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SA Preview: Block Party

Summer was fun and we have all made our memories that we will hold forever, but school is back. Now we get to come together and make new memories in this new semester. The campus is buzzing with new life and there is no better way to start off the Fall semester than with one of the campus’ biggest events: Block Party.

This semester is the start of a new year and we have over 70 events planned for this year just to help each of you feel connected and meet new friends. Whether you are a freshman coming in or a sixth-year senior, Block Party is the place to be. The event takes place on August 28^th at 4 p.m., and there will be free giveaways and fun rides for everyone to enjoy. Bring your hall and bring your friends because we will have multiple food vendors, and a number of clubs representing themselves and giving out fun prizes. Just when you think it couldn’t get any better, we will be having artists perform the whole time.  There will be five artists/bands performing that day, so make sure to come see what all the hype is about. Let’s get to know the artist though:

FLAME

9 p.m. / Spotify / Instagram

FLAME is a Grammy nominated artist and will be our Headliner for the night. This Christian hip-hop artist has brought a new sound that is capturing everyone’s attention. He will be wrapping up our show and trust us when we say come ready to get hype and dance the whole night with your friends. 

Aaron Cole

8 p.m. / Spotify / Instagram

Everyone knows the best concerts have some of the best performers and Aaron Cole is known for his presence on the stage. He is a young new rap artist that is quickly making a name for himself having his songs used by ESPN and Netflix. Needless to say, you are not going to want to miss him once he hits the stage.   

Apollo Ltd.

7 p.m./ Spotify / Instagram

Don’t like being labeled? Well neither do these guys as they make their own sound that can be recognized anywhere. This band has a mix of alternative and pop feel with a bit of rock energy. There is no doubt that this group’s sound will bring a lively and easy-to-dance-to concert. Make sure you and your friends get here to see these guys live.

RICHLIN

6p.m./ Spotify / Instagram

 From a small town in Oregon to the big stage, RICHLIN has made a name for himself with his modern Christian pop sound that everyone loves. His heart is to make Jesus’ name known to all the nations, and he does so through his creative lyrics that gets everyone on their feet. Make sure you show up and you come ready to start hitting the download button when you fall in love with his sound.

Scout Powell

5 p.m./ Spotify / Instagram

A fellow Flame with a voice that demands the attention of her audience. Scout Powell has deep roots in the world of music, and by no means is trapped to just one genre. She is a mix of modern rock with a little bit of country. You will not want to miss it as she kicks the night off.

We cannot think of a better way to kick off this semester than with each of these artists putting on one of the most hype Block Parties yet! So, bring your friends, win free stuff, and come ready to make some unforgettable memories, because we’ll bring the fun, all you have to do is bring yourself. As we prepare for this event, we cannot wait to see the campus come back to life with all the fun events we have planned, but this has to be one of the best events we get to do. So, come ready to make memories with some of your best friends and we will see you there.

Written by Riley Anderson

Riley is a junior majoring in Christian Leadership and Church Ministry with a minor in Biblical Studies.

Eating healthy can seem like a daunting task. Most of us want to do it, but we don’t really want to eat the things deemed healthy. It can be difficult to make sure we always get the correct portion of fruits and vegetables and ensure the proper ratios of carbs and dairy… and let’s not forget about the sweets. It is typically because of that sweet tooth that healthy habits fail. Don’t worry, there is a sweet treat that satisfies the sugary cravings while still meeting that fruit quota. And it’s easy to make!
Healthier changes can easily be incorporated into a daily lifestyle. I started with fruit. I was not too thrilled about saying no to PopTarts so often, but I did what needed to be done: I bought bananas. This is one of the few fruits I will eat and enjoy. I can handle some fruits depending on their preparation, but mostly I cannot stand the texture of fruits. Bananas seem to have a controversial texture with people hating them because they are too stringy, but I surprisingly have no issue here. Bananas seemed like the best way to slowly introduce healthier eating to my life.

I try to eat one everyday but have recently been slacking. However, I got a sudden rush of motivation to be incredibly healthy the other day and took off toward the kitchen. I reached for the bunch of bananas hanging on the fruit holder, grabbed the one I wanted, and tried to break it from the bunch. Unfortunately, the one I grabbed was a tad overripe and I may have slightly squished it. In this depressing turn of events, not only did the banana I want not rip away from the bunch, all the other bananas were bumped around and ripped.

