Random Fact Dorks

Random fact:
If you do not eat enough iron for an extended period of time, it affects your tongue. For example, the hairs on your tongue can start to come off in little patches. Yes! Your tongue has hairs! It's generally not noticeable until they start to fall off though ... and for those of you who are interested, yes, I know from experience. I would post pictures, but it was too weird and also too embarrassing to take a picture. But take note, for those of you who enjoy random trivia!

HP Dork

Shout out to all the Harry Potter geeks of Nip! If you have not yet watched "A Very Potter Musical," I suggest you hit it up. It can be found on Youtube. A highschool student in an arts school wrote it and another wrote the music. It's a quite impressive fan fiction endeavour, and is a great distraction from studying. My favourite character is Malfoy. He is played by a girl and she is fantastic in the role. Makes me laugh every time, but that might be because I'm an HP Dork. Check it out!

Vampire Dork

SPOILER ALERT! This post has nothing to do with the Twilight series. Aside from this ironic statement in which I mention it to indicate I refuse to mention it.

I have a confession: I recently have watched an unnatural amount of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I'm on the 7th season, and I didn't even really like the first. However, I don't have cable because I'm too cheap and I want some mindless television in the background as I do certain homework, essay writing, and note-making for exams. So I have two little Buffy anecdotes to share.

1) Two nights ago I had a dream. I'm going to argue against Freud's theory of manifest and latent content in this one, as my fears were pretty clear. In it, Buffy and her Scoobies are researching some form of demon and decipher a passage that will help them. Zander says "Who is Althusser, and why is he so gosh-darn cryptic when he writes?" Then I step in and say "Louis Althusser. Literary theorist" and then I become the expert, but I can't decipher anything and have a panic moment where I yell "What is going to happen on the exam!!??!!"

2) [This one could also be influenced by my current reading of Dracula for another exam] I came to the conclusion today that one of my classes is a vampire. Studying for this exam is slowly draining the life out of me; it initially seduced me in the first three classes (back in September) and then began said drainage; and I have two red bumps on my neck that I had initially assumed were pimples of some form, but putting together all the connections have come to the realisation that I must dispel this myth and burn my notes to purge me from the evil contained in the binder! [more effective than stabbing it with a wooden stake ... also I'm too weak]. Think that's better than a "dog ate my homework" excuse?

90s Fashion Dorks

Over the past 2 days I have made some interesting fashion observations, which I care to share.

1. Yesterday I saw a young woman wearing Duckies. Yes, Duckies. For those of you who don't remember, these were a staple in my childhood -- a form of ankle-height rubber boots, usually with "laces," which were included more to make them seem semi-fashionable than to serve any functional purpose.

2. This morning I witnessed a man walking through the Nipissing halls donning black leather pants.

3. While traveling on the bus I saw a woman wearing glasses with large circular rims.

Out of context, these observations most likely seem like fashion "faux-pas." However, each of these people impressed me. They pulled it off. That's saying something, especially with the Duckies. It makes me wonder if the 90s are coming back because of all these witnessed revivals in such a short period of time. However, if much more of 90s fashion does return, I might be psychologically damaged. Case in point: As I was writing this, a woman came to the computer beside me with the Spice Girls blasting out of her headphones.

Blogger Dork

I am going to be out of the ordinary and make a brief comment on my fellow blogger's blog (Kelly :)). Way back before reading week, we both had the notion of writing a blog on the library, considering this is the one place where both of us happen to meet each other and we are both library dorks. I refrained, because being a dork I had already mentioned the library and didn't want to get TOO redundant. Kelly wrote a good post, I enjoyed it. She wrote another today, about plaid shirts. I would like to say, for the record, I am a genuine plaid shirt wearer. That's right. Farmer, born and raised. I actually told my roommate the other day that I liked plaid before it was popular, but when I wore it in elementary school it wasn't quite as in fashion as it is now. I was called a geek/dork for it actually ... proof (not Cretien style) that the definition of geeks/dorks is being redefined! Embrace your inner dork! It's becoming popular! I also liked The Beatles before they came back ... I must be a trend setter. Cue the paparazzi and fan club!

Geek Gossip

In general, I like to avoid gossip. However, the library being a facet of dork culture, I cannot ignore the whispers in the halls concerning our "Learning Library." For one reason or another (I have heard multiple theories so will at least avoid spreading this portion of potential falsehood), Nipissing currently, and unofficially, plans on calling the new library the Harris library. As in Mike Harris. Now, I do not want to spend this blog bashing politicians, but does Nipissing not see the irony in this proposal?

