Jayplay (1-26-12)

Jayplay LIFE. AND HOW TO HAVE ONE.

January 26, 2012

Mario little abroad The former basketball player tells Jayplay about women & playing professional basketball in Ukraine

one love, two cities

Tips on staying together in long-distance relationships

DISCONNECTED

Surviving 24 hours without media

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Inside this issue

{From the Editor }

I’m a cynic when it comes to media technology, though a bit of a hypocritical one. I worry about my generation’s obsession with the latest cell phones and devices, social networking, and the need to be constantly connected to the media world. I’ve got a Facebook and email I check daily, but a Twitter that I never use. My cell phone’s capabilities peak at sending texts and taking photos.

There’s been plenty of times I’d have welcomed a technological disconnect with open arms. The commercials and negatively-charged comments on TV during the presidential race are enough to convince me to keep the television off to avoid the political noise. Rick Perry’s ad “Strong,” where he defends celebrating Christmas in public schools and keeping gays out of the military, made me want to bury my head in a politically-ignorant hole in the sand.

Last year I saw one of my favorite bands, the Pixies, in concert. I was in a state of wide-eyed thrill, absorbing every ounce of energy they exuded,

only to be shocked to see people of all ages with their heads down, fingers flying at 4G speeds, texting and Tweeting away on their cell phones. I just imagined them texting a friend, “Dude, I’m seeing the Pixies right now!” No, you’re not, dude. You’re staring at your cell phone. I wanted to throw each person’s phone on the ground and stomp it to bits, and then yell “Live in the now!” right in their startled faces.

It’s easy to pick and choose which technologies to use and when to use them, but what would our lives be like void of all the media that swarms us every day? Amanda’s story on page 12 looks into students’ struggles getting through one day without any media— Internet, books, newspapers, laptops, cell phones, iPods or radios— and how our need to be connected to media affects our brains.

I know that I’d fail a media fast, even if it only lasted 24 hours. I’d have no way to be in contact with the Jayplay staff, or produce the issue. I’d even be barred from reading it. But I also know that if the Pixies ever return to the Lawrence or Kansas City area, all the technologically-distracted fans better keep a sharp eye on their phones.

LINDSEY DEITER | ASSOCIATE EDITOR

All in the family EDITOR sss NADIA IMAFIDON ASSOCIATE EDITOR sss LINDSEY DEITER DESIGNERS sss EMILY GRIGONE, ALLIE WELCH LOVE sss SASHA LUND, ALIZA CHUDNOW, RACHEL SCHWARTZ SCHOOL sss ALLISON BOND, MEGAN HINMAN CAMPUS + TOWN sss KELSEA ECKENROTH, JOHN GARFIELD, BRITTNEY HAYNES ENTERTAINMENT sss KELSEY CIPOLLA, RACHEL SCHULTZ, ALEX TRETBAR PLAY sss SARA SNEATH, RACHEL CHEON, LAUREN SHELLY CONTRIBUTORS sss Michelle Macbain, landon mcdonald, ELIZABETH MARX CREATIVE CONSULTANT sss CAROL HOLSTEAD

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What’s hot this week

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thursday Jan. 26

What: big lebowski night When: 7 pm - 10 pm Where: jaybowl, kansas union, level 1 Why you care: A night of bowling, watching the Big Lebowski film, costume contest, and nonalcoholic White Russians.

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friday Jan. 27 What: finalfridays When: 5 pm - 9 pm Where: downtown lawrence Why you care: take in a night of beautiful art from your community.

saturday Jan. 28 What: final call for girl scout cookies When: 12:15 pm - 3:15 pm Where: walmart, Iowa st.

Why you care: because you’re in college, and we eat cookies. boxes are only $3.50 each.

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sunday Jan. 29

What: the articulate body art exhibit When: 7 PM - 9 pm Where: lawrence arts center Why you care: jennifer crupi put together a collection of artwork that illustrates human gestures and postures.

monday Jan. 30 What: “the magic flute” When: 7:30 pm Where: inge theatre, murphy hall Why you care: ku opera presents a work

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by mozart. $10 for general public. $5 for students.

wednesday feb. 1

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tuesday Jan. 31

What: dave and ethan-college dating coaches When: 8 pm -10 pm Where: woodruff auditorium, Kansas union, level 4 Why you care: take lessons in dating because you want to be competitive against other daters out in the real world.

