Walking to class this past week, it occurred to me that most students on this campus look like something heavy just fell on their foot. I’m serious; there are not many smiles out there. In fact, the looks on most people’s faces indicate that some tragedy has struck them.

Now I know it hasn’t been a banner week. Between getting dumped with six inches of snow and finding out that the President of the United States is a nymphomaniac, people should be a little discouraged. But this isn’t just a one-week phase. Unfortunately, there has been a depletion of smiles since school opened in the fall.

What is so bad in people’s lives? What is this tragedy that is making people frown?

As with most issues, there are excuses. People will say it’s cold. I can’t argue — it’s friggin’ freezing out there. They will say they have a ton of reading to do. I admit, reading assignments are the pits. Or they will say they have to go to work. Having to work and to study is not a good situation.

But these aren’t excuses for not smiling. Excuses for hurting someone maybe, but not for not smiling. Besides, the reasons to smile far outweigh the ones to not smile. For example:

Super Bowl Sunday, food service deserts, no lines at Wallaby’s, spring break, facial hair, Great Plains pizza, Domino’s prices and the Iowa State Daily. Free parking, Walt Disney World, ’80s love songs, canceled classes, the Beatles, naked snow angels, People’s Bar and Grille, Carmen Cerra’s cartoons and “Seinfeld.”

Finals are a long way off, snow ball fights, the Packers, summer, freedom of speech, Tom Osborne’s retirement, “South Park” and Iowa State football(?). Donuts, the Hub, email, used text books, naps and campaniling. Hickory Park sundaes, a dozen red roses, Marcus Fizer, fresh bread at Subway and, for all you women, Leonardo Dicaprio.

The fact is, smiling doesn’t even require a lot of energy. According to my sources, and I did do some research, it takes only 17 muscles to smile, while it takes 43 muscles to frown. Unless you’re an exercise freak, this makes no sense. So again I ask, what is this tragedy?

While the bad weather or having an obscene amount of reading to do seems like a life or death situation to us right now, there are much worse predicaments to be in.

Imagine for a second that your dad just died. How would you feel if your country was being bombed? Imagine that you have just been diagnosed with cancer. Think if you were being evicted or that you are homeless for yet another cold January. It is hard to even think about these situations. Yet these are realities for people in the world today.

I don’t know about you, but my life looks pretty darn good compared to these people.

Oh sure, there are a lot of little things I could pick on, but why spend the energy? It’s just a waste of time that takes you nowhere. Thinking about all the things that are “bad” in your life actually increases stress and will probably make you frown even more.

Instead, concentrate on the positives of life. You may take it for granted, but we are blessed to be able to attend a quality school like Iowa State. We are blessed for the different seasons we experience each year. They change the scenery and spice up our lives.

Here’s one for you — you’re alive! Smile about the fact that God has granted you another day to live on this earth. Can you imagine life without life?

So when you can, smile. It makes you feel good. It makes you look a lot more pleasant. And I guarantee that your smile will brighten the day of someone else who is feeling down.

You might even put a smile on their face.

Jackson Lashier is a freshman in journalism and mass communication from Marshalltown.