Cory's Blog

            Question: What have I and literally thousands of other students at USC been waiting for since April? Fact: We were waiting for this past Thursday night. Question: What was the occasion? Fact: The season premiere of “The Office.”

            Question: Why have I started my blog with these weird “question” and “fact” phrases? Fact: This is how Dwight Kurt Schrute, a character from The Office talks, and I was alluding to him.

            Sorry if that opening paragraph confused some of you who aren’t “Office Nuts” like me. I’ll bring us back to the real world where Dunder Mifflen is just a fictitious paper supply company in Scranton Pennsylvania and where I and several friends had an “Office Party” Thursday night to enjoy the season premiere. Yes, there were many questions to be answered and laughs to be had in the daily lives of the bumbling life of Michael Scott’s (Steve Carrell’s character) office and we were ready for it all!

            My friend Doni, who is a fellow pharmacy school student, invited me, Nick, and several others of us over to her apartment for some pizza, brownies, and fantastic TV. Let me tell you, after a very hard week, us three pharmacy majors were especially ready for a break and a good laugh. Lucky for us, The Office picked right up where it left off with its hilarious antics, zany characters, and developing romance of two of the office members (Oh ya, it is getting interesting between Pam and Jim!).

            The show left us in stitches, and afterwards, the whole crew watched the season premiere of “Gray’s Anatomy.” That is, the whole crew minus me. I got out of there before Gray’s started because to be honest with you, I just really can’t get into it. People tell me I’m missing out, but I think I’ll stick to the original medical drama, ER!

            I don’t want you all to get me wrong, while I do enjoy a good TV show, having the time to devote to an hour straight of the “tube” is not common for me, as I am typically too busy, but once or twice a week, it is nice to just sit down and let the television do the talking for me. My TV time is usually limited to The Office, an episode of Pardon the Interruption or two, and usually a baseball game or two per week.

            Anyways, those are my “facts” about our little “Office Party.” If you have the time this week, do yourself a favor and catch The Office. I promise you, it won’t disappoint! That’s all I got for now folks, time to start counting down to episode two! Take care!

Posted by Cory at 06:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            My glove was on, my eye black applied liberally on my upper cheek, and my baseball pants were pulled high to reveal blue stirrups: it was definitely time for intramural softball to begin! All of the Sultans of the South (my team) were assembled, warmed up, and raring to get the 2007 fall co-ed intramural softball season under way. Unfortunately there was a small problem: there was no team to play!

            Yes, we fell victim to the dreaded “forfeit” from the other team, and I could not have been more disappointed. I had literally been looking forward to this day since the last out of the 2006 season. I mean, I had spent precious class time drawing up different lineups and defensive schemes, and for what? A forfeit? Let’s just say I was not a very happy camper Sunday night when all of this went down.

            Aside from being ready to play myself, I had brought together 12 people to play. Do you realize how hard it is to get 12 people in college to be anywhere at once? Ask some professors, they will tell you the same thing (pause a moment to chuckle at my little attendance joke). So, we now had 12 people together with no one to play against…but ourselves!

            Yes, we had ourselves a little intrasquad scrimmage. We had some fun, and got some important, and in this coaches opinion, needed practice. The guy who was supposed to umpire our game gladly joined in our little game!

            Overall, while I was disappointed in not getting to play against another team, and although I think our team needed the practice, I was just happy to get out there and blow off a little steam. With a couple tests and quizzes apiece this week, I gratefully will take any distraction that lets me relax a bit.

             All I have to say is that whoever is playing us next week better do two things: first, show up! Second, prepare for the full fury of the “Sultans of the South” co-ed softball squad. We’re hungry to play, hungry to win, and hungry to beat ya! Until next time, take care!

Posted by Cory at 10:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            The term “suitcase college” was thrown around a lot over the last two summers while I worked orientation. The phrase was brought up by parents who were worried that USC didn’t have enough to do on the weekends, and so their students would “pack up their suitcase” and go home every weekend. Some parents wanted their student to have something to do on the weekends, while others just seemed to want little Suzy or Johnny out of the house for good!

            For those parents genuinely concerned about students having opportunities to have fun and enjoy themselves on the weekend, I could say without a doubt that USC is most certainly NOT a suitcase college. In the fall, we can always count on Carolina Football games to give us all an event for Saturdays. However, what about those weekends when Coach Spurrier hits the road with the squad? Should we just expect to pack up the suitcase and head home to Mom and Dad for some home cookin’? Well, for an out of state student like myself, this is not an option, but luckily USC and the City of Columbia in general have plenty to keep us busy.

