Helping A Sister Out

Amongst the crazy schedules and dedication to our tasks that we must meet, my sorority always finds time to reach out to someone who is need. We may have our philanthropies that we are nationally required to help out, but there are those little inspirations that spark us to lend a helping hand. Last year, we took the opportunity to not only raise money to help out a family who is no longer with us and construct a dedication site for them, but to also gain new friends throughout the Greek community. For months we worked our butts off to help raise $1000 dollars for Sheri Ann Her Boys, which was a woman and her two sons that were murdered by the husband about two years ago. It was a struggle, but the best part of it all was having the family visit us and thank us for helping them. Just to know we reached out like that and have a personal thank you was enough.

This year unfortunately something hit a little too close for a home for all us. One of our sisters, Briana Silver who had just joined the sorority back in the fall became extremely ill. At first we thought she will get through this, but then things went all wrong. What started off as mono turned into be diagnosed with Lemierre's Syndrome. There are only 161 reported cases in the world and it is an extremely rare syndrome to catch. During the entire month of December we were on our toes waiting everyday to hear from her family if she was going to get better, but only worse news kept coming. Briana was put in a medical coma for a few weeks and during those weeks we had many scares of if she really was going to make it. Thankfully, by the end of January we were told that Briana would survive however she would never be the same again. Since her body went through so much weight loss and destruction that she would have to go through months and months of therapy and rehab. Today Briana is doing so much better, but we know each day is hard for her family and for us.

Due to this horrible experience, we felt as sisters that we really should take on Briana's story and help her family out. This year we are doing something small such as a Bake Sale since with the time crunch, but next year we hope to do something HUGE. We are holding the bake sale in Coleman at the southeast corner from 11am-2pm each day this week. All baked goods are 75 cents and we also accept any donations as well. We really hope to one day share Briana's story with everyone and let them know that you should live life to the fullest and never take anything for granted.

Disney World's Newest Addition

Side Note: Since this is usually the time of year that I spend getting excited about going back to the Happiest Place on Earth also known as Walt Disney World, this year it is a little different. My sister has gone off to college and money is not a free as it use to be for my family, so that means we had to cut something back and that being is our annual trip to Disney World. Right now I am going through major withdrawals. I love it so much and knowing that I won't be returning is really sad. So I have decided to blog about something that I am really looking forward to experiencing once it is complete and when I finally get the chance to go back.

Disney is currently working on a new project called the Fantasyland Expansion. This is the biggest project that Disney has done in a long time. Personally, I haven't seen many updates to the theme parks and this is project looks like it is going to be amazing. The expansion is taking place in the Magic Kingdom and for those who don't know how the layout of the Fantasyland section in the park is, is that there are different classic storybook themes for each ride like Peter Pan, Snow White, Winnie the Pooh, etc. This expansion is adding new classics such as Beauty and the Beast, the Little Mermaid, and a whole Dumbo/circus theme part. With this all being said this means that the lines should cut down from the other rides and parks, but bring about craziness in that section. However, the Magic Kingdom really hasn't seen an extensive update like the other parks have a in awhile. They've done a few things here and there by updating mechanical work or cleaning up the appearance, but nothing like this.

I think this is going to bring in a lot of crowds and will help out the Disney Company since I know attendance is low. This new addition may seem like it geared toward just kids, but really for all of those who love the classics will probably enjoy the new rides and the detailed work that they are putting into it. Disney never slacks when it comes to anything. They go all out.

