Campus Chauvinism

College is hard. It can be even harder when you’re a woman. The effects of misogyny on the learning experience in America cannot be denied. From catcalls, to underrepresentation, to simply not being taken seriously, women on college campuses throughout the country have been dealing with the same issues for decades. With it being Women’s History Month, there is no better time than now to discuss this phenomena.

No matter how you feel about these organizations college fraternities have been a breeding ground of misogyny since their inception. Studies have shown time after time that members of fraternities are more likely to hold sexist views or sexually assault women than your average male student. In fact, a study from Springer Publishing found that fraternity membership is one of the largest predictors of sexual aggression in a male student. This is not to say that all fraternities or fraternity members are sexist but the correlation cannot be denied.

Women in college sports are not taken seriously. In 2017, forty-two percent of Division 1 college athletic funding was spent on men’s athletics while only twenty-one percent was spent on women’s athletics. The amount of effort that goes into providing women with the same athletic opportunities is laughable. One study found that NCAA colleges would have to offer 148,030 more sports opportunities for women to equal the same ratio that is provided to men.

Who could forget the prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses? The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network reports that 26.4% of all female undergraduate students experience rape or sexual assault. That is 1 in 4 women. Something has to change. The Brock Turner case of 2016 really brought this issue to light and could have been a turning point for women across America. Yet again, they were let down as Turner was only sentenced to 6 months in jail and three years of probation for rape. The more you analyze the issue you will find similar results and inaction on the part of the justice system and the country as a whole to bring some restitution to these victims.

The combined effect of these factors on the female student’s learning experience cannot be ignored. How can you study when you have to worry about sexual assault lurking in every corner of campus? Forget about test anxiety. Consider how it feels dealing with the trauma of sexual violence on top of everything else. The bottom line is this—if you are a woman in college, you may not be receiving the same quality education as your male peers because of these outside factors. Change is possible but it will require intentional work on everyone’s part to make the college experience, a safe experience for all students. 

By Danny Holland - Danny is a senior public relations and advertising major and the Communications Intern for the Division of Student Affairs at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Food for Thought

You are what you eat. It has been said a million times but what does it really mean? The mystical powers of so-called “brain foods” have been making headlines since the dawn of the Internet. Eat this to sleep better. Eat that to improve memory. I do not really know what an Omega-3 fatty acid is, but with the way people talk about it, the fountain of youth might just be found inside a can of tuna.

What is the rub? Well, when you look past the clickbait and trendy diets, there is some real truth to the hype. You cannot deny that some foods are better than others in terms of physical health. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, right? The challenge is connecting food to mental health.

The body and mind are intrinsically connected. It helps to think of your body like a car. It needs fuel to run right? Everyone knows there is a difference between premium and unleaded fuel. Your brain’s fuel is food. Junk food is unleaded and healthy food is premium. Your brain is going to function better on premium. You want the cleanest fuel possible for your body’s engine, the brain.

In general, the best diet for physical and mental health is more like the traditional Mediterranean diet- mostly plant-based including whole fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole grains and seeds. Fatty fish, such as tuna or salmon, and other types of seafood should be the primary form of meat consumed. Poultry, dairy and eggs should be eaten modestly. Red meat should be avoided or eaten sparingly. Of course, water should be the beverage of choice but tea and coffee are acceptable as well.

Not only is this type of diet better for your body but your brain will thank you too. In fact, diets such as this have been linked to a 25-35% lower risk of depression compared to the typical American diet. Nuts, coffee, and fatty fish are known to boost memory and supply your brain with much needed vitamins and nutrients too. Studies have repeatedly shown that students who eat more fruits, vegetables and milk as opposed to processed foods perform better in school.

In general, you should be taking care of your car because it is the only car you have. Avoid highly processed, sugary food as much as you can and always reach for whole fruits and vegetables, when possible. This is crucial for optimal brain performance and mileage. So, if you want to improve your grades—a good start might be to clean out your dorm’s mini fridge.     

