Thousands of years ago, humans hunted as a means of survival. Today, mankind doesn’t have to hunt to provide food for the family, but that doesn’t mean the art of hunting has faded out of existence. I proudly call myself a hunter.

As the dominant species on earth, mankind has struggled to live in harmony with animals. From the illegal poaching of elephants to accidentally stepping on an anthill, humans have a history of conflict with animals. Nature and wildlife conservation efforts are prevalent today; however, wildlife management programs, parks and education services cost money.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, these programs are partially funded from tax revenues, around $200 million comes from hunters’ federal excise taxes. Without individuals paying for hunting gear and tags, those programs would not have sufficient funding.

“Much of the Oregon Fish and Wildlife budget, and what we use to test animals for disease, monitor populations and improve habitat…A lot of that comes from hunting license dollars,” said Michelle Dennehy, a spokesperson for Oregon Fish and Wildlife.

In addition to conserving habitats, hunting can form new territories. I’ve hunted ducks, geese and pheasant with my dad since I was a little girl. The property we hunt on each year has been purposefully managed to attract a large amount of waterfowl.

From personal experience, I can tell you that the property serves not only as a hunting ground, but as a home. Blue Herons, hawks, golden eagles, deer, black birds and a variety of colorful creatures have claimed a spot on that land. Without management, those animals wouldn’t have that habitat. Hunting is more than a gun versus an animal.

Even if you don’t agree with hunting as a sport, remember that hunters aren’t carelessly waving guns and shooting fluffy animals.

Hunting is a sport and the participants have to follow rules. For example, we don’t pick up a gun from the kitchen table, march outside and start shooting in random directions. Procedures and laws governing the sport must be adhered to. Ethical hunters demand respect for their quarry, other hunters and people who don’t agree with the sport.

These are a few of the rules in Oregon: In 1973, youth under the age of 17 became required to complete hunter education. In 2008, hunters who purchased a turkey or large game animal tag became required to report the success or lack of success during the hunting season. These reports help biologists determine what changes, if any, to make in game management for the next year.

I had to complete hunter education when I was 12, before participating in the sport. Hunting is thrilling, exciting and taught me a large amount of responsibility. I learned at an early age that guns are not toys and must be treated accordingly. The animals we hunt deserve our respect, and therefore, should not be hunted out of season.

I am a hunter, not a killer. I will continue to hunt as I grow up, but I respect that some people do not agree with the practice. Nevertheless, I hope people can open themselves up to learning more about hunting than what is often depicted.

The post Foster: The hidden fundamentals of hunting appeared first on Emerald Media.

In slow, painful blinks, your eyes finally open. You move your stiff neck to the side and pat around trying to find your phone as the gears in your brain start to turn. Your hair is clumped in a variety of knots and you don’t even want to know what your breath smells like. The last thing you remember was your seventh shot-or was it the eighth shot. And WHAT? WHAT AM I DOING IN THAT PICTURE?

Memory loss is usually associated with the heartbreaking disease of amnesia, whose victims tend to be of an older age. The cost of identity, failure to recognize loved ones, and a sense of loss, are part of the tragic disease that has claimed too many lives.

This disease has a distant relative: Alcohol Related Blackout (ARB). This self-induced malady lurks in the corners and the crevices of our young adult lives. Drinking, parties and blacking out in college have become norms. On the weekends, you cannot walk along the streets surrounding campus without hearing shouts, a throbbing base or the clinking of bottles. Partying is a way many of us cope with the stress of school and homework. It gives us a chance to unwind and have a little fun with friends. Nonetheless, the boundary between “just a little bit of fun” and dangerous is a fine line.

Jennifer Summers, the Director of Substance Abuse Prevention and Student Success, states that an ARB prevents the body from creating memories. Depending on the frequency and how much alcohol is consumed, an ARB can affect you later in life. Blacking out is not the same as passing out, which involves losing consciousness due to excessive alcohol use.

“Blackouts are periods of amnesia, caused by excessive consumption of alcohol,” said Summers. “People can remain awake and participate in activities such as talking, driving, eating food, having unprotected sex or getting into a fight.”

