"Oh really? Cheer isn't a sport?"

I can't tell you how many times I have heard the statement: "Cheer is NOT a sport."

For starters, cheerleaders don't just throw a ball around hoping to hit it over a net, or make it into a goal, end zone, or hoop. We throw people in the air, making sure they land back into their stunt group safely. So now that I've mentioned throwing people in the air- in how many sports do players use every single muscle in their body to rotate their entire body upside down multiple time in a row? Not to mention, cheerleading holds the title for most concussions, even above football. If those reasons alone don't give you a good enough explanation as to why cheer is definitely a sport, I don't know what will.

I feel like sometimes us cheerleaders are overlooked, especially us school cheerleaders. Being a cheerleader, you are mistakenly put into an unfair stereotype. Most people stereotype the schools spirit leaders as dumb, snotty brats. However, I have met some of the most intelligent and  impactful young women through cheerleading.

Cheerleaders put in a lot of unrecognized work. Here at SBCC, we practice seven hours a week, preparing cheers to help get the crowd involved and keep the players pumped up. And unlike football, basketball, tennis, soccer, volleyball and almost any other sport, we cheer all year round. Our "Season" is all year long. We don't get that break during "off-season" like most sports do. We are constantly coming up with new ways to awe the crowd and support our schools sports, while at the same time are perfecting a routine to take to competition.

Cheerleading isn't just about showing up to a game and "looking pretty." Cheerleading is about the relationships that you make with your coaches and team, it's about learning to grow as a team, and about pushing your body to all physical limits; knowing that you can overcome anything with a strong support group and a positive attitude.

We are cheerleaders, and despite the criticism and lack of recognition, WE LOVE WHAT WE DO!

"Athletes lift weights, Cheerleaders lift Athletes."

Our Generation and Selfies...

There are very few people in Generation Y that don't know what a "selfie" is. Just in case you are one of those individuals-a selfie, according to webster dictionary, is a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smart phone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website.

Yes, for those who are unaware, "selfie" IS an actual word that can be found in the dictionary.That is how big of a fad these selfie pictures have become. 

The great thing about selfies is that they can be exactly what the definition entails: all about you. There aren't any pressures, burdens or stresses involved in taking a selfie. You can take as few or as many as you'd like. There's no minimum, maximum, due date, etc. Selfies create a very quick boost in confidence, in basically any situation. Headed to school? Selfie. Did your makeup perfectly? Selfie. Doing homework? Selfie. Went to the gym? Selfie. 

Selfies are a simple, fast, and a faint way of promoting positive self talk. They give you a chance to feel good about yourself. Ultimately, selfies don’t have to be about the number of likes likes or comments you receive on your picture. Sure, everyone enjoys a bit of admiration and appreciation, but these pictures are also about your relationship with yourself. You don’t have to apologize or feel guilty for being able to recognize and admire what you like about yourself. 

So I really so encourage every one of you to go out, get ready, and take a selfie. Self confidence will make any good day a great day!!

A Daily Dose of "Me Time"

Something that has really helped me to stay focused and happy so far this school year has been yoga. Just one hour of focusing on nothing but your mind and body really helps you to clear your head and allows you to lead the rest of your day with a positive outlook. Along with yoga,comes meditation. Now I don't mean sitting in a completely quite room with your legs crossed and your arms folded. You can meditate in many ways. 

Meditation: to think deeply or focus one's mind for a period of time; a method of relaxation.

Here's some tips on how to begin your relaxation.

1. Take a seat.  Learning to sit still can be a challenge, especially when there is so much going on-school, homework, social life, work- I know life can be stressful, but that is a fantastic reason to begin to meditate. Remember there are many different ways to sit, you don't have to sit criss-cross-applesauce to consider yourself in relaxation. Find a comfortable seat, in a chair, on a block, in bed, sitting on a blanket or a pillow. Make sure that you are sitting in a place that you would consider inspiring. My favorite place to go is the beach in the mornings before anyone is out and about. It is very peaceful and encouraging to be surrounded by the beauty of nature.

2.  Calm your thoughts.  The mind is always going, so this step is most often the hardest. Don’t allow yourself to run off with thoughts that enter your mind. Being aware of your thoughts while being able to let them go, will help you calm your mind and begin to relax. Once you realize that you are not your mind, that is when the mind begins to calm and your thoughts subside.

3.  Make and take time to meditate.  Even though you probably think you have more important things to do, such as partying or going to the gym, take twenty minutes out of your day to just have some time for yourself. Meditation is great for learning to be in touch with yourself and recognizing your needs. Get up twenty minutes earlier to meditate, and I promise you that sooner than later, you will experience a more productive, positive day.

4. Just do it! It takes 21 days to form a habit. That means that after doing mediating for 21 days, it will become part of your regular routine.  Just keep doing it and your well on your way to a happier, more positive life!

Now I know not everyone can sit in silence and try to focus on their thoughts and feelings, and that's okay. You don't have to mediate to take some time to yourself. It is important, especially in college, to give yourself time to relax. College is a very busy time-from class to homework to parties and in some cases to work-there is little time to just take a "chill day". 

I challenge you this week to take just twenty minutes out of your day and do something for yourself. Go to the beach and watch the sunrise, go on a run, go read your favorite book in the library-do something you enjoy. Making your mind happy will improve your entire day, week or even lifetime!

The Perfect Day Exercise

Something about college that has really taken me by surprise is the fact that I am actually learning things that I can use and things that will help me outside of class.