            This weekend is a prime example of what I am talking about. The Gamecocks are on the road at LSU, and so what should we do without football to watch? Well, the City of Columbia is offering up its “Greek Fest” this weekend. A short trip down Sumter Street will take you to all of the food, music, and fun of Greek Culture.

            Friday night also offered a couple of fun options. First, a student run sketch comedy group had a show at Trustus Theater, which is a five minute drive to the Vista. On top of that, out on the Horseshoe, you could go “Shagging at Midnight” where one could practice the native South Carolina dance, the shag, with fellow classmates. In fact, the problem Friday was not having enough to do, but having too many choices: a nice problem to have, if I do say so myself.

            Aside from these events, I was able to volunteer at the USC open house on Saturday through my honor society, which illustrates another point: getting involved automatically gets you meeting new people and offers an outlet for fun weekend events. I met most of my friends that I hang out with on the weekend through my student organizations and intramural teams.

            What I have just told you is still only one weekends worth! I have barely scratched the surface of what else there is to do on the weekends, but my fingers are getting tired, and I want to get up, get out, and get going on to a new weekend adventure. Take care!

Posted by Cory at 09:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            We all need a good laugh now and again. A good chuckle is great for the soul, and it’s good for you too. As a future health professional, I plan on taking the phrase “Laughter is the best medicine” to my patients and hopefully use some humor to help them feel better.

            Sometimes though, the one doing the healing needs some help as well, and let me tell you, I needed a good laugh this Tuesday after my “long day” of the week, going from 8 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon in the classroom. Luckily for me and my fellow Gamecocks, Carolina Productions, the student group that brings entertainment to campus, had booked a hilarious comedian to soothe my long day blues away with an hour of uproarious laughter.

            What talent was Carolina Productions able to bring in for the Tuesday evening show in the Koger Center? He is a prominent comedian today, having a comedy central special to his credentials, not to mention a number of very funny Sierra Mist commercials. I am speaking of the comedicly gifted funnyman Jim Gaffigan!

            When my friends and I heard that Jim Gaffigan was coming here, we were overjoyed with the prospect of hearing his hilarious bits on “Hot Pockets” and his other classic comedy material. All day as I sat in class, I was eagerly anticipating the hilarious antics of Gaffigan, and when I finally got out of Community Practice Lab, I was ready for the day to be over and the laughs to begin!

            I walked down Greene Street to the Koger Center with Jenna 09’ and my three roomies. We arrived fifteen minutes early, and were still relegated to the second to last row in the bottom tier. It was not a problem as the acoustics were just fine, and we heard every one of Gaffigan’s comedic bits, followed by his “self comments” that varied with the audience reaction.

            He spent the majority of his time talking about his favorite pastime: food. Along this subject, he gave us an in-depth analysis of our nation’s admiration for the breakfast meat, bacon. Ten minutes later (yes ten minutes just on bacon), he ended with his customary, yet brilliant series of jokes about “Hot Pockets.”

            Needless to say, he left the audience rolling in the aisles, and at the end of a long day, despite my exhaustion, I could feel the difference his comedy had on my state of mind. I am really buying into the laughter as the best medicine theory. Us students had Carolina Productions to thank for this fantastic event, which promises to be one of many great acts brought here over the year! I know who else is coming, but I think I will tease  you a bit and make you keep reading to learn the surprising scientific (perhaps a hint?) act coming later on in the semester.

            In the meantime, you may want to check out Jim Gaffigan on Youtube to see what you missed out on. Do yourself a favor because an extra chuckle just might help get you through the day. Take care!

Posted by Cory at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            Alright loyal readers, it’s time for a celebration! What’s the occasion? I have reached a major milestone in my blog career. This post makes it an even 100 that I have authored for your reading pleasure!

            Hard to believe isn’t it? Just about a year ago I started this gig, and now I sit 100 blogs later, still going strong. I have to be honest with you, when I started this last October, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, what I was going to write about, and to be honest, I was pretty unsure of how my finished products would look. However, 100 blogs later, after discussing everything from comedians to sporting events to the rigors of class, I have to say this has been a blast!

            One of the perks of this job on top of interacting with all of you out there in cyber land is that I get to chronicle my journey through school. So, if I have forgotten something I did over the course of the year, I can just look back over what I have written and relive all of those great times I had here at USC!

