How to Prepare for the Bonnaroo Festival

By Sarah Queen

Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer

Imagine arriving to Bonnaroo on a hot summer day. You start to unpack and set up your campsite. But oh no! You forgot to bring a tarp, and it is going to be 90' plus degrees in your tent without any shade! You don’t need to worry. I have been to Bonnaroo, and have you covered on what you need!

Bonnaroo is a music and arts festival that is staged annually in Manchester, Tennessee. In 2019, it will be held June 13-16. Bonnaroo started in 2002 and is held in the Great Stage Park.

Buy your ticket:

The first step planning for Bonnaroo is to make sure you’ve bought your ticket and a car parking pass if you plan to camp. The general admission tickets start off at $274.50 plus fees. The prices will increase the closer Bonnaroo gets. After you have purchased your ticket and registered your wristband, it is time to start packing. You can also add your card to your wristband and pay for everything inside of Roo cashless! This is a good way to avoid people stealing from you.

Selecting your wardrobe:

 If you have been to a music festival before, you know the outfits can be very creative and lively. I plan out an outfit for each day, and I also like to pack a couple extra outfits in case I decide I want to wear something else. It is also important to pack a swimsuit if you want to play in the fountain, even though it is totally acceptable to play in your clothes or underwear, but I prefer my swimsuit. Also, do not forget to pack comfy clothes to sleep in! Getting back to your tent and changing into something more comfortable after a long day of enjoying music is a great feeling.

 You should also bring sandals, towels and shower necessities. Roo has showers you can pay to use, and they also have a happy hour during which the showers are half price. If you do not want to pay for a shower you, can always shower in the mushroom fountain in Centeroo or bring a portable shower! If you do not want to buy a portable shower, I would bring baby wipes and a couple gallons of water to clean yourself with.

Consider the weather:

Last year when I went to Bonnaroo, the weather forecast was sunny for each day, so I pack accordingly. On the last day, Mother Nature changed her mind, and it rained pretty hard all night. This was nice because it cooled the camp down some, and I was able to sleep in. Unfortunately, I did not pack any rain boots or a poncho. When there are thousands of people walking in wet grass, it can turn into mud really quick. Unfortunately, I ruined a pair of shoes, but next year I will make sure I bring my rain boots.

Bathroom Horror:

You also want to bring toilet paper, not only for your campsite, but for when you are in Centeroo as well. Imagine that one of your favorite bands is about to start and you really have to use the bathroom. You leave to go real quick because you want to be sure you have time to make it back before they start. When you arrive at port-a-potties, there is a long line. You notice several empty stalls, so you pick one. After you’ve already started your business, you realize why the stalls were empty. There is no toilet paper! With your bathroom stall being a portapotty, and there being hundreds of strangers on the outside, your options are limited. This is why it is important to bring your own. You would rather be safe than sorry. I suggest bringing someone inside Centeroo with you just in case.

Now you are heading back into the crowd to find your friends. You thought you remembered where they were, but you do not see them anywhere. This is why it is important to bring a totem pole or flag, so your friends can find you in the crowd. I would also set up lights or a flag at your campsite so you can find it easier on the way home at night.

Food:

 Snacks, meals and water are all very important. The food inside of Bonnaroo can get very pricey, so it is important to eat at your campsite before Roo, and you can bring some snacks into Centeroo.

 Now besides all the obvious, you will need to bring camping supplies. Make sure you pack a tent, sleeping bag, and warm clothes. Even though the festival is during the middle of the summer, it can get cold at night, so bring a hoodie!

I also found it very helpful to bring a tarp to put over your tent, and tapestries to put inside of it. They will shade it from the sun some, and they are nice decorations! Sunscreen is also very important, and I brought a couple bottles of Pedalyte (https://pedialyte.com/?gclid=COjy0_mRkN4CFRTvgQodR5MNog ) to help restore some energy the sun took away from me.