By Danny Holland - Danny is a senior public relations and advertising major and the Communications Intern for the Division of Student Affairs at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Learning Styles: Separating Fact from Fiction

We have all heard it by now; the four learning styles are visual, auditory, tactile and reading/writing. Figure out which one you are and box yourself in. It seems simple enough, but the reality is the concept is quite outdated.

Who actually learns better by focusing on only one of the styles? Let’s say you are an auditory learner— would you rather hear a description of the location of Peru or simply look at it on a map? Do you think reading a recipe or listening to an audiobook would be more effective?

Truth is even if you do learn better using a specific style; the learning process is too complex to use it for every application. Science backs this up too. Up to this point, there is no scientific evidence that there are four definitive learning styles separating students. All studies point toward a different conclusion— the learning style you should use depends on what you are trying to learn.

Generally, there are some learning styles that are better suited for certain applications. If you are in a lecture, taking notes is probably the best way for you to memorize the material. However, what if you take up sewing as a hobby? Your only choice is to learn by doing.

In fact, you probably already knew this even if you did not realize it. We have no choice but to use all four learning styles every single day. Oftentimes, we even use multiple styles at once. Ever read subtitles while listening to and watching a movie? There you go.

So why do we still teach that there are four specific learning styles? Well, they are not completely useless. We all tend to favor one of the four over the others— so they can still be somewhat useful in constructing our own study methods. For example, if you favor reading and writing over visual means of learning, you might learn better by reading the textbook rather than watching a video lecture.

It is helpful to think of the learning styles as a simple guideline rather than a structured concept. As with most things, labels are often inherently limiting. Just because you took a Facebook quiz does not mean you have to learn to cook Risotto by looking at a Venn diagram. But, by all means if that is what you prefer— do you. 

By Danny Holland - Danny is a senior public relations and advertising major and the Communications Intern for the Division of Student Affairs at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Comparison: The Thief of Joy

Ah, social media. Where would we be without its endless stream of instant gratification and your weird uncle who still cannot take a profile picture right? Beneath the veneer of memes and trendy recipes, there is a dark truth looming.

Do not get me wrong. Social media is a very valuable tool. It keeps us informed and connected in a world where information flows faster than you can blink. I cannot think of any other way we could keep up with it. Almost everyone is on some form of social media. Herein lies the problem.

Peer pressure. In the past, it meant being pressured into some bad influence by your peers. These days it means something entirely different.

Look at that — your friend Brandon just got a job offer from that huge, successful corporation everyone knows. You should feel proud of Brandon and the hard work he has put in to get there. Instead, you are just a burning pit of jealousy and feelings of inadequacy. And what’s this? Shay made better grades than you did this semester. Why are you such a failure?

The peer pressure of today manifests differently as you can see. Social media is a giant flashing billboard of your peers’ achievements. You cannot help but compare yourself and it seems you are never good enough.

Let us get to the root of the problem. It is not them. It is you. You are basing your happiness on the success of others. People tend to judge themselves more than anyone else ever will. Therefore, you will always fall short.

You are on your own path. All that matters is that you walk it. Nobody else is on that path. Take it day by day. Try to do better than you did the day before. The only person you should be comparing yourself to is the past you. If you are doing better than you have done before, that is what really matters.

By Danny Holland - Danny is a senior public relations and advertising major and the Communications Intern for the Division of Student Affairs at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Note-Taking: The 411

Taking notes is easy—or is it? If you’re like me it just might be the hardest part of the whole learning process. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s some tips to help you power through that three hour lecture.

Do the assigned reading before class. That’s right. I said it. Your professor isn’t the only one who’s going to nag you about this. If you’re at least somewhat familiar with the material before the lecture, you’ll be much more likely to remember it. What’s more, you’ll have a better idea of which topics to best focus on and which topics require less of your time.

Fake it until you make it. Maybe the course you’re taking isn’t exactly up your alley. Maybe you’re an advertising major taking a theatre class to fill your schedule for scholarship requirements. If you go into the lecture with a bad attitude you’re going to come out with bad notes. Bad notes lead to a bad grade. A positive attitude will go a long way towards a positive outcome.

