A Letter To The Girl Who Thought She Wasn't Good Enough

A Letter To The Girl Who Thought She Wasn't Good Enough

Bad things in life happen all the time, but it doesn't mean that they last forever.

Ashton Rhodes
Ashton Rhodes Apr 8, 2019
134
views

Dear You,

Here's to all the things that you've left behind, to all the doors you've closed, and to everything you've missed out on.

High school wasn't fun, we all know that. But here's the thing: the things you learned there were things that you've been able to carry into the rest of your life, and I'm not talking about the algebra that they pushed down your throat. No, it was the relationships you fought through, the friendships you lost, and the drama you cried over.

Remember those rumors? They made you a strong human being; they created a tougher skin, a wall around your fragile heart that may screw you over later, but it made you, you. The competitions with your so-called best friend were unfathomable, but you looked the other way because you have so much love in your heart for her. The nights you cried yourself to sleep, or had a rom-com marathon all by yourself because everyone else "forgot" to invite you too... these obstacles are what made you stronger in life.

Here's to you for fighting through the crap of a small-town high school where your dreams and plans weren't seen as important or real. Here's to you for doing your best anyway, through the bad and the good, to get to where you wanted to be, even if you didn't get there right away. Here's to the negative comments you shrugged off your shoulders because of how much you had talked about getting out, only to be let down by admission decisions. Here's to the girl who never backed down from what her heart truly called for.

Well, we thought college would be better, right? Finally out in the world without anyone to really tell you what to do and how to do it, but you're alone, you're scared, and you're falling into a sort of darkness that digs its claws into your side. Sure, you wished college would be a breath of fresh air. In fact, you were the only one to really travel away from family and friends compared to everyone else who told you that you were crazy or "pretentious." You followed the only path that was set out for you, immediately throwing you into this pit of sadness and loneliness. You're finally getting to do what you truly want, and you feel like you're failing.

You hated it there, but even through the tears, you looked for a brighter light to make it somewhat enjoyable.

The tears of anger, sadness, exhaustion. But here's the thing: even if you aren't the person that he wants to be with, you haven't let that deter you from creating a better version of yourself. You thought he brought out the best you, only a few times, and maybe he did, but you go through this life with confidence and a small smile on your face. That's the characteristic of someone who knows what they want and is working to get it.

I'm amazed by your will and your power. I really am in disbelief with the hidden virtues of your love that you wish you could give, yet you're terrified to show how badly you want to be recognized. You are hard like stone. You are also bright like the sun shining down from a clear, blue sky. You walk around with purpose, and you know that with the faith that you keep in your heart that everything has its plan, and you won't be left behind this time.

Sure, we want to plan out our entire lives and hope that we get to see the end of a path dreamt of for years, but most of the time it is the journey that creates us. The hurt you've felt and the tears you've shed have become little parts of who you are, someone that you shouldn't blame for all of the bad things that have happened but for all the good things that have surprised you along the way. You have all the choices in the world, all you have to do is make them.

So here's to all the bad ones we will make, and to all the antics we will do to fix them.

Sincerely,

A girl just like you

Ashton Rhodes
Ashton Rhodes Apr 8, 2019
At Miami University

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ASU Students Push For A Healthier Dining Hall To Counter 'Freshman 15' Fears

The freshman 15 is an avoidable curse, but many students will continue to follow into its trap.

Lauren Hernandez
Lauren Hernandez Nov 15, 2018
4099
views

Arizona State University students are pushing for change within the downtown Phoenix dining hall as they strive to avoid the infamous freshman 15.

The downtown Phoenix campus offers fewer dining options than the Tempe campus and has a less appetizing dining hall. The freshman 15 is a common scare among students living in the dorms, who are often freshman.

The freshman 15 is defined as a student who gains 15 pounds or more in their first year of college. Studies prove the average freshman does not exercise the right amount, is sleep deprived, has a poor diet, increases their stress level, alcohol consumption, and fatty food intake, which is most likely causing their weight gain.

Lauren Hernandez

Daniella Rudoy, a journalism major and fitness instructor at the SDFC, relived her freshman year as she provided tips for incoming freshman.

"There are a lot of workouts you can do in your dorm room as long as you have access to YouTube or a floor. You can go on a run, a walk, or do exercises that do not require equipment," Rudoy said in support of college fitness.

Rudoy said that mental health, fitness, and nutrition all correlate with one another.

"I follow the saying abs are made in the kitchen. So if you are working out day and night, but eating a giant pizza and chicken wings with a pack of beer when you come home you aren't doing yourself much good," Rudoy said.

Lauren Hernandez

The main cause for weight gain is increased alcohol consumption. 80 percent of college students drink and this includes binge-drinking, which is unhealthy for many reasons.

