Category Archives: Lifestyle

Elder Isolation During Covid

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It has been almost a year since seeing my mother. The reality of it boggles my mind at times. She is a darling, vivacious, outgoing, eighty-three-year-old lady. She and her friends keep the phone lines busy either calling, texting or checking on each other on Facebook. Social distancing has had an interesting effect on the elderly and how they live life. 

            My mom’s daily routine before the pandemic was to go to the gym, swing by on the way home to visit with friends, pick up her granddaughter from school, and go to church activities. Nowadays, she goes downstairs to walk her daily mile around the dining and living room, checks on her friends thru social media, waits for family to come by and goes to church online. 

            Elderly people in our community have experienced some of the same issues as so many others have nationwide. The full impact of isolation is not fully understood by science, but it is evident that it is affecting so many elderly citizens. Everyday situations that normally would not cause emotional distress in times past can quickly become a major issue for those that have stayed in isolation. 

            How can we, as compassionate community, help combat this phenomena? Emily Rind writes a handwritten note such as this quote on care packages. “I know it must be hard not seeing your family and loved ones, so I hope this will brighten your day and put a smile on your face.” Emily is a sixteen-year-old who has taken upon herself to make care packages to those in her local area nursing home. She fills the care packages with puzzles, word search books, activities, and other items. 

            There are so many other ways to reach out to elderly who are staying home during the pandemic. Entrepreneurs are creating innovative ways to touch those we cannot reach out to physically hug. I recently purchased a pillow online for my own mother. It was a picture of the state of Texas with an arrow connecting the state of California. It was customized with our names and hers so anytime she felt like a hug from us she could squeeze the pillow. There are also lamps you can touch in your home, and it changes the color of the lamp your loved one has in their home to indicate you just thought of them. Sending cards in the mail is another way to reach out, even if your loved ones are close-by. 

            Studies are showing that those over 65 years of age, older women, and those living alone tend to have a higher ratio of depression, anxiety and even linked to strokes and dementia. Even mental health care is difficult to access for those who are on a limited income, even those with some medical insurance. 

            As the pandemic is on the downslope perhaps, we could continue to reach out to those who are elderly as one day we will be in that life cycle as well. Hopefully there will be those who reach out to us at that point to brighten our day and put a smile on our wrinkled face.

Advice from an Average Student

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As the winter break approaches many people have their sights set on Christmas but I decided to get a head start on  New Years’ Eve and try to figure out what my resolution would be. During this time of year it is hard not to think about classes, finals and, honestly, what I could have done better as a student so I decided to run with that. 

Here are some tips I found on how to be a better and more successful student.

Set Realistic and Achievable Goals 

  • Set both short-term and long-term goals
  • Set goals from the very beginning will help keep you motivated and focused
  • Make sure that your goals are realistic is important in ensuring that you do not set yourself up for unnecessary frustrations 

Focus on Time Management 

  • Procrastination is many people’s worst enemy so staying on top of due dates is a great way to keep yourself from slipping into that habit
  • Stick to a schedule. If you want to make sure you have time for your social life as well as your studies, try and spread out your workload so you don’t feel overwhelmed with trying to do all your homework in one night
  • Remember that you don’t have to wait until the due date to submit your assignments, you can work on them ahead of time and get them out of the way so you don’t have to worry about them later

Take Care of Yourself

  • Make sure you get an adequate amount of sleep is important to make sure your brain can take in all of the new information you will be learning in class
  • When you are well rested you can pay attention in class more easily than when you can hardly keep your eyes open
  • Going to class sometimes feels like the most laborious task of all time; if you are well rested it’s less likely to seem that way 

Although these are just a few tips on being a better student, I’m sure that once you apply them, you will definitely see a difference. If you would like to see more ideas on how to be a better student, click here. 

Bringle Lake: Jewel of Texarkana

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Texarkana has many things to offer in the form of outdoor living. For the avid outdoorsman, look no further than Bringle Lake in Texarkana, TX. Outdoor activities at Bringle Lake include trail running, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, fishing, and cooking out.