A report completed by Mark Schuckit, professor of psychiatry at the University of California, in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, analyzed the frequency of ARBs for 1,402 English teenagers at ages 15, 16, 18 and 19. The results concluded that at age 15, 30 percent experienced a blackout, and at age 19, 74 percent had blacked out.

This study proves that age and blackouts are related. Teenagers and young adults are more apt to suffer from a blackout. What is more concerning is that blackout frequency increases as the individual’s age. In America, most college freshmen are 18 or 19. Not only are they at the highest-risk age, but they are also entering a new environment where drinking and parties happen every weekend.

According to a Medical Daily article, working memory tells you how to walk or eat and continues to function during alcoholic binges. Eventually, your brain decides whether to keep certain information in your long-term memory. When your body is over-exposed to alcohol, the brain shuts down the storage process.

If you make the decision to take shot after shot or shotgun six beers in a row, your brain will probably not cooperate. More than that, you will not create new memories. College is an amazing period of time in our lives. We have the chance to live on our own, learn new things, and actively participate in a social environment. Someday, you’ll be the ones telling your grandchildren the time you wrote an essay in one night or enjoyed a beer at Taylor’s. Undoubtedly, the crazier stories may have happened on the nights you “let loose.”

I’m not suggesting that anyone stop enjoying the weekend social life or drinking. Alcohol is in this college culture, whether we like it or not. Like a flashing neon sign, liquor tempts even the strongest of will. If you aim to blackout at a party, you’re not only at risk of hurting yourself or others, but you are also choosing to sacrifice memory.

Be conscious, be aware, and be mindful of the consequences of alcohol consumption.

If memories of your childhood matter to you, chances are remembering your college experiences will be important to you 20 years from now. Enjoy the college world, but don’t actively try and forget it.

The post Foster: The blackout culture appeared first on Emerald Media.

A single moment of courage is all it takes to face the “unknown.” That moment can be days, hours or even 20 seconds, and no matter the length, the decision is difficult. The familiar is easy, comfortable and soft – like an old couch or a well-used pair of shoes. Did you ever wonder what those battered shoes were before? New. Those shoes were foreign objects until use and love took their toll.

For many of us, the University of Oregon is a family. From the famous sprint into the Autzen Stadium to the awkward silence that hovers in the Knight Library, this campus is home – safe and familiar.

My advice? Leave. Find that moment of courage, step outside Eugene, and travel somewhere new.

If it is at all possible for you, please study abroad. The funny thing about a well-loved pair of shoes is that they stay used. Campus stays the same. You can, and will, come back.

The benefits of removing yourself from this environment are endless. In three months abroad I learned more about who I am and what really matters than during the years spent in middle school, high school and college combined. It is fun, exciting, challenging, exhilarating, sometimes sad and always eye-opening. The only way you’ll fully understand is by discovering your own moment of courage and taking that leap of faith.

You can take it or leave it, maybe tell me I’m crazy, but here are a few of the lessons I learned on my adventure:

1. It is a journey of self-discovery
I studied abroad for a myriad of reasons. Curiosity urged me to uncover the secrets that this world harbors. I wanted to see the world, but during my travels I recognized I wasn’t just seeing the world. I was on a journey of self-fulfillment and realization. In placing myself in a completely foreign environment I was forced to be brutally honest with myself and in doing so I became my own best friend.

2. We worry about the same stuff
Love, diets, relationships, fitness, body image, family, politics, happiness and career aspirations – you aren’t alone with these struggles. They affect every human being no matter what culture or country you are from. It’s easy to feel like you are the only one that worries about what people think of you or are striving to find happiness. Whether you are from America, Italy, Ireland, the North Pole or anywhere on the globe, we are more similar than different. People are people.

3. Technology becomes secondary
Unless you have an international data plan which can still prove to be difficult, the internet and social media are used in brief periods of time. It’s beautiful. My phone became my camera and in not worrying about the next text message or my friend’s Snapchat stories, I fully reveled in the sights and people around me. Without the cushion of scrolling through the internet, I wrote, read and talked more. I filled two journals while I was abroad and had to basically re-learn the true and messy art of face-to-face conversation.

