Understanding the Man Box

Students and guests gather for the event

I was fortunate enough to have been able to attend one of the last panels that have been a part on an ongoing campaign focusing on Sexual Assault Activism Month. The event I attended was called Well Meaning Men Breaking Out "The Man Box." This event was possible through the efforts of Student Health and Wellness, the East Texas Crisis Center, and the Step Up Against Violence group.

The Mystique of As Seen on TV Products: Can You Resist?

Ah, summer: the time of the year when the days are the long and the nights are awesome, there’s no class schedules to keep up with, and no finals to stress over. Let the Netflix binging begin! While some use the summer as a chance to take their passports and go all over the world, others use summer as a chance to unwind and have a nice “staycation”. Want to know some of the fun from having that staycation? Getting to see some of the hilarious, “how have I lived my entire life without this product” As Seen on TV commercials!!

I’ve compiled a list of some of the best As Seen on TV products that really caught my eye. Many of them are available at a Wal-Mart near you!

When in doubt, go with bacon!

-Perfect Bacon Bowl: because scrambled eggs on a plate is so passé! Cure the gustatory doldrums with a bacon bowl. Delectable bacon is the answer to all of life’s problems. Don’t know what to put with your boring, old macaroni and cheese? The answer is always bacon.

Call me Harry Potter, because this is magic!

-Moo Mixer: you will never have to struggle with having to mix chocolate milk with a spoon again. The struggle doesn’t have to be real anymore, folks! Press the trigger on the cow print handle and watch it automatically stir. No longer will you have to stir chocolate milk like a muggle! 

-Ice Cream Magic: so I know that the intended audience for this product is most likely small children, however I know many college students that would be super excited over this product.  with a variety of options such as chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry available, how can one’s inner child possibly be suppressed? I know mine can’t. I am planning an escapade to Sonic for a milkshake as I type this because I don’t have an Ice Cream Magic yet.

Ice cream is the most amazing thing <3

-Chillow: as anyone in Texas can attest to, it gets super extremely hot in the summer. The chillow is a pillow that you can put in the refrigerator and it will get cold! This is very handy here because it is absolutely unbearable to sleep on a hot pillow when it is hot outside and there is only so much air conditioning can do.  I’m already on my way to trying to develop a Chillow bed. I’m thinking of calling it “The Chill-ed”. Don’t take it from me! It’s as good as patented!

If I can get my hair to look like this, I will be winning. Just add pink!

-Air Curler: this looks really cool! Like honestly. The reviews said it worked pretty decently for both long and short hair. It also seems like it wouldn’t damage hair as badly as my usual morning routine of blow drying and straightening/curling it in the mornings. Instead of doing both, I’m just doing one and it would be on a lower setting! As long as one uses hairspray or mousse, the curls should hold. This one is definitely worth a try. 

 While some most As Seen on TV products are just silly and make the people in the commercials look like they are completely inept at living, there are some that are worth a closer look!

UT Tyler Student Leadership and Service Awards!

     The University of Texas at Tyler takes notice of notable students here on campus. Whether these student lead with service or overall leadership qualities, the university honors such students with an awards ceremony to present them with. Thursday, April 24th, the awards ceremony took place at the University Center Ballroom at 6 p.m.

Boba Loompia!

Adobo: meat marinated in spices and soysauce

          Finally, a Filipino restaurant will open right across the street from UT Tyler's campus! Personally, I can't wait till this restaurant opens! As a fellow Filipino that lives a couple of hours from home for school, I really have learned to appreciate my mother's cooking. That is one of the things I miss about being home...THE FOOD

Game of Thrones is Here Again

In case you have missed the return of the insanely popular Game of Thrones TV series ... well ... it's back! A few years ago many people only understood terms like "Winter is Coming" and "When You Play the Game of Thrones, You Win or You Die" if they had read the books. George Martin's ambitious book series began in the '97 and is still moving forward, one anxiously awaited book at a time.

UT Tyler Baseball Team Defeats Concordia 4-1

To finish off Patriot Days last week, the blogging team sent Dallas and I to a baseball game between our UT Tyler Patriots and Concordia University.  I was a lot of fun to get to see our team win against a great rival of the University.  The final score was 4-1.