            I think I am going to end this one right about here. 100 blogs is a lot of typing, and my fingers are tired! Here’s to many more! Take care!

Posted by Cory at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            If today was any indication of a possible future of me teaching pharmacy school, let me tell you, I am ready to go! Up until today, I have seen many different professors come in to lecture on their specialized area and just hearing them talk about what they have done in pharmacy inspired me to consider a new “pharmacy dream job” almost daily. However, in the back of my mind, I have always made it clear that I would like to teach some day. Well today I got the chance…

            This morning was the weekly Pharmacy Calculation and Medical Terminology class, and with it, quiz. How nice to have a two hour class period at 8 Monday morning that comes with a half hour quiz every week, followed by an hour and a half lecture. Quite a way to set the tone for the week, huh?

            Well, after we had taken our quiz, the professor was going over how to do a specific type of calculation, and she called on a student to give us the answer and method of solving a problem she had just given us. He got it correct, but I had done it a different way and still gotten the correct answer. I was curious to see if it was a viable way of solving that particular kind of question, and so I raised my hand and told her that I had done it a different way. She said it was fine, but then asked me if I wanted to explain it to the class.

            Did I want to get up in front of class and explain it? I was up to the board before she had a chance to finish her sentence! I went through my explanation of the equation and calculation, inserting a couple of one-liners that got a smattering of chuckles from the class. When I had finished, I turned around and said simply, “Questions?” This got another little laugh, and with that our professor thanked me and I sat down.

            You might be wondering, “Cory, weren’t you nervous to get up in front of class?” The answer is no, and in fact, I was so excited that my hands were shaking from the adrenaline and my excitement.

            So, that was my moment in the sun in class today. I got to help teach the class, which is what I know is something I hope to do in the future, and today just helped to solidify my feelings. However, I must go now, because as the saying goes, “The student has become the teacher…and is now back to being to student again.” I’m not sure if that’s exactly how the saying goes, but in any case, I need be off and hit the books. Take care!

Posted by Cory at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            I will go ahead and apologize in advance for my use, again, of a post with a metaphor to baseball, but for a big fan like me, it just makes the explanation of what I am trying to say so much easier. In any case, I hope you can appreciate it and enjoy it!

            So, I have been here in pharmacy school for a month now, and the past week was my first of actual tests. Sure, I had been studying a lot, spending many hours in the library after class reviewing, but I really hadn’t been “tested” yet. I was still enjoying my time in professional school, enjoying my afternoons off since I get out at noon four days a week, and just taking in the full experience. However, as I mentioned, I had my first three tests and two quizzes this past week. My hectic schedule of tests reminded me of how my rise up to pharmacy school is not unlike a major league baseball players trip through the minors up until he gets to “The Show”.

            You see, baseball players, like myself, spend a few years preparing for the time when they get the “call up” to the major league team, or, in my case, pharmacy school. They pay their dues with long bus rides and poor salaries. I paid mine with lots of late nights studying and preparing for the PCAT. They spend long days honing their baseball skill and learning how to be a professional, while I spent my time fine tuning my organic abilities and learning how to handle an intense workload.

            Then, one day, you get “the call”. For them, it’s the time they get called up to the major league team and experience all of the luxuries involved. A rookie will arrive wide eyed, surrounded by the best of everything: the best players, the best hotels, and the best stadiums. I got my “call” from the dean of pharmacy school, and over the past month while I have not had quite the same “wide eyed” look, I have still enjoyed nicer classrooms, expert instructors, and being surrounded by the best students.

            Another parallel is that while a player may have been the best on his minor league team, once he gets to the “bigs”, he is just another player surrounded by all of the other best players like him. He must quickly learn to adjust, and in many cases, takes his “lumps” against competition that is better than he has ever seen before. I was, in my opinion, an exceptional student in the pre-pharmacy coursework, but like the new major leaguer, am now surrounded by talent in the form of a classroom full of extremely bright students.

             I guess that you could also say that last week I had to “take my lumps” and had my “welcome to the show” moment in the form of my biochemistry test. You see, not only did I have three tests last week, but two of them were in my hardest subjects: microbiology and biochemistry. I took my micro test on Tuesday, and felt pretty good about it. This good feeling was nice to have after my first ever pharmacy school exam. However, I got my rude awakening the next day during my biochemistry test. Upon receiving it, there was an audible gasp from the class as we all set eyes upon what was, in my opinion, one of the hardest tests I have ever taken.