Use a Map:

If you have never been to Bonnaroo before, you might want to take a look at the map and lineup to try to become familiar with where the stages are. Last year was my first year attending, and luckily I went with friends who have been multiple times, so they showed me around. If it is your first time going and you do not have any friends who have been before, I would look at the lineup and the map to figure out where you are going. Otherwise you might wait an hour for a set that is at another stage.

You can download a Bonnaroo app that has a mobile schedule and map. It also sends you any important alerts throughout the weekend. Whenever it stormed the last day of Bonnaroo, the phone alerts let us know that Centeroo closed, and what time it reopened!

Basically all that is left is to have a good time and enjoy yourself! Everyone at Bonnaroo is very helpful and friendly. Do not forget to spread good vibes! And remember no music festival is perfect, but you have to make the most out of what you got.

These are just some of the things I thought were important to know before going to Bonnaroo. Here is Bonnaroo’s official checklist, so you can make sure you pack everything you need!

Here is Bonnaroo’s official checklist:

https://www.bonnaroo.com/what-to-pack/

And also a very helpful checklist from Nashville Guru:

http://nashvilleguru.com/11446/bonnaroo-what-to-bring

https://www.bonnaroo.com/

Balance: Priorities, Deadlines and Time Management

By Sarah Hood

Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer

It is 9 p.m., the night before class. You have just worked a double shift at work, and you are exhausted. You realize that you haven't eaten today, so you run by McDonald's on your way home. Your phone rings, and his face pops up. Chad. You haven't talked to him all day because work was SO busy. You decide to ignore the call and call him back once you get settled and at home. It rings again. And again. And again. You finally answer, and you hear the words that no one wants to hear: "We need to talk. Can you come over?"

Time Management:

Time management plays a huge role in staying on track. According to my own calculations, there are only 168 hours in a week. If a student is working full time, 40 of those hours are spent at work. Out of the 168 hours, 15 hours are spent at school. If you get eight hours of sleep a day, 56 of those hours are spent sleeping. This allows you 28.5 hours a week to study and have social time. You have to be able to manage your time to avoid stress and be able to fit everything into its place. Your time is like a puzzle, and you create the pieces to fit where they need to go. Make a schedule. Get a planner and plan out time for work, school and personal life. Don’t get caught up in a routine. Just go with the plan. Everything else will fall into place.

You frantically drive over to his house, just to remember that today was your one-year anniversary. He meets you at the door with flowers and a kiss. He has made a dinner fit for royalty, but you hate to tell him that you just filled up on that juicy, savory Big Mac. You go in, grab a quick bite, just so he doesn't feel bad that you didn't eat his cooking that he probably spent hours on. Then you sit down on the couch to watch a movie with him, “The Notebook”, your favorite movie. You cuddle up on the couch, and as the movie begins, you begin to dose off. 

Priorites:

In order to stay on task in school, you need to make sure to have priorities. If you want to be able to manage everything going on in your life, you must set your tasks in order of importance. Between school, work and relationships, everything can become very overwhelming. You may find yourself pushing one thing to the side in order to deal with another. You just have to find out which of these has the greatest importance.

 Personally, I believe that school should always have the greatest priority in life. Yes, you must work in order to survive, but if you overwhelm yourself with work, school will fall to the wayside.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2018/07/10/study-shows-how-working-community-college-students-fared), some 44 percent of students worked “while enrolled in their first year of postsecondary education. This is a large number considering that most students attend class for 15 hours a week. This also goes back to time management. Like I said, everything plays hand in hand.

You jolt awake to the phone ringing. It's Leah, your best friend. You answer, half awake, and she begins to talk frantically into the phone. "Sarah! Did you get the answer to number three? What is he even talking about in that essay question? I know I'm gonna fail. I shouldn't have waited until the last minute to do this exam. It's 10:30! It's due by midnight! What am I going to do?" You quiet her down just to try to figure out exactly what she's talking about. "The midterm exam? Tonight? OH CRAP!" You got so distracted with work and spending time with Chad that you forgot that the midterm was due tonight by midnight. You rush to Chad's computer and attempt to start this exam with no notes, and half asleep. 