4 tips on meeting class deadlines!

     Meeting deadlines has got to be the most stressful thing to a college student. There is the looming date of a project, essay or report deadline. Each day it sits in the back-burner simmering. It hovers on top of everything you do to remind you that you still have to do that task. Sometimes it is hard to  balance homework, work and a social life, so here are some tips to help you out!

UC Celebration at Patriot Days!

On April 16, there was the UC Celebration for Patriot Days. When I saw the flyer talking about the mini food show and the caricature artist, I got ridiculously excited. Freshman year, we had an artist who would draw people’s backsides! I love the variety of events that UT Tyler brings to our campus. There was so much great energy in the UC.

#no filter #foodie

-I stood in line and got some Ciobani Greek Yogurt, along with some delicious Arizona tea. There was some really neat food, like the potato balls. Those made me so excited, but when I got up there, they were all gone. That means that they must have been absolutely delicious!

Land in a spot and get a discount? Don't mind if I do!

-One of my favorite things was the Bookstore Twister game. I saw brightly colored spots on the ground with different percentages. The point of the game was to throw the eagle and have it land on a discount spot. My aim was so great that I got a 20% discount off any item in the bookstore!

Always say yes to a free smoothie and t-shirt

-There was also a Fitness Expo, where we got a ‘passport’ with different fitness challenges like flexibility and vertical jumps. If you completed all of the fitness checks, you got a stamp in each category. I found out that when you get all the stamps from each station, you could win a free t-shirt! Also, there were free smoothies. I was completely sold. I love smoothies!

Noms for Humanity!

-Humans vs. Zombies registration is up and running! They were having a bake sale in the hallway by the One Stop Shop. With treats like cookie brownies, cheese biscuits, and brain shaped jelly cupcakes, it is clear who the favored winner is. Grab your Nerf gun and get ready to fight for humanity! 

It was so great to see so many people celebrating in one place and being excited to be patriots. Nothing brings people together like free food and loud music (: If you missed it this semester, that's okay! There will be another one next semester and it is going to be fun too!

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day fellow UT Tyler Patriots! 

        What is Earth Day you say? Earth Day is an annual event that is celebrated on April 22nd to demonstrate support for Mother Earth and her protection! The very first Earth Day occured on April 22 1970. The Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and many other groundbreaking environmental laws soon followed.  

More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world" according to Earth Day Network. 


This day was created by senator Gaylord Nelson  to make people aware of the importance of keeping our planet healthy and clean. On that day,people made promises to help the environment and make positive changes in the community. And you can do it too! 

So go out there and help plant trees, 

                                     cut back on shower time

                                                                                                                                                       Ride a bike instead! 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       and don't litter!

Patriot Days at The University of Texas at Tyler!

This week has been a whirlwind of fun here at The University of Texas at Tyler! We had many events happening for Patriot Days. There was much free food, festivities and educational information for FREE to all students. It was perfect timing too, everyone needs a pick-me-up during the craziness that IS April. Finals are coming quickly, the world is turned upside down momentarily, you think you are about to totally lose your cool.... and then the University gods come and bring loads of free food, balloon artists and spray-paint artists to entertain you. It's like the ultimate "HEY. DON'T DIE" from the University!

Also, here's a "HEY. DON'T DIE" from yours truly: 

I decided to cover the Health Fair during Patriot Days. I'm really glad I did, because all of the food offered wasn't super vegetarian friendly and the UC second floor was turning into a land of pure temptation. So I went upstairs and these are a few things I found....

A Taste of Tyler: Culinary Masterpieces of East Texas Unite!

Who would have thought that the once humble City of Tyler (Home of the University of Texas At Tyler!) would become one of the most well-known hubs of culinary treasures in Texas? For all of you foodies out there, whether you're a starving college gourmet or a food aficionado from the Tyler community, or you're even a visitor from the surrounding area, this annual event is one that will whet your appetite and hopefully satisfy your dizziest foodie daydreams.

Do you see all of these people? And this was the smaller room! 