The park is divided into three different areas, Bringle Lake Park West, East, and the Wilderness Area. Bringle Lake is located on University Drive across from Texas A&M University-Texarkana. This is an ideal location for college students looking for some relaxation. Bringle Lake Park West and East have fishing piers that are ideal for any fisherman. They also have playgrounds and pavilions overlooking the lake which are perfect for a family cookout, with barbeque grills located in the park. Parking is also free, and pets are welcome.

The Wilderness Area includes 144 acres of nature. There is a 10-foot-wide wilderness bike/walk trail that begins at Bringle Lake East and runs to the Waterworks Spillway. “The 6-mile loop around Bringle Lake is surrounded by woods with a few views of the lake,” commented Nick Duke on the All Trails website. “The trail is well-maintained.”

Bringle Lake trails are ranked #50 in the state rankings with an average trail rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, according to Trailforks.com. Bringle Lake Trail is ranked #8 of 20 things to do in Texarkana, according to Trip Advisor. For those who prefer the water, bring your fishing boat or kayak. I have fished at Bringle Lake and have caught several big bass. It is definitely a must-try spot. Kayaks are welcome on the lake for a relaxing paddle through the calm water.

Bringle Lake is maintained by the Texarkana, Texas Parks and Recreation department. If anyone has any questions or comments regarding Bringle Lake, they welcome any feedback on the Bringle Lake Facebook page or at 903-798-3978. They are always striving to make Bringle Lake a place that everyone can enjoy.

More Than Just Books

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This is the time of the year when everyone is looking for something special for a family member or a friend. How about trying Books-A-Million? They sell lots of books, but did you know they offer a variety of other things. They have an enormous number of gifts; coffee mugs, games, inspirational items, toys, candles, clothing wear, collectible items, magazines, comic books, and of course lots of books. There is an array of different assortments you are sure to find for that special someone. If you cannot find anything in the store, try checking out their website.

If you do not know what to get, they offer gift cards as well. If you have someone in your life that enjoys reading books, perhaps you could get them a membership card that offers 10% off anything they buy in the store. Get 40% off of Hardback Bestsellers and 20% off of featured items too.

There is a coffee shop within the store called Joe Muggs Coffee. During the holiday season, they are offering several specialty coffees. If you or someone you know loves playing games get together at Book-A-Million for an enjoyable time playing with friends and make new friends. Some customers are already gathering to play the game Magic of the Gathering. If playing games is not your style, you can pick up a book and read it as you decide rather you want to purchase that book while enjoying a cup of coffee. You can use your gift cards and membership card when purchasing a drink or snack as well as using them on their website.

Looking to get a little extra cash for the holiday, Books-A-Million offers buyback books at their store. You can bring up to fifty books at a time of gently used books for cash during certain times. After the new year, they will be buying used DVDs and blue rays too. “If you need any help with buying back books just ask for me the ‘book broker’ and I will get you set up for cashback” a staff member said.  Some books they cannot take are dictionaries, bibles, textbooks, and dated books.

Need to study or have a group or club? Books-A-Million loves to have groups come into their store to gather. “Study groups are usually our regular customers, especially Nursing Majors. Some of our regular customers bring in their own mugs for an added discount.” Tiffany, who works at Joe Muggs Coffee said. Wi-Fi is available for students who need a different environment for studying or writing a paper for class.

Come check out Books-A-Million for that special someone or for yourself. You will find something for everyone on your list. Or maybe just come by and check out what all this store has to offer. You will be surprised by the many things they have in their store.

Membership fee:  $25.00 with any purchase.

Gift Cards:  Starting at $5.00 up to $500.00

Hours of Operation: Mon.-Thurs. 8am-10pm; Fri. – Sat. 8am-12am; Sun. 9am-9pm

Buy Back Book Hours:  Sunday-Thursday 12:00 pm- 6:00 pm.

Post Malone x Crocs

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Rappers having their own shoe design or clothing line is nothing new, right? Right… unless you’re Post Malone. Post Malone (also known as Posty) has decided to collaborate with the shoe brand Croc. Crocs are not necessarily known for their flashy style or trend-setting looks but that did not stop the Texas-native rapper from designing his own pair and let me tell you, fans are loving it. Some fans bought Posty’s collab Crocs as their first pair of Crocs ever.