Five PR Tips for Greeks

The other day I came across a blog that is geared towards Greeks. On the blog site there is a variety of different posts that are categorized to help those who are in Greek Life to read what they find helpful or most interesting. What I found the most interesting was a post about public relations tips that can be useful to promote your sorority or fraternity. The top five tips were:

1. Respect Your Brand
2. Facebook is not the "know all end all"
3. Engage, Engage, Engage
4. Get on Twitter
5. Involve your alumni

After reading over how each of these tips can be useful, it made me realize how public relations can be extremely important when it comes to promoting and maintaining relationships with the community, alumni, parents, and other greeks. It is so simple to use public relations and yet I feel like sometimes as members of a sorority we overlook it. So many people are now using the internet and are getting caught up in the social media craze. It is important to be up to date with everything that is new and meet the needs of the latest demands. Twitter, for instance, is huge. For my sorority, I run the Twitter page and try to follow other chapters and sororities and fraternities so my chapter and myself can stay updated on what is going on in the Greek community. It is a lot like blogging, but in a smaller form. It is quick and to the point and can easy inform anyone on what's going on and what to look forward too. Also, the tip on respecting your brand really sticks with me. When joining a sorority or fraternity ultimately you are joining a brand and it is your job to promote it so it is important to make sure that everything correlates so people understand who you are and what you are.

The blog goes into more detail about each tip and if it all interested visit the website: http://www.blog.webgreek.com/2011/03/five-pr-tips-for-greeks/

A Simple Reblog

The other day I was searching around on a blog site called, Tumblr for random pictures and quotes since a friend had told me about the site being somewhat useful for those sort of things. As I visited the site I went through pages and pages of different content not really taking too much in, but enjoying myself as I viewed all the random things people post out of fun. One post however really came to my attention and it was about helping the relief efforts in Japan since they clearly have been hit with some terrible natural disasters. The post read something along the lines of for every so many reposts or reblogs that a certain amount of money would be donated to Japan by the actual representatives of the Tumblr site. As amazing as this idea sounds and I hope people did reblog the post if it actually was effective or not? And how do they keep track of every since reblog by their users?

If this whole public relations effort really was effective, I think that more people could be helped. A simple reblog doesn't take that much work and for those people who can't really afford to donate their own money can at least try to help. I think more blogging sites, or even other forms of social media should jump on this new trend and try to gain support for good causes. After seeing this on a blogging site and how many times I began seeing that same post as I scrolled through countless pages makes me proud to know that public relations can be put to creative and good use. Sometime public relations is used in such formal ways, but today public relations is really beginning to break out of its shell and reach out to more people.

America: The Not So Intelligent

How is it that as a country we are so fixated on the life of a celebrity that if we were asked any question about his or her's current situation that we could tell you everything, but when it comes to situations that are more serious and making history we are dumbfounded? It has really come to my attention that here in America we are so caught up in the "Hollywood" lifestyles, relationships, scandals that we tend to push aside more important matters and not realize what is really going on until something HUGE happens. It's sad to admit this, but it is true. To think back on the days when news was really about what was going on in the world, or locally and informed you on things that may concern you. Now it still may be that, but here and there a story manages to squeeze in about what Lindsay Lohan is getting arrested for once again or if Charlie Scheen has gone off the deep end. It's crazy.

Last semester, in one of my classes we were given a quiz that was basically asked a series of questions and showed pictures of different officials around the world and we had to guess who they were. I knew a few people, but for the most part I was clueless. Then we took another quiz that was all based on pop culture and of course I had no problem writing down the answers to those. At the time it was fun to do something like this, but our professor really brought to our attention and mine that we are brainwashed to knowing all these pointless things when we really should know who the Secretary of State is. It is almost embarrassing to know that more than half the population of this country would do better on a pop culture quiz than probably your basic history test.

The reason that I am writing about this is because I am just as guilty as everyone else, but I don't want to be. I don't want to be the person who is caught up in pointless news or even drama for that matter. I want to be educated about more important things that really are impacting my life and other's lives. I have been really striving to make an effort in reading up on world news each day and leaning away from the gossip sites since they aren't going to do me any good besides fill my head with stupid nonsense.

Charlie Sheen Looking For Social Media Intern?

