SIR Magazine Issue 6 Fall 2014

Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication www.greenlee.iastate.edu

Student media is part of the second-to-none adventure offered by the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication.

Publications like Sir magazine allow our students to put what they learn in the classroom into practice and contribute to our standing as a top communications program.

The Greenlee School offers majors in advertising, journalism and mass communication and public relations.

To learn more about careers in mass communications visit: www.greenlee.iastate. edu/careers.

If you’re ready to pursue an exciting career set up an advising appointment today by calling 515-294-4342.

2

05 Letter from the Editor

food & drink 06 Use the Booze 10 Craft Beer

culture

12 Espresso Love 16 Uptown Style 22 Whiskey Dick 24 The Science of Sex

sports

26 What Is My Body Type?

28 Overcoming Obstacles 32 To CrossFit or Not to CrossFit?

lifestyle

34 Iowa Nice Guy Unveiled 36 VEISHEA Riots: Behind the Lens

10 16 28 34 table of

contents 3

editor-in-chief

Devon Jefferson

creative director

Erin Malloy

photography director

Blake Lanser

managing editor

C.J. Eilers

public relations directors

Madisun VanGundy and Ashley Sill

lead stylist

Tonya Cross

social media specialist

Kenzi Mongar

digital editor

Zach Pearson

treasurer

Taylor Shimota

photography

editorial

Jake Miller Suhaib Tawil

Courtney Brownsworth Brandon Friederich Rachel Geronimo Nathaniel Johnson Christian Law Berenice Liborio Hannah Marsh Kelly McGowan Bailey McGrath Jared McKenna Denisha Mixon Devin Wilmot

public relations / advertising Haley Allsap-Adams Victoria Freeman Lauren Jensen Linda Krompicha Justin Lo Anthony LoCurto Robert Mercer Micah Sickmann Colleen Spellman Kyle Stazzoni Tanner Volk Olivia Weikum

design

Travis Cannon Eric Fields Mike Witzmann Alex Zaborac

copy editors

Brianna Levandowski Jessica Tull

cover illustration

Emerald Klauer

special thanks to GSB Tracy Lucht, faculty adviser Heuss Printing Brooks Brothers Banana Republic Kohl’s The Foundry Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication Eyes in the Dark Productions All models

4

letter from the editor

photo Courtesy of matt wettengel

r

einvention, development and change.

These three words have been the foundation for reconstruction for this magazine and my life for the past six months.

When I started working with SIR magazine, I was eager to finally be able to please all of my mentors and coworkers and carry on our founder, John Lonsdale’s vision. I wanted to show everyone that I, too, could match the expectations for successful student publications on campus and even exceed them.

However, as the semester progressed, I felt a yearning to break away from the mold and creatively develop something new. I wanted SIR magazine to become a permanent and well-known publication on campus. Our staff worked to reinvent SIR’s brand, while establishing a strategic relaunch plan that was bold, modern, sexy and artistic.

What has come from those plans is everything that this issue is as well as what it represents. We set out to create content that would help better the quality of life for our male readers and, in turn, help them better themselves. Whether it be giving them style tips or a hand in the kitchen, we wanted our content to be 100 percent applicable to real life and to somehow, someway enhance it. Things like the SIR 2015 calendar, the

“Tie Bomb” event and the release of this issue are meant to give identity to SIR as an organization but also to develop a heritage on campus—a means of identification with the vast audience and diverse student body we cater to. We have started what we hope is the beginning of a cultural evolution that is strong, edgy and tasteful.

With that, I invite you to enjoy the fall/ winter 2014 issue of SIR magazine. Visit our new website, www.sirmagisu.com, and take a look at the newly launched SIR blog and calendar. As a staff, we all worked extremely hard to bring you the best product possible. I would like to thank SIR’s incredibly talented and diligent staff members for their hard work. I am forever thankful.

I hope all of you enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you.

Stay classy and observe SIR, sir.

devon jefferson

5

use the booze :

sometimes alcohol is the answer

by nathaniel johnson photography by eric fields

a

lcohol can enhance the flavor of several food items with little effort. Here are a few simple recipes that taste great and impress with little effort or cost. Grab a drink and a spoon, because soon you’ll be making some easy items that will make you look like a culinary king.

Glühwein Glühwein is a German mulled red wine drink served warm. Think of it as a fall and winter answer to the summertime sangria. It’s a great fall and winter drink for after skiing or being snowed in. The wine should not get too warm, though, so the alcohol does not cook off.

Ingredients

Orange – 1 Lemon – 1 Cinnamon stick – 1 Cloves – 10

Water – 3/4 cup Sugar – 3/4 cup Brandy, optional –

1/3 cup

Red wine – 750 ml

directions 1. Peel zest from lemon and orange (avoid white pith under the skin) and place into a 2-quart saucepan.

2. Squeeze juice from lemon and orange into the saucepan.

3. Add water, sugar, cinnamon stick and cloves to the saucepan.

4. Place on medium-high heat to dissolve the sugar and bring to a simmer.

5. Reduce until the saucepan’s contents have been brought down by 1/3.

6. Add wine and brandy and bring to a simmer (avoid boiling the alcohol).

7. Strain contents into a serving bowl or a warmed glass pitcher to remove cloves, cinnamon and zest.

6

penne alla vodka This recipe combines two great items: pasta and vodka. Vodka sauce has a pink color made from the combination of dairy and tomato. The vodka should bring out the flavor in the tomatoes without hiding it. I suggest using neutral vodkas such as Phillips, Smirnoff, Hawkeye or Tito’s. Other vodkas made from wheat, rye and potatoes have flavor and varying textures that could affect the taste.

This recipe is straightforward: make the sauce, toss pasta in it and hit it with some cheese.

Ingredients

Olive oil – 1/4 cup Red pepper flakes – 1 tsp Garlic cloves, thin sliced – 10 San Marzano tomatoes, hand crushed – 32 oz can

Vodka – 1/4 cup Heavy cream – 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated – 1 cup Salt & pepper Parsley, chopped Penne pasta, cooked – 1 lb

directions 1.

2.

3.

4.

Heat oil in a large saucepan at medium heat.

Add garlic and pepper flakes to the saucepan, cook until garlic has softened.

Add tomatoes and vodka, cook until they reduce a little.

Add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, mix until sauce reaches an even and smooth consistency.

5. Pour sauce over plated penne, top with more cheese and chopped parsley.

7

onion & whiskey sauce I made up this reduction sauce using a bottle of whiskey I was drinking. Don’t let the word reduction intimidate you.

It’s actually fairly simple. Feel free to pull swigs from your bottle, you don’t need that much to make this easy and awesome sauce. This is a sauce that matches well with almost any meat (I suggest beef, pork, chicken, or venison) or on fries in a similar fashion to poutine.

Ingredients Onions, chopped – 1/2 cup Whiskey – 3/4 cup Butter – 1-1/2 Tbsp Olive oil Hot sauce (I use Valentina) Worcestershire or soy sauce Salt & pepper

8

directions 1. Place enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a saucepan and place on a medium-low heat.

2. Add onions to the saucepan and let cook until translucent.

3. Add whiskey, butter, hot sauce and Worcestershire or soy sauce to the saucepan and bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat to a simmer, add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Let the sauce reduce by simmering uncovered. The sauce will thicken as water evaporates from the sauce.

6. When the sauce is thickened, add more salt and pepper if needed and serve on meat or fries.

beer bread This is a simple and straightforward recipe for fresh bread without the time and patience required when using yeast. The carbonation from cheap beer will help the bread rise instead.

I suggest using canned beers such as Busch Light, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Miller High Life or Hamm’s for this recipe (although bottled beer should do fine as well). This beer bread is delicious served slightly warm with butter or plain. You can smear some beer cheese on a slice for a delicious topping. A strange twist and delicacy in my family is to spread a little braunschweiger on a thick slice.

Ingredients

directions

Flour – 3 cups

1.

2.

3.

4.

Granulated sugar – 3 Tbsp Baking powder – 1 Tbsp Salt – 1 tsp Melted butter – 1/4 cup Beer, room temp – 12 oz can

5.

6.

7.

8.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Melt butter in the microwave or on the stove in a small saucepan on low heat.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Add beer to the bowl and mix until dough is formed. The dough will look rough, but that’s good.

Place dough in a greased, 9x5-inch loaf pan and place loaf pan in the oven.

After 40 minutes, remove pan and brush on melted butter.

Return pan to the oven for 5-10 minutes until loaf is golden brown.

Remove loaf from pan and cool on a wire rack.

