A bit of advice...

Sometimes going to a small school is the greatest thing ever: small class sizes, personal relationships with professors, many networking opportunities, and easy ways to meet lots of friends.

Other times...not so much.

I've been here for three years now & I would not trade my experience for the world. However, upon entering Westminster I quickly learned the small size can have its downsides. Everyone at Westminster knows everything about everyone else & word spreads like wild fire (whether its true or not).

Thankfully, I've learned how to successfully avoid the drama, keep my personal life private, & present myself the way I want to be viewed by others (maybe that's why I'm a COMM major?).

Here are some tips I think every student should know:

- Be nice to everyone. Smile, wave, hold the door. You don't have to like everyone necessarily, but do be sensitive to their feelings. In college, there are a lot of emotions & hormones running wild. You have no idea what the person who came off rude to you in Shaw is going through in their personal life. Stop thinking only of yourself & learn to read the emotions of others. Be there for them when they are going through something. The more you reach out to others in their time of need, the more they will notice when you need someone to be there for you in your time of need (if that time ever comes). Besides, you never know if that person sitting next to you in Algebra will one day be your boss somewhere down the line.

- Give second chances. There is no need to hold a grudge about the silly fight you had with your freshman year roommate. Who even has time for that? So what you had a disagreement, is it worth it to talk bad about them at every party & to give them the death glare every time you see them? No. Pick up your phone & ask them to meet up for coffee. Trust me, it will feel better to let go of the unneeded resentment you've been carrying around.

"The first to apologize is the bravest, the first to forgive is the strongest, the first to forget is the happiest."

- Don't gossip. Think about how you would feel if you were in their shoes, would you want that information spread around? Besides, don't you have better things to do with your time & aren't you better than that? Remember, "What Susie says of Sally says more of Susie than of Sally."

- Having said that, trust few. Keep your personal life private & only trust a small circle with the intimate details of your life. "Only a few people care, the rest are just curious." Problems escalate when too many people get involved, it becomes a war of words full of "he said, she said."

Consider talking to a counselor instead of your peers. They are completely removed from the subject & can often help you realize things you wouldn't have on your own. Plus, they are legally unable to tell anyone what you've said.

- See the good in a bad situation. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom in order to find who your real friends are - the ones who will make it a point to sleep over every night when you're going through a bad break up, who will hold your head when you drink too much at a party, & who will stand up for you when they hear other people gossiping about you & you're not around. These are your true friends, the ones you can trust completely. Hold onto them, be loyal to them like they are to you, & never, ever let them go.

- Remember, this too shall pass. A long time ago, my grandpa said to me, "Will it even matter tomorrow? Next week? Just think, at least in 100 years it won't cus you'll be dead." Not very optimistic, but you get the point. Just ignore whatever is going around & it will pass when people get bored & move onto the next problem.

- Keep it off the web. I know its easier said than done, & sometimes we all need an outlet, but Facebook/Twitter/Instagram is not the place for it. Whether or not you believe it, everyone is going to see what you are posting - professors, parents, students, perspective employers (I've even had people try to read my emotions via what I was pinning on Pinterest...crazy, right? HA). They will analyze every word & they will base their perception of your character off of it.

- Avoid the drama. If you are fighting with a friend or a lover, take a break & focus on something else for awhile. There is no use getting all the rest of your friends involved or acting immature about it. Basically, learn when to fight for something, when to let things cool off, & when to move on.

- Don't put anything in writing/text. These days, everything is visible to everyone. Those text messages you sent in confidence could be broadcasted to the entire school. If you don't want your parents to see them, or the Dean, keep what you want to say to yourself until you see that person face to face.

- I'm just going to be blunt with this one - don't send naked pictures. EVER.

- Be the bigger person. It is okay to have a disagreement with a professor or advisor, but be mature & respectful about it. Sometimes that means having to be the one who apologizes first, even if you don't think you're wrong to begin with.

- There are 2300 undergrads at Westminster and I can bet most of them have hooked up with one another at one point. 
Thats totally fine, just remember it.

- Maybe you're the problem. No seriously. If you constantly find yourself tangled in a social mess, maybe you need to look in the mirror & reevaluate what you are doing & whether or not you're the one who is causing all the upset.

- Your friends will always be there for you, but will your one night stand? Probably not. Don't step on friends toes by hooking up with someone they previously hooked up with. It will come around to bite you in the butt. Westminster is small & everyone knows everything.