On a related note. The library is totally the place to be right now. I suddenly feel popular from just sitting in the lounge by myself, just because so many other people feel the desire to be here! I will associate myself with them through proximity and claim to be popular as well.

Conceited Moment

I am going to take a moment to be an entirely egotistical dork and say that I am officially in the Undergraduate Research Conference next weekend! I will be presenting an English paper! This is more exciting for me than anyone else I think. I'll keep this post short.

Nipissing Napissing

Based on recent events, and through suggesting this lovely option to many of my colleagues, I have come to the conclusion that Nipissing should have nap rooms. Some of you may be aware of this trend existing in companies, such as Nike, Sprint, Deloitte, Airway companies, and the US Army. That's right, the US Army even gets to sleep on the job. A number of companies in the Silicon Valley even have rooms complete with mini showers and alarm clocks (that's right, I did my research), and in all my research I have yet to find a university with nap rooms.

Now, some of you may say "that is what the library is for" or "who needs sleep when you have Red Bull?" To you I say "You are in denial." If you think about it, who wouldn't want a nap room? The library is hot and stuffy and crowded and to sleep in that atmosphere wouldn't give you the good, quality sleep you need to pass that quiz in your bio class in an hour. And who wants to show up with binder ring marks on their face? Pas moi. And why pay for Red Bull when you can nap? That's my theory.

So, I propose that our new library, the "Learning Library," be equipped with said nap rooms. We can be innovative, ahead of the game! Just imagine the stats, people's marks will obviously be affected drastically, there would be more cheer in the hallways, it would be great. I see no downside to this plan, and if you see one, kindly keep your negativity out of our cheery, well-rested halls.

We are the first university to have the iTeach program, and I feel such innovations should extend beyond the world of computers, and into the realm of sleep.

On a slightly related note, what is with the random bed in the second-floor bathroom by the small cafeteria? When the door says occupied you can't go in. It happened to me once. I was just an innocent little student needing to use the facilities and I was denied access. If this is a nap room, then that is just more proof we should have more as students. Sometimes I'm tempted to seek out said bed and set it to occupied myself.

Also, just one final note -- we wouldn't even have to invest in blankets for said nap rooms, if finances are an issue. I know my earlier post convinced us all to start wearing our snuggies to school cape-style to keep us warm in class, so we're all set blanket-wise. Just give us some beds :)

(After completing this post I searched for an appropriate photo accompaniment. I found "Power Pods" from the UK. We wouldn't even need whole rooms! Check it out!)

UGRC - The Hardcore Geeky Dorks!

That's right everyone! The Third Annual UGRC is coming up at the end of March! For those of you who don't know about this event, it is essentially an opportunity for undergrad students to showcase their abilities in various subjects and formats, ranging from essays to posters. I was in the conference last year with an Education research project and am exploring the possibility of participating again this year, so I can give you a few of the deets, and admit that I am a hardcore geeky dork.

The UGRC is the last Friday and Saturday of March, usually starting in the evening on Friday with and introduction to the weekend and speeches by all the important people around, then followed by the posters being on display with the presenters there to answer questions. The posters are on display Saturday as well, but the presenters usually are not present. Last year the posters ranged from Education to Chemistry to Geography. Then on Saturday, those with papers present and anyone in the university is welcome to attend. It really is a great opportunity for anyone looking to showcase their talent and research and to be recognized beyond the class level. Also, if you're looking into grad school, it is great experience and looks fantastic on an application.

If you're thinking you don't have time to write a whole new paper or do a whole new research project, never fear! This is actually to present research you have already done!

If you'd like more information because you're a hardcore geeky dork like me, or at least starting to convert to our side, I don't think there is a website right now, but your professors should have the information for you and I'm sure most would be more than willing to help you along. I believe the proposals are due this Friday, March 15! So get a move on and apply!

Whirling Words owt.

Oh! Hey! Look! Something Political!

I currently have 4 English essays in progress. It's times like these, when I am doing research looking for proofs, that a quote from a certain Prime Minister of Canada (*cough*Cretien*cough*) comes to mind:

"What is a proof? A proof is a proof and when you have good proof it's because it's proven."

He also says it with a French accent, in which he over enunciates his p's and f's, so the entire thing is quite comical.

