I’m a senior and I plan to graduate in a short week and a half. I’ve heard some of my peers talk about their Pullman bucket list and I want to get in on the action; UREC style.  I enjoy running and I’ve ran a couple miles into the Bill Chipman Palouse Trail, or as I usually refer to it as the Moscow/Pullman trail, but I’ve always wanted to ride a bike all the way to Moscow, Idaho.  So my first entry to the bucket list is: Ÿ       Ride bike all the way to Moscow, Idaho, on the Moscow/Pullman Trail. Next on the list is more relaxed.  My friend and co-worker, Kerri, told me about this wonderful place where you can pick your own bouquet of wildflowers for $7!  There was even an article about Jane Stratton, the woman who started this business, http://bit.ly/K5wuhu, in MaryJanesFarm magazine.  The second entry of my bucket list includes: Ÿ       Pick a bouquet of wildflowers at Stratton Farms. The bucket list activities listed above include accomplishing things I have yet to do.  I’ve already done a considerable amount of unforgettable adventures during my time as a student at WSU.  I hiked Kamiak Butte last summer with a group of close girlfriends, the hike was easy and my friends kept me laughing all the way to the top.  I went miniature golfing with my Dad and little sister, Meagan, during Dad’s Weekend in far-to-cold weather (I recommend enjoying golf in the warmer months).  I’ve attended a variety of WSU athletic events in Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum to Martin Stadium.  I was a tag along for a white water rafting trip.  And I cannot forget green bikes have been a close companion on my quick trips across campus. I’ve done so much but I do want to accomplish a few more things in the Palouse before I have to leave.

Summer is swiftly approaching and after a cold winter I’m ready for sunshine.  To take ample advantage of the warm weather I have decided to take a different approach to planning my summer activities, I’m making a summer wish list. When summer comes around all I want to do is relax but I’d much rather be hiking, biking or swimming.  Here’s my wish list: Hike Multnomah Falls.  According to Oregon’s website, the difficulty is tailored for two different levels a moderate or difficult hike.  I’ll probably do this on my way to or from Portland because it’s a nice break in a road trip. Camping on the Oregon Coast.  Camping was a staple of my childhood and I want to reconnect.  An article from The Oregonian listed the top 10 tent sites for camping in Oregon.  All of them look beautiful! Bike through Tri-Cities, WA.  I’m from the Tri-Cities and want to explore the area on a bike rather than driving everywhere, the Tri-cities Guide shows different routes. Fishing in North Idaho.  My Grandma lives in Bonners Ferry, ID, when I visit I plan to hike up one of the mountains and fish, while picking huckleberries along the way. At the very least I want to do these four activities and hopefully by the end of the summer I’ve at least doubled that number!  What outdoor activities will you do this summer? Check out the sunny weather in the video below where Megan and I talk about summertime activities.

  In my previous post Blood Donation Preparation (http://urec.wsu.edu/urecnews/post/2012/04/04/Blood-Donation-Preparation.aspx) I discussed my difficulties donating blood.  I mentioned I would follow-up today with my progress.  So my co-worker, Megan, and I compared our veins in the video below. As you’ll see in the video my veins are still too small and I think I’ll sit out the blood drive today but there’s hope.  The Student Recreation Center (SRC) is hosting a blood drive on April 12.  So with six days of preparation I think I’ll have a better shot!

Until recently I was too afraid to donate blood, I’m not proud of this because I think donating blood is a great way to contribute to your community.  Everything changed last Tuesday when I was walking to class and passed a blood donation event.  Before thinking I asked if they had any openings and signed up to donate the next day.  I don’t know what exactly changed but I was ready to face my fear. I was instructed to drink a lot of water and sleep for a full 8 hours.  I slept a little longer than I usually do but that was only about 7 and half hours so I didn’t quite reach the recommendation but I did drink a lot of water.  I even cooked a steak the night before because they do a preliminary blood test to check if there’s sufficient amount of iron in your system. When I arrived in the afternoon, I shakily went through the steps nervous to sit while a needle idles in my arm.  The doctor asked routine questions then stuck my middle finger and squeezed out the blood for the preliminary blood test.  According to the doctor I barely reached the required amount.  After that I figured there was no way to be rejected and I was meant to donate blood, but I was wrong.  As I pulled off my sweater and squirmed in the chair the doctor examined my arm, her expression worried me as she moved to my other arm and then asked for another opinion.  “I’m sorry but your veins are too small,” they said.   I didn’t realize the size of my veins could be my downfall!  Don’t get me wrong there was a small part of me relieved to escape the needle but a bigger part of me still wanted to help.  I asked if there was anything I could do next time to help my chances of a vein becoming more prominent.  I was instructed to drink more water.  Apparently for all the extra water I thought I was consuming I should have been drinking twice that much!  With this experi... [More]

