Humanities March 2018

ISSUE 13• MARCH 2018

Y7 HUMANITIES NO MORE COLDS! Inside we show you over 10 ways to avoid catching a cold this Spring!

2018 Tax Guide Inside

ALL ABOUT NASCAR IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO GET INTO NASCAR - THE RACE IS ON

INSIDE: Exclusive guide to NCAA March Madness.

Terms, teams and Schedules.

What’s New in March At HSF Media Inc., we strive to bring you the most relevant and newsworthy topics to change the way you see the world.

This month it’s all about fantastic scientific breakthroughs and Sports. We are right at the end of March and you know what that means! MARCH MADNESS! If you don’t know what March madness is, not to worry – our sport’s expert Tyree Baker will tell you everything you need to know to become a March Madness Pro! Just flip through to the article titled “Just What the Heck is March Madness!

Every month we pick topics based on the likes and comments on our Facebook page, and of course all that is trending on the World Wide Web – but we want to hear from you!

That’s right! We at HSF Media Inc., would love to hear any suggestions you have for upcoming articles. In fact, if you have a talent that you want to share to the world – Write about it – then send it to us to be featured in a future issue!

We hope you enjoy this month’s issue and please stay tuned for part II of our Cristiano Ronaldo interview!

Y7 Humanities is a part of the Y7 Family of magazines published and owned by HSF Media Inc. For all questions or inqueries please email editorial@ya7elweenmagazine. com © 2018 All rights are protected and copyrighted by HSF Media Inc. No reproduction or copying without written permission from HSF Media Inc.

Nascar Know How

By Janicia Lewis Keep this handy guide by your side when watching your next NASCAR race and you’ll be on top of the game and might even impress your friends: Camber: The amount a tire is tilted in or out from vertical. Described in degrees, either positive or negative.

Dirty air: Aerodynamic term for the turbulent air currents caused by fast-moving cars that can cause a particular car to lose control.

Downforce: A combination of aerodynamic and centrifugal forces. The more downforce, the more grip a car has. But more downforce also means more drag, which can rob a race car of speed.

Drafting: The practice of two or more cars, while racing, to run noseto-tail, almost touching. The lead car, by displacing the air in front of it, creates a vacuum between its rear end and the nose of the following car, actually pulling the second car along with it.

Drag: The resistance a car experiences when passing through air at high speeds. A resisting force exerted on a car parallel to its air stream and opposite in direction to its motion.

Driving into the corner: When drivers say they are having problems driving into the corner it means the car is not performing how they want it to (too tight or too loose) at the point where the car is entering the corner. How a driver approaches a corner could depend on strategy: trying to pass, gain speed, save tires or drive the shortest distance through the corner.

Groove: Slang term for the best route around the racetrack; the most efficient or quickest way around the track for a particular driver. The “high groove” takes a car closer to the outside wall for most of a lap, while the “low groove” takes a car closer to the apron than the outside wall. Road racers use the term “line.” Drivers search for a fast groove, and that has been known to change depending on track and weather conditions.

Loose: Also known as “oversteer.” When the rear tires of the car have trouble sticking in the corners. This causes the car to “fishtail” as the rear end swings outward during turns. A minor amount of this effect can be desirable on certain tracks.

Quarter-panel: The sheet metal on both sides of the car from the C-post to the rear bumper below the deck lid and above the wheel well.

Restrictor plate: A thin metal plate with four holes that restricts airflow from the carburetor into the engine. Used to reduce horsepower and keep speeds down. The restrictor plates are currently used at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

Round (of wedge): Slang term for a way of making chassis adjustments utilizing the race car’s springs. A wrench is inserted in a jack bolt attached to the springs, and is used to tighten or loosen the amount of play in the spring. This in turn can loosen or tighten up the handling of a race car.

Short pit: The strategy of pitting well before running out of fuel, getting fresh tires to make up time on the leaders and theoretically taking the lead once those lead cars need to pit. Short pitting puts a car on an alternate pit cycle and could be beneficial or not depending in part upon how cautions fall the rest of the race.

Side drafting: When a car races alongside another car and “dumps” air flow from that car’s nose to the spoiler of the other car, causing the other car to lose momentum and allowing the side-drafting car to pull away. It’s a strategy used on larger tracks such as Talladega, Daytona and Michigan.

Slingshot: A maneuver in which a car following the leader in a draft suddenly steers around it, breaking the vacuum; this provides an extra burst of speed that allows the second car to take the lead.

Splitter: Runs the entire width of the car at the front and sometimes appears as if it’s touching the ground. What the spoiler does for downforce in the back of the car, the splitter provides downforce to the front. Damage to the splitter can be difficult to overcome because of the important role it plays in the aerodynamics of the car.

Spoiler: A metal blade attached to the rear deck lid of the car. It helps restrict airflow over the rear of the car, providing downforce and traction.

Tapered spacer: A metal piece that limits how much air gets into the

engine cylinder, which in turn limits how much fuel can go into the cylinder and reduces the amount of energy produced.

Tight: Also known as “understeer.” A car is said to be tight if the front wheels lose traction before the rear wheels do. A tight race car doesn’t seem able to steer sharply enough through the turns. Instead, the front end continues toward the wall.

Track bar: A lateral bar that keeps the rear tires centered within the body of the car. It connects the frame on one side and the rear axle on the other. Also called the panhard bar.

Wave around: Cars can take the wave around when there is one to go under caution and the pace car turns its lights off. Wave-around cars are not permitted to pit until after the green flag comes back out and the race resumes. Wave-around cars restart at the rear of the field, but they are put in front of cars that have received a penalty.

5 Income Tax Hacks for 2018 Filing Updated for Tax Year 2017 OVERVIEW Here are five tried-and-true ways to reduce your tax liability at tax time.

Pay no more than you owe, or even increase your tax refund.

The article below is accurate for your 2017 taxes, the one that you file this year by the April 2018 deadline, including a few retroactive changes due to the passing of tax reform. Some tax information below will change next year for your 2018 taxes, but won’t impact you this year.

While Americans may disagree on how their taxes are spent, at tax time, most of us are looking for ways to pay no more than we owe, or even boost our tax refunds. These five strategies go beyond the obvious to give you tried-and-true ways to reduce your tax liability.

Rethink filing status to boost your refund One of the first decisions you make when completing your tax return, your filing status, can affect your refund’s size, especially if you’re married. While most married couples file jointly—approximately 96 percent do each year—a joint return is not always the most beneficial way to boost your refund. Married-filing-separately status requires more effort, but the time you invest offers tax savings under the right circumstances. Calculating your taxes both ways will point you in the higher refund direction.

