by Erykah H., Staff Writer
I believe that everyone is important to our society. The recent shooting in Bakersfield, California at the Thousand Oaks Bar allowed me to realize how valuable life is. If everyone works together to benefit from the overall tenderness of the world, we will see improvement day by day. We can start the process on our campus by following these simple instructions. To get straight to the point, I’ve compiled a list of actions and thoughts that every UTC student should consider to make our campus feel safer and friendlier. I call this the AmERYKAH Method. Daily Changes Smile more: Smile to make yourself more approachable. Everyone has somewhere to go and there are so many of us. You can make someone’s day by smiling at them. You do not have to speak, and everyone is capable of a little smirk here and there. With exams and the new year approaching, this method is the quickest way to improve someone’s day. More than 30% of us smile more than 20 times a day. Less than 14% of us smile less than 5 times a day. Smiling does not have to be prescribed by a doctor and is free for everyone with no insurance needed. Some scientifically proven side effects may include: stress relief, pain relief, stronger immune function, relationship builder, lower blood pressure, and longer life. Shake A Hand: This approach is a little more hands on…get it? Everyone can participate and it will increase socialization between different people. Handshakes decrease the possibility for a negative outcome in the conversation. The history of the handshake dates back to the 5th century B.C. in Greece. It was a symbol of peace, showing that neither person was carrying a weapon. A neuroscientist author for Huffpost writes, “Through the handshake, we establish the level of trust between ourselves and the other individual. We divine earnestness, truthfulness, and we measure the depth of friendship or deceit in the other party.” Men and women can enjoy this interaction together. Challenge yourself to shake one person’s hand each day. Talk: Just talk. This is not a desperate means to an end. For this campus to really seem connected like the “Blue and Gold Family” we are, everyone should feel comfortable enough to spread a quick sentence or two with a stranger. Compliment someone, ask questions, share a joke, or ask how someone’s day is. It may seem weird at first, but if everyone attempts to warm the campus with these daily exchanges, our campus will be more inviting to faculty, staff, and, parents, and incoming freshman. Some benefits of talking are: networking opportunities, new friendships, learning from others, and increasing amiability on the campus. Mindset Adjustment Ignore the Differences: Would you like to hear a fun fact? Everyone is different than you. You will never find someone who is exactly the same. We – as a collective – focus on color, politics, religion, and looks way too often. The primary problem is that we let it dictate our behavior. I encourage you to adjust your mindset and focus on the things that matter and ignore how you are different than the people around you. The AmERYKAH Method will grow every day. You can stay up to date with the actions to make this campus a better place by starting now. There are enough people in the world who are negative and will try everything to deter you from what matters. I am a freshman and my impression of UTC so far are that students are not kind. A victim’s family – Alaina Housley – of the California shooting, is advocating for people in the US to learn to be present, enjoy your loved ones, and be kind to one another. Their motto is: Voice of Song, Voice of Strength, Voice of Spirit, Voice of CHANGE. Use the free tools above to make a change in Chattanooga, and more importantly, begin to make a change in the world. This is America. We only get one.
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December 2018
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