9

CRAFT beer by brandon friederich

b

photography by jake miller

“

eer: It’s refreshing, relaxing and just plain awesome. The beverage is enjoyed around the world, and if you’ve ever walked down Welch Avenue on a Thursday night, you know that our campus has a love for beer that’s brimming with drunken, belligerent passion. We throw back a countless number of cans, bottles and plastic pints because it’s the weekend (well, close enough) and we want to get it started right.

But how many of us ever venture out and try something other than Coors or Budweiser and their light varieties? Sure, they fit the basic criteria: they’re cheap, easy to drink and you’ll get a nice buzz going after downing a few (or four, or five).

Maybe you think these are quality beers or that you can’t afford anything higher end.

It could be you just don’t think you have the palate to get into anything more complex.

Well, think again, because there has never been a better time to get into craft beer.

We talked to Cale Bultman, who has been the manager and craft beer specialist at Cyclone Liquors for six years, about reasons college students are starting to take their beer drinking to the next level.

“A lot of college students know you have to drink a lot of Bud Light to get drunk, but now they’re figuring out the craft beer has a way higher [alcohol by volume],” said Bultman.

A higher ABV means you can drink fewer craft beers and consume the same amount of alcohol as you would from chugging a generic six-pack.

So if you’re buying 30-packs of Keystone Light, it’s time to start expanding your horizons. Bultman gave us all the information you’ll need to start doing just that on your next beer run.

graphic by alex zaborac

The nice thing is that beer is an affordable luxury. Even the most expensive beers are never over $50."

-Cale Bultman, Cyclone Liquor

styles

recommendations

All beer is made from four essential ingredients: hops, malts, yeast and water.

What changes the style is the varieties you choose of each ingredient and the way you use them. “If you’re not a big beer drinker, you’ll probably want to start with ambers and stouts because they’ve got more malts,” Bultman said.

Pale Lager: This is your Budweiser or Coors of craft beer. It’s the most widely consumed style of beer in the world and has a mild flavor profile.

Stout style: This is a dark style of beer brewed with high amounts of malts and hops to produce a full, rich flavor. “Milk stouts are a great way to get people into a heavier style because they are sweeter,” Bultman said.

Lambic Style: The use of yeast that spontaneously ferments gives this style a unique sour finish and an earthier flavor.

Bultman said lambic-style beers are great for people trying to get into craft beer because they’re blended back with fruit, which gives them a sweetness, but a relatively lower ABV means they aren’t very harsh.

10

tallgrass brewing Company: pale ale “This is great for anyone, even if they’ve never tried craft beer. It’s like a high-end Budweiser, and it’s easy to relate to,” Bultman said.

left hand brewing Company: milk Stout If you’re unsure of what style you like, Bultman suggested some breweries that sell a variety of different styles at an affordable price.

summit brewing company “They have a wide selection, all of which are stylistically correct. And they are comparable in price to Leinenkugel but are better in quality,” Bultman said.

bell's brewing Company beerCraft “They make some of my favorite beers and mitigate the price by using cans instead of bottles,” Bultman said.

home brewing by kelly mcgowan

I

sn’t it time to take the age-old college pastime of beer drinking one step further and give home brewing a try?

We sat down with Mark Nauman, owner of Beer Crazy, a homebrew supply shop in Urbandale, to get you what you need to start.

He explained that there is a type of guy that will enjoy brewing. The home-brewer is a patient breed. He said that guys that don’t need instant gratification might like the trade.

“You get a reward from it,” Nauman says.

“And it gives you something to kill your time.”

“And your liver!” adds a worker.

4 things you'll need 1 equipment 2.

Beer Crazy sells a kit for $88.

“You can get cheaper, but $88 makes your life easier,” Nauman said.

“

brew day (5 hrs)

>

sanitizer, cleaner

6.

beginner's guide

1.

fermenter 5.

3.

siphon equipment

how-to

bottling bucket

h2o 1.

malt

3 boil kettle

Minimum 4-gallon kettle

home brew how-to:

4.

2 ingredients

favorite beer to brew:

I'm leaning toward the malty side, so I'm gonna say dopplebock."

-Mark Nauman, Beer Crazy

Capper

2.

hops

3.

4.

barley

water

4 bottles “You can drink your way to bottles,” Nauman said. “You don’t have to buy new.”

Total Cost = $200

4-6 weeks to drinkable beer

2 weeks in a fermenter

to carbonate > 2 weeks the bottles 11

“Then you throw in another 2 weeks for procrastination.”

-Mark Nauman

espresso l ve "expresso love," a song on blake delaney's favorite album, "alchemy" by dire Straits, is fitting for his new labor of love: owning the Vinyl Cafe.

a

rctic Monkeys played on his Pandora station that he runs from behind the counter.

“I don’t know what it is about this band, but I love this guy’s voice,” said Blake Delaney, the new owner of Vinyl Cafe in Ames. “I love their energy.

I’m getting a little older, so to like new music is good. It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks.”

The past two months have been full of new tricks for Delaney as he rides the emotional roller coaster of being the new owner of the shop.

Through conversations intermixed with Delaney serving coffee to his customers and chatting with his regulars, I got to know the self-proclaimed ‘80s boy who bought the shop at the beginning of August.

12

by kelly mcgowan photography by Suhaib tawil

I got things rolling with what I knew would be the most difficult question: What’s your favorite record? There were memories in his eyes, and his face lit up as it came to him.

“Oh, OK, hold on a second,” he said. “Let me just—I have to look up the name. Ask me another question.”

It was easier to remember the first record he ever bought—Boston’s self-titled debut.

“My mom got it for me, actually,” Delaney said. “I remember where I was. That’s the thing about albums; there are some albums that you can just look at in a record shop or wherever and you just remember where you were.”

He’d found the name of his favorite album “Oh. Dire Straits, ‘Alchemy.’ It’s a doublelive album. I’ll put it on.”

For Delaney, vinyl records encapsulate

Blake Delaney, the new owner of Vinyl Café in downtown Ames, provides customers with more than just coffee. Delaney’s vinyl collection includes about 1,600 albums at the shop and more than 10,000 at his home.

"

s

nt o the wood

"u2"

att le

an d h u

m

"devo" ice

eed om of cho

fr

13

ca the ll

r

Keiva Delaney, Blake’s wife, has been instrumental in helping him manage the shop. He said that even if he had all the money in the world, he would not have been able to start running the shop without her.

(According to Blake Delaney)

i

emotion. He keeps around 1,600 vinyl records at the shop but has more than 10,000 records in his personal collection. He said they hold memories, spark bonding and define their owners.

“There’s something very visceral, very real about vinyl,” he said. “It makes you stop. It is an experience. Anybody that likes vinyl gets it.

Some people say it’s the crackling. I just love the whole process.”

A regular Vinyl Cafe customer not long ago, Delaney said the music always drew him in. He notices the memories that resurface when people flip through the records and the new ones that his sales create.

“I can’t believe how much polka music I’ve sold—to high school students! They’re, like, having parties, and they have a DJ spinning polka while they’re getting the next song

In Delaney’s first weeks of owning the shop, a girl walked into the shop and went straight to the back room, which contains a jumbled mess of albums. In less than a minute, she came out with an album.

“I asked her how she found it, and she said, ‘Oh, I knew it was there.’”

The girl explained how she and a guy friend used to come to Vinyl Cafe to have coffee and chat until they both moved away.

Now when they come to Ames, they leave notes for each other in the Al Jarreau album.

“I asked the girl if they are boyfriend and girlfriend, and she goes, ‘No, we’re just good friends, and this is our place,’” Delaney said.

She then tipped the album upside down, and all of the little notes came falling out.

“My mouth was open,” Delaney said. “It’s the coolest thing that’s happened in my shop so far. This is what I love about a record store. There are things that records do for people that coffee doesn’t.”

3

underrated albums "

ready,” he said. “I just never had anything as cool as that when I was young.”

Delaney graduated from Mountain View High School in Mesa, Arizona in 1985. He said it was a decade of great, innocent music.

“The ‘80s were awesome,” he said and laughed at himself, adding that he must be getting old because he’s talking about if he could go back knowing what he knows now.

Nowadays, he is always searching for ‘80s records to stock his store.

“It’s music. Music is a powerful, powerful memory maker,” he said. “But so is coffee.”

“

music is a powerful, powerful memory maker. but so is coffee."

303 Kellogg Ave. Ames, IA

-Blake Delaney, owner of the Vinyl Café

“My wife is the best,” he said with a smile.

A joke of his brought the two together at People’s, a bar that used to be on Lincoln Way and Welch Ave. “It’s not here anymore, which is kind of sad,” he said. “I can’t drive by it, but it’s in my memory.”