The IRS uses a percentage of adjusted gross income—AGI—to determine whether some deductions can be used such as medical and certain miscellaneous expenses. Filing separately gives each spouse a lower AGI. If one of them has a lot of medical expenses, such as COBRA payments resulting from a job loss, computing taxes individually allows that spouse to reach the needed AGI percentage based on his or her own income.

Or, a spouse who spends a lot of time on the road and in the air might have travel expenses such as baggage fees that merit separate filing.

Expenses can add up for an unemployed spouse looking for work—long distance calls, resume preparation, career counseling and networking— and could be a sleeping miscellaneous deduction that reduces taxable income. However, choosing to file separate returns has drawbacks, such as losing credits available to joint filers, that you must weigh to maximize your refund potential.

Tax reductions from claiming dependents can cut a single parent›s tax bill when he or she files as head of household. You need to have one or more children who lived with you for more than six months, and paid more than 50 percent of the cost of keeping a home. Those costs include mortgage and rent, utilities, homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, repairs and food.

Single taxpayers who care for a parent may also qualify for the more advantageous head-of-household status if they paid more than half of the cost of maintaining that parent’s residence for the whole year. Your parent need not live with you; when you pay more than half of their cost to live in a home for seniors or rest home, you can claim head of household.

Don’t shy away from tax deductions Keeping a trip log for your volunteer work, job-hunting and doctor’s appointments may seem like a waste of time, but those miles add up and represent deductions. Parking, toll and bus or taxi receipts support your claim, while a record of the miles you drove lets you write off the cost of using your car through the standard mileage rate. Good travel records could help you reach the needed minimum percentage of adjusted gross income for miscellaneous deductions.

Moving for a new job 50 miles or more away can boost your tax refund because you can deduct moving, storage and travel expenses related to your relocation. You have to work full time at the new job for at least 39 weeks the first year; however, you can take the deduction in the year you move if you expect to meet this time test within the following tax year. You don’t have to itemize to get this tax break to lower your adjusted gross income. Simply figure your total using Form 3903 and attach it to your 1040 return.

Charitable deductions can help your refund cause, too. Record keeping lets you add up the dollars spent doing charity work, in addition to claiming the market value of any clothing or household things you donate. When you bake for a fund-raiser, the cost of your ingredients can be deducted, but not the value of the time you spent baking.

Maximize your IRA contributions You have until April 15th to open a traditional IRA for the previous tax year. That gives you the flexibility of claiming the credit on your return, filing early and using your refund to open the account. Traditional IRA contributions reduce your taxable income. You can take advantage of the maximum contribution and, if you›re at least 50 years old, the catch-up provision, to add to your IRA. If you contributed to a Roth IRA, you may be able to claim the retirement savings contribution credit that also lowers taxable income and result in a larger refund check.

Timing can boost your tax refund Taxpayers who watch the calendar improve their chances of getting a larger refund. If you can, pay January’s mortgage payment before December 31st and get the added interest for your mortgage interest deduction.

Schedule health-related treatments and exams in the last quarter of the year to boost your medical expense deduction potential.

Paying property taxes by New Year’s Eve could make the difference between itemizing and taking the standard deduction, and thus, a bigger refund. If you’re self-employed, you can pay your fourth-quarter state estimated taxes in December, rather than in January when they’re normally due, to increase your itemizing potential.

Become credit savvy and refund happy Credits work better than deductions as refund boosters. For each credit dollar, your taxes go down a dollar. Yet, 20% of eligible Americans don’t claim the earned income tax credit. If you’re working and meet the guidelines, you may be eligible for EITC even if you’re single with no children. If you have kids, the child-care credit may help you.

For those with children in college, credits related to higher education ex-

penses, such as the American Opportunity Tax Credit, could provide tax relief. “The American Opportunity Credit is great because up to $1,000 is refundable. That means you could receive as much as $1,000 even if you had no tax liability,” says Miles Brkovich, a CPA with Bennett & Brkovich, LLC in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. “The total credit is $2,500 and applies only to the first four years of undergraduate higher education expenses.

If you’re in grad school or beyond, you may be eligible for the Lifetime Learning Credit.”

Tax laws change frequently, and credits come and go, so staying informed can be financially rewarding. Credits for home improvements that save energy keep more money in your wallet throughout the year and at tax time. For example, an investment in an alternative energy heating system for your home could let you claim 30 percent of the cost through 2019 or a reduced percentage through 2021. Brkovich suggests that by keeping up with tax changes, you can plan how they might affect your cash flow.

Remember, when you use TurboTax to prepare your taxes, we’ll ask you simple questions about your situation and recommend the filing status, credits and deductions that will get you the biggest refund.

10 Savvy Ways To Stop Impulse Buying Hassan Anjum

Impulse buying is the leading cause of death for your bank account and, if you have a credit card, your debt, too. The easiest thing would be for us to say that you should tell yourself over and over «don›t buy it» and to «stick to your guns!» But for those of us who are impulse shoppers, we know that we lack a certain element of self discipline in this area and those strategies simply won’t work.

There are, however, 10 ways that you can stop impulse buying.

1. Carry Cash.

If you can actually see the money disappearing right before your eyes, it will help you limit impulse buying.

2. Leave Credit Card(s) At Home.

We all say that we’re “only using our credit cards for emergencies” but if it’s in our wallet while we’re out, we just might be tempted to use it.

There’s no harm in leaving it at home. Put it in a safe place and believe that today, there won’t be any emergencies.

3. Develop A Financial Plan.

You need to get your finances in check when you decide it’s time to quit impulse buying. It’s always best to have a blueprint of where your money is going, and this will definitely help you.

4. Stay Away From Toxic Friends.

If you have a friend who encourages spending--late night drinks, last minute shopping trips, etc.--it’s best to find other ways to hang out with them instead. Suggest having movie night and pedicures at home.

5. Avoid Shopping With Rich Friends.

We are completely envious of those girls who never have to work for anything. You know the type--they had that unpaid fashion internship at Vogue, lived on Park Avenue, and bought Louis Vuitton bags without ever having to work. Don’t shop with those friends, unless they’re buying! When you want to hang out, suggest ideas that require little to no

money.

6. Check Your Mood.

If you’re having a bad day, don’t shop to cheer yourself up. Call a friend (or your mom) and vent about it. Take a walk (not at the mall or Fifth Avenue or even in that general direction) or take a bubble bath to cheer up.

