The 5 Reasons Why

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!

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

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!