Thursday, November 3, 2011

Obesity Prevention - J436 Writing Assignment

So, this wasn't an opinion piece, but I feel it's well-researched and could potentially help if you are someone looking to change to a healthier lifestyle through diet & exercise: Here are some "How to Be Healthy 101 Basics" :

Whether you have recently had a health scare, are currently overweight or feel you are at a healthy weight, you can benefit from taking steps to preventing obesity and the related health problems that come with it.

If you feel you are currently at risk of becoming obese, the first step you should take is to visit your doctor. They can run a variety of blood tests and conduct a physical exam to determine if you have any underlying health problems that have lead to your weight gain, such as a slow metabolism or thyroid problem. They could also identify other conditions that could affect your weight loss regimen, such as high blood pressure or a predisposition to diabetes. Once you understand your current condition, your doctor can help you develop a weight loss strategy.

The first step to any weight management plan is to exercise regularly. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, you need to get 150 to 250 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week to prevent weight gain. An example of “moderate-intensity activity” would include fast walking and swimming.

The next step to preventing obesity is watching what you eat. Mayoclinic.com suggests eating “low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods,” such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Avoid saturated fats and limit sweets and alcohol.

One way to keep track of what you eat is to keep a food journal. Use this journal to write down what, when and how much you eat, how you’re feeling when you eat, and how hungry you are. This will help you identify situations that trigger out-of-control eating, so you can learn ways to change these habits.

In addition to these strategies mentioned above, you should also monitor your weight regularly. According to mayoclinic.com, people who weigh themselves at least once a week are more successful in keeping off excess pounds. Monitoring your weight can help you detect small weight gains before they become big health problems.

Lastly, to ensure you maintain a healthy lifestyle, you must be consistent. That means sticking to your diet and exercise plan when it is difficult, such as on weekends, and amidst vacations and holidays as much as possible. It is important to remember that as long as it took to put the weight on, it may take equally as long to take it off, and the only way to ensure results is to make a lifestyle change towards healthy living.


Sources:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/obesity/DS00314/DSECTION=prevention

http://www.acsm.org/

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Tipsy Trivia: Stumbling Their Way to the Top


Tipsy Trivia, an SGTV television program created and run by two USC students, has generated a substantial local fan-base. The creators, Krista Bagley and Laura Kuhen, both senior broadcast journalism majors, are implementing their entrepreneurial skills in the hopes of taking their program to the next level and achieving national exposure on a major network.

The notion for the tipsy television show struck Kuhen while she was in a similar state of mind.

“Laura came up with the idea of creating a drunk trivia show one night over summer break when she was, well, drunk,” Bagley explained, chuckling at the intended irony. “When we got back to school, she told me about the idea and we decided to join SGTV together. We came up with the name Tipsy Trivia, decided we would film at the fountain in Five Points, and well, the rest is history.”

The first episode of Tipsy Trivia aired in September 2009 as a sex education trivia challenge. The show started off as a three-to-five minute segment, which aired during SGTV’s entertainment news show, “Talk of the Town.” During August of this school year, Tipsy Trivia was given their own 30-minute time slot.

Since its start in September of last year, Tipsy Trivia has generated a significant fan-base at the university. Bagley and Kuhen have taken it upon themselves to be, not only, the writers, directors, and producers, but also their own pubic relations team.

“We’re pretty much a walking Tipsy Trivia campaign”, Bagley stated. “We wear silly costumes and homemade Tipsy Trivia shirts on our ‘off-nights’ just to simply promote the show. Filming our show downtown is a great way to spread the word, because when people either see us filming or participate in the show themselves, they become interested in what we are doing, and want to become fans. Going downtown is also a great way to promote, because we will run into participants who have no recollection of being on the show, and they will go home and watch it, show it to their friends, and all become fans!”

Bagley and Kuhen also promote the show by utilizing social networking sites such as Facebook, SGTV’s website, Blip TV’s website, a video blog at blogspot.com and YouTube, where they post random comedy sketches, full episodes, blogs, and their comedy segment “Top 5,” which they produce for USC’s “Talk of the Town”. Last January they also organized a promotional blitz week, which has since resulted in the following of 200 additional fans to Tipsy Trivia’s Facebook page.

Their accomplishments thus far, aside from generating a significant fan base, include a front-page article of “The Daily Gamecock” and two successful percent nights at Village Idiot and Z-Pizza. Additionally their “Southern Twang” episode has just received the highest number of hits for Blip TV with 1,114 views.

With all the hype surrounding the show, the girls have even bigger plans for the show’s future.

“Our vision for Tipsy Trivia is to take it on the road to do a campus crawl and do episodes at famous college campuses around the country,” said Bagley, “Our justification for the show actually working out is that college kids will always drink, and everyone loves trivia, so we will never run out of material.”

