Campus Recreation Direct Connect Spring Newsletter

M o n t c l a i r S t a t e Un i v e r s i t y

Your C onnec tion t o C am p u s R ecreat i o n an d Heal t h P ro m o t i o n ! montclair.edu/campusrec

Issue 1

New Year! New You! Jade Maskovitz, Staff Writer

The start of a new year means the start of a new you! The most common New Year’s resolution is to lose weight!

Group X has scheduled over fifteen classes taught by trained instructors to help you put your new year’s resolution into action. Whether experienced or inexperienced, there is a range of low to high intensity workouts suitable for anyone.

Some new classes added to the group exercise schedule include: Zumba, Punk Rope, Floor Core and More, Boxing, and Ballet Tone. If you’re worried that you don’t have time to fit exercise into your schedule classes such as, Zumba, run five times a week! So take advantage of the large variety of classes and turn your new year’s resolution into a reality.

The most important step to weight loss is to put your words into action.

How many times have you said “Tomorrow I am going to work out,” and then tomorrow comes and suddenly your plans have changed? The truth is, this happens to everyone.

Group X is working with the township of Nutley on a new Photo taken at Sneak Peak Week 2010 weightloss challenge. In this sixteen week challenge, one can learn how to combine nutrition and fitness socially to meet their fitness goals. So join the challenge and learn how to lose those unwanted pounds and keep them off today!

Visit montclair.edu/campusrec/fitness for more information!

Spring A 2010

This Semester in Rec! 2/5 2/6 2/6 2/8 2/11 2/13 2/16 2/17 2/21 2/27 3/1 3/3 3/4 3/24 3/27 4/10 4/16 4/24 4/28

Club Ice Hockey vs. TCNJ 9:20pm Club Men’s Volleyball vs. Rider, TCNJ 9am Ski Trip Shawnee Mountain 7am Blood Drive 12pm Dancing with a Star - Donatus Nacajus 8pm Singles Volleyball 12pm Dancing with a Star - Donatus Nacajus 9pm Dancing with a Star - Donatus Nacajus 9pm Ski Trip Shawnee Mountain 7am Arena Football 12pm IM Spring B Registration Begins Nets vs. Cavs - Izod Center 6pm Trivia Bowl 7:30pm SRC 2 Year Anniversary Kickball for Kids 10am Punt, Pass, Kick 10am Relay for Life 7pm Disc Golf 10am Price is Right 7pm

RecBoard Meetings Every Friday at 2:30

Peer Advocates Integral Part of MSU Community Natalie Coimbra, Health Promotion

I have been a Peer Advocate at the Drop In Center since Fall 2007. If you’re wondering what exactly a peer advocate does, you are not alone; although we’ve been around for quite some time, we still get the occasional drop in (or caller) who is curious about what goes on in the little cottage next to the student center. The short answer to that question is that we do a WHOLE lot (and yes, we do give out free condoms). Because the biggest responsibility of a Peer Advocate is to provide our campus community with resources and referral services, advocates go through extensive training and are a great resource for any students who have questions about academics, campus life, and just about every aspect of health.

As a part of Health Promotion we are constantly working on new outreach initiatives to promote health and wellness on campus.

Arguably the most exciting part of a Peer Advocate’s work is having the chance to brainstorm and develop new ideas about how to promote health on campus. Some of our past initiatives include topics such as stress, body image, alcohol and drug prevention, sexual assault and violence, tobacco quit kits, nutrition and healthy eating, HIV awareness, cold and flu prevention, sleep, healthy relationships, safer spring break, and gambling awareness. We are constantly looking for fun, innovative ways to keep our community informed and we are committed to educating our peers on important health topics. More than anything, we love being able to help the people we interact with everyday, so feel free to drop in and let us know if we can do anything for you! The Drop In Center is the little cottage between the Student Center and Richardson Hall and you can check out what Health Promotion has going on. Follow our website at montclair.edu/hp and Facebook page at facebook.com/montclairstatehealthpromotion.

Reaching Out to Haiti Jade Maskovitz, Staff Writer

The catastrophic earthquake that struck Haiti affected the lives of over three million people.