            At any rate, I did what I could do, battled through it best I could, and in the end, despite my worries and apprehensions, ended up with a B+. Typically, I aim for an A on whatever I do, but I realized at this level of material, I can’t possibly know it all, and it’s not really fair to expect myself to ace everything they put in front of me.

Posted by Cory at 04:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            There are several ways that I like to study and prepare for tests: flashcards, study guides, practice problems, and whey protein. Wait a second! Whey protein you ask? Why, indeed I did not mistype. For my biochemistry test that I took Wednesday, I used all of the following methods, whey included.

            In order to prepare for tests, I usually make a “running study guide” after each class period, and Biochemistry was no different. Basically, after each lecture, I go over the key points, write them down and elaborate a little on them. It helps me to retain the lecture of that day, plus when it comes test time, I won’t have to frantically make study materials, only to run out of time to actually use them!

            Another bonus that Dr. Warr, our biochemistry teacher, gave us was some practice problems to work so that we could “get our feet wet” with water disassociation questions. Practice problems and old tests are a fantastic way to help prepare for tests, and I have found them extremely helpful in my time here, and for those you heading to USC next year, repetition of problems is one of the most affective ways to study.

            Well, on this biochemistry test, we had to memorize all 20 amino acids in our body, and lo and behold, I had 20 different flashcards. Each one had the structure, the name, the three letter and single letter abbreviation. On top of that, I had to know the special properties of each. I will refrain from giving you any more detail than that for fear of boring you (although I wish Dr. Warr had made the same considerations for our feelings of boredom).

            So, I felt like I had everything I needed to study, although I was having trouble remembering all of those amino acids when I happened to glance at my bottle of whey protein supplement (Such I health nut I am) and noticed all twenty of those amino acids listed in the amounts found in the whey. Epiphany! All those amino acids together make the protein I was taking! I had found a way to make school relatable to life, and so it was I practiced my amino acids by making sure I could know the properties every time I walked by my bottle.

            Did it work? I sure think it did. I knew all those amino acids by test time. I was also reminded of a valuable lesson: sometimes class material can get a little dry, and you need to find a way to make it relatable and/or fun so it is easier to remember. A key helpful tip for myself? If it is funny, I remember it. How is it that I can memorize entire episodes of The Office or every line from a favorite movie of mine? It is because when it is funny or relatable, it sticks!

            So, that is what I did with my amino acids, they no longer were twenty “things” to know, but now they were the building blocks of what I put into my own body! Instant relatabliity!

            Anyways, there you have my story of finding a new “whey” to relate material and study better. I hope you can take this and apply it to your own study habits now and in the future! I know from experience it helps! That’s all for now kiddos, take care!

Posted by Cory at 02:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            I was hungry. I mean, I was really HUNGRY, and for some taste bud tingling barbeque at that. Where could I go here in Columbia to quench my desire for a heavy heaping of delicious barbeque? I will tell you the answer: Palmetto Pig.

            You see, Brad (chemistry 09’) and I had discovered Palmetto Pig, or “the Pig” as we call it, early in our sophomore year. Why and how it took so long for a couple of food junkies such as ourselves to discover it is beyond me, but once we found this hidden gem, it was love at first bite, and second bite, and, well, you get the idea. Literally thousands of bites later, we are still frequenters of the Pig.

            Now when I say we are frequenters, I mean that we try and get there about once every month. Hold on now, if I like this place so much, how come only once a month? There is a really simple explanation: if we went any more than that, we would both probably double our weight, triple our cholesterol, and quadruple our pant sizes.

            Overweight hyperboles aside, I truly think our systems can only take so much ALL YOU CAN EAT pulled pork, fried chicken, hush puppies, and baked beans every now and then. Believe me; if I felt like I could remain a healthy young adult while eating there once or twice weekly, I would be there in a heartbeat.

            The reason that Palmetto Pig is so popular for students is threefold: One is the quality of the all you can eat food. Two is the convenient location to campus, just a five minute drive down Devine Street beyond the Carolina Coliseum. The third reason is the value. With a USC ID card, it is just seven dollars for all that you care to stuff down your pallet! This is all quite a deal and a steal if you ask me, especially for us “poor starving” college students.

            So, knowing all of this, after Brad and I had worked up a giant sized appetite this past Friday hitting golf balls, we knew exactly where we were heading. Needless to say, the Pig satisfied yet again, and three plates later, I was ready for a nice nap. It was a perfect way to cap off the workweek.

