Hello fellow Greyhounds, and welcome back to Charm City for what is sure to be another great semester here at Loyola! We here at The Greyhound are eager and ready to get back into action and start off the semester with some great coverage of our great school.

To cap it all off we’re bringing back Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down for its triumphant return after a few months of a hiatus (with my extreme laziness… err… I mean busy fall semester to be the blame). But enough pointing fingers (**cough** Nick **cough**), here’s what The Greyhound’s Editing Board felt worthy of praise and complaint for the past week!

Thumbs Down to Christmas Break being over and having to get back into the groove of school with all-nighters and being totally unprepared for your first political science quiz tomorrow (whoops!). Don’t get me wrong, I love school and Loyola to death, but this happens to be my last semester at Loyola. Wow… seeing those words actually typed out is a bit scary and too real. I definitely could’ve done with a little bit more time of being glued to my couch at home and delaying the inevitable adult life.

Thumbs Up to the 2018 Alumni Bull and Oyster Roast that took place this past Saturday Jan.20. Alumni from all years and many Loyola seniors all came together to dress up, eat some amazing food, and take full advantage of the open bar (you know I sure did) that spread over from McGuire Hall to Reitz Arena. I even got to catch up with former Sports Editor John Nyllis ’17. I’ll take any excuse to dress all fancy, and this event surely made it worth it with all the festivities like live bands, dueling pianos, and a full karaoke set up in Boulder 2.0. Those of you who were there may have witnessed me belting out “Here Comes the Sun” while trying out my lame dance moves. I apologize.

Thumbs Up to Boulder 2.0’s new Chobani Yogurt Bar that premiered last week. The Greyhound’s Meghan Nichols ’19 has been a huge fan of it so far. With Greek and vanilla yogurts, agave and honey, granola, “healthy looking seed things” (her words not mine), and lots of fruit options, eating healthy and delicious is getting easier and easier at Boulder 2.0. I really gotta hand it to Boulder, because they’ve been absolutely on point this year and I’m loving it. New Chobani Bar: best thing since the automatic garbage cans and fork dispensers.

Thumbs Down to the parking situation at Loyola, which by most accounts is, to put it lightly, atrocious. Sports Editor Mike Harris ’18 had to sprint to class on the first day of the semester because the only parking spot available was all the way over at the FAC, which might as well have been on a different continent at that point. Weren’t we supposed to have flying cars and floating parking spaces by now? I’m pretty sure “Back to the Future Part II” took place in 2015. Come on Elon Musk, you’re way behind schedule.

Thumbs Up and congratulations to the class of 2020 for getting their acceptances to their study abroad programs for next year! Considering it’s almost exactly a year since I left for my very own study abroad in Newcastle, I’m pretty much living vicariously through all the sophomores who are exploding with excitement. Abroad was hands down my favorite experience I’ve had with Loyola, and seeing the underclassmen prep to go on their own adventures is a little bittersweet. Never grow up, kids.

Thumbs Down to the weather. Ah Maryland… where one day you’re borderline hypothermic because you forgot your gloves on the walk to class, and the next you’re breaking a slight sweat because it’s somehow almost 60 degrees and you’re still wearing your winter jacket. Don’t you ever change Maryland weather. Scratch that, it’s winter can we just have some winter weather please? I’m talking snow and everything, that way I can break out my totally fashionable furry Russian-style hat.