Ask the experts
Everyone’s great at something! We asked faculty, staff and students to share exactly how we, too, can become an expert at one of their unique talents.
How to: pack for international travel
Expert packer and public relations major Katie Kramer ’19 just spent a semester in Rome, Italy, with side trips to Cinque Terre, Amalfi Coast, Florence and Venice. In her “spare” time, she also hit Dublin, Paris and London. Here’s her advice on what to pack:
Tip #1: Basic pieces are essential. Bring tops and bottoms that mix and match so you have an array of outfit options.
Tip #2: Pack no more than three pairs of shoes — sandals, comfy sneakers and a pair of boots. No more!
Tip #3: Pack adapters that are compatible with your destination country for all your electronics. Your phone’s GPS will be your best friend, so keep it charged!
Tip #4: Use packing cubes or roll your clothes to make more room in your suitcase. And keep an eye on your suitcase weight limit to save yourself hassle and money at the airport.
Tip #5: Bring some items you’d be OK leaving behind. Chances are, you’ll find souvenirs you love and might need extra room to get them home.
How to: grow a perfect garden tomato
Elizabeth Sobrevilla, head flower gardener for Messiah, has been beautifying the campus for 19 years and knows her way around a vegetable garden, too.
Tip #1: Choose a spot that gets at least eight hours of sun daily.
Tip #2: Purchase a tomato plant. Work 2 inches of compost into the soil and place plant 6 inches deep in mid-May. Tomatoes don’t do well in cool weather, so wait to plant if the nights are below 50 degrees.
Tip #3: Add 3 to 4 inches of mulch to about a 2-foot radius around the plant.
Tip #4: Put a really sturdy, 6-foot-plus structure — like a four-cornered cage of rebar or a sturdy wooden trellis — around the plant. Tie the branches of the vine to the structure as it grows.
Tip #5: Water regularly to keep your plant moist, not soggy. Soak the soil slowly and deeply. This encourages the roots to grow deeper.
How to train for a marathon
Professor of Applied Health Science Doug Miller has been a runner since high school, with six marathons under his belt. His marathon PR is 2:56. (For the couch potatoes out there, that means his personal record clocks in at two hours and 56 minutes.) Here’s how that happens:
Tip #1: Run early, run often. It takes beginners six to seven months to get ready, running five times a week.
Tip #2: Do speed work at your 5K to 10K pace, over distances of 400-1,000 meters.
Tip #3: Gradually build up to a maximum weekly mileage of 40-50 miles, progressing 15-20 percent each week.
Tip #4: Listen to your body. It often speaks loud and clear.
Tip #5: Run your long runs SLOW and follow them with a rest day.
Tip #6: As the marathon approaches, gradually cut mileage. The goal is to be fully rested by race day.
How to: enrich your life
Isabella Segui ’20, a biology with a secondary teaching certification major, has learned the secret to gaining perspective and enriching one’s life: Talking to people unlike you. “I have come to treasure talking to people who are different from me, including people who aren’t in my age group. I think I cultivated this skill from spending as much time with extended family as possible, from great-grandparents to second cousins. Family is a great place to practice how to best interact with others, regardless of age.
“I would challenge my fellow college students to get coffee with their professors and residence director. They have so much to share, but their students miss out if they don’t express interest. We can learn something from anyone, because everyone has a different perspective on life and a different story. The more we start to branch out of our age group, the wiser we will be.”
How to: solve a Sudoku puzzle
Communication major Jennifer Myers ’22 first learned Sudoku in second grade and has a tried-and-true method to the madness of solving the numbers puzzle.
Tip #1: Start by glancing at different sections quickly. Since there can be only one of each number 1-9 in every row, column and box, there are always a few obvious spaces where a particular number must go.
Tip #2: Focus on one number at a time, determining all of its possible locations in each area of the puzzle.
Tip #3: Mark the possibilities with little numbers in the corners of the boxes in pencil. Writing them in pen is a pretty big commitment.
Tip #4: Use your best guesses to narrow down possibilities until all the boxes are filled.
Tip #5: If you’re stuck, ask a friend for help or put the puzzle down for a bit. Fresh eyes can spot answers more easily.
How to: find the perfect lodging without breaking your budget
Amy Kimmel ’20, a sustainability studies major, has a unique talent. Her friends say she’s the “absolute best” at finding amazing deals through Airbnb, a hotel alternative in which homeowners rent out their properties or spare rooms to guests. How does she do it?
Tip #1: Create an Airbnb account so you can refer friends. When your friend creates an account, he/she automatically receives a $40 credit toward the initial booking. Once your friend’s trip is complete, you’ll receive a $25 credit. Win-win.
Tip #2: Select your travel dates before you start searching. Don’t waste time scanning listings that aren’t available for your trip.
Tip #3: Use filters to find an ideal match. Set the number of guests early in your search, which can sometimes affect the per-night price of your vacation.
Tip #4: Keep in mind the initial price you see is a base, before a cleaning and service fee is added, so set the price cap a bit lower than your actual budget.
Tip #5: Use the Airbnb search results map to narrow down the best locations for the lowest cost. Scan the host’s description to learn more about the location in relation to attractions and public transportation nearby.
Tip #6: Always read host reviews before considering booking, and only book a place with positive reviews and a good rating.
Tip #7: Check pictures. They should be appealing, have good lighting and should not look “sketchy.”
Tip #8: Use the “list” and “favorite” tools. Organize good finds by saving them to lists that you create for upcoming trips. Refer back to your lists and compare selected Airbnbs by price, location and host rating before booking.
Tip #9: Book it! Then go enjoy a more personal travel experience while spending a fraction of hotel costs.
How to: parallel park like a pro
Parallel parking makes people sweat, but it’s really pretty simple, says Zachery Holsinger ’21, a computer engineering major. He grew up near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and practiced street parking a variety of cars.
Tip #1: Drive ahead of the parking spot until the rear tires of your car are in line with the rear bumper of the car behind which you want to park.
Tip #2: Turn the wheel toward the curb until your front tires are turned diagonally. Back up until you feel your car is diagonal to the parking spot.
Tip #3: When your driver’s side rear tire is even between both ends of the parking spot, begin to turn the wheel to straighten your car.
Tip #4: Pull forward to align the car properly and check to make sure you’re close enough to the curb.
Congratulations and stop sweating, you’re a parallel parking pro!