It doesn’t come as a surprise to me when I hear University Recreation (UREC) is one of the largest student employers on the WSU Pullman campus.  But sometimes I’m surprised by the variety of jobs offered to students.  For instance, Bryan Mclaughlin works for the UREC Marketing Department.  Okay, so that one isn’t too surprising because that’s my department too, but we’ll periodically post about different UREC employees and what their jobs involve. For now I’ll just expand on my co-workers duties and how UREC plays a role in his life. As I swiveled around to the cubicle on my left to interview Bryan I noticed him concentrating on a project in Adobe InDesign and I almost lost my nerve.  InDesign is foreign software to me and I don’t know how much focus is needed to successfully finish a project.  There was no need to worry, as I started to ask if this was a good time he swiveled around with a smile to agree.  I began with a descriptive question about his duties, which turned out to be a bit harder to answer than I assumed, there are so many different aspects to his job but so as his final answer he said, “I create an official look for UREC, by designing a template for the facility signs.”  Bryan hasn’t always done the same job with UREC; however it has been his only employer while at WSU.  Bryan’s 2 years of work for UREC also include time spent with membership. Outside of work Bryan spends a big chunk of his time being active.  “Fitness plays a huge role in keeping me mentally and emotionally balanced, being an athlete I participate in a lot of physical activities.”  You can find him outside running, playing soccer or throwing around the Frisbee. Nothing lit up his face more than talking about outdoor adventures.  Bryan appreciates exploring the outdoors by, “Going on overnight hiking trips, outdoor camping, that kind of thing.&rd... [More]

       Being sustainable is a choice to be more conscious about your impact on the environment and how you’re using resources.  Sustainability is no longer just a novel concept—it’s made its way into the mainstream.   Even as I write this blog I’m drinking from a reusable cup, which is a sustainable way to reduce the impact of one-use cups.  However, not all sustainability practices are obvious and that’s why I wanted to create a list of unusual ways to stay sustainable. 1.    Sew old clothes into a quilt. 2.    Plant vegetable garden in the summer, then store rainwater and water your garden with it! 3.    Eat lower on the food chain. 4.    Don’t throw away electronics. Here are some specific electronic tips from World Watch Institute (http://www.worldwatch.org/node/3915): Keep your cell phones, computers, and other electronics as long as possible. Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxics and is a growing environmental problem. Recycle your cell phone. Ask your local government to host a hazardous waste collection event set up an electronics recycling.  5.   Make your own cleaning supplies; for helpful recipes visit this link from eartheasy.com, http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm.        Don’t stop with just my unusual ways to stay sustainable there are so many different ways to make a difference.  What are some ways you make a difference by being sustainable?  Even if you commit to little changes in your lifestyle, over a lifetime it can make a huge difference!  Below I've included a video from YouTube.com, Sustainability Explained through Animation, enjoy!

      Working for University Recreation (UREC) is a broad description, which can include being a challenge facilitator, fitness instructor or being involved in UREC marketing.       Senior Reilly Costello works in another area of UREC as an Intramural/Sport Club Supervisor.  Reilly’s work with UREC takes him to different places on campus outside of the Student Recreation Center.  Intramural games can even happen in Martin Stadium!  Some of Reilly’s responsibilities are different than you’d expect, while others make sense based on his title.  “I am the first aid responder in emergency situations and facilitate games and sport club events so everything runs smoothly,” Reilly said.  He also trains officials and helps them throughout the season.       He’s in his third year of working for UREC and credits his older cousin for his employment with UREC.  “My cousin did this job when she was at WSU in the early 2000’s,” Reilly said.  Although that was just how he knew about the position.        Reilly explained that his reasoning for working with UREC was due to the organization’s dedication to help patrons live a healthy lifestyle.  “I specifically like my job because it lets college students continue competitive sports,” Reilly said.  Meeting and working with people while they’re having fun with sports is another good take away from working with UREC.       “I think it’s one of the cooler places on campus to work and the people you meet and work with are interested in wellbeing and the wellbeing of other people,” Reilly said.  For Reilly, a health-oriented person before working for UREC, it’s a nice to work in that kind of environment.       Working for UREC is even helping him with his future endeavors.  When I asked if w... [More]