She saw that he had taped a photo of Buckwheat from The Little Rascals over his drivers’ license photo. “And somehow that made her laugh,” he said. “From there, that was it. We just fell.”

On Saturdays, she comes to the shop and they work together. He said his favorite thing is working with his best friend.

“I offered her a chance to get out of my car,” he said. “And she still took the candy and got in, and that’s 20-plus years down the road.”

“I like your jacket,” Delaney said to one of his regulars wearing a red vinyl jacket. “It’s a rock-star jacket. I need to start looking like a rock ‘n’ roll star once in a while—wear boots or a leather jacket or something.”

“I mean you’re a hip downtown business

owner now,” replied the customer.

“And I wear golf shirts.”

“Golf isn’t hip. You know that, right?”

“You got your coffee, now get the hell out of my shop!”

They both laughed and continued their conversation, which covered Burger King, arm wrestling, Ping-Pong and whether golf is a sport.

Whether Delaney will sport a rock ‘n’ roll wardrobe has yet to be determined, but rocking out is in the future plans for his shop.

Vinyl Cafe held a four-band acoustic show for the Maximum Ames Music Festival. They cleared out the café and hosted a 40-person audience that came to watch the bands.

“We’re gonna start focusing on getting more live music,” Delaney said. “We gotta break the rules a little bit. We gotta get loud.

We gotta get the cops called on us once in a while. We’re not just a coffee shop.”

He said there is a lot of good stuff on the way, comparing it to a little tsunami in the distance.

“I can see that wave,” he said. “And it’s just excitement. It’s coming, and it’s getting bigger.”

Coffee Espresso Pastries Vinyl Records Vintage Equipment Live Shows Free Wifi

Like us on Facebook

facebook.com/vinylcafeames

Thursday Night Is Mug Night! $3.00 Domestic Refills

www.perfectgamesinc.com 1320 Dickinson Ave. Ames, Iowa 515-598-2695

Eyes In The Dark Productions S ERV ING I OWA SI NC E 2 0 0 3

Famous for our laser light shows, mobile Halloween decor and weddings

515-577-3088

uptown style by devon jefferson photography by blake lanser

I

n the beginning, man wore nothing.

Well, more like primate wore nothing.

Nevertheless, overtime man developed a loincloth, from there came the shirt, and shortly thereafter came the almighty suit.

Most of the hard work has already been done, fellas. The classic styles have already been established--all that’s left to do is put your spin on it. This fall/winter season especially, minimalism and the dapper look go hand in hand. The effortlessly timeless styles of the sportcoat, the bomber jacket and the oxfords have become “cool” again, and it’s time to get some in your wardrobe.

For this year, we decided to rally the return of the tailor-fitted look.

“

a man can’t go wrong taking inspiration from tradition."

-Devon Jefferson

A man can’t go wrong taking inspiration from tradition. Brands like Brooks Brothers and Levis have over a century of experience outfitting some of the most iconic style moments. For the most part, whichever moment you choose to relive, you will look good while doing it.

the fabrics:

Originals, such as flannel and corduroy, are making their way back into the mainstream in new and improved ways. Fabric-blending technology has made corduroy feel and look better. Corduroy can be added to your fall/ winter wardrobe in the form of slim-fitting pants or a timeless trucker-style jacket. A nice tweed or flannel sportcoat will provide uncompromised style and functionality this season. Alas, you can always add more denim in different shades and tones.

17

the tones:

Colors in the trees during fall are the palate for a fall/winter wardrobe. Deep tones of crimson and rustic reds are a must, along with light and dark browns. Don’t be afraid to throw some color in the mix with a vibrant red or blue on the sunny days.

the fit:

It’s about sculpting a presence behind the clothes. A properly fitted look is a flawlessly executed one this season. Tapered leg pants and trousers should be present in your closet if you’re looking to carve out a look that is both refined and dominant. Wear a more fitted sport shirt, as opposed to an authentic cut dress shirt, to get that strong, classy look. Have your tailor give your favorite pair of tweed trousers about an inch and a half of cuff to show off those flying pigs on your socks. Hit up the nearest J.Crew or Banana Republic and invest in a sporty topcoat to pull together a clean, streamlined look.

the sports coat:

This piece is a textbook example of men’s wear. The classic style is easily dressed up or down, and unlike the suit jacket, it comes in a wide variety of fabrics and patterns that can be paired with jeans. Don’t be afraid to throw on a basic white or cream-colored T-shirt under a blazer or sport coat for a look that says, “I know what class looks like, even on a dressed-down day.” Explore different fabrics and styles of sport coats. Leather has been all the rage these last few seasons, so try a blazer with some leather lapel details on the shawl.

the chino:

The flat front Chino is another base staple for this year’s fall fashion trends. The slim tapered legs of the flat front Chino add to that dapper, modern, uptown look—a look with boundaries as flexible as you can make them bend. Wear a pair of Chinos with a nice pair of wingtip loafers or boots. Or pair them with sneakers and a flannel or a parka jacket.

The combinations with flat front Chinos are pretty much endless because they can be mixed and matched with both dressed-up and dressed-down styles and mesh the looks together everytime. They come in shades and hues ranging from charcoal greys and blacks to crimsons and military greens.

18

the pullover boot:

The Pullover boot: Sleek and minimal, but bold, the pullover boot is making its way into men’s wear in a big way this season.

The Chelsea boot is especially on the radar because of the incognito suave they bring to any outfit--rugged or dapper, classic or modern. Pair a long-sleeve henley or T-shirt with a pair of Chelsea boots, some dark basic jeans and a leather jacket, and suddenly you’re Mr. Rugged Bad Boy III. On the flipside, a nice top coat or blazer with a button up and some cuffed Chinos will have you looking more put together than Mr. Kanye West himself at one of his high profile capsule collection releases with A.P.C.

oxfords and chukka boots:

Oxfords and Chukka Boots: Some things just never get old, and the Oxford loafer is one of them. The timeless style has evolved, and now the options are endless. We are no longer condemned to a black or brown.

So dress them up, dress them down, wear them with cuffs or ill-fitting pants and absurd sock combinations. The choice is all yours.

The Chukka boot, another style curated over a century ago, is a very popular staple right now. Put them up against a nice pair of denim basics, a neutral-colored T-shirt or crewneck and a utility-style parka or military jacket for a great on-the-go look. Or pair them with a nice seasonal knit pullover and take your casual game to a whole new level.

sport shirt and flannel: Flannel and sport shirts should be most exclusively interchangeable in your wardrobe. The sport shirt has versatile fabrics and tones, and even more so, the flannel and flannel fabric are incredibly fashionable this season. Wear a flannel under a grey peacoat or sport coat and do the same with a sport shirt. Throw a sweater or a knit over the top of a denim or chambray-style sport shirt and get the perfect look for any occasion out on the town.

the look: a

ll together, these base pieces comprise “the uptown look”--a look that is both about minimalism and boldness. The uptown look takes a new modern spin on classic styles and trends and mixes them in a flurry of ways. There’s no reason you can’t throw on a high-end Patagonia puff vest over your favorite flannel sportcoat or mix your favorite pair of Brooks Brothers Herringbone Chinos with a pair of J.Crew collaborated New Balance sneakers. In the end, the uptown look represents the complete customization of personal style for males and has a middle ground for every level of style expertise. The key is to make the look your own and to bend the rules because what good has come from doing the same things over and over again?

Stay classy, gentlemen.

the legend of whiskey dick by courtney brownsworth photography by marlon berkhalter Illustration by travis cannon

w

hiskey dick is a treachery as old as time. Even Shakespeare understood when he wrote a conversation between Porter and Macbeth saying that drinking alcohol “provokes and unprovokes. It provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance.� To make a long story short, Porter is telling Macbeth that drinking sets you up for failure where your sex life is concerned. It gives you a hard on, but in the end it leaves you sleeping in bed alone with nothing but the urge to pee.

22

The legend of whiskey dick might leave everyone stumped asking themselves how alcohol can transform a man into a suave casanova but other times quite literally leave him hanging?

In small doses, alcohol consumption can be a positive for man’s best friend. According to the American Urological Association, “Alcohol in small amounts improves erection and increases libido because of its vasodilatory effect and the suppression of anxiety.” Blood vessels swell from the vasodilator, a drug that causes blood vessels to enlarge.

However, after downing several drinks, some men progressively become less of a Don Juan and more closely resemble McLovin. Sedation sets in as the number of drinks consumed rises. The central sedation puts a damper on the libido and may lead to temporary or situational erectile dysfunction.