Students who do not drink are most likely gaining weight because of their exposure to an all-you-can-eat dining hall. The downtown Phoenix campus offers a salad bar as their only consistent healthy option for students, therefore students are left eating hamburgers, fries, and pizza.

"I haven't been to the dining hall this semester. Last semester, I went because I had no other options. I am a vegetarian and the dining hall is not accommodating to those with allergies or food restrictions. I find it very difficult to find vegetarian options," Lexi Varrato, a journalism major said.

Lauren Hernandez

Varrato explained that she believes the freshman 15 is "100% real" and that incoming freshmen should research their meal plans and ask their school how their dietary restrictions will be accommodated before purchasing a non-refundable meal plan.

Megan Tretter, a nursing major at Seattle University emphasized that not every dining hall is like ASU's and that the freshman 15 is "definitely not a problem" at her school.

"I always eat healthy at my dining hall. There are a lot of good and healthy options at Seattle University. I usually go to the smoothie line in the morning, have a salad for lunch, and make myself an acai bowl after work with avocado toast in our floor's kitchen," Tretter said in support of her school's strive for healthy options.

College students across the United States have healthier dining options than ASU, but many colleges still face the same problems that students here are facing.

Tara Shultz, a journalism major at ASU believes she has avoided the "very real" freshman 15 by living at home.

"I believe the freshman 15 targets dorm residence and first-year students who do not live at home as they do not have their parents as a guide and are forced to eat at a dining hall that only serves fatty foods," Shultz emphasized.

Lauren Hernandez

The downtown Phoenix campus offers students access to the SDFC, YMCA, and Taylor Place gym, where students can take group fitness classes, run on a track, play basketball, or swim. Alternative options for students are purchasing a membership at Orangetheory or EOS Fitness.

Most students agreed with journalism major Vanessa Gonzalez that they have little time to work out due to their workload, but many students like Varrato, Tretter, and Rudoy explained that they try to work out every day as it is a stress reliever and it enriches their mental health.

Steve Fiorentino, the owner of Powered Up Nutrition encourages college students to learn what they are putting in their bodies.

"I think it starts with nutrition. Students believe they can outwork a bad diet and I believe that is their number one mistake. My advice is to stop eating fast foods and start eating whole and healthy foods along with supplements," Fiorentino stated.

The freshman 15 is an avoidable curse, but many students will continue to follow into its trap. The campus dining hall is not always the reason to blame as students have the option to decrease their meal plans, become active, and make healthy choices!

Lauren Hernandez
Lauren Hernandez Nov 15, 2018
At Arizona State University

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To The Big-Hearted Girls Who Just Can't Hit The Block Button

Your compassion for others knows no bounds, and that's why you can't seem to let them go.

Sonya Ricker
Sonya Ricker Apr 24, 2019
112
views

Not everyone is worthy of your good heart.

It might be hard to accept that, but it's true. The ones that don't deserve your attention and your care always out themselves. Maybe they take advantage of your kindness, maybe they use you for your love, or maybe they hurt you because they envy some aspect of you or your life. Whatever the case may be, I know you feel the pain from it. I know you are not naive enough to believe that they don't mean the hurtful things they say or that the awful things they put you through are only mere accidents.

Your problem is that you have too big of a heart. You love giving second chances and when they screw that chance up as well, you just can't help yourself from giving them a third, a fourth, or a fifth. Far too easily you are swept up in this cycle of forgiving and forgetting, only to have it blow up in your face time and time again.

You know better.

How many times have you sworn you wouldn't help them again, that it was the last time you'd speak to them, only to snatch up your phone the second you see their name pop up across the screen? How often have you cried over someone who only wanted to be a part of your life when they needed something from you?

Stop giving your all to people that don't care.

Trust me, I know it's easier said than done. It's a difficult habit to break, but once you do you are completely and utterly free from the toxicity. If you're looking for a sign to block that boy who has done nothing but break your heart, or if you were waiting for your cue to finally end that friendship that does nothing but make you feel small, here it is.

Unfortunately, not everyone is going to treat you with the love and respect that you so freely give. Most of the time the people that treat you like crap are just crappy people. It's not your responsibility to save every troubled soul, and you've probably learned by now that not all of them want to be saved.

There's nothing wrong with looking for the good in people, but when they start to drain you of your light you need to have the strength to let them go.

To the girls gifted with hearts too sensitive and ready to burst with compassion, it's OK to cut ties with those who hurt you time and time again. It doesn't mean you've stooped to their level; it doesn't mean you're a bad person. You tried your hardest, but toxic people rarely change their ways. You don't deserve that kind of pain.

Sonya Ricker
Sonya Ricker Apr 24, 2019
At James Madison

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