Miss My Heart is Beating Really Fast

I just finished my last final and my heart is beating really fast.

As I was filling out the last 5 questions on my bubble sheet for my econ exam, I almost started to cry. I can't decide it if was out of happiness because I will never touch economics again, or if it is because I am sad that my undergraduate degree is over.

Either way, my heart is beating so fast.

The teachers, people, jobs, classmates, friends, tests, papers, assignments, activities and opportunities that I have been part of here will never be forgotten.

Thank you BYU-I.

Miss Story of My Sister

Cut

By Mallory Guymon

She stood two inches taller than I, three pant sizes smaller than me, and one grade below me.  She was my baby sister, but I would never consider her a baby.

High school is never easy for anyone. Those who claim that it was—lied. This was even more true for my high school that was known for their competitive sports, arrogant attitude, and self-righteous behavior. My sophomore year went well being on the volleyball and softball team, having a “cool boyfriend,” and of course having a car. Going into my junior year my confidence was not so high.

My younger sister and I are 18 months apart so when I entered my junior year, she entered her sophomore year. She has the brains in the family and ended up taking the same science and math class as I. We even ended up in the same math class period together—that changed quickly.

Two weeks before school started, we both tried out for the high school volleyball team—I tried out for varsity and she tried out for junior varsity. The competition was high. We spent a week going through brutal sprints, jumps, rolls, and dives.

My sister has a vertical that obviously surpasses mine which is why I specialized in passing and bumping the ball. While I passed, she hit and she hit hard. Compliments rolled her way. I was happy for her.

Two days before school started, we anxiously awaited at home, still in our practice jerseys, the results of our hard work. We were told that the results would be posted on the gym doors after 8 p.m. Before we concluded tryouts our coaches asked us if we wanted to be considered for junior varsity, varsity, or both. I informed the coaches that I only wanted to be considered for varsity. If I didn’t make it, I didn’t want to play junior varsity.

My sister and I drove to the school, swerved into the gym parking lot, and linked arms as we walked towards the door. Our eyes scanned the two lists—13 girls on each. My name was absent and my sister’s name was on the junior varsity list.

There was silence.

We drove home in continued silence. I pulled up to the front rather than the driveway and said I would be home later. Tears ran down my cheeks and she closed the door slowly behind her and walked to the front door with her arms crossed and her chin down.

I went to see my cool boyfriend for sympathy an received a less than an adequate amount per usual. My mind raced and could hardly stomach the thought of going to school on Monday. Dramatically—my life was over.

I drove home at snail speed, and my mother met me at the back door. I sobbed in her arms and she listened, like mothers always do. She put her fingers through my hair and consoled me for a moment. I calmed down but still dreaded the next nine months of torture.

As my mother walked out the door, she turned around and mentioned that my sister came in crying, too. She thought she was the one who didn’t make the team. By the time she made out her words through her sobs, she found out that I didn’t make it.

My sister is still two inches taller than I, she got married before me and is currently expecting her fist baby girl in March. One day, that baby girl will have a sister and hopefully she will have a sister like mine.  

Miss Don't Be Weird.

How to Keep Eye Contact

By Mallory Guymon

Toddlers do it when they’re avoiding punishment, students do it when they ‘re avoiding giving the answer, and adults do it when they’re avoiding confrontation. What are their doing? Avoiding eye contact.

Many assumptions gather around those who avoid eye contact. It’s assumed that if one avoids eye contact they are nervous, insecure or lying. Keeping a visual connection can make someone feel uncomfortable in general but it may not indicate any of the previous.

You walk down the street, across campus or even around the house. Do you look up at a passerby? If you do, people may call you aggressive, romantic or just plain creepy. Having unbalanced eye contact can cause tense situations. For instance, maintaining eye contact with a gorilla can raise their temper and cause serious rage and danger.

Maintaining eye contact can be a taboo subject for the common person but for a celebrity, it’s a routine. Both Barbra Streisand and Michael Jordan have a habit of forcing hotel workers to turn and face the wall when they enter a room, goes the tale. Some even say Nicole Kidman insists her makeup artist refrains from making eye contact. Recently, musical artist Katy Perry’s tour rider indicated in the section covering her driver’s behavior that the chauffeur is to “not to start a conversation with the client or stare.”

Source: kyliecox.tumblr.com via Rachel on Pinterest

To determine an amount of adequate eye contact depends on the situation. For example, if you were being interviewed for a new job, eye contact would be important throughout your interview. Continuous eye contact is not necessary but sincere eye contact with the hiring manager can establish an unconscious trust.  

  

If you were resolving a complication with a friend or spouse, eye contact could determine the whole mood. Avoiding eye contact with your spouse as you discuss a close friend of the opposite sex that you have, could lead them to believe that your behavior is untrue. Listening to a friend vent about their bad day or bad boyfriend may not require the same sincere eye contact.