4. It’s okay to relax
As a daughter of America, I grew up believing in busyness. Run there, play this, lead that…a constant stream of activity. If I didn’t have an around-the-clock to-do list, I was lazy or lacking in motivation. An Italian told me that they believe time is in the hands of fate. The future is a force that no one can control and upon that realization, you can begin to live directly in the present; the moment. One day, you’re going to look back on your life and wonder where all that time went. If we keep our focus on “that next thing,” time for ourselves and one another will cease to exist.

Everyone who has studied abroad has a different story to tell, and that is what makes the adventure so inspiring. It’s a time in your life when only you can truly understand the impact of what you experienced.

Hearts, candy, stuffed animals, pink, roses, love letters, tears, chocolate…make it stop. Or rather, stop making that mess the focus. Try not to be pretentious and decorate your room with black streamers and throw a heart-shaped box of chocolates at the wall. One, what are you trying to prove and to whom? Two, it’s a crime to waste chocolate.

I won’t lie and say that I don’t appreciate the occasional rose (or a bouquet…who am I kidding?). But, honestly, we get so caught up in someone else’s idea of Valentines Day that we fail to realize you can make that day whatever you want. The key word being: you.

When was the last time any of us thought of Valentine’s Day as a day for ourselves? It is a day to honor love. We seem to dub this holiday as a jamboree for couples, and if you don’t have a significant other, it serves as a stark realization that you are single. It’s always black or white–nothing in between. But it shouldn’t be that way.

If this day is truly about love, then it should be celebrated through every avenue one could think of. Valentines Day should not bind love into one specific category. In focusing on one type of love such as relationships, we create an “other”. This “other” encompasses everyone who does not have that connection and in turn, some are left to stand in the headlights of this holiday, blinded by the stark feeling of: I don’t have that.

Now, many individuals rejoice in that! That’s what should be happening. Valentines Day is a holiday dedicated to rejoicing in the entire concept of love. Just because you may not be in a fairytale relationship, does not mean that you should focus on the anti-love. Instead, why not love yourself? We are our worst critics. Use this day to stand up for yourself and appreciate even the smallest things that make you smile.

Giving yourself affection and nurturing is not selfish. In fact, how can you give love to someone else, if you don’t even know how to love who you are? For goodness sake, send yourself some roses and just see how you feel. Maybe you’ll feel splendid and think: wow, you know what, I really deserved that, thanks me. It’s also possible you’ll feel weird and find the situation entirely awkward. But, you never know until you try. So try!

If anything, strive to make Valentines Day a celebration in which an “other” does not exist. The holiday is not named the “Exclusive Celebration for Fabulous Couples”. If you’re a single person who wants to celebrate Valentines Day, then by all means please do. Find anything or anyone that you absolutely love and automatically you are part of the celebration. The hearts and the candy and the kisses don’t have to define what that day means to you.

Smile at a stranger. Hug your cat (if it will let you). Call mom and dad. Call your siblings. Call grandma and grandpa. Just call the whole family. Tell the cashier to have a nice day. Spend the day with your closest friends. Host a solo dance party. See 50 Shades of Grey…am I right?

The answer to a meaningful Valentines Day is to focus on every type of love that exists in your life. Love does not exclude, so why should we exclude it? My challenge to each and everyone one of you is to enjoy this holiday, no matter where you are at in life. It’s not about what you don’t have. If we were all to just take a step back and realize what love really means, I think every single person can find something to rejoice in on Valentines Day.

With the 2016 election just over a year away, a variety of presidential hopefuls still flood both the Republican and Democratic race. The top candidates are gradually becoming more obvious. Of the Republicans, four frontrunners are vying for the head of state and government: Marco Rubio, Carly Fiorina, Donald Trump and Ben Carson. Of the Democrats, the current leaders are Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

Originally, Trump led the polls by 23 percent, but in the last few weeks both Rubio and Fiorina have inched closer to him. Political experts in the USA Today GOP Power Rankings believed that Trump may have finally been falling from his high horse, but reports this week put him on top. Clinton still leads the Democratic candidates by 40 percent. Nonetheless, American citizens should remind themselves of what is truly happening.