Deadlines:

Deadlines play a major role in the stresses of a student. However, they will always be there. Deadlines are deadlines, and that’s why they are deadlines. Motlow State Community College’s Mass Communications professor, Charles Whiting, has learned and grown by meeting deadlines.

“Being able to meet deadlines leads to success, while helping others,” he said. “Disregarding deadlines generally leads to failure. This is especially true for students who are developing the skills, confidence and credibility needed for challenging careers.”

Being a student myself, I struggle with meeting a deadline. In order to meet a deadline, you must prepare. You know when the assignment is due. You know the steps you need to take in order to fully and correctly complete the assignment. You know you can’t finish the assignment two hours before it is due. In order to avoid the stress, allow yourself plenty of time to prepare, brainstorm, study and finish the assignment with plenty of time to look over your assignment before it is due.

I've spent many nights after work trying to cram in homework before I fall out of exhaustion. Being a student isn't easy. Balance isn't something that just happens. You can become overwhelmed WAY too easy. Between making ends meet, to maintaining that GPA, and throw a relationship in there, it can be a horrible whirlwind. If you manage your time, prepare to meet your deadlines, and create priorities, you will notice your stress levels drop tremendously.

Here’s a tip from Professor Whiting: “Take a break (even for a few minutes) to do something you really love. Forget about what’s stressing you for a while. Take a walk, watch a movie, or bang on the piano. Read a good book. Joke and laugh with someone. Even walking around for a few minutes can relieve creativity-stealing stress. Say to yourself, ‘I can do this. I’ve been given talents that no one else has, and I love what I do.’ Remember some of the encouraging things people have said to you, and seek reassurance if needed. Know that your professors believe in you as they push and challenge you toward success. You can do it!” 

‘Star Wars Reads’ Promotes Literacy Awareness

                SMYRNA -- The Smyrna Bookstore and the Smyrna Library recently co-hosted the “Star Wars Reads” event to tie in students' love of the “Star Wars” franchise with increased literacy awareness.

                The October event featured a costume contest and other themed activities, while incorporating students' projects and creations from various departments with light snacks and water.

                “First, I would like to thank you all for your participation and hard work in making our ‘Star Wars Reads’ event a wonderful success, especially the partnership of the Smyrna Bookstore who provided the prizes, refreshments and commitment,” said Motlow Smyrna Librarian Paige Hendrickson. “Also a very special ‘thank you’ to Beth Martin and her Art class students—Summer Raeder (Chewbacca banner) and Drawing I class (‘Star Wars Reads’ banner)—for their creativity and tireless work in providing amazing photo ops for this event!”

                Prize winners from the festivities were as follows:

                * Costume Contest – First place: Chelsea Wilson ($25 gift card); second place: Michael Connolly (Motlow stadium blanket); and third place: Austin Brooks (Book bag).

Chelsea Wilson dons her award-winning costume.

                * BB-8 Races – Chelsea Wilson and Tai Pastrana (prizes were the BB-8 racers).

                * Star Wars Origami – Chelsea Wilson and Jazzmin Mitchell (prizes were the origami books with special paper).

                * Trivia Contest – Jeremy Wolgast ($25 gift card).

                * Passport Contest – Brian Foley ($25 gift card).

                * “Guess How Many” Contest – Eugene Yingling (prize was Stormtrooper helmet, including 596 spaceships).

In disguise: Elizabeth Fitch and Gary Winton

Professor Christine Summers lights up with art students.

Team Faculty Wins 'Trivia Night'

By Ramona Shelton

Motlow Buzz Managing Editor

            

        SMYRNA -- Back by popular demand this semester was "Trivia Night," hosted by the Motlow Smyrna History Club. Last year’s reigning champs, Stephen King’s I.T. (our wonderful IT crew), was not there to defend their crowns, so when the night started, everyone knew there would be a new team to win the bragging rights.