Kuhen interned at Comedy Central in California last summer, so over spring break she took a trip and consulted with her old supervisors about how to go about pitching their show to major networks. Following their advice, the girls have created a Tipsy Trivia pitch DVD, which explains what the show is about, along with their future goals for the program. They are also working on trademarking the name “Tipsy Trivia” before they pitch it to major networks, so no one can take it.

Unfortunately, very few major networks accept unsolicited pitches, so in order for them to pitch the idea they would have to contact a production company or an agent to get an unofficial meeting. Not wanting to do this, Bagley said she has devised a way to get around the system.

“Because Laura and I are the queens of networking, marketing, and PR,” she joked, “I talked with a family friend named Gary Brooks who worked at Turner in Atlanta, and he is very interested in the show and wants us to get it trade-marked ASAP, because he also works with development at TRUTV, and he thinks they would pick it up, as well as other channels at Turner, so he is going to help us set up meetings and actually pitch the show!”

Bagley and Kuhen plan to take a year off after graduation to continue producing episodes, promoting the show, and pursuing the contacts they have made thus far. They also plan to take Tipsy Trivia on the road and film at other nearby campuses such as UGA and COFC.

In the more immediate future, they intend to complete their “I Love the 90s” episode sometime this week and are in the process of producing a compilation segment titled, “Best of Tipsy Trivia 2010-2011.” Tomorrow, they will be filming a special segment in honor of 4/20 called, “Toker Trivia”, followed by an “All-Star” episode next Friday where their craziest, drunkest competitors will come back to compete against each other in a reunion special.

From chasing down drunk kids in Five Points to rolling around Strom field in mullet wigs, these girls are willing to go to incredible and hilarious lengths to make their dream a reality.

“All in all, we dream big, and we will not settle for being average,” said Bagley, “Tipsy Trivia is a once in a lifetime idea, and we intend to do all we can to make it to the top.”

Thursday, March 31, 2011

If he's not asking you to Cup...

For my own personal spin on the classic, "Hes Just Not That Into You" theory, I present you with the idea: "If hes not asking you to Cup......." Maybe hes just not that into you? A discouraging thought, but a valid one, indeed.
For those of you who don't know...Carolina Cup is a highly-anticipated staple in most USC students' spring semesters, with over 60 thousand people expected to attend this year alone. It is a day where rage-advocates travel to Camden, SC to support the steeplechase horse racing event.... by never actually seeing the race itself, but by instead tailgating on the surrounding grassy knoll.
Fratstars, head-to-toe in preppy pastels, and sundress-sporting sorostitutes adorned with pearl necklaces and big, floppy hats show up at the crack of dawn to begin their annihilation by ripping shots of the cheapest bourbon you can find at Greene's (or the grog shop if you're super sketchy). The rage lasts for the remainder of the day until students stumble back onto their buses, most missing at least one item they came with (camera, phone, shoes, shirt, etc.).
So, to those of you who consider dressing up to go party with thousands of your closest friends a good time, I'm with you. What I don't understand, however, is why people are choosing to forego the occasion just because they are dateless. I was in attendance last year, and I don't believe I stumbled upon an awkward "singles" table where those who did not arrive arm-in-arm with a frat-tastic counterpart were shunned to.
I'm not referring just to single gals, either. I know plenty of girls who aren't going because their current fling fed them a line as to why he wouldn't be able to take them this year--leaving them dateless...to name just a few: "I didn't think about it until now, and the bus is already full"...."No ones really going with dates this year"..."I thought you were going with somebody else"....
and my ultimate favorite: "I can't afford my ticket PLUS yours."
While there are always exceptions, most likely if you were fed one of these lines the sad truth is.... he's probably just not that into you.
My reasoning:
While $45 dollars seems like a hefty fine for him to dish out for your ticket at first, consider the amount of money he routinely spends at the liquor store, or on late-night munchie runs at Sonic, or on miscellaneous items, like a new camo collar for his black lab (ultimate frat dog).
When you look at the situation in perspective, cutting a few corners to save up for your ticket isn't that big of a deal, and that's if he actually earns his own money--which very few of them do. If he doesn't have a job (besides fratting hard 24 hours a day) they have even less of an excuse. This means he was just too lazy to call up mom and dad (who probably love you anyway) and ask for a few extra bucks. Super lame. An additional side note: tickets are available at the Colonial Life Arena, meaning he doesn't even have to use real money to purchase them--a quick deposit of funny money on the old Carolina Card would suffice.
My point: The days of worrying about having a date ended after senior prom. If your frat star is falling short and throwing you one of these lines...Forget him. Ditch the drama. Go with your friends. Look Fabulous. Live it up while you can, because life is too short, and college is even shorter.