I was now staring at four bananas all detached from their tops, slowly peeling themselves as they fell. After getting myself together, I did what any reasonable adult in this situation would have done: called my mom. After following her advice of putting them in a plastic bag and into the fridge, I ate my one semi-overripe banana in sadness. Then a lightbulb went off. I had heard once that old(ish) bananas are perfect for banana bread. So I decided to make some.

After quick research, the gathering of ingredients, and an internal monologue for motivation, I began this baking endeavor. Keep in mind, the closest I have ever come to baking something is pressing play on The Great British Baking Show, so my mind was expecting disaster. The task itself was thankfully a breeze. I mixed and added and stirred everything until it surprisingly, and very fortunately, looked just like the picture before putting it in the oven and waiting. 

The waiting was by far the worst part. I distracted myself for nearly 50 minutes before the oven beeped. To my utmost shock, I took out the most beautiful bread loaf I had ever seen in my life. It was perfect. Could it taste like sand? The chances were still high. Once it had cooled enough to eat, my family and I all had a piece. I am astounded to report that the entire thing was eaten in less than 36 hours. It was absolutely delicious. Since I had such success in this spontaneous banana-saving adventure, I have decided to share the recipe so that everyone else can have a backup banana plan.

Ingredients

3 bananas (mashed)

⅓ cup melted butter

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 *small* pinch of salt

½ cup sugar

1 egg (beaten)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cups flour

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and butter bread tin/pan.
2. Mash bananas with fork, stir in melted butter.
3. Add baking soda, salt, sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract and mix. Stir in flour.
4. Pour batter into pan and bake for 50 minutes
5. Use toothpick to make sure batter is cooked in middle

Do you see that? Basically five steps! Contrary to popular baking belief, I was not exact in any of these measurements. Just add more of whatever you think your batter needs. The amounts of sugar and bananas (and whether or not to add nuts or chocolate chips) are definitely up for interpretation. This recipe was easy to make, turned out perfect, and tasted amazing. If I can do it without any planning or experience, then I fully believe that anyone else can too. I hope this banana bread brings you a fun activity, a use for your borderline rotting fruit, and a tasty treat.

 

Written by: Anna Pender

Anna is a Senior Strategic Communications major. She is thankful to have the opportunity to write for the blog because it gives her a chance to explore and write about topics and events that she is passionate about and that are relevant to the world. She loves getting to be creative and share her personality through writing.

There’s no place like home. Home is where the heart is. Home sweet home. Honey, I’m home. You’ll always find your way back home. Home alone. We have heard just about every possible sentence or phrase that talks about home. I am sure there are even more phrases that come to mind for others. Most of us would say we have a home in some sense of the word, whether that is a physical structure, an emotional feeling, or the people around us. But what is “home” really?

The dictionary has many definitions of the word that range from a literal house to sports terminology. Of the seventeen meanings I came across, none of them seemed to truly encompass what I think “home” means. So I decided to combine a few and add some personal spice to create my own definition.

home /hohm/ n. a familiar environment that serves as a place of refuge and retreat where one feels most comfortable

My family is currently building a house of which the current state is a bunch of wood nailed together. That doesn’t sound like much of a home. We tried to start the affair in August of 2017, but it was not the right time. Eventually, we sold and moved out of my childhood home in May of 2020. Surprisingly, that was just a house that we said goodbye to, despite my entire two decades of existence being spent there. We moved immediately into a rental house roughly three minutes away. Contrary to my family’s feelings, I liked it there. It did the job, I liked my room and felt that we could comfortably stay there for as long as we had to.

But then… we were moving again. We spent just over a year in the first rental before we were having to move out. This should have been exciting. It was finally time to move into our brand-new forever home! Only, it is not finished yet, so we moved into a new rental. We can only hope this is our last rental before moving one last time. During the whole moving process (3 houses and counting), I was also moving in and out of college for two years. Right when I started to feel comfortable in my college environment, the pandemic shut down the school and sent us away.  

I know that six moves in two years is small compared to some military kid experiences, especially considering four of those moves were college-related. However I still think there is a relatable message for anyone who has moved around before, including some soon-to-be college kids moving into dorms for the first time. Throughout the house-jumping journey I have found myself on, I came to realize a fundamental truth of life: human beings crave a sense of belonging. I am talking about more than just the “fitting in” concept. No matter where (geographically or mentally) in life we find ourselves, we want to feel like we belong. We want to feel safe.

That feeling of safety and comfort is what makes us truly feel “at home” and it can be a hard thing to find. Finding a space where you fully enjoy just existing, while simultaneously having a sense of peace and purpose is pretty high on the list of things we all want in life. So much change can be hard, so it is important to have at least one constant. Throughout each move, I realized my constants: my family and friends. No matter where I went, I had my people. This served as a persistent reminder that these people are my home.