This year, eight teams participated, including six student teams made up of four to six members each and overseen by Professor Liala Syler. The competitors were rounded out by Team Faculty made up of professors Kate Benson, Nathan Fisher, Tamara Jones, and Adjunct/Librarian Extraordinaire Paige Hendrickson, as well as Team Doughnuts manned by the members of Diamond Doughnuts, our evening food vendor.

Several grueling rounds of questions came from all sorts of categories such as math, biology, chemistry, movies and TV shows, comic books and games, and of course the dreaded history questions.

The competition was stiff, but once the last question was answered, the winner was clear -- the Fall 2018 bragging rights go to Team Faculty!

If you think you have the chops to defeat them, History Club is planning the next "Trivia Night" for Spring 2019. Start getting your team together!

Psi Beta Honor Society for Psychology Adds New Members

     SMYRNA -- Showing off their pins and certificates are this year’s and last year’s inductees into the new Motlow chapter of Psi Beta, the national community college honor society for psychology. Pictured from left at the induction ceremony in the MaryLou Apple Lobby are psychology professor and club sponsor Kate Benson and Psi Beta members Akela Robinson, Abigail Robertson, Kera Pasquerilla (vice president), Isam Alshehabi (treasurer), Austin Dooley and Austin Neyman. Academic Technology Dean Terry Durham’s keynote address stressed the importance of clubs in fostering student involvement at community colleges, and the refreshments were catered by Chick-Fil-A. (Photo by John Butwell)

Motlow Smyrna's Education Department Hosts PRAXIS Workshop

                SMYRNA -- The Motlow Smyrna Education Department recently hosted a PRAXIS workshop for students pursuing the AST degree in Education.

                According to Education Instructor Debbie Simpson, the workshop was presented by the Tennessee arm of the National Education Association. Students in this degree program must pass a national exam, the PRAXIS Core, as a requirement for completing their degree from Motlow State.

                October’s workshop was unique in that it was broadcast via ITV to all four Motlow campuses.  The presenting organization requires 12 students in attendance, minimum.

                “Last year, we were able to offer the workshop only to Smyrna Students, as we did not have enough sign up at the other campuses,” Simpson said. “This year, 20-plus students attended and learned about the exam, study tools for the exam, and security measures at the exam site. Students were most appreciative of the PRAXIS workshop as they were able to attend for free.”

Words from Paige's Pages: Fortuitous, Irony and Lexicon

     SMYRNA -- Have you ever scratched your head trying to figure out what certain words mean and how to use them? Motlow Smyrna Librarian ("Ms. Wordsmith") Paige Hendrickson continues her column called "Words from Paige's Pages" that provides tips on how to use her favorite words. For this issue, she has selected the words fortuitous, irony and lexicon.

fortuitous

for·tu·i·tous

/fôrˈto͞oədəs/

adjective: Happening by accident or chance rather than design.

Synonyms:

chance, adventitious, unexpected, unanticipated, unpredictable, unforeseen, unlooked-for, serendipitous, casual, incidental, coincidental, random, accidental, inadvertent, unintentional, unintended, unplanned, unpremeditated

Example: Each time the Smyrna librarian encounters former Motlow students in the community, she instantly feels that these fortuitous meetings are incredible opportunities to reconnect and renew meaningful bonds.

irony

i·ro·ny

/ˈīrənē/

noun:

The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

Synonyms:

sarcasm, causticity, cynicism, mockery, satire, sardonicism

      A state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result.

Synonyms:

paradox, incongruity, incongruousness

     A literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character's words or actions are clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character.

Example: During the numerous sessions for Classroom Library Instruction, the librarian must remember that irony is not always well received; in fact, sometimes it can be mistaken for offensive or snarky sarcasm (a.k.a. ‘snarkasm’).

lexicon

lex·i·con

/ˈleksiˌkän/ or /ˈleksiˌkən/

noun:

    The vocabulary of a person, language, or branch of knowledge.

    A dictionary, especially of Greek, Hebrew, Syriac, or Arabic.