Just when we think Charlie Sheen has reached the highest level of crazy, it seems it just gets worse. This week what is now being called, The Sheen Team is looking for prospective college students who would intern for Sheen himself and run his Twitter page. (I wish I was joking about this, but it is serious.) The internship consists of 8 weeks during the summer working closely with Charlie Sheen and maintaining his social media, while increasing his followers and probably making he gets his daily dose of whatever he is f***ed up on. (The last part wasn't in the description, but more than likely I'm sure it comes along with the gig even if not stated.)

Personally, if this were for any other celebrity out there I would apply in a heart beat since I LOVE social media, but no way in hell would I want to work for this whack job. Sheen clearly needs some sort of help and if he doesn't get it soon, well I'm sure we all know what happened to Kurt Cobain and Anna Nicole Smith. Whoever is the PR person for Sheen needs to realize that even though he is getting the much wanted attention that every celebrity wants, however that's not what he needs right now. Trying to hire some poor soul to run his Twitter should be his last concern. Maybe cleaning himself up and getting back on the right track should be his main focus?

To read the actual description visit the site here: http://cs.internships.com/charlie-sheen-internship/

Spring Break Plans

Well it is sad to say that I won't be going to California in a week. My boyfriend and I had plans to go out to the Long Beach area to visit his aunt and uncle, but we found out that it is just a not good week for them for us to visit. : ( Oh well. I was looking forward to the warm weather, the beach, and just a change of pace. I have been so caught up in school and my sorority lately that sometimes I forgot to just sit back and relax for awhile. Spring break is really going to be my time to just forget about everything. Here are my plans:

• Sleep
• Catch up on all my missed television shows 
• Work
• Spend time with my family
• Shop (with the money I don't have)
• and then sleep some more.

I just need to get away from Charleston. This is the first year that every time there has been a break I have actually really looked forward to it. In the past, I have not wanted to go home as much because I missed all my friends and just the lifestyle of living on my own. Now, when I here no school for a week or the word "home" I get so excited because I just want to relax.

Disney Junior

Since I am a fan of all things Disney, I found this article about a new time segment on the Disney Channel called, Disney Junior. To me it sounds a lot like Nickelodeon's Nick Junior time slot that I remember growing up on as a kid. This is exactly the intentions of the company because they realize the competition and are trying to target to a wider range of children from the ages of 2-7 instead of 2-5. By doing this they are hoping to redefine their brand image. New shows will be added to the line up, but Disney is staying true to its roots and incorporating the mouse himself, Mickey Mouse and the gang to still engage those who are entertained by them.

In my opinion, I think this is a great idea for Disney to try to target kids that might not watch the Disney Channel because there is nothing that really applies to them. Also, Nickelodeon has been doing this for a long time and now Disney finally is jumping on the bandwagon. It may have been long over due, but in the end I think it will be worth it for them.

For more information, here is the article from ABC News:
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=12916930

The Great Flood 2011

So as many of you already know that on Sunday night we had quite a storm come through good old Chucktown. As I spent two hours in my chapter room singing "Anyway You Want It" and "21 Guns" over and over and over and over again, little did I and the rest of my sorority know that Greek Court was turning into one giant river/mud bath. Once our practice ended, we all went outside to see that the rest of Greek Life was enjoying the crazy weather. People had on their rain boots and rain coats jumping in puddles. Others had nothing but their shorts on and were running and sliding across the lawns. For a split second a bunch of college kids transformed into a bunch of children. I have to say the random things that happen in Greek Court such as this are always entertaining. It was nice to see that everyone was just having a good time and interacting with others. We always talk about how we need to strengthen our Greek Unity and this was a perfect opportunity.

Facebook For Kids?

With Facebook becoming more and more popular each day among teens and adults, the Walt Disney Company has decided to jump on the bandwagon and market their own version of a social networking site called, Togetherville. This site will allow parents to interact and monitor their kids. While the kids can somewhat freely roam around on the site and talk to friends, play games, update statuses, etc. parents have the control of who their child is friends with and what they can post on a daily basis.