Every aspect of humanitarian aid stepped up in hope to save the lives of those who survived the natural disaster.

The American Red Cross facilitated a blood and bone marrow drive on February Seventh at the Student Recreation Center in search for donors willing to join their mission to save the lives of those in need. Within the blood suppliers six hours of operation, one-hundred-and-thirtyseven people arrived at the scene. Each individual donated about one pint of blood and saved approximately three lives each.

Many donors found themselves honored to have reached out to the victims of Haiti’s unfortunate tragedy and proud to have been a part of the cause. “It felt very good to know that my blood could help those in need,” Christine Noppenberger said.

Whether making a double red cell donation beneficial to cancer patients and trauma victims or a whole blood donation used for transfusions and future medications, each donor made a difference. Although giving blood is done as a general act of charity, these donations were aimed toward those suffering from natural calamity. “I’m glad that the blood donated is going to those in Haiti,” said Neil Javed.

It is during these great times of need that people come together, create change, and make a difference. Thanks to the American Red Cross Association, the Student Recreation Center, along with its many donors and volunteers, over four hundred lives were saved during this blood drive.

Above photos taken at Annual Blood Drive 2010

Special Friends Day Touches Hundreds Jade Maskovitz, Staff Writer Themed in celebration of Rec Board’s 10th anniversary, the recreation center transformed into a birthday party on December 13th 2009 for Special Friend’s Day! Smiles struck 35 attending youth members as they were greeted with balloons, streamers, and beautiful decorations. It’s common to have the desire to reach out to those with special needs and other disabilities, but it is another to act on those ambitions. This day was focused on giving back. Over three-hundred people volunteered to participate in this event. Whether pairing up with a child or aiding in the event’s various activities, all volunteers arrived with the mind set that the day was purely about the children. However, what many came to realize was that they walked away with more than they could have ever imagined.

Whether an individual has a physical limitation, autism, or downs syndrome, having a disability is not easy. Special Friend’s Day allowed parents the opportunity to relax while volunteers gave children the chance to have fun and let loose. Whether playing video games, watching movies, playing sports, taking advantage of the dunk tank, participating in arts and crafts, getting involved with carnival games, or getting messy with pie in the face, the children had four hours of fun ahead of them. Having been a buddy during the event, it’s hard to say whether the smiles of passing faces were worn larger on the volunteers or the Photo taken at Special Friends Day 2009

children themselves.

Many felt thankful for having been a part of such a success, as well as, lucky to have been a reason behind why the children wore their smiles.

Many people contributed to the overall success of this event. Aside from the event directors who donated hours and hours of time, sponsors also stepped in to aid this event. Over one-hundred people registered to be a “buddy” and over two-hundred people registered to be a general volunteer. More than ten different organizations staffed the facility and by the close of the event, Special Friends Day had touched the lives of over five-hundred individuals.

Above photos taken at Special Friends Day 2009

Montclair State University students will be traveling to Rutgers University-New Brunswick on March 7, 2010 to take part in their annual Special Friends Day events. To get involved, come to a Friday RecBoard meeting to volunteer and lend a hand in making a difference.

Hockey Keeps Weekends Exciting!

Corey Blafer, Staff Writer

Getting High?

Katie Pascale, Health Promotion When most people think about getting high, they assume it means getting drunk or consuming drugs. However, this is not the only way to get high. There is another, safer alternative that most people tend to overlook which is referred to as a natural high. A natural high is doing something you enjoy that gives you a great feeling without the use of drugs or alcohol. It can be anything. There is no limit. Natural highs can go from dancing on stage in front of thousands of people to dancing in your room alone. It doesn’t matter what you are doing. The important this is It wasn’t always like that. It all started in 2008, when the players were that it makes you feel good and makes you happy. Some invited to attend a RecBoard meeting. All the players had fun and examples of the many natural highs could be: continued to attend each week. As a favor, RecBoard members started showing up to home games to show their support and boost attendance.