This puts me in a political frame of mind, and consequently I feel like mentioning to my fellow Nippisingites the current Canadian controversy. Yep, now that the Olympics are over and we set new records for gold medals, so our anthem was played multiple times for all the world to hear and become recognizable, it's time to change it. Good thing we've got the Tories to set our priorities for us. Maybe they'll keep it similar enough that it will still be recognizable, and change "sons" for something like "peeps" so it's only one syllable.

For those of you who don't know the current situation, to make a long story short, the government has decided that the term "sons" in the anthem is sexist and it's about time that was changed.

Already there are Facebook groups opposed to the change and discussions begun, and from what I can see most are opposed to this change, especially because it should not be the current priority, and is seen as a "diversonary tactic" to distract us from the $56 billion deficit that's been racked up.



Whether or not they change the anthem, I'm going to go find some proven proofs for my essays. That's my priority.



For anyone who would like to read some commentary on the opinion of actual political leaders, such as MPs, this link has some good quotes. Thanks to a friend who brought the issue to my attention through this site :)



http://news.ca.msn.com/canada/cp-article.aspx?cp-documentid=23571820

Jogging Dorks

The sun is starting to shine, the snow is starting to melt, the sidewalks are starting to dry, people are venturing out doors without tuques (which I just found out is spelt with a u. I thought it was an o, but apparently that's the French spelling. Go figure!), and the snot doesn't freeze in my nose the instant I step out my door. You know what that means, JOGGING SEASON!

Today I went to No Frills (It's Dollar Daze. Whoever thought of that was a genius. I'm gluten and lactose intolerant and I still have deals to grab up!). On the way there and back I came across 3 joggers, and I only live 10 minutes away! It starts with two or three and the next thing you know there's four!

Now, I'm not against joggers! Oh no, I'm all for it. I actually used to be a jogger myself and then, to put it bluntly, I got lazy. When there's no snow on the ground, there's an elderly group that jogs by here. I'm sure any of them could kick my bum if I tried to race them. I applaud them, but feel guilty that I am not joining them.

Maybe I will join a speed walking class. That will probably be more at my speed these days. Or maybe I'll wait until the slush is gone ...

(On a sidenote, today we won gold in hockey. I knew this the instant it happened but I don't have cable and my internet was too choppy to watch it. How did I know? The yelling of my neighbours on both sides of me yelling at the top of their lungs. Fantastic.)

Insult Dorks?

So my roommate found his Shakespearian insult fridge magnets. Knowing that everyone reading my blog would want to be able to offend their friends and loved ones with witty remarks in Old English, I have opted to list some here for you.

Let's say, hypothetically, you meet one of your friends after they have left the gym. The perfect line is at your disposal: "Thou smell of mountain goat."

Someone you know gets a bad haircut and they are suddenly a "bolting-hutch of beastliness."

For the friend who always looks great but says they look hideous and you wish to impart a sarcastic comment, there are multiple options: "Out of my sight! Thou dost infect my eyes," "Scratching could not make it worse ... such a face as yours," "Thou cream-faced loon, where got'st thou that goose look?" and "There is not an ugly fiend of hell as thou shalt be." When talking about a third person another option is: "The tartness of his face sours ripe grapes."

When someone is in a bad mood, if they love Shakespeare they will obviously be cheered up by one of his insults, such as "Thou crusty batch of nature."

And finally, a couple general insults to throw in the bag: "Thou elvish-mark'd, abortive, rooting hog" and "Out, you green-sickness carrion!"

Now, keep in mind that everyone is a dork, and will therefore appreciate these statements at some point in time. Who wouldn't want to be insulted when done like this?! If you hear them said to you and you are offended, I have now also equipped you to defend yourself! I personally hope to hear these archaic sayings in the hallways -- it will be music to my ears. And if you wish to dismiss someone, just say "These are but wild and whirling words" and shrug it off because Shakespeare equipped us with sayings for basically EVERY situation.

Con-Ed Dorks

As you are all aware (because you all obviously faithfully read my profile), I'm a con ed student here at Nip. This means I was on placement this past reading week. This may mean I didn't get a real "Reading week" because I didn't catch up on a lot of work, but let's be serious folks, who actually does? Aside from us dorks. Yes, I read David Copperfield on Valentine's Day. After that, I was definitely lacking in the productivity department for the rest of the week, aside from placement responsibilities. Which are what I am going to talk about now! Because some of them, I personally think, are blog-worthy.