My thoughts on this newest social media site is that I think it is a good idea and a bad idea at the same time. Why it's a good idea is because as time goes on and new generations come into this world, this is the sort of communication we are learning to have. Kids need to start learning how to use these skills on being on the internet to an extent because that is just how things are starting to become. Why it's a bad idea? I don't think that it will reach the popularity as Facebook has and I'm not sure how well the site will actually do. Also, the idea of being safe on the internet is something that kids need to be taught, but at the same time how do we know parents aren't just going to let their kids get an account on Togetherville and do what they please. I mean even kids can start up a Facebook account without the permission of their parents as it is.

Here is a link to read more about the topic:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-acquires-togetherville-a-social-161023

New Found Passion

One of my new passions is non-profit organizations. I love everything that they stand for and their purpose in life. That is why I really hope that some day I can work for a non-profit organization and do public relations work for them. It wasn't until about a year ago that really loved the idea of helping others and fund-raising. I had done small things in the past, but it never really had any meaning to me besides that I knew that the money I raised was going to others who needed it. Now I know that it is so much more than that. The process of getting to that ultimate goal is what truly makes me happy and bringing awareness to others is what I found is the best part of it.

For example, last year my sorority decided to take an awful situation into our hands that affected people we knew that were also a part of Greek Life. We brought awareness to the campus about Domestic Violence and in the end raised over 1,000 dollars. It was so uplifting to see this side of a lot of the girls in my house that wanted so badly to help out a friend and her family. We spent countless hours making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and making posters to get people to donate. From all that time and effort it really did pay off and I think the best part was having the family come down to thank us for everything that we did.

This year we are taking on a new cause because it hit close to home for all of us. One of our own sisters, Briana was diagnosed with Lemierre's Syndrome which is extremely rare. Since Thanksgiving she has been in the hospital and thankfully she has pulled through it all and is beginning to slowly recover. We really want to help the family with their hospital bills and let others know about this rare syndrome since I know most people don't even know about it. The fact that she is our sister really has driven us and myself to want to reach out to her and her family since we know it has been tough for them and ourselves as well. And even though she may not remember who we are, we still want to send her a message that we will always be there for her.

Safety First

On Friday night I came home late to find that the side door to my house was wide open. Immediately I freaked out. I was with a friend and we both walked in panicked that someone could potentially be roaming around the house without anyone knowing, so out of the kindness of our hearts (or as some people will say just being plain loud) we ran through the hallways screaming and yelling to tell everyone that someone had left the side door open. Besides the fact that it was sort of funny at the time, it really is a serious matter. Thankfully on all the doors to our rooms have locks and I locked mine before I left, but for those people who didn't if someone were to have got in the house who knows what could have happened. You here all these stories of young girls getting raped at different college campuses and you always think that won't be me, but in this case it could have been.

I really think that where I live, which is in Greek Court that it would not be that hard for someone who had bad intentions to get into the houses or approach someone since the lighting is minimal. It scares me at night when I come home struggling to find my keys that there isn't a light by my back door and that anyone could be hiding there and waiting to get me or someone that I know. I just think that the safety measures need to be raised and that not only should it be the effort of the residences but the university as well.

Mission For Health

Over the weekend as I watching television I noticed a new commercial that Lysol is running. The commercial focused on a new campaign that is called, "Mission For Health". This campaign is targeting mothers, schools, and disaster relief efforts. Health is clearly very important and extending their efforts to beyond just the normal household they are hoping to create a nationwide brand that can do more than just that. They want to focus on the bigger picture. With this latest campaign, the Lysol website provides tips and information for mothers, schools, and disaster relief workers about how to better the health of the environment around them and educate others about it too.

For mothers, the website gives helpful health tips and information to prepare for the arrival of newborns and the future of their babies after they are home from the hospital. For schools, Lysol is striving to improve attendance and educate students on better health through a new program called, The Blue Ribbon School Attendance Challenge. For disaster relief efforts, a donation is being made by Lysol to provide families who have been struck by a disaster and trying to aid them in anyway that they can.