7. Plan Shopping Trips Ahead.

Make a list of what you need and take it with you. When you’re out shopping, challenge yourself to only buy what’s on the list. This tip is difficult and requires self-discipline.

8. Don’t Put Yourself In A Compromising Position.

Keep yourself away from your favorite shops or restaurants when you’re feeling down. You might experience a quick high from your latest find, but when the feeling wears off, you’ll still be upset and you’ll have the added financial burden. This includes surfing the Web for online stores.

9. Write Down Your Goals.

Write down your goals on a sheet of paper and put it in your wallet.

When you’re out shopping, if you have the urge to buy, take out that sheet of paper and ask yourself whether that purchase will help you meet your goals or not.

10. Unsubscribe From Mailing Lists.

You might not know when Topshop has a sale or when H&M opens up a store in your town, but that›s probably a good thing. And get rid of mail-in catalogs that encourage you to purchase.

What Your Tongue Can Say About Your Health

By Jessiac Ford The tongue is a vital organ in the body that plays key roles in facilitating digestion, forming speech, and providing the ability to taste. It contorts to assist swallowing, repositions to form phonetic sounds, and receives and relays salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami sensations from the foods we eat. While most people are cognizant of the kinetic and sensory functions of the tongue, many are unaware of the role that the tongue’s appearance can play in the evaluation of one’s health.

Remember your last doctor’s visit? Chances are, your practitioner asked you to “stick out your tongue.” In Western medicine, this is a common practice that allows a quick evaluation of the tongue and throat. Physicians and dentists usually look at the tongue for signs of nutritional deficiencies or more serious signs of cancer. The tongue is an important determinant of health in medical practices from around the world too. In traditional Chinese medicine, practitioners place emphasis on the tongue for diagnostic evaluations, believing that the tongue actually reflects all the diseases of the body.

14 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Montreal Written by Chloë Ernst Located as it is on the St. Lawrence, Montréal has prospered as a cosmopolitan hub of communications and trade. Jacques Cartier landed here in 1535 and took the territory for his King, François I of France. But it wasn’t until 1642 that Paul de Chomedey, the god-fearing Sieur de Maisonneuve, founded a small mission station here. Called Ville Marie de Mont-Réal this was the original settlement that today is Montréal. It has grown to be the second largest French-speaking city in the world. Part of the Hochelaga archipelago, the city itself is an island with Mount Royal (233 meters) in the city center. Montréal’s climate swings between the extremes of high humid heat in summer and heavy snowfalls in winter.

1 Mont Royal Mont-Royal rises 233 meters above the city and is the green lung near the city center. A stroll through this lovely park enables the visitor to see monuments to Jacques Cartier and King George VI, to spend some time

by Lac-aux-Castors, and to have a look at the cemeteries on the western slope where the city’s different ethnic groups have rested in peace together for centuries. From the summit, or rather from a platform below the cross, there unfolds a magnificent panorama of the whole of the 51-kilometer length of the Île de Montréal and the St. Lawrence. On clear days, the view extends to the Adirondack Mountains in the United States of America.

2 Old Montreal Old Montréal is a remarkable concentration of buildings dating from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The district has the delightful feel of a Parisian-style quarter, situated as it is between the waterfront and the business hub. Its many historic sites, streets, and landmarks are best explored on foot. Those not to miss include the twin towers of Notre-Dame Basilica, the quays of the revitalized Old Port, and the open-air gathering space of Place Jacques-Cartier.

3 Parc Jean Drapeau

Île Sainte-Hélène (named after the wife of Samuel de Champlain) and the artificial island of Notre-Dame were the site of Expo ‹67. They are now known as Parc Jean Drapeau and have many family-minded attractions. A remnant of the 1967 world fair, the Biosphere is now a museum dedicated to ecological issues. The building is designed in the shape of a sphere and is the largest such structure in the world.

Other tourist attractions on the islands include the rides and games of La Ronde Amusement Park, the historic 1820 British arsenal at the Stewart Museum, Bassin Olympique (where the Olympic rowing events were held), and race course Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Official site: http://www.parcjeandrapeau.com 4 Botanical Garden Parc Maisonneuve (Pie IX Metro) incorporates the wonderfully imaginative botanical garden. At Jardin Botanique, visitors are drawn in particular to the Japanese and Chinese Gardens, exceptional glasshouses, and displays of orchids and bonsai. There is an interesting Insectarium and huge arboretum on the grounds, as well as ponds supporting a variety of birds.

Address: 4101 Sherbrooke St East, Montréal Official site: http://espacepourlavie.ca/en/botanical-garden 5 Rue Sherbrooke Named after Sir John Sherbrooke, Governor General of Canada from 1816 to 1818, Rue Sherbrooke is probably the city’s most elegant thoroughfare. It is the spine of the city and the location of many major museums and institutions. On Rue Sherbrooke, the McCord Museum of Canadian History has an outstanding collection of exhibits on Canada’s social history, especially native peoples such as the Inuit and Pacific Coast First Nations. The Musée des Beaux Arts is the oldest museum in Canada and houses vast collections of painting, sculpture, and new media. Not far from the museum is the extensive campus of McGill University.

6 Places Jacques-Cartier A gathering point in Old Montréal that’s especially lively in summer, Place Jacques-Cartier is a popular tourist spot surrounded by historic buildings, pretty gardens, public services, and restaurants. At the uphill

end, there is a Nelson’s Column and the impressive Montréal City Hall.

7 Notre-Dame Basilica Founded in 1656, Montréal’s oldest church, Notre-Dame Basilica, stands in a far grander incarnation than the original. The twin towers of the neo-Gothic façade face Place d’Armes. An intricate and resplendent interior is the work of Victor Bourgeau. Throughout the year, an evening light and sound show retells the story of Montréal’s founding.

Address: 110 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montréal Official site: http://www.basiliquenotredame.ca/ 8 Olympic Park Montréal’s Olympic Park was the site of the 1976 Summer Olympics.

With the seashell-shaped Olympic Stadium at its heart, the park is a major recreation destination. Other sites within the park include the covered botanic-zoological Biodômegarden, the creative botanical garden, and collections of creepy-crawlies at the Insectarium.

Address: 4141 Pierre-De Coubertin Ave, Montréal 9 St. Joseph’s Oratory The Oratoire Saint-Joseph in Montréal, near the western exit from Mount Royal Park, is dedicated to Canada’s patron saint. It is a mecca for pilgrims, with its huge Renaissance-style domed basilica dating to 1924. Brother André of the Congrégation de Sainte-Croix had already built a small chapel here in 1904, where he performed miraculous acts of healing for which he was canonized in 1982. His tomb is in one part of the sanctuary in the original chapel. Votive gifts are displayed in a second chapel. A cloister behind the church leads up to Mont-Royal. There is a good northwest view from the observatory over Montréal and Lac Saint-Louis.

