After over a week of being sick, its easy to fall into the habit of complaining. Really it's easy for anyone to fall into the habit of complaining. You do it once, somebody offers sympathy, and it makes you feel just a little bit better. But you may not even notice when your mindset has slipped into a negative cycle. That's why my roommates and I have started...
The 5 Reasons Why
It's a really simple habit that can change a negative attitude to a positive one. As a communication major, I notice that we tend to believe things when we say them out loud. So, when you find yourself or a friend having a bad day, complaining, or simply being negative try asking them this.
Give me 5 reasons why today is great.
You may need to think. And if you ask yourself this, make sure you tell somebody. It really only works when you repeat it out loud. And you may need to think for a bit, and sometimes it will be hard for you to find those five reasons. If you struggle to find five reasons why today is great, you may have slipped into a negative mindset. And let's be honest, nobody likes to be around a negative person. So ask yourself...five reasons why today is great (and no slipping in a complaint like "I'm sick but at least I'm alive)
5 Reasons Today is Great
1) It's Friday!
2) Midterms end today!
3) I fit in a workout when I didn't expect to do so
4) I ate fast food for the first time in months and didn't feel guilty
5) I have a good feeling about the job search. Let's go interviews!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
Don't be THAT (dancing) Girl
This year has been a busy one so far. Between two jobs, a full load of classes, and an internship, there never is a dull moment. However, much of the hard work has paid off with the creation of the first video for our internship!
The Don't Be That Guy/Girl campaign
I currently work on a social marketing internship to promote personal protective behavior on campus. What does that mean? I along with eight other interns spread the word that it's okay to drink, but do it safely. We first caught the attention of students with a series of humorous posters that depicted guys and girls after a night of too much drinking. The posters advised "don't be THAT (dancing, passed out, drawn on, etc) guy/girl. Later, the interns started setting up shop outside of bars, passing out food and water after a long night of drinking. This semester, the message is going viral with a new website and a series of videos that are bringing the posters to life. The videos utilize humor to capture attention, but address the issue of binge drinking at the same time. Check it out!
If you'd like to follow us on Twitter, check us out at @dontbthatEIUguy
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Alcohol - Defining The College Experience
The other day I watched a video posted by some of my little brother's friends. The video showed my hometown's city basketball tournament. There are always four competing teams and it's a pretty big deal for our high schools. During the halftime performance of my former high school, the entire student section simultaneously broke out in a dance to the Black Eyed Peas that matched the performance occuring on the court by their poms squad.
Later my little brother told me he was mad that his high school might not win the student award for team spirit because some girls were caught drinking at the tournament. "That's so stupid," he said. "It was a Thursday night, why were they even drinking?"
As a college student, my first response is "Well, Thursday IS the first night of the weekend." But it got me thinking. I currently drink alcohol when I got out on the weekends and I enjoy it. In high school, I never drank. Why is it that alcohol has become NECESSARY to the college experience.
I was kind of jealous of my little brother for a moment becuase I thought that that basketball tournament actually looked fun. I would love to go out with all my friends, watch a game, and even participate in a game like they did during that poms performance. Then I remembered that would never be possible at my university. It seems that sports have become an excuse for tailgating. Our concerts all take place at bars, and you wouldn't catch half of the student population dancing unless they had lined up the shots beforehand.
Am I critical of this college experience? No. After all, I've taken part in it. I think I just miss the days when we were able to say "That drunk girl ruined the party" instead of "That drunk girl really made the party."
Here's the Video of their high school tournament performance....it's actually pretty cool!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
How to lose all your technology in three days
It's been a long week. It's the first week back after Thanksgiving break and the first of three weeks before we leave for Christmas break (or in some cases (my case) everybody else goes home and you get some well deserved time to yourself while you stay to work).
Got in my first accident this week. No...scratch that...my car got in its first accident this week. I wasn't in the car, it was parked on the street outside my house. In fact, the other driver wasn't in the car either. In one of those truly accidental accidents, the car in my neighbor's driveway slipped out of gear and slid down the driveway, knocking into mine. I had to call the police because the only thing I saw was a truck sticking out of my car and I didn't know what had happened. There was an exchange of insurances and then a huge ordeal when my mother found out and was convinced that our insurance would go up because of it.
