Make a Life List

My dad recently finished a 500-mile bike race—an impressive feat, to say the least. In addition to being proud of his great accomplishment, this got me to thinking: what goals would I like to accomplish in my own life? Not broad goals, such as having a career I love and a family, but specific goals like completing a 500-mile bike race. What, I wondered, would I put on my own life list?

Having a life list inspires you to accomplish things you wouldn’t otherwise do—you may think snorkeling in the Great Barrier reef would be lovely given the chance, but if you put it on your life’s to do list, you’re more likely to take the action needed to realize that goal.

WebMD has a good article on setting attainable life goals and the benefits of doing so. Read this article from the New York Times to learn about the increasing popularity of “Life Lists” (and the impending movie about two cancer patients who set off to accomplish the goals on their own life lists).

After you’ve read a little about what life lists are and why you should have one, get to work on your own. I’m in the process of writing mine right now. I’ve also picked out which goal I’ll tackle first: running a marathon. So here’s to living life to to the fullest (and here’s to me completing that marathon next year)!

Photo courtesy of Flickr user wili_hybrid.

Fresh fruits and veggies at the Columbia Farmer's Market

The Columbia Farmer's Market may have passed under your radar. Held Monday and Wednesday from 4-6 p.m. and Saturday from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. near the Activities and Recreation Center, the farmer's market offers all kinds of fruits, veggies, meats, and plants from local farmers. You can also find fresh baked goodies, like cinnamon roles or pies. I once ate a half a pan of cinnamon rolls one gluttonous Saturday morning. They were that good. I also ate some veggies later in the day. But the morning was all about the buttery, sugary deliciousness. Photo courtesy of Flickr user Joe Beone

Tailgating Trivia for the New Football Season

It’s that time of year again: school is in full swing, the weather is (somewhat) beginning to cool off and football season has begun. It’s time to tailgate. Whether you are a football fanatic or a casual fan, tailgating is a tradition that few people miss—in fact, it’s one of my favorite things about fall and the beginning of a new school year.

So where did tailgating originate? According to The American Tailgater Association, the first tailgate occurred at the first football game between Rutgers and Princeton in 1869. Students gathered to eat, drink and socialize prior to the game. Bill Simmons, a columnist for ESPN.com, had a more humorous take on the origins of tailgating in a recent article in which he wrote, “Seriously, there had to have been one guy in the '40s or '50s who said to his buddies, ‘Hey, what if we show up early for the game, park the car, bring an Igloo of beer, and we'll just hang out in the parking lot, listen to music and make fun of each other until the game starts? ’ And everyone else was, like, ‘Wait, that's a great idea! That might work!’ Shouldn't this person be identified and properly deified? He's the Jonas Salk of drinking in public, right?”

It’s not as clear when the first tailgate at Mizzou occurred, but chances are it wasn’t too far after the first MU football game was played in the spring of 1890.

Thus concludes the short lesson on the history of tailgating. Now that you know, you’ll be able to more fully appreciate tailgating and its traditions during the current season. You can also read more about the history of MU football, learn about MU’s “green” tailgating initiative, or buy tickets to an upcoming Mizzou game.

Mizzou-RAH!

Orphaned in Columbia

When I walked into the Central Missouri Humane Society, I didn't plan on signing any adoption papers. I just wanted to check things out -- see what dogs were out there. I expected to see elderly dogs and, of course, litter upon litter of unplanned puppies. There were those, but the shelter was also crowded with sweet middle-aged dogs and eager-to-please "teenagers." And then a worker brought out a blonde lab mix they had nicknamed "Sugar." She gracelessly sauntered over to me, sat for 15 seconds of pats on the head and collapsed upon my feet, belly to the sky. "Where do I sign?" I asked. I adopted her on a Thursday, but we had to wait in agony until the following Monday to pick her up. That gave my four-year-old plenty of time to come up with her full name: Sunflower Dandelion Sugar Foote.

In the end, I walked out of the Humane Society with a dog and a heavy heart -- for the many dogs I had met who would wait for a home for weeks, and for the ones who would not make it out of the shelter at all. The Humane Society has limited space and resources. The dogs were doubled up in the kennels, and still every kennel was full. This makes for a loud, stinky place to call home. In some cities, Humane Societies have enough resources to be "no-kill" institutions. That is, they don't put animals down just because they can't find a home for them. But such is not the case here in Columbia.

Columbia has another shelter worth noting -- Columbia Second Chance. This one is a no-kill institution, and it relies entirely on volunteer foster families. You can check out the pets online or visit them at one of their regular stops at local pet supply stores. Second Chance has a day-long animal-centered event called "Paws in the Park" coming up on Sept. 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Stephen's Lake Park.

The shelters in Columbia also make getting a pet a great deal. For about $100, you get your pet, spaying or neutering, first vet visit and a round of shots. That ends up costing a lot less than a "free" pet would cost you. (The Humane Society also offers discount spaying or neutering for non-shelter animals.)

And if you're not in the market for a pet, both shelters are always looking for foster families -- often for puppies who are too young to be adopted. And there are other rescue organizations in Missouri, some who use volunteers to transport a needy orphan to a distant home where it can live out its days in peace.

So, I'll sign out like Bob Barker used to do: Remember to spay and neuter your pets!

Career Fairs on Campus

I have a confession: I am a chronic career fair abuser. Not that I attend numerous career fairs, but I’ve discovered that I’ve been making some fatal errors at the fairs I do attend. For the serious job seeker, career fairs are not to be approached with a “let’s-just-see-what’s-here” approach. Doing research on the companies you’re interested in, as well as positions and programs at the company, is vital for getting useful information from a company representative. The point of a career fair is to make contact with your companies of interest, so in subsequent communications you can reference your contact from the fair. It essentially gives you an “in” when you go through the formal job application process later on. Learn about other ways to get the most out of a career fair here.

After you learn how to avoid the mistakes I’ve been making, attend some career fairs. Although most career fairs on campus are program-specific (meaning you can’t attend if you are not in that major), there are two big ones coming up that are open to all MU students. The Business Career Fair, held on September 21 at the Hearnes Center, is one of the largest on campus and has over 100 companies hiring for a wide variety of positions. The College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources also has a large fair, held on September 26 at the Student Rec Center. Register for the CAFNR fair and learn about program-specific career fairs at HireMizzouTigers.

Still not convinced a career fair is a time-worthy event? Read this article from Business Career Services on why you should attend a career fair.

At your leisure...

If you have your head buried in your thesis, you may not know about one of Columbia's greatest semi-hidden assets - the Columbia Parks and Recreation department. Columbia has lots of great parks, and the Parks and Rec department offers reasonably priced classes and activities. I know from experience that the kickball league is a lot of fun (Go Psych-outs!). Round up a few of your colleagues and get a team together. Or, sign up for some other kind of sport - my wife and I, along with a few friends from the Psychology department, are taking some tennis lessons this year.

If sports aren't your thing,the Columbia Parks and Rec department offers all kinds of other stuff - crafts, dance, music and landscaping classes are also available.

The important thing is to have a life outside of your program. For me, the best part is having something fun to do that doesn't involve sitting around. It's also a great way to meet people that aren't in your department. Then again, it can also be a great way to get to know the people in your department in a more relaxed, social setting.

Check out the Columbia Parks and Recreation Leisure Times for more information about classes, times and fees.

Photo used under the Creative Commons licence, courtesy of Flickr user DCMatt