Thanksgiving in a Dorm

As holidays are approaching, the “feel” of Thanksgiving seems to be lacking in off-white dorms across campus. Maybe the feeling is due to the missing decorative pieces that moms put out on the coffee table or the scent of pies baking in the over. For some, it’s the fact that the air just isn’t as crisp as it should be. Whatever the reason, the need for holiday cheer is evident, especially for those who will not be able to return home for Thanksgiving.
Luckily for me, my small town humble abode is only an hour and a half drive away. For many of the students here at USC, going all the way home for Thanksgiving and then returning right after finals is both impractical and much too expensive. Others choose not to return home so that they won’t miss the Clemson game. So how will these students be able to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with just as much glee as those off us returning home to deep fried turkey and apple pie?
The most obvious way to get that feeling of Thanksgiving in your dorms is to decorate. Grab some roomies, head down to Dollar Tree, and stock up on all things fall. Don’t be shy with the inexpensive décor: the more the merrier. Decorating your dorm is one easy way to make the room feel more homey and lived in. If you don’t have the funds or transportation to take a trip to DT, you can always resort back to kindergarten crafts. Remember how fun and festive tracing your hand and turning it into a turkey was? Obviously the solution is not as up to par as most of us would like but it still triggers the feel of turkey day.
Another indicator of the season is smell. Cinnamon apple is the essence of fall. Take the easy way out and find an air freshener with cinnamon apple fragrances or get a pre-made apple pie next time you go to the grocery store. Another way is be baking cinnamon sticks in the oven. The smell will last for a while and prompt those holiday feelings.
Lastly, on Thanksgiving Day, don’t settle for Russell House. Make a homemade meal. I don’t suggest cooking an entire turkey or even making a turkey day feast. You can enjoy great food without much hassle. Take shortcuts by buying pre-made meals or frozen goods. Most of these items only require being heated up in the oven. If you are feeling a little more June Cleaver- like, search for recipes online that require few ingredients. It will save you money and they are usually easier to prepare. Also, don’t skimp on the dessert. Although nothing compares to grandma’s homemade pecan pie, there are pies sold in stores that are very tasty and inexpensive.
Just because you aren’t going home for the Thanksgiving doesn’t mean that you can’t get into the spirit of things. Invite some friends over, decorate your dorm, and plan a meal together. Although nothing compares to the Thanksgivings at home, Thanksgiving can still be a time of good food, good friends, and good pie.

USC Going Green

Environmental issues are at the forefront of concerns; the University of South Carolina is boosting their efforts to becoming more ecological. According to the Green Learning Center at USC, initiatives for a cleaner, more efficient campus are to be a driving force in future development and in current reduction of carbon footprints left behind. Green minded gamecocks have many opportunities to become involved in all things eco- friendly.
At USC, efforts to recycle as much as possible are evident across campus. In the Russell House dining center, there is an Eco- station where reusable dinning ware is washed, bins for plastics, paper, and glass bottles, and also areas to recycle the biodegradable to-go containers. In another effort to cut down on waste, the dining services offer an eco-bottle alternative to plastic bottled drinks. Outside the Thomas Cooper Library, there are recycling bins lining the fountain to increase the ease of recycling. Each on- campus housing facility has an area where residents can choose to salvage goods rather than toss them out in the trash. There is also Recyclemania, organized by students participating in the Green Learning Community, which is an event hosted on move- in and move- out days campus-wide. This effort has lead to 103 tons of goods being recycled and donated to local charities according to the USC green website. Though the boost for an increase in recycling is large, it is not the only factor in the equation of a clean, green campus.
‘It’s not just recycling: it’s sustainability’ was the message at the last Green Action Film Series, just one of the green events hosted by the Green Learning Center. West Quad faculty principal, David Whiteman, says, “There are more problems at hand than just recycling. We need to be conscious of our consumption and become a sustainable community.” Merriam-Webster defines sustainability as “relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.” In essence, though recycling is a necessary part of sustainability, there are other components that are just as essential to ensuring that those resources are not depleted.
“Students need to think about what they are using and see how that effects the world as a whole,” says Cynthia Harbison, an employee at the Green Learning Center here at the USC campus. Harbison went on to say that the easiest way to start reducing use is by not buying plastic water bottles. Plastic is not biodegradable and the consumption of water bottles is the highest it has been in years. Reusable drinking containers, like the eco- bottle featured in the dining facilities, are not only more eco-friendly, but cheaper when filled up with water from fountains.
Organizer of the Green Film Action Series at the Green Learning Center, Elizabeth Farry, voiced that becoming more sustainable is easy campus- wide and those who want to be more eco- conscious have the opportunity to do so. Not only by participating in green events such as Sustainability Week but by considering living in the West Quad, also called Green Quad.
Green Quad is an environment where students actively participate in programs that promote sustainability: recycling, composting, a garden area, and conservation of energy. Resources and support are guaranteed to students who wish to further their sustainability efforts. Green Quad, built in 2004, was the most ecologically conscious building in the world at that time. Along with the basic sustainability amenities in all housing facilities, Green Quad is one of the leading forces in current and future reduction of carbon footprints.
Due to the desire of faculty, staff, and students, USC has become one of the forefront leaders in sustainability and its proven by their sustainability report that they received in October of 2009. They earned a B, which though can be improved, is much higher than other schools in South Carolina. The attention to all things environmental has led to several programs that allow those that wish to be more active, a chance to do so. Jason Craig, assistant direct of the Green Learning Center, believes that USC is doing its part to help lessen the waste in the Columbia community. In an increasingly wasteful society, USC has made it their mission to not only inform of the dangers of waste but also take action to counteract it. Craig says, “We [as a community] need to focus on the big picture and that means taking steps to ensure that our earth will be able to sustain us."

