The Inner Thoughts of a College Student: January 2018

Welcome to the first legitimate post of the new blog! I hope all of you are well and healthy!

A little bit about my life:

I’m back at the University of Wyoming for my fourth semester of college. I'm still majoring in mechanical engineering, still on that college grind. This semester I’m taking 15 credit hours, a personal best for me. My classes include Applied Differential Equations, Dynamics, Mechanics of Materials, Global Warming: The Science, and finally Public Speaking. The global warming class is sure to be a roar, living in one of the reddest states in the union, people typically don’t believe in global warming (or climate change as it’s called today) so I’m sure there will be a couple rough debates to come. Also, Public Speaking might be an adventure, despite being giant, I am certainly a big introvert. The other classes should go as usual. Unlike most people, who think math is stupid, I find enjoyment in solving a difficult problem.

This past week was a special week, and I wanted to tell you guys about it. On Tuesday (Jan. 23), one of my lifelong friends turned 22. His name is Tyler. Tyler and I met about six years ago when forces beyond our control brought together in the swimming pool. You see, Tyler has cerebral palsy and was swimming to work on his movement throughout his arms and legs. I didn’t really know Tyler at the time, but I could see the competitor inside of him. Every race his goal was to surpass his previous PR (personal record) for the 50 free. Every time Tyler did, he would hoot and holler and everyone in the pool knew he was doing something he loved. Our friendship blossomed the most towards the end of the season, when we would almost always sit together, discussing sports or life and just having a good time. The next year I became his spotter when he swam, meaning I would watch over him in the pool and jump in if he needed support. Soon after, our brotherhood was formed, and we have been inseparable since. Although Tyler graduated two years before I did, we stayed in close touch and got together as much as we could. Once I graduated, the stars aligned, and Tyler moved to Laramie and that is where we stand today. So that is how I got to start my week, spending an evening in celebration for one of my best friend’s birthday.

Tyler and I at my high school graduation party in May 2016.

Later that week, included in Tyler’s birthday present, I took him to the Wyoming Cowboys basketball game on Wednesday night. The Cowboys took on nationally ranked Nevada. The Cowboys started hot, scoring 10 points before the Wolf Pack even made a bucket. But, Nevada wasn’t out of for long and the game remained close for the rest of regulation. I tell you what, Nevada has two players who are twin brothers and man are they good at basketball. They are Lebron sized and can make just about any shot the take, really that is how the whole Nevada team is, but they are something special. Because of the game being nationally televised, the game started at 9 PM… thanks ESPN. As I said earlier, the game remained close for the rest of regulation, and into the first overtime, and the second, but the Cowboys found a way to come out on top after 50 minutes of basketball. Final score, 104-103 Wyoming. The only bad thing about this game, I didn’t get to bed until about 12:15 AM, and if you were wondering, yes, I did have an 8 AM class the next day! So, all around, it was a great way to spend the week.

My fellow classmates stormed the court following the upset.

Soon a mosh pit ensued as the team and students celebrated.

The win against No. 23 Nevada was the first against a top 25 school since March 14, 2015 vs. San Diego State.

The week ended with my brother, Brady, coming down from Riverton for the weekend. It’s always good to have my brother around and to spend time with him. Friday was mostly a day of relaxation after my classes concluded, with a deliciously prepared dinner of deer, catfish, homemade French fries, and cornbread. On Saturday, Brady, a couple of friends, and I took a trip to Denver, about a 2-hour drive. We started the day at Jump Street, a trampoline park. Although we may have been the oldest group of guys in there, we still had great time playing dodgeball, doing flips, reliving our glory days, and realizing just how out of shape all of us are. We finished the evening in LoDo (lower downtown) in Denver by going to one of our favorite bookstores called the Tattered Cover, eating dinner, and walking around the area.

And that is what brings me to where I sit now, on the couch writing this blog, and mentally preparing for another week of the college grind.

The news story of the week:

The news I wanted to cover the most this week is this new challenge around eating Tide Pods. I honestly never thought we would get to a point like this, but that is where we are folks. Now I know the big buzz around this challenge was earlier this week but there is still a big problem, and multiple people are still doing this “Tide Pod Challenge”. The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) claims that there have been 86 intentional teen ingestion of laundry pods since the first of the year compared to 53 during the entirety of last year. Now, in case you didn’t know, a Tide Pod is a capsule that contains various detergents and softeners used when washing clothes. While eating soap has been a joke that I can remember for my entire life, the laundry soaps and detergents contain a higher chemical content than hand soap or shower soaps, and this higher concentration can cause serious consequences including seizure, respiratory arrest, coma, and death. Eating a Tide Pod is not the only danger, kids can inhale the toxic chemicals straight into their lungs when they bite into the pod. Since the beginning of this challenge, YouTube has worked to take down any video of the consumption of Tide Pods and Amazon disabled comments from individuals who claimed the Pods were “delicious”. But, these preventative measures are not working; of the 86 cases reported this year, 47 have occurred since January 16.

What should Tide PODs be used for? DOING LAUNDRY. Nothing else.

Eating a Tide POD is a BAD IDEA, and we asked our friend @robgronkowski to help explain. pic.twitter.com/0JnFdhnsWZ
— Tide (@tide) January 12, 2018

Amazon has been working to delete these comments.

Now I don’t think there is an easier way to say this, but how stupid can you be? While I understand there is a certain thrill with risking death, I’m unsure what purpose completing this challenge serves in the younger communities. I think the big issue with this challenge is really lack of a response from the people who see the Tide Pod Challenge videos. While it might look like a stupid joke to you, you should really pay attention to what is happening in a video. If you see a Facebook or YouTube video that displays obvious dangers, say something to someone, say something to your kids, say hey kids don’t eat these. Even if you think a video is silly, maybe faked, that doesn’t mean an ignorant teenager won’t blindly copy that video despite the obvious dangers. I mean think about it, if every parent payed attention and said something to their kids about the dangers of ingesting laundry pods, maybe those kids can talk their friends out of eating a pod. It’s really that simple.

My message to the kids: please don’t ingest the pods, it may seem “cool”, but you’re risking a lot more than you know. They are literally poison, and if you don’t know what that word means, ask somebody.

As always, please comment below your thoughts on the news I have covered today. Do you agree/disagree with my point of view? I'd love to find out!

Anyone concerned about the dangers of laundry pods can get more information from the American Association of Poison Control Centers. If you need immediate help, call 1-800-222-1222, or text "poison" to 797979 to save the number in your phone.