The next day was bitter cold, and as I headed out to the library to work on my ten page paper (that I hadn't worked on over break) and I was determined to forget the accident ordeal. In fact, after it had rained that night and washed away a few scuff marks on my car, there wasn't really much damage at all. So I bundled up and grabbed my regular bottle of water and stuffed it in my already overstuffed bag.
Got in my first accident this week. No...scratch that...my car got in its first accident this week. I wasn't in the car, it was parked on the street outside my house. In fact, the other driver wasn't in the car either. In one of those truly accidental accidents, the car in my neighbor's driveway slipped out of gear and slid down the driveway, knocking into mine. I had to call the police because the only thing I saw was a truck sticking out of my car and I didn't know what had happened. There was an exchange of insurances and then a huge ordeal when my mother found out and was convinced that our insurance would go up because of it.
The next day was bitter cold, and as I headed out to the library to work on my ten page paper (that I hadn't worked on over break) and I was determined to forget the accident ordeal. In fact, after it had rained that night and washed away a few scuff marks on my car, there wasn't really much damage at all. So I bundled up and grabbed my regular bottle of water and stuffed it in my already overstuffed bag.
Not a good choice.
Water bottle was stuffed so tight in my bag it exploded and soaked my library books, Ipod, and cell phone. They were fried. Luckily, my laptop turned out okay. But I can't say a car accidnet and the loss of my cell phone and Ipod was pleasant...or cheap.
But then I set to work on my 10 page paper and I got a reality check. I've been taking a class this semester on the Holocaust. There's a lot that went on during that time that we certainly don't learn here in the United States. Like the fact that the United States was the first country to promote eugenics or we endorsed Hitler's anti-semetism until we found out how far he took it.
My paper was on the White Rose, and what motivated them to resist Hitler's brainwashing. The White Rose consisted of university students - students our age - who wrote and distributed leaflets around thier university, and even as far as other towns' universities that asked students to stand up against Hitler. After all, it is usually students who are most likely to resist. They are the ones being put in the frontline of battle during wartime. These students put themselves at risk every time they bought paper because that cast suspicion on them. Every time they bought stamps, every time they traveled with the leaflets in their briefcases they risked their lives. In fact, 35 out of the 100 leaflets they originally passed out were turned over to the Gestapo. Life under Hitler was so closely watched that many people believed the Nazis had sent out the leaflets to test their loyalty to the party, so they turned the leaflets in just to make sure they wouldn't be arrested for not turning them in.
Sadly, all of the members of the White Rose were executed by guillotine when a janitor caught them throwing leaflets out at the university. Three of the members - Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, and Christopher Probst - were executed FOUR days after they were found out.
Can you believe that. These kids - 21-25 years of age - were killed for expressing their views against the government.
That kind of put things in perspective. My phone was gone, my car had a little dent, and my Ipod was fried, but I have the freedom of speech. I can complain about my silly gadgets on a blog because we have the right to do that. And sometimes we need to remember what's really important.
Monday, October 4, 2010
The Pizza Place
I work at a little pizza place right at the edge of campus - it's a locally owned restaurant with a fair amount of local business, although it doesn't appeal to college students so much because its a bit pricey. There's a bar below the restaurant because it's a pizza place and pub, but the bar has lost the majority of its business ever since it was raided three years ago and caught with 83 underagers in the place. I'll admit the pizza's delicious, though it no longer fits into my diet (being a fitness instructor and all). I waitress there mostly at night, where we have a nightly buffet. I can't say I love working a buffet, especially considering I work on tips and nobody really tips at a buffet.
So I'll withhold the name of my little restaurant because there's a lot that goes on there that really shouldn't be mentioned, but I said I'd tell it how it really is, right? So on a daily basis I come in and there is a stack of dishes in the dishroom and a slew of dirty tables. What does this mean? That while the owner was working the afternoon shift, he served the customers, took the tips off the table, and left the dishes and tables for the 4:30 waitress to clean up. Then I'll begin to fix up the place because we aren't exactly the classiest restaurant around...our ceiling has been torn off for a few months now due to water damage and I don't see any change in the near future. We also have the same booths, carpeting, and curtains from when the place first opened. So I'll clean up to make it look as classy a restaurant as I can, then start serving the first group of regular buffet goers that come in before we open our buffet at 5 to sit and wait for it. The sad part is, I can progressively watch their health suffer which each emptied plate I clear from their table. At about 7 o clock business slows down and the bartenders arrive downstairs. If it's warm enough, I know to open the windows to clear out the smell of weed wafting up through the vents because they've taken to hiding in the back room when there's no business and smoking up. Finally at 9 I get to close the buffet and spend the next hour cleaning up the place while also answering phones because the delivery drivers can't bother themselves to answer them as they post up in front of our big screen TV in the restaurant to watch Sons of Anarchy or the most recent sports game.