Ultimately, a home is a different idea for each individual person. To me it is a familiar environment that serves as a place of refuge and retreat where I feel most comfortable. A home is not a place, it’s a feeling. It is important to find that feeling wherever you go. I encourage you to ask yourself, “What is home to you?”

 

Written by: Anna Pender

Anna is a Senior Strategic Communications major. She is thankful to have the opportunity to write for the blog because it gives her a chance to explore and write about topics and events that she is passionate about and that are relevant to the world. She loves getting to be creative and share her personality through writing.

July’s playlist is brought to you by our supervisors Justin and Walker. Take a listen to this bright, summer playlist. Roll your windows down and turn your volume up!

COIN is a band name that is all too familiar to indie/alternative fans across the world. Consisting of Chase Lawrence on vocals and keys, Ryan Winnen on drums, and Joe Memmel on guitar, the American pop-rock band has gained major success in the past four years with their three most recent studio albums. Formed in 2012 by three friends at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, COIN has put out a total of five albums that cover a range of musical styles such as indie pop, alternative rock, and new wave. The band’s most recognizable song, “Talk Too Much,” is certified RIAA gold with over 150,000,000 streams on Spotify.

After their third album Dreamland was released in early 2020, COIN began touring across the United States, but like many artists, the band had to cancel their plans due to safety concerns with the pandemic. Nevertheless, the sudden change of direction motivated the trio to focus on songwriting and producing their fourth studio album: Rainbow Mixtape.

Initially, COIN had three full albums worth of written material, yet none of the songs felt cohesive or continuous. The plan for Rainbow Mixtape slowly evolved into three separate sections for each “theme” that the music represented. “Indigo Violet” was the first installment of the series, released on October 22^nd, 2020. The EP was influenced by a classic indie-pop feel which is more characteristic of COIN’s discography. The second EP, “Green Blue,” debuted on March 12^th, 2021. This selection of songs is more intimate and mellow than their previous music but incorporates a nice mix of folk and energy-filled soft rock to balance out the sound. Finally, “Red Orange” was released on April 30^th, 2021, only to be included within the full album. This specific collection of songs draws inspiration from 70’s psychedelic rock and R&B, fully fleshing out the sound of the complete Rainbow Mixtape album.

I have chosen my personal favorite song from each of the three EPs to give a taste of what the full album is like.

Indigo Violet

• I Feel Alive?

This song has an overall similar sound to COIN’s classic work. It has a heavy, driving bass, a full background choir, and a drum beat full of energy. The chorus is repetitive, and I can tell this song will be the type with a sing-along feel. This song is extremely summery, and I know I will be playing it while driving with my windows down!

Green Blue

• Sprite

COIN went for a mellow vibe with this song, with relaxing synth keyboards and lots of electronic clips and drum samples in the background. The wispy guitar and deep bassline keep the song flowing forward, making this another quintessential song for the summer.

Red Orange

• Dream House

One of the three songs to be added to the final album, Dream House takes inspiration from 70s hypnotic R&B. The psychedelic feeling of this song is also perfect for the summer, as it feels warm and sunny.

Overall, Rainbow Mixtape is a spectrum of emotions from happiness to heartbreak to sorrow, each song correlating with a different shade of the rainbow. Additionally, the band announced their 2021 “Rainbow Dreamland” tour on April 26^th, 2021, a few days before Rainbow Mixtape was released. The tour will focus on the music in both the new album Rainbow Mixtape and their previous album Dreamland to cover for the album’s canceled 2020 tour. Throughout the tour this fall, COIN will be featuring Valley and mazie as openers on specific dates.

References:

https://americansongwriter.com/coin-color-their-musical-spectrum-with-rainbow-mixtape-trilogy/

http://www.thecourieronline.co.uk/coin-green-blue-indigo-violet/

https://www.hebronhawkeye.com/entertainment/2021/05/07/coin-paints-a-colorful-picture-with-rainbow-mixtape/

 

Written by: Zachary Grabill

Zachary is a Sophomore studying Business Administration: Project Management. He is passionate about music, traveling, and adventure, and enjoys sharing his experiences with others. He appreciates the opportunity to write for the blog as a platform to both entertain and discuss culture from a creative and personal perspective.

