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Everyone knows that once classes start, it’s not hard to fall into a pattern of eating unhealthy on-campus foods. You’ve been in classes all day, haven’t eaten since breakfast, and none of your classmates are answering the GroupMe about your upcoming project. The last thing you want to do is to go home and take the time to cook yourself a healthy meal. It’s understandable, we’ve all been there.

If you feel like you’ve fallen into this vicious cycle, and are on your way to gaining the not-so-freshman 15, don’t stress about it. Keep in mind this is totally normal, and there are several steps you can take to resist the temptations of mediocre pizza.

The first, most important thing to remember: Don’t fall for online fitness marketing.

If you have a Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, you’ve probably seen advertisements for products like Fit Tea or Flat Tummy Tea. These teas are often endorsed by celebrities such as the Kardashian family, fitness models, supermodels, etcetera. Most of the time these women are already in great shape, and probably don’t even drink the tea in the first place.

The companies claim that their products “detox” the body and “promote digestive health.” However, the components of the products are all generally natural ingredients that haven’t actually been proven to do any of those things. There are hundreds of products on the market like this: waist trainers, weight loss pills, detox drinks. They are all scams, save your money!!

Staying fit and healthy is super easy, and can be done by simply incorporating a few healthy habits into your lifestyle.

Bring a snack to class.

In my experience, most professors won’t mind if you have a bag of carrots sitting on your desk. This can really help you feel less hungry during your long days on campus!

Ditch the shuttle, bike or walk to class.

You can never tell if the shuttle will be on time, and we all know how scarce parking is on campus. Biking or walking is a great way to burn a few calories on the way to class.

Meal prep!

I know this sounds painful, and it definitely isn’t for everyone. However, I’ve found that I feel way less tempted by fast food if I make a few meals at a time and put them in my refrigerator to heat up later.

Completing these steps will help you feel better, look better, and save you from falling victim to an online marketing scam!

Photos from: fittea.org, flattummyco.com, instargam.com (@kimkardashian, @kourtneykardash).

-Shane Miller

Over the past several years, towns and cities across the country have been encouraging their residents to keep their money local.  The goal is to support small, locally run businesses, which results in economic growth.  This initiative quickly spread to the Cape Fear region, and many residents took an interest.

Gayle Tabor, a local Wilmington resident, responded to this interest and began a group called Buy Local ilm.  The group uses social media such as Facebook and Twitter to spread the word about local businesses and share the latest news in the Wilmington area.  They even have an online newspaper to boost awareness.  With over 4,700 “likes” on Facebook and over 7,100 “followers” on Twitter, the initiative has grown quite the following.  Their campaign continues to gain traction.  Local businesses have also jumped on board, including the hashtag #buylocalilm in many of their social media posts as well as “shout outs” to other local spots.

Buying local isn’t always easy, especially if you are not familiar with the area.  To fix this issue, here are 4 suggestions to help you stay local:

1. Find your local farmers’ market or grocer. 

Start with baby steps, friends!  Wilmington has plenty of farmers’ markets and local options in nearly any part of town–the Riverwalk, Wrightsville Beach, and Poplar Grove to name a few.  During the warmer months, you can find an outdoor market almost every day of the week.  Not to mention, Port City Produce is open 7 days a week from April to October, and if you’re looking for a one-stop shop for healthy, organic options, Tidal Creek Co-op is a lifesaver.  Find your nearest market and begin there.  You’ll save money and support local residents… Win-win!

2.  Stay connected on social media.

I know.  I know.  The last thing we all need is another reason to be glued to our phones, but let me explain.  Many local restaurants and shops use social media as their major form of marketing and self-promotion.   Facebook and Instagram are great places to find out about the best haunts in town and about any sales or giveaways.  If you’re looking for a place to start, search Wilmington’s official Instagram account (@cityofwilm) and take a peek at who they follow.  Spoiler alert: Most are local businesses.  Sometimes there is a good reason to pay attention to your phone.

3.  Skip the Starbucks.

Like I said before, start small.  Don’t get me wrong with this one.  I love a good Starbucks, but there are so many small coffee and/or tea spots in Wilmington.  You may think it’s only one cup of coffee, but those cups add up!  Next time you’re craving a caffeine fix, google your closest small coffee shop.  When all else fails, check social media. (See tip #2.)    Grab a cup of joe and work on that homework you’ve been avoiding.  *Local tip: SUNdays, Luna Caffe, Tama Tea, and Bespoke Coffee are all great options.

4.  Get out and explore! 

Sometimes you just have to get out there.  Social media is a great way to find out what’s out there, but you won’t know until you go out and try it.  Wilmington has so much to offer, and small, family-run businesses do very well here, which speaks to the loyalty of us Wilmingtonians.  On your next free day, I challenge you to find one new local spot that you haven’t yet tried.  Maybe it’s ice cream at Boombalatti’s or finding a local surf shop.  Whatever you choose, know you are supporting your community.

The moral of the story is this: Wilmington has heaps of excellent shops and restaurants, and they need our support.  Get connected, both online and offline.  It’s worth it.  What are some of your favorite ways to stay local?