So, why put in all the extra effort for a job where nobody seems to care? I would like to say that I am just naturally a hard working person, and that IS partly the cause. I can't just come into a job and sit around. However, the other part is that our crew is really more like family at the restaurant and we like to see business doing fairly well despite a few lazy or apathetic employees. Lastly, people tend to tip more when they see a decent looking restaurant with good service, and this is probably the major factor. I've learned to do a lot of little things that'll earn me extra tips, like throwing on one of the cook's red aprons around my waist to look more like a waitress (we don't have uniforms).
I stick around at the job because I genuinely like it. The people that work there are other college students and we get along pretty well. It's not strict like a corporate restaurant where you have to wear a tie and have a manager looking over your shoulder at any time. Plus, I can walk in and get some kind of food almost anytime, which is very helpful when one is low on groceries and they DO have a delicious salad bar. Lastly, it's close to home so I never have to drive and I get a decent amount of hours. At some restaurants, you can only expect a three to four hour shift, especially as a student who has other priorities. Here the shifts usually last around 6 hours and three to four times a week, which provides some much needed travel/spending money (*I was lucky enough to receive some scholarship money for college).
Anyway, it's not so bad this run-down restaurant I work at. Occasionally, like this weekend, you have to put in 10 to 12 hours at a time and you hate the place, but overall I count myself lucky to have found a job I don't dread going to every day after class.
So I'll withhold the name of my little restaurant because there's a lot that goes on there that really shouldn't be mentioned, but I said I'd tell it how it really is, right? So on a daily basis I come in and there is a stack of dishes in the dishroom and a slew of dirty tables. What does this mean? That while the owner was working the afternoon shift, he served the customers, took the tips off the table, and left the dishes and tables for the 4:30 waitress to clean up. Then I'll begin to fix up the place because we aren't exactly the classiest restaurant around...our ceiling has been torn off for a few months now due to water damage and I don't see any change in the near future. We also have the same booths, carpeting, and curtains from when the place first opened. So I'll clean up to make it look as classy a restaurant as I can, then start serving the first group of regular buffet goers that come in before we open our buffet at 5 to sit and wait for it. The sad part is, I can progressively watch their health suffer which each emptied plate I clear from their table. At about 7 o clock business slows down and the bartenders arrive downstairs. If it's warm enough, I know to open the windows to clear out the smell of weed wafting up through the vents because they've taken to hiding in the back room when there's no business and smoking up. Finally at 9 I get to close the buffet and spend the next hour cleaning up the place while also answering phones because the delivery drivers can't bother themselves to answer them as they post up in front of our big screen TV in the restaurant to watch Sons of Anarchy or the most recent sports game.
So, why put in all the extra effort for a job where nobody seems to care? I would like to say that I am just naturally a hard working person, and that IS partly the cause. I can't just come into a job and sit around. However, the other part is that our crew is really more like family at the restaurant and we like to see business doing fairly well despite a few lazy or apathetic employees. Lastly, people tend to tip more when they see a decent looking restaurant with good service, and this is probably the major factor. I've learned to do a lot of little things that'll earn me extra tips, like throwing on one of the cook's red aprons around my waist to look more like a waitress (we don't have uniforms).
I stick around at the job because I genuinely like it. The people that work there are other college students and we get along pretty well. It's not strict like a corporate restaurant where you have to wear a tie and have a manager looking over your shoulder at any time. Plus, I can walk in and get some kind of food almost anytime, which is very helpful when one is low on groceries and they DO have a delicious salad bar. Lastly, it's close to home so I never have to drive and I get a decent amount of hours. At some restaurants, you can only expect a three to four hour shift, especially as a student who has other priorities. Here the shifts usually last around 6 hours and three to four times a week, which provides some much needed travel/spending money (*I was lucky enough to receive some scholarship money for college).
