the
a publication by the FSU Honors Student Association
BALANCE: 02
Eating Balanced Meals in College
07 10
Arts & Academia
Life & Balance Quiz + Student Resources
Issue #34 November 2021
TABLE OF 01
Letter from the Editor
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Eating Balanced
05 07
Meals in College
Hard at Work: Student Spotlight
Arts and Academia
CONTENTS Life & Balance Quiz + Student Resources
Adulthood Procrastination
FSU's Flying High Circus
HSA Event Photos
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Letter from the Editor Dear Reader,
We’re almost there! Just days away, winter break awaits with its visions of sugarplums and its invitation to watch nostalgic holiday movies, cozy up in your fuzziest blanket, and enjoy freshly baked holiday treats with your loved ones. As finals week looms near, remind yourself that there is more to life than studying and stress. Life also includes moments of
tenderness,
gratitude, and love. Hold onto those moments over these next two weeks, no matter how fleeting they may feel.
The theme for this month’s edition of The Medallion is: Balance. The trait
balance becomes especially important this time of year, as some of us
approach graduation, and the rest approach the end to another semester. With our extracurriculars are coming to a close, performances and final rehearsals and deadlines await just ahead. In this flurry, how are any of us supposed to focus on anything else, including ourselves and our loved ones?
Let's all take one collective deep breath in and out. Practicing self-care and finding the
balance between pushing ourselves and rewarding
ourselves. Each of our lives is different, we have different needs and ambitions, but we all still need self-care. We need to allow ourselves space to relax, reflect, and engage in something creative. Or, just to rest and relax if that's more your speed. In this edition, different students and faculty members give their perspectives on ways to add
balance to your life. I
hope that they will resonate with you and inspire you to find your own
balance!
On a more personal note, this is my last edition as editor of The Medallion. Thank you to my wonderful newsletter staff, my support system, my cat, and to the readers of this publication. It has been a pleasure being your Editor!
Editor-in-Chief,
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Karyna Bugos
EATING BA L A NCED MEALS IN COLLEGE An Interview with Dr. Jennifer Farrell Program Director for Didactic Program in Dietetics & Undergraduate Coordinator
What comprises a balanced meal?
"Your three macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. A healthy meal is going to have all of that and as many vitamins and
Why are you such a passionate advocate for nutrition and dietetics? "I grew up in a family where we loved food! We loved to cook new and healthy foods, and both of my sisters ended up going into a food-related field. When I found a science of nutrition course, I fell in love with it and realized that there is a career for somebody who loves food."
minerals as you can pack in there. There is still going to be some fat in there, so a "fat-free" meal doesn't make it a healthy one. Two servings of vegetables and a healthy protein is a really good start for a meal, and grains are excellent at providing a lot of vitamins because they're enriched, but you don't have to have grains at every meal if you're getting a lot of carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables."
What challenges do you see stopping young adults from eating balanced meals? How can they be overcome?
"Timing of meals. Because the [class schedules on week days] are inconsistent, you end up skipping meals, so you're ravenous, and you grab something to fill that hunger quickly. It's that inconsistency of meals, and grabbing meals late at night, that makes it very hard to plan [meals] out, and that makes it easier to grab unhealthy options like comfort foods. Planning out to have something in your bag, like nuts, a piece of fruit, etc., might make it easier to tide you over between healthy meals as opposed to going for the unhealthy option."
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How can students keep track of the foods they eat without becoming unhealthily obsessed? "The problem with diet-tracking apps is that we become number-focused, but our bodies are not number-focused. Our body is going off biological cues for hunger, activity, and sleep. These apps allot us the same number of calories each day, but our body doesn't need the same amount each day. One day you will be hungrier, and another day you won't be as hungry because it's a wave.