• Dancing in the rain They brought new life to MSU hockey games, bringing along new • Hanging out with friends or family chants, cheers, and energy. Eventually it became a weekly routine, and • Snowball Fights people looked forward to the weekends again.

• Laughing • Singing at the top of your lungs In regards to the fans, each and every player, coach, and parent loves • Playing sports to hear the cheers and roars from the crowd. They love the feeling of • Watching the sunrise/sunset community as fans are in the stands yelling, having fun, and supporting • Going to parties MSU Club Hockey.

• Swimming • Listening to music

and many more!

MSU Club Hockey has quickly become one of the most popular weekend events on campus. The schedule features home and away games and tournaments, played during fall and spring semesters. Weekend hockey games have grown exponentially in popularly in the past couple of years.

When the club first began, they had difficulty finding fans and support; now more than 100 people attend games each week. RecBoard, which is run through Campus Rec, has been one of the biggest supporters.

Members attend weekly in hockey paraphernalia, face-paint, foam fingers, and ready to cheer.

Photo taken at MSU Club Ice Hockey Game, 2009

Back to Basics

There are so many ways to achieve a natural high without outside influences such as drugs or alcohol.

There is even a group on campus called R.E.A.L. (Red Hawks Enjoying an Authentic Lifestyle) that focuses on being naturally high. This group is a great way to have fun and get to know other people who like to get naturally high on campus. Go out and have fun by getting high on your own terms.

Janet Butter, Dietetic Intern Getting back into the routine of school, fighting for a parking space and facing course overload can be quite stressful and lead to the start of bad habits like grabbing unhealthy snacks, skipping meals and forgoing exercise. Although things may be quite stressful, it is important to remember to balance this stress with healthy eating and engaging in physical activity.

Remember to give your body the balanced nutrition it needs every day which means eating three meals a day. Whether at school, home or eating out, choose foods from each food group which are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber but lower in calories. A good way to start is to maintain a healthy eating plan that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products. Protein choices should be lean meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts. Stay away from saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt and added sugars.

When snacking, choose low calorie, high nutrient foods. Carry fruit such as apples, bananas, grapes or pears with you to have between meals throughout the day. Low fat yogurt, raw vegetables or whole grain crackers are other good choices. Keep away from foods that have added sugar or are highly salted as these add unwanted calories and sodium to your diet.

Make time to exercise. Regular physical activity is important for your overall health and fitness. It helps control body weight, promotes a feeling of well-being and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. It is recommended that you engage in physical activity for at least 30 minutes each day. For even greater health benefits and to help control body weight, it is recommended to be physically active for 60 minutes on most days.

Implementing all of the above recommendations at once may not be possible. Try setting realistic goals in a step by step process in order to work toward achieving most of these recommendations.

Making small changes leads to success. Remember, stress can be managed with the right balance of nutrition and physical activity which parlays into overall well-being.

For more information about: food groups, go to www.mypyramid.gov; physical activity, go to www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.

Swim Lessons

Boasts an excellent instructor - student ratio!

1:3 for beginners and 1:5 for all other levels

Divided into three sections by age:

Ages 5-8: Group A

Ages 8-13: Group B

Ages 13 & Up: Adults

Lessons run Saturday and Sundays. Group lessons are 45 Photo taken at Project College 2009

minutes for $75, while private lessons are 30 minutes for

$100. To register, bring payment to main office.

RecBoard Meetings Fridays 2:30pm SRC Main Gym

Birthday Parties

1 hour pool time and 1 hour party time $200 for up to 30 swimmers

* Additional hour $115

* $50 security deposit is refunded,

permitting no damage to facility.

For more information, contact Aquatics at

(973) 655-3349 or visit montclair.edu/campusrec

G et Rea d y f o r a N ew Sea s o n o f I n tram ura l Spo r t s !

Info Session March 1, 2010 Main Gym, 7:00pm ** Registration Ends March 12

Photo taken at Water Volleyball Game, Fall 2009

l l a b t f o S Extre me Dod gebal l is n n Wii Te Indoor Soccer y e k c o H r o o Fl

Photo taken during Floor Hockey Game, Spring 2009