Thanksgiving: Kryptonite to Dieting

Around this time each year, there is something that triggers in the minds of everyone that makes them want to lose weight and become healthier. It starts off subtle. The weather starts changing and light layering becomes necessary. Either you go to the closet to throw on a sweater and for some reason it just doesn’t quite fit or you grab some jeans before class and they won’t button. It’s at this very point that for the first time you start to notice that you have put on a few pounds. Though you had this weight yesterday, it seems to have magically appeared overnight and you have no idea where it came from.
Here is where we all consciously make the decision to change our diet and get back in shape. We start heading to the gym, watching our calories, and drink water by the gallons. We stay on track for a week or two, three if you are really dedicated, but then the inevitable happens: Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is to dieting what kryptonite is to Superman: the one thing that can bring all your effort to a screeching halt. Thanksgiving is the perfect excuse to “reward” yourself for your efforts. However, for most of us, it is the catalyst that results in us returning to our old grubbing ways.
If you can make it through Thanksgiving and are still dedicated to your diet and exercise, congratulations, but you are not out of the woods just yet. Soon there are finals and the last thing you are worried about is how many calories you are taking in and how many you need to work off at the gym later that night. Cramming in information at the last minute leaves very little time for preparing healthy meals and Little Debbie just seems like the only choice at 4 a.m. Though it seems impossible, some people at this point have actually withstood the temptations of both Thanksgiving and exam week. For the rest of us, we have already decided to get back on track after the Christmas season, which means it will end up being our New Year’s resolution.
It seems to me that not only are we all aiming for the same goal around this point in the semester, but most of us have the same problem with motivation. Diet and exercise are an important part of life and for some reason it only remains important in our own minds for a few weeks at a time. It’s not like we do not have access to a gym, dieticians, nutritionists, trainers, and other support through the Student Wellness Center so we can’t blame anyone but ourselves. Though all this is at our disposal, very few take advantage of it, myself included. Its great to have a goal in mind to become healthy and fit but not reaching that goal with all these resources seems ridiculous.
Breaking your stride by allowing Thanksgiving and exam week to interfere has to come to an end and remaining motivated and determined are the only ways of breaking it. If you can’t hold out for the holidays then when will you? When New Year’s rolls around? Don’t be another statistic! Break out of your cycle and when Thanksgiving rolls around next year, you will be happy to know that your winter clothing is now a few sizes too big!

