Taking a Break from Easter Break

Hello and Happy Easter everyone! It's been a nice, relaxing break at home in New York with my family. I am finally getting around to some homework before I pack up and head back to St. Michael's tomorrow, and first up is my Social Media assignment. I have to compile two lists to supplement two articles. One is about the string of maple syrup burglaries in Vermont (here), and the other is a hypothetical story about moving into college in the Burlington-area. I hope that you enjoy what I have come up with.

5 Weird Burglaries Around the World:



1. Bridge
Thieves in the Czech Republic claimed to be hired to demolish a 10-ton bridge. The bandits showed depot employees forged paperwork and told them the bridge over unused railroad tracks needed to come down. "The thieves said they had been hired to demolish the bridge, and remove the unwanted railway track to make way for a new cycle route," says a railroad spokesperson. They proceeded to dismantle the bridge and 650 feet of track. (Source)

2. George Washington's Wallet
"One hundred and ninety-one years after his death in 1799, George Washington's battered wallet was stolen from an unlocked case in the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton, New Jersey. The wallet was later returned to police. In a separate incident in 1986, a lock of Washington's hair was taken from a museum in France. Five years later it was recovered, along with a lock of hair belonging to the Marquis de Lafayette, by French police during a raid on a drug dealer's hideout." (Source)

3. Manhole Covers
"In July 1990, Los Angeles police broke the case of the Great Manhole Theft Caper when they arrested two culprits who later confessed to stealing 300 manhole covers weighing as much as 300 lbs each. The Manhole Men were selling the covers for six dollars each to scrap-material dealers. They could have made 30 times as much money by recycling the same weight in aluminium soft-drinks cans. Two years later, manhole mania hit Lillehammer, Norway, site of the 1994 Winter Olympics, after local officials began stamping the covers with the Olympic logo. Three of the 140-lb covers were stolen, but one was returned after the thief 'sobered up'." (Source)

4. Buttons
 Felicidad Noriega, the wife of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, was arrested in a Miami-area shopping mall in March 1992 for stealing $305-worth of buttons, which were removed from clothes in a department store. (Source)
 
5. Sand

Hundreds of tons of sand from a beach on the northern coast of Jamaica was stolen in July 2008. (Source)

 College Move-In Tips



1. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Everyone is overwhelmed while moving into college for the first time. There will be plenty of helpful people around to answer questions or give you a hand lugging that fridge up three flights of stairs. Make sure you become acquainted with your RA and orientation leaders (If you have them). They are all there to make your transition into college a smooth one.

2. Rubbermaid containers are everyone's friends. You have pack tons of things in them and fit them easily into the trunk of your car. Having tons of loose items or overflowing garbage bags can be messy and cost you time when loading and unloading the car.

3. Talk to your roommate ahead of time. Meeting a stranger who you are going to be living with for the next year in a cramped room in a new place can be intimidating. It's helpful to chat with them beforehand (if possible) and get to know them. You can also figure out who is bringing the microwave and who is bringing the fridge. Those little things can take a load off of you and your parents before move-in day and take the edge off of any nerves about meeting your new roomie.

4. Keep your door open. Everyone is friendly during move-in day and orientation. People are much more open to making friends the first few weeks than a month or two into the semester. If you keep your door open, your hall mates can pop by and introduce themselves or check out your cool set-up for ideas. Don't forget to make your rounds and stop by their rooms too.

5. Don't forget to breathe. Everyone around you is going through the same thing and you're undoubtedly all feeling nervous about starting this next big chapter in your lives. It's an exciting and nerve-wracking step, but don't let it overwhelm you. Take a minute to walk around campus or hang some posters in your room to make it more homey. Don't power through the unpacking, greetings, and goodbyes. It'll all be over before you know it so soak it all in and relax as much as you can.
 
There you have it! I'm going to spend some more time with my family before tomorrow. The season finale of The Walking Dead is on tonight and my household is brimming with excitement. Enjoy the rest of your Easter everyone!

Coloring Easter Eggs with my sister, Maggie, yesterday night.

-Sheila