CAB Comedy Night event got people on stage

The University of Texas at Tyler welcomed comedian Josh Sneed to the UC Sports Cafe. The comedian brought his unique brand of humor to the nights frivolity which was also supported by Brunos Pizza and sodas. If you were unable to actually make the event, here is a sample of one of the pieces he performed on stage

The Truth About College

        It's been a year and a half since I was a mere freshman at UT Tyler, "moving out" from home and experiencing a whole lot of independance. I remember how excited I was. No curfews, you get to eat whatever and whenever you want, and no one telling you to do chores?! Oh yeah, I remember the feeling. It was quite nice wasnt' it? But then the reality of college than the media doesn't emphasize creeps in before you know it...



   

Patriot Days: Ice Cream Social

     Patriot Days continues as Student Life and Leadership host  Ice Cream Social for Student Appreciation today at  2 p.m by Blends & Brews in The University Center ! 


    The ice cream bar offered the traditional favorites of chocolate, strawberry and vanillla Blue Bell Ice Cream. The bar offered ice cream sundaes, milkshake, and  floats! 

Patriot Days: Life After Graduation!

     The University of Texas at Tyler Student Money Management held a workshop along with Career services and Financial aid today at the University Center Ballroom at 12:30. The workshop focused on providing students with tips and resources that will get them prepared for life after graduating college. Have you thought about what you will do after you graduate?

Tips for Studying Abroad at UT Tyler!

With GATE interviews just around the corner and a new class of GATE students about to be accepted into the program, I have come to realize that my time with GATE is limited. It seems like just yesterday that I was anxiously waiting to apply for the program. I first learned about the group when I was on a tour of the campus and I almost walked into a door with one of their fliers on it. I was immediately curious. The flyer I saw was advertising the opportunity to study abroad and travel! What was this GATE program and how could I be a part of it?

My face upon reading that flyer!

GATE stands for Global Awareness Through Education and it is a two year program for freshman and sophomore students. The classes that GATE students take have a global focus, such as Music of the Americas and World Literature, just to name a couple. Through GATE, I have met some of the best people and I honestly don’t know what I would do if I hadn’t have made those friends. When we were all at the first social getting to know each other, it felt like the Brazil and Argentina trip was so far away. It felt like such a colossal undertaking to get 30 students on the same page in studying abroad! Now that the trip is almost a month away, I have no fingernails anymore because I can’t believe it is finally here.

Here are some tips to make getting ready to go on a study abroad trip less scary:

Critical Thinking, Personal Experience, and Dialogue on Facebook

   My recent blog on Sexual Assault Awareness Month, if you read it, highlighted some of the ways that our own experiences can shape our perspectives, but opinion alone should not always the sole element that defines our perspective. One must understand the perspective of others. It is always hard to wrestle with different notions that confront our own gender/religious/social world view. Here are some things to think about when we debate and/or use our Critical Thinking abilities in dialogue with others.

UT Tyler Holds Its Annual Crawfish Boil at Harvey Lake

On Monday, April 14th at The University of Texas at Tyler, the Office of Marketing and Communications hosted its annual Crawfish Boil at Harvey Lake deck, one of the kick-off events for Student Appreciation Week, an event that runs all week (April 14th through 18th).

Despite the cold and rain, hundreds of students began lining up before the actual start time of 11:30 for the lunch. The crew in charge preparing and serving the crawfish began setting up for the event well into the morning, graciously braving the cold weather to provide the students with an excellent free lunch. They cooked hundreds of pounds of crawfish, corn on the cob, and potatoes today, and for that we are extremely grateful.


Hundreds of students were eager to eat, as the line ran from the source of the food all the way to the cashier's office, and even longer after students got out of their morning class to make their way to the food. The 10+ minute wait was well worth it, because the crawfish was ridiculously good. Definitely worth going next year if you missed it on Monday!

Go to more events this week for Student Appreciation Week! There will be events on campus, such as movie nights and sports games all week, as well as many more fun things to do, all for the students at UTT!

Italy study abroad opportunity for one UT Tyler student!