Lack of Funds Equals Lack of College Experience

This is an article of mine published in The Daily Gamecock:

College is not suited for those on a budget. The lack of funds can completely change your entire college experience.
Most students take around fifteen hours of class and then on top of that work a part time job. By the end of the day, there is no time for studying, hanging out with friends, or taking advantage of the endless opportunities here at USC.
What is the point in going to college if you can’t fully immerse yourself in the environment? Isn’t college about discovering new things and deciding how that will change your life?
Unfortunately, the only way for many of us to attend college is by taking out loans and working while in school. Some make this juggling act seem effortless but in reality it is almost impossible to fully enjoy the college experience while stressing over finances.
Not only is there not enough time to be as prepared academically for each class, but there is not enough money to cover any other activities you wish to participate in. If you want to go to a football game and you happen to be off work that evening, you can request a ticket online. If you are not chosen in the raffle to get a ticket, you have to buy one. Face value of a ticket is on average forty- five dollars. The cost alone can sway your decision whether or not you will attend. After the game, your friends may invite you downtown to celebrate. Food and drinks alone can break your bank, especially if you just shelled out forty- five dollars for a ticket. Then there is transportation cost. Taxis from downtown to campus are relatively cheap but if you are already stretching it, you may not have enough to cover the costs. Estimate the cost of this one night and it will be roughly around sixty-five dollars. Working a minimum wage job, like most students do, this is almost nine hours of work before taxes are taken out. Putting this all into perspective, many students would miss out on a common college experience, a football game, simply due to their inability to cover the bill.
Many of the experiences here at USC do not require a great deal of money; however, even small amounts of money can starts to add up quickly. Those that are fortunate enough not to have financial woes seem to have more opportunities to have a fulfilling college experience. Those that are struggling to stay afloat tend to miss out on memorable moments that make up college life.
College is often referred to as “an experience of a lifetime” but not having the money to fund those experiences makes college life seem less fulfilling.

Don't Use Twitter to say 'I'm Sorry'

The following is one of my articles published in The Daily Gamecock:

Twittering, a fast easy way of communicating with friends has enabled many to become increasingly distant from direct communication. Some have blurred the lines of what is appropriate communication on these social networking sites. Some have even taken it a step further and have insulted many by their lack of direct communication.
A sweat lodge in Arizona kills two and injures nineteen.
James Arthur Ray, a self-help counselor, was leading a counseling session in a sauna like tent when these incidences transpired. The sweat lodge is traditionally used to spiritually cleanse individuals and connect them with nature. It comes from a long-standing Native-American tradition. However, Ray was using the sweat lodge as a technique to help his supporters find wealth in different areas of their life.
The cause of death has not yet been determined, but police say that this event and many others that Ray has lead may come to a criminal prosecution.
Even after the press kept hounding for answers, Ray’s publicist would not release a statement. On Friday night, Ray voiced his condolences via a Twitter post: “I’m shocked and saddened by the tragedy occurring in Sedona. My deep heartfelt condolences to the family & friends of those who lost their lives.”
He followed up that message on Saturday: “spending the weekend in prayer and meditation for all involved in this difficult time; and I ask you to join me in doing the same.”
Since then, no further comments on the matter have surfaced, though many answers are still unanswered.
His lack of respect for the family and friends is evident in his attempts to cower behind “tweets.” Someone who is truly remorseful would not simply tweet about it and hope that those who were affected read it. In fact, if I were one of the family or friends, I would find the tweet insulting. Showing sympathy through a twitter message seems half-hearted and artificial.
Using Twitter and other social networks as an outlet to the public has become a growing trend. When is technology an appropriate outlet? Would you use an email to break up with someone or text a friend to let them know that their dog died? No, most wouldn’t. Though these scenarios are not equivalent to the deaths of two and the injuries of nineteen, the simple fact that technology isn’t always the best form of communication seems innate.
Technology has advanced to the point where direct communication seems a thing of the past. A written letter or a face- to- face conversation becomes too much of a hassle. When you can tweet your friend in thirty seconds, what is the point of dropping by her home to tell her the same information?
Technology is a blessing but with the decline in direct communication, it has become a refuge for insincere communication. Many need to realize that though it may be easier to send an email or a text, direct communication is sometimes the only appropriate form of communication.