There are situations where it is not necessary or critical to a relationship. Walking down the street and looking at your feet or talking on the phone is not seen as offensive to most individuals. It is especially not required to look someone in the eye when you are driving and having a conversation with him or her—that’s just dangerous and illogical.

There is no doubt that eye contact is important to have but it can be determined per situation. Now, you look me in the eye and tell me you don’t believe that. 

Miss Controversial

Whatever You Do, Don’t Vote

By Mallory Guymon

In the 2008, Senator Barak Obama won the United States presidential election by almost 200 electoral votes. Out of all of those votes, your voted didn’t matter.

Whatever you do, don’t vote.

As we approach the 2012 election, don’t go to the polls. Every moment that you watch a debate, listen to radio commentary and read a Wall Street Journal article, consider it wasted time you will never get back. Don’t watch, listen or read that garbage. Your vote doesn’t matter.

There were more voters during the 2008 election since the 1968 election where republicans voted President Richard Nixon into office. We all know how that turned out. And President Bill Clinton? Do we even have to mention that political office? History has shown us that your vote will make things worse.

If you go to the grocery store and they don’t have what you want on your list, do you end up buying unneeded items? This is like voting. If none of the opponents fit you political views, don’t vote for them and end up buying an unneeded item. People who are apathetic to voting are told to not complain about the resulting president but, one could say they would complain more if they did vote for the candidate and were let down by the candidates bad decisions.

Why be forced to choose between the lesser of two evils? If you have a molded banana peel and tray of soggy bread to choose from, would you? No, you wouldn’t. It would seem illogical—like voting.

When you give your vote, you give your freedom. We live in a country with freedoms that no other country will ever experience. Political activist claim that voting is a freedom but, in reality, we are forced to choose someone who will make our choices for us. We lose our personal accountability by giving it to someone else when we vote and, that is a freedom we can’t afford to give away. If voting is a right, it is also a right to not vote.

Forerunners also declare that our vote for them will make us equal. So we get in line in front of a person who was convinced by their parents, spouse, teacher or friend to vote and make a difference, even though they aren’t aware of the views of any of the candidates, that person ends up negating my vote and confirms that the process is a waste of time.

Don’t trust that your vote will matter and don’t trust that your chosen candidate will deliver. They will say what you have to hear to lure you to the polls. They don’t owe you anything and in turn, you don’t owe them anything. For example, President Obama promised to cut national debt and ended up spending more than he promised to save. If you voted him in office, way to go. 

When you go to the polls this November, choose to stay in bed instead. Do you want to make things worse for our country? With the majority of registered voters heading to the polls last year, we saw what happened and I suggest we learn from history.

Whatever you do, don’t vote this November. Don’t vote.  

Miss Choices

Choices, choices, choices.

Is it ingrained in us to know how to make the biggest choices we will ever make in our lives? Does it just come naturally? Is it an instinct? I'm not so sure.

I am at one of those crossroads in my life where I have to make choices. Which job do I take? Should I go to grad school? Should we move? How much money should we put in savings? When should we start having kids?

My mind is a whirlwind.

A few criteria to consider when making big choices:

• Who is involved? When you make your decision, be sure to realize who is involved when you make this decision. 
• Is it time sensitive? If your choice is time-sensitive, you should set an even earlier deadline for yourself.
• Try it on. Someone once taught me that if I am considering a choice but not fully sure of it, to try it on and see how I feel. For example, if I was trying to decided what school to go to, I would choose a school and start pursuing it and if it didn't feel right, I would then know for sure to rule it out. 
• Talk it out. I am famous for this. I have a choice and I talk it to death with my poor husband, family, friends  teachers, random strangers, etc. Talking may help you come to conclusions you never realized. It may cause you to over think, so you this technique with caution. 

Miss Finals, finally

Most people feel like finals sneak up on them. I disagree.

It's finals, finally.

I have 3 more finals to take and then I am done! Knowing that I have a job lined up now makes it hard, I admit, but I am still going to finish strong. 

And then, it will be time to celebrate. 

                                                                         Source: gusandlula.com via Kitty on Pinterest

Miss I got a job!

I received an offer today for my first, "big girl", job! It was such a crazy day running back and forth between interviews that I had in Idaho Falls but I didn't leave empty handed, and that was a miracle.

I had an interview lined up across town that I was already running late to (don't worry, I called and told them and they were running behind too) after I received the offer. I wasn't sure what to do but I needed to get back to Rexburg for class and I knew I the other job was not going to pay even close to what this job is paying (which is pretty dang good) so I called them and thanked them for the interview but informed them that I had just received a job offer.

That felt good. This whole situation feels good. It feels like a "fit".

So, now what? I just start working. And being a grown up. And not doing homework. And wearing dress pants every day. And meeting with adults that I can call by their first name instead of brother and sister.

