Hayley Cunningham

In case you haven’t seen the towers of stale candy hearts and heart-shaped boxes of sure-to-be-80 percent-disgusting chocolates (the other 20 percent may have edible fillings), Valentine’s Day is upon us. Feb. 14 makes a holiday out of pressuring guys, disappointing girls, and reminding everyone who doesn’t have a special someone that they don’t have a special someone.

While many students use partying as an opportunity to let go of their inhibitions and have a good time, our inhibitions also serve an important purpose. Many fail to acknowledge the dangers that arise when alcohol meets poor judgment. Between 20 and 25 percent of women will experience an attempted or completed rape during their time at college.

And so begins the New Year! Time to leave 2013 behind and make a fresh start. New Year, new you, right? Right? Contrary to popular belief, and regardless of your probably dismal track record in keeping resolutions, you really do have what it takes to better yourself in the coming year.

Thanksgiving is like communism — it’s a pretty good idea in theory, but when put into practice, things never go as planned. In reality, Thanksgiving can be about preparatory meltdowns, stuffing your face with food, feeling sick and guilty about stuffing your face with food, and then fighting over discounted electronics. But it is possible to enjoy yourself this Thanksgiving and do it in a healthy way.

Mama always said, “nothing good happens after midnight.” Sounds like mama never went to college. Sure, it’s debatable whether the stuff that happens after midnight is good, but it’s undoubtedly the case that a lot goes on in the wee hours of the morning.

Don’t you just hate those health hypocrites? Overweight nurses, doctors who smoke, personal trainers who could use a bit of training themselves — what gives them the right to tell you what you should do to your body when they don’t follow their own advice?

The Greeks have given us many things — democracy, philosophy, geometry — but perhaps their greatest legacy doesn’t end with a “y.” It starts with one: yogurt. I have reason to believe Greek yogurt is literally the food of the gods.

My friends and I recently pulled ourselves out of the weekend food rut by making a simple Indian dish called chicken makhani or Indian butter chicken. With lactose intolerant friends in our group, we made a few simple adjustments to the original recipe and ended up with a darn good meal.