(photo from https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2019/12/04/post-malone-free-crocs-texas-chicken-express/)

The shoes dropped Tuesday, December 10, at 10:00 A.M on the Crocs website for $59.99 a pair. They sold out in less than two hours. There has been no update on a restock happening so the shoes will definitely be in high demand online.

To Breathe, Or Not To Breathe?

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I’m going to say it. Not everyone knows this about me but…I have asthma. I know, I look like the most athletic and perfectly healthy specimen you have ever laid eyes on. But it is true; I have sports induced asthma. The “sports induced” part makes me sound a little cooler…right? A little less like Napoleon Dynamite?

When I was younger, about second grade, I would run to the sidelines of the soccer field with tears in my eyes wheezing uncontrollably. I would try to ask my coach for a sub, but I couldn’t speak… so he would tell me to put my hands on my head and shove me on my way. After a few of these episodes, my mom took me to the doctor to figure out what was happening. 

I took a few tests; breathing into a tube for as long and as hard as I could. I remember standing in front of a computer with flickering cartoon candles, I was told to blow them all out by blowing into a device. I tried a few times but could never get them all out; I remember my mom telling me to try. I was trying! My little second grade lungs just weren’t a match for those digital candles. 

The doctor prescribed me an inhaler to take once a night before bed plus another inhaler to take before soccer games and if I was having trouble breathing. Getting into the car after the appointment my mom squinted at me through her rearview mirror and asked “were you really trying your hardest? Giving it everything you could?” This lady thought I was faking it! She thought I wanted inhalers for fun. 

I didn’t take the nightly inhaler for long, after a few months my prescription was adjusted to just the emergency inhaler with the preventive pre game “puff.” Let’s fast forward about thirteen years– my Advanced News Writing class took a field trip to look at the undergraduate independent research project presentations. I glanced over a few projects until something caught my eye: an Elmo inhaler. 

The presenters saw me looking at their Elmo inhaler poster and began to explain their research question: is there a relationship between steroid inhalers and growth rates in children? To sum it up– in the few studies done there has been a correlation between steroid inhalers and children with growth deficiencies. My first question was how they came up with the research question, these two factors seemed completely unrelated to me. Both researchers had personal experiences with stunted growth and wanted to see if their childhood steroid inhalers were to blame. 

This research information was really interesting to me. What if I had continued taking my nightly steroid inhaler? My height has played a huge roll in my personality, athletics, and career; so to imagine my nightly inhaler stunting my growth is mind boggling. We take for granted the medicine we have today, brushing off side effects and what we put into our bodies. An inhaler I was given to help my breathing could have had drastic effects on my life. What side effects are hiding behind your trusted daily routine?

Paint Your Stress Away

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Texas A&M University-Texarkana Counseling Services hosted an event to reduce stress amongst the lives of students and faculty on campus. As we all know, college can be a really tough time for many, which adds to the stress levels on an individual. To reduce this, alcohol tile painting was brought to campus.

A&M-Texarkana Counseling Services brought in a professional painter to give a one-on-one / private session to students. Students were given three tiles to make beautiful tile “paintings.” The tiles could have been used as a coaster, a painting, or however one would like it to be. After being given the tiles, the painter gave students a brief tutorial on how the process works. She gave them an apron, a various array of colors, paintbrushes, and alcohol so students could spread their colors to make a masterpiece.

The event lasted from about 11-2 in Eagle Lounge of the University Center and students left with an urge for more. Who knew that painting tiles could reduce stress?

Photo by Philip Derouen

Color Me Calm

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On November 13th the student couseling services teamed up with Color Hype for a mental health awareness & suicide prevention event. The event was promoted through word of mouth as well as flyers posted throughout the school. All students were welcome to join. 

For the students who attended, there were tables set up with ink, alcohol, and ceramic tiles. Students walking by were welcomed to join in and permission slips were available for students who missed a portion or all of their classes during the event. 

Color Hype representatives were available at all tables giving instructions on how to do the ink art. Practice pieces of paper were offered and once the student felt comfortable with the technique there were encouraged to begin on the ceramic tiles. 

The entire process was a great time for students to take a moment out of their day. Chelsey Rogers stated her view on the activity itself to be “fun mediums where you don’t have to think about it.” There seems to be something therapeutic about taking time out of your day to put attention on being creative. 

