CJ Lake | Don't Blink

We are in the final days of what has been an incredible month of June. Let’s savor today and tomorrow while also enjoying my latest Thursday Rundown…sound good? Here we go…

Fourth of July – Right now I am thinking about the Fourth of July and I am saying to myself, Oh my gosh, is it really next week?! Time is going by fast! But I am also saying, I can’t wait. I am a big fan of the Fourth of July. I enjoy the vibe around the holiday, I love the patriotic displays, and I just treasure that it is synonymous with summer!! Yep, there is nothing that screams summer louder than the Fourth of July. We don’t know exactly what we will be doing for it yet, but you can be sure that we will find a way to properly celebrate the Red, White, and Blue.

I absolutely love the Fourth of July.

Big Brother 19 – The season premiere of “Big Brother” was last night. This will be my third season watching the show and from what I saw yesterday evening, it will most likely be my favorite. The cast, the theme, and the “temptations” all seem pretty solid. Now that “Big Brother” has started, our summer has officially started! This season, I want to see Christmas (33-year-old crossfit extraordinaire…and yes, that’s her name) and Kevin (55-year-old dad with seven children) do well. I am picking Matthew to win, however.

Big Accomplishment for #CCUSocialMedia – If you are my friend on Facebook, you might know about this, but I would like to share with my readers as well. This week, the Higher Ed Social Media Report was released. Using engagement metrics, the report puts all Division I colleges on equal footing and calculates the social media impact of each institution. Coastal Carolina University graded out extremely well. Out of 300+ colleges, CCU was tagged as having the #3 most engaged Twitter account in the country. When it came to Facebook, we were judged to have the #6 most engaged account. Overall, we improved tremendously, going from the #191 social media program in the country to the #49 social media program country.

How could a young institution that was founded in 1954 rank so high? It is because at CCU we have leaders who embrace social media and a team of content creators (photographers, videographers, writers, designers, interns) who continually support the program with their talents. Also, when you have a social media audience as passionate as #TEALnation, it makes things much easier. Special shoutout to my counterpart and friend at the University of South Carolina, CJ Lake, for taking her school’s program to new heights as well! To download the report, click here.

A look at where Coastal Carolina University stands when it comes to social media.

Sloan Photos of the Week – Tomorrow our little girl will turn 15 weeks. She is now laughing and is “talking” more and more. Her kicking has not slowed down one bit. She is about to grow out of size 1 diapers and she is a true milk monster, gobbling down those ounces at an astonishing rate. Here is the latest photo collage.

Here is the latest photo collage of Sloan.

Gas Update – Every now and then I brag about the gas prices in South Carolina. This morning when I went by a gas station near campus, I took the below photo. That’s right, a gallon of gas is $1.85 in the Myrtle Beach/Conway area right now. Talk about a Fourth of July gift! I thoroughly enjoy living in a place where gas prices routinely hover under the $2 mark.