What: study abroad fair When: 10:30 am - 3:30 pm Where: kansas union, level 4 Why you care: because studying doesn’t

feel like studying in foreign countries.

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Table of Contents

4 5 7

the hookup How does your pleasure meet up?

love

Going the Distance; making long-distance relationships work

school Running away your winter blues

9

entertainment Q&A: Putting a face with the abs from the Abercrombie bags

22

personal essay

Dealing with her mom finding “the one�... and another...and another...

personal essay Sugar Shock:

23

relearning how to live with diabetes

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love Dear PWP,

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: inexperience leads to apprehension. Your inability to orgasm and the pain you experience during penetration may be the result of inexperience, on both sides.

You mention your boyfriend is not well-endowed and I think you have the impression a large penis is necessary for female orgasm. If you read last week’s column, you would understand the average male is 5 to 7 inches erect. Coincidentally, the average depth of a female is around 5 ½ inches. For one reason or another, males and females seem to “fit.â€?

Now, you also mention, although not long, he has what you describe as a “potato.� Am I to assume you mean the penis is short and thick? A large girth may be one factor contributing to the pain you’re experiencing. Large girth coupled with a lack of lubrication can most certainly cause uncomfortable, even painful, penetration.

The Hookup Dear Michelle

I have only had sex about five times and I have two questions.

One: why haven’t I had an orgasm yet?

My boyfriend is not well endowed, with a potato sized penis. I do feel something, but I haven’t climaxed.

Two: When will it stop hurting when he goes in? It definitely doesn’t hurt as bad, but it still hurts for the first couple of thrusts. Please help me!

I would suggest you start by exploring your own body. Take an hour to yourself, lay on your bed, find a stimulating song or movie, and touch yourself. Only by knowing your own body will you be able to give direction to your partner.

Caress your skin, nipples, labia, and outer vagina. Gauge how quickly you become lubricated. At this point, you might want to use either your fingers or toy internally.

If you’re finding difficulty in achieving arousal, take a break, regroup, and try this exercise another time. Don’t put pressure on yourself to experience intense orgasms every time you either masturbate or have sex with your partner. The brain is the most powerful organ for sexual satisfaction. Finding a calm and inner peace will allow you to open up to the experience of pleasure.

So, here’s what you can do with your partner. After discovering how you can stimulate yourself, allow him to put on his safari hat and do some exploring on his

-Pain with Penetration

Catch of the 29 Week JAN

2 p.m.

// Sasha Lund

for Best Contemporary Classical Composition

TICKETS:

Program includes works by Franz Schubert, Gabriela Lena Frank and Johannes Brahms

5 on sale

($1 service fee will apply)

Celebrity crush: Conan O’Brian, he’s hysterical and dreamy. Or Zooey Deschanel, she’s cute.

NOW!

Sponsored by

STRING INSTRUMENT EXPLORATION Cello, Violin and Viola s Free and Open to the Public Sunday, Jan. 29, 1:30 p.m., Lied Center Americana Music Academy instructors will be available to help you try your hand at the cello, violin or viola.

DANIELLE MOCCIA

Order Today s LIED KU EDU s

Hometown: Atchison, KS Year: Fifth-year senior Major: Journalism and Spanish Interested in: Men

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Major turn-ons: Foreign accents, long hair, intelligence. A guy has to have a sensitive side, and like animals and kids.

But he also has to be manly enough to cut down a tree. Only hypothetically though, because he’s got to be a tree hugger.

Hobbies/interests: Traveling, playing guitar, speaking/learning Spanish, reading, writing, watching “30 Rock.�

Student

$

Michelle MacBain, Kansas City, is a graduate student in Communication Studies. She studied Psychology and Human Sexuality at KU and the University of Amsterdam

Major Turn-offs: Bad teeth, frequent usage of the word “bro�, unhealthy eating habits. I hate it when guys don’t wash their hands after going to the bathroom, that’s disgusting.