The most recent Republican debate turned into “America’s Next Top President” and Trump amped up the drama to an unnecessary level. He focuses on topics such as trade and immigration that many Americans worry about. These issues are always prevalent no matter which presidential race is happening, but Trump avoids questions about newer issues and plays on the fears of the citizens.

All candidates have an aversion to answering any straightforward question; it’s far more normal to start telling their opponents what they have done wrong. From Clinton’s email scandal to the media’s focus on personal life, more bickering between candidates than debating about America’s concerns has happened across both Republican and Democratic parties. Many candidates are not taking each other seriously and are not receiving respect from the American people.

Making light of a situation does relieve a level of stress, but can also prevent the appropriate level of formal behavior. The president of the United States is not an icon or reality star. He or she is the leader and commander in chief of the country. Checks and balances do not prevent the president from making changes. That system can only slow down change to a certain extent among all the branches of power. The presidency is not a joke and should not be taken lightly.

The other day, topics about Trump came up in my lecture. At just the mention of his name, individuals began laughing and shaking their heads. People began jesting about him, things he has said and about how funny it would be if Trump became president.

Although something may be funny at the moment, it doesn’t mean it will continue to be a lighthearted topic. It agitates me when I overhear conversations about Trump becoming president because it would be funny or humorous. Is the future of our country truly that amusing to people? Have our issues with the political process so clouded our judgment that we cannot at least try to take the system seriously?

In light of the heat surrounding gun control and the recent tragedy of the shooting in Oregon, Americans should pay avid attention to the candidates. One of those individuals will become our leader and have the power to make a drastic impact on this nation. They are taking on heavy and controversial issues such as ISIS, prison conditions, legalized gay marriage and gun control. Each of these respective topics demands a level of attention and consideration.

In a dream world, the presidential race would focus on what each candidate believes in and how they would address national and world issues. But, in real life, personal issues, past mistakes and physical appearances emerge on the Internet more than political beliefs. It’s hard to focus on a candidate’s statement in an entertainment world. It is far easier to switch the channel or joke about Trump becoming president.

We have to remember that this race is not for entertainment or amusement. Whoever becomes head of this nation is entering a sphere full of turmoil and grief, which needs to be addressed with courage and the strength of the American people.

Twinkly lights flood the space with an aura of serenity and peace. White drapes hang lavishly from windows and over bed frames, while pastel purple, cream and pink comforters cover mattresses of all sizes. Candid photos are pasted on the walls in a variety of twists and loops.

Be prepared, for the return of the Instagram bedroom has arrived. The trend will come and go as fall becomes winter, and every college student sleeps snug in a bed. We would like to think that our bedrooms give some small insight into our character. Yet, the pastels, drapes, fluffy comforters, lights and candles now confuse me. I cannot tell one room from another as I scroll through my feed. As we all share pins from Pinterest, Tumblr ideas, Buzzfeed videos and Twitter retweets, we begin to follow trends and rely on the ideas and experiences of other people.

Instagram is its own planet. It is home to a variety of people, places and things. Images like Taylor Swift’s hair dramatically blown back by oversized fans flood newsfeeds. Pictures of Barack Obama candidly smiling at hundreds of reporters and loyal Duck fans holding up the “O” for the 1000th time, reveal a broad spectrum of individuals. Profiles like the Travel Show and the San Diego Zoo give us places to visit from our own living rooms. We can connect through single words with a hashtag.

Instagram has seasons that we view as trends. Once one person posts an image of them laughing on the beach with all his or her best friends, everyone else has to follow suit. Let’s not forget the “oops I threw snow/leaves/glitter in the air and I have to laugh” picture or the all-too-familiar “let’s pretend they caught us smiling directly at each other” photo.

This social media forum can make anyone nervous. Some will feel inadequate because their newsfeed shows people who are climbing the Himalayas or cliff jumping in Hawaii. Couples celebrating six months, one, two, three years and even two weeks (seriously?) pop up as we thumb through our phones. There are countless images of people traveling, making food, kissing, sky diving, walking, crafting and what appears to be living.