Technological advancement has paved the way for an enhanced entertainment experience whether on the silver screen or a television screen. Animation has advanced to the point where deceased actors and actresses can now be digitally placed into a scene with little to no noticeable difference between them and those who are still alive. For some projects, technological advancement has given the audience a better experience, but I argue that in some situations a crisper image actually hurts the quality of an overall work and in other ways visual appeal has become the misplaced priority over content.

The US adaptation of “The Office” is undoubtably going to be one of the revered artistic takeaways of our generation for its originality, side-splitting humor, and quotability. Although many maintain that the show had a significant dip in quality after the departure of Steve Carell as office manager Michael Scott, the show still reigned on the viewership leaderboards throughout its run. But around Season 8 or 9, the cameras for the show were upgraded to a higher definition. While the scenes look crisper, the believability of the plot of a small-grade camera crew documenting a random paper company in Scranton, PA became significantly less believable. At one point, it seemed like it was simply a few camera men with a mic attached to a camera, hiding in corners with some low quality equipment to be able to capture the Dunder-Mifflin workers in their element while remaining undetected but after upgrading equipment (and revealing a boom mic operator as well as at least two cameramen in Season 9 episode 12) the show plummeted in practical believability and to me overall quality despite visually being higher quality.

Although grainy at times, there was an aesthetic to 1990s movies and tv shows that is hard to beat. With blockbuster hits like The Sandlot, The Truman Show, Independence Day, Braveheart, and Good Will Hunting as well as hit television shows like Frasier, Seinfeld, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Home Improvement, Batman: the Animated Series, ER, Friends, and Rugrats, many regard the 90’s as being the greatest era in entertainment history. This is proven further by the fact that today’s studios keep trying to reboot pieces from the 90s and early 2000s such as Beavis and Butt-Head, The Lion King, and Will & Grace. Originality was the key to the decade – not necessarily a stunning visual presentation (although for the time they were in they were monumental). So, while we may be able to say that modern technology could make the shows better visually, there is little to improve on in terms of writing.

Even digitally created content has taken a blow in quality after the apparent shift from focusing on storytelling to focusing on the visual experience. While 3D works may have more of a visual pop, it seems to me like 2D Disney films have a more iconic nature to them than their 3D counterparts. Given the choice between Tarzan, Hercules, and Beauty & the Beast or Frozen, Tangled, and Moana, I am going to side with the historic masterpieces. From a storytelling perspective, it seems as though those films were most substantive (although all of these and most Disney projects are aided by fantastic soundtracks and voice acting). 3D and heavily computerized content has proven to be highly entertaining, but there’s just something about the 2D animated-feel that seems to strike viewers differently.

A common finding nowadays is a movie filled with stunning visuals but low substance. 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong is not the type of movie someone goes to for the plot but rather for the action, but this serves as an example of the common practice of appealing purely to the visual and little to the core. The storyline of AMC’s The Walking Dead was powerfully told and visually masterful for many seasons but the quality dipped over time as mounds of money went into visual effects, but the writing became lackluster.

I am not some fuddy-dud who is stuck in an era long past – dangerously pessimistic about his own generation; on the contrary, I have great expectations for my generation creatively due to our place at the backend of so much history of art to be inspired by. There is a happy middle ground where visual awe and storytelling gusto converge in spectacular fashion, which still happens today. Avatar: The Last Airbender, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Avengers: Endgame, Interstellar, Whiplash, Toy Story 4, and others are recent examples of works that capture a combination of storytelling and visual awe. While I love a good piece of art, the story behind and within it is often what moves and transforms me, and though I am entertained by many modern works, I am often not changed by them even though they have been enhanced by technology. If we only care about the cover of a book while the pages within get put on the backburner, we will never advance in art but only inspire further mediocrity.

References:

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/opinion/sunday/the-best-decade-ever-the-1990s-obviously.html

 

Written by: Landen Swain

Landen believes the human experience longs to be expressed; through our art, our labor, our songs, our storytelling. As a published playwright, author, and poet, he enjoys expressing his little chapter of the human experience through his writings and is thankful that the SA blog allows him to do that. He is published in numerous magazines, literary journals, and has several plays published by Off the Wall Plays, an online play publishing house.

Growing up in a King James Version only, no drums in sight, “the only rated R movie allowed is Passion of the Christ” type of church, I was exposed little to the vast world of entertainment, aside from CSI: Miami, The Andy Griffith Show, and the occasional Disney movie. Before easing up on many restrictions, I recall my parents becoming exceedingly wroth after discovering that my brother had a CD of a bunch of secular songs. The reason given for the stern prohibition of secular entertainment was usually that it promoted something that went against Scripture, and that I can understand, but what irked me was the common offhanded insult that those songs “sucked”.