As a Public Relations major, I have noticed that I tend to pick out the advertisements that aren't solely focused on selling a product, but an idea. It is important to public relations to focus on social responsibility and campaigning these ideas such as Lysol's Mission For Health to people so they understand the importance that their product may offer and how they can participate in the efforts. I thought this campaign will be very affective because I know that I use Lysol frequently in my dorm room. In college you live so closely to so many other people that germs spread fast and so Lysol is a necessity in order to prevent from spreading germs or getting sick.

For more information about the Lysol's Mission For Health campaign visit their website:
http://www.lysol.com/mission-for-health

Social Media: A PR Miracle

In the PR world social media sites have been rising in popularity like crazy. Even though prior to the Facebook era there were other social media sites like Xanga and Myspace that existed, but Facebook was the one that broke the barrier and started the craze that everyone is obsessed with. It it hard to find people who don't have a Facebook account even though I do know of a few people that haven't jumped on the bandwagon due to their own personal reasons which I completely respect. However, not being connected with social media especially for PR major is almost a sin. Social media is critical to the PR world and has only advanced the ways in which we communicate, go about creating free publicity and bringing awareness to others.

Today, there is such a variety of social media sites that it's hard to keep up with them all. Every day it seems like there is some sort of new site that is being published to the web. Social media sites are even starting to become the top used sites on the Internet and beating out the porn industry, which for a long time was the number one thing people searched for the on the web. According to The eBusiness Knowledgebass, they rated the top 15 social media sites of 2010 as Facebook(#1), Myspace (#2), Twitter(#3), LinkedIn (#4), and so on. Some of the sites that they had listed I have never heard about before, but somehow they are considered top social media sites used by people all over the world.

With these sites being created it is so beneficial for the PR world because not only is it a way to gain publicity and bring awareness, but it's FREE. It is so simple to type in a 160 character message on Twitter knowing that message can reach out to millions of people all over the world within seconds. Also, Facebook is a wonderful PR tool because many organizations now are using it to interact with it's customers, fans, followers whatever they may be and reach out to them through status updates, fan pages, and events. It's a great way to spread the word without having to spend loads of money on an advertisement campaign that many people might choose to pay attention to or ignore. Social media is a gift sent down from heaven for the PR world.

While You Were Watching The Super Bowl...

Unlike the thousands of American's last night who sat down in front of their television sets to stuff their faces with chips and dips, have a beer, and scream obnoxiously as loud as they can because the outcome of the Super Bowl was disappointing to say the least, I watched the Puppy Bowl. For the past seven years, Animal Planet has hosted a televised event called the Puppy Bowl that basically shows for two hours just a variety of puppies playing around on a miniature football field with one another. it has to be by far one of the cutest most entertaining shows I have ever watched. Literally, I caught myself laughing and saying "Aw" out loud a few times at just how gosh darn cute they are. The whole time it made me wish I had a little puppy to play with and ultimately that was the whole goal of Animal Planet airing this show in the first place. Going beyond the fact that the puppies were cute and playful looking, they wanted to encourage viewers to adopt homeless dogs and I personally think this is a great way to do so.

Every year there are so many dogs and other animals that are left abandoned and are in need of a home. There are always those commercials that show dogs and cats that are sitting in pounds looking sad and mangled wanting people to adopt them. Despite this being a heart wrenching commercial and makes you want to help them or donate to stop animal abuse, it always makes me wonder how many people actually take action. With the Puppy Bowl, it has been researched that the adoption rates tend to go up and the featured puppies that are shown running around are even adopted as well and the puppies aren't the only ones that are getting all the attention. As the half time show to give the puppies time to reenergize, the Animal Planet shows kittens doing the exact same thing and it is just as adorable. By doing this not only brings more awareness to adopting pets, but also provides something else to watch if you're not really into the real Super Bowl.