Synonyms:

dictionary, wordbook, vocabulary list, glossary, thesaurus

Example: The students often feel that their professor’s lexicon is completely pretentious and is only used to belittle them.

Motlow to Close for Thanksgiving Holiday

     LYNCHBURG – Motlow State Community College will be closed in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday from Nov. 22-25 (Thursday-Sunday), according to college officials.

     The closing applies to computer labs, libraries, and other facilities at all Motlow State campuses, including the Moore County, Fayetteville, McMinnville and Smyrna campuses and the Shelbyville and Sparta teaching sites.

     There will be no classes on Nov. 21 (Wednesday), although Motlow facilities will remain open. Classes scheduled for Thursday-Sunday will also not be meeting.

     All classes will resume their normal schedules, and all campuses their normal hours, on Nov. 26 (Monday).

Artists Invited to Perform at Holiday Show on Dec. 5

                SMYRNA – Students, faculty, administrators and staff are invited to share their talents during a festive holiday show on Dec. 5 (Wednesday) sponsored by the Smyrna Entertainment, Arts and Media Club (SEAM).

                “Motlow Smyrna Holiday Traditions” will recognize the traditions of holiday celebrations such as Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa with music, storytelling, poetry, visual art, and dance. The show will occur in the MLA Lobby between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

                Auditions for the event will be held before and after Thanksgiving break (days and times TBA). To express interest in performing or for more information, contact Charles Whiting at cwhiting@mscc.edu.

Community Newspaper Chain Owner to Close Fall ‘Famous Communicator Speakers Series’

                SMYRNA – Middle Tennessee community newspaper chain owner Dave Gould will close this fall’s “Famous Communicator Speakers Series” with an educational talk from 11 a.m.-noon. on Nov. 14 (Wednesday) in Room 223 of the Marylou Apple Building.

                Dave and his wife, Ellen, have been the owners of Main Street Media of Tennessee since May 2013. The company owns eight community newspapers (including The Murfreesboro Post), along with magazines and websites in six counties across middle Tennessee.  His presentation is free and open to students, faculty, administrators and staff. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

                He will provide insights on the vital role community newspapers play in providing news and other communication-related services to local communities that are often underserved by big-city news media. Students will also learn how to prepare for potential jobs ranging from reporters and copy editors to editors and webmasters.

                Prior to his current role, Gould spent 23 years with Gannett, the last 11 as vice president/advertising for The Tennessean.

                He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science degree and earned an MBA from the College of William and Mary.

                Dave and Ellen and have eight children ranging in age from 11 to 26. They live in Gallatin and attend Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Hendersonville.

                Dave has been a youth sports coach for 20 years and serves on the boards of the Middle Tennessee chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Tennessee Press Services, the Robertson County Chamber of Commerce and Pope John Paul II High School.

                Other professionals who have spoken this fall as part of the "Famous Communicator Speaker Series" include Joe Elmore of the PBS program “Tennessee Crossroads” and Suzie Schulenberg of the internet marking firm FaverWebs.

What's Buzzing in Smyrna?

     Read all about it! Click below to read the latest issue of The Motlow Buzz (Oct. 17, 2018). 

Our 17th regular Issue for Oct. 17, 2018:

 https://mailchi.mp/d99249315711/the-motlow-buzz-oct-17-2018  

International Fest to Spotlight Work of TnCIS Study Abroad Program

                SMYRNA – International Fest will spotlight the Tennessee Consortium for International Studies study abroad program from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Oct. 4 (Thursday) with a wide range of cultural activities in the Lobby of the Mary Lou Apple Building.

                Motlow students can visit tables laden with food and beverages from Japan, England, South Korea, Germany, Finland, Ecuador, Italy and France. Special tables will offer honey samples from around the world and the opportunity to talk with representatives from the TnCIS Study Abroad Program.