For future events visit the TAMUT website to see a full schedule of all campus events.

Beyond the Classroom

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College life can be hard, overwhelming, and exhausting. There is a lot of things you must deal with. Things like:

  • Registering your classes
  • Making sure your tuition is paid
  • Buying your books and needed supplies
  • Attending and getting to class on time
  • Understanding your class assignments
  • Doing homework
  • Studying for test
  • Club meetings and sports activities (if you are involved)

What some people might not understand is that this is only half of what a student must deal with. What about the everyday things in your personal life? The things you were doing before you went to college. Things like:

  • Your job
  • Your bills
  • Your automobile and the upkeep
  • Your household chores
  • Your family
  • Your health (mentally and physically)

Between school and your personal life, it can be a challenge to keep up with everything. What are you to do when it becomes too much to handle? You could just give up and quit school as an easy way out, but why? You decided to go to college for a reason. You just need to get organized and plan things as best you can. Things are going to happen that are beyond your control but do not panic. I have some tips and advice to share with you that I have done while in college.

First, do not call it quits. Life happens. Consider this a test as to what can and will happen once you graduate. Now for my tips:

  • Make a list of everything you must do for a month. (classes, work, homework, bills, chores, errands, and family time)
  • Pick a different color for each item. (I use gel pens and sticky notes) If you see things in a certain color, you will be able to distinguish one item from another.
  • Next, make a weekly planner using the colors. Don’t forget to include those major projects or papers that can take more than a week to accomplish.
  • Set a reasonable time to accomplish each item.
  • When you have finished a task, mark it off.
  • When something unexpected happens; like you get sick, your car breaks down, or you have a family emergency; stay in contact with your professors to catch up on anything you miss. They are here to help you not to see you fail.
  • Make sure you get enough sleep and eat right to stay mentally and physically healthy.
  • Take two to three hours a week for fun or to just relax. Overwhelming yourself can put added stress on you.
  • Stay in a positive mood. You can do this by surrounding yourself with positive thinking and acting people.
  • Try to avoid any negative behavior while achieving your goals. Negative attitudes can bring added stress you do not need.

These tips will help you get started in organizing your life and school. Life does go on and things happen that are not expected, just remember the reason you decided to go to college. Some days will seem harder than others but remember you are not going to be in school forever. The lessons you learn today will help you achieve your goals and a lot more, later in life.

The Scary Future

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What is a climate activist? Who is Gretta Thumberg? Why have “#ClimateStrike” and “#FridaysForFuture” become trending hashtags/topics worldwide? Although these terms are almost unheard of in Texarkana, they continue to take the world by storm as society begins to acknowledge the clock is ticking on our planet earth. 

Gretta Thumberg is a 16-year-old climate activist who influenced the Fridays For Future movement. Climate and environmental activist are just what they sound like; people who are protesting to make changes in an effort to protect our planet and slow down the irreversible effects of climate change. Thumberg began a climate strike in August 2018, skipping school on Fridays to protest outside of the Swedish Parliament, holding signs and passing out flyers. Thumberg quickly caught the attention of local media outlets which helped spread the movement, these strikes have now spread to almost 150 countries. September 20th-27th was Global Climate Strike Week, where protests occurred worldwide leading up to the United Nations Climate Action Summit.

The U.N. Summit happened on September 23rd with an estimated 7.6 million people protesting throughout the week in an effort to show a demand for change. Thumberg delivered a powerful speech, scolding the world leaders for the way they’ve prepped planet earth for her generation. The U.N. supported the protests, hoping it would encourage countries to come with solid plans for major changes in the near future. However, many were left disappointed as some countries, including the United States: one of the worst perpetrators of emissions, did not attend the summit. Others attended with weak plans that would barely keep the temperature survivable for long.

The U.N. Summit concluded with both hope and fear. Key messages from the SDG Summit read: “…it is clear that the world is not on track to meet the SDG’s by 2030. The future is now, and the Earth’s systems are changing quickly.” However, the great outcry for change across the globe shows there is hope for a climate revolution, which has become necessary for survival of our younger generations. Young leaders like Thumberg need to stay strong in their battle as they continue to inspire and inform others about our struggling planet.