There's a concept called 'intuitive eating,' which I love, that says sure, go ahead and use those [diet] apps to figure out what you're eating, but if you're not hungry, stop, and if you are hungry, eat. If you're craving a food, it comes with emotion- so try to figure out what emotion you are trying to fill with that craving and maybe move to something different if you can meet it without food. If you are going to eat that cup of ice cream (or whatever it may be), make it a part of your day, not just a reward. It is key to see food as something that we can enjoy and that nourishes our body."
How can college students on a budget make sure to eat balanced meals?
"The meal plan is an easy way [to eat a balanced meal] because it's not money coming directly out of the students' pocket, it's pre-paid. But, if you're living off campus and have access to a kitchen, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are great options. They're a very healthy option that's less expensive, and you don't have to worry about them going bad. Grains are also cheap, so rice and pasta tend to be a staple, but they don't provide many vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols. That's why pairing them with vegetables can be a good option. Canned meats also make great patties: you can add some veggies and grind them together with an egg or mayonnaise to make a good protein. Beans and lentils are also very healthy and inexpensive if you have the time to cook them."
Do you have any other advice for students looking to improve their diets?
"My go-to advice is always to start with fruits and vegetables, because those are the groups that get pushed to the side. If you're going to a buffet, start with those groups on your plate. Also, on-campus dining and many restaurants have their nutrition facts online, and if you want to stick to eating healthy, you can make the
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decision of what to get before you arrive."
FSU's Food for Thought Pantry FSU has a food pantry for currently enrolled FSU students facing food insecurity. The Pantry
8:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday. It is located in University Center A, Suite 4148.
is open from
FSU's Food Pantry is accepting
non-perishable food items, cash, and gift card donations. For more information donations of
on how to donate, visit the Food for Thought Pantry FSU website.
Here are some examples of food items on FSU's Food Pantry wish list!
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Hard at Work: Student Spotlight: Lilijana Chufo, senior Political Science honors student.
College is difficult enough without the precarious juggling act of having a job, academic workload, and extracurriculars. But for a growing number of students, having a job while in college is necessary in order to shoulder the rising cost of tuition. According the National Student Financial Wellness Study , seven out of ten college students feel stressed about their personal finances. Nearly 60% worry about having enough money to pay for school, while 50% are concerned about paying their monthly expenses.
While FSU has resources available to aid students in affording tuition and life in Tallahassee, many students still rely on the income their jobs provide. However, with the already busy life of a full-time student, how do students working one (or more) jobs find time to study or even sleep? We interviewed one Honors senior, about how she manages her two jobs as a server and a barista, schoolwork, and her LSAT prep!
As a student, how do you manage your class workload alongside your jobs? "As an honors student, I have to take at least 15 hours a semester, and I have to maintain a certain GPA for the honors program and scholarships. To best balance work and school commitments, I have been putting as many of my classes as possible on the same days every week. I was fortunate enough this semester to have all of my classes on T/Th, so I work on days I don’t have class. It helps a lot to have designated days for work and school, and my bosses have been very accommodating if school commitments come up unexpectedly."
Has the cost of university made it necessary to work to afford to attend FSU? "I was lucky enough to receive full Bright Futures for FSU tuition, as well as a university scholarship. Combined with random small scholarships I’ve received, the costs of tuition and books are completely covered. However, as addressed earlier, there are so many factors that go into affording school. If tuition was the only factor, I would be set. Unfortunately, my off-campus rent, health insurance costs for the university center, and a litany of other factors are enough of a financial burden to require me to work. It’s hard balancing financial need with scholastic need, and I definitely wouldn’t be going to Florida State if I couldn’t work."
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Do you think FSU supports working students? How do you think they could improve? "I think FSU has great resources for working students, including the FSU career center and lots of on-campus jobs with accommodating schedules. Areas of improvement could be offering support groups for working students who may be feeling overwhelmed, or establishing official university guidelines regarding work-related commitments that might interfere with schooling."
