Hard Work Pays Off... Hopefully.

Being a college student automatically makes me think about my future. I have come to realize that every day matters and essentially effects one's future. That is why I stopped to think when I came across this article.

The article talks about students being higher in debt these days than they were in the past. It even singles out private universities such as SMU. With the economy struggling as it is, it is harder for graduates to find decent jobs that will help them pay off some of that college debt. When my sister graduated college, it was right at the peak of the recession. Her plans were to move to Dallas and become a buyer for a large retail company. Unfortunately, it was difficult for her to find work in that field with so many people being laid off already. She had a college degree and was starting at the bottom trying to work her way up. Now she is in a completely different field of work because it offers more promotions and higher salaries. My fear is that when when we graduate in 2014, the economy will still be on a downhill slide. Predictions are promising, but I am hoping that with greater college debt comes greater job opportunities.

We are fortunate to go to a highly credited school and will be extremely thankful for that come graduation time. Hopefully our hard work and tuition will pay off in the end. If the trend follows the statistics in this article, we will be needing high paying jobs after 2014.

Things to Think About While You Study

With final exams swiftly approaching, students are starting to populate the libraries of the SMU campus more and more every night. I often spend my time studying in Fondren Library, as do the majority of students at SMU. It is filled with quiet corners, private study rooms, and hundreds of other areas for students to comfortably study.

The other night, when I was searching for a quiet place to knock out a few chapters in my textbook, I came across a narrow staircase leading to the West Stacks. I had heard others joke about that area before. The rumor across campus is that it is haunted and that mysterious things have taken place in the West Stacks. It's crammed racks filled with old books, and it's dark, narrow stairwells often give people the creeps when studying alone late at night. Reminding myself of those stories, I quickly turned away and found an open table to study at.

Soon after, a friend of mine told me to read the article on the Daily Campus about the suspicions of Fondren and the West Stacks. The article gives several examples of frightening stories that have taken place in Fondren Library. One of the most shocking stories is about how the infamous Umphrey Lee had a heart attack and died while working in the library. People say that the distant footsteps, old dusty books, and hundreds of hidden study corners give them the "creeps." Stories like these turn some people away from Fondren due to superstitions and suspicions of haunting. Although things like this might usually give me an uneasy feeling, it hasn't stopped me from coming back to my favorite quiet place to study. Does the fear of mysterious happenings keep you from studying in Fondren? I've never personally seen or heard anything questionable on my late nights in the quiet corners of the library. Have you ever experienced anything similar to what the rumors say about Fondren Library?

Speeding Through Your Studies

    

 While reading the online version of the Daily Campus, I stumbled upon an article about a man named Howard Berg. Howard Berg, the Guinness Book of World Record’s “World’s Fastest Reader”, has the amazing ability to read up to 80 pages of text in a single minute. Berg claims to have completed a four-year psychology program in one year, a graduate course in educational psychology in seven hours, and a six hour test in 50 minutes all due to his ability to read at such a fast pace. Because of his obvious success in using his technique, Berg has started his own speed reading program, which he claims will improve reading speed by 100%.

     Ever since I can remember, I have been a slow reader. I can do math problems quickly and with ease, but it will take me months to complete a novel of 500 pages. It’s not due to my lack of interest, but my inability to read at a quick speed. I have found this to be very frustrating in my first months in college. Studying and learning in college requires a large amount of reading, no matter the subject or class. In hopes of improving my ability to speed-read, I enrolled in Oracle at the beginning of the semester. I quickly learned that the class was focused more on improving study habits than the ability to read quickly. I ended up dropping the class, but I was still curious about potentially finding a way to teach myself how to quickly pick up information in order to better my college studies. I have always been skeptical of these speed-reading courses because I don't understand how something can completely alter the way someone has been reading for their entire life. I was excited to find a link in the article to a list of Berg’s introductory tips, and I plan to go over them soon. It will be interesting to see if these tips are beneficial. Faster reading will lead to better learning, something I know we could all use.


    Does speed reading seem like a scam to you? I never believed that a class or a tutorial could actually improve my reading speed. However, I see no harm in trying it. As they always say, "practice makes perfect!"

Taking the Toys

     Santa Clara County in California has passed a new law banning toys in kids' meals in fast food restaurants with high calorie and sugar content. The aim of this bill is to stop rewarding children for making unhealthy food choices. Other legislatures are thinking of implementing this law in their regions as well.

     By passing this law, fast food joints are forced to create healthier options for children. One of the most exciting parts of getting a Happy Meal when I was younger was seeing which kind of toy I would find in the bag. I can only imagine the decrease in sales once children across America realize they wouldn't receive a prize with their fast food anymore. This change will also make it easier for parents to steer their children towards healthier eating habits. It must be difficult for parents to say no to their child when a toy is involved. If fast food chains want to keep up, they must increase the nutrition in their meals. McDonald's has already jumped on the bandwagon. Recently they have added things like 2% milk, apples, and yogurt to Happy Meals in order to give children healthier options.

  

    This law is one small step that could make a large impact on ending childhood obesity. Fast food is one of the major components of this pandemic because it is fast, cheap, and for the most part tasty. Children are getting hooked on it at an early age and the problem only progresses over time. Although it may seem untraditional and almost cruel to take the beloved kids' meal toys away from the children of America, it is an effective way to move towards ending childhood obesity.

