Triboro News

The ongoing pandemic, fewer daylight hours, and colder weather mean that many of us are spending even more time indoors. If you're looking for new and fun ways to pass the time, why not try playing a board or card game? I've found that they help me take my mind off things that I'm worrying about. Check out my list of favorites below! 

Chess 

I've been playing a lot of chess recently thanks to Netflix's The Queen's Gambit. The ultimate strategy game that's been around for centuries, chess requires a ton of focus and can take a lifetime to master. Luckily, there are many books, articles, and websites that can teach you openings, middle games, and end games. According to this article, playing chess can also make you smarter! 

Don't have someone to play with? No worries; there are many apps that let you play a computer or other online players for free. 

Backgammon 

Backgammon is one of my all time favorites. This two-player game is easy to learn and the games don't last too long, so it's perfect if you just want a quick break! 

Don't have someone to play with? No worries; there are many apps that let you play a computer or other online players for free. 

Gin Rummy 

Gin Rummy is a fun, quick card game that can be played with 2-3 people. All you need is a deck of cards! 

Settlers of Catan 

With its cult following, Settlers of Catan is a game that people are passionate about. The rules may seem complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it, it can be a lot of fun. Catan can sometimes drag on, though, and I've found that it tends to bring out the argumentative side in some players! 

Parcheesi 

Originally from India, Parcheesi was my family's go-to board game growing up. To win, be the first one to move all four of your pieces around the board to home base. If one of your pieces gets captured, you have to start over again. 

Bananagrams

If you're a fan of Scrabble, you'll love Bananagrams! The pieces come in a fun, zippered pouch, so you can play anywhere. 

Masterpiece 

A lesser-known board game, Masterpiece is perfect for art lovers. It might even help you with your Art History classes! 

A Puzzle

If you're in the mood for something more quiet and meditative, working on a puzzle is a great option.

Let us know about your favorite games by commenting below! 

This year has been so strange, but there is good in the world and we in the Learning Commons want to celebrate that. So today I am giving you what we are all thankful for!

Beauty - I am thankful for my health, those who support me (whom I could not go through quarantine without), and the internet.

Tya - I’m thankful for my studio at TANK https://www.tankstudios.org 

Grateful for the opportunities to share my voice with everyone https://cbca.org/event/checking-in-and-looking-forward/

And THANK YOU GRUB HUB!

Chloe - I'm grateful for vegetables, giant jigsaw puzzles, and that my daily life no longer requires shoes.

Morgan - I am thankful for my wife and all of her help and support and Levi cause he just gets me and has helped me not go crazy during this period.

Lea - I'm thankful for Procreate and all the new possibilities it's created for my art and creativity. I'm also grateful for all the time I've spent in nature this year as it has definitely kept me sane, refreshed, and inspired! 

Katherine - I am grateful that I am still able to remotely enjoy movies with my friends during this pandemic! It's been a real lifesafer.

Rini - I am grateful for all the friends i'v met throughout my journey and experience at RMCAD and the wonderful opportunity to get connections and meet people at Disney TVA! I am also grateful for the hardworking delivery people who can get my mail and food to me on time whIle i am stuck at home! 

Ev- I am thankful to have Jake, my cats and my plants. I am grateful for Impressionist Painting

Ryan - I am thankful for my amazing friends who continue to support me, even though we are not able to hang out in person anymore.  I am also grateful for the trips into the mountains that I have been taking to continue my landscape photography, which has helped me stay focused and reconnects me to nature.

Sophia - I'm grateful for the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit for inspiring my fiance and I to play chess every evening and learn about chess strategies. It's been a great distraction (and so fun)! And I'm very grateful for all the wonderful people I work with :)! 

Rhett - I'm thankful for the people I work with and all they do to show they care for one another. I'm grateful for the friends who've gone out of their way to organize events to stay in touch. I'm also thankful Maya hasn't crashed on me lately. :P

Martha (me) - I am thankful for all of you and for my three amazing kids and our wonderful little black cat! I am thankful for all of the library and SLC staff and patrons who ask questions. I am thankful for RMCAD administration who have handled this year with grace. I am thankful for the folks in marketing who help publish our blog. I am thankful for Netflix and the New York Review of Books.

Thank you all!

Sometimes along the way to achieving our goals, we lose steam and get off track, feeling unmotivated to keep going. Thinking about your goals and your motivations are great tools for success and achievement. It is getting to be that time. Midterms. The days are shortening. Many of us would prefer to sit on the couch, under a blanket, with a cup of cocoa and a pet. 

Don’t stop yet! You have homework to do!

How can you prepare for midterms with the same enthusiasm you had in week one?

One. Sometimes you just have to put one foot in front of the other. One mark on paper, one sentence on paper, can get your juices flowing again. Make a deal with yourself. Set a timer for 15 minutes and work for that fifteen. Then take a break. Repeat as needed. 

Two. Look for some other sources of inspiration. Check out this series on creativity: https://freakonomics.com/how-to-be-creative/Or listen to RMCAD’s own Podcast: https://www.rmcad.edu/remotelycreative/. Or listen to true crime podcasts like most of the library staff.