     Italy is one of the most popular countries in all of Europe. There is a strong fascination with the culture, language and especially the food. Who wouldn't love to eat the authentic pastas made fresh along with delicious gelato! One lucky student will get the opportunity to visit Italy! The University of Texas at Tyler is offering the opportunity for one student to study abroad for a semester at St. John International University in Italy!

How to not procrastinate at UT Tyler

The great Walt Disney once said that “the way to get started is to quit talking and start doing.”

Procrastination is something that every college student has to deal with. I know that it affects me every day.  For example, I would much rather watch Game of Thrones, play video games, read, swim, watch grass grow, and pretty much anything else than write my 20 page research paper that’s due in less than a week now.  Ironically, as I continue to put off my paper, I am writing this very blog about how to stop procrastinating. 

This is an extremely popular topic – one that both Dallas and Emmy wrote on.  However, that does that not mean that occasional reminders do not help.  Hopefully, with this post I can help bring to light some old and new ideas on how to stop putting things off and starting getting things done. Let's stop talking and start doing!

Economic Analyst from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Lectures at UT Tyler

On Wednesday, April 9th, Senior Economic Education Specialist Princeton Williams from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas lectured to several classes within the Economics Department regarding the Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas, and the overall Federal Reserve in the United States and its role within the United States economy. 

Williams joined the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas in 2006 as senior economic education specialist. Prior to holding this position, he was a high school economics teacher who taught AP macroeconomics and AP microeconomics at Paschal High School in Fort Worth. He coauthored the district's economics curriculum, mentored new economics teachers, and conducted citywide review sessions for AP students.  Williams received a BBA from Southern Methodist University and a MA in economics from the University of Texas at Arlington. During his graduate studies, he interned in the economic and market analysis division of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas 

Williams' position in the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas consists primarily of public affairs work. He often lectures high school and college students about the utility of the Federal Reserve, and the common misconceptions that the public has about the function of the Federal Reserve. He also leads teacher workshops in the state to improve the economics curriculum within the Texas school system, and he is currently creating an economics curriculum for middle school students in Texas. He also does analysis work over academic work written by economic theorists, mainly by bridging the gap from academia to the public, where said work can often be misconstrued or misinterpreted due to a lack of education in that particular field. 

In the class I was in where he lectured, Issues in Public Policy, several points of discussion were covered. We first discussed the utility of Bitcoin, digital currency that is gaining momentum within the U.S. economic system. Williams finds that the fluid nature of Bitcoin and the uncertainty regarding its value on a day-to-day basis makes it a somewhat unpredictable and possibly unstable alternative for investment in the U.S. We also covered the security of the Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas, where rumors and perceptions of "bank heists" that occur in popular entertainment (Die Hard With a Vengeance, for example), are entirely unfeasible.

Next, there was a discussion over the new Federal Reserve Chairwoman, Janet Yellen; primarily, her strengths and weaknesses within that position in comparison to former Fed chair, Ben Bernanke. Finally, there was a hefty talk over the fiscal policy of the US government, and how the monetary policy of the Federal Reserve Bank in Washington often clash with fiscal policy, and how these issues can be resolved within the next decade. 

We are extremely grateful for the time Williams spent with our economics classes, and hope that he comes back soon to talk with us more about the economic state in the United States and the Federal Reserve's function within this system. 

How To Help Others

As I have brought up in a few of the blogs, I am not exactly the ‘normal person’ where it comes to the ‘traditional family background issues.’ I was raised by my mother and by my grandmother. I lived in a rather well-off portion of Houston and other times, when I stayed with my father, I lived in areas other people might defined as ‘urban ghettos.’ I was never friends with many boys and the females I was friends with did not particularly take to me since I was not masculine. I grew up being viewed as homosexual because my voice did not crack until I was older than most kids and, as the female friends I had did not hang out with me besides where school was involved, I was not considered normal. I have always fit into self-made friend groups; I am not, nor have I ever considered myself, popular or influential among my peers. Because of the notion that I was thought of a homosexual as a kid I was lobbed with rocks and spit on, sometimes in the same day. It was not rampant but it did happen. I have lived then in both the rich and poor upbringing circles as well as the prejudiced and the privileged social groups.

Rainy Day Fashion Tips!

