Don't let the church's flame go out

Across the United States, the fate of the Roman Catholic Church is rapidly changing. An increasing number of people do not attend mass, and the spirit and enthusiasm that I once found in church as a child is now hard to locate.

Currently, the Roman Catholic Church is having trouble retaining members. Lack of membership is causing churches to close, forcing them to join with other congregations.The linked churches will remain open, but they will not have full-time priests.People from different churches are faced with the challenge of merging styles and personalities, and this is all happening in our backyard.

Churches are also closing because there is a lack of priests, as many are retiring and aging. A priest may not retire until he is in his late 70s to early 80s. However, there are not enough young priests or students in seminary school to replace the retired. If there are no priests available to lead a church, they must close.

The church I attend, St. Augustine's, combined congregations with another church this past summer. There is currently an interim priest and an associate pastor; the churches will receive a full-time pastor later in December.

There will be twice as many duties for the new priest since there are now two parishes: twice as many meetings to attend, more faces and names to remember, additional sermons to write and more stress. It is double the responsibility.

I suppose it is a blessing my church did not close like others, but the priest I grew up with is no longer there, and the soul I love is slowly burning out because less people attend every month. Still, there was a time when my church was alive.

My family transferred to St. Augustine's my sophomore year in high school because of the people and essence it exhumed. My grandparents practiced there, so my family and I would occasionally attend mass with them. Everyone was so friendly and outgoing; if you were a stranger or newcomer to the church, people knew and would introduce themselves after mass. I quickly felt at home there, more than my previous church.

I honestly spent more time at St. Augustine's than at home or school. I was in the choir, so there were rehearsals during the week and singing at weekend masses. I also taught Sunday school for elementary students. This small building with smiling faces became my home-away-from-home in high school, and I was sad to leave it when I came to Brockport in 2005.

When I came back home this summer, I noticed a huge change at St. Augustine's. Because I am always in Brockport and rarely go home, I never noticed the lack of people at mass before. My parents told me some families stopped attending the past three years. When you are away for something for so long, you may not notice any changes or differences.

Many of the people I grew up with and considered family are now gone. I asked one of my friends why she and her family stopped attending mass, and she said her family did not think the linkage of the two parishes would be successful, so they did not bother attending.

Still, there is a solution to every problem, and there are possible solutions to retain parishioners and bring back the spirit. The Roman Catholic Church could allow priests to marry and have children, or better yet, allow women to be priests. Instead of requiring priests to be male, single and celibate, they could open the vocation for both genders who may or may not want families.

However, the Roman Catholic Church is embedded in tradition, therefore it will not allow women to become priests or male priests to marry. I understand it would break tradition to allow this possible solution, but the Church needs to mold into the 21st century and modernize for the sake of the people, who are its heart and soul. If there is no one to attend mass, the success of the Church is fragile, leaving many to straddle on a thin line between heaven and hell.

Though the linkage of churches and membership are challenges, they are something people need to embrace, not fear. There is the opportunity to meet new people and build new relationships with others who are involved in the same struggle. I am still going to attend mass because there are still smiling faces of people I know and love, as well as the anticipation of meeting new people.

Roji Tea Lounge

Nestled away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Syracuse is Roji Tea Lounge. The only Japanese-inspired tea lounge in the Syracuse area, this small place provides amazing experiences and of course, tea.

Roji introduced Syracusians to bubble tea, a sweetened ice tea, with a plethora of flavors to choose and tapioca balls. Honeydew, taro, strawberry and almond are some flavors for the bubble tea.

The tapioca balls comprise of the “bubble” in bubble tea. Customers are given large, colorful straws of which to eat the balls. Tapioca is a root, but it tastes amazing.

Other favorites include green tea cake and green tea cookies. Though both are literally a nasty green color, don’t let the appearance frighten you; they taste nothing like they look.

The tea lounge also offers a multitude of other tea from lemon grass to oolong. Each is served in a special teapot, with quirky cups.

Another interesting combination is chocolate milk tea, which is mixed of a black tea base and cocoa. This definitely tastes better than chocolate milk or hot chocolate.

When customers enter the tea lounge, there are a variety of places to sit from comfy couches or the traditional table-chair combination. There are also mattresses and cushions where people can sit and eat, and there are large windows to look outside and people watch.

Before I went to Roji, I never liked tea, but now, it’s one of my favorite drinks. All the people who go here are so different, but friendly, and that’s why I love going here as much as I do. It has a warm atmosphere and affordable, tasty tea.

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

hough not as hilarious as his novel, Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris' collection of essays is able to stand on its own two feet. Like the rest of his essays, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim portrays the real-life situations and conundrums the author must overcome.