– Morgan Garrett

One of the strongest hurricanes in recent history is headed for the East Coast. We can only hope that people don’t use Irma as a way of promoting their brand like marketers did during Hurricane Sandy. While some businesses prepared for the storm to ensure safety and survival, others used the storm as a marketing tool. Using a natural disaster as a marketing tool is not exactly the brightest idea and it certainly has its consequences. In 2012, businesses took advantage of Hurricane Sandy by using it as a reason to have a sale or to promote shopping their brand. Those sad attempts at marketing failed miserably. Here are the top 5 hurricane marketing fails during Hurricane Sandy:

1.    American Apparel

First off, most people didn’t have power during the storm…so how were they even going to get on the internet to shop? I doubt many people saw this advertisement anyway because I am sure they were too busy ensuring their safety and survival. Second, how did this even seem like a good idea? Using a hurricane as a reason to have a sale was your first mistake but limiting it to the few states that were affected by the storm was the worst mistake of all. People affected by Sandy were trying to save their money for food, water and basic survival gear. A better idea would have been to donate a percentage of sales to those affected to help them get back on their feet.

2.    Urban Outfitters

I don’t think I even have to explain this one… This was just wrong.

3.    Jonathan Adler

So, if your thoughts are with all in the affected areas, why didn’t you offer your help to them instead of offering free shipping on your site. Worst of all, you tried to lighten the situation with some humor. “Storm our site.” Really? Very insensitive.

4.    Sear’s

This was just careless, Sears. It could have been so easy to promote your brand. All you had to do was donate clothes or tools to those in need! I mean, something would have been better than nothing! You carry plenty of items that could have helped those affected, but you chose to tell people (with no way of getting to your stores) to come and get what they need instead of coming to them.

5.    GAP

Okay, GAP. This is just a little inconsiderate. People were kind of in the middle of surviving a Category 3 hurricane and you’re asking them if they are going to indulge in some online shopping? Really? I have a feeling the brilliant person who came up with this idea may have faced some serious consequences.

Just a little tip for those of you with businesses…please don’t follow in their footsteps and make the same mistake they did. Learn from them and do something positive, like offering your help to those in need instead of trying to promote your brand.

-Emily Holt

As graduation comes up, I’ve had a lot of people ask me why I choose to be a communication studies major, and well, I didn’t. I came to UNCW as undecided, thinking I’d pick up a journalism or English major since those were my favorite classes in high school. I quickly found out there wasn’t a journalism major, and I wasn’t committed to 4 years of English classes. So, I did the obvious thing, I went to majors fair. I remember walking around, looking at all the tables and booths, not really moving toward anything until I heard someone call out to me. The communication studies table was there, and the man presenting engaged me in conversation. He started telling me all about the classes I could take, the study abroad programs offered, and the careers I could have with COM. To be perfectly honest, all I really heard was “you can study abroad in Sweden, and there aren’t a lot of required math courses.” Later that day as I prepared for registration, I thought about this experience and signed up for Interpersonal Communication with my UNI class.

Choosing communication studies as my major wasn’t really a choice, but a pattern I fell into. I took interpersonal communication, public speaking, Introduction to Communication Studies, research methods, and then boom, I was a COM major. I kept taking the classes because I found them fascinating, but I still had no idea what I wanted to do with this degree. Then, I took integrated marketing communication. This was the first class that really showed me where I was headed. I continued to take IMC and Advertising courses, and because of those, I was finally able to figure out what I wanted to do with my communication studies degree.

For me, communication studies was not a choice, but a path I was drawn into. It was the best thing for me, and I was still able to get an English minor.

Looking back on the day I graduated from high school, I had envisioned an entirely different future for myself. I never would have thought I’d be graduating with my bachelor’s degree in communication studies in only 3 years. I never thought I’d be married before finishing my undergraduate degree. I have had the most incredible experiences here at UNCW as a communication studies major, and my only regret is not sticking around to check out the new dining hall.

-Eva Mewborn

Did I think that I was going to be in this spot I am in now four years ago? Haha no… When I was in high school I originally wanted to go to Appalachian State, but sadly I did not get in there, so here I am. Another obstacle I faced is that I was coming to UNCW as a spring admit. I was skeptical to come here because I thought it would be weird to come in a semester later than everyone else, but it ended up being one of the best decisions of my life. Now, picking a major was a different story. I was never one of those kids who knew exactly what I wanted to do when I was older so I would get ideas from T.V shows. I started out here wanting to major in business because that is the only place I thought you could take marketing classes, but once I figured out I could go the Communication Studies path, I did not turn back. I have been in one club since the beginning of my sophomore year and that is the High Seas. The High Seas has really been a big part of my college experience and has turned me into the performer I am now. If you would have told me as a freshman coming into college that I was going to be singing or even talking in front of 1000 people, I would not have believed you at all. This major and this school has brought me out of my shell and I am so glad that I ended up making the decision to come here because this school is way better than I could have ever imagined.

~Bryan Murray

One week from today, I will be taking some of the most important steps of my life, both as a UNCW student and a UNCW athlete. It is crazy to think that once I take those steps across the stage at graduation I will no longer be a UNCW student, and once I run the final 400 meters of my track career, I will no longer be an athlete. My experience as a UNCW student-athlete has been life changing. I accomplished things both in the classroom and on the track that I never thought would be possible.

I represented UNCW on the national level at the NCAA Headquarters.

I was elected as Vice President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

I found a major that I was actually really passionate about.

I was the feature student speaker in a video that was played in front of thousands of people on the Jumbotron in Trask.

I broke a UNCW Track and Field school record with my best friends in the 4x800m relay.

I was one of 13 women in the nation selected for a prestigious NCAA graduate scholarship.

The journey hasn’t been easy. There were times when I questioned if the early morning practices and late nights spent working on projects were worth it. These last four years have shaped me into the person I am today. UNCW will always be a part of my identity. I will take the lessons I have learned as a student-athlete and COM major wherever I go. Every step of the way.

-Jaime Mangold