The single factor that reveals Instagram as a false reality and as a platform that plays on the natural self-consciousness of humankind is that almost every single profile consists entirely of smiling people. It’s impossible to be that happy all the time.

Since my first Instagram post, I’ve cried. Close friends of mine separated and deleted every picture they had together. A child had a tantrum in Safeway because her mom wouldn’t let her have a box of chocolate chip cookies. A friend’s wallet and ID were stolen while she studied abroad.

But all you see on my Instagram is how happy I looked when I turned 22. The ex-couple started posting more pictures of them smiling with other people. A mom just posted a picture of her little girl with a bow in her hair because the child finally smiled after a 2-hour fit. That friend posted a picture of herself pinching the tower of Pisa.

What we see and what is actually there are two different categories on Instagram. The key to a successful relationship with Instagram is to keep it in perspective. Remember it is nothing more than an app on a phone that can be deleted forever. Maybe Instagram is helping us realize how similar we really are, but on the other hand, maybe we’re just trying to one-up the last post.

I will continue to post photos on Instagram, as will millions of others, but I advise you to be kind to yourselves and your peers. Remember that while you may obsess over another’s life, they may be doing the same to you.

And let’s not fool ourselves about the bedrooms. In reality, that space is now covered in laundry, schoolwork and shoes.

I nervously shuffled my feet, awkwardly clasped and unclasped my hands. I gave a soft laugh that quickly turned into a grimace; I think I mentally gagged. I had just met a friend of a friend (you know how that goes) and the conversation started normally and politely. Hi, hey, nice to meet you, awesome, where are you from and so on and so forth.

Then the game changer happened: they found out I was a senior. All other conversation comes to a screeching halt and the room starts to become extremely small. People cannot continue a discussion without asking the dreaded question that follows the discovery of my age.

“What are you doing next year?”

Honestly, I just went to the store to buy coffee and then forgot to buy the coffee as I shopped. Half of my closet is on the floor and I wore a bright pink, pajama onesie out in public the other day. I don’t even know what I am doing right now. Maybe tomorrow I will remember to buy coffee.

While some of us know the answer to that question, many of us nervously shrug our shoulders and mumble something about graduation.

This is okay.

Yes, society would like to hear what our future plans are. The friend of a friend is asking an appropriate question that we simply want to avoid. But, just because you’ll be receiving a piece of paper that says you’re good at something in the near future, it doesn’t mean you have to be an all-knowing being.

You don’t have to have everything figured out. This is a perfect time to reflect on the last three years and remember your first year on campus. What were you excited about? Which classes did you love or hate? What did you do to motivate yourself? Just as you think about your childhood to remember what you loved as a kid, as seniors, we can take lessons from the freshmen.

1. Go to office hours

Much of a senior’s class schedule is major and minor classes. We have spent the last three years narrowing our focus on what we would like to become professionals in. But, we aren’t there yet. Don’t be pretentious; we don’t know everything. Professors are still the experts. Use office hours as a way to get to know the faculty. With the job world looming just around the corner, these individuals will become your references.

2. Get involved

Do something new. Just because we are in the homestretch of our college career doesn’t mean we shouldn’t explore. It’s easy to become stuck in activities that feel safe and familiar, but all we’re going to do when we graduate is explore. Why not practice now?

3. Meet new people

At this point you know who you want to see all the time and whom you would like to avoid. You have solidified your group of friends and it’s easy to go all “Mean Girls” on strangers: “You can’t sit with us.” But you should be open to new faces. First-year students are just beginning to figure out who they do and don’t get along with. Don’t sit in a cave with your friends and wave off wandering souls. Approach someone new and invite him or her to hang out. Who knows, maybe you will find a best friend, or even someone to contact in the job world.

4. Look at college in wonder

Keep some of your freshman naivety and fascination. We are still students who have a chance to learn from professionals who want to pass on their knowledge to us. Remember how you felt your first year? Everything looked new, captivating and unfamiliar. Now it is home, but try to keep a little of that wide-eyed look.