Dr. Steven Rosenberg, MD., an Iowa Clinic urologist, said the dose related response is not the same in everyone. No one is able to say that one drink has a specific effect, while two or three more has another. He emphasized that alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, and drinking large amounts may lead to desensitization and a lack of concentration.

Having the ability to achieve an erection differs from the ability to orgasm, which also differs from ejaculation. While all three may happen sequentially, it is possible to only have a combination of them. They are not mutually exclusive.

William George from the department of psychology at the University of Washington found that when men who are young, moderate drinkers consumed high-doses of alcohol, it had “confined and generally modest effects on erectile responding.”

Participants in the study found a decrease in their peak circumference when their blood alcohol level was at .10 percent. Although the study did not show large change reductions in erectile response, it did demonstrate the connection between alcohol’s effects and men’s capability to manipulate erectile response.

The study showed that men who focused on becoming more aroused had greater success than men who did not. The study also disputed alcohol’s ability to inhibit sexual functioning up to a BAC of .10 percent.

Dr. Rosenberg said the psychosomatic aspect of when a young man realizes that he is unable to perform may greatly impact the ability to get hard or climax.

“The non-physical factors, psychological-

situational, are the main issues,” he said.

He recommended avoiding more than one to two drinks, primarily because “nothing good happens” past that point.

Iowa State Health Psychology Professor Alison Phillips said the realization of being drunk is what may impair their performance.

As men become more aware of their drunkenness, they begin to worry about an inability to perform. However, Phillips said that the sedation and desensitization created by excessive intake of alcohol will typically be the primary cause of whiskey dick.

Her solution? Simply avoid combining sex and alcohol. As people’s blood alcohol level rises, their ability to concentrate and perform drops. Additionally, when they worry about their drunkenness impairing their ability to perform, it’s almost self-fulfilling, as their worry becomes a mental roadblock.

When you fail to achieve your maximum potential, the lady friend will assume she has failed to reach her’s as well. Her mind will stray to all sorts of explanations and assumptions.

Don’t let whiskey dick get you down, guys.

Keep hitting the pavement like the many greats before you, but if you want to beat the legend of whiskey dick, you’re probably better off wooing the ladies while you’re sober.

sex

the

sc enceof

by rachel geronimo photography by blake lanser

1. thinking about sex is good

Men between the ages of 18-25 think about sex 19 times a day, while women around the same age only think about sex 10 times a day, according to a study done at Ohio State University.

Sex therapist Ian Kerner said sexual thoughts occur frequently throughout the day due to living in a world saturated with sexual images and activities. He said not thinking about sex may lead to negative emotions, such as depression and stress.

2. hot or not?

The three main things that determine what attracts you to others and how attractive people will find your face are symmetry, sexual dimorphism and averageness, said Eric Cooper, associate professor of psychology and cognitive neuroscience at Iowa State.

The most important one is how symmetrical it is,” he said. “The more the left side is like the right side, the more attractive people will find your face.”

Sexual dimorphism is one of the other variables that determines how attractive people will find your face.

“Those things that divide the sex--features like a strong jaw for a man and a more delicate jaw for a women--will be more pronounced, making each sex more

3. the power of dopamine

attractive to the other,” said Karen Scheel, senior lecturer in psychology at Iowa State.

Cooper emphasized the kinds of features both sexes hold.

“The distance between the lip and the chin is bigger in males than it is for females,” Cooper said. “The biggest difference, though, is in the eyes. It’s not that the eyeball is the difference with men and women--it’s the skull that shapes it differently.”

Cooper’s last variable is averageness.

“The closer you are to the average--like position of your features and the average size and shape of your features--the more attractive you will be,” Cooper said. “If you average a bunch of faces together, they’ll always look more attractive than any of the individual faces that made it up.”

Ever had the experience of getting jazzed up when thinking about a particular person?

Or trouble sleeping or not eating well because of a significant other? Scheel said dopamine is the reason.

“There’s a powerful brain phenomenon that goes on in the early stages of attraction.

It’s the activation of our dopamine rewards center,” Scheel said. “Dopamine is a feel-good neurotransmitter and a natural stimulant.”

When you see someone you like, your dopamine rewards center is highly activated and your brain begins pumping out dopamine, Scheel said “It’s your brain’s way of telling you to go for it with that person,” she said.

24

4. know your competition

Just when you think you’re able to talk to her, you look around the bar and notice you’re not the only dude that’s into her. The female to male ratio at Iowa State is 4:6. Considering that 44 percent are female and 56 percent are male, acknowledge that you’re not the only guy who’s in the game.

Cooper explained that as mammals, males compete for mating opportunity and females decide whether the opportunity is acceptable or not.

“Males need to acquire characteristics that would make them attractive mates to females,” Cooper said. “If they have those characteristics that would be an advantage over their rivals, then they would want to play those up as much as possible.”

5. but is she interested?

She’s been smiling and looking over at you the whole night, even with all those other guys staring at her. Is it the right time to approach her yet? There are various gestures you need to be aware of when striking up a conversation.

“The females get to choose ultimately whether the sex is going to take place,” Cooper said. “What the males should look for are signs of the females being interested in them.”

Cooper explained that men usually show a smile when they’re interested in a women.

The female response would usually consist of a smile, and then she would cast her eyes down in return, indicating she is interested.

Cooper said your pupils will dilate around somebody you’re attracted to.

Scheel said that open body postures tend to create more of a friendly atmosphere.

When people are feeling comfortabale in conversations, they consistently nod their heads, lean into each other, engage in a lot of eye contact, smile and laugh.

“If you’re not seeing those things, those are signs that she’s not engaging in that conversation,” Scheel said. “There can be other possibilities--like she’s very shy and awkward--but it’s also possible that she’s just not that into you.”

6. building intimacy Now it’s time to approach her, but how should you act or what should you say without looking thirsty? Creating an intimate atmosphere can be very intimidating, but Diana Baltimore, lecturer in human development and family studies at Iowa State, illustrated a helpful solution.

“Self-disclosure is an extreme importance in building an intimate relationship,” Baltimore said. “Sharing those intimate personal beliefs, goals and values that not everybody would know about you is key in any type of relationship and certainly for an intimate and/or romantic

8. don't assume

Say she’s been doing every positive gesture that has been mentioned. She even flipped her hair more than once throughout the evening. But just because she’s done all these inviting actions, it doesn’t mean she wants to come home with you.

Males have a stronger tendency than females to overestimate how interested a female is in them, said Cooper.

“This comes back to differences on how many offspring males and females can have,” he said. “Males can have an unlimited amount of

7. control the ego

You notice you are hitting it off, so you want to impress her a little more by talking about your car, your job and the bank you’ve been making. But has it occured to you that you might be talking a little too much about yourself? Rather than coming across as an egotistical man, Baltimore shared the importance of knowing how to display a confident presence.

“Be respectful, have a nice genuine tone in your voice, make eye contact, don’t constantly talk about oneself, ask question of the other person and be genuinely interested in other people’s life experiences, thoughts and feelings,” Baltimore said.

“Being arrogant is way over the top. We know that’s a turn off across the board for everybody.”

Don’t overdue what you say about yourself. Let her be curious about you. That way, when she asks questions about your personal life and who you are, you’re able to talk about yourself without having such a high ego.

25

relationship.”

It is also important to be considerate and conscious when making comments on her appearance, Scheel said. Women struggle with their “ideal” look their entire lives, and this is the reason why most women are selfconscious about themselves. Being aware of and sensitive to that subject is going to be appealing for a woman.

“More insensible behaviors that some men may engage in around appearance are not going to help bond a relationship,” Scheel said.

offspring, so it’s in their best interest to pursue sex anytime they have the option.”

Scheel said it is possible to misinterpret some types of body language.

“Women tend to smile more than men do, and there’s some evidence that smiling and friendliness can be misunderstood as sexual,” Scheel said. “What may be friendliness may be seen as more of a sexual flirting when it’s not. Don’t jump to conclusion too quickly about what a smile would be.”

The cookie is not yours until she gives it to you. Spend less time worrying about whether you’re going to hit a homerun and wait until she brings up the subject to you.

what is my

By Devin Wilmott graphics by mike witzmann

20% FATS

e

very guy has a unique build that responds differently to diet and exercise. It is important to know your body type and how to modify your workout and diet plan in order to achieve your ideal fitness goals.

Humans genetically fit under one of three body types: endomorph, ectomorph or mesomorph. Genetics don’t determine everything when it comes to achieving physical goals, but it can guide you when trying to find a workout regime and diet lifestyle suitable to your body type.

As you may have noticed, some men can eat copious amounts of food without gaining weight and stay pretty lean year-round. They are ectomorphs.