Just because those songs or shows promoted (or even just mentioned) something not aligning with the Bible, that meant that the quality of the product was subpar. Yet, in the eyes of the people who looked down on all that was secular, everything that did align with the Bible was somehow superb, even though it was corny or mediocre. Some honestly believe that GAWVI is superior in skill to Eminem or that Shai Linne would rank over Tupac. None of this is to say that the Christian artists previously mentioned are bad. They are very good and some Christian artists like Kings Kaleidoscope, Lauren Daigle, and Kirk Franklin rank among or even above most music artists in the world.

But as Liberty University founder Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr. once said “if it’s Christian, it ought to be better,” and yet often that is not the case when compared to the what the world is producing. As I grew up, things that did not live up to the hype were continuously hyped up just because of the word “Christian” associated with it. For example, although I enjoy Chick-fil-A and think highly of them, there are those who elevate them to a status I don’t believe any fast food lives up to. Some would claim that the sole reason why Chick-fil-A is supposedly better than Popeye’s or Zaxby’s is just because they are associated with Christianity, and that somehow the others “suck” just because they are not.

Tove Lo’s “Habits (Stay High)” may talk about distracting oneself with the party life in order to forget about someone but at least the sound quality is high. It doesn’t sound like it was written in five minutes, and it isn’t corny like many songs on your local gospel music radio station. Game of Thrones may be obscene but at least there’s character development and quality acting.

Until Christians can provide examples for how they can make something that adheres to Scripture and yet is higher in quality than what the world often produces and promotes then we need to stop saying that things “suck” just because they are not Christian. Rockstar Larry Norman, paraphrasing an old Martin Luther quote, poses the question “Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?” in a song, and I keep wondering the same thing. How about instead of complaining that J. Cole talked about losing his virginity, we make music that is good enough so that people would choose that over his songs? Instead of dreading that people enjoy Game of Thrones, we can make Narnia.

What I think many Christians meant to say when they said something secular “sucks” was that something was not good for someone, but it does not mean that from an artistic perspective the work was not good. There are some things that promote something unbiblical and just flat out are bad in quality, but just because something mentions an act or practice that is sinful does not mean that it is inferior in creative execution.

Christians have vegetables and fruit. The world has ice cream. People are going to gravitate towards ice cream even though it is ultimately not good for them, since it’s more appealing, better marketed, and tastier. Christians can either complain that the world loves dairy products, or they can take what they have and make a smoothie or acai bowl. Psalm 34:8 compels us to “Taste and see that the LORD is good;” and yet, when many people consume that which has “Christian” attached to it, they sense a lack in quality. In our art, in our crafts, in our everything, may we produce quality in thanks, reverence, and praise to the Father who gave us talents to point back to His majesty.

References:

https://www.liberty.edu/news/2012/03/07/liberty-university-honors-founder-dr-jerry-falwell-at-library-groundbreaking/

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2034%3A8&version=NIV

https://genius.com/Larry-norman-why-should-the-devil-have-all-the-good-music-lyrics

 

Written by: Landen Swain

Landen believes the human experience longs to be expressed; through our art, our labor, our songs, our storytelling. As a published playwright, author, and poet, he enjoys expressing his little chapter of the human experience through his writings and is thankful that the SA blog allows him to do that. He is published in numerous magazines, literary journals, and has several plays published by Off the Wall Plays, an online play publishing house.

This month’s playlist is brought to you by two of our Event Supervisors, Justin Gibble and Walker Sandler. It is perfect for sunshine, rainy days, and everything in between. So give it a listen and get back to doing your summertime thing!

It is finally summertime! After a hectic year of classes, we can finally enjoy this summer sun. As we exhale from this past semester, we take up our summer jobs and disperse all over the world. This summer, I have the privilege to work for a church in Memphis, Tennessee.

This past summer, I went to Memphis for the first time and had no idea what to expect. This summer as I get to return to work at Bellevue Baptist Church, and I am ecstatic to go back to my Memphis family  to work with 4^th and 5^th grade ministry this summer.

As I visit and live in Memphis, I have discovered how uniquely beautiful Memphis is in comparison to different cities. I have traveled the world, and I have stood on the beaches of the Bahamas, seen Paris at night, and walk the streets of New York City but through it all there is no place like Memphis. The city of Memphis is packed with history, food, and culture.