Better Safe Than Sorry

    One of the lead stories in the news recently is the bombs found flying on passenger airplanes. The bombs were said to be designed to detonate themselves. Investigations are still being held on the exact origin of the bombs but are said to be linked to al Qaeda. Both of the packages were addressed to synagogues in Chicago. 

     This terrorist scare has affected everyone throughout the nation. The fear of flying that was once settled after September 11th has re-entered the minds of Americans. Luckily, I do not have to fly very often because I live a driving distance from home. However, I have several friends that do not have the same luxury. A friend of mine is flying to California next weekend and is terrified because of this recent outbreak. 

     It seems that with all the new advances in airport security someone would have been able to spot a self-detonating explosive. One of these new advances, the full-body scanner, could be a fool-proof alternative to airport security. However, this invention has caused much controversy throughout the American population. People are appalled that an airport security officer would be able to see their exposed body for safety precautions. Personally, I think my safety is worth a quick invasion of privacy.


 Hopefully this bomb scare will serve as a wake-up call for airport security world-wide. The threat of dangers on an airplane are far from over. People like the al Qaeda bombers are coming up with new ways to work around it. Many people complain about the hassle of going through security at an airport, but I have never seen my safety as a nuisance. I for one, am very thankful that airports go to such lengths to ensure our safety. My safety is worth taking a few extra minutes to search every person before entering a terminal.

Sticks and Stones

For decades, one of the most pressing issues of society has been bullying. Numbers of suicides and killings are growing due to this wretched act. As I was researching a topic brought up in my english class about a boy committing suicide at Rutgers University, I found many other cases where people of all ages are being bullied and are suffering. All too many times the bullying goes unmentioned and helpless people end up hurting themselves, and in worse case scenarios, taking their own lives.

Many television stations, websites, and celebrities have broadcasted support programs and awareness sessions to try to stop this problem (video on "Websites Take on Bullying"). The growing issue of bullying can be found anywhere. Whether it is an adult at work, or an elementary student on the playground, hurtful words damage people in many ways. Previously, when I thought of bullying, the thought of the jock pushing the nerd into a locker came to mind. As I researched and began to think harder on the matter, I realized that bullying happens every day in some of the most unseen places. It could involve one adult bashing another's reputation, or it could even happen between two bickering teenage girls. No matter what the situation, bullying should always be reported and made aware by an outside party.

One example specific to SMU is the popular gossip site, College ACB. If you're unfamiliar with the website, it is full of ongoing threads talking about different students, greek organizations, events etc. Few of the comments posted are positive, and some are so hurtful they have been asked to be taken off. Since it is an anonymous posting site, people think that they can say whatever they want. I read a post the other day about a friend of mine. I was shocked to see that some people would actually comment and say that he is "rude" and "so cocky," when in reality he is genuine and completely harmless. Later, when I found out that his best friend was actually the one posting some of the comments jokingly, I told that person how awful it was to participate in this foolishness, even if it was meant to be funny. It is frustrating to think that something so popular is so obviously a form of bullying.

Personally, I think the trouble lies in awareness of the bully themselves. Many times, someone who is saying or doing these hurtful things does not know the affect they are having on the victim. The best friend of the College ACB victim, for example, was too wrapped up in the joke of the matter to realize a simple form of bullying was taking place. It is painful to think that a few words said by someone could change the life of a person and their family forever. If we urge people to speak out and make the bullying known, we can stop it before it's too late. 

Something's "Fishy" Around Here

Last year I saw a documentary entitled "Food Inc." It was a film exploiting the unknown in the food industry. This experience was extremely eye-opening to me and convinced me to become a proponent of all organic foods. I would urge my mother to buy organic milk and eggs from when she went grocery shopping. After seeing that documentary, I knew the cruel things that farmers did to chickens and cows just to make them produce more at a faster rate. It became so important to me to eat real and healthy foods. I had no idea that even tomatoes were injected with chemicals just to make them grow faster and stay red longer.

 

When I saw this article, it brought back some memories of that enlightening time in my life. The article states that there is an argument rising between the food industry and the FDA over the allowance of growth supplements in salmon. According to the article, scientists have found a way to inject the eggs of salmon with a growth gene in order for them to grow larger and faster. I can see how producers and consumers would like to see this pass. Fishermen would be able to sell their fish at a higher price without having to do extra work, and consumers would think they were getting more for their money. However, is it really worth putting wildlife and ourselves in danger? Food Inc. exploited the meat companies that force extra weight on chickens in order to produce more meat to sell. The chickens gained so much weight that the muscles in their legs were not capable of holding up their heaving bodies. Giving salmon a growth supplement is parallel to the fattening of chickens.  The fish would not be able to adapt to the weight difference. This could eventually lead to difficulty swimming just as the chickens lost their ability to walk. Personally, I would like to think that the food I eat is all natural and has not been injected with growth hormones or other chemicals. I also don't think that the act of toying with genetics is right. Of course, they are just fish and not on the same level as humans, but I don't think science should be altering the God-given genes of salmon. If we start now, it will only get worse over time. Salmon first, people next.