Address: 3800 Queen Mary, Montréal Official site: http://www.saint-joseph.org/ 10 St. Mary Queen of the World The Catholic Mary Queen of the World Cathedral, east of Place du Canada, was built in 1894 as a smaller version of St. Peter’s in Rome. The massive statues represent the patron saints of the Archbishopric of Mon-

tréal in the 19th century. A series of paintings by Georges Delfosse retell Montréal’s tumultuous history.

Address: 1085 Rue de la Cathedrale, Montréal Official site: http://www.cathedralecatholiquedemontreal.org/ 11 Square Saint-Louis Near the Sherbrooke Metro Station, Square Saint-Louis rates as one of Montréal’s prettiest old squares and is set in a turn-of-the-century French-Canadian residential quarter. In the little streets around the tree-shaded square, there are still a few attractive Victorian houses.

Some now house pleasant restaurants.

12 Editor’s Pick Lachine Lachine, on the southeast bank of Montréal Island (in Lac St.-Louis), got its name from the first pioneers who, in the 17th century, made their way up the St. Lawrence looking for a route to China (in French, «la Chine»).

The Lachine Canal, a way of getting round the Lachine Rapids, was dug in 1825. It is many years, however, since it was last used for shipping and nowadays forms part of a park and offers plenty of opportunities for charming trips along the canal banks.

Official site: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/qc/canallachine/index. aspx 13 Rue St-Denis Running parallel to St. Laurent, Rue St. Denis is one of the hippest shopping, arts, and dining streets in Montréal. Historic buildings have been converted into boutiques, bistros, and cafés. At one end, St. Denis starts in the student-minded Quartier Latin neighborhood (it’s handy to Université du Québec à Montréal and the Grande Bibliothèque) and heads west

into the trendy Plateau area with its independent designers and chefrun restaurants.

14 Chinatown Montréal’s Chinatown is centered on Rue de la Gauchetière, with Chinese arches marking the heart of the quarter. This dates from the late 1860s, when many Chinese laborers who originally came to work in the mines and build the railroad moved into the cities in search of a better life. Today’s Chinatown is no longer exclusively Chinese, but a place where anyone can relax and enjoy a good meal.

Where to Stay in Montreal for Sightseeing The best place to stay in Montreal is in Old Montreal (Vieux-Montréal), not only for the sights but also for the ambience that comes with the old architecture and cobbled streets. This area of the city is small enough to explore on foot, so any hotel here is in a good location. Below are some highly-rated hotels in or near this area of Montreal: •

Luxury Hotels: The Hotel Nelligan is an elegant boutique hotel with impeccable service, inviting décor, and exposed centuriesold brick and stone walls that fit perfectly in Old Montreal. In the same caliber and with a similar historic feel is the 45-room Auberge du Vieux-Port, set along the waterfront of the St. Lawrence River. In a 19th-century building with modern décor, the Hotel Gault is another fine option in Old Montreal. If you are interested in staying in Montreal›s modern city center rather than Old Montreal, the Ritz-Carlton is one of the finest hotels in the city and has hosted many celebrities over the years.

•

Mid-Range Hotels: On the edge of Old Montreal and the financial district, and just a short walk from the famous Notre-Dame Basilica, is the Embassy Suites by Hilton, with a contemporary feel and a variety of rooms and suites. In the heart of Old Montreal, on what was the city’s first public square, the popular Le Petit Hotel offers a mix of old world charm and modern comforts. Nearby, the Auberge Bonaparte is a boutique hotel set in a historic building, with lovely rooms and Louis-Philippe style décor.

•

Budget Hotels: In Chinatown, but within walking distance of both Old Montreal and downtown, is the Travelodge, with small

rooms but a convenient location. North of Chinatown, but also in a good location close to some of the major attractions, is the Hotel l’Abri du Voyageur. This hotel offers a variety of budget rooms at various price points. The Chateau de l’Argoat is a boutique hotel with plenty of character and large, comfortable rooms, about a 20-minute walk from Old Montreal.

Tips and Tours: How to Make the Most of Your Visit to Montreal •

Sightseeing: The most popular tourist area in Montreal is historic Old Montreal. If this is your first time to the city, a guided Walking Tour of Old Montreal is a wonderful way to explore the cobblestone streets and narrow lanes while learning about the history. For a quick overview of a larger portion of the city, the Montreal City Guided Sightseeing Tour offers a three-hour motor coach tour that includes the major sites around Old Montreal as well as other famous sites like Saint Joseph›s Oratory, Mount Royal, and the Olympic Stadium. If you have time to explore the city and want a more in-depth experience try the Montreal City Hop-on Hop-off Tour. This option allows you to get off at any of the 10 different stops over a two day period and sightsee at your own pace.

•

Day Trips: One of the most popular day trips from Montreal is the Quebec City and Montmorency Falls Day Trip. This full-day guided tour takes you through the historic streets and sites of Quebec City and lets you see some of the countryside, including the spectacular Montmorency Falls. From May to October, you can also add on a St. Lawrence River Cruise or just wander through Old Quebec.

Other Points of Interest Rue Ste-Cathérine Rue Ste-Cathérine, which can be reached from Dorchester Square, is Montréal’s main shopping thoroughfare. Bustling with life, the busy street is lined with department stores and shops of all kinds, as well as a host of restaurants.

Bell Centre Bell Centre in Montréal is a sports facility and home to the Montréal Canadiens hockey team. The complex can hold more than 21,000 specta-

tors and is also used to accommodate large concerts and other events.

Address: 1909 Canadiens-de-Montréal Ave, Montréal Official site: http://www.centrebell.ca Montreal International Jazz Festival The Montreal International Jazz Festival is held in late June and early July, attracting visitors from all over the world. The festival brings in some of the biggest names in jazz music for this huge event. Travelers planning on attending or visiting Montreal during the International Jazz Festival be sure to book accommodation well in advance.

Official site: http://www.montrealjazzfest.com Jean Talon Market The Jean Talon Market is one of Montréal’s busiest public markets. Located in a warehouse-style building, the market features vendors selling fruits and vegetables, flowers, meats, fish, cheese, baked goods, and specialty foods. There are also restaurants and cafés on site.