Calories are essential to an ectomorph who is trying to put on muscle mass. This is because their metabolism functions so rapidly that eating above the caloricmaintenance level is the only way to gain mass. However, eating quality foods is the best way to achieve ideal gains.

Endomorphs have a naturally slower metabolism than ectomorphs and have a larger bone structure and frame.

Endomorphs have trouble losing fat but can gain both fat and muscle easily. Endomorphs typically need to maintain a caloric intake below maintenance level in order to get lean.

Mesomorphs are called the “perfect medium.” What they see in the mirror is a crystal-clear reflection of what they have put into their body. People with this body type can change their body composition easily.

Body types create both advantages and disadvantages when trying to gain muscle mass and/or lose body fat. Regardless of your body type, the only way to achieve your ideal physique is through hard work and perseverance.

training

25% PROTEIN

Train hard and heavy, incorporating a lot of compound movements into your workout.

Avoid vigorous cardio and circuit training. Try to do 4–6 reps with heavy weight and 4–5 sets of each exercise. Be sure to hit all muscle groups evenly.

Because your training incorporates a lot of heavy weight lifting, you want to make sure to schedule rest days between every three or so workouts. Overtraining is easy for your body type and will counteract gains.

55% CARBS

diet

“

To gain weight, you need to eat above your caloric maintenance level. Start with 700 calories over and move up from there. The best way to get your ideal caloric intake is to eat calorie-dense meals that incorporate slow-absorbing proteins and carbs such as steel-cut oats.

You should also eat every 1 ½ to 2 hours to replenish the calories your body is naturally burning off. The goal for an ectomorph is to avoid putting your body into an anabolic state. With nutrient and caloric deficiency, your ability to build muscle will be more challenging.

If someone's diet is horrible... they won't reap as much of a benefit than if their diet were on point."

-Lauren Zuespann, Complete Nutrition sales associate

*all charts are based on general statistics and should only be used as basic references

26

body type?

40% FATS

30% FATS

training

training

Since losing fat is relatively difficult for this body type, most endomorphs want to build muscle. Use exercises that incorporate compound movements to train all muscle groups. For more effective gains, drop set and rest-pause techniques aid in muscular definition.

Push your sets to the point of failure to increase the intensity of your workout.

Remember that going hard and heavy does not mean hurting yourself. If you are a beginner, use the first couple months of training to work your way up to heavy weight.

30% PROTEIN

40% CARBS

Incorporate circuit weight training into daily workouts to burn fat and gain muscle at the same time. Circuit training works various muscle groups in one session while still improving cardiovascular and muscular endurance.

Cardio is an endomorph’s best friend. Try a warm-up that involves interval training, such as sprints. Making your heart rate rise and fall will help get those extra layers of fat off.

After you have reached your ideal body fat percentage, it’s time to either gain muscle mass or tone. If you want to gain muscle mass, incorporate heavy weight training with sets of 4–6 reps. To gain tone, try moderate weight training with sets of 10–12 reps.

35% PROTEIN

diet

It is important to follow a diet that coincides with what you are trying to achieve. If you are trying to gain muscle, eat 500 calories over your maintenance level. If you are trying to lose fat, eat 500 calories below your maintenance level.

diet

25% CARBS

“

ask yourself, 'Is my goal physiologically possible within the time frame I am giving my workouts?' without that question, you might be setting yourself up for failure."

-Davis Englund, Iowa State kinesiology graduate student

27

Whether trying to lose fat or gain muscle, endomorphs should eat meals frequently, aiming for 5–6 meals a day with 3 main courses and 2–3 small meals.

To lose fat, start eating at a caloric deficit of 500 calories and adjust from there based on results. It is suggested that you slowly decrease your caloric consumption so your body can adapt to the change.

To gain muscle, try consuming 250 calories above your maintenance level and work up from there. Adjust your caloric intake in small increments to ensure your body is using the excess calories to repair muscle and not store as fat.

overcoming obstacles by erin malloy photography by blake lanser

t

he group of 15 in the 5:30 a.m. CrossFit class lined the wall as they attempted to do one-handed handstand holds for the first time. They practiced kicking up over and over, struggling to figure out how to balance.

One by one, members of the class were finally able to hold their handstand. Nate Loenser continued to practice off to the side, feeling like he was the only one who couldn’t figure it out.

With his classmates watching, Loenser started on his knees, planted his right hand on the ground and kicked up against the wall with bent legs to help find his balance. As Loenser slowly straightened both legs and held his handstand solid with only slight help from the coach, the rest of the class erupted in cheers.

A challenging skill to master for even a CrossFit veteran, Loenser is used to having to work harder than most to accomplish a workout.

He was born with a partial left arm.

Loenser, the new director of player development for ISU men’s basketball, was born missing his left arm from just below the elbow.

When Loenser was younger, doctors thought the umbilical cord had gotten wrapped around his arm and cut off his circulation. However, a few years ago, Loenser learned it was more likely caused by something developmental.

Loenser said he feels very lucky. He said he thinks it would be a lot harder for people who lose their arm.

“If you’ve never had it any other way and this is how it is for you, then it’s easier to realize that this is who I am, and I just make the most of it,” he said.

His parents and his three older siblings were extremely supportive. They would always be there to help, he said, but his parents were never pushy or made him feel bad for himself.

“They let me work through whatever I needed to work through and just kind of deemphasized the whole thing, which was helpful,” he said.

Similar to a routine visit to the doctor or dentist, Loenser and his family went to the Shriners hospital in Minneapolis every six months as he was growing up to adjust the size of his prosthetic or to get a new one. The Shriners covered all expenses until Loenser turned 21.

Up through seventh grade, Loenser wore a prosthetic all the time. After that, he only used it when he played cello, football and baseball. In ninth grade, he switched to playing baseball without the prosthetic, and now the only thing Loenser uses his prosthetic for is golf.

“My prosthetic was great, and it allowed me to do a lot of things, but another strength—which could be a weakness—is I don’t like to be dependent on a device or machine or even sometimes other people,” he said. “I like to be able to figure things out and do things on my own.”

Three years ago, his prosthetic broke, and the technology had changed so much that they couldn’t fix his arm.

“This is essentially like me losing my arm,” Loenser said. “It serves as a

28

reminder to me to not give up and to keep working and to essentially live the life that I preach to others, too. Whether it’s a sport, a relationship, a job or classwork, not everything’s going to be easy. You just have to not give up and find a way.”

When Loenser would go into school each year, his teachers would let him share his story to the class.

“I think all people—but young people especially—have a lot of questions,” he said.

“It could have been more difficult if my peers didn’t know my story or where I was coming from. It went from something different that could have been a negative to ‘This is Nate.

This is our classmate. He’s a special guy.’”

When he got in situations outside of his peers or classmates in a public area, Loenser said those were the times that would frustrate him. He would hear children ask, “Mommy, mommy, what’s wrong with his arm?”

“I didn’t want people to be scared of me; I just wanted them to understand who I was,” he said.

His wife, Jackie, said when she sees

people looking at Loenser’s arm, she to play.

4-H and took computer classes during the sometimes gets more defensive than he ever “Any sport, I didn’t want people feeling summers, eventually graduating first in his would. sorry for me,” he said. “I wanted to be just high school class.

“I know it’s not like a judging look; it’s like anybody else. I wanted to be respected Basketball was the sport Loenser said he just an observation because you don’t really as a good player.” was most passionate about and put the most expect to see it,” she said. “He’s really good Loenser has always had a deep passion time into, but baseball was what he ended up about it because he’s been talking about it for athletics. Whatever season it was, that being more successful in. for 35 years.” was his favorite sport.

When Loenser switched to batting leftLoenser tried to channel his arm into His love for sports began with his parents. handed his sophomore year of high school, understanding that he would have eyes on They both went to Iowa State and have had his batting average dropped to .081. He him a lot of times and embrace that. Because the same tickets in Jack Trice Stadium since continued to practice his swing in front of his of that fact, Loenser always wanted to make it opened in 1975. His family would drive door and upped his average to .289 his junior sure he was doing things right and not from Cedar Falls to ISU games every football year. As a senior, Loenser hit .596 and was fulfilling what he perceived named an All-State player. He got other people’s stereotypes the chance to play baseball for Iowa were. as much as sometimes i liked having the label of State his senior year of college.

