesting to see the thought process that goes into teaching a course, as we saw in class on Thursday. Obviously not every teacher uses the same method or puts the same amount of time in their course outline, something that I’ve been able to pick up on over my years as a student. As a teacher I believe that a main goal is to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to learn and understand the material. This isn’t to say that a class should be taught to the strengths of its weakest student, but to understand the way each student learns the most effectively. On Thursday I picked up on the idea of an essential question – a broad, centralized question related to the course content that can be used to tie back topic questions – and thought about how it can relate to everyone. Since these questions have no one answer, there is no one way to approach them. I believe an essential question can be beneficial to a classroom as a whole, and be advantageous to varied thinking methods.

I’ve been asked how my fall break was far too many times since I’ve been back on campus. It’s been “good”, “fun” or “unreal” depending on who was asking. Indeed I had a really good time last weekend, especially since I had the relief of having completed all of my midterms. However, upon my return I have had trouble getting my schoolwork done. My workload pre to post break has diminished significantly, and as a result I’ve pushed a lot it off.

Something interesting I noticed while I was home was how little time I spent online. I don’t have one particular theory as to why that was, but spending a lot of time with friends and family was definitely a factor. Consequently, upon returning to school, I’ve increased my computer/phone use, probably a result of me making up for lost time. This has probably played a role in my procrastination.

Hopefully I can get out of this funk soon and get my life back on track.

I decided to do my media fast yesterday, Saturday October 5th; largely because I had physical testings for hockey. We were expected to run 7 miles at 12:30pm, and I figured that it would take up most of my day and eliminate the temptation. I went to bed at 10pm Friday night and strategically started the clock. I woke up at 10:30am (cheating a bit since I used the alarm on my phone) and went to breakfast.

After that I showered, stretched and left to go meet my teammates. Almost everyone left their phones/iPods in their rooms and I started to feel good about the fast. Things, however, took an unfortunate (or fortunate) turn after the run began. We had been running for about a minute when a senior leading the way took a turn behind a house where we were greeted with food and beverages. It had all been a joke on the freshman and the real plan was to party throughout the day.

I felt great relief knowing I wouldn’t have to run the rigorous course and then humiliation knowing I had been tricked. After everything settled in I began to feel worried that by having a relaxing day with friends, I would give into the temptation to use my digital media sources.

The party lasted a couple hours and I honestly didn’t miss my phone, computer or T.V. I didn’t even miss my Xbox. At around 2:30pm we all went back to campus, and that’s when the real battle began. I knew I wasn’t going to get any homework done that day, so I decided to take a nap to pass the time. When I woke up my friends were playing video games. I needed to find new friends. That was a joke, but in all seriousness I needed to be around people that weren’t hooked to the T.V. I ended up taking a long shower and by 5:30pm, my friends and I headed off to dinner. Only four and a half hours left.

The next two hours were the hardest. Here I realized more so than every before how much of a time killer electronics were. I realized how checking my phone regularly had become such a habit. When there’s a moment of silence in a conversation, when I’m between activities or even when I’m not realizing it, I glance at my phone and check the “Big Three”: Texts, Twitter and Instagram. They are my Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

I decided to read 1453 by Roger Crowley, the book my class History of Islam class was assigned. The reading was slow, especially since all of my friends were hanging out and having a good time. I just needed to get to 8 oclock, which is when the hockey team was gathering in Atwater to continue partying. I used that as motivation and read for roughly an hour. Not only did I get through a crucial part of the day without using any digital media, I was productive and got ahead with work. It was satisfying to say the least.

Once I put my book down, I got dressed and headed over to the party. I had two hours left in the fast but he worst of it was behind me. At 10pm, I turned my phone back on and felt reconnected with life. It seemed weird to feel this way considering I had been surrounded by my friends all day. I’m so used to being on top of everything going on – further than in my own geographical location – that having my phone turned off was deprivation.

Here is a breakdown of my day:

10:00pm Friday: Went to bed

10:30am: Woke up

11:00am: Breakfast

11:30am: Stretch/warm-up

12:15pm: Departure for run

12:35pm-2:30pm – Party

3:00pm-5:00pm – Nap

5:00pm-5:30pm – Shower

5:30pm-6:00pm – Dinner

6:30pm-7:45pm – Read

8:00pm-10:pm – Partied

– Cam

The NHL season is set to start on Tuesday evening, and although I told myself I would keep my hockey posts to a minimum this semester, I could not pass up the opportunity. Last year, hockey fans around the world were punished with a second lockout in eight years. In mid-January we were given a 48 game half season. This year has a different vibe going into the season, and the players and fans alike are excited to get things going in October.

My team is the Montreal Canadiens. They have always been my team and I will always love them, despite their recent struggles. Before I was born in 1994, the Canadiens had been a powerhouse in the NHL. They have won 24 Stanley Cups (last in 1993), which is 11 more than the next best team. I sometimes think that my birth has been a curse on them. All I want to do is watch them win a cup during my lifetime, and with the season opener around the corner, I am optimistic.

Along with the team rankings and expectations comes player rankings and fantasy hockey. Fantasy hockey is interesting because there is so much fluctuation and uncertainty. The top 5 scorers can change every year and injuries are all too common. The NHL schedule is also 82 games, and therefore maintaining a fantasy team can be strenuous and time consuming. With very little time to spare in my already busy schedule, I make time for fantasy hockey. Each fan is seems to be a general manager; playing fantasy is just a means to prove how good you really are.

