Altruism 2: The power of social media

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thomascrampton.com

               How do you connect over social media sites like Facebook?

                Birthdays?

                Hometowns?

                Colleges?

                Work experience?

                What about organ donation?

                As of Tuesday, May 1, Facebook users can now connect with others by posting their organ donor status on their timeline.

Live: Make a bucket list

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imdb.com

               What’s the best way to get the most out of your life and live for each and every moment?

                Make a bucket list and stick to it.

                No, these lists are not just for the elderly dying of cancer or some incurable disease like Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson in the movie The Bucket List. These lists are for anyone who wants to be able to look back at the end of their life and be surprised at all they accomplished.

Purpose: Define your life

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transformleaders.tv

         Do you know what your purpose in life is?

         Speaking out for those who have no voice?

         Bringing justice to those who have been falsely accused?

         At this point in life, you might not know what you will do – I know I don’t.

               But I do know people in this world inspire me by defining their lives through their purpose.

                TIME Magazine recently released its 100 Most Influential People in the World list. Each person on the list has found his or her purpose. They have chosen to dedicate their lives to promoting some kind of goodness.

Honor: Recognize the unnoticed deeds

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licensingbook.com

                When you hear the name Derek Jeter, what comes to mind?

                The poster child for baseball?

   The New York Yankees captain?

                My future husband?

                While not all of these thoughts or images might have popped into your head, did you ever consider him as the founder of the Turn 2 Foundation?

Awe: Take some time to slow down

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undergroundwellness.com

             Did you watch the sun rise this morning?

             How about inhale a deep breath of fresh air?

             When did you last see a child’s eyes light up in awe?

             Has it been a while since you slowed down and noticed the little things?

             It has for me. I am probably the guiltiest of all when it comes to rushing through life. I juggle way too many things at once, always saying yes and never relaxing.

             I do not know if I am like this because I like being in control of everything that affects me or because I do not want to waste one moment of my life.

Loyalty 2: A dog's best friend

                Last week, I wrote about loyalty and used, “Dogs sleeping at the foot of their masters’ beds” to exemplify this quality.

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foxnews.com

                But what about a dog staying by the side of another dog that lay injured in the middle of a California highway?

                Watching the morning news on CBS today, Charlie Rose reported on a viral video taken by a man who found a stray black Labrador that would not leave the side of a yellow Labrador that had been hit by a car.

                Although the yellow Lab unfortunately died, the black Lab, eventually named Grace because of her actions, would not budge even as cars whizzed by and passersby stopped to help the poor dog.

Loyalty: Define your actions

                Actions define loyalty.

                Children running into the open arms of their parents.

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                Dogs sleeping at the foot of their masters’ beds.

                Young wives waiting at airport terminals for their husbands to return home.

                Each act shows a specific trait: trust, friendship or love.

   Loyalty is a sense of trust.

   Every vacation, I drive six hours across 314 miles of New York State to see my family. The process of going home never changes.

Spontaneity: A chance to learn something

In the last two weekends, I have driven 2,556 miles, spent 44 hours in the car, slept for a total of 20 hours, traveled through eight states and finished no homework.

What a good looking crew!
PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C.

I spent the other hours covering the St. Bonaventure University men's and women's basketball teams throughout their phenomenal and historical NCAA journeys.

If you know me at all, you know I would never say yes to an unexpected trip to Nashville, Tenn. three days beforehand. And I would never say yes to a trip to Raleigh, N.C. that next weekend.

Altruism: Make a difference after death

Will you make a difference after death?

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zazzle.com

                More than 14,000 Americans did by becoming organ donors last year.

As of March 2012, more than 110,000 patients currently wait for organ transplants.

Last year, less than 30,000 patients on the waiting list received organs.

Risk: Try some green eggs and ham

          Roses are red,

          Violets are blue,

          I can’t rhyme,

          How about you?

          Even though my rhyming skills may not be superb, I know of a man who’s made a life out of it.

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          Dr. Seuss.
          The quirky names, the rhythmic beat of the sentences, the colorful drawings and the twisting tales appeal to children, teaching them how to read while enjoying it at the same time.

Pride: What is a Bonnie?

Photo courtesy of
Madison Thieman

          Coming in as a freshman to St. Bonaventure, I received a t-shirt with “What is a Bonnie?” written across the back. For weeks before starting my first year at college, I wore that shirt to let others know where I was going to school.

          I wasn't wearing it because I was proud of SBU or because I wanted people to be jealous of where I was going. I just wanted people to know where the next part of my journey would be taking me.

          I can't even begin to count how many people asked me throughout those few weeks what a Bonnie was.

          Every time someone asked, I never had an answer.

          Well, today, after the men's basketball team completed their phenemonal basketball season, I do.

Forgiveness: The personal journey of letting go

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                Picture a mother forgiving a 17-year-old high school student for killing her son.

                Picture an Amish community forgiving a milk truck driver for killing five of the community’s young girls.

                Picture a former pope forgiving the man who shot him and almost ended his life.

Childhood: A time we all deserve to experience

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galadarling.com

                Children play pretend, dressing up in their mom’s red high heels and their dad’s striped ties.

                They pump their little legs on the swing set, pushing so hard to touch the clouds.

                Children love unconditionally, sharing a toy or giving a hug to a friend.

                They show off their latest arts and crafts masterpiece, beaming with pride and joy on a job well done.

Inspiration

     Running releases 99 percent of the stress and tension that builds up in my life.

I'm not photogenic (as you can blatantly see), but it was the
only recent running picture I could find.
Taken by Jenna Jones in Oxford this past summer.

     It’s the one time I’m OK with being alone. Usually, I’m fearful of solitude. But hearing my heart beat in my chest, feeling my lungs expand and contract with each breath and placing the balls of my feet oh-so gently on the ground and lifting off again absorbs all the fears, nerves and negativity cycling through my body. I escape from reality to clear my head.

Faith

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What can a grilled cheese sandwich do for you?

Fill you up? Make you happy? Keep you satisfied for a few hours?

What can a grilled cheese sandwich do for a child in India who goes to bed hungry?

Before 2004, that grilled cheese sandwich would have done nothing for that child. Now, thanks to FeelGood, an organization that fights hunger, you can help people all over the world have a meal to eat. It’s as simple as buying a grilled cheese sandwich on certain college campuses.

Hope for the Hickey

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New residential dining manager takes student opinions into account

By Mark Belcher, News Editor @markbelcherjr and Maddie Gionet, Co-Editor in Chief/ Features Editor @MaddieGNA

ST. BONAVENTURE – (Feb. 1) In the first St. Bonaventure University Food Committee meeting in two semesters, Hickey Memorial Dining Hall management took away a list of both criticisms and refinement points -- and only two weeks later, students have already seen positive change.

Perseverance

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     It’s America’s oldest and most prestigious pre-college science competition. It could lead to a $100,000 four-year college scholarship. It’s the Intel Science Talent Search. And Samantha Garvey was one of 300 semifinalists in the running for that $100,000.
     Although Garvey might not have gone on to be one of the 40 finalists in the contest, she stands out from her peers. What makes Garvey different? Well, for one, her project. She spent more than two years studying the effects of Asian short crabs on mussels in salt marshes in her home city of Long Island.
     A second reason – Garvey, her parents and her two siblings have been homeless since New Year’s Day this year after being evicted from their home.