When chewing a delicious apple the other morning I began to wonder about serving sizes and if I was actually getting a full serving of fruit. Is one apple one serving?  How many strawberries do I have to eat to fulfill my fruit quota of the day? It is hard to know what constitutes a serving without a food label.  Living in a world with all-inclusive food labels clearly showing calorie count and serving size, I’ve become accustomed to easily accessible nutritional information.  This recently became important to me because I’ve been working with Chelsey Woods, Dining Services’ Registered Dietitian, on material for National Nutrition Month starting in March. During this partnership I discovered a troubling fact, “The average college-age student does not get the recommended 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables,” Woods said. According to ChooseMyPlate.gov, there are many different ways to achieve the nutrients our bodies need.  This link leads to a table depicting what counts as a cup of fruit, http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/fruits_counts_table.html.  Although, this didn’t really answer my serving size question, so I keep looking.   On about.com I found an answer to a similar question.  According to The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a serving size for fruit or vegetables is equal to about one-half cup (http://nutrition.about.com/od/fruitsand vegetables/f/servingfruit.htm).  As for my apple, I think I can conclude it’s around half to one serving of fruit, depending on its size.  But either way, it looks like I need to work on eating more fruits and especially more vegetables.  

Walking past a fitness class always pumps me up because blasting through the doors is the best mix of exhilarating music pumping out the speakers.  I’ve always wondered how the fitness instructors construct their playlists, are they born musically inclined?  Or are they practiced at creating a wonderful workout environment?  I took to the hallways to find a class that sounded inspiring. It didn’t take long until I heard a playlist I wanted to know more about, it came from a cycling class taught by Cairistiona (Cairisti) Flatley, pictured below. Cairisti joined UREC in July and is currently teaching cycling and Pink Gloves Boxing.  She has been a group fitness instructor for 4 years!  When I asked about her playlist she became very excited, “I believe music is one of the most vital elements for a successful group fitness class,” Cairisti said.  She went on to mention the importance of finding music that moves you while you’re working out. Cairisti said she’s eclectic when it comes time to make a playlist for her fitness class.  “I like to choose some current pop songs, some oldies, some rock, and some of my personal favorites; anything that I think will get people excited and motivated,” Cairisti said.  By doing this she feels there’s a little something for everyone. Preparation is the key to success when it comes to many things in life, and crafting a playlist isn’t any different.  “It takes me at least an hour to design a cycling class and make a playlist,” Cairisti said.  Below is a private playlist she provided me to share with you!  Work songs: Easy Love- MSTRKRFTIf I Was You (OMG)- Far East MovementHere it Goes Again- OK GoSeven Nation Army- The White StripesPause- PitbullYou Make My Dreams Come True- Hall & OatesLonely Boy- The Black KeysRockstar (Jason Nevins Remix)- N*E*R*DHello- Martin Solveig & DragonetteBlackout- Breathe ... [More]

          Life’s little surprises can come at any minute, that’s why keeping track of my wellbeing is a priority to me.           The reason I bring up wellbeing is because while watching the morning news with my Special K cereal and black coffee, which is my go-to breakfast, I saw a video that left a lasting impression.  The comedic video is from the campaign Go Red for Women called “Just a Little Heart Attack,” see video below.                      My first thoughts were, “this is hilarious!”  But then I started thinking about the message, heart disease is more common in women than I previously assumed and after watching this video I started thinking about my own health.  I encourage you to look at what you’re doing to put your health first.  For some ideas, take a look at the Wellbeing wheel on wellbeing.wsu.edu, which showcases the different dimensions of wellbeing.            Lately I’ve focused on my physical wellbeing more, but something I would like to spend more time on is my spiritual wellbeing.  What dimension do you need to pay a little more attention too?           Oh, and if you read this today, don’t forget to sport some red gear in support of awareness for this campaign!  For more information on the Go Red for Women campaign, please visit http://www.goredforwomen.org/?popup=little-heart-attack.