Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Run, Girl, Run

One of my favorite past times in college is making the age-old trip to the Colvin Recreation Center. It is something that I dread doing, but it is a necessary evil. My biggest issue with the Colvin is the traffic that accumulates. Being fit is totally hip right now for college students. I feel like the only time I don't have to wait for a machine is on Game Day and Thursday nights.

There are a few people you run into at the Colvin. The most frequent visitors are the 'gazelles.' Those are more likely to be women, but a guy sneaks in every now and then. Basically a 'gazelle' is the person beside you on the elliptical/treadmill/stair stepper/bike who is going so fast, you are concerned they will fly off the machine. It is literally like watching a gazelle run from a pack of lions. Personally, I work out at the pace of an extinct do-do bird, meandering along at a 2.5 on a 0 incline. I can't help but wonder how someone is able to keep this up for 45 minutes. I am winded and ready for a nap after only 20 minutes of my workout... But gazelles.... Well the gazelles live for the hour of running with the lions.

Another character you might see at the Colvin is the busy-body. This person usually has head phones in one ear, a book out studying, and their iPhone cranked up on loud so they can take that super important phone call. I am completely fine with the multi-tasking until the actual phone call comes through. Side note: I hate extra noise when I am working out. Conversations, phone calls, extra music that is playing over the sound system, etc. With that being said, when that phone call comes through and the busy body answers, my skin crawls. There is nothing worse than trying to work out and listen to Dr. Phil on the TV with the extra noise from your Chatty Cathy neighbor. They never have a quiet voice, and always find a need to talk to the person on the other line for the next 15 minutes. I would like to make the friendly recommendation to leave the phone in the car. If you must bring it in, please keep it on vibrate... Only converse using texts. And if something can't wait, exit the building to avoid annoying your fellow work-outers. This might be the only time they can watch Dr. Phil! Think about it.

The final person I would like to discuss is the wishy-washy-work-outer. They are truly harmless, but might cause a distraction if you naturally watch people as a hobby. I am a self-proclaimed people watcher thanks to Joe Jones. Basically this is the scenario... I am watching Dr. Phil and working out at a moderate pace. I notice the person in front of me get on a machine. They have an odd color of workout pants, so I make a note and carry on with the "Cheaters" edition of Dr. Phil. About 3 minutes later, odd pants is getting off the machine... And moving to a different one. They start working out again. I begin to wonder if that was their plan or if they got bored or perhaps they decided biking was more efficient then running... Then about 3 minutes later they are on the stair stepper next to you. At this point Dr. Phil has lost all significance and your sole concentration is on this flippy flopper who can’t make up their mind!

Top 5 Cons about the Colvin Center

5. Too much to do, not enough time. The Colvin is a three story building crammed with almost anything you need. Indoor pool, outdoor pool, simulation golf, cardio, dance studio rooms, basketball/volleyball courts, racquetballs courts, weightlifting, track, ping pong, table pool, and I am sure I missed some. It is incredible the endless possibilities in that building… But I have only utilized maybe three things in the above list. I just don’t find time to go over and use the recreation part… I only do fitness. This is not good seeing as my fees are being used generously to make sure the volleyballs are aired and the pools have chemicals!

4. TV stations. I have never had a problem with the TV stations until about two weeks ago. Back in the separated room with cardio equipment, there used to be great generic stations. Now one of the TVs is set to TV Land. Black and white, old shows. Not exactly the motivating show I need. Shows either need to pump me up or distract me from the constant motto running through my brain while in the Colvin—“Am I done yet?” TV Land shows don’t motivate me; in fact, they are the exact opposite. They make me want to leave, so hopefully the Colvin will change that soon!

3. Spin Class. AKA boot camp on a bike. I have never actually partaken in this class, but I sometimes work out while the class is going on. Let me tell you, they aren’t playing over there. I bet Lance Armstrong would have trouble keeping up on the stationary bike. You know it’s bad when you are cranking up the levels on your treadmill because her screams are just terrifying that you forget you are not on a bike OR in the class… You don’t have to follow her instructions.

2. Germ Prevention. I know you might judge me for this, but it’s the truth. I don’t clean my machine off with the wipes. Before you exit out of my blog and deem me as an unfit person who has no respect for a clean and healthy lifestyle, let me explain. I believe the wipes are a great thing for those who sweat profusely, or sneeze on their machine, or touch it constantly while working out… BUT I do none of the above. I push the buttons to start it, and then walk. I don’t sweat very much, and when I do, I don’t wipe it off onto the machine. There is no more going on between the machine and I then what I would do with a door knob or even the keyboard I am typing with in a computer lab. You don’t see wipes around every public place where common germs are spread… So in MY case, I don’t believe wasting a wipe (go green) is necessary. The rumor is that the Colvin Center cleans the machines on the hour, and that is good enough for me!

1. No Diet Coke allowed. Diet Coke is my water, so working out leaves me really parched with nothing to extinguish it with until I’ve exited the building. Thank goodness Quench Buds is only a few minutes away! Jumbo Diet Coke, please!