Growing up, Sedaris thought he was different because he was never interested in sports; he received equipment for Christmas, but never used it. He was interested in watching boys, not girls - Sedaris realized he was gay, but did not reveal this fact to his family until he was older. Like any family, each member had varying reactions that verged from acceptance to denial.

Throughout the book, Sedaris writes in an authentic voice. Based upon childhood experiences, there are moments of happiness, sadness, frustration and excitement; every human emotion felt is present in this book. The author narrates not only joyous times in life, but the bad and the ugly, as well.

The best thing about the book is the relatability it possesses. Sedaris writes about his family, several sisters, one brother and two parents,and everyday obstacles the family must overcome. Instead of portraying his family in the best light possible, Sedaris tells the truth. He leaves no embarrassing story untold, no hilarious moment unscathed; he tells it like it is.

When Sedaris writes genuinely, he shows readers that his family is imperfect. He wants readers to know that no family is flawless and there are secrets and humiliating moments in each one. This truthful tonemakes Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim perfect for the reader who wants to be reminded that his or her family is not the only crazy, wacky one out there. Overall, the collection of essays is another notch in Sedaris' belt.

'Happily ever after' not out of reach

very little girl dreams of having the happily-ever-after tale when she is growing up: A prince, galloping on a white horse, saves her from the evil witch or wicked stepmother. My childhood happily-ever-after tale involved my wanting to marry the post-Beast from Beauty and the Beast. The Beast was courageous and brave, and my 5-year-old self wanted to live in the palace that had such an amazing library.

As I grew up, reality hit me, and my expectations of a happily-ever-after have changed, but not so much that I don't believe in great things happening. I know there are no dragons or cruel wizards, but the idea of having a good ending and good times are still present.

Young adults are told to not believe in fairy tales and magic because it is not reality. With a financial crisis in the United States, high divorce rates and a shaky job market, I can see why people need to be practical and sensible, but there needs to be fun and excitement as well. If life is all about rules and regulations, then it would soon become extremely boring.

Who makes the rule that we have to live in reality, never believing in pixie dust or great things just because we are growing up? Maybe I'm getting Peter-Pan syndrome because I'm graduating in May, but there can be satisfying endings. I don't mean the live-happily-ever-after with no obstacles, but a decent ending is possible.

One thing that is scary is how people are afraid of relationships, especially college students, making them not believe in good endings. For example, seniors do not want to become involved with someone because they do not know where they will end up after graduation, but that excuse is unacceptable. It is important to take risks, because there should never be a what-if situation.

People are so cynical and afraid of commitment and relationships. People have to work at relationships; there needs to be compromise and acceptance and understanding of both sides' strengths and weaknesses.

I look at my parents and know there have been rough times in their marriage - every marriage goes through hard times - but they stuck with each other because they have a strong bond. Now, nearing 60, I can see my parents happily growing old together.

Still, in order to acheive a good ending, we have to go through rejection. Rejection is a part of life, and I know everyone has had their fair share of it.

You need to go through rejection and heartache in order to end up with something good. We all know that life isn't easy and rejection is one step closer to figuring out what we want. There is nothing wrong with having a broken heart; if it gets broken, it'll mend. If a guy I'm seeing doesn't want to talk to me anymore because he's just not that into me - next, please.

Time heals all wounds, and when that Band-Aid is ripped off, you will be better, ready to live life and be happy. This may sound unbelievable, but hardships makes a person stronger.

I believe that I will have my version of a happy-ending tale one day, though I know it will not be perfect. That's life. But I am positive I will have a fair share of the bad and the ugly, as well as the good.

Still, to achieve a good ending, a person must work at it. Each person has the ability to do what he or she wants and be who he or she wants to be.

There is no fairy godmother to make the dress for the ball; we have to create our own destinies, and we do have control over our choices and reactions to situations.

This may sound like a glass-full column of cheesy optimism, but if there is nothing to believe in, there is no point to living. So, for now I'm going to continue living the Allison-tale, not a perfect-ending fairy tale.

Lighten Up on Self Image

"I feel like a piggy - OINK!" one of my friends joked as she wolfed down her favorite food.

Girls are fighting the ever-constant battle of fad diets and body-image problems. If a girl eats as much food a boy in one sitting, she is frowned upon although she may be at a healthy weight and frequently exercise. When people chastise her for eating too much, she becomes anxious about how she presents herself to other people, causing her to lose self-confidence.