And if you are the one who has had their toes stepped on? Get over it, sincerely wish them the best, then find someone even better.

- Most importantly, learn to laugh at yourself, to not take yourself too seriously, & to not take anything too personally. Your time in college is too short to bother with anyone who doesn't make you happy, to waste your time fighting with friends, & to worry too much about what other people think about you. People are going to talk about you whether you want them to or not (whether you even bother to talk about them or not).

Just be yourself, do your thing & the rest will come.

I know this is all easier said than done. Trust me, I'll be the first to admit I've committed one or more of these no-no's  multiple times. But its important to forgive yourself, realize your mistake, learn from it & vow to not make it again.

Get Your Hot Summer Bod!

I'm super excited to let all of you know that the 2013 May/Summer group exercise schedule is finally up! For those of you who are looking to get back into shape and who are planning on taking classes or working this summer, you should definitely check it out. HWAC will be offering Indoor Cycling, Pilates, Yoga, Zumba, and Anything Goes classes. Of course, there is also personal training available.

I'm going to be teaching my hour long cycling classes Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30-6:30 and an hour long cycle-fusion class on Fridays at noon once I return from Europe on June 8th (until then Aurora, Laura, and Tiana will be subbing for me). I hope you all will come workout with me this summer!

Laura Iverson, Assistant Director of HWAC, will also be teaching her hardcore CRUSH (Creating Results for an Unbelievably Sexy Hot Body) camps throughout the summer. The 6 week-long intense program will work on speed, strength, flexibility, and agility. The camps require a $50 deposit which will be refunded in full if you attend every class - theres the motivation you need! You can sign up for these classes at the reception desk in HWAC.

Apartment Hunting

Searching for a place to live off-campus can be a total pain in the butt.

Not only do you have to worry about finding roommates you like and who are willing to sign a lease with you, but you often also have to worry about buying furniture and finding a place that fits a college budget, that is close to school, fits your lifestyle, has a parking space, and is safe.

The list goes on and on...

Living on-campus is often the most convenient option - you don't have to worry about bills, finding a roommate, or food (unless you live at The Draw, in the college owned houses, or in Century/Villa Nova). However, living in Westminster owned properties is not always the least expensive or most  independent option. Because of this, most Westminster students do decide to move off-campus after their freshman year.

After spending two years living on-campus (in Carleson, Olwell, and Stock), I decided I had to move off-campus. Not only was I tired of the twin size bed and on-campus food, but I also wanted to have somewhere that was less-expensive and a bit "homier".

For weeks, my sophomore roommate, Ashley, and I searched for a place in Sugar House. Our criteria: washer/dryer, washing machine, close to campus, pet friendly, quiet but fun, safe, with two parking spaces. We soon learned it was not going to be as easy as we thought it was going to be. All the places we found were either too expensive or did not have all the specs we wanted.

We did eventually find our "dream" house, but in a rather unfortunate series of events..realized we had been duped by a craigslist scam (moral of the story: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is). Thankfully, we realized it before any money was lost, but let me tell you - not my favorite experience or proudest moment.

In a hasty, last minute decision, Ashley and I signed a lease on an older apartment right next to Carleson. At first, we were super happy with it - it was close to campus, we were each paying under $500 a month, it had a washer/dryer that we shared with 4 other Westminster students who were our friends, there were two parking spaces, and it even had a dishwasher.

But soon we realized that because the apartment was older it had a ton of problems - in the summer the swamp cooler was broken for two months, in the winter the furnace would turn off every two weeks, there were no carbon monoxide detectors, you couldn't turn on the microwave in the kitchen if there was anything else plugged in or the circuit would break, the plumbing was all wrong, our bathroom window on the first floor was see-through (yes boys, we do realize this..), we did not have a peep-hole, and the house was definitely not sound proof as we could hear everything going on above and below us.

Basically, we were living in the apartment from hell.

I'm not trying to scare you away from finding a place to live off-campus, in fact, I highly recommend it. Living off-campus has over-all been a wonderful experience. I love decorating my apartment, not dealing with curfews, and having the option to have as many friends over whenever we want to. This experience has taught me so much about renting an apartment and living on a budget.