Address: 7070 Henri Julien Ave, Montréal Official site: http://www.marchespublics-mtl.com/marches/jean-talon/ Canadian Centre for Architecture This exceptional museum, housed in an elegant post-modern building

by Phyllis Lambert and Peter Ross, boasts an unusually comprehensive collection of architectural drawings and photographs, together with a library and archive. The extensive collection enables the CCA to be a leading voice in advancing knowledge, promoting public understanding, and widening thought on architecture, its history, theory, practice, and role in society today.

Address: 1920 Rue Baile, Montréal Official site: http://www.cca.qc.ca Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal The Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal is particularly worth a visit, especially as young French-Canadian artists are accorded special prominence. The museum is part of Place des Arts, a complex dedicated to visual and performing arts.

Address: 185 Rue St. Catherine Ouest, Montréal

Amazing Space Discoveries of 2017/18 We learnt more about neutron stars, found more planets and said goodbye to Cassini in 2017. We end the year with a better picture of the Universe than we started it with

By Dinah Rashid 24 Dec 2017 From neutron stars colliding to our solar system’s first visitor, 2017 was an amazing year for space discoveries. While the year had some sad moments, like the end of the 20–year long Cassini mission, we also learnt a huge amount about this vast Universe in which we live. Here’s the best of space in 2017.

An incredible year for gravitational waves The Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to the Ligo team that has now spotted three instances of gravitational waves coming from black holes merging. The first of these was announced in February 2016 and the second in June this year.

Then, in October, another merger was detected – but this time from two neutron stars. Not only this, but the team also found electromagnetic radiation coming from the event and gamma-ray bursts given off just seconds later.

Neutron stars are among the strangest stars in the Universe. Produced when the largest stars come of the end of their life, run out of fuel and collapse in on themselves, neutron stars are the smallest and most dense stars can get. Just one teaspoon of neutron star material is as heavy as the Great Pyramid of Giza. When two collide, a lot of crazy science goes on.

Arguably the biggest space discovery of the year, the discovery of the merger in gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation has marked the start of a ‘new era’ in astrophysics.

A super-Earth found 40 light years away An exoplanet discovered 40 light years away caused excitement among astronomers in April, as it has the potential to give us the best opportunity ever to find alien life. The ‘super-Earth’ called LHS 1140b is around 1.4 times the size of our planet but seven times its mass. It is rocky, temperate and orbits a quiet star in our galactic neighborhood.

“I am really, really excited about this discovery,” David Charbonneau, study author and professor of astronomy at Harvard University said at the time. “This is the one we’ve been hunting for all these years!”

Ten new possibly habitable planets found In June, Nasa revealed ten new potentially habitable worlds. They were part of a group of 219 exoplanets revealed by the space agency in its eighth Kepler planet catalogue.

All the planets are Earth-sized and in the habitable zone of their stars.

This means they are at just the right distance for liquid water to exist on their surfaces. Nasa’s Kepler space telescope has now discovered 4,034 candidate exoplanets. Out of these, 2,335 have been confirmed as planets, and are located in the Cygnus constellation.

Jupiter’s spot up close In July, images from Nasa’s Juno spacecraft revealed the gas giant in a completely new level of detail, showing its Red Spot to be “a tangle of dark, veinous clouds weaving their way through a massive crimson oval.”

Since it arrived at the planet in July 2016 Juno has taken thousands of photographs and used eight on-board sensors to capture detailed readings about how it formed and its chemical composition. Its mission ends is February 2018 with a drive into Jupiter’s atmosphere.

Water on the moon The Moon holds more water than we thought in its interior, according to research published in July, meaning humans could one day make the most of it as a space resource.

The study looked at a substance found on the Moon called pyroclastic deposits, which are made mostly of volcanic glass beads formed during ancient explosive eruptions. In the past, these have been thought of as potentially useful sources for elements like iron and titanium.

The authors behind the research say we have reason to believe they also contain water, which could be extracted by astronauts on the moon one day.

The end of an era for Cassini After almost 20 years since Nasa’s Cassini mission launched, the spacecraft went on a collision course towards Saturn this September. In its lifetime the spacecraft traveled more than one billion miles and helped reveal the secrets of Saturn and its moons.

As it descended to a fiery end, Cassini gathered data that will create maps of Saturn’s gravity and magnetic fields. This will shed light on the planet’s composition and help scientists understand just how quickly Saturn is rotating. Although Cassini is gone, scientists will keep working on its data for years to come.

Runaway stars At the very edge of our galaxy, some stars are moving fast enough that they have the energy needed to escape its gravitational clutches. Now, it turns out, ours might not be the first galaxy these stars have escaped from.

Previously, physicists thought these incredibly fast stars were accelerated to such great speeds by the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. But a study published in July showed these ‘runaway’ stars at the edge of the Milky Way were thrown our way from another nearby galaxy.

We’re closer than ever to Planet Nine In January 2016, a pair of astronomers published a paper that changed the direction of modern astronomy. The paper predicted the existence of another, huge planet lurking far beyond Neptune, in the most distant realms of our solar system.

In September this year, one of the authors of the original paper decided it was time it got an update. In a new paper, Konstantin Batygin, a Caltech professor of planetary science, narrowed down the hunt for the planet. “With our new understanding of how Planet Nine sculpts the observed patterns in the data, we have been able to zoom in on its true orbit further,” Batygin says.

Our first interstellar visitor In November, the first planetary body to come to our solar system form somewhere else was discovered. The object, originally named A/2017 U1, was spotted on October 18 when it was already heading away from Earth.

It had been closer to the Sun in September and passed within 15 million miles of Earth on October 15.

One of the most peculiar things about it was how fast it was moving. Covering 15.8 miles (25.5 km) each second, the super-fast space rock is so hot it almost looked red.

Breakthrough Listen decided to study the object, now named ‘Oumuamua, and didn’t find evidence for any alien activity.

Top 15 Mistakes to Avoid in Choosing a College Afraid of choosing the wrong college? Avoid these 15 common blunders students often make in considers their college options.

Josh Prudholme Choosing a college is stressful and making sure you make the right decision can often feel like a daunting task. To help out with the process, here are some common mistakes to avoid along the way: 1. Rushing the process. Finding the right college takes time and effort, not to mention research and an often lengthy application process. Waiting until the last minute or just “falling into a college” is never a good idea. It takes the most important factor out of the equation—you.

2. Being a follower. Following a boyfriend, girlfriend, best friend to the college of their choice may seem like a good idea at the time because you want to be near them, but this is one of the most pivotal points in your life, too. You need to remember to make the best decisions for yourself and, if your relationships are strong, they will outlast time and distance anyway.

