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With Christmas approaching, the time of food, fun, and Fantastic Christmas parties is upon us! If you are considering throwing a Christmas party then you need to be thinking about the most important part of a party, the music! Never fear, in this week’s JSC blog post, we are going to be posting some popular songs to play at your party!

1. The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
2. Joy to the World - Aretha Franklin
3. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
4. Have a Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives
5. White Christmas - Bing Crosby
6. All I want for Christmas - Mariah Carey
7. Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
8. Chipmunk Song - The Chipmunks
9. Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
10. Winter Wonderland - Dolly Parton
11. Silent Night - Kenny G
12. Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano
13. Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley
14. Let it Snow! - Lena Horne
15. Home for the Holidays - Perry Como
16. Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney
17. Baby, It’s Cold Outside - Tom Jones
18. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Judy Garland
19. Merry Christmas, Darling - The Carpenters
20. Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer - Gene Autry
21. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Andy Williams

If you are looking for more awesome tunes to play at you party, check out the thousands of recommendations people have put on the web! Remember, the music makes the party!

Meet GJ 1214b, the most Earth-like planet ever found outside our solar system.

It’s not exactly Earth’s twin: It’s about six times bigger, a whole lot hotter and made mostly of water. But compared to the giant gas balls that account for nearly every other extrasolar planet ever found, it’s pretty darn close. And through a fortunate happenstance of cosmic geometry, astronomers will be able to study GJ 1214b in great detail.

“If you want to describe in one sentence what this planet is, it’s a big, hot ocean,” said Harvard University astronomer David Charbonneau. “We can even study its atmosphere. This planet will occupy us for years. That’s part of what’s so exciting about it.”

Described by Charbonneau and 17 other astronomers in a paper published Wednesday in Nature, GJ 1214b is the latest of roughly 400 planets detected by earthly telescopes. Of these, 28 are considered “super-Earths” — planets with a mass roughly comparable to our own.

The super-Earths themselves are too distant to be seen. Instead, astronomers infer their presence from subtle distortions in starlight, caused when photons travel through the super-Earths’ gravitational fields. Depending on the degree of distortion, astronomers can even calculate a planet’s mass.
That’s how Corot-7b, a rocky planet with roughly twice the heft of Earth, was spotted in February. Ditto Gliese 581c, identified two months later, and orbiting its star at a distance consistent with human notions of habitability.

Unfortunately, not much more will ever be known about those planets. Corot-7b is 500 light-years away, too distant for our telescopes to discern more detail. And from our viewing angle, Gliese 581c never quite crosses directly in front of its sun, causing photons to warp in ways that would reveal its atmospheric character.
GJ 1214b does pass in front of its sun. Separated from Earth by a distance of just 42 light years, it’s close enough to be studied. Scientists will finally get to look at another Earth-like world.

“Only rarely does a long-sought scientific frontier loom so prominently just beyond the horizon, that the next generation of instruments seems sure to reach it,” wrote Geoffrey Marcey, a University of California, Berkeley astronomer, in a commentary accompanying the findings. “They provide the most-watertight evidence so far for a planet that is something like our own Earth, outside our solar system.”

Based on its radius and mass — about 2.7 and 6.6 times that of Earth’s — Charbonneau and the other astronomers have calculated GJ 1214b’s density. It appears to be composed of extraordinarily deep oceans, surrounding a rocky core.

The planet’s atmosphere and precise composition remain a mystery, but it’s likely composed of many of the same elements found elsewhere at sites of planetary formation, in swirling disks of dust and gas that have yet to accrete: hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, magnesium, oxygen, carbon.

That list of ingredients raises at least the possibility of life. With an estimated temperature of 370 degrees Fahrenheit, GJ 1214b is an unlikely incubator (Earth’s toughest extremophile, a microbe that lives in deep-sea volcanic vents, maxes out at 284 degrees) but it’s not impossible.

“I don’t want to imply that there’s any indication of life as we know it. It might have life, but it would have to be a strange kind of life,” said Charbonneau.

The telescopes sure to be trained on GJ 1214b in the near future will try to answer that question. But even if it proves barren, other planets await. The telescopes that spotted GJ 1214b were custom designed to find Earth-like planets around nearby stars, and had only operated for a few months before striking water.

“We only look at a handful of stars before finding this planet, said Charbonneau. “Either we got lucky, or the planets are very common.”

A little planning goes a long way. These sage words of advice certainly apply to the dorm room supply list. Good planning can save you a lot of woes. In fact, when you arrive to the dorms, you will quickly see who took the time to plan a dorm room supply list and who didn't. The ones who didn't will be the ones who show up with all of their clothes and school supplies, but no shampoo, linens, or plates. Or conversely, they'll be the ones with two refrigerators, two toaster ovens, two televisions, and so on. Such is dormitory life, on occasion. You, however, are going to show up well-prepared with every dorm room supply you need and learn how to adjust well to dormitory life from day one.

Take a moment and grab a pen and paper. Okay, now start your dorm room supply list by writing down everything you absolutely cannot live without. List items of clothing, computer, shoes/boots, alarm clock, and other bare bones items. Once you have taken the time to do that, then indulge just a little bit and add some things you would like to bring, such as CDs, photos, or any other familiar comfort items that might make you feel more at home in your new surroundings. Finally, as far as personal items are concerned, think of the things you use everyday, but were likely not responsible for purchasing/replenishing in the past: soap, shampoo, towels, razors, laundry detergent, and the like. These make up part of your dorm room essential supply items which you should plan on bringing regardless of any other factors.

Dorm Room Supply: The Big Items

Now that you have identified the personal dorm room supply items for which you will always be reponsible, it's time to start making a list of bigger items that you and your future roommate will likely be sharing. This list usually includes items like a television, a mini fridge, a microwave, a stereo, a video game system, a rug, and other big items. You may already have some of these bigger dorm room essential items. You may even have all of them. Regardless, if you think you will need it, put it on the list.

Most college and university housing offices will supply incoming freshmen with the contact information of their soon-to-be roommates. They do this for a reason: so you communicate with that person beforehand. And what better way to reach out than to start by discussing the bigger dorm room supply stuff. In most situations, you will have everything covered between the two of you. It's just a matter of deciding who is going to bring what. Perhaps, you may also have to figure out who will have to buy certain items you both feel you need, but currently do not own. This type of bonding, sharing, and compromise is a good preview for much of what dormitory life - and life in general - is all about.

Dorm Room Essential Guidelines

Some colleges and universities actually require you and your roommate to sign a contract regarding guidelines and expectations for the room. These contracts relate to what will be acceptable behavior and what will not be. If your school of choice does not have this contract, you may still want to discuss the matter with your roommate to prevent any future problems that could snowball quickly. If the two of you worked on the dorm room supply list together, then you have an advantage here.

Still, the world takes all types of people. Some common differences that can cause problems include between:
•smokers and non-smokers
•early risers and night owls
•neat freaks and clutterbugs

If you and your roommate fall into opposite categories on any of these, or similar issues, talk about it early and find a compromise. Issues are easier to resolve in September than they are in February.

Dormitory life can be unpredictable, but having a few rules, and being accountable for them, can give you something you can count on when things get stressful. And remember, like you, your roommate and fellow dorm dwellers are still growing up and still learning. When they make mistakes, show some patience. When they are down, show some encouragement. And when they succeed, show them praise. Dorm room essential guidelines, expectations, and support can be just as important to your success in college as test scores.

College, like life, is often what you make of it. Be sure to get out there and make something memorable. If you have any questions or want to share some of your info, give us a shout back because we love to hear from you!