No, my goal is not to scare you, it is to help you. I want you to know what I did not know when I was apartment/house searching in Salt Lake City so that you can find a great place. Here is the advice I have compiled for you:

*Do not rush into making a decision. If it is meant to be, it will be there in a few days after you have thought it over.

*ALWAYS get a copy of the lease. Keep it in a safe place.

*Do not be afraid to negotiate costs/rules prior to moving in.

*Make a list of questions prior to viewing the apartment: is the stove gas or electric? how much does it cost to break the lease? are pets allowed/is there a pet fee? is there a curfew? what is the tenant responsible for when moving in/out? how much is the deposit/will it be refunded? are parties allowed? what are the neighbors like? do you need renters insurance? how safe is the neighborhood? is there on-site 24/7 maintenance service? etc.

*If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is - be wary of Craigslist ads.

*Thoroughly look over the apartment before you move in and document any current problems it has so that you will not have the money taken out of your deposit later on.

*Do not spend tons of money on great furniture - hit up the DI, Goodwill, Ikea, Target, garage sales. I had so much fun finding pieces on the cheap and refinishing them with paint from Home Depot while blasting music in my garage last summer.

*Decide on the area you want to live in. My personal rule of thumb: Nowhere below 700 E or that would take more than 15 minutes by car. I try to stay as close to the U and Westminster as possible.

*DOCUMENT EVERYTHING -  if you ever have problems with your landlord, you will have written proof. Also, get every maintenance request in writing and make sure it is dated.

*Make sure all of your roommates sign the lease that way no one can back out and leave you footing all of the rent until you find new ones.

*Ask about utility costs before you sign.

*Always take a friend with you when looking at a place.

*Make sure you tell your potential landlord that you would like ____ amount of time to know when they are stopping by your apartment and that you would like to be there when they do so or send workers over.

*Get to know your potential landlord - you don't have to be best buds, but know what their rules are and whether or not they are okay with renting to college students.

*Talk to your roommate about who will get the bigger room/parking space and decide how much each person will pay before signing the lease.

*Discuss budgets with your parents so that you do not fall in love with a place that is out of your price range.

*Make sure the apartment has windows in the bedroom - yes, this is was an actual problem.

*Remember this is not meant to be your dream home. You have plenty of time later on to decorate with Pottery Barn furniture, live on your own, and worry about stains in the carpet. Yes, you want it to be clean and safe, but you also want to have fun! You are only in your twenties once - enjoy all that comes with it - the roommates, crappy furniture, and wild nights that totally destroy your entire living room. 

Here are a few websites to help you with your search:

KSL Homes

Craigslist

ForRent

ApartmentGuide

Apartments.com
Westminster Housing

Lastly, know your rights as a tenant in Utah.

Good luck with your search! I hope you find a wonderful place and that you learn from my mistakes :)

AntiGravity Yoga Soars with the Angels

Taylor & Tamer at the VS Fashion Show presented by CBS on Dec.4th at 10 pm

Tonight, two of Westminster's very own will be soaring with the Angels.
Literally.

Westminster alum, Tamer Begum (who you may remember as Westminster's first AntiGravity Yoga Instructor) and his cousin, Westminster junior Taylor Brody, will be appearing in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show tonight on CBS at 10 pm. The two will be apart of the AntiGravity Inc.'s Pop Circus act that is headlining for the VS Angels and superstars, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, and Rihanna.

They themselves will specifically be setting the stage for the entrance of famed supermodel, Adriana Lima, when they roll down the runway on Segway's newest invention: the hands-free Gyro Glider.

"Our specialty act is a lot like skiing and requires a deep kinesthetic spatial awareness - especially when avoiding supermodels and the AntiGravity acrobats, while spinning flags on the most famous runway in the world," said Taylor in a Westminster College Press Release.

Tamer and Taylor have been practicing AntiGravity with their Uncle, founder Christopher Harrison, for many years and have both taught at the AGY headquarters in New York City. Tamer is credited with bringing AGY to the Westminster College campus, making it the first college campus to have such a program.

Taylor & Tamer backstage with VS Angels

AntiGravity Pop Circus

Make sure you watch the trailer for tonight's show before you tune in at 10 pm and check out this article in the Salt Lake Tribune for more information.

For those of you who are interested in taking AGY classes with Tamer's sister Trianna Begum and Taylor's brother Bryan Brody on the Westminster campus, check out the Spring schedule and sign up at  HWAC.