Have your grades ever suffered due to having a job? If so, how did you learn to manage that? "Before I learned to manage work and school, my grades definitely suffered. In the service industry, your hours can be unpredictable, and I learned this the hard way a few times when I would leave an assignment undone, with the intention of doing it after work, and then have my shift run long and not be able to get to it. Once I was able to condense my class schedule and work out a permanent arrangement for my jobs, the balancing act got a lot easier."
Many professors expect students not to work and only focus on their studies. Do you think this is feasible in this day and age? "I do not think it is feasible for professors to expect students not to work. For me, not working would cost me my university education at Florida State. There are outside costs not associated with tuition that make college inaccessible to students without the proper financial backing. Even with scholarships, there’s rent, car payments, food costs, books, health insurance, and so many other expenses that have nothing to do with tuition. I think professors should be as accommodating as possible to students with work commitments. For some students, working is their only gateway to their education, and I do believe that establishing a communication line with your professors regarding your work commitments is a great start to maintaining a solid work-school balance. If professors are aware of your job and how that might affect your school work, they might be more willing to make accommodations."
What would you like to let other students know? "As I just want to remind people to be kind to those of us who have to work and do school. Whenever you go to a restaurant, or to a fast food place, or a retail store, remember that these people could be your classmates, neighbors, or simply students trying to make their way. Treat people with kindness, be mindful in your interactions with others, and above all, tip your servers!"
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ARTS & ACADEMIA Burnout culture in college creative arts majors
Burnout is a struggle for any student in a rigorous program. The constant engagement, heavy workload, and stressful deadlines work university students to exhaustion. These experiences are unfortunately common; fortunately students have found a myriad of ways to deal with this stress. One common way students are able to manage their burnout is through the arts.
“My burnout is lessened by my arts classes. I have a chance to decompress from my more reading-heavy and time-intensive classes, alleviating burnout and creating balance in my studies," stated Grace Robbins, a fourth-year student from Sarasota, FL majoring in Classical Archaeology and minoring in Anthropology and Museum Studies. "My Irish ensemble class was an ‘escape’ from my more intense classes because I could lose myself in the music and enjoy time with my ensemble classmates.”
The arts for many are a low pressure way to relax and enjoy their free time after the rigors of academia are done. But for students in the arts, how does one decompress when their main hobby is also the one that is producing their stress load?
“It is such a unique position to major in the creative arts, because your hobbies that were your escape from academics and stress are now all you study. Once I finished all of my general education classes, I felt a lot more burned out because I was exclusively studying classical music. I began to dislike a lot of classical music because it was inescapable," said Jennifer Lamont, a third-year Voice Performance major. "But I found methods of managing burnout. For instance, I don't listen to much
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ARTS & ACADEMIA burnout culture in college creative arts majors
classical music when I'm not working on classwork, since I already listen/study/perform it in every class. I will listen to other genres that I don’t study, just so I’m not constantly hearing the same style. I've also taken up different hobbies that aren't related to music, such as gardening, embroidery, visual art, and cooking. This has helped me destress and relax outside of music.”
While every major has its difficulties, students of the arts face unique issues compared to their fellow students. The emotional vulnerability required, as well as the long rehearsal hours dedicated to just technique, are enough to make the major a physically and mentally demanding major.
“Creative based majors are uniquely difficult to study at a collegiate level because they centralize on three things: creativity, emotion, and critique. This combination lends itself to a particular kind of fatigue that doesn’t shake with just some rest. Every assignment or class activity demands a piece of yourself, and the expectation is that you continue to show up 100% present every single time. Emotional vulnerability in your work, especially in theatre, is often rewarded and thusly overused to the point where it becomes harmful to the self,” remarked Gabi Hagenlocker, a second-year BFA Music Theatre major,
“Fine arts programs in college are so specific and so time demanding of your time in a way that I don't think people understand. We have a bunch of zero credit hour classes, or three credit hour classes that meet for eight hours a week, plus homework, plus rehearsals, etc. Even beyond the work of the classes though, majoring in theatre and being proud of that fact has put me in a position where I'm constantly defending my career choices, as well as my intelligence - it adds a whole new layer to the burn out when your emotional energy is constantly thrown not only towards academic success, but towards being accepted by STEM majors or pre-law students," stated Callista Payne, a third-year student pursuing a dual degree with one B.A. in Theatre and Art History, and another in History with a Chemistry minor.