This may be quite the transition. I may need a night class to ease me into it.

I will tell you more about the job later. I haven't officially accepted it. I will be making that glorious phone call tomorrow.

Miss Time Management

Lat night I was up until almost 3 a.m. My poor husband.

On Sunday, I visually plan my week. I plan what assignments are due, what tests to take and what study groups to hold. I also schedule my tutor, configure my work hours and other outside activities that I am involved it. There are so many things to consider and usually my head is spinning by the time I am done figuring it all out.

Last night, it was keeping me awake and I was very frustrated. Thank goodness for great husbands. He taught me a great principle: Plan Monday.

We went over what I am planning to do today and even planned on planning Tuesday on Monday night. It really helped me calm down and get a grip.

When you have a hectic week coming, plan one day at a time and manage your time on a daily basis.

Miss Perspective

I am currently writing a satire for one of my classes. My subject is: Voting. My perspective: Don't vote.

As I was working on it this weekend, I would write a few paragraphs and then read it out loud to my husband. He was impressed with my points and said that they actually bring up good points. This made me nervous that my satire was going to be too convincing.

Writing this satire has brought a new perspective for me, the writer. That is one of the purposes for writing a satire--to bring perspective. Below are some tips if you are interested in writing a satire.


Tips To Writing a Satire

1. Have a good knowledge of current affairs.

2. Keep information current, hot, and simple.

3. Choose a solid topic that people can relate to.

4. Give yourself time to write it.

5. Choose a powerful title


I am turning the paper in today. After I receive my grade and critique, I will post it.

Miss Choke

All growing up, I played competitive sports. I started off dancing, then played softball, soccer, volleyball and even badminton. At every level that I played, I experienced pressure. Obviously the pressured varied from my t-ball game to my fast-pitch softball game that would take us to the Little League World Series if we won. But the pressure existed. 

Throughout those years, my dad tried to teach me about how to deal with the pressure by telling me, "Don't choke!" Countless times I went up to bat and turned my head to see my dad waving a 20 dollar bill at me mouthing, "Home run! Don't choke." My feet would sink deeper into the dirt.

Throughout the years, I have tried to figure out how to not choke. I've tried saying a prayer, taking a deep breath, focusing on the 'ball', closing my eyes, over-eating, taking a class that teaches me how to take tests, etc. Regardless of all those tests, the way I avoid 'choking' is by being prepared.

At BYU-Idaho, we believe in a model of learning. Check it out here. I use to teach classes to freshman on campus on how they can apply this learning into their studies and life in general a few semesters ago. I truly believe in it and I have seen it work in my studies as well as my personal life.

As I embark on my final classes and tests of my undergraduate degree, I am reminded that I have prepared, taught my classmates and I have pondered and done my work. I can now step up to the plate, clench my bat and take a swing. No choking necessary.

Miss Cap & Gown

I picked up my cap and gown today. Was I nervous? No. It's strange that I don't get those butterflies that I used to get when it was the last week of the school year--every school year. The anxiety and adrenaline must be weighing too heavily on my stomach for the butterflies to fly.

In the meantime, I will eat my cupcake from BYU-Idaho Alumni and be satisfied that I completed one final today and only have 5 more to go.

Miss PR Please

I thought I would take a moment to write my view on the BYU-I skinny jean ban.

                                                                                              Source: gap.com via April on Pinterest

Before you read on, you may want to read this: Testing Center Reminds Students of Dress and Grooming Standards

Last night in the grocery store I received a text from my brother that read, "Hey, what no skinny jeans?..." I was so confused.  I was with friends and around the same time they began this discussion. I wasn't surprised to hear that our school newspaper, The Scroll, wrote on such a controversial issue. This is a student run newspaper. Students will try and find any bit of headline appealing subject possible.

My friends and I went on last night discussing the topic and even ended up making a run to the school to grab the remaining newspapers left ina the closest building to us. After reading the article we realized that the article was very well written--no issue there as assumed. The problem was with the unprofessional comments made by the testing center.

Articles and broadcasts are flooding all media outlets because of the comments made by BYU-Idaho Testing Manager, John Dexter. The most surprising comment to me was the fact that he recognized the students overzealous execution of the rule but then ended up making the same mistake with his quote,"If a student prays and they think that the tight ‘formfitting’ clothing is accepted by the Lord, they have not asked, or have not asked the right question, or they have chosen an answer for their own gratification. I don’t believe the Lord would give approval to anyone to be disobedient to the CES Dress and Grooming Standards."  Oh. My. Calm down. He even said this after prefacing that he can be a little rash but that he modified the statement so that it is not too harsh. My question is how does this man define 'harsh'?