            Anyways, that is all Cory has for now. If you like my food review, let me know and I can tell you other close by campus hot spots that make going to USC that much tastier! Until next time, take care and eat up!

Posted by Cory at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            Ahh, Labor Day: Sunshine, blue skies, some very comfortable temperatures, and dozens of people enjoying their day off, frolicking in the sun on the Horseshoe. Yes, this was the picture I saw yesterday as I made my trek back and forth from my apartment to the Barnes and Noble Café in the Bookstore to study. I probably spent about a third of my “day off” with my nose in the books.

            Don’t get me wrong, I am not asking for your pity, nor am I complaining, I am just explaining the way life is looking like it’s going to be for the semester with 17 hours of credit spread out over 8 classes. In fact, I almost feel like a freshman again: between the “unknowns” of knowing how classes will be, to the new organizations to join, and the new people I sit in class and meet everyday.

            Much like my adjustment to the class load my freshman  year, I am trying to soak up as much knowledge and ask as many questions from the people in pharmacy school who have already gone through what I am going through now before. My fellow colleagues and I are asking many of the same questions a lot of the freshman pre-pharmacy students I met this summer were asking, such as: “Which teachers are the easiest/hardest?” and “How hard is it really?” and “How can I get through it?”

            My perspective as an orientation leader who’s heard these same questions helps me to step back and understand that it is a matter of going to class, reviewing the notes, and, like my Labor Day, studying quite a bit. However, a little advice from the elders can never hurt. I think the best advice I received was from a student who is a year older than me. He equated the course load in pharmacy school to trying to stop the water from a fire hydrant: the water as a substance isn’t hard to deal with, but it’s the volume that gets you. So basically, the material isn’t so hard it can’t be done, but there is just a lot of it to do, so I have to stay on top of things or I will get “washed away.”

            Which brings me back to how I spent most of my Labor Day, “staying on top of things” by putting my time in reading notes, making study guides and writing flashcards. Hopefully, all of this work I am putting will pay off in the end, but I can rest easy in the fact knowing that I am giving it all that I possibly have. Until next time when I can spare a moment, take care!

Posted by Cory at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            Freshman year, in psychology, I learned and was fascinated with Pavlov’s famous experiment with dog salivation. You know the one that I am talking about, where every time that the dogs would eat, he would ring a bell, and they would salivate in anticipation of their tasty kibble meal. After a while, the simple ringing of a bell would send the dogs salivary glands into a frenzy, even if food was not present. It was some good ol’ fashioned conditioning the dogs to salivate at the bell, not the food.

            Anyways, I always thought that experiment, along with its result, was really cool. However, I believe that I have become a sort of “victim” of this Pavlovian phenomenon. Before you rush to judgment, it has nothing to do with me drooling over a plate of Puppy Chow while a bell goes off in the background. In fact, it has everything to do with Carolina football!

            Now that I have your attention, and have hopefully regained your respect, allow me to explain. You see, yesterday was USC’s first football game of the year. With it came the usual, but never mundane, tailgating, anticipation, excitement, and, by the way, Gamecock victory! Along with these always fantastic traditions was one of my favorite: the run-through of the team onto the field to the tune of “2001”. If you have never heard this particular spine tingling tune, do yourself a favor and check it out.

            The “Pavlov” part of my football experience has become conditioned after two years of football games. You see, the entrance is something to behold, and ever since I was a wide eyed freshman those long two years ago, the initial sound of 2001 causes a chill to run down my spine and the hair on my arms to stand up on their ends!

            The scary part of my physical response to the song is now I don’t even have to be at a game to experience it. The other day, a friend of mine’s phone rang, and wouldn’t you know their ring tone was “2001” and as if on cue, I got that chill down my back accompanied by goosebumps! Immediately I thought of those dogs that Pavlov gave the bell treatment to and I realized that I was just another victim of a conditioned response! I don’t know if was more excited about how I had become conditioned to 2001, or that I made that connection to the Pavlov experiment (the nerdy side of me just won’t be quiet!)

            As you can see, here at Carolina, football games aren’t just a way to spend a Saturday afternoon, but it really is a way of life in the fall. There is something special about being a part of a game that gets into you, figuratively, or, in my case, quite literally! For now, I cannot wait for our next home game in two weeks, but if I get the hankering to “feel a part of it” I can always just call my friend and let “2001” flow through me! Until next time, take care!

Posted by Cory at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)