Prepare better. Runaway pencils seem to be quite a problem these days. Before you head out make sure you have everything you need to be successful. This includes your textbook. Sure, it might weigh 1,000 pounds—but that’s just the wealth of knowledge it contains. You don’t want to be the guy or gal who has to share a textbook with a neighbor. That’s just bad form.

Overall, it comes down to you. Note-taking isn’t the hardest thing in the world but it isn’t the easiest either. The effort you put into your notes has a huge impact on your grade.

Remember: Bad notes sink boats.

By Danny Holland - Danny is a senior public relations and advertising major and the Communications Intern for the Division of Student Affairs at The University of Southern Mississippi.

The Dreaded Zoom Meeting

We’ve all been there -- You’re 30 minutes into a Zoom meeting and more than half the class has their cameras off. Then you have somebody that forgot to mute their microphone – so there’s this odd buzzing noise cutting through your professor’s voice as he tries to pose a question. The deafening silence pierces your ears as both you and your professor stare into the rectangle-shaped void. Nobody answers.

Let’s be honest, the situation we find ourselves in now isn’t exactly comfortable but it’s the safest and best we can do right now. I must say, it might be a little bit better if everyone in the class would turn their cameras on.

I can’t imagine how frustrating it is for professors to put so much time and effort into their lessons only for it to be received by a series of silent black boxes. The lack of participation would be enough on its own -- but it’s the lack of connection that really irks me.

I get it. It is pretty weird being forced to look at your own reflection the entire time, fretting over your appearance and the fact that everyone can see your every move. Some students might not have access to a good webcam or the one they have may not work -- that, I can understand.

But if you have a fully functioning camera -- please -- just turn it on. I’ve noticed in classes where the majority of people have their cameras on it does make things much less awkward, especially for the professor.

Not only is turning your camera on beneficial to the professor but also to us. It leads to more feelings of connectedness as a group and helps to generate more group discussion. This, in turn, leads to a better understanding of the material.

And, you don’t even have to look at yourself the whole time. Zoom actually has a function that enables you to hide your video from yourself -- allowing it to still be displayed to the class. Simply right-click the video and choose “Hide Yourself” from the menu that appears.

If you’re in an environment where friends or family members may interrupt the meeting or distract you, find somewhere else you can go ahead of time; such as, a study room, your car or some other quiet place you know.

The bottom line is this -- I think the simple act of turning on your camera is a small step towards developing a sense of connection with your peers during a time when virtual interaction is our new normal. 

By Danny Holland - Danny is a senior public relations and advertising major and the Communications Intern for the Division of Student Affairs at The University of Southern Mississippi.

The Pomodoro Technique

First of all, you may be asking yourself, “Pomo-what?” Believe me. I had the same reaction the first time I heard about it.

The Pomodoro Technique is actually a pretty nifty focus tool, and I myself have used it with great success in my studies. You set a timer for a set interval of time, generally 25 minutes. You work on your projects. Once the timer is up, take a short break. Generally about 3-5 minutes long. Then you set the timer for 25 minutes and start over again.

How does it work? I think we’ve all struggled with distractions in today’s world. It’s easy to get sucked into an Internet wormhole when you have a fully-functioning computer in your pocket at all times. We may sometimes find ourselves working for hours and hours straight, yet it seems we’re hardly getting anything done. However, when you get down to it, we tend to get distracted and waste nearly half of that time, generally on our phones. The Pomodoro technique is a great solution to this common problem.

The Pomodoro Technique works by, for lack of a better word, forcing you to work during those 25 minutes. But, with the incentive of a 5 minute break at the end of that chunk of time, it makes it easy to work through. Not only this, but now you won’t have to feel guilty about looking at pictures of cute cats while you’re supposed to be working.

Here’s a fun fact: Pomodoro is actually the Italian word for tomato. The technique got its name from its creator, Francesco Cirillo, who first developed the technique as a college student in the late 80’s. What does a tomato have to do with this? He used a kitchen timer in the shape of a tomato.

Funny enough, things haven’t changed much in the past 30+ years. Most people today set their timers with an Apple. 

By Danny Holland - Danny is a senior public relations and advertising major and the Communications Intern for the Division of Student Affairs at The University of Southern Mississippi.