It all started when I found out I could not access my iTunes store. For some reason, my computer decided to give me major issues. It took my roommate and me a week of messing around with the computer to finally uninstall some things that were delaying the installation of good things. Unfortunately, that was not enough. It was a trying week with my poor computer that has basically my entire life stored on it.
It is not like it is a bad computer; it just had a few malfunctions. The biggest malfunction deleted my iTunes, preventing me from getting my music back. For a music junkie such as myself, that put me through major withdrawals. Why do this to me now, when Lady Gaga just put out her new single? It was a trying week indeed.
Lucky for me, my dear friend Ross Miceli is a computer whiz. Even luckier—he was on Gannon’s campus this past weekend dropping off students for Knights with Scholars. Finally, I figured we could get somewhere. After creating a whole new profile for me and deleting a bunch of nonsense, Ross had to break the news that my computer needed a system restoration. Unless I could back up everything onto his external hard drive or my own flash drive, I would lose everything.
So we went on an adventure while he tried to get my computer to do something. Unfortunately, my dear old computer, whom I had named Betsey my freshman year, decided she did not want to cooperate. That meant that she and the external hard drive would not be friends. Ross had to back up everything he could on a website called Dropbox, an Internet backup service. However, I still lost all my pictures and a lot of my music. I also had to entrust my computer to him overnight, which proved difficult not because I thought he wouldn’t take care of it, but because a lot of my routine involves my computer. It was weird not having it in my apartment. I felt like I was missing a part of me.
When I finally got my computer back, I found out that he updated my iTunes library and added a boatload of new music. I also have a new e-mail account and Internet homepage as well as a slightly faster computer. But my computer is now back to the way it was my freshman year, meaning everything I’ve personalized in the last three years is gone. My new profile looks completely generic and not at all like what I am used to.
Instead of looking at that and getting angry, I realized it was about time I redid my computer. I’m definitely not the same person I was freshman year, after all. I just never thought my computer needed a reboot like that. Now my computer seems like a whole new device, and she even has a new name. I will personalize it in time, but right now I’m just getting used to it.
My new-and-improved computer is kind of like students on spring break. Spring break provides a week of rest for students to reboot our systems and get ready for the final half of the school year. We need to take the time to restore our systems after a trying and busy first half of spring semester. I sometimes don’t realize I need to reboot my own system until I go on a break. Over Christmas, I think I spent most of the time sleeping because I didn’t realize how much I had lost over the semester.
So whether you go on a trip or you just stay with good old mom and dad, take the break time to re-energize yourself. Don’t be afraid to shut yourself down for a bit, especially if you find yourself sneezing and coughing—beat that cold and come back renewed and healthy.
For everyone, no matter where you are headed, be safe and enjoy your time off. Break gives you a chance to forget about school, meetings and many other commitments. However, don’t lose yourself completely. Make smart decisions and take care of yourself.
So have fun, be safe and reboot yourself. Don’t wait until summer to restore your system—there’s a long stretch of a road until then. Reboot, recharge and relax: the three R’s of break. That’s your only assignment for next week.

CAITIE RYAN
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