Skins

Last night, I had the unfortunate opportunity to watch the MTV show, Skins. I heard that there was a lot of controversy about it because it was exploiting underage actors in scenes that were too steamy for television and that it is just pushing the limits of being banned. Sometime people overreact to new shows, but this one is just BAD. All the talk about it isn't any sort of exaggeration, it really is probably one of the more controversial shows on television right now.

I understand that sometimes writers like to break the mold and try to be a little controversial because it draws attention to the show even more, but this one is drawing the line. It's embarrassing and not to mention uncomfortable to watch it. Originally this show premiered in Europe and did really well, however that's because they can get away with a lot more over seas which I think writers tend to forget when they want to premiere stuff here in America. We are a very censored nation compared to a lot of other places.

Besides the fact that many viewers think this show is stupid and inappropriate and many parents are trying to get it banned from television, it's not just them who want nothing to do with this show. Even advertisers who bought out spots during commercial breaks are pulling out because they are embarrassed to associate their product with Skins. Some of these companies consist of ProActive, Taco Bell, GM, etc. Perez Hilton even joked on his gossip site that no one is even advertising anymore and they can only play previews for Teen Mom 2 so many times.

The Winter Storm of 2011

All Hell is about to freeze over... literally. Everything has come to a stand still all over the state of Illinois. People are stocking up on canned foods, flashlights, blankets, and batteries. Predicted possibilities of power outages everywhere. There is even a Facebook event that is called "Blizzard" and you can attend it if you live in Illinois. It's like the world is coming to an end, but really it's not.

I feel that sometimes we tend to over exaggerate the weather just because we always want to make things seem worse than they actually sound. However, for some people this storm probably will be really bad. Just from experiencing what has happened within the last few hours the rain/sleet is coming down in record time and it's not taking long before it freezes. My hair was soaked when I walked home from class earlier and as I ran my fingers through it I had realized that my hair had formed into icicles. Now that's insane.

Despite the winter storm that has been predicted for over the weekend, it will be interesting to see how the university attends to the situation. Personally, I think classes should be cancelled like every other student here on campus. What's going on outside is just asking for trouble and considering the town of Charleston and the university don't do a "wonderful" job at clearing the streets and throwing salt down on the sidewalks things will get ugly. We might as all well just put on a pair of ice skates and go to class that way.

Can I just say I'm ready for summer!!!

The Evils of Facebook

It is funny how a single website can have such an impact on so many people's lives. From relationship statuses to letting everyone know what you are doing, where you are doing it, and why are you are doing it has become an sensational phenomenon. The website that I'm talking about is Facebook.

This social networking site is revolutionary. If I would have known ten years ago that I would be able to communicate with people from anywhere in the world and let them know how I'm feeling instantly at the click of a button I would have said you're crazy. The site is constantly updating it's features and layouts and continuing to connect people from all over. These are the "cool" aspects of Facebook, but there is an evil side.

The evil side to Facebook I've been quickly learning is taking over many of my friend's lives and brings about more drama than there needs to be. People are obsessed with the site that it's almost scary. I know I am guilty of being on Facebook for countless hours just browsing around and creeping on people, but I know my limit and I know when to get off. For some people they don't know their limit. Another evil aspect of Facebook is people can freely post whatever they want and sometimes it is harmless and other times it can create drama that just sparks a full out war. Without naming names, there have been a few girls that I know that choose to use Facebook as their outlet for bashing others instead of saying it to their faces. That is a huge problem for me and going back to one of my previous blogs where I talked about being "socially challenged" people just can't confront others anymore and instead they have to do it via web. Using Facebook as an escape to express how you feel is okay in some instances, but when it comes down to teasing or purposely posting comments just to stir the pot is awful.

Where Art Thou Snow Plow?

This is my third year here at Eastern and it still amazes me that despite the warnings that there is a chance of snow and particularly this year a lot of it that the streets and sidewalks are not plowed better. I know that Charleston may not be one of the bigger towns in the state of Illinois, but considering it is home to many college students who basically make up half of the population here that they aren't better prepared for the winter storms that come through. Here is what I've noticed and experienced so far just this year with the snow storms and Charleston's response to it.

