Bad Table Service? Think Again

You just got off from work, after a long hard day, and you're starving. You're exhausted after your eight-hour shift, and the last thing you want to do is go home and cook dinner for yourself. So, you call a friend or your significant other and ask them if they would like to go out to dinner with you. Your friend agrees, so you both decide to eat at your favorite restaurant. You love that they have great food, great service, and it isn't too pricey.

When you get to the restaurant, you are told by the host that your table will be ready in five to 10 minutes; even though you can see open tables, it's not a big deal, your stomach can handle waiting 10 more minutes. After ten minutes go by, you see a group of six people walk through the door and get sat immediately at an open table. Now, you're starting to get frustrated, as it has already been 10 minutes and other people are getting sat before you. A few more minutes go by, and your name is called. Once you’re at your table, it takes the server a little while to get to you, and after you order your food, it doesn't come out for another 40 minutes! By this time you are very upset at your server for taking so long. When you get the bill, you pay the amount and decide she doesn’t deserve a tip because her service was terrible, so you leave.


Most people would be frustrated to have this experience at their favorite restaurant; however, people don’t realize how little their server can control. Not tipping your server is one of the worst things you can do, and most people do not understand why. At the end of every night, servers must “tip out” the bussers, food runners, and the bar. When a table stiff’s their server, at the end of the night, the server will be paying for that table out of her own pocket. This is unfair to the server, especially if there was nothing wrong with her service.


Let me take you behind the scenes of the scenario I described. When you were waiting for a table, the reason it took longer than 10 minutes was because the host was new and was not great at predicting wait times yet. She didn’t want to give you too long of a wait time because you might have left and gone somewhere else, but didn’t want to give too short of one either; so she decided five to 10 minutes was a good happy-medium. There were open tables because it was a Wednesday night, and not all sections of the restaurant are open during the week; the open tables were tables that were not going to be sat at all that night. The group of six people that walked in and were sat immediately had a reservation, so a table was ready for them.


The server took awhile to get to you because she wasn’t ready to take your table, she already had all of her tables full and didn’t know she was taking an extra one as well. She was running around taking care of her five other tables when you were sat, so by the time she got to your table, you had already been there a few minutes. The food came out late because the kitchen was behind. An unexpected party of 15 came in about 20 minutes before you and the kitchen was backed up making their food. It took the kitchen awhile to recover and catch up again, so your food came out later than usual. The server had no control over the kitchen, even though she was asking about your food every couple of minutes.


When you decided not to tip her, you are making her pay for her coworker’s shortcomings. She couldn’t control your wait time, or that the host sat you at the wrong table. She also couldn’t control how long it took to cook your food. Instead of focusing on the aspects of your meal that she couldn’t control, you should focus on the server herself. Was she kind? Did she apologize for the wait? Did she bring refills when you needed them? If you can answer yes to these questions then she deserves to be tipped for doing her job. So, the next time you are at a restaurant, think twice before stiffing your server, because probably deserves the tip more than you think.

Will You Be My Valentine?

February 14th is the one day out of the year when women in relationships are supposed to be guaranteed attention and gifts. It is one day during the year (aside, maybe, from anniversaries) when the boyfriend or husband is supposed to spoil his significant other with flowers and cards and candy, and pretend to be the best, most caring guy in the world. Valentine’s day is the holiday for love.


Gag me, please.


It is ridiculous to have one day during the year where people are supposed to be forced to show their love for one another. Pressure is put on everyone in a relationship to get the perfect gift for their significant other. It’s no longer acceptable to be cliché either; cards, candy, and flowers do not cut it anymore.


Girls want jewelry, and dinner, and a night out on the town for a date. They want sexy underwear, and perfume, and maybe some chocolate-covered strawberries. While expecting all of these things from guys, girls aren’t sure if they are even supposed to get their boyfriends or husbands anything more than a card. And, if they are supposed to get gifts for them, what do guys want for Valentine’s Day that they wouldn’t want any other day of the year?


Is it just me, or shouldn’t everyday be a potential day to show someone you love them? Why do we need a backup day, so that we can justify to ourselves that “even though I haven’t been told I’m loved from my significant other this whole year, there’s always Valentine’s Day.” Why must we show each other we care with gifts that are red, pink, white, and lacey, and cram them all into one day of celebration?


Valentine’s Day is just one more day that our consumer-driven society can market. It’s one more day that makes people in a relationship happy, and makes singles feel even more lonely than they already feel.


I don’t think Valentine’s Day should be recognized the way it is today. For the lovers in relationships, show your love everyday, and do something extra special on your anniversary. This way singles won’t have to have their loneliness rubbed in their faces every time February comes around.

For Love of the Game

Have you ever stopped and wondered why you like something so much? What is it about the "something" that makes you so passionate about it? I often wonder this about my love for sports. Many people are "sports fans" and enjoy watching games, and possibly even playing some. But not all sports fans have the passion that I am talking about. Crying when your team loses, crying when your team wins, appreciating the fact that hardships come and go, as do winning seasons. Not everyone can say sports effects them this strongly, so what is it about sports that gives the select few of us that "special" feeling?