“I wanted to stay strong Loenser came to Iowa State having one arm ... I also didn't necessarily want to maybe encourage or help as an exercise and sports science other people whether I knew to be treated like a one-armed athlete or person." major in K-12 physical education. it or not,” he said. “As much He got a job teaching elementary -Nate Loenser PE in Ames for two years after as sometimes I liked having the label of having one arm or graduation and was an assistant having the likeness with that, I coach for basketball and baseball. also didn’t necessarily want to be treated like Saturday. In 1987, when Loenser was in third Von Behren was a coach at Ames Middle a one-armed athlete or person.” grade, they started getting basketball tickets School alongside Loenser. Both young PE in Hilton Coliseum. teachers with a love for sports, Von Behren While a student at Northern University said they hit it off right away.

Standing in front of the glass door at High School in Cedar Falls, Loenser played “It didn’t matter what it was—tennis, golf, home, Loenser held the bat in his right hand football, basketball, baseball and golf and darts, basketball—whatever it is, he’s really with it rested on his left nub and swung. He earned 11 varsity letters. good at it, and he humbles me and others,” practiced swinging again and again as he “I asked him why he didn’t run track Von Behren said. “He’s almost like a snake in critiqued his reflection in the door. Loenser because he’s fast and athletic,” recalled the weeds; you don’t know what to expect.” batted right-handed with his prosthetic arm, Jesse Von Behren, one of Loenser’s close but in high school, his coach recommended friends. “And he said, ‘That’s what every onehe switch to batting left-handed. armed guy is supposed to do.’”

Loenser was offered a men’s basketball Loenser said he always pushed himself His mom, a kindergarten teacher, always assistant coaching position at Southern to not play baseball, football or golf like how wanted Loenser to stay well-rounded, so Mississippi for former Cyclone basketball others would perceive a one-armed person he learned to play cello and tuba, was in head coach Larry Eustachy in 2004.

“

29

As Loenser and Von Behren packed up Loenser’s apartment, Loenser pulled out a VCR tape of the 1987 Iowa-Iowa State basketball game where Lafester Rhodes scored 54 points, helping the Cyclones win 102-100 in overtime.

“It was a Saturday night game, and my dad and I went. I’ll never forget it,” Loenser said. “There was a bad ice storm, and my dad splurged and we stayed at a hotel. It was the most fun game I’d seen as a fan.”

The tape played, and Von Behren sat back as Loenser shared details from the classic game of Iowa-Iowa State basketball in Hilton and the power of Hilton Magic.

“It’s one of my favorite memories with Nate,” Von Behren said. “I don’t know if he just wanted to show me how avid of a Cyclone fan he was, but it was cool to see.”

Loenser spent six years in Mississippi, only returning home three times.

In 2010, he decided to come back closer to home and got a job at Spirit Lake High School coaching boy’s basketball, girl’s golf and football. This was also where Loenser met Jackie.

They had grown up in the same hometown, but Jackie said that while she knew who he was, she didn’t really know him.

“There was just something about him that

“

you could tell he was genuine and good,” Jackie said. “You can’t really put your finger on it. We are both Christians, and we have the same sense of humor. We just clicked.”

She knew two weeks after they started dating that she wanted to marry him.

“It did not take long at all,” Loenser agreed.

In 2013, Loenser received an opportunity to become a graduate assistant for the men’s basketball program at Iowa State.

He had known Fred Hoiberg in the past and taught with Hoiberg’s mom while at Ames.

Originally a two-year position, Loenser was promoted to director of player development after his first year due to changes in staffing.

In his current position, he enjoys being able to work and develop relationships with the student athletes.

Senior Naz Long is the player who is closest with Loenser. When Loenser first came to Iowa State as a graduate assistant, Long said he was blown away at the things he could do with one arm.

“He was always going out of his way to grab rebounds and throw us crisp passes,” Long said. “He made sure that everything he did was to the same ability as an individual who had two arms. That’s something that stuck with me.”

I now get to be a part of helping my school, which also happens to be my favorite team, be successful ... i appreciate every game day and every day that i walk into my office.

-Nate Loenser

At the beginning, Long said he was cautious when playing with Loenser and didn’t know if he should pass him the ball like he would with others. But Loenser quickly disproved that stereotype.

“He’s just a regular dude,” Long said.

“You would swear he has two arms with the way he passes the ball or shoots.”

During a game of one-on-one, Loenser almost beat Long.

“I had to go to the rack on him and ice that game up but just the smack talk that he was providing, letting me know, ‘Hey, you better get a hand up,’ just not to take him lightly. That’s what I love about Nate.

He even calls himself ‘One-Dog’ here and there.”

The nickname dates back to Loenser’s high school baseball days.

“It’s not because I have one hand, although that’s what most people think,” Loenser said. “My jersey number was No. 1, and so was [MLB player] Lance Johnson’s, who had the nickname ‘One-Dog.’” While Loenser won’t be seen saying much on the bench, Long said that behind the scenes you can ask Loenser anything about basketball, the Cyclones’ plays or individual statistics—he knows it all.

“He’s an absolute brainiac for the game, and I idolize that aspect,” Long said.

“I don’t take for granted that this is the school I grew up watching and cheering for up in the balcony with my dad or my mom, dreaming about getting to play for Iowa State,” Loenser said. “I now get to be a part of helping my school, which also happens to be my favorite team, be successful. Not many people get to do that. I appreciate every game day and every day that I walk into my office.”

Loenser said it makes it even more special to be able to share the experience with Jackie.

“It’s usually harder to be married to a Division I coach than to be the coach,” he said.

Jackie confessed she didn’t like basketball before marrying Loenser, but now she loves seeing him on the court being a part of what he’s so passionate about.

“He’s just happy—like a kid-in-the-candyshop type of happy,” Jackie said. “I wouldn’t think that coaching is not possible for a person with only one hand, but I think that it inspires people.”

Loenser and Jackie recently started going to Max Oxygen CrossFit in Ames. They usually go four days a week at 5:30 a.m. before going to work.

Kyle Van Winkle, the owner of the CrossFit gym, first met Loenser and Jackie in Spirit Lake about three years ago, and he was excited when he learned they were moving to Ames. When Van Winkle told Jackie and Loenser about the CrossFit gym he was opening, Loenser was initially unsure if he could do some of the things that CrossFit requires.

“Once Nate got in here, though, he attacked it and absolutely crushed it,” he said.

Van Winkle said Loenser is good about figuring out how to modify the moves to work with his arm. He can do hang cleans, handstands, pull-ups, push-ups and the rope climb all with one arm.

“Just watching him workout is unbelievable,” he said. “He’s super athletic and competitive, so that plays into it a lot.

My clients are always in awe of what he does, how he does it and how easy he makes everything look.”

Loenser said he can do the skills in a workout 95 percent of the time, but the five percent when he struggles trying to figure something out and when there’s an audience is when he gets the most frustrated.

“I don’t want to disappoint other people,” he said. “I don’t want to portray that image of failure or can’t.”

Jackie said CrossFit is the only place where she has heard Loenser say, “Well, that’s not really gonna work.”

“Everybody has their challenges in life and things that they have to overcome,” Jackie said. “His challenge is on the outside, and everybody sees it.”

But Jackie said she has yet to figure out something he can’t do.

“He’s always had to figure things out without someone telling him how to do it,” she said. “How can a two-handed person tell a one-handed person how to do anything?”

Loenser said Jackie helps provide a different perspective on his arm.

“I’ve always had a tough time lifting my left arm because it’s not as big, and Jackie will say, ‘Well, why don’t you strengthen your left side more?’ It’s good for me. It’s neat to have someone who cares about you.”

While Loenser would say he is known because of his arm, his family and friends say he’s remembered for the way he inspires others.

“Nate’s really well-known, and he’s like, ‘Yeah, it’s because who forgets the onearmed guy?’—but that’s just Nate being humble,” Von Behren said. “I’m convinced he’s just got that type of personality where once people get to know him, they really like him. He’s just one of a kind.”

to crossfit or not C

rossFit. It’s the newest fitness trend sweeping the nation, but I can’t figure out why. If you’ve ever seen anyone doing CrossFit, you probably thought that it looked ridiculous … probably because it does look ridiculous. The CrossFit exercise regimen consists of a mixture of weightlifting, calisthenics and cardio workouts that are supposed to promote lifelong fitness. I’m no expert, but the last time I checked, gyms were invented so that I could get huge. If I wanted to have good overall fitness, I’d try swimming, tennis or Pilates.

So when my friend told me that I should try CrossFit, I responded reasonably and sensibly. I laughed, told her to grow a pair and explained that if she wanted a real workout she should come hit bicep curls and bench press for two hours with me. I thought about apologizing but quickly realized that associating with people who aren’t entirely focused on getting as big as possible and looking at themselves in the mirror is a waste of my time.

But later that day I was thinking about all of the people I’d seen engaging in this faux-

fitness fad. I figured I might as well check it out and show these people how easy it is for someone who’s in real shape to destroy their weird little workouts. I looked up the nearest CrossFit center and headed out for a session.

