Scholarly Sunrise

Today marks the official start to final exam week here, at Southern Methodist University. During exam week, students flock to Fondren, the main library on campus. Students flood each and every area of the library not occupied by books. During exam time, there exists no corner too creepy or nook too isolated for students to set up camp. This is shown by the surprising popularity of the dimly lit, musty smelling, and dust ridden west stacks. I know all this because I have established Fondren my second home for the duration of exams. In fact, I've already spent two consecutive nights in the library this week. Unlike the forementioned stack-dwellers, I prefer to study someplace with a window nearby. That being said, the fourth floor of Fondren is my study location of choice. The combination of being on the top floor and the floor-to-ceiling windows that occupy three out of the four walls leads to this area having wonderful views of both campus and downtown Dallas. How many students are blessed with the chance to study for final exams in a library with such spectacular views? Not too many. Even after the misery that ensues pulling an all-nighter, it is impossible not to appreciate the front row seat fourth floor Fondren provides for viewing the sun rise over the Dallas skyline. Exams are not enjoyable experiences. My word of wisdom is to appreciate all the small pleasure of the week, the ones that distract you from your misery, even if only momentarily!

Sophomore Residency Requirement

As I'm sure everyone in the SMU community is aware, the administration is in the middle of executing a plan involving many changes around campus. Due to the negative events of recent years past, the University has put lots of time and energy into improving our campus's environment and reputation. The primary effort was the formation of a Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention. Since its formation the Task Force has provided recommendations on programs, policies and issues related to alcohol and drug use. The Task Force calls "for a livelier campus community with more diverse activities, both during the day and in the evenings." The University believes that increasing the number of students living on campus will result in an increase in the activity level on campus. Currently, freshman are the only students required to live on campus; however, this is about to change. A decision has been made to mandate that all freshman and sophomores live on campus. Luckily, my class, the class of 2013, will not be affected by the implementation of this sophomore residency requirement. I am not a fan of living on campus and, to be honest, I'm not sure I could handle another year in a dorm! I support attempts to create a more lively campus environment; however, I am very glad to be free from the effects of this new rule.

“Breach of the Peace”

This year, for Program Council's annual Spring Concert, the students of Southern Methodist University were promised performances by Girl Talk and Big Boi. The concert; however, ended up being a campus-wide disappointment. After drawing a large crowd, around 1,400 people, to Doak Walker Plaza the concert was shut down prematurely by the University Park police. The crowd never had the opportunity to experience the main event, Girl Talk's performance. The show was pulled from stage after a mere forty-five minutes of Big Boi. The reason? The police department recieved too many noise complaints from the people of University Park. Despite being forewarned about the concert, they complained and we suffered. The fate of the concert lay in the hands of the police, since they have the ultimate say, and they chose to pull the plug. I have to wonder, if you live that close to University campus isn't occasional high noise levels to be expected? Being in attendance, I can tell you that we produce the same if not higher volume levels at night football games.

Relay for Life

On the evening of April 9th, SMU's faculty, students, and even members of the nearby community joined together on the Boulevard to participate in Relay for Life. The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is an event aimed at celebrating the lives of people who have battled cancer, remembering loved ones lost, and fighting back against the disease. The Relays last all-night as a metaphor for the fact that cancer never sleeps. During the event at SMU, teams set up camps all along the Boulevard and participants took turns walking laps around Bishop Boulevard. It was very nice to see individuals from the various campus communities show up and band together to raise money for the American Cancer Society. The Boulevard was packed with participants who were playing games, cooking food, listening to the live bands, dancing, and so on. Opportunities involving the entire campus coming together are rare, which made Relay For Life even more enjoyable. Of course, the most important part of the evening was the fact that together we helped raise money and awareness for cancer!

Lighting on Campus

A few nights ago, I was walking back to my dorm from a very late night in the library and I noticed the lack of lighting on campus. I believe that this is an important concern for campus safety. The administrators at SMU take student safety very seriously and they are always trying to improve our campus. The services already in existence, like Giddy Up, serve as excellent examples of our school's commitment to safety. In fact, after doing some research on this topic I learned that SMU's Park 'N Pony office provides maps that mark lighted pathways to and from the employee, student and visitor parking areas. These are available on the first floor of Hughes-Trigg Student Center at Parking and ID Card Services. Despite all of this, I think that campus could benefit from the installation of a few more lights along the common pathway between the library and the dormatories. I am by no means recommending that the school install stadium-style lights or anything like that; however, I think that the addition of simply one or two more lamp posts would ease the issue. Have any of you thought the same thing during the walk home from the library?

Link Between Smell and Weight Loss

This post was inspired by a news headline that recently caught my eye. This article discusses a new weight loss technique that uses the sense of smell in order to prevent overeating. I was drawn to this article because it mentioned this technology that is unlike anything I had ever heard of before! Dr. Alan Hirsch, M.D., founder and neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, is the man responsible for the weight loss innovation. He is not a diet doctor; in fact, it was his work with brain trauma patients who suffered smell disorders lead him to discover clues into the underlying mechanisms of hunger and appetite. Hirsch hypothesized, after observing a significant weight gain pattern among patients who had lost their sense of smell, that if loss of smell contributes to weight gain, the reverse could be true. He noted the possibility that enhancing smell could aid weight loss. Hirsch created Tastant crystals, something that could be sprinkled onto foods to boost scent intake, in an attempt to prove his theory. Since, many large-scale clinical weight loss studies conducted have produced evidence in support of Hirsch's hypothesis. In fact, sprinkling Tastants onto food helps contribute to the loss of an average of 30 pounds! This study serves as the foundation for the new weight-loss technology called Sensa. As I said, I had never heard of this study before reading the article, and now I am curious to see how this product will affect the weight loss world.

Marvelous Memory

This semester I began volunteering at a nursing home. Prior to a few weeks ago, I had never spent much time around individuals suffering from Alzheimer's disease. I had briefly learned about the disease in high school; however, most of my thoughts were based off of Hollywood portrayals of the disease.

Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disease that destroys brain cells, thus leading to memory loss and issues with behavior and thinking. I was amazed to learn that over 5.3 million Americans are living with the disease and that it is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States.

It’s a very interesting experience to mingle with the different residents at the home. The majority of them suffer from Alzheimer’s but for each of them the disease is at various stages. Some appear to have their memory perfectly in tact while others seem to live in their own imaginary world. I have truly enjoyed the conversations that I have had during my visits. The conversations range from heart-felt and emotional to totally outrageous, but they are always entertaining and enjoyable.

Socializing with several individuals affected by the disease has truly made me thankful for my youth and my memory. Both, my memory and my youth, are things that I typically pay little attention to; however, every time I leave the nursing home I feel increasingly blessed for my good health. I think sometimes its good to get a dose of reality in order to make you count your blessings and appreciate the life you’re living.