1. The Sunday before finals it snowed a good couple of inches and I had to drive in the morning. I went about 10 mph down 4th Street and almost ended up in a ditch because I was turning left but my car was going right.

2. A few days later the streets had been cleared finally but an ice storm came through and my stupid self decided to drive to my boyfriend's place and basically never came to a complete stop at any intersection. And let me just say the 9th Street intersection by Greek Court is an accident waiting to happen when it's icy. Where was the salt?

3. Last week the sidewalks and streets got real icy again and I was walking to my class at 9 o'clock and thankfully I didn't slip, but I watched about 5 people almost wipe out. I probably looked like an idiot walking super slow and avoiding every possible ice patch, but I was determined not to fall on by butt.

The safety of the students I know is a concern for Eastern and I'm not trying to say that they don't care about us because this university does, however I just think with the recent conditions they would have put a lot more effort into trying to avoid people getting hurt or get into almost accidents. Even if they have to put down sand (which seems real Hillbilly) would even help a little. I guess I should expect these sort of things by going to a school in the middle of nowhere.

California Here I Come!

After much debate and looking through my bank account I've decided that I'm going to go on Spring Break. However, I'm not going on the typical Spring Break like most college students. I'm going to California with my boyfriend to visit his uncle and aunt. Personally, I don't think I would be able to handle a week full of drinking and random drunken adventures. Not that random drunken adventures aren't fun, but I know my limit and I know that I would probably only last one day and the rest of the time I would be so lame.

This trip will be my first official Spring Break trip ever. I've never been to California before so I'm really excited to basically do anything. My boyfriend's uncle is the type of guy that will do anything you ask of him, but he also will think of crazy things to do out of the blue so I don't really know what to expect out of this trip. The one place I really want to go though is Disneyland. I'm a huge Disney fan and I've been to Disney World plenty of times so I want to see what Disneyland is like. Also, this is my family's first year we aren't going to Disney World because we can't afford it so getting the opportunity to possibly go to Disneyland will let me get my Disney fix for the year.

Besides doing that, I don't mind what I do while I'm there because I know I'll have a good time with my boyfriend and his family. They are just fun, loving, and such caring people that it's hard not to have a good time with them. I love traveling and going out to the West Coast will definitely be an experience in itself since I've never been anywhere out there. 

The Forever Lazy

Is it just me or has anyone else ever noticed that the Weather Channel is the only other place where you can watch ridiculous infomercials without having to stay up super late? Every time it cuts to a commercial break I always see some infomercial and recently one infomercial in particular has been brought to my attention. The Forever Lazy.

Think if the Snuggie and footsie pajamas mated this is what their child would look like. The Forever Lazy. Basically, it is the same concept as the Snuggie, but instead it warms up your entire body from head to toe by wearing a "stylish" fleece one piece. The idea of the Forever Lazy if you really think about isn't original since it is ripping off the Snuggie and if you're the desperate to stay warm you could save the $19.99 plus shipping and handling and just put on sweat pants and a hoodie. However, for some people the Forever Lazy probably will be the answer to all their problems.

Pushing aside the fact that the concept of this product isn't brilliant nor a necessity, the overall commercial itself is entertaining. Much like the Snuggie infomercial you can wear the Forever Lazy in any type of setting from in your home to a sporting event. I'm sorry but I would not want to be caught dead in this thing. Maybe the only time you could get away with wearing this in public is if there were to be a pajama party at your work or school, but otherwise I rather save myself the embarrassment. I like the fact that they show the enjoyment that people get out of wearing an adult footsie pajama especially college kids. I don't know any college student that would be that excited to wear one let alone to a tailgating event. Yes, they even mention that it's great for those chilly tailgating events. The infomercial goes on and on about how great it is to own a Forever Lazy and despite that there really is no use for it, the best part of the whole thing is that if you purchase it NOW you'll get a free pair of matching socks and a neck pillow!!!!! Cause that's what I want a pair of matching socks to make me look even more like an idiot. How about just put on a pair that you already own or some slippers? The more I start to analyze this commercial it just makes me laugh at how ridiculous it is.