Every single day, girls obsessively worry about their appearances. Looking into the mirror, a girl will see bad-hair day after bad-hair day, the latest pimple and thighs in desperate need of more time at the gym. Though the mirror doesn't add 10 extra pounds like cameras, the conscience can add pounds upon pounds, making girls feel worthless and fat.

Not once does the girl find anything positive about her; it's only negative characteristics she sees looking back at her: baggy eyes, frizzy hair and that arm flab that doesn't seem to go away no matter how many weights she lifts.

If the girl sees a useless person sadly looking back in the mirror, the typical outsider sees a normal and healthy-looking girl. If only the girl could see herself through the onlooker's eyes and not her own, she would have self-confidence and accept herself for who she is. Girls have the ability to be their own worst enemy and toughest critic.

Some girls will not believe others who say they are great the way they are. Girls never take the advice of others when it comes to body image since they only focus on their own self-image.

Girls need to realize there is no perfect size or body. Some people will never be a size four, and others will not have the perfect sixpack on their stomachs. I know people want to have these things, sometimes no matter how hard we try, we may be physically unable to change our bodies. It's best to accept and accessorize what we have.

The sad thing is that most girls cannot eat as much as they want or dress how they feel because they are too concerned how people will view them. The girls become too obsessed with body image, so they continually try to lose five more pounds with dozens of diets.

I am not a firm believer in diets like Atkins, a low-carbohydrate diet, or the South Beach, a low-fat diet. Each diet has some restriction: low carbohydrates, low sugar, low fat or all fruits and vegetables. I like food, and I'm not afraid of carbohydrates or sugar.

People need a balanced diet, not one that cuts and crosses out certain foods groups. We need sugar so our insulin levels do not become too low and carbohydrates for energy. If one area of nutrition is lacking, then the body will not function well as a whole.

Each food group is important - yes, even the fatty, sugary food. It's important to eat fruits, vegetables, dairy, protein and meat, but it is important to have some fatty foods, in moderation, as well. Not only because your body needs some healthy fat, but because some fatty foods do taste good.

My favorite fatty foods are peanut butter and snickerdoodles. I don't have these foods all day, every day, but once in a while I will eat a spoonful of peanut butter or make the cookies because they taste good. I'm not afraid for people to know I don't eat salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner, or I do not get full eating one carrot stick. I do eat in moderation, but there are some times I splurge on another slice of pizza or some cookie dough - there is nothing wrong with the occasional and spontaneous midnight craving.

If girls could learn to accept themselves as they are and not constantly worry about food, self-confidence will boost and body-image problems will slowly vanish. Still, it's that step of acceptance and not looking in the mirror that is the hardest part. I know it's cliché, but look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself you are great and it's okay to have your cake and eat it, too.

The Interpreter of Maladies

The Interpreter of Maladies is one of the most popular pieces of literature from best-selling author, Jhumpa Lahiri. The collection of short stories provides a magical and entertaining glimpse into Indian lifestyle and culture. From death of a loved one to the arranged marriage of an Indian-American, Lahiri skips no life event.

Most of the main characters emigrate from India to America, and must find a balance between keeping Indian tradition, yet learning to assimilate into American culture. The parents struggle to fit into American culture, while their children appear to effortlessly abandon their history in exchange for rock music and blue jeans.

Lahiri's short stories are hidden treasures because she is able to transform reality into fiction. The author takes her past experiences, and those from friends, to create characters. At the end of the stories, the characters realize that in order to go forward, they must recognize and embrace the past.

Another thing Lahiri masters is providing readers with entertaining characters, who endure all emotions. From sadness to happiness to anxiety, there is no emotion or feeling Lahiri excludes. Because she provides a variety of themes for readers, Lahiri has created something special.

Additionally, Lahiri creates a diverse group of characters that range from a newly-married Indian wife, who was a mail-order bride from India, to the first-person narrative of a young college-bound man.

Overall, The Interpreter of Maladies is a short, yet inspiring piece of fiction, and all the stories are light, crisp and easy to read. Readers of this collection of short stories should find the book thoroughly entertaining and enlightening.

Joe Biden's Multiple Uses

I went to Planet Fitness yesterday. All of a sudden, a guy came up to me and asked me what I thought of Joe Biden's speech at graduation. I gave him the dumbest look I had and said I didn't go to SU, though I had an SU shirt on. He tried to convince me otherwise, and I kept saying I went to Brockport. I ran away.

Today, I go the gym again, but this time wearing a Brockport T-shirt. He said he finally believed I went to Brockport, then asked for my number, but I gave a fake one.

I really, really hope he's not there tomorrow.

I don't think I have heard of Joe Biden's name used in a pickup line before, and I've heard some pretty weird ones.