You know the "special" feeling, maybe you do not get it when watching a basketball game, but you have had the feeling before. It feels like hope, happiness, anxiousness, and excitement all wrapped up into one. If the outcome is good, you feel like you’re on top of the world, if the outcome is bad, your heart breaks with devastation. Either way, the feeling you have comes from within, and cannot be forced or imitated.

This is what sports is like. Watching an exciting game, a championship game, the playoffs, an extra-inning baseball game, or a hockey game come down to a shoot out. All of these are amazing and exciting, and get our adrenaline pumping. We feel like our whole lives come down to the last few moments of the game, as if we were out on the field or court playing the game ourselves.

What gives me that "special feeling" is how easily sports can bring people together. At any given game you will see strangers high-fiving after a great play, friends arguing over their rival teams-then later having a beer, talking about the great time they had, and an entire stadium full of thousands of people coming together as one when a referee makes a bad call or when their home team wins. All of these are reasons why sports give us fans that "special" feeling. One of my favorite things at a game is when all of the fans join together and sing. Many teams have anthems, and true fans know them and sing along. It is such a great feeling knowing that there are thousands of strangers around you that share the love and passion you have for your favorite team.

Another reason why sports gives that "special" feeling is the support that players and coaches have for one another. It is amazing to see how easily sports can bring a group of players together, and how easily it can make each player respect the other, even when the players are as different as night and day. My favorite story is of an autistic high school student in New York that loved basketball. The school's basketball coach allowed Jason to be the team manager, granting him participation in practices, and giving him the chance to sit on the bench with his team during games. However, in the last game of the season he was given the chance to play.



This story sums up every reason I could possibly describe for why sports is such an amazing thing. What is it about sports that gives us fans that "special" feeling? It's the fact that with seemingly little effort it has the ability to turn strangers into best friends, to boost your ego and break your heart, and to bring a tear to your eye.

Show Mother Nature Some Love, Go Climb!

I recently had the opportunity to go climbing outside for the first time, and it was exhilerating. I thought I enjoyed climing in a gym, but climbing outside is much more fun. Being outside, in the woods, climbing on actual boulders was an unreal experience. As cliche as it sounds, I felt at one with nature, like I was apart of it. It made respect the natural beauty of Earth, and made my appreciation for nature even stronger.

We went to Castle Rock State Park, which is south of San Francisco. When we got there we hiked through the woods to the first boulder we were going to climb. Castle Rock is gorgeous, filled with tall trees, beautiful trails, and friendly hikers.

Even though I have been told that climbing outside is much more difficult than climbing in the gym, I was determined to do well. The first problem I tried was a "one-move wonder". From the start there was only one move to get to the top, a move that I wasn't able to do, no matter how many times I tried. The hold was directly above my head, and just far enough out of my reach that I wasn't able to grab it. Pair that with terrible foot holds, and I was unable to get past the start.

I decided to take a break from working on that problem, and went to another one, called the "Spoon"...which is by far my favorite problem at Castle Rock. The Spoon is a great problem for me because it is just past my level of ability, so it makes me strive harder to get it. The Spoon was another problem that had a really high hold above my head, but the holds leading up to it were much better than the one on the first problem. One of the holds was deep into a crevice in the rock, so I had to wedge my left hand and arm into the crack to get a good grip, after falling a few times and hurting my wrist, I decided to take a break and try another problem for awhile.

We went to another boulder and found a problem that was easier for me to do. After struggling a little with the start, I sent it, and finally finished my first problem outside. It was a great feeling, but I was ready for the Spoon again. I attempted the Spoon a few more times, but after almost breaking my wrist, I decided to call it a day. I guess I will just have to wait to send it until the next time I'm there.

It was very refreshing to be outside, I got tired less often, and was far more determined than when in the gym. I would recommend climbing in general to anyone, but if you ever get the chance to go climbing outside, do it. Even if you struggle at it and do not do well, like I didn't, despite the cuts and bruises, you will still be amazed at how great you feel afterwards.

Climb Your Way to FUN!

Don't you just LOVE finding new activities you enjoy doing? It's especially great when it is an activity that you never even thought of doing before! Recently I was introduced to the wonderful world of rock climbing. I had never been before and was invited to go for the first time about a month ago. I instantly fell in love.

Rock climbing is unlike many things I have ever done before. It is a great workout, but does not feel like you are exercising; and it is a very skilled process that can give instant gratification. The feeling of accomplishment when you finish a climb is amazing, and quite addicting. What I love most about rock climbing is that all levels of climbers are welcome--whether you're a beginner or have been climbing for years, you will have no problem fitting in.

I have only been climbing in a gym so far (Pipeworks in downtown Sac), but I cannot wait until I get the opportunity to climb outside! In the gym all of the courses are marked with colored tape to indicate their level. When climbing, you choose a course that is at your level and follow the holds with the same color tape. It is nice to have a course laid out for you already, and climbing at the gym is a lot fun. However, I think I am going to like outside climbing more. The courses are still already 'planned' because other climbers have discovered them, but they are not marked on the rock. Not only will I have to look harder for holds, which sounds fun to me, but I will also be outside, climbing real boulders. Being inside is nice for when the whether is bad, but there is nothing like being outside in the fresh air doing something you enjoy. I have been told it is harder to climb outside than in a gym, but I can't wait for the challenge!