So, Monday being Family Day (which is solely an Ontarian holiday, in case you weren't aware! It's not Canada-wide), I finished up my David Copperfield affair before heading to a Grade 8 class on Tuesday. I know what most people think -- Grade 8 kids = hormone overload. This is true. BUT, they were a very well-behaved group of hormonal youth, that I was able to accompany on two field trips! It was actually a fantastic week to be in the classroom. I did my lesson on Wednesday (autobiographical news stories, to any of you who are going into teaching and want a little lesson idea). Then on Thursday we went to the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto to see the "Body Worlds" exhibit. I was in charge of 6 students, and in typical dork fashion, I called them my "peeps" and would say things like "Alright homeslices, let's peace out to the rainforest exhibit. Werd." It just so happened that a lot of my group found my 'retro' sayings like "stellar" entertaining, so we got along well. They also enjoyed my geeky-dorkiness when going through the bodies exhibit when I explained scientific and biological things to them. It's really an environment that dorkiness can thrive in. On Friday we went to a tech centre, which was also fantastic and gave me time to get marking done.

So, while us con ed people may complain about having less reading week time than our Nipissing peers for getting work done, we'd be lying if we said we hated it. We're dorks and we love being in the classroom teaching or working with students, or we wouldn't be in this program. Embrace it. It's stellar.

Singles Awareness Day

I haven't made a post in over a week!?! It's shocking. Why the long intermission? Well, it was the week before our SECOND reading week. Obviously that meant my time, like I'm sure it has been for most of you, was full of due dates and hang-outs with people I wouldn't be seeing for a week. Now reading week take 2 (what a great aspect of going to Nipissing, getting 2 of these interludes!)!

Today is Valentines Day. Or, as one of my friends phrased it, "Singles Awareness Day." Now, I may be single, but I have had two love affairs today. TWO! Get ready, this post is about to get hot and scandalous! Love affair #1 = the Olympics. That's right. All day I've been watching my fellow Canadians (who are obviously much more athletic than I will ever even dream of being) competing with some winning medals. [By the way, did you know that moguls skiers have 50% larger quad muscles than the regular person? 50%!!].

Now, that lead up may have been slightly disappointing. I was leading you to believe I was having some kind of romantic involvement with someone. WELL! This second one won't disappoint, just like he hasn't disappointed me all day. I won't keep you on the edge of your seat. It's David Copperfield. Oh yeah. He's quite the intriguing man. He got pretty jealous when I was watching the speed skaters, I have to say. He kept calling back to me from his 1000 page journal so I would return to him.

Speaking of which, I think I can hear him calling me now, away from this computer.
Am I a dork? Do I actually read on reading week? You know it. Alayna owt. 

H1N2 : Lost Fever

Geeky Dork Nipissing student time.

Every year around this time, the infection begins. It's a season. Is it a flu season? I would equate it with one. H1N2 : Lost Fever! It's Lost Season! (which is a great pun on flu season, I like to think). It becomes an epidemic, like H1N1.

It starts with posters...simple posters around the university. You may not have noticed them before, but I'm in my third year and they have come every year of my university career. They are simple, white sheets with simple, black writing. They almost blend into the walls, but they work on your subconscious. Suddenly you are telling your friends who are named Kate that you "have to go back" because "the others are coming." Your friends may notice that you are muttering to yourself and when they ask you to speak louder you're reciting "4 8 15 16 23 42" like some kind of possessed person, or someone delirious because of LOST FEVER! The other day someone asked me why people who are already infected with H1N2 would want to put these posters up. Well, no one wants to be the only person infected with a disease. It's isolating. Kind of like living on an island. So they use subliminal messaging to get other people infected so they don't have to live in a bubble by themselves.

I admit, I have watched Lost. It is a very contagious show. Once you get into it, it's hard to get out. And it is very natural to want everyone else to watch it as well because then you have more people to talk to about your infectious show. Will the others win out? Will the unidentified killing thing kill everyone? Who knows?! But with other H1N2 diseased running around, you can at least have educated speculative conversations about the topic.

I propose an H1N2 support group to be held in H102. They sound so similar it would be easy for a diseased mind to remember, and it's a lounge, so that's perfect! Just a suggestion.

Finally, H1N2 is the perfect accompaniment to H1N1 or any other flu form. Think about it. If you come down with the flu, you're going to be comfined to bed, and what will you want to do? Sit around watching tv. So you can get caught up on all the Lost seasons during Lost Season.

Also, as an even more final note, I would like to draw attention to this subliminal advertising strategy. Nipissing Business students check it out! Track the spread of H1N2!