While the sun seems to be out and shining for good now, given Sunday’s deluge and the unpredictability of Texas weather, it seems to be a pretty good idea to have a variety of options available for what to wear. Everybody loves a good spring cleaning, but it can be quite an unpleasant surprise when the day after taking one’s winter wardrobe into storage, the weather decides to make one last encore performance of Disney’s Frozen.

Much true, Very cliche, so relate-able

Don’t be caught off guard! Here are some fun ideas for rainy day fashion (:

UT Tyler Student Money Management hosts Life After Graduation workshop

     May 2014 marks a milestone for seniors here at The University of Texas at Tyler. It is time for GRADUATION! The final step to end their college career is approaching. Some have a plan of what they're doing after graduations while others are still trying to figure it out. There are even those that are lucky enough to have jobs lined up. If you still haven't decided what you're going to do, don't worry! The UT Tyler Student Money Management program is hosting an event called "Life After Graduation."

Thesis work, planning for the future, and PhD thoughts

The comic Age of Bronze

   As it gets closer and closer to the end of my MA Degree it occurred to me that I needed to work on my Thesis. One of the principle aspects of getting a Masters Degree is that you devote a large body of time to the creation of a Thesis project that combines the sum total of your diverse research and writing skills.

UT Tyler's Pollen Storm

              It's that time of year again, water eyes, snotty noses, and heaps of used kleenex !
Here are some home remedies you can try for those pesky allergy symptoms!

UT Tyler Greek Week!

     "Let the games begin!" was a popular social media trend among Greek patriots here at The University of Texas at Tyler this past week. The UT Tyler Greek life comes together to celebrate Greek Week! Greek Week is a week long process where all fraternities and sororities compete to win it!

Cosplay, Fandoms, and Getting Involved-Oh My!

Everyone has a “thing” that makes their eyes widen and their mouths go a mile a minute. For some people, it’s Dr. Who, for others it’s Supernatural, and so on and so forth. So many fandoms and so little time! How do you find where you belong? The best advice I can offer is to get involved, whether it is with a trusted friend or a full blown convention of your choice. The sky is the limit and it is all about what you are comfortable with.

I never knew how true this was until I went on my fandom vision quest!

What English Means to Me

What English Means To Me.

We hates it, Precious

It is a story I have told to many people and will likely tell many more in the future; however, perhaps if you yourself have not heard it I might fill you in on how my love of English began? I was bought a copy of The Hobbit when I was in sixth grade by my mother. At the time I was not explicitly interested in reading; my energies were directed at my SNES, the All-Father of my time and attention. I distinctly remember the issues my mother had with video games and it was this: where will all his time go if he is playing on that thing [the SNES in question]?” It was around this time I was pushed into trying to read things that were harder and harder for me, things that made me frustrated and upset (one of the ‘chiefest of calamities’ at my age being ‘Mad Dog of Lobo Mountain,’ one of the D.J. Dillon Adventure books). 

UT Tyler Debate Ranks Top 20 in Nation

From March 16th to the 18th, 3 teams from the University of Texas at Tyler competed among the top 58 Parliamentary Debate teams in the country at the 2014 National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence. Dallas Flick and Carver Hodgkiss (UT Tyler HF), Stephen Hullum and Kaleb Drake (UT Tyler HD), and Sam Cook and Kaitlin Bull (UT Tyler BC) competed against the best of the best, ranking among the top 20 in the country.

Brace For Finals

We are now approaching the home stretch of the Spring 2014 semester and that means we all have very few weeks until Finals come at us. For many this point in time right now is not explicitly when you might want to think about Finals, but hear me out as to why this is the most important time.

UT Tyler Alpha Chi Omega raises awareness against domestic violence

    1 in every 4 women have experienced some sort of domestic violence in their lifetime. This statistic has prompted activism to end this cycle. Alpha Chi Omega, a sorority at The University of Texas at Tyler raises domestic violence awareness as their philanthropy. They also help the East Texas Crisis Center by volunteering and donating money to them. Last week was their service week, as they held different events to raise awareness against the issue. One event was the Mr. Alpha Chi pageant that I was a contestant in!