5. Do what you want

Pursue anything and everything that has ever interested you. Freshmen are told to explore and study what they want. As a senior, never feel like you have to settle for something you don’t want to just because of your age. Change your mind, add a major or minor or study something new. Listen to yourself and be honest.

The term bar is a vague word. It can refer to metal poles, granola bars, musical measurements and is also used as a preposition meaning “except for.” It is an expression that has multiple purposes in the English language. But one bar stands out among the rest: the nightlife bar. Or as I like to call it on my bitter days: a dark room that smells like too many people and $10 vodka.

Now, I have had pleasant experiences in bars. Campus bars can be fun if you take them in stride. A Wednesday through Saturday appearance at Taylor’s Bar & Grill is going to make you feel like you took your body through a minefield, physically and emotionally.

You see everyone you want to see and everyone that you don’t want to see. After an hour in Taylor’s, you will walk out into the quiet street and shout, “WHAT? WHAT DID YOU SAY?” to your friend right next to you. At one point, someone will get sick, lost or sick and lost. Standing at the bar, all you will feel is someone’s sweaty arm pressed against your sweaty arm. How neighborly.

In my short experience with bars, I have discovered that they make me more social. A couple glasses of wine or a few beers probably helped open the flow of conversation. Yet, the moment I step into a campus bar, I can hardly hear myself think, let alone carry on a discussion. I don’t quite enjoy someone’s lips pressed against my ear trying to explain the classes they are taking this term. The next morning my throat is raw and hoarse from simply screaming, “Hello!” or “How’s your mom?”

The louder the music is, the more people will drink. Without the ability to chat with our peers or hear a reply, we give up and grab another drink. Bars aren’t doing this because they want to make the social setting less awkward or more inviting to its customers; bars want people to stop talking and keep drinking.

Instead of having a section of the bar dedicated to dancing and loud music, the entire building sounds like a gigantic speaker. We are left to step on one another’s toes, bump heads and say rude things to each other as we all crowd the bar. The end game is the same: we all want another drink. Just stand there with a smile plastered on your face and maybe you’ll slip through — or make another friend. But, you’ll probably just get pushed around, glared at and do the same in return.

Sometimes we all need a night to get crazy, be a little weird, and stop being social. Most of the campus bars can offer that environment, and by all means take advantage of it (if you’re over 21, of course.) But at the same time, don’t go every night. The same things happen. Take your friends, walk a little further down the sidewalk and check out something new. Maybe it’s a little quieter, but at least the place won’t smell like 100 percent bad choices (alright, maybe just 70 percent.)

The shoelaces are tied, the shirt is buttoned up, and the credit card is in the back pocket when suddenly your cellphone sounds a loud BING. It’s a paragraph long message from the person you were supposed to meet that day explaining why he or she has to cancel last minute. The note is heartfelt and the word “sorry” is listed at least twice. An excuse is given as to why your plans have to be rescheduled, which is followed by a meaningful intention about hanging out as soon as possible.

A friend or possibly even a stranger said, “Hey, no offense but…”, and told you something almost insulting, but it shouldn’t be because he or she told you it’s not meant to upset you. Laughs are exchanged and the world continues to spin.

You ask a friend to grab an item from the store or at home. He or she amiably promises to retrieve the item and bring it to you at your next meeting. Upon arriving, a look of horror passes over their face as they realize the item was forgotten. They tell you that they forgot to write a reminder to themselves and lost track of time.

In each of these cases you are left with a choice. You can tell them how you feel or you can sugarcoat the truth. People frequently choose the latter. Why is it so difficult for humankind to be honest about when they feel let down?

In his article, psychologist Hank David states, “But the question remains why this passivity is so widespread. One benefit it provides is that everybody gets to save face and, most of all, everyone is saved from the dreaded ‘C word’ – conflict.” David is discussing the conundrum of never saying “no”, but the concept is the same. No person wants to give somebody an excuse to be angry or miffed by him or her. People don’t want others to think ill of them nor do they wish to hurt another’s feelings.

It’s not easy to tell a friend how you really feel when it might briefly cause offense. Then again, the right decisions are usually the hardest choices to make. When you choose to say, “that’s okay” or “no worries”, you are hurting yourself and the other individual because nothing helpful is occurring.