"Let me call you back, I'm driving."

In today’s technology-driven world, it is nice to know our government is not afraid to step in and restrict the use of electronics in lieu of our health and safety. The banning of drivers talking on cell phones is supposed to be a great new law; not only is it designed to reduce the number of distractions for drivers, but law-makers are hoping it will reduce the number of distraction-caused accidents as well.

Harvard researchers estimated that one in 20 car accidents a year in the United States are linked to cell phones. They also say about 2,600 deaths result from those accidents every year. Although these estimates are a little sketchy because it is hard to determine the cause of many accidents, it can't be hard to imagine one in 20 car accidents being attributed to cell phone use, right? And even if the total number of accidents or deaths from cell phones is lower than the estimation, why not play it safe?

We all know there are many more distractions for drivers than just a cell phone. But eliminating one allows drivers to juggle the rest of the distractions without holding a phone to their ear as well. Now drivers will have two hands free to eat fast food, smoke cigarettes, and deal with the kids in the backseat all while having a conversation with a friend on the phone. I don’t know about you, but this seems much more efficient to me.

Despite the positive aspects of the law, many businessmen and women alike are probably not happy because it can significantly reduce the amount of time they are able to interact with clients. In today’s “time is money” way of life, driving time is time lost unless a business deal can be made while on the road. Businessmen and women might be afraid that they will bring in less money if they are not allowed to use their driving time efficiently.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger kept this in mind when passing the bill, which is why hands-free devices are allowed. The purpose of the new law, which goes into effect July 1, 2008, is to eliminate a distraction for drivers. Since, of course, it couldn’t possibly be the conversation that is distracting to drivers, but the fact that they have a phone held to their ear, the law allows drivers to talk on phones with ear pieces. This way they are still allowed to make business transactions and keep our economy running smoothly, all while being stuck in traffic. However, the law will ban text messaging and checking e-mail while on the road, which we can all agree is probably a good idea. Law-makers are hopeful that with both hands on the steering wheel, drivers will be safer while on the road.

The "only" problem with the new law is enforcing it. With the penalty being a $20 fine, drivers are not going to be too worried about getting pulled over for using their cell phones. And let’s be realistic, it is going to be pretty difficult for the police to tell if a person is on a cell phone unless they are stopped at a light or driving slowly. It is also hard to tell the difference between text messaging and picking a new song on an iPod. Though the law is great in theory, it seems a bit unrealistic when it comes to enforcing it. I guess the government is just hoping that the law will scare people away from driving while on the phone.

College: Time Well....Wasted?

It’s amazing how many college students in our generation take higher learning for granted. And believe me, I’m not any better, I know I take my college education for granted, but it seems hard not to. It is increasingly becoming a way of life. After high school, you go to college. No questions asked. It’s just what you do. This was different for the generation before us, and for the generation before that, a college education was only for the elite. For us--it's expected.

Society's higher expectations for our generation seem to result in a growing cynicism amongst college students of the importance of a college degree. When I was in high school, I knew I would be going to college afterwards; there was no doubt in my mind. I was young and excited, and I had big dreams for myself. I thought that a college degree would be my ticket to whatever career I wanted. Now that I am in college though, I find reasons not to attend class, despite the ridiculous amount of money that I spend on every unit I take. The more classes I take, the closer I am to obtaining my degree, the more I think a college degree is overrated. I have found that in the real world, it is all about who you know, rather that what you know.

Some students who feel the same cynicism towards college made a video called “A Vision of Students Today”. Some 200 college students, led by their professor, made the video to highlight the problems of higher education today. The students created a survey and took it, then collaborated all of the answers to find trends that are detrimental to the college system.

“A Vision of Students Today” is quite an eye-opening video that touches on many concerns of students today. They are concerns that plague many college students around the country, not just the few students who voiced their opinion on the video. I think these problems deserve to be looked at carefully, and I believe as more students realize the problems with our education system, more students will become cynical to the importance of a college degree.

The part of the video that talks about the number of pages a student will read in a semester, and how much of the reading will actually pertain to her life was most amusing to me. Professors assign reading homework, it seems, just to have something for their students to do. Unless there is a test designed specifically for the reading, most of what professors have us read is useless. And the cost of textbooks is even more outrageous than the fact that we have to read them! It baffles me that, after tuition is paid, students still fork out hundreds of dollars just on books! Usually books they will never need again.

I agree with the students in the video, students learn what they are doing, not necessarily what they are reading. Hands-on, real-life homework assignments are much more helpful to students. Filling out a scantron and marking bubbles A through E do not help them once they have their diploma. Being involved in real-world situations that would plague someone in their prospective profession is much more valuable than knowing all the key terms at the back of a chapter. Some professors know this, others will, hopefully, get on board soon. It is the only way our outdated education system will be revived.