by Momma Millsaps (Anna Morgan Leonards)
Q: How do I ask a boy to formal?
Hey Y’all! It’s time for the first round of questions to Momma Millsaps! Every month, the Arts & Life team picks a Momma Millsaps ( this month it’s Anna Morgan Leonards) to answer all of Millsap’s burning questions. To apply to be Momma Millsaps, just email melnias@millsaps.edu. Want to ask a question for next month? Just DM (direct message) your question to @mommamillsaps on twitter!
Q: How do I ask a boy to Formal?
A: Well, I think that depends on your relationship to said boy, and how much time you have on your hands. If he’s your boyfriend and you’re busy, try to do something quick and sweet—an older girl in my sorority a few years back got a pizza from Reuben’s and wrote inside the box, “Will you go to formal with me? Or is this too CHEESY?”
It’s easier than you think to make a moment special. If you have time on your hands, go crazy—bake a cake, do what you will. But if your intended date is not your boyfriend, rather someone more like a friend, I always take a look at how much time I have to ask. Generally, a phone call is a good way to do it. It’s a nice way to ask a friend to formal without being over the top. However, I just asked a guy to my formal over text message … So I repeat. It depends on your relationship with said boy and the time on your hands. Oh, and what you’re most comfortable with—but if you’re not comfortable with the boy, he might not be who you want to take to formal, anyway.
Q: How do I combat rumors (specifically here, at the Saps)?
A: Ah, the Millsaps Rumor Mill. We’ve all been involved in it on one side or anyother, so there’s no need to pretend we haven’t. How to combat it? Well, the simplest advice I can give is it to ignore it—but that’s probably the biggest piece of BS advice I could give, something that sounds nice but is hard to do in the long run. I mean, how do you really just ignore something? Hats off to the people who can, but I’m not one of them. So here are some long-term tips that will help people, especially our newest Rumor Mill members, to avoid getting too involved in it.
Number 1: Do not tell people you don’t know extremely well about your or your friends’ personal lives. There are exceptions, but nine times out of 10 (this is an almost completely casual statistic), the information you shared will be spread around by the end of the week.
Number 2: If you get drunk and go to the frat house (and don’t worry, it happens to us all), whatever you did publicly will probably be repeated in conversation for a week or so. Don’t worry, people will stop talking about it eventually, and the important thing is to keep your head high. I’ve been there, and I respected myself more by getting up the next morning and going about my business with my head high (and a lesson learned) than the time I allowed myself to wallow in self-hatred for like a day, thinking about what everyone must think of me. Remember that you’re the only person that has to be you, so you might as well like yourself as much as possible.
I’m not saying that I out-and-out ignore the rumors, but I try to laugh at them, and I use them to fuel my motivations to work harder for what I’m passionate about, and what I’m working towards. That’s how I keep my head held high, by working, so that one day I can turn to everyone who may ever have judged me and say, “You can suck my Ph.D.” That might not work for everyone, but it’s been a pretty satisfying thought to me in my own years here at the Saps.
Q: What if I have a crush on my teacher?
A: Don’t. Really, DO. NOT. That’s a world of hurt you don’t want to be involved in.
Q: Where can I buy yoga pants?
A: I have to admit, when I took on an advice column I was not expecting this question. I buy mine at Target because they’re cheaper … H&M has some good ones. There’s always Lululemon if you want to break the bank.
Q: What’s with these Millsaps Twitter accounts?
A: Honestly, I get how maybe we should not combat some of these accounts because of free speech and borderline censorship, yeah yeah. However, when accounts name people, give out people’s private information, or attempt to harm others through verbal assault or slander, they have gone too far. Plenty of Twitter accounts are funny without cyber bullying.
What we can do as students and thoughtful peers is immediately report such tweets and/or posts, simply by clicking a few buttons, and reach out to those who might have been hurt to ensure they understand that we, as their peers and friends, care. It’s important to remember that when posts are put up naming people, future employers might see those with a little Internet digging. We don’t want to affect one another’s futures. At the end of the day, all we have to do is to be a little more thoughtful with each other as human beings. I’ve heard it can make a world of difference.