3. The legacy lure. We’re aware the commandment states “Honor thy father and mother.” However, only considering colleges your parents, siblings or other family members went to in order to follow in their footsteps may not be in your best interest. It’s always better to explore your options and find the right fit for your personality.

4. Rebellion. In contrast, only considering colleges your parents DON’T want you to go isn’t beneficial either. Sometimes, they have some good insight that may help you decide on what may be best for you. Don’t choose—or not choose—a college out of spite. This is sure to lead you down a path of regret. Choose a college based on what you want, not based on what someone else doesn’t.

5. You’re a die-hard fan. We’ve all got our favorite teams, but let’s

remember that just because they have a great sports team does not mean it’s the right educational fit for you. After all, you’re there to learn, not cheer them on. You can be a fan anywhere, but you can’t learn everywhere.

6. The temptation to party. So, it’s a great party school but is it a great learning environment? While you may be itching to get out on your own and party like a rock star, that’s really not what college is about. Remember, when choosing a college that you want to choose somewhere what you can have a healthy social atmosphere but a setting that’s conducive to the real goal at hand—learning.

7. How a student body looks. You’ve heard the student body is attractive. So what? Maybe you like this, maybe you’re worried you won’t fit in, either way, you should ignore these stereotypes because they probably are just that. Also, the attractiveness of a student body shouldn’t really make a different in your decision on where to get an education.

8. Assuming the worst. Not applying to certain schools because you assume you won’t be accepted underrates your potential and potentially limits your future. Come on, you guys, we have reach schools for a reason.

You never know what you can achieve if you don’t try, so at least make an attempt.

9. Location, location, location. Whether you’re a homebody who wants to stay close or an escape artist who wants to get as far from home as possible, the location should be a factor in choosing a college, not the sole decision maker.

10. Cost obsessions or carelessness. Forgetting to consider the cost or only considering the cost as a factor are two major issues to avoid. While cost is a huge hurdle, there are many other factors to consider as well and students should not be blinded by this one aspect. Reversely, students who are applying for financial aid or whose parents are paying for college should not neglect to think about cost completely, as costs can add up quite quickly.

11. Not visiting. Experiences are relative and one person’s dream college could be another’s nightmare. This is why going by what you’ve been told is never a good idea. A person very different from you could have had a positive or negative experience that you likely would not have had. Also, only looking at the website or relying on a college’s advertising is a mistake because they tend to idealize college life and students get unrealistic

expectations of what campus is like. It’s always better to visit and experience the college—or one very similar to it—for yourself.

12. Relying on reputation. Just because it’s a “highly-ranked”, “prestigious” or a “designer” school doesn’t mean it’s the right school for you.

Don’t always assume that the difficulty of getting into the school equates to the quality of education you’ll receive. Some students need smaller classes and more one-on-one interaction to thrive in a learning environment.

13. Pushy parents. Letting your parents decide which college is right for you, or being forced by your parents to attend a certain school is not healthy. You need to think about what you want out of a college. After all, you’re the one attending the school.

14. Having a one-track mind. Maybe you’ve wanted to go there since you were little and you’ve already decided there is only one right school for you. But not investigating all your options is a huge mistake. You can still attend you’re number one, we’re just asking you to check out the others, too. Just because you think it’s what you want doesn’t mean you can’t ask questions and, believe us, you can never ask too many!

15. The college specializes in your current major. That’s right, we said current. Choosing a college solely because of a specific major or career path is a major (pun intended) issue because, odds are, your major will change several times. There’s nothing wrong with that, we just want you to be prepared with a school ready to accommodate all your dreams, whatever they may be.

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Just What the Heck is March Madness?

Tyree Baker March Madness is one of the biggest, most exciting and most fun events in all of sports. Here’s everything you need to know about the NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball tournament, which has been played annually since 1939.

What is March Madness?

The NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament is a single-elimination tournament of 68 teams that compete in seven rounds for the national championship. The penultimate round is known as the Final Four, when only (you guessed it) four teams are left.

When did March Madness start?

The first NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament was in 1939, and it has been held every year since.

How has the tournament changed since 1939?

The inaugural tournament had just eight teams, and saw Oregon beat Ohio State 46-33 for the title: In 1951, the field doubled to 16, and kept expanding over the next few decades until 1985, when the modern format of a 64-team tournament began. In 2001, a single game was added prior to the first round. In 2011, three more games were added to round out the First Four. Here’s how this year’s bracket looks: Where did the term “March Madness” come from?

March Madness was first used to refer to basketball by an Illinois high school official, Henry V. Porter, in 1939, but the term didn’t find its way to the NCAA tournament until CBS broadcaster Brent Musburger (who used to be a sportswriter in Chicago) used it during coverage of the 1982 tournament.

The term has been synonymous with the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament ever since.

How are the teams selected?

There are two ways that a team can earn a bid to the NCAA tournament.

The 32 Division I conferences all receive an automatic bid, which they award to the team that wins the postseason conference tournament. Regardless of how a team performed during the regular season, if they are eligible for postseason play and win their conference tournament, they receive a bid to the NCAA tournament. These teams are known as automatic qualifiers.

The second avenue for an invitation is an at-large bid. The selection committee (more on them in a second) convenes on Selection Sunday, after all regular season and conference tournament games are played, and decides which 36 teams that are not automatic qualifiers have the pedigree to earn an invitation to the tournament.

What is the March Madness selection committee?

The 10-member NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Committee is responsible for selecting, seeding and bracketing the field for the NCAA Tournament. School and conference administrators are nominated by their conference, serve five-year terms and represent a cross-section of the Division I membership.

How do they decide which teams get an at-large bid?

There are a multitude of stats and rankings that the Selection Committee takes into account, but there is no set formula that determines whether a team receives an at-large bid or not.

What (and when) is Selection Sunday?

Selection Sunday is the day when the Selection Committee reveals the full NCAA tournament bracket, including all teams and all seeds. In 2018, Selection Sunday was on March 11.

When is 2018’s March Madness?

March Madness 2018 dates and schedule ROUND SITE Selection Sunday N/A First Four Dayton First/Second Pittsburgh First/Second Wichita First/Second Dallas First/Second Boise First/Second Charlotte First/Second Detroit First/Second Nashville First/Second San Diego Midwest Regional Omaha West Regional Los Angeles South Regional Atlanta East Regional Boston Final Four San Antonio How to watch March Madness:

)DATE(S March 11 March 13-14 March 15 & 17 March 15 & 17 March 15 & 17 March 15 & 17 March 16 & 18 March 16 & 18 March 16 & 18 March 16 & 18 March 23 & 25 March 22 & 24 March 22 & 24 March 23 & 25 March 31, April 2

Every single March Madness game will be broadcast on either TBS, TNT, TruTV or CBS. You can also stream every game on March Madness Live.