(NOTE: If you do actually end up getting H1N1 in the second wave, I sympathise. It's been predicted to come in the next month. Keep washing your hands and using the sanitizer dispensers conveniently placed around the university!)

Jesus Coke

Today I wish to discuss the Jesus Coke I received yesterday morning (Jesus Cokes? I received two. What is the plural of Coke? Coke? Sheep/sheeps?). I was sitting in the hallway in the main entrance of Nipissing, selling candy/caramel apples with my fellow Peer Mentors (It was raising money for the North Bay food bank -- it's Nipissing's annual Poverty Awareness week if you didn't know! Wednesday in H106 is Nipissing Performs for Poverty from 7-9.30 and admission is simply a non-perishable food item! But wait! There's more! On Thursday there will be a Friendly Famine in F204 from 11.30 to 12.30. Come socialize and again, bring only a non-perishable food item for admittance!).

Anyway, "But I was going to say when Truth stepped in" ("Birches" by Robert Frost), that I was sitting in the main hallway in the morning and I couldn't help but notice that there was another group strategically positioned in this same hallway ever so early in the morning. What could they have been doing, you may ask? WELL! Handing out free pop! Coke, to be precise (Can I get paid every time I say that in my blog? Coke Coke Coke Coke). If you happened to miss this event and are wondering why on earth this beverage was being handed out for free, here's the low-down. NCCF was promoting itself with free giveaways, no purchase necessary! I wondered what the significance of pop was -- why not hand out bumper stickers? Jesus fish? Then I saw there was a label on my can. A label with a bible verse. My post is not meant to stir religious controversy, but to look at the strategy.


Now, some may say that this is wrong. Accosting. Imposing. Forcing. Last night I was Facebooking (yes, in stage 1 of the writing process: procrastination) when I came across a Facebook group that was created called "Coke for Christ". It was created by non-NCCF Nipissing students and presented opposition to the "Coke for Christ" campaign.

But I witnessed every single can of Coke being distributed. Not once did an NCCF member attempt to convert someone. God was never brought up by an NCCF member unless questioned by someone ("Would you like a free Coke?" "Is it a Jesus Coke?"). Yes, it is true that people took cans without knowing the underlying religious purpose of the seemingly innocent cans. Some may have been shocked to later find this label and have felt bombarded with religion. But you were also free to ignore this label.

I see both sides to the incident. It is clear that the "Coke for Christ" Facebook group is not necessarily hostile but humourous and meant to draw attention and awareness to the event and have people question. The whole point of this blog is this: Whether or not you believe the verses on the Coke cans or religion in general, you have to admit that it was a good marketing strategy -- it got people talking, and any publicity is good publicity.

The Real Writing Process

That's right, the real writing process! The truth comes out. We all knew it, but no one actually set it in stone, so I'll be the first to outline our "stupid/foolish" dorkiness.

1. Procrastination. DO NOT start your paper early! Now, I have to admit I am also a geeky dork and do, indeed, start my essays fairly early, go and talk to my professors about my thesis, and do my research in advance. But that does not mean I do not find time to procrastinate. Oh no, it just means I think I can leave the actual writing of my paper to the very last minute. As a matter of fact, I am procrastinating right now, by writing this blog. Examples of procrastination include, but are not limited to: watching movies, talking to friends, Facebooking, reconnecting with long-lost high-school buds, calling home to see what your mom's up to, going for a walk, making food, and then realising by some chance of luck you have a cake mix! That must be made and eaten. The whole thing. Clearly I do it. Just look at the pic. Attack the whole thing with a fork! So, once you're full of cakey-goodness you can move onto stage 2.

2. Cleaning. This could have been grouped under procrastination, but it usually happens after other forms of delay, and is even more wide-spread than Facebooking, believe it or not (Note: no actual studies were done to prove any stats in this report). This is a good step, because it helps wear off the cake! Perfect transition.

3. Purchase of Red Bull. Now that you're full and your entire apartment or house, including the tops of the baseboard heaters, are spotless, you're ready to get down to business! But wait! You know you're probably going to be up late tonight, and the store closes in an hour! So clearly you must walk there because the bus is too boring. It may take more time, but it also helps wear off the cake, yet again.

4. Shower. After walking all the way to the store and back, and doing all that cleaning, you're feeling a little sweaty. No one likes to feel sticky when they're writing! A shower is in order, obviously.

5. Snack. It's been so long since you ate that cake that you're craving a little nibble. Time to make NACHOS! Or something similar. Sure you could eat them while you work on that paper, but better not take the chance of getting salsa on your keyboard or those valuable library books that you forgot to take out! That would be absolutely tragic!