"Burnout isn’t just mental exhaustion, either," Payne said, “My health has taken a major toll while I've been burnt out. It's pretty normal for me to get really sick at the end of a semester. I'm also disabled and suffer from chronic pain related to old dance injuries. I find that when my burnout reaches its peak, my disability flares up and I get an influx of my symptoms which make it even harder to keep up with my workload and combat the burnout."
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“It’s not just the emotional toll, but also the constant fatigue, migraines, soreness. You’re feeling faint and dizzy because you haven’t gotten a full night of sleep, your muscles are always tense due to overwhelming stress, and you can’t think straight because of the endless migraines. Your body feels awful because you aren’t able to take care of it," agreed Lamont. "Arts programs need to be cognizant that these conditions are untenable.”
Classes, professors, and the expectations of employers often encourage this burnout culture on arts students as preparation for their future careers.
“Professors often remind their classes that our heavy workloads are to be expected in their future careers. Statements like that show how the entire performance industry is so accustomed to wearing out its artists quickly, and not caring for the performers after the show has wrapped," stated Lamont.
However, the topic of mental health has begun to be addressed by performers, companies, and schools on behalf of performers.
"The narrative in theatre is slowly changing to acknowledge how this line of work can negatively impact the mental well-being of the actors, it is also beginning to establish clearer boundaries to avoid said burnout," said Hagenlocker.
For now, arts students can reach out to the University Counseling Center, their professors, or their friends to provide support or to help find alternative methods for stress relief. Finding a hobby outside of music, or with a different instrument, will give your mind another way to creatively express itself without any academic pressures accompanying it.
“There's always options outside of the BM track to pursue more artistic freedom. For example, I am completing an Honors in the Major thesis project and I've been able to participate in the Undergraduate Music Research Symposium to write on topics outside of the canon that interest me. There's also options to perform with student groups or compose original pieces for student recitals. You just have to seek out opportunities for yourself," stated Lamont.
The arts, whether dance, music, theatre, or visual, are a crucial part of our lives. They bring joy and light to our existences, but for all that they give us, we must remember and support the artists behind the performances.
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L IF E & BALANCE Q U IZ How well do you juggle your school responsibilities, social life, and other activities?
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True or False? Answer each question based on how you feel most of the time, count how many times you answered 'true' and find your results at the end of the quiz.
I don't feel like I have much control over what I do with my time.
When I’m home, I don’t feel relaxed and comfortable.
I am never energetic - even at the beginning of the week.
It usually gives me anxiety to think about what I have to do the next day.
I think about school and work constantly, even if I’m not there.
I’m almost never able to make time for my friends.
On most days, I feel overcommitted.
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Balance
True or False... I find myself not enjoying my commitments as much as I thought I would.
Outside of my school extracurriculars, I don’t have hobbies.
I feel guilty about having downtime to myself.
Answers
If you picked True... 4-5 Times
1-3 Times Congratulations! You seem to have found a way to balance your social life, school, responsibilities and other activities. While you may sometimes feel overwhelmed, you are able to recognize when you need to prioritize time for yourself. Keep going!
While you try to make time for yourself and your friends, it seems that you might fall into a pattern of overcommitting yourself. Moving forward, know that it is okay for you to prioritize your mental health and needs in order to maintain a healthy balance in your social and academic life.
6-10 Times You might be engaging in too many activities that aren’t bringing you joy. Overcommitting to a heavy workload can cause a lot of stress and anxiety, even to the point where it is hard to get anything done. It’s time to take a step back and reprioritize what activities you take part in. Spending more time on projects that are more fulfilling will help enrich you, instead of depleting your energy.