                “We will have delicious food samples, recorded music, and lively games,” noted Associate Professor of History Heather Koller, who is organizing International Fest activities on the Motlow Smyrna campus. “It will be a great way for students to learn more about eight of the countries in the TnCIS program.”

                Harry Potter will drop by to greet fans. He will invite students to sip a glass of butterbeer while asking the sorting hat to place them in one of the Hogwarts houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin.

Celebrating Constitution Week and Voter Registration Month

     SMYRNA -- Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Targett (top photo) speaks on the Motlow Smyrna campus on Friday (Sept. 21) to encourage voter registration. State and local government leaders joined Motlow students, teachers, administrators and staff for a series of speeches celebrating Constitution Week and Voter Registration Month. Earlier in the week, student Kayla Dyer (bottom photo) manned a table testing students' citizenship skills. The first 100 students who passed received a pocket Constitution. (Photo of Tre Targett by John Chick; Photo of Kayla Dyer by Stacy Dowd)

Writing Center Helps Students Become Better Writers

By Abby Mire
Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer

                SMYRNA -- The Writing Center here at Motlow Smyrna  is a great place to come and get help in becoming a better writer.

                Dedicated tutors help students better understand the writing process and better themselves as writers. We don’t just take papers; we take stories and resumes! We also take the occasional love letter. So for those of you who want help in figuring out a story, or if you want to surprise special someone, come on down to our location in Smyrna in the Student Success Center in the Mary Lou Apple Building!

 English student Mariah Haley stands by to tutor fellow students in the Writing Center 

(Photo by Charles Whiting)

                All of our tutors want to help you and hope that you come and visit us. We do take walk-ins, but we prefer appointments (as we sometimes get very busy). We also understand that sometimes people get busy, so there is no penalty for canceling.

                We have online tutoring! If you are busy and you can’t meet face to face; we have options available. Our e-tutoring is a great resource to use if you can’t meet with our face-to-face or live online options. Live online is another amazing option for those who have the ability to go online with a webcam but are too busy for face-to-face.

                We also have a waitlist! If you have forgotten about an assignment, and you need an appointment now but we don’t have any available, you can join our waitlist. Our waitlist allows students to be notified in case of a cancellation or a no-show, so they can grab that appointment themselves. We love having people with different papers, stories and other works. One thing that makes our job great is when people come in and are ready to work hard! So please come and join us at the Motlow Writing Center.

                To set up an appointment, visit www.mscc.edu/writingcenter.

(Editor’s note: Abby Mire serves as a writing tutor for the Writing Center.)

Rep. Mike Sparks to Bring Radio Show to Motlow Smyrna Campus

                SMYRNA, Tenn. -- Tennessee Rep. Mike Sparks will visit Motlow’s Smyrna campus on Sept. 27 (Thursday) to interview guests for his live radio show on radio station WGNS-AM/FM.

                Sparks, who majored in Communications at Motlow, will interview guests from 10-11 a.m. in the MLA Lobby. His popular blog and live radio show airs regularly on WGNS in Murfreesboro. Among his on-air guests will be students from an Electronic Media class. 

 

                Sparks is a Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing District 49 in Rutherford County, including Smyrna, La Vergne, Almaville and North Murfreesboro. He also is a business owner who has authored the books “Learn The Car business for fun & Profit,” “Learn to Barter & 21 Ways to Increase Your Income,” and “How to Do More with Less During Tough Times.”

            The former Motlow student, who stays busy at the Tennessee State Capitol, sometimes finds himself in a flurry of breaking news coverage. Students, faculty and others can expect to hear some interesting stories during his radio show. You can turn in on the radio dial at 100.5 FM, 101.9 FM, or 1450 AM, or at www.wgnsradio.com.

Motivational Speaker Tawan Perry Closes Motlow's ‘Weeks of Welcome’

(Special thanks to the Inside Motlow team for contributing to this article.)

         SMYRNA -- Motivational speaker Tawan Perry brought a series of high-energy information sessions to Motlow State Community College students on all four campuses recently to put an exclamation point on the “Weeks of Welcome” that opened the 2018-19 academic year.