6. Dishes. Don't want the ants to come or something! Nachos are their favourite! Better do the dishes!

7. Change. You can't write an essay in jeans! Better change into those pj's or track pants, which you will be wearing to class tomorrow too when you hand in your paper because you haven't slept and didn't even have time to change again before running to catch the last bus!

8. Lock yourself in your room with papers sprawled all around you and write write write write like crazy when you're hopped up on caffeine!!! Self-explanatory.

Alright, that's it. I should probably get back to my own essay, which has yet to be started. Or maybe I should make myself a gluten-free cake! Appetizing.

[Photo of author; no license infringement]

Weather Dorks

In this installment of embracing your inner dork, I wish to explore the "stupid/foolish" aspect of "dorkism". My best example can be summed up in North Bay's weather paradox.

It's mornings like today, when I wake up and look out my window to see the weather, that my mind likes to play tricks on me. This might be because I live in a basement apartment and my window actually faces another wall and has overhead shelter, but I can never know for sure what the weather is going to be like. We would assume that since it's JANUARY, it should be bitter cold, snow blowing in blizzards, etc. But this past week didn't start out that way. It started out fairly warm, and people wore leggings to school (myself included - don't pass up a chance to wear out-of-season clothes when they're out of season! Especially if it means you can avoid wearing clonky winter boots! Sacrifice for fashion, people!). Then came the rain. RAIN! In January! The fact that the public bus system always makes it up the hill even in the freezing rain we had this week is a testament to our dedication as students, even if we have nothing to do with the bus system really.

And then suddenly it's Thursday, -17 degress, windy, squally, and just plain COLD. Then the complaining begins. Yes, fellow Nipissingites. I am guilty of it too. We are all dorks. We all complain about how cold it is, how windy it is, how we wish we could be at home in the warmth of our beds, or even in the library, because all NipU students know that is the warmest place to be in the building, aside from forming a group huddle. But the irony is that we knew what North Bay was like before we moved here. A lot of us come from the South, and we made a conscious decision to move north. What did we think was going to happen? Obviously NORTH Bay isn't going to be Florida.

Maybe we thought we would be able to sit beside fire places when we didn't have class, at home under a blanket, creating a cabin-like atmosphere but keeping our cultured tastes and conveniences, like running water. Well, I think we all can agree that houses with fire-places are not quite within the price range of most student budgets. Heat is extra in my apartment, and I am willing to admit that I have sat in my living room in my snowpants. It's been known to happen. But we all have to admit, there's nothing like the picturesque landscape surrounding our university when it is covered in fresh-fallen snow. What other university can claim to have as beautiful a scene as our pond in winter, with the trees backing the montage? Or this picture of the road right in front of the university?

So, my fellow students, I have a solution! It's a simple one, that will allow us to enjoy the beauty of North Bay in person, and keep us warm at the university! If you're one prone to being cold in class, take a snuggie, the blanket with arms! You can write notes, stay warm, and even eat snacks while wearing them without ruining your clothes in case of a spill! How will you get these to the university? Well, that's the easy part! If you wear it backwards it doubles as a cloak. So you can pretend you're in Harry Potter and stay warm on the way to class too!

[Photo by author; no license infringement]

The Origin of the Name

In technical terms, the history and evolution of a word is called "eptymology," which any English student learns from using the OED (which is the Online Oxford Dictionary, for those non-Englishites), a.k.a. the English students' definition bible. Now, I could go through and tell you the origins of the word "embrace", "inner", and "dork", but I am not planning on ENTIRELY boring my readers, but instead I intend to provide my fellow Nipissing students with some nerdy tidbits that float through the Nipissing halls and dorky experiences we can all relate to because, as my "about me" states, we are all dorks and it is my goal to help you accept this fact.

Now, the term "dork" has undergone much backlash in the recent past. That's right. I hear it used as an insult throughout the halls. I hear "OMG you're such a DORK!" To me, this term has recently become associated with "geeks" and the like. It's interesting, considering the term actually means quite the opposite; by its definition, "dork" refers to people who are seen as foolish or stupid. Slightly paradoxical, I would say. Nonetheless, quite amusing.

Whether you are a dork or a geek, or would rather just deem yourself a 'normal' person, or even 'POPULAR', we all have our dorky moments, and this is the first of blogs to start documenting those at Nipissing. Enjoy! And embrace your inner dork!