Tamer and Taylor, 
We are all proud of you and are excited to see you on our favorite runway. It is always wonderful to see our students and alum build successful lives and accomplish their goals. 
Way to put Westminster on the map! 
Have a great time, good luck! 

GO12

View of Chicago from our hotel room

As one of four Assistant Editors of The Forum, I have been given the exciting opportunity to travel to Chicago for the annual GO12 National College Media Convention with nine other staff members and our faculty advisor, Kim Zarkin.
Over the next four days we will be attending conferences within the Sheraton hotel with journalism students from colleges all over the United States. This is a unique opportunity which will allow our Westminster newspaper staff to learn more in order to produce a better publication, represent our student body at a national conference, exercise our individual passions and create important networking opportunities.

To keep up-to-date with the GO12 conference, follow The Forum on Facebook and Twitter . You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram (liamariex0) as I will also be live-tweeting about our time here.

Student newspapers up for grabs and critique.

My Schedule

Thursday

Writing Election Editorials that Don't Make You Look as Dumb as a Politician - Chuck Baldwin, University of South Dakota

This session emphasized the importance of focusing on the next four years rather than the candidates flaws when writing an editorial on the outcome of the Nov. 6th election. 

Tough Interview? You Can Do It! - David Simpson, Associated Press

Interviews are tough. In this session, Simpson spoke about three different kinds of interviews - grief/PR/brief - and the ways in which to conduct each one in order to attain the desired information. 

How to Come to College and Kick Some A.. - Melissa Harris, Chicago Tribune

Great Q&A on how to stand out from the crowd as an intern and professional. Advice included: never say no, realize that the Editor knows more than you do, make the most of every assignment you are given as an intern, come up with your own story ideas, be curious, and accept critiques. 

Paterno & the Predator: How to Report a High-Profile Scandal - Lexi Belculfine, Former Editor-in-Chief/Casey McDermott, Editor-in-Chief/Anna Orso, Managing Editor

Last year I followed The Daily Collegian religiously as they reported on the Sandusky trial. Hearing about their technique first hand and the trials they went to, was an amazing experience. I am completely in awe of their staff. 

Friday

How We Did It - Lexi Belculfine, Former Editor-in-Chief/Casey McDermott, Editor-in-Chief/Anna Orso, Managing Editor

A continuation from "Paterno and the Predator". 

You(tm): Getting Noticed in the New Media Hiring Landscape - Bryan Murley, Eastern Illinois University

How to create, build, and manage your social media presence before looking for a job in order to better market yourself. 

Narrative Lives! Storytelling and Your Career - Chelsea J. Carter, newsdesk editor CNN/David Simpson, former AP Assistant Bureau Chief

Learning how to spot and "seize" narrative opportunities. 

How to Make the Transition from Newspapers to Magazines - Mark Mayfield, University of Alabama

Narrative on Deadline: Step by Step - Chelsea J. Carter, newsdesk editor CNN

Magazines and Journalism are very different. This session will introduce ways to branch out from journalism. 

Narrative on Deadline: Step-by-Step - Chelsea J. Carter, newsdesk editor CNN

How to organize your key-characters and outlines in order to make deadline

Saturday

Make Your Resume and Portfolio Pop - Susannah Brinkley, graphic designer Mottis

Examples and advice on how to make your resume and portfolio stand out. 

From College Paper to Playboy: How to Become a TV Critic and Magazine Writer - Andy Dehnart, Stetson University

Advice from a former freelancer on how to make your way as a journalist, pitch stories, report, and deal with celebrity interviews.

Versatility - Jake Lowary, Austin Peay State University

Learning how to "do it all" - reporting, writing, crowd sourcing, editing.

Prepare Now to be a Foreign Correspondent - Jackie Spinner, Columbia College Chicago

A session which emphasizes the importance of covering immigrant communities and using great photos/videos in order to give yourself an edge as a Foreign Correspondent.

Sunday

Closing keynote - Michael Phillips

Why you should be a critic.

ACP Best of Show 

Winners of the Best of Show contest receive their trophies and certificates.

SLC in October

Fall always tends to sneak up on me. One minute I'm laying by the pool with my friends & trying to fix my apartment's AC, and then all of the sudden in the blink of an eye, I'm ordering my Halloween costume & hastily trading out my summer maxi dresses for skinny jeans with boots & knee socks....(yes Dad, all while studying for midterms)

But despite how sad I am to see summer fade (& that awesome summer tan), I am excited for all that autumn holds: I love the smell floating down from the mountains, watching the leaves change colors on campus, the early morning chill on my way to class, watching everyone scurry around in their layers of scarves & hats.