Here’s the full schedule: Sweet 16 Friday, March 23 TEAMS Clemson vs. (1) Kansas )5( West Virgina vs. (1) Villanova )5( Syracuse vs. (2) Duke )11( Texas Tech vs. (2) Purdue )3( Elite Eight

)TIME (ET .p.m 7:07 .p.m 7:27 .p.m 9:37 .p.m 9:57

WATCH CBS | Stream TBS | Stream CBS | Stream TBS | Stream

Saturday, March 24 TEAMS Loyola Chicago vs. (9) Kansas State )11( Florida State vs. (3) Michigan )9( Sunday, March 25

)TIME (ET WATCH .p.m 6:09 TBS | Stream .p.m 8:49 TBS | Stream

TEAMS TBA vs. TBA TBA vs. TBA Final Four

)TIME (ET .p.m 2:20 .p.m 5:05

WATCH CBS | Stream CBS | Stream

TEAMS )TIME (ET TBA vs. TBA .p.m 6:09 TBA vs. TBA .p.m 8:49 National championship

WATCH TBS | Stream TBS | Stream

Saturday, March 31

Monday, April 2

TEAMS TBA vs. TBA

)TIME (ET .p.m 9:20

WATCH TBS | Stream

How can you participate in March Madness?

MARCH MADNESS LIVE Exclusive live coverage of the NCAA tournament By filling out a bracket! Our Bracket Challenge Game, the official bracket game of the NCAA, is open for you to fill out your bracket by selecting which teams you think will win each game. The brackets will lock on Thursday, before the first game of the first round begins, so get your picks in before then. How hard is filling out a bracket? Well no one has ever gotten a perfect bracket, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying.

March Madness glossary: The Madness of March isn’t just confined to what happens on the basketball court. When discussing teams, there are a bevy of statistics, terms, and acronyms thrown out. There’s a team’s RPI, KPI, and BPI. The SOS and the SOR. The automatic bid and the at-large bid. It can be a bit daunting.

Maybe you’ve never heard of any of these, maybe you just need a quick refresher. Either way, we’ve compiled a list of the 29 most helpful terms when dealing with the NCAA tournament. These are stats and phrases that the Selection Committee will use to determine the field, and understanding what they mean can go a long way in helping you make informed decisions while filling out your bracket.

At-large bid — Teams that receive a bid to the NCAA tournament are broken into two categories: At-large bids, and automatic bids. The selection committee hands out 36 at-large bids to teams that did not win their conference tournament, but impressed the committee enough to earn a trip to the tournament. There is no limit on the number of at-large teams the committee may select from one conference.

Automatic bid — In Division I, there are 32 conferences. Each has its own conference tournament at the conclusion of the regular season.

Teams that win this tournament, regardless of their regular-season performance, automatically earn a trip to the NCAA tournament.

AP ranking – The Associated Press has been ranking the top basketball teams since 1948. In its current form, the poll ranks the top 25 teams in Division I via a ranking that is compiled from the ballots of 65 sports journalists across the country. The ranking has no official weight in the selection process, and even a No. 1 ranking in the AP poll does not technically guarantee a team a bid to the NCAA tournament.

BPI — College Basketball’s Power Index, invented by ESPN, is a statistic that measures how far above or below average every team is, and projects how well the team will do going forward. The index uses two measurements to do this: BPI Offense (measure of a team’s offensive strength compared to an average offense) and BPI Defense (measure of a team’s defensive strength compared to an average defense). BPI is calculated by finding the difference between these two measurements.

The bubble — A team that is “on the bubble” for the NCAA tournament is one whose qualification for the tournament could go either way. They’re on the verge of making the field of 68, but an invitation isn’t guaranteed.

Cinderella — Much like the titular character from the fairy tale, a Cinderella team is one that is much more successful than expected. Examples in March would be Villanova’s 1985 championship run, when the eighth-seeded Wildcats became the lowest seeded team to ever win the title, knocking off the heavy favorite Georgetown.

Defensive efficiency — A simple statistic that calculates the points allowed per 100 defensive possessions. For example, if Team A’s opponent scored 80 points in a game with 75 possessions, Team A’s defensive efficiency would be 106.7.

Elite Eight — The fourth round of the tournament, when just eight teams remain, is known as the Elite Eight. This round is the final game for each

regional, before the four winners move on to the national semifinal, known as the Final Four.

Final Four — The fifth round of the tournament, when just four teams remain, is known as the Final Four. This is the penultimate round of the tournament, when the winners of each regional face off for a chance to play in the championship game.

First Four — When the NCAA tournament was expanded to 68 teams, a new round was added to the format: The First Four. Four games, played on the Tuesday and Wednesday after Selection Sunday determine which of eight teams advance to the first round of the tournament.

First four out — When ranking all 68 teams in the NCAA tournament, the First Four Out fall in spots 69-72. These teams will not make the NCAA tournament, but will be the top-seeded teams in the NIT Championship.

KPI — KPI Sports ranks every team’s wins and losses on a scale of -1.0 (the worst possible loss) to +1.0 (the best possible win), and averages these scores across a season to give a score to a team’s winning percentage. The formula uses opponent’s winning percentage, opponent’s strength of schedule, scoring margin, pace of game, location, and opponent’s KPI ranking.

Last four in — Another unofficial term, the Last Four In refers to the final four teams that receive automatic bids to the tournament. These are teams that are usually on the bubble as Selection Sunday draws near.

Offensive efficiency — Points scored per 100 offensive possessions.

For example, if a team scored 80 points in a game with 75 possessions, their offensive efficiency would be 106.7.

Pace/Tempo — An estimate of the number of possessions a team has per regulation (40 minutes).

Per-40 stats — A reference used to compare two or more players who do not play the same amount of minutes per game. It is measured by taking each statistic, dividing it by the minutes played per game, and then multiplying it by 40 — a full regulation game. For example, if Player A scores an average of 20 points in 30 minutes of play, his points per-40 would be 26.7.

POM — Kenpom.com, run by Ken Pomeroy, is a website devoted to advanced basketball statistics. The site gives an overall rating to each

Division I team throughout the season based on a multitude of advanced metrics. The Selection Committee uses these rankings to help evaluate teams.