Anyway, it's not so bad this run-down restaurant I work at. Occasionally, like this weekend, you have to put in 10 to 12 hours at a time and you hate the place, but overall I count myself lucky to have found a job I don't dread going to every day after class.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
My Best College Experience Yet
So my blog picture deserves an explanation. The picture is of myself with a girl named Checa. Checa lives in el Hogar de la Esperanza de un Nino en the Dominican Republic, an orphanage run by a Pentecostal pastor and his family. During the month of may, I went there to live and work in the orphanage at night, and teach in the local, free school started by the organization called Orphanage Outreach during the day. Because I am a Spanish major, I chose to go somewhere where my language skills could be useful, but I found that language was so unnecessary. I learned this and so much more from the kids in this orphanage, and I am so excited to be able to say I am going back on January 1. I can not wait.
A photo of myself, another volunteer, and our English class
Here is a note I sent home from the start of my month long stay in the Dominican. Keep in mind it was rushed because we only were able to use the Internet for a few minutes once a week:
"So, a lot of people have been asking how it is here. Well, Monte Cristi is a little town in the north of the DR along the sea. We are near Haiti, but not too near (although I will get the chance to go to the border one Friday). The town has been marked by tourism guides as an up and coming town and though this might sound presumptious I think the Orphanage OUtreach has a lot to do with it. So the OO was created about 15 years ago, and then there were only about 20 kids. Now, 43 kids live here. There's not really orphans here (though there are a few). Many kids that live here have families but their families cannot afford to keep them. They visit sometimes, other times they've cut off contact. They range in age from 3 to 21.
So the place? Well I live in a ramada...a bit like a long house with 12 bunk beds in it all with big mosquito nets covering them. The ramada is made of wire fencing with a long board to make for a wall in the center (think like a stall...the bottom and tops are just fence that you can see through. The door is held shut but a string that attaches on the inside, goes up the ceiling and connects to a jar of rocks on the other side. Very technical I know. Here we live by a few simple rules. Navy showers for start. We can only turn the water on while we wash out our hair. Have to brush our teeth with bottled water and the water we use is ALWAYS cold. Which I am grateful for actually because it is HOT here. I wake up sweating every day.
but the place is amazing!!! The work the OO does here is amazing. We live on the orphanage grounds kind of as their guests. But we don't just stay here. I teach at the English Institute, an old hotel the OO bought in town where they offer a free English education to any local children willing to come. Children here only go to school four hours a day, and so we offer them one extra hour. The kids in my class are brats of course, but so amazing. The first day I went into the Institute, there was a huge wolf spider bigger than my foot. This little boy, Jose, who comes early to school today to help us clean the place (just because he can and talks the entire time he is doing it) jumped up to kill the spider for us. He is six years old and very proud of himself for saving us. He now persists on killing imaginary spiders on our back every day so we can thank him profusely. He says "Una arana! (he slaps our back) then goes "Lo mate!" meaning...A Spider! I killled it.
The Dominican people are more friendly than I could have ever imagined. When we walk home from people, they always stop to say hello or good day. If they run into you they apologize, never rude. One day I was walking home from school and a little boy ran out of his house and yelled "teacher gabby teacher gabby!" he was in my class. It was so sweet he wanted to introduce me to his family. The houses here shocked me at first, but now I see they're actually really beautiful. Most are made out of wood, wire or scraps and about the size of our garages. But everyone's houses are really like that. They don't have much to compare it to, and they take pride in what they have. They have beautiful gardens and always are working on cleaning.
Anyway, I will be on next week, just wanted to say I love it here. Miss you guys!