The city was formally established in the early 18^th century and is located on the southwest corner of Tennessee. It is built on the Mississippi River and is a central point in the US. Memphis is home of the National Civil Rights Museum. The museum is located at what was formally the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed in 1968. After visiting this sobering museum, I recognized that the Lorraine Motel still has the same cars parked there from the day Dr. King was shot, and they have a reef hanging in the balcony where he was shot to honor him and the movement he started. Another historical landmark is Beale Street. This downtown street is known for all the constant live music and restaurants found here. The city of Memphis has deep roots in jazz and rock and roll. The great singers, Elvis Presley and Justin Timberlake, are from Memphis as well. On top of that, Elvis has a mansion named “Graceland” which was his home.

The city is also known for its great variety of food and local restaurants. The city has many different BBQ restaurants: Central BBQ, Rendezvous, and Commissary all in which have been noted as local favorites. Central BBQ is the hang out place and is famous for their BBQ nachos. Outside of BBQ there is also some great fried chicken places to try. Gus’s World-Famous Fried Chicken is a Memphis signature and one of my personal favorites. Another great place to get some good chicken is Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, and if you have an urge to eat some spicy chicken, this is the place for you! Then, if you are feeling tired after eating all this food, you have a huge variety of some great coffee shops that can be found through the whole city. All this food and coffee can be great ways to build community, but what really makes the city great is the culture.

The culture of Memphis rallies around the term “901”. 901 is the area code used in Memphis and the surrounding area, and the people of this city champion their city. They believe in Memphis and all of its local endeavors. While working at Bellevue, I made so many friends that are Memphis locals. They were able to show me all the beautiful art and music created by all the creative locals. A lot of my closest friends go to the University of Memphis, and they love it. I have never been to a city where so many different people with different backgrounds and different worldviews all still rally around a love for their city. Memphians are some of the friendliest people, and their hospitality is unmatched. Memphis was home to the first Passion Conference as they met in Shelby Farms Park. The church also has a huge impact on this city, and the ministry reaches far past the walls of their church building.

As I work at Bellevue for the second summer, I get to reflect on the history of the beautiful church in this growing city and look forward to the healthy growing change that is taking place even now. I have grown to love this beautiful, diverse, and growing city not just because of what it has to offer but because of the people that live here. So, if you ever want to eat some good food, meeting some incredible people, and make memories you will never forget, Memphis, Tennessee is the place to be.

 

Written by Riley Anderson

Riley is a junior majoring in Christian Leadership and Church Ministry with a minor in Biblical Studies.

Summer break has finally arrived. The past two semesters seemed longer than ever with little to no breaks, time-consuming assignments, and finals that never seemed to arrive. But now with all this free time, we realize just how exhausted we are. Instead of soaking up the sun and getting sunburn, we are struggling with how to overcome school burnout.

As slow as this semester passed, it also snuck up on us. Everyone was trying to make the most of things. Hanging out with friends and still submitting to Canvas on time proved to be a difficult balance. As students, we are masters of multi-tasking and managed to keep up. A nap or two (or fifty) may have been needed to get us through, but we scraped by in the end.

Now, the last assignments are submitted, the last plus swipes have been used, and we are finally all out of dining dollars. We finally have a break… now what? Plans of having the best summer ever seem less important than a week-long sleep in our own beds. It can be difficult to find a routine over summer break – especially when wanting to focus on destressing from academics.

Letting your mind and body rest is allowed. It keeps you healthy. What is important to be aware of is not to let your body get too comfortable in this state of rest. Though it sounds like an oxymoron, resting for too long can be damaging to our physical and mental health. Staying inactive for a prolonged period of time will cause lethargy, a lack of motivation, and potentially a state of depression. This is an easy spiral to fall into. If we stay in bed and rest for too long, we will become lazy and unmotivated. This lack of energy will then lead to not wanting to leave the house or the bed for anything. All those aspirations of beach days, road trips, and summer fun will be long gone. Once they are gone, a strong sense of FOMO will take over. This could ultimately lead to the most depressing summer ever.

Finding the balance of allowing the body to rest, the mind to recharge, and getting back out in the world is the goal. The best summer ever can’t happen if we stay in bed the whole time. Remember to take a break. You deserve it, but make sure you don’t fall into a pattern of inactivity.

The last thing this summer needs is to be wasted. Go out and enjoy it!

 

Written by: Anna Pender

Anna is a Senior Strategic Communications major. She is thankful to have the opportunity to write for the blog because it gives her a chance to explore and write about topics and events that she is passionate about and that are relevant to the world. She loves getting to be creative and share her personality through writing.