         Perry, an internationally sought-out speaker and award-winning author, shared three distinct but related messages to Motlow students on the Smyrna, Fayetteville, McMinnville and Moore County campuses: “Community College: A Game-changer,” “Academic, Social and Emotional Wellness,” and “Success Starts with You.”

         “How do you eat an elephant?” he teased the crowd of students during his talk in the lobby of Motlow’s Mary Lou Apple Building in Smyrna. “One bite at a time.”

         Perry speaks from his own experience as a student who enrolled in a local community college and struggled academically. With hard work and persistence, he eventually graduated and was awarded a full academic scholarship. From that point forward, he has never looked back and has dedicated his life’s work to help students successfully navigate the rigors of college.

Tawan Perry (right) uses "The Three Little Pigs" exercise to point out the need for a strong foundation in life. (Photo by Charles Whiting)

         "High schools pass out diplomas to graduates, but no one passes out a standard blueprint that details a direct path leading to successful college graduation," said Perry. “I try to tell students the stuff that you won’t find in admission brochures, before they need to know it.”

         On the Smyrna campus, Perry opened his first session by asking members of the audience to hug each other, explaining that a study showed people need five hugs a day to succeed. 

         He used a variety of creative activities during his several hours on campus to help bring his life and career-changing message to life.

         Perry invited volunteers up for a brief reading of “The Three Little Pigs” tale. He used the exercise to point out the need for a strong foundation in life.

         “Everybody has big bad wolves in their life,” Perry said. “Maybe it’s a job that they are unhappy in, maybe it’s a bad boss or a bad family situation. I know a lot of people who are unhappy in their jobs because they didn’t follow their heart and their passion when they were your age. You are young, so choose a career that will make you happy.”

 

         He also had his audience make a list of five categories: what you are grateful for, what you want to achieve, the completion date for your goals, why those goals are important to you, and what your action steps are to achieve your goals.

         “Someday is not a day of the week,” Perry told the attentive crowd. “I’ve checked the calendar, and there are only seven days in a week, and someday is not one of them. Turn to the person beside you and tell them someday is not a day of the week. It is critical to have a time frame for your goals.”

         A group of students also was invited up to play a game of musical chairs. He used the game to emphasize his point that life is all about competition, and those that prepare for what is coming their way and know what they want are usually successful.

         Perry cautioned his audience that what happens at school is not usually what derails someone’s academic career, but rather it is what happens at night or on the weekend that creates issues with academics. He encouraged students to take care of themselves and look out for themselves.

         One of the sessions focused on general wellness, with attendees taking a short stress assessment test. Perry used a handout featuring boxes for each hour of a 24-hour day, asking students to fill in what they are doing each hour on their busiest day, to demonstrate how time management is critical to success. 

         “We make time for the things that we value in life,” Perry stressed. “Look at your 24-hour sheet and see what you are spending your time on. Those are the things you value.”

         Perry encouraged students to be prepared for obstacles in life because everybody has them. 

         “Finish what you start, and right now that means finish at Motlow State,” he added. “Break life’s big goals into little pieces and finish them one piece at a time. Before you know it, you look up and the big goal is complete. Then you move on to the next one.”

         He pointed out that people who write up a weekly to-do list have a much greater opportunity to get things done. Discouragement, being lazy, and a lack of knowledge can eventually lead to someone giving up.

         “Listen to things that are positive,” he noted. “Take control of your own thoughts. Surround yourself with positive people. This is a new beginning. You get to choose what your next chapter is going to be.”

         Perry’s appearance was sponsored by Motlow’s Access & Diversity committee, chaired by Dean of Students Kirsten Moss. Motlow annually awards Access & Diversity scholarships to selected students who are members of underrepresented populations, economically disadvantaged, and first-generation college students. For additional information about Access & Diversity, contact Moss at (931) 383-1691 or kmoss@mscc.edu.

          To learn more about Tawan Perry, visit www.TawanPerry.com.