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Want To Improve Your Score? Here are some games and tools to help you figure out what
your definition of balance is..
The Wellness Wheel This wheel gives you names and descriptions out of a BUNCH of different parts of your life. You can remove a wedge, add a new one, or relabel them to fit your personal needs. For example: If spirituality isn't really your cup of tea, but you feel like you need a wedge to focus on family, you can swap them out! Your wheel is yours to adapt, and you can do a self-reflection on how even it is as often or rarely as you need.
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The wellness Wallet
The wellness wallet is a tool that you can use to visualize the different techniques you can use, or activities you can do to give yourself at least one good moment every day. Keep a piece of paper in your wallet with some grounding techniques, or fun activities written down on it. Breathing techniques, the 5-4-3-2-1 practice, taking a walk, treating yourself to a fun coffee, or trying something new could all be added to your list!
Grounding techniques
One other tool that can be used to balance your life is to utilize grounding strategies. Grounding techniques are practices that allow you to bring yourself into the present moment, leaving unwanted feelings or emotions behind. When you feel yourself dissociating with the world around you, or stuck in a negativity loop, try the
5-4-3-2-1 practice: Say aloud, think to yourself, or write down 5 things you can see around you, 4 things you hear, 3 things you smell, and 2 things you can touch, and 1 thing you can taste (if you cannot taste anything, name a taste that you like.)
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adulthood procrastination: RUMINATIONS ON BEING AN "ADULT" A few weeks ago, I turned twenty-one. As any good 'Nole would, I dutifully got dunked into the Westcott Fountain, climbed to the top, and had my first legal drink. After the buzz of celebration wore off, I was struck by the sense of listlessness. I was officially an adult adult. Gone were the days of calling my Mom confused about how to complete a basic task, like unclogging a drain or doing taxes. It seems that the older I get, the more unprepared I feel. And I am not alone- many Gen Z and Millennials have echoed the feeling of not being ready to be an adult. I particularly relate to Mitski, who in her heartbreaking ballad ‘Class of 2013’, sang, “Mom, am I still young? Can I dream for a few months more?” This lyric perfectly encapsulates the fragile state of transition between childhood and adulthood. We dream of growing up, but still cling to childhood comforts for a sense of stability.
In part, I blame the romanticization of childhood. Movies, television, and music focus on this elusive teenage dream - a string of fantastical must-dos which, once completed, one can emerge from the cocoon of awkward indeterminacy as a graceful, mature butterfly. To become this butterfly, however, you must leave your childhood in the past. As we look back on our childhood with rose-tinted lenses, we yearn for a time of everlasting love, boundless familial support, and relatively low stress. Most of us cannot personally relate to that idealized experience, however it is an expectation that we continuously grow nostalgic for, it is a time that we cannot return to. All around us, the transition from a teenager to an adult is heralded as a crucial defining moment in a person's life. Is it the fault of those around us for setting these unattainable expectations? Or is this feeling of instability and sentimentality just a part of growing up?
A study by Catalist and Columbia University proves the latter to be true. The study determined that “...events at age 18 are about three times as powerful as those at age 40.” For our generation, this defining moment, our formative teenage years, has been marked by strife in a ever-changing world. During my time at university, the COVID-19 pandemic began and Black Lives Matter protests were held around the globe. Our parents grew up in a world that seemed boundless. Man landed on the moon! The World Wide Web was accessible! Most of us grew up with a fast changing world that only grew bleaker as we aged- the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Afghanistan War, the Great Recession. We grew up experiencing the world in a set of dualisms: “pre-9/11”, “prerecession”, “pre-pandemic”. Our lives have been marked by an unprecedented acceleration in technology, making our ascent to adulthood feel much faster than previous generations. Our understanding of what adulthood is meant to be is far different than the idealistic one we were taught as children.
