Music These Days…

Here’s what one college student has to say about music these days.

Shelby Britt writes: Music. This term conjures up different ideas, depending on the person. Some people hear a Keith Urban song, while others may think of Snoop Dog.

One recurring theme I have noticed is how people treat genres of music that they are unfamiliar with. Asking someone to explore a new genre of music can best be described as poking a hibernating bear and thinking it won’t bite your head off.

People guard their taste in music and often vehemently oppose at least one type of genre of music. This is even a problem generationally; If I had a dollar for every single time my mother made fun of my music, I would be a millionaire.

This week I’ve been listening to several new artists. In the world of country, I’ve been enjoying Chris Young. His voice is reminiscent of George Strait or Allen Jackson but with a modern country sound.

In the rock realm, I’ve been listening to a lot of Sixx:A.M. Nikki Sixx of Mӧtley Crüe formed the band in 2007. Vocalist James Michael’s high pitched voice melds with the bassline to form a beautiful sound that I have yet to grow tired of.

I wouldn’t recommend this next band to the faint of heart. My not-so-guilty pleasure band is Asking Alexandria. This band takes metal to the extreme: heavy guitar riffs, aggressive vocals known as “screaming” and double drum kicks push metal to new heights.

My final recommendation is the bubblegum pop band, Little Mix. Little Mix are an all-girl British band with an upbeat sound. Most of their lyrics deal with female empowerment, relationships, and friendship. I always listen to Little Mix to lift my mood or to dance to.

I challenge you to branch out.

Bad Foods, Big Impact

If you follow my blog or my social media posts, then you’re probably aware that healthy living is important to me—having a healthy mind and body. This week’s post is from guest blogger Aimee Milton who writes about unhealthy eating and the “big” impact it’s having on many Americans today. 

Aimee writes: Out of all fifty states in America, Louisiana had the highest obesity rate this past year. Yes, we love our fried chicken and our fattening home cooked meals because they touch and warm our souls, but we don’t realize what they are doing to us on the inside of our physical body. Here are the big culprits to our diets:

1. Starches: Although those home cooked meals contain a majority of the food groups, the most popular food group is starches. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and sweet rolls are all unhealthy carbs and should be eaten in small portions or replaced with grilled chicken, half of a sweet potato, and a side salad with light dressing.
2. Fast food: It seems like everywhere we turn, there is a fast food restaurant on each corner. When you’re driving down the same street for five minutes, you’ll have passed at least five fast food restaurants. Fast food is accessible and cheap, and people eat way more than the serving size. Plus, a lot of fast food has little to no nutritional value. People don’t get full, so they eat more and the cycle continues.
3. Junk food: Just like fast food, junk food such as chips and sugary sodas are not the best choices for our bodies. Choose healthy snacks such as fruit or a small handful of almonds instead.
4. Exercise: It’s important to be active. Many people don’t go out and exercise or watch what they eat, which can add up on the scale. Take the stairs when you can; park farther away from the entrance; go for a walk or jog—these activities are free and good for you!

As a result of poor eating, more than one third of Americans are obese and can’t walk for long periods of time simply because their heart is not used to working as hard as it has to. Other complications can include heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and ultimately death. I’m not saying that you should never have junk food or a fattening meal ever again, but you should have it in small and reasonable amounts that your body can handle.

On Diversity…

My guest blogger today, Addie Carter, is writing about diversity—about the beauty of our differences and the harmony of humankind. Too often these days, it feels like we’re out of tune.

Addie writes: Imagine the sound. The sight. The lights are low behind and beside you, but not in front. In front of you the lights are lit wildly, glimmering and glistening off of violins, cellos, pianos, drums, tambourines, harmonicas, trumpets, guitars. You’re listening intently and watching closely. Each person is playing a different instrument with different notes. But they are all harmonizing together to orchestrate a masterpiece of flowing sounds.

Sometimes you hear the soprano, softly singing the high notes. Sometimes you hear the tenor, belting out the middle notes. Sometimes you hear the flute. Sometimes you hear the ukulele—all the while watching faces change as new notes are played. Watching hands move and arms rise and fall, you realize that each person is different. While they’re all playing together, they are all unique in the way they strum, pick, or voice. Yet, the music they make touches your heart. Soothes your soul. Quiets your mind. The music they make is in a word: beautiful.

That’s diversity. While we can strive for ethnic diversity, racial diversity, or class diversity, we will never understand the true meaning of diversity until we see ourselves as diverse. We will never understand the true meaning of diversity until we see the instrument we play in the orchestra of the world, and we choose to play it in harmony with the ones around us. We each have a seat on the stage. We each have a spotlight shining glimmers and sparkles on the instrument in front of us.

The challenge now, is not to define diversity. But to live diversity.

Memphis, My Hometown…

As part of my new blog series, I’m asking college students to write about the issues that bother them most. My guest blogger, Tray Boyd, offers a personal and honest look at his hometown of Memphis and what it was like growing up there. Here’s what he has to say:

I was born in Memphis, Tennessee—a city ranked third  in the United States for domestic violence, first in overall crime in the United States, and first in the south for overall crime. Growing up, I saw gangs take over the streets, starting with kids in middle school. Teenagers would try to throw parties, but the divisions of gangs would just ruin them. What can fix Memphis?  What does Memphis need?

To begin, I would target the most popular place in Memphis, which is downtown Beale Street. It’s the heart of Memphis music and entertainment and the perfect place to offer safe and fun activities to keep teens out of trouble. By offering safe activities downtown, such as indoor roller coasters or waterparks, Memphis can target the next generation. It starts with our mayor. He should focus on ways to improve the next generation of children and make Memphis a better, safer place.

And, it starts with us, voicing our concerns and ideas.I know improving Memphis isn’t going to happen overnight, but we need to come together for future generations.

Fall Break

Fall is definitely in the air. The leaves are starting to cover the ground. Temperatures have gotten cooler and our clothes warmer. And, for many of us, fall break is coming up. It’s the perfect time to plan a fun trip with family and friends. My guest blogger this week, Caroline Clements, talks about getting out and enjoying nature at our national parks.

Caroline writes: Vacations are a nice getaway from real life and can be adventurous or relaxing. If you are looking for an adventurous vacation spot, I would highly recommend visiting one of our national parks.

This summer, my family and I took a vacation to Yellowstone, where we had many adventurous experiences. While all of our expectations were exceeded, some of my favorite parts of the trip were the following:

• Animal sightings. While in Yellowstone, my family and I experienced many animal sightings. We saw herds of bison, moose, elk, a mama bear and some cubs, a gray wolf, and a bald eagle.
• Old Faithful. This geyser erupts every 90 minutes and is surrounded by forty or so separate geysers that erupt at different intervals throughout the day. Visitors can walk trails that guide and provide information about each of the geysers.
• Paragliding. On one of the last days of our trip, my brother and I got to experience flying. We jumped off the side of a mountain and floated in the safety of our glider. My guide was a “dare-devil,” so he took me on turns, flips, and tricks in the air.

Overall, Yellowstone was a very entertaining and adventurous vacation, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys being in nature. But if you can’t make it to Yellowstone, no worries. There are national and state parks all around us where you can take advantage of the outdoors and the beautiful weather this time of year.