Three. Take a walk. The weather is beautiful right now and the leaves are crunchy. I believe that crunching leaves under my feet is one of the best things in life. Fresh air will clear your head and help you get back to work. 

Four. Read our tipsheet on motivation and make an appointment with an SLC Mentor to go over your work. We are here to help. 

When we research anything, how do we determine the credibility or reliability of the sources we read? One handy tool is called the CRAAP test. The CRAAP test stands for :

Credibility

Relevance

Authority

Accuracy

Purpose

Determining credibility requires you to do additional research. You want to look at who is writing. What is the author's background? What is their education? One of the reasons I encourage people to use encyclopedia sources besides Wikipedia is because Wikipedia is not transparent about who is editing their entries. You can find their handles and their self-descriptions, but do you really trust BaconLover19 who may or may not be a student at St. Olaf College? I love Wikipedia, but for academic sources, I use other tools when I want credible sources. If I a looking for credibility, I want to make sure that the author or organization has a research presence besides what they write themselves. Check out the author's H-Index score. 

Relevance is a determination of whether a research source has anything to say about what you are researching. If I am studying Picasso's blue period and come across an article that mentions Paloma Picasso's perfumes, is it relevant to what I am doing?

Authority has a lot in common with credibility, but not entirely. Someone with a high H-Index can't necessarily tell me anything about my kid's high school football games. Depending on the information I want, the authority changes. When I am writing about art history, I look for authorities in art history. Think about what you need and where it might be located. In the Ebsco databases, you can choose your "Source Type" so you can specify academic journals, or magazines, or conference reports. 

Accuracy can be tricky if you are new to a field of information. Determining accuracy requires reading and learning as much as possible about something before forming an opinion. Doing this is not easy. You also want to think about what you already know and whether new information you get fits in with what you know. It is important to remember that sometimes information is so revolutionary it can be hard to tell if it is accurate. When I was a little girl, the theory of plate tectonics was so new that we were taught the continents were static. Accuracy can change over time, and it is essential to be willing to change your minds if new information comes with good, solid evidence. 

Purpose requires you to figure out why someone is presenting you with information. A YouTube star may be showing some make-up techniques, but their aim is to sell you make-up. A late-night talk show interviewee might be selling their new movie. An opinion piece on the Second Amendment written by someone who is known for their anti-gun stance will demonstrate that bias. These are all important things to figure out. What is the purpose of me writing this blog post, for example? Could it be that I want all RMCAD students to be better researchers? YES!  

Many of us have spent a lot of time at home this year. For some people, working from home may become the new normal. And working from home involves being in close proximity to one's fridge and pantry, which can mean more flexibility and variety for food throughout the day. 

Whether you're at home or somewhere else, snacks can significantly improve the quality of your work or study sessions. Preparing a snack can be a welcome break, and eating one can give you the energy you need to keep working. Instead of grabbing leftover Halloween candy, however, try eating foods that will keep you energized and won’t induce sugar crashes. Check out our list of favorite DIY snacks below!

*If you’re allergic to nuts, try sunflower seed butter or tahini (sesame paste). 

Dates with nut butter 

Dates are sweet and buttery; try topping them with a spoonful of almond butter or tahini for a decadent (but nutritious) treat!

Celery with nut butter (or cream cheese) 

The crunchiness of celery pairs well with the creaminess of a nut butter or cream cheese. 

Bananas or apples with nut butter 

You can’t go wrong with nut butter and fruit!

Baby carrots or chopped bell pepper and hummus 

Grocery stores have many different types of hummus, but you can also try making your own. 

Pickles 

Bread and butter, dill, spicy, cornichons—the possibilities are endless when it comes to pickles! 

Hard-boiled eggs 

Sprinkle some salt and pepper on a hard-boiled egg. 

Apple slices with yogurt dip 

Mix plain yogurt with nut butter and cinnamon, and voilà! You have a tasty, protein-rich dip for some apple slices. 

DIY trail mix 

Instead of munching on store-bought trail mix, create your own! Go to your grocery store’s bulk aisle and grab any nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or chocolate that strike your fancy. 

Toast 

Try topping a slice of toast with avocado and salt, honey and butter, or hummus and tomatoes.

Tortilla with nut butter, jam, honey, or banana

Spread some nut butter over a tortilla with jam, honey, or a banana. Fold it in half and eat as is, or put some butter/coconut oil in a pan and lightly toast on both sides. Yum!

Chocolate 

Chocolate is a great study snack. Go for the dark chocolate, as it contains more antioxidants. 

Dried fruit 

Dried fruit doesn’t just have to be raisins and prunes. Try coconut, dried pineapple, and banana chips for a tropical twist. 

Grapes, blueberries, and raspberries

Any type of fruit makes a good snack, but because of their size, grapes and blueberries are particularly fun to eat when you’re hunkering down for a long study session. Put chocolate chips inside the raspberries for a sweet surprise. 

Tomatoes and mozzarella

In the mood for something savory? Try tossing some cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. These are fun to eat with a toothpick!

A family size bag of Cool Ranch Doritos 

Not particularly nutritious, but sometimes it's just what the doctor ordered. 

Want to share some of your own favorite snacks? Comment down below!