I walked in and immediately noticed a huge problem: no bench press. Elite specimens of muscularity, such as myself, know that the bench press is the foundational nonessential lift of any good workout. I proceeded to find the head coach of this socalled “gym” and noticed a second problem: He was bigger than me. Already annoyed, I asked if I could jump in on a session.

“Have you ever done CrossFit before?”

I said no.

“Have you taken the foundations course?”

Again, I said no.

“You have to take the foundations course before you can come to a session. After completing three, hour-long classes, you can come.”

I explained to him that I have been lifting for a long time and already understand the basics. He said I could go to the first foundations class covering cardio,

32

gymnastics and calisthenics later that night, and if I felt comfortable, I could come to a session the next day as long as I promised to attend the other two foundations classes covering weightlifting. Reluctantly, I agreed and came back later that night to take my first class.

If you take away the aspects of CrossFit that involve weightlifting, pretty much every exercise is some weird variation of calisthenics or gymnastics movement.

Things like push-ups, pull-ups and crunches were bestowed on mankind by Jesus Christ himself just over two thousand years ago as a way for people to get jacked before weightlifting was invented. But for whatever reason, the people at CrossFit thought that Jesus’ workout wasn’t cutting it for them anymore and decided to use gravity to their advantage by creating momentum with their bodies to make the movements apparently more efficient.

For instance, to execute a CrossFit “Kipping Pull-Up,” you ignore the advice

t to crossfit? that every gym teacher you’ve had since elementary school gave you on proper pull-up form. Instead of only engaging your lats and biceps to lift your body to the top of the bar with good control, you start the movement by swinging your legs forward and back like a pendulum and then thrust your body up as fast as possible so that you’re within an inch of nailing your head on the bar. You can hurt your back really easily if you don’t do it correctly, so it’s actually more difficult to do this variation of a pull-up than with proper form. But hey, thanks to CrossFit, now anyone with their lower body intact can do a pull-up.

As the class went on, we learned how to do a CrossFit push-up without using the chest muscles, how to jump on and off a box and how to stretch. After struggling through an hour of trying to learn how to retrain my brain to do calisthenics with shitty form, I skipped the 15 minute workout at the end and told the coach I’d see him at my first CrossFit session the next day.

I swaggered my way into the session ready to own the workout. I was the only guy

in the 14-person group of what looked like volleyball players on steroids. The coach bumped knuckles with me and asked if I was ready to go. Masking my skepticism, I said, “Hell yeah. Let’s do it.” He turned to the group and told us to take a quick jog and do some (fake) push-ups to warm up. Next, we spent 40 minutes doing a mixture of front squats, hang cleans and clean and jerks.

The coach insisted that I did everything with bad form, which is probably due to the fact that I rarely do front squats and have never done hang cleans or clean and jerks.

Supposedly, these are core lifts that utilize the largest group of muscles in the human body, the leg muscles. Well, I’ve worked my ass off to change this by spending every second in the gym working my upper body and ignoring the squat rack. Even so, I eventually was able to execute a pretty shotty clean and jerk just in time for the workout.

The workout seemed simple enough.

Complete an eight-rep set of front squat, sprint 100 meters and then repeat it twice.

This made for an agonizing four minutes that left me sore for the next four days.

33

by brandon friederich photography by blake lanser

I spent the next two foundations courses learning how to do a variety of different leg lifts with proper form and learned about the recommended CrossFit diet.

My diet has always consisted of the three major food groups of any serious weight lifter: whey protein, pre-workout and more whey protein. But the CrossFit diet consists of nuts, fruit and low-carb meal options. They say it provides the body with the energy you need to get through the workouts and the protein you need to recover. Pretty bizarre stuff.

What did I learn from my time doing CrossFit? Well, it’s challenging and left me more exhausted then anything else I’ve ever done. Would I recommend it? Only if you want to get some regular well-rounded exercise that can improve your flexibility, strength and cardiovascular system all in one program.

But I don’t see how it would make you huge.

iowa nice guy

un v e i l e d

photo courtesy of eric hermann

“

iowa nice Guy is way cooler than i am... and dresses better."

-Scott Siepker

by kenzi mongar

a

fter scott Siepker’s YouTube video, Iowa Nice, went viral, Siepker’s brand of dry humor became the status quo of pro-Iowa smack talk and launched his career.

The video was made as a response to Iowa stereotypes and the national media coverage Iowa receives during election time.

Siepker and his producer, Paul Benedict, predicted the video would get around 10,000 views, but it ended up receiving millions and putting Iowa on the map.

Siepker added more videos that involved his sports commentary, and the doors of opportunities opened for him. He was eventually asked to do weekly segments for college football on ESPN.

34

“

we've always been dreamers I suppose, both [Siepker] and I ... He's a very good idea man and one of the best showbiz minds that I've ever known."

People often assume that Siepker is exactly like his Iowa Nice Guy character. In reality, he’s almost the complete opposite.

“Iowa Nice Guy is way cooler than I am... and dresses better,” Siepker joked.

Iowa Nice Guy is seen wearing a suit and tie in his videos, while Siepker typically wears tennis shoes, a T-shirt and jeans.

Siepker said the character was a stunt to promote the state of Iowa. Siepker is a divided fan of both the Cyclone-Hawkeye teams, the biggest rivals in Iowa.

If you watch some of his videos, you’ll notice his hatred for Nebraska. He makes fun of the state whenever he gets the chance.

It’s really just all fun and games meant to ease the uncomfortable Iowa-Iowa State feud that goes on, he said.

“I always try and rally them together against a common enemy.” Sorry, Nebraska.

His humor, along with his love of sports, is what he’s all about, and it’s a big reason why people are entertained as they watch his Iowa Nice Guy character on ESPN. Surprisingly, Siepker’s portrayal of Iowa Nice Guy wasn’t his first appearance on the network.

During a football game as a student, Siepker and his friends got five seconds of television fame for baring their I-S-U painted chests while coming out of the commercial break on ESPN.

rising star

Siepker made the most out of his college years at Iowa State.

He hosted the Varieties Show as a freshman using a Steve Irwin impression, which led to acts of him pulling people on stage and tackling them like an alligator. He won four intramural championships: coed softball, coed basketball, basketball 6-footand-under and Ping-Pong.

Most important to him, Siepker became president of Livingston, the third floor of Helser Residence Hall.

At the time, Friley-Helser had dorm rivalry going on. Students living in Helser wanted to withdraw from the Union Drive Association so they wouldn’t have to share the same government body with Friley Hall. The problem was Friley outnumbered Helser in UDA Senate votes, which meant the decision swung in Friley’s favor.

“All of the money we were paying in dues was pretty much going to whatever Friley wanted to do with it,” Siepker said.

-Brendan Dunphy, entertainer, entomologist and friend of Siepker

The students decided to take matters into their own hands, with Siepker leading them.

The United Houses of Helser was born, and the students made their own constitution.

“It was just one of those ridiculous idealistic things you do while you’re a college kid,” Siepker said.

After a year, their UDA removal request was granted.

Jokes and pranks were daily happenings in the dorm. Siepker and his friends would often call people up and tell them they were the Friley front desk and explain the desk had been holding their package for weeks. If not picked up that day, then they would have to discard it.

“So we’d . . . just watch the stream of people walk across from Helser all the way over to Friley. You’d go over there and see this long line of people waiting,” Siepker said.

All of them would go up and ask, “Do you have a package for me?”

Those were the two greatest years of his life, he said.

Sophomore year, Siepker randomly decided to be in a college play and signed up for an acting class. He soon realized it was a terrible idea, but Patrick “Doc” Gowen took him under his wing and got him into “Christmas Carol,” the school play.

Someone dropped out and they needed him to fill the character. He only had three lines.

The email Gowen sent notifying Jane Cox, the director of theatre, that Siepker

35

had agreed to fill the spot still hangs in his apartment today. “[Gowen] was one of the most important men in the history of my life,” Siepker said.

big-screen dreams

Theater involvement at Iowa State later introduced Siepker to Brendan Dunphy, his best friend and partner in many projects.

The two were casted in a film by Paul Benedict. The three went on to create Iowa Filmmakers. Dunphy has fond memories of sleeping in the house that was used as the filming headquarters. Him and Siepker would daydream about all of their future ideas until they fell asleep.

“We’ve always been dreamers I suppose, both [Siepker] and I,” Dunphy said. “He’s a very good idea man and one of the best showbiz minds that I’ve ever known. “ Siepker even had to learn to play guitar for one role. The director had asked him if he could play, and not wanting to lose consideration for the role, he lied.