Gabby
So the place? Well I live in a ramada...a bit like a long house with 12 bunk beds in it all with big mosquito nets covering them. The ramada is made of wire fencing with a long board to make for a wall in the center (think like a stall...the bottom and tops are just fence that you can see through. The door is held shut but a string that attaches on the inside, goes up the ceiling and connects to a jar of rocks on the other side. Very technical I know. Here we live by a few simple rules. Navy showers for start. We can only turn the water on while we wash out our hair. Have to brush our teeth with bottled water and the water we use is ALWAYS cold. Which I am grateful for actually because it is HOT here. I wake up sweating every day.
but the place is amazing!!! The work the OO does here is amazing. We live on the orphanage grounds kind of as their guests. But we don't just stay here. I teach at the English Institute, an old hotel the OO bought in town where they offer a free English education to any local children willing to come. Children here only go to school four hours a day, and so we offer them one extra hour. The kids in my class are brats of course, but so amazing. The first day I went into the Institute, there was a huge wolf spider bigger than my foot. This little boy, Jose, who comes early to school today to help us clean the place (just because he can and talks the entire time he is doing it) jumped up to kill the spider for us. He is six years old and very proud of himself for saving us. He now persists on killing imaginary spiders on our back every day so we can thank him profusely. He says "Una arana! (he slaps our back) then goes "Lo mate!" meaning...A Spider! I killled it.
The Dominican people are more friendly than I could have ever imagined. When we walk home from people, they always stop to say hello or good day. If they run into you they apologize, never rude. One day I was walking home from school and a little boy ran out of his house and yelled "teacher gabby teacher gabby!" he was in my class. It was so sweet he wanted to introduce me to his family. The houses here shocked me at first, but now I see they're actually really beautiful. Most are made out of wood, wire or scraps and about the size of our garages. But everyone's houses are really like that. They don't have much to compare it to, and they take pride in what they have. They have beautiful gardens and always are working on cleaning.
Anyway, I will be on next week, just wanted to say I love it here. Miss you guys!
Gabby
Let's Get Started
I'm starting my first blog about the day in the life of a college student. Doesn't sound all that interesting, trust me I know. But that's the problem, people tend to think that university life is a breeze. Perhaps 20 or 30 years ago it was different, I don't really know. These days, we've got a lot on our minds. There are a million things on my mind daily.
How can I find a job in a tough market?
How can I afford to move away after college with so much debt?
How much time do I have to study for these three tests this week?
Why do I have to work all night when what I really need to be doing is homework?
Can I fit in some gym time today after my internship?
The thing is, there's a lot of things we're suppposed to be doing to prepare ourselves for the future. Trust me, I know, it's my last year at university and it's really crunch time.
And I'll be honest, the only reason I've started this blog is, ironically, because I need to practice using social media so I can list it as a skill on my resume.
CLASS, PIZZA, GYM
You may have seen the popular MTV show, Jersey Shore. Their typical day involves GTL - gym, tanning, laundry. The title of this blog refers to MY typical day, though the order often changes. Spend some time at class, head to the gym to teach one of my classes (yoga, pilates, and cycling) then head down the street to the pizza place to put in a few hours of work as a waitress. Sounds enthralling, I know.
That aside, a college student can have some awesome stories, too. Think about it, we're surrounded by drunks and druggies on a daily basis, you know we've seen the strangest scenes out there. I have a lot of varied interests, too, especially when it comes to travelling. I've spent some time in Spain, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic, so I love checking out different cultures.
So anyway, check out my blog to see what a day in the life is really like.
How can I find a job in a tough market?
How can I afford to move away after college with so much debt?
How much time do I have to study for these three tests this week?
Why do I have to work all night when what I really need to be doing is homework?
Can I fit in some gym time today after my internship?
The thing is, there's a lot of things we're suppposed to be doing to prepare ourselves for the future. Trust me, I know, it's my last year at university and it's really crunch time.
And I'll be honest, the only reason I've started this blog is, ironically, because I need to practice using social media so I can list it as a skill on my resume.
CLASS, PIZZA, GYM
You may have seen the popular MTV show, Jersey Shore. Their typical day involves GTL - gym, tanning, laundry. The title of this blog refers to MY typical day, though the order often changes. Spend some time at class, head to the gym to teach one of my classes (yoga, pilates, and cycling) then head down the street to the pizza place to put in a few hours of work as a waitress. Sounds enthralling, I know.
That aside, a college student can have some awesome stories, too. Think about it, we're surrounded by drunks and druggies on a daily basis, you know we've seen the strangest scenes out there. I have a lot of varied interests, too, especially when it comes to travelling. I've spent some time in Spain, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic, so I love checking out different cultures.
So anyway, check out my blog to see what a day in the life is really like.
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