Quadrants (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) — In order to determine the strength of a team’s wins or losses, the selection committee divides the team’s record into four quadrants on each team sheet. The quadrants are meant to serve as an indicator of how good a team’s wins are, or how bad their losses are. Each quadrant is divided based on a combination of the location of the game — Home (H), Neutral court (N), or Away (A) — and the opponent’s RPI. •

Q1: H: 1-30; N: 1-50; A: 1-75

•

Q2: H: 31-75; N: 51-100; A: 76-135

•

Q3: H: 76-160; N: 101-200; A: 136-240

•

Q4: H:161+; N: 201+; A: 241+

Regional — The NCAA tournament bracket is split into four regionals. The South, East, West, and Midwest. The first four rounds of the tournament are played in regionals, with the Elite Eight serving as the regional championship game. Teams are assigned a regional based on a combination of factors, such as overall seed, proximity to the regional, the other teams in that regional, and more.

RPI — The basic RPI (Rating Percentage Index) consists of a team’s Division I winning percentage (25 percent weight), its opponents’ winning percentage (50 percent weight) and its opponents opponents’ winning percentage (25 percent weight). The RPI is one of many factors the committees use for selecting and seeding teams.

SAG — On a team sheet, “SAG” stands for Sagarin rankings, from sagarin. com. The Sagarin rankings account for score differentials, strength of schedule, and weights for how recent a game was (wins in February are worth more than wins in November). Sagarin rankings differ from KenPom rankings in that efficiency is not taken into account.

Seed — 68 teams earn bids to the NCAA tournament, and each one receives a seed — from 1 to 16 —that determines where the team will be placed in the bracket. After the First Four, there are four of every seed. The seeds are also ranked overall from 1 to 68.

Selection committee —The 10-member NCAA Men’s Division I Bas-

ketball Committee is responsible for selecting, seeding and bracketing the field for the NCAA Tournament. School and conference administrators are nominated by their conference, serve five-year terms and represent a cross-section of the Division I membership.

Selection Sunday — The day everyone waits for, when the Selection Committee announces the tournament field. This year, Selection Sunday is March 11.

Strength of record — From ESPN: “Strength of Record (SOR) is a measure of team accomplishment based on how difficult a team›s W-L record is to achieve. SOR reflects the chance a typical 25th ranked team would have team›s record or better, given the schedule on a 0 to 100 scale, where 100 is best.”

Strength of schedule — Strength of Schedule (or SoS) measures the difficulty of a team’s schedule, based on the win percentage of the team’s opponents.

Sweet 16 — The third round of the tournament, where only 16 teams remain. The winner of each game will play in the Elite Eight.

Team sheet — A one-page document for every team in Division I that helps the committee get a complete picture of that team’s performance during the season. The team sheets contain in-depth team information about strength of schedule, performance against top-50 teams and home/road records.

Avoid Colds and Flu Now!

By Humanities Staff

Are you avoiding your co-worker with that hacking cough, cold, or flu in the cubicle next to you? Do you draw your hand back from every doorknob? Have cold-and-flu phobia? Get a grip before the grippe gets you. We’ve consulted dozens of medical experts to bring you 14 ways to avoid colds and flu this season.

Every time you shake someone’s hand, wash yours But don’t stop there. Wash them as much as possible, says Mark Mengel, MD, chair of community and family medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. Running lots of water over your hands will dilute any germs and send them down the drain.

Keep your hands off Touching your nose and your eyes may hurt you, Mengel says. Those are the most common places for germs to get in.

Go to bed As if getting enough sleep on a normal basis isn’t hard enough, you need more z’s when you’re feeling under the weather. When you’re tired, your body isn’t fighting as hard, so Mengel suggests getting 8 to 10 hours a night.

Get your shot Last years flu-shot shortages are, well, last years shortages, says Jeff

Robertson, MD, and chief medical officer for health insurer Regence.

Finding flu shots should be easier this year, but you should get one early.

Build up with healthy food You may think it’s hard to eat healthy on a regular basis, but eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables supports your immune system, Robertson says. And that’s a lot easier than fighting off the flu.

Work out Get those sweats on and exercise, says Ann G. Kulze, MD, CEO and founder of Dr. Ann and Just Wellness. Working out regularly enhances immune function, she explains.

Stay away Keep your distance from people displaying symptoms like sneezing and coughing. While that strategy may seem obvious, it applies to more than just strangers and colleagues. Stay away from sick friends and family when possible, Robertson says.

Sanitize yourself Keep sanitizing gel or alcohol-based hand wipes on you at all times.

But read the label before you buy, says Robertson: Some wipes are not alcohol-based and won’t be as effective.

Another reason to quit Smoking increases the risk of infections by making structural changes in the respiratory tract and decreasing immune response, according to

a study of smokers and infection published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2004. In particular, Mengel says, smoking destroys cilia, the little hairlike fibers inside our noses; this can help increase infection risks.

Did you just double dip that chip?

Beware of the dip. It may be harboring more than savory salsa. Double-dippers may be passing germs to those who eat after them, Mengel says.

Another reason to shop Our purses pick up germs like we do, according to Joseph Brasco, MD, author of The Great Physicians Rx for Colds and Flu, so you could be re-infecting yourself every time you pick up your handbag. His suggestion: Put away your cloth purse during the winter months and carry one made of easier-to-wipe-down vinyl or leather. Of course, you could always just buy more purses.

I hear your mother calling Biting your nails may be hurting you, Brasco says. Germs get under your nails and nibbling is a fast way to ingest them.

Try to smile New research has found that happiness may help you. Carl Charnetski, MD, professor of psychology at Wilkes University, found that sex, positive thinking, playing with a pet, and other pleasurable behaviors will boost your immune system.

You want me to sneeze where?

It may sound strange, but when you have to cough and sneeze, do so into the crook of your elbow, not into your hands. Since your hands are a common source of germs, doing that will prevent them from spreading, Kulze says.

Already sick?

Here are four things you can do to get better, according to Jeff Robertson, MD, and chief medical officer for health insurer Regence.

Take some alone time This is the when you’ll want to shy away from company. Stay home and take care of yourself.

Watch your symptoms If it goes from simple sniffles to raging sickness, contact your doctor.

Your cold may have escalated to the flu.

Drink, drink, drink Dehydration can easily occur (especially if you are running a fever or vomiting). If you’re unable to keep fluids down, contact your physician.

Now is not the time to save up Dispose of all used tissues. As easy as it is to grab whatever is on the nightstand (including crumpled Kleenex), don’t! You may be furthering the cold.