To conclude, I will post my top 5 fantasy picks for the upcoming year, my top 5 sleeper picks and my favorite to win the Eastern and Western conference.

My Top 2013-2014 Picks:

1. Sidney Crosby (C): Although injuries have plagued him in the past and he hasn’t played a full season since 2009-2010, it’s difficult to pass up on the best player in the world. Crosby is dominant each and every night in the NHL and there is no one really close to him right now. Expect him to put up 45 goals and 75 assists this year.

1. Evgeni Malkin (C): Crosby’s teammate and 2012 MVP has also battled through some injuries lately, but his stats and offensive talents are undoubtedly world-class and at times equal to Sid. On a strong Pittsburgh team, expect him to get 40 goals and at least 60 assist this season.

1. Steven Stamkos (C): The best goal scorer in the past 20 years is young at 23, and has still yet to enter his prime. He has already put up two 50-goal seasons and one 60-goal campaign. I’m projecting another 60 goals from Stamkos to go along with 45 helpers.

1. Alex Ovechkin (RW): The reigning league MVP has seemed to have found his form. The dynamic winger can score, hit and come up big when his team needs it. Playing in a strong Metropolitan division may hurt his offensive output, but I see him scoring 50 goals and 50 assists.

1. John Tavares (C): My favorite player right now, Tavares is coming off an incredible year where he was runner-up for league MVP. Tavares does it all for his Islanders team and plays huge minutes. I project 48 goals and 45 assists from the centre man.

My Top Sleeper Picks:

1. Logan Couture (LW): Couture is young and a top player on a very good Shark’s team. He often gets overlooked because of the other elite players on his team but this looks to be his year. He has gotten better every season in the NHL and expect him to explode out of the gates, especially with the Olympics coming up in Febuary. He will be looking to earn a spot on that team.

Projections: 35G 50A

1. Marian Gaborik (RW). Gaborik is extremely skilled, expect him to bounce back to his old ways after being traded to Columbus, a team on the rise where he will be a leader.

Projections: 30G 38A

1. Chris Neal (RW): If your league takes hits and PIMs into account this is a great pick. Neal is ranked 300^th but can chip in 35 points while amassing 200+ PIMs a season.

1. Slava Voynov (D): Not a big name, plays a lot of minutes for a good L.A team. Expect 40 points from the defenceman.

1. Jonathan Bernier (G): After being a backup goalie his entire career, he will now be a starter after getting traded to Toronto. Toronto will put up a lot of wins this year, many of which will be on the back of Bernier.

Projections East/West

East: Pittsburgh Penguins

West: St. Louis Blues

I hope this helped anyone looking to play fantasy hockey,

– Cam

September 24^th. If you’re a Drake fan you’ve been hearing that for quite some time, whether that’s made you excited, impatient or both, the day has finally come. In just a couple of hours his highly anticipated album Nothing Was The Same will be released, and I expect it to be his most successful one yet.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with any of this, Aubrey Drake Graham (Drake) is an international hip-hop sensation from Toronto (I like to mention the last bit being a proud Canadian). In my mind he’s currently one of the best on the planet. He has released two previous albums: Thank Me Later (2010) and Take Care (2011) selling 1.5 and 2 million copies respectively.

Drizzy has worked hard over the past few years to end up where he is right now and has earned all his praise. He is an exceptional talent being able to rap, sing, and make both quality music and catchy radio hits. Drake’s upcoming album is interesting for a couple of reasons. Over the course of the summer several of his hits were released prior to any announcement of Nothing Was The Same.  These songs included “The Motion”, “Hold On, We’re Going Home” and “All Me”. Last spring he released the song “Girls Love Beyonce” which was a huge hit (as you could probably tell by the name) but was left off the album.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the album was leaked a few days ago, which will make for interesting opening week numbers. Conversely, in today’s world with easy access to music online, I don’t think sales have as much of an indication on popularity.

If you don’t already listen to Drizz, or aren’t into the rap/hip-hop scene, give it a listen and see for yourself.

I’ll be at his concert on October 21^st in Montreal and I’ll make sure to blog about his performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukCyt47eIkA

– Cam

I recently watched the Louis C.K clip on cell phones (http://teamcoco.com/video/louis-ck-springsteen-cell-phone) that professor Mittell recently tweeted. Upon watching I realized we should be concerned for upcoming generations and how they will develop personal connections. Although my generation may be showing similar signs, I believe we were raised by parents with a different technological mindset. Louis C.K mentions the importance of recognizing facial expressions and how that in turn shapes the way we feel. Calling someone fat in person and watching his or her reaction, he explains, is far different than saying the same thing through text. We learn a lot by feeling emotions, which quite frankly isn’t the same over a phone or computer.

 The basis of his argument stemmed from the decision he had to make on whether or not to get his child a cell phone. Kids are getting phones at a much younger age today than even 5 years ago. I remember getting my first phone when I was 14, and my older brother only got one when he was 16. In today’s world, it would be social suicide to not have a Smartphone by middle school. Children need those years to build strong relationships, explore interests and develop their personality traits. I feel strongly that cell phones and social media take away from that.

My best friends younger brother is 13 and has over 2000 Instagram followers – while following only 200 – and garners roughly 300 likes per picture. He knows maybe 30 of these followers, which causes me to worry for him. He has never met, nor will he ever meet, a majority of the people he communicates and interacts with on a daily basis. To finalize, I don’t think we should eliminate the digital media use of young adolescents because it is a world they will eventually grow up to live in. Instead we should limit their usage, allow them to get the best of both worlds.

– Cam