Being Socially Challenged

In this day and age we are so consumed with technology that it basically controls our lives. With all the new technology that has been introduced throughout the years, it really has affected my generation the most. This isn't a shock to me, but has been brought to my attention after listening to Jessica Gendron Williams, author of I Heart Recruitment & an alumnae of my sorority's chapter, speak to my sorority this weekend. She said that my generation and other generations that are closely around mine have become "socially challenged" due to having all this technology introduced to us at such a young age. The whole purpose of her mentioning this had to relate to recruitment and how recruitment relies on being able to communicate and create connections on a personal level.  Jessica obviously went into more detail about it relating to recruitment, but the idea of being "socially challenged" because of technology really got me to think about how it affects my life.

My generation does lack good social skills because instead of being able to strongly communication with someone face to face, we much rather do it via cell phone, email, social networking, etc. It almost sad to admit to this. Now I'm not saying that all this new technology is a bad thing, but it has put a dent into many lives when it comes to talking to people. If you just look around at groups of people or a pair of friends you tend to notice that yes they may be conversing to one another, but there is some sort of distraction within that conversation whether it be a phone, Facebook, or an iPod. I'll never understand why people listen to their iPods while they are say at lunch with one another and are all sitting at the same table jamming out, but not really talking. I've seen this first hand before and it just blows my mind. Also, some people use texting messaging as their way to tell important information to others when really it should be said in person. For example, I've seen and heard too many people break up with their girlfriends or boyfriends through text messages because they can't do it in person. That's just pathetic.

Now I know I'm guilty to using my cellphone or being on the Internet more than I should, but I would never use technology to determine or communicate how I get serious or important information to someone. However, getting back to being "socially challenged" I do understand why people may think that my generation is because even I admit that sometimes I use technology more than I should. I wouldn't say I'm horrible with my social skills, but at times I may find myself talking to someone and there is that awkward silence and you don't know what to say next. I feel like there is always room to better my social skills and try to break out of being socially challenged, but I don't think I could ever have as good as social skills as say someone of my grandparent's generation. They didn't have all this technology when they were my age. Even now that they may be older and technology forces itself upon them more and more, they don't rely on it or get mixed up in it like my generation does. Sometimes I wish that even I could be less dependent on technology, but that is how I was raised and I'm so use to having it in my life that it's hard to say no to it. I guess just the idea of being "socially challenged" isn't a huge deal, but when you do really think about it having a lack of social skills can really affect the way you communicate with others.

Facing New Challenges

What is a new member educator? By definition according to Greek Life it is someone who educates the newest members that are pledging a fraternity or sorority. After being in my sorority for 2 years now my definition is the person that gets blamed for every little thing that the new members don't know or do wrong. The girls that have held the position of New Member Educator in the past in my house have always faced challenges that are common, but also the criticism of the chapter as whole. This year it is now my responsibility to hold the title of New Member Educator and I don't want to make the same mistakes. I want to be the one person that changes it all.

Over the past few months, I've done countless planning and thinking of what needs to stay and what needs to go. Let me tell you it's not easy. Never in a million years would I have thought I would be in a sorority, let alone be the person that brings in the new pledge class and guide them to become the sisters that my sorority is made up of. It's a scary thought, but also an exciting one at the same time. I've seen the ugly sides of what previous educators have had to deal with and I've seen the bright side too. My goal for this first semester as the New Member Educator is not only to make sure that our new girls understand what is to be in a sorority, but to make it fun and memorable. There are a lot of new activities and alterations I am making to the process and I guess only time will tell whether it will be effective or not. I'm not the type of person that likes to fail or disappoint others, so this really is a test to see if I can overcome the stress and make sure I fulfill my responsibilities that I agreed to when I was elected into this position.