You may be wondering, “Cameron, this is a Greek blog… Where the heck is the Greek in this post?!” Touché dedicated reader, but don’t fret… I have a Greek shout out. I can remember about three semesters back when one of my sisters proposed an interesting idea. In her opinion, the Colvin was the best place to do PR outreach. She thought it would be an awesome idea to make a t-shirt. (In Greek World, t-shirts are solutions to many of our dilemmas.) T-shirt Idea=[Greek House Here] <3 the Colvin. “Make it a frat tank!” she cried. The entire time I stare at her while mulling the idea in my head. My sister has a good point, the Colvin is a good place to rock your letters, BUT making a specific t-shirt may be overkill. The next time you go into the Colvin, look around at the shirts your peers wear. I am willing to bet at least a third of the people are wearing some kind of letters. Greeks love wearing letters because that is all they have in their t-shirt wardrobe. This is painfully obvious at the Colvin when a t-shirt is a must. I think IFC and Panhellenic should consider incorporating the Colvin into Greek Week… We could all use a little ‘healthy competition.’ =)

PS- I completely support and endorse the use of the Colvin for both fitness and recreational uses. It is a wonderful facility with great staff. Live it, love it. Go health!

Monday, September 27, 2010

B/L

Last week a mile stone was hit for our new members and sophomores. A little event called Big/Little took place. For the non-Greeks out there, big/little may be something completely over your head. I have realized over the past three years that it is nearly impossible to explain the random relationships that are forced together in the sorority including the big/little match up. I will attempt one time to describe this, and then we will have to move on. Pray that my explanation be adequate enough to get you through my post.

Back in the day, one of the Panhellenic Sororities decided that being sisters wasn’t enough. Making friendships the normal way just wasn’t cutting it. They yearned for a single member to be extra close with, and they wanted it to be exclusive and proclaimed throughout the entire chapter. This sorority determined the solution to the hole in their heart and ego was a concept named Big/Little.

Every incoming freshmen pledge class member (littles) would be paired up with a member of the sophomore pledge class (bigs). Sometimes there would be too many new members and a sophomore (big) would need to take two freshmen (littles). This situation would make the two littles, ‘twins.’ Confused yet? Well, let’s add in the bigs of bigs and how that relates to littles on down the road… Then you get Gs, GGs, and even GGGs. The Gs stand for Grand and Great Grand. (Similar to your grandfather and great grandfather.) If you are still following, I will throw the final curve ball at you. When twins happen in a family, it is like a normal family tree. Aunts and cousins are created which results in a monstrous family. Greeks have their own genealogy. Go figure. And just like a normal family, you don’t always get along and you sometimes don’t get to choose the members.

In our sorority, we have a kind of pseudo coke date slash recruitment system for the new members and sophomores to get to know each other. They call the coke date piece of this organized phenomenon, Nu Friend dates. Someone pairs the two classes randomly and it is the sophomores’ responsibility to take the freshmen out and get to know them through a remedial activity. During these weeks leading up to Big/Little, preffing is happening (thus the mini rush part of the system). Both sides are choosing their top three choices for big and little. Then some magical committee called the pairers, take this information and put together big/littles. It is all very “Wizard of Oz,” don’t look behind the curtain, mysteriousness.

The best part about our big/little is the surprise reveal. Sophomores are told(less than a week in advance) who their little will be and when big/little is taking place. Hopefully they have been ‘getting their craft on’ prior to this, because, like EVERY sorority event, there are presents involved in big/little. These presents include homemade letters of our house, a family tree, usually a teddy bear, canvases, picture frames, our secret letters, candy, random things with their name, etc. Usually you can’t just run down to the craft store and buy most of the items customized for your little. Luckily we do have some specialty stores… Chuck’s and Woodworx. These two stores are the Mecca for sorority women wishing to craft their love. Anything can be found in these stores in relation to wood cutouts for the presents. After you attain your foundational pieces, the next stop is usually Hobby Lobby for your staple items like paint, scrap book paper, bedazzles, stickers, brushes, and mod podge.

Once the items are purchased, the hardest part appears… Actually creating and making these crafty presents. It is sometimes daunting. If you haven’t become acquainted with a very special adhesive called mod podge, then you are already behind in the game. My roommates were in the midst of making big/little presents last week, and I felt like a Hobby Lobby consultant showing them the tricks of the trade. The ways to make sure you don’t have bubbles when you cover wood with scrapbook paper. The art of using sparkles and glitter in a mature way. Painting on mod podge in a manner that will protect your present but not interfere with the pouring process… It was intense. The craft caddy was in full gear last week!

When the night finally arrives, families gather in the same shirts representative of their family personality. The gifts are posted up in the most glamorous ways as if a National craft show was about to take place. Clues for the scavenger hunt are dispersed throughout the house waiting for the future littles to come bursting through the door. And don’t forget the creepy party pix guy insisting you take one more picture. The anticipation and anxiety of the past 4-6 weeks culminates to this one event. As the doors open, the screams begin and before you can count to 10… It is all ended with the big and little in each other’s arms.

How magical right? It might be safe to assume that big/little is the best thing since sliced bread. It is easy to think that every pair works out perfectly and lives happily ever after, but don’t jump to conclusions. After it is all said and done, big/little is merely a piece of the puzzle in the sorority. Most women try to make it the end all for their sorority experience. They live and die by the big/little pairing. Putting any kind of high expectations on any relationship is never recommended! This is no different…

It can be great, don’t get me wrong. I have seen big/little pairs who become BFF’s and are inseparable. I have also seen pairs who are crushed when their big/little aspirations don’t pan out. I won’t lie, there are random pairings. Random in the sense that perhaps the new big/little pair didn’t pref each other or they may not have met until Big Little Night... but planned because the pairers know their personalities. They always try to do matches to the best of their abilities based on the information they have. There are even cases where some big/little pairs thought they loved each other during preffing and ended up having a terrible relationship after a semester of being together. It is merely a flip of a coin in my opinion.

The take home message… Big/Little pairs are a wonderful piece of the puzzle in the sorority experience; however, they do NOT dictate or control any part of your sorority experience. They are merely another relationship made in the web of relationships Greek life offers its members.