On the perspective of the person who forgot the item or flaked last minute, we’ve all been there. I know I have, and sometimes my excuses were legitimate, as has been the case for many others. Nothing in life has or ever will be solidified. It is far too unpredictable. However, a majority of explanations also occur because things are easier said than done.

In her article on Psychology Today, psychologist Andrea Bonior says, “Perhaps you have a bona fide conflict (or a bona fide stomach bug). But all too often, we’re just distracted, apathetic, or tired, and looking for excuses to legitimize our laziness.”

Some excuses are real or caused by personal struggles. Others are given because it’s easier to remove yourself from the commitment. The saying, “no offense”, is thrown around like sand in the wind because it’s supposed to make the next phrase less agonizing to hear, and the receiver will probably laugh it off.

Confronting a friend about how you truly feel is difficult and frightening. In Forbes, Dr. Bill Dyment advises people to approach a flaky friend or offensive comment with kindness and specific examples. Show your acquaintance how what they did is affecting your friendship, but also demonstrate a willingness to listen to their reasoning. It is a two-way street. Calling them out in public or blatantly saying that they’re wrong will force them on the defensive and put both of you in awkward positions.

Conflict is natural and can help people grow and learn when used in the right situations. Don’t avoid it because you are afraid of what other people think. Stand up for yourself, and help your friend understand how you can both move forward together.

Sticky notes and colored page markers are thrown in our faces. Highlighters and brightly colored pens are heavily advertised. Separate notebooks, folders and book organizers are encouraged for each respective class that we take. Teachers say one thing in class and more than likely, an email will follow with completely different or new information. Those colored pens and class material all end up on one iconic notebook: the planner.

This little book is supposed to help people organize their week and successfully execute whatever projects or seminars need to be handled that day. However, planners are deceiving devices. These notebooks are adept at helping students plan for the future, but become a hideous to-do list the day when those things need to be completed. Why do we shy away from the plans until the day that we need to accomplish them?

We have all gone through the phase, and are probably still dealing with it, where the sky seemed to come crashing down in the form of mornings. The moment that alarm goes off is the instant we all wish we could roll over and bury ourselves under a mountain of sheets and pillows. This is an issue that antagonizes our relationship to planners. Ideas and goals are best accomplished in the morning when we feel rested and our willpower is stronger. Whether you slept for three or eight hours, your mind is sharpest right after you wake up.

The issue is our fear of mornings and our hatred of the phrase, “Early to bed, early to rise” when the college norm is “late to bed, late to rise.” If you wait to roll yourself out of bed until the morning is almost over, you won’t have much time to cross things off your planner. The afternoon is full of class, exercise, clubs and jobs. Also, as the day goes on, your willpower gradually depletes and leaves you feeling lethargic and yearning for the comfort of your bed.

But, some of those plans and homework assignments need to be crossed off one way or another. Therefore, we find ourselves wasting away in the library after midnight because those little notes crept on us again. As the night progresses and your focus dwindles, you start to move assignments and tasks to the next day. It feels easy to do when your brain feels like Play-Doh, but come the next day the same feelings will come back. And, because you had to stay up late, morning will turn into midday before you push yourself out of bed. The same vicious cycle continues.

Planners are supposed to lend a helping hand by taking the chaotic mess that makes up our extracurricular activities, school and social life, and help us accomplish tasks day by day. More than anything, organizers list what has to be done, but end up stressing us out. The more we start to put things on a schedule and cross, circle or highlight tasks, the more they just become things to get done.

Eventually, coffee dates with friends, volunteer activities and fun extracurricular events will also become another homework assignment. The more we push stuff off, the more we don’t want to do it. Our time for friends and fun activities become another note that has to be pushed to another day or week and ultimately, we forget about them. That lunch date with an old friend becomes another thing that we feel we have to get done.

Maybe a planner is more than just pieces of paper bound together. It’s an extension of our minds because it has the ability to keep us in the moment. We don’t have to worry about what is coming next. It’s already written and when that day comes, we can feel confident in our capacity to complete the task at hand.