Yet even amongst these "new normals", doubt creeps in. Am I meeting the expectations for an adult, or am I just faking it?
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Below is a graphic from the Catalist and Columbia University study showing the relative impact of events in an individual's lifetime as they age.
Expectations exist all around us. Even in university, there’s this pressure to have the real college experience, whether that includes rushing for Greek life, partying every weekend, or having one last hurrah before the rigors of a 9-5 work life sets in. This standard for balancing a vivid social life alongside being a high-achieving student is a pipe dream for most, yet we continue to cling to the idea that it’s a reasonable expectation. Just as we cling to the idealized version of our childhoods.
We want what we cannot have.
So what does this mean when your formative years were filled with rapidly changing technology, an unstable political sphere, and a new normal that no one was prepared for? How do we function in a world that seems to change in a second? How does one define the state of being "adult"? Linguist and author Ben Zimmer wrote that “adulting” as a verb is primarily used by those “who find themselves doing adult things for the first time and feeling like an adult,” he says. “It is very much attached to people coming of age, where they’re thrust into having to take things more seriously.” Lexicographer Jane Solomon remarked that the newer generations "go through life stages that other generations have gone through much later in life, like starting families, owning homes. Maybe they won’t own homes at all." For Gen-Z, the world is in flux, and the typical markers of adulthood are constantly out of reach. The goal posts for achieving stability aren't accessible, meaning that the usual means of feeling "adult-ish" cannot be met. As a generation, we are going through the motions of growing up without receiving any tangible proof that we have made it.
Yes, we are technically adults, but are we really? The world has always been complicated and messy, but throughout the past two years, it’s felt stranger than usual. Adulthood is an intangible state of being that even 'real' adults struggle to feel comfortable in. Though our landscape has been different than most, recognizing and coming to terms with the fact that we don't know what we're doing might signify that we're almost officially adults,. We are growing up.
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COME ONE, COME ALL, TO THE
FSU FLYING HIGH CIRCUS ONE
FSU organization
While the performers made the
knows all about balance: the Flying
routines look easy, the required
High Circus! Created to help
preparation was not easy at all! All
integrate men and women when
circus members completed a seven-
FSU became co-ed, the circus was
week training camp in Georgia this
founded in 1947 under the Division
past summer!
of Student Affairs. The Flying High Circus is one of only two collegiate
Once classes started up again,
circuses in the United States and holds 70+ performances a year.
Most recently, the circus performed its Halloween show after taking a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Halloween show captured the attention of audience members and included aerial acrobatics, juggling on high
1.
ropes, gymnastics, and more acts! The show only featured returning circus members due to the experience it required, which newcomers had not had enough time to learn.
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2.
student performers in the
of us have such a deep respect for
Halloween Show were assigned
one another and our individual
three rehearsals per week, per act
abilities," said Santana.
to prepare for the incredible routines!
If you're thinking of joining the circus, auditions open again in
Daly Santana, FSU Circus Club
August! Most circus performers have
President, shares that her favorite
a background in dance or
part of the circus is 'the respect
gymnastics, but many don't and
that everyone has for each other.'
there is no experience required to join the circus. Auditions for the
"There is no act that is more
circus do test students' strength
important or impressive than
and flexibility, and provides a
another. Everyone is uniquely
space for them to show any special
capable in their own way, and all
talents.
Follow @fsuflyinghighcircus
on Instagram for updates on shows, auditions, and more!
3. 1,2.
Students performing at
The Halloween Show Series.
3.
FOLLOW
Students rehearsing for
their upcoming shows.
Photos by Bob Howard
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HSA Photos from Light the Night & the October GBM
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Follow Us on Social Media FACEBOOK: "FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY HONORS PROGRAM" INSTAGRAM: @FSUHSA HONORS PROGRAM: @FSUHONORS
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Editor-in-Chief: Karyna Bugos
Content:
Jennifer Lamont Callista Payne Jamie Guterman