The first time Siepker used his newly learned guitar skills was in front of the audience on opening night, while singing at the same time.

Dunphy remembers Siepker saying his heart was beating so fast he could almost see it rising out of his chest.

The YouTube video, Hey Cancer, was made after his dad passed away from leukemia about a year ago. The video shows different people telling their cancer “off” and brings humor to a touchy topic, a difficult thing to do after losing someone.

“It’s never easy and sometimes… it’s going to kick you in the gut from out of nowhere and take your breath away,” Siepker said.

Because he’s always fun and humorous, his serious side is not seen as much.

“I think there’s something going on underneath all that... I don’t think he shows it to people very often, but I think it’s there, something deeper,” Cox said.

For Siepker, the most influential people in his life were his professors, and his biggest role models were his classmates.

Whether it was his college years that led him to theater and film or his dorm buddies playing idiotic pranks on each other, Siepker found his passion for acting and met his best friends along the way—friends who helped create what are now his most treasured memories, and the legend of the Iowa Nice Guy.

veishea riots: behind the lens by blake lanser photos courtesy of blake lanser/iowa state daily

t

he possibility of a riot was something that was always talked about. I used to wonder where I’d be if it happened. What would happen if a riot took place? What would be the point of no return? What would spark the chaos? Of course that one spark whatever it was, did happen and consequently brought an end to a 92-year-old tradition, leaving tears in the eyes of many who helped put it together. On August 7, President Steven Leath announced that VEISHEA had officially become a retired name.

The celebration kicked off Sunday, April 5 and continued until Tuesday night. I got a text around 10:30 p.m.

Tuesday after I had just gotten off of work that said, “Dude some crazy shit happening on Welch. A car was just flipped!! Get down here.” I grabbed my camera and drove to Welch as fast as I could. I parked pretty far away; I wasn’t about to have my car tangled up in whatever was happening.

As I walked to Kum & Go, I saw masses of people gathering on both sides of Welch Avenue, and the few drunken fools who were moseying around the street were being yelled at by the police.

I’ve been out on plenty of Friday nights, but this group didn’t seem like the normal drunken horde—probably because it was Tuesday. Hundreds of people from all over Iowa were out and about. They didn’t care what happened; it wasn’t their town.

Beer cans and bottles were being tossed and smashed on the sidewalks as if Welch Avenue was some dark, dank basement at an off-campus house party.

As the night progressed, more and more drunken spectators gathered on the streets of Campustown and took to their cell phones and Twitter accounts.

Tweets came out with photos of a flipped car and other scenes.

A drunk girl in a boot attempted, but ultimately failed, to do the worm in the middle of the street in front of a police car. A guy ran down the street chanting “U.S.A, U.S.A, U.S.A!” As this chant continued, a group of students took to Stanton Avenue and flipped over another car. Word trickled over to Welch Avenue, and students sprinted, jogged and stumbled over to see what had been done.

Students gathered by the hundreds on Stanton Avenue, and bar-goers took to the streets as well to join the chaos.

My fellow photographer and I looked at each other in shock. Did they even know what they were doing?

As the mass of students and outsiders grew, so did the number of police. Patrol car after patrol car arrived as officers tried to restore balance. Cops held mace in one hand and kept the other close to their holster. As the chanting grew louder and camera flashes fired like stars in the sky, the masses stepped closer to the officers. The police stood their ground in the hopes that they would be able to stop the crowd from advancing toward Lincoln Way. I moved out behind the officers and tried to get some unique shots for my portfolio. I had no idea what kind of photo I was looking for because I had never shot anything like this. A riot was something I’d only seen on television.

I never thought there would be one in our college town.

I crouched down behind an officer, dodging flying open beer cans, and took my photos.

As I stood up, the officer took a large leap back and pushed me over, as he dodged more beer cans. I wasn’t as fortunate.

I took a beer can to the dome and took shelter on the curb. I wiped the beer off my camera and looked at my remaining photo count. I had enough space for 52 photos. I furiously scrolled through and deleted old photos so I could to keep shooting the chaos.

Firecrackers soared and mini smoke bombs bounced off cars and street signs. I thought to myself, “Where did they get firecrackers on such short notice?”

The fear shared between the officers and myself became a reality. The students ran straight toward Lincoln Way—one of Ames’ busiest streets. Officers got in their cars and sped to the nearest intersections to make sure oncoming traffic wasn’t put in danger.

As the students continued to run, one drunk guy came up to me and started pushing me. “Why are you taking pictures….?” Shove. “You shouldn’t be taking photos of this…” Shove. “STOP!” Smash. He had taken his Heineken bottle and smashed it over my head in an attempt to stop me from reporting on this chaos. The bottle broke, and I grabbed my head and ran away.

No blood was visible, but the pounding in my head was unbearable.

The damage on Stanton Avenue continued.

Parked cars were being climbed and jumped on. I distinctly remember one girl who had been twerking on top of a car when someone

came running up, shoved her off and shouted, “VEISHEA!” at the top of his lungs.

In the middle of Lincoln Way, hundreds of students chanted, sent selfies, made posts to their Snapchat stories and threw bottles.

Once the students and guests grew tired of being in the middle of Lincoln Way, they ran back to Welch, leaving behind beer cans, bottles and shoes. At this point, nothing was safe from being damaged. Shouts and shrieks could be heard for blocks. Many that lived above the bars on Welch opened their windows to watch. Store owners locked their doors and watched through their windows, hoping their stores wouldn’t be subject to the terror that was running rampant in the streets.

Students and guests wrapped their hands around light poles and began to shake them.

The first light pole wobbled back and forth as the crowd in its path looked up like turkeys in a rainstorm. The light pole snapped at its base and came down right into the crowd.

I inched closer to the scene, dodging two more falling light poles, one of which would have struck me had my coworker not been watching my back. I approached the circle of students who had gathered around one epicenter and saw what I had hoped wouldn’t become reality. A student was lying down in the middle of the circle. The student, who we

later found out was a member of Iowa State’s Greek community, suffered from severe head trauma and was taken to the hospital.

As I moved closer, an EMT who was holding students back from the injured student, looked at me and said, “If you even try to take his photo, I’ll break your camera.”

With a severe headache, I didn’t feel like fighting that battle, and I stepped away from the scene.

I stuck around until the very end and took a few photos of the injured student being hauled into the Ames Fire Station. The student’s friends talked with paramedics about what was going to happen.

The student was supposed to be rushed to the hospital, but due to crowds in the middle of Welch Avenue, the ambulance could not leave. For 15 minutes, the police, sober students and Ames residents worked to clear the crowd so the ambulance could pass.

So much happened that evening, but one fact will always remain: We are the generation that brought the end to VEISHEA. As it turned out, a lot of our peers didn’t respect the tradition. We didn’t have a reason to riot; we didn’t have a reason to put one of our own in harm’s way; and we sure didn’t have a reason to end what ISU students put their hearts and souls into planning for nearly a century.

daily grind done right

SIRmagISU.com

Don’t be that guy at the gym doing pelvic thrust-bicep curls in front of the mirror. Our informative piece on proper weightlifting form will give you the tips you’ll need to be effective in the gym and make those gains.

maximum ames music festival

Local bands, loud music and high-energy lineups: these are just a few of things you’ll find in our online feature on MAMF. Give it a read to get the behind the scenes scoop on Ames’ own regional music festival.

sir-iously cheap dates

Coming up with affordable dates in college can be challenging if you’re on a tight budget. Luckily, we did the work for you. Take a look at some creative ways to spend time with the old ball-and-chain without burning a hole in your pocket.

ONLINE preview

pay for play

Are student athletes getting short-changed? Have the universities been cashing out on sports under our noses? Find out why players are getting muscled for profits in this read about why our athletes should be paid.

avoiding tattoo regret

If you have your ex’s name covered up with a tattoo of Super Mario jumping out of the green pipes on level one of Super Mario 64, this is the story for you. The tattoo experts share tips on how to get the perfect tattoo, let their wisdom wash over you.

Check out the full versions of our print stories online

C E N T RA L C A M P US UNION DR

I O W A STAT E U N I V E RS I TY

CO

UNION DR

ON

CR

EE

K

DR

MO

I UN

LL

E EG

RR ILL RD

L A K E L AV E R N E

MEMORIAL UNION L I N CO L N W AY

L I N CO L N W AY

CY R I D E B US STO P GARY AVE

2 3 0 0 L I N CO L N W AY LEASING OFFICE GA B L E L N

C H A M B E R LA I N ST

GA

FoundryStudentLiving.com | 855.644.9256 | C A M P USTO W N