In personal development we are focusing on finding out our personalities, goals and values. In our workbook, one of the exercises consisted of describing our perfect work day in about 200 words.

My Perfect day of Work:

I would wake-up early, around seven, to have breakfast and begin getting ready for work. I would most likely have some toast with some yogurt-something simple, easy and fast. I would head out the door at around eight-thirty to arrive at work around nine. I would hope that I live close to work. Hopefully arriving a little bit early to the press room, I would visit with a few co-workers before heading over to my desk where I would begin writing my first column of the week for the local newspaper. If I were to finish my column I would submit it to the editor and most likely start brainstorming ideas for my next column. I like to be efficient and use all of the provided work time to get ahead when possible. I would like to have a more of a laid back job-something that wouldn’t emit high amounts of stress, but something with deadlines so I have something to work towards; a goal.

Now you're probably wondering why I have brought this topic up.. Well through this exercise I learned that this assignment wasn't about making up a story or writing a short essay; it was about setting goals for yourself. 

--Visualizing is key to success!-- 

If you set goals for yourself you will have a better chance of succeeding because you can visualize the outcome and have something to work towards!

I highly recommend this type of assignment for every college student. You don't have to sit down and write a page about your life goals, you could simply jot down a few ideals for your future life-or even better, you could keep a journal and update it every month or so with your newly developed goals. It is very important to have goals for your future-these goals will help you stay on track to achieve anything you want with in your lifetime!

Coffee and College Kids

We talk a lot about how coffee pairs well with many different things. Coffee and donuts, coffee with breakfast, even coffee with chocolate! But perhaps the most perfect combination of all-coffee and college kids. Long before 5 hour energy's and gigantic, sugar-loaded monsters, coffee was the sole ingredient to cure an exhausted college student.

Coffee gives off a natural, healthier boost in energy levels compared to those sugary energy drinks that come in an aluminum can. Coffee can be one of the most resourceful commodities in college; a type of medicine for those times when you need a little boost for a long night of studying or that encouragement that's needed when you wake up for an early morning class.

_______________________________________________________________________________
Luria Library Cafe-

Perhaps the most convenient cafe on Campus. The Luria Library Cafe is located, well... in the Luria Library on west campus. This is the perfect place to put the "coffee is a college kids best friend" scenario into place. At the cafe you can get many varieties of coffee and bring them over to your table and begin your, more effective studying. 

Hours:                                                             

Monday-Thursday: 7:30 am - 8:30 pm

Friday: 7:30 am - 2:00 pm 

                                          

_________________________________________________________________________________

Coffee isn’t just the perfect study companion; it also promotes the most important part of college (in a students view)--socializing! I mean how many of you guys out there have used or heard the pick up line "We should grab coffee sometime". Exactly. Chances are you have heard that being used at least a few times in your lifetime and the reason is simple- conversing over coffee is a simple way to get to know someone. 

Coffee always has your back and should definitely be a college kids best friend.

Can you say HOMEWORK?!

So you've survived the first week of college.. Congratulations!! 

Well I know I'm not the only one who has already been drowned with homework. But wow, when they said these college teachers mean business.. Well they weren't kidding. 

I left my very first college class with a good 2 or three hours of homework.. On the very first day! And after leaving my second class of the week I realized that regardless of what college is portrayed to be- with all of the parties and never ending fun-, (if you want to do well and achieve good grades) you are here to study and do homework.

_______________________________________________________________________________

What I've began to figure out this week: 

•Become friends with your professors. They really do want to help! The professors, especially here at sbcc, aren't like the teachers you had in high school. You know, the ones who became teachers solely to have the summers off. No. These professors are here to help you succeed and they will do just that if you put in the effort. ~I scheduled an appointment with my math teacher just to make sure I was caught up with all of the homework he had assigned for the weekend and he ended up giving me 2 extra points on my quiz.. So trust me you are doing yourself a HUGE favor if you show your teachers that you are making an effort.~

•Get your studying done sooner than later. Let's be real, this IS college and no matter how well we want to do in school we are going to save most of our weekends for hanging out with friends and going to parties. So get your homework done quickly after it is assigned. Not only will this help you to not forget the information that was taught, but it will also keep you from pushing your homework off until the weekend. Being realistic, no college kid is going to devote every bit of there weekend to doing all the homework they saved up from the week prior, so just get it done, it will prevent a huge headache on Sunday night. Which leads me to my next tip.

•Begin to form a routine. Now I'm not saying to set aside 4 hours right after you get out of class to create a huge headache for yourself. But set goals. Maybe every Monday after your English class you come home and finish half of your reading log and then it won't be such a hassle when you sit down to do the other half with in the next couple of days. Or go over your math notes right after class so you have mentally prepared for the 105 problems of homework that lie ahead of you.

Study with friends. Make it a social event. -Being social. That's what we are programmed to do in this day and age.- Studying will be less dreadful if you plan to meet your friends at Starbucks. For one, if you make plans with others you are less likely to bail, which means you are less likely to push your homework off. Plus you are getting out of your apartment or dorm; just the change in environment can stimulate your brain for more efficient learning. You will also have your friends there to help you with any problems you might not understand. Studying with a group can be extremely beneficial, especially in college.
_______________________________________________________________________________

If you make the most of your week days and provide yourself with the necessities to get your homework done you will have more time to get your party on during the weekend, just remember that. Let those words be your motivation. 

You can get good grades AND have fun in college with a little motivation, perseverance and dedication.

Happy second week of college!