I know classes are getting more intense as the semester wears on, but you have to break away from the library once in awhile to enjoy all that Salt Lake City has to offer in October. Remember, you are only in your twenties once (justification at its finest)!

On Campus  

SAC Club Wild Wednesday Oct. 3rd 8:00 - 9:00 pm

SAC Cosmic Bowling Oct. 5th 10:00 pm - 1:00 am

Men's Soccer Tailgate Oct. 6th 3:00 - 3:30 pm

Women's Soccer Tailgate Oct. 8th 3:00 - 3:30 pm 

Quidditch Tournament Oct. 10th 8:00 - 9:30 pm

True Griffin Night & Hunt Oct. 17th 8:00 - 9:30 pm 

Rec Night at HWAC Aquatic Center Oct. 23rd from 7-9pm

SAC Life 101: Alcohol Oct. 24th 8:00 - 9:30 pm

Halloween Dance Oct. 26th 

Family & Friends day at HWAC Oct. 27th 

On weekend nights throughout the fall, you will find me at the Westminster Men's Basketball team games cheering loudly for #24. It's always fun to watch our team play while gossiping with friends, munching on foods from the Griffin snack bar, and enjoying the great half-time shows. Check out the schedule's for all of our Westminster teams, grab your friends, & rep your school! 

Of course, if you are more interested in being on the court than in the stands, remember to make the fall intramural basketball deadline by October 9th, intramural kickball by October 16th, and intramural volleyball by October 18th.

Paddle boarding in September with Outdoor Rec & my girlfriends! 

And for those of you would would rather be out exploring the great outdoors than stuck inside a classroom, there will be a packrafting/backpacking trip and a canyoneering exhibition offered through Outdoor Recreation over fall break (Oct. 11-14th). Check out more of the upcoming trips and weekly hikes on the website. 

There is no where more beautiful than Utah in the fall
(Snowbird Resort)

Off Campus 

Super Pet Adoption Oct. 5-7th, 10 am - 7 pm 

Volunteer at this PetSmart sponsored event or visit & adopt your own fur baby.

Sugar House Farmers Market Fridays until Oct. 19th, 4-8 pm 

Sugar House Park plays host to this lively, local market filled with delicious treats & veggies.

Downtown SLC Farmers Market Saturdays until Oct. 27th, 8 am to 1 pm

Stroll Pioneer Park with your dog while snacking on fresh veggies & gazing at handmade jewelry 

Harvest Market Tuesdays until Oct. 23rd, 4 pm to dusk

Bring your recyclable bags for your organic groceries

Snowbird Oktoberfest Saturday & Sunday until Oct. 7th, noon - 6 pm

Beer, bratwurst, yodeling, & the mountains 

Utah Jazz Games at the Energy Solutions Arena

Get discounted tickets at the Westminster Concierge desk in Shaw!

Utah Utes Games at the University of Utah

Check out their website for tickets and fan gear

October is also the perfect time to carve pumpkins, register to vote/request your absentee ballot for the upcoming election, visit a haunted house, check out the group-x classes at HWAC (in particular my 7 am M/W cycle express!), & hike in the mountains before the snow starts to fall.

So stop staring at the sentence you've read ten times, leave the library, & start enjoying the beautiful, cool weather & all the exciting adventures SLC has in store for you! 

Westminster Online Resources

Westminster College is all over the internet! 

Check out these sites for up-to-date information, fun events, & student interaction! 

Websites

Westminster College 

Griffin Athletics

The Forum

Facebook

Westminster 

The Forum 

Westminster Environmental Center

Westminster Recruiting Counselors: Heiti, Henry, Trevor

Associated Students of Westminster College

Westminster College Textbook Marketplace

Westminster College Aviation 

AntiGravity Yoga

Class of 2015
Class of 2016

Career Resource Center

Griffin Westminster

Fitness, Wellness, & Recreation Department

Westminster Griffins

Westminster Basketball

Center for Civic Engagement

Bicycle Collective

Honors Program

Giovale Library

Tumblr

Pinterest 

Westminster College Career Center

Twitter

Westminster College

Westminster College PR

Foursquare