The point is--bad PR move. Although this is a school newspaper, you should never take that lightly. I don't know if he was misquoted (which I wouldn't doubt because of the reputation of the newspaper) and I don't doubt that John Dexter is a good man but as an administrator on campus, he should have been more cautious and stuck with the facts and left out the praying part. Esh. Religious or not, you don't tell someone that they did or didn't get an answer to their prayers--especially in that tone.


Well, needless to say, there is some clean up to do. University Communications has come out with a statement. Better late than never.

BYU-Idaho has not identified “skinny jeans” as a specific violation of the dress and grooming standard.  We are aware of the incident in the Testing Center, and the Student Honor Office has worked with the Testing Center to correct the issue.

The wording in the BYU-Idaho dress and grooming standard regarding formfitting clothing is as follows: “Clothing is inappropriate when it is sleeveless, strapless, backless, or revealing. It should not have slits above the knee or be formfitting.”
The foundation of this standard comes from “For the Strength of Youth” which states, “Immodest clothing includes short shorts and skirts, tight clothing, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and other revealing attire. Young women should wear clothing that covers the shoulder and avoid clothing that is low-cut in the front or the back or revealing in any other manner.”
The Testing Center has not made any new standard, nor has there been a ban of a particular piece of clothing.  The effort of the Testing Center as well as with other employees and students is to encourage others in their commitment to comply with the Honor Code.

Miss What If

I bet you think I am going to talk about something sappy right? Like, "what if all my dreams came true!?" No. I am not talking about that.

I am talking about the what if calculator for my classes. Each of my classes have an online grade book that I can access to see all my assignments and submit assignments. It has completely phased out paper and it's awesome. I look at it several times a day but every other week I use the "what if calculator" feature. This feature calculates what your grade will be if you got a certain percentage on a project or paper or test.

Since the semester is concluding and I am graduating, this calculator and I have developed a close relationship. Not only do I use him daily, I think about him often. Today, for the 3rd time this week (it's Tuesday, mind you) we met again.

Here is the verdict on my final tests and papers in order to recieve decent grades:

                  Exam Grade               Final Grade
Economics:       40%                         80%
Law:                 87%                         90%
Media Writing:  50%                         80%
Finance:            60%                         80%
Mass Media:     65%                         90%
DNA:               70%                         80%

I am not to ashamed to admit that I am looking at the least possilbe grade to pass. After taking 19 credits this semester, my shield is down and I am vulnerable and I am okay with that.

Good thing I have my man, what if calculator, to make me feel better.

Miss Opinion on the Green Movement

Go Green, Not Extreme

Extreme views of green movement need to be evaluated

Source: grainedit.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Phasing out human life is necessary in order to restore the earth’s biosphere back to good health. This is the core belief of the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (VHEMT), one of the top environmental extremist groups in the world. To propose a movement where humans should voluntarily agree to abstain from breeding in order to protect the earth is on the heavy end of the green spectrum.  The movement has become more extreme than ever and recognizing opposing viewpoints is just as important when deciding which end of the spectrum you will stand.

There is no doubt the earth has limited resources and that we need to be sensible and aware of our carbon footprint. But there is such a practice called greenwashing, a term deemed as the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.

This is a term that has surfaced because of the extreme practices of eco-friendly fanatics.

Many people take on blind views when it comes to being environmentally responsive. According to the website 7 Sins of Greenwashing, unsubstantiated claims are made about how a product can benefit the environment. There is much emphasis on certain green aspects while hiding features that are not so eco-friendly and thus greenwashes individuals into thinking that they are being environmentally savvy. For example, the words "all-natural" on a label may trick buyers into thinking a product is green, but this isn't always the case.

Consumers are also deceived by the time and effort that goes into going green. For some, it may be as simple as walking across the room and throwing a paper in a blue garage pale. For others, it may be paying extra for recycling bins to be purchased and picked up or physically doing it yourself. A simple 3 minutes per week for over 300 million citizens to recycle can take up 7,800,000,000 man-hours of time per year. Many people put in much more time than that. It’s easier to say ‘go green’ rather than to be green.

The cost of going green is even more extreme than the time and effort. For example, when building a home, bamboo flooring is often considered an eco-friendly alternative to hardwood. Bamboo is harvested in China, so it must be shipped thousands of miles to the United States. Transportation of the bamboo consumes large amounts of fuel that pollutes the air which contradicts this green product. Society wants to be part of this movement but it is not always feasible. Specpan, a research firm, surveyed home builders and found that the greatest number estimated a 10% to 19% cost increase when going green.

Your standard daily green products (e.g. hair spray, cleaning products, organic food, etc.) often cost more due to the high cost of new research and technology needed to produce these products. These higher costs are also due to the small volume of green products in the market. Manufacturers are not yet able to enjoy the cost-cutting benefits of large-scale production which green marketing promises.

So let’s recycle and save 17 trees, reduce our heating bill, use a compact fluorescent light bulb, but let’s not risk human lives to protect the earth that depends on us to protect it. Go green, not extreme.