Chiara String Quartet 2011 GRAMMY Nominated

own. Encourage him to caress, kiss, and lick your body. Practice extended foreplay and oral sex. Do everything but penetration! Gauge how quickly you become lubricated. Hopefully, you will find an increase in lubrication, as well as promote relaxation and enjoyment.

Finally, I always recommend keeping lubrication on hand (water-based, silicone, flavored, etc.), as well as a few sex toys for experimentation and variety. Sex is meant to be enjoyed, but learning about your body and its needs is the first step.

Why I’m a catch: I know how to assemble a food processor and I will never make you watch “Glee� with me.

Favorite Lawrence Hang-out: Probably any grocery store where there’s free samples.

Theme song to your life: “Leaving on a Jet Plane� by John Denver. I’m a travel slut and am always going somewhere.

love

Love from a distance

Photo by Tyler Roste

Even when miles apart, couples can still make relationships work.

After being on campus all day and having their faces crammed in books, some couples enjoy cuddling up next to each other and watching a movie or just talking. However, there are some couples that don’t have this luxury.

About 4.5 million unmarried college students are in long-distance relationships, according to the Center for the Study of Long-Distance Relationships.

Not seeing or even talking to your partner regularly requires more effort for couples to keep their relationships afloat. Keeping long-distance relationships alive requires couples to work hard and follow certain tips.

Kirsten Oelklaus, therapist at Insight Counseling, LLC in Overland Park, thinks couples in long-distance relationships need to focus on fostering connection in their relationships. She says the

way to do this is by “still making that person a priority in your life when that person isn’t in front of you.”

Kelsie Fiss, sophomore from Prairie Village, and her boyfriend Tom Wegener, sophomore at the University of Missouri, have been together for almost one year.

Even though they are both very busy and sometimes only have time to talk on the phone once a week, Fiss says their relationship works because of the amount of trust and discipline both of them have in each other.

Fiss says it is hard because in longdistance relationships couples don’t get to experience little things in the everyday life of their partner. “Since we’re far apart and college is a big part of peoples’ lives, we don’t get to share the little life experiences that people who are together take for granted.”

Oelklaus says since that person isn’t there to experience life with you, it’s important to fill your partner in on the details of your everyday life.

Even though Fiss and Wegener don’t have phone conversations everyday, they check in with each other every night, even if it’s just through texting. She is willing to put in the extra effort because she says she enjoys talking to Wegener at the end of each day. “He is someone I can trust and that understands me,” Fiss says.

Trust is an important part of longdistance relationships. Hillary Lawrence, junior from Andover, was in a long-distance relationship her freshman year with a guy who lived in Andover, more than two hours from Lawrence. This relationship lasted for more than a year, but Lawrence later found out that her boyfriend had been cheating on her for about half of the relationship. “After that, there was a lack of trust. He was so far away. Even though he said he wouldn’t do it again, how could I verify it since I wasn’t there?”

Lawrence says.

Lack of trust is one reason that longdistance relationships are not right for everybody, Oelklaus says. “Some people have unresolved trust issues or have difficulties with expressing emotions and communicating. Until those are resolved it could negatively impact the relationship.”

Communication is vital in any relationship. In standard relationships, when there are problems, couples can just resolve them when they see each other. But, in long-distance relationships, couples can’t do that. Oelklaus says these couples need to make time to resolve issues. “It’s important to resolve the small problems before they get big.”

If you are trying to decide if a long-distance relationship could work for you, Oelklaus says there are some questions you should ask yourself: First, do I

// rachel Schwartz

like this person? Is this person important enough for me to try this? Am I willing to do the extra work it takes to make sure the relationship is good and healthy?

Wartime Romance In 2011, the military divorce rate was 3.7 percent, the highest it has been since 1999, according to USA Today. Spc. Tim Strandquist and his now-wife Teresa, who lived in Dallas, made their relationship work while he was deployed in Africa. Tim says it was difficult because he didn’t get to be there for Teresa’s graduation from college.

“The difference between a military deployment and a regular long-distance relationship is that you can’t just leave wherever you are and quit to go see the other person,” Tim says.

Tim says it was important for him to remember things Teresa had previously told him. If she had told him before that she was going to a party, he had to remember to ask her about that next time.

Teresa says the hardest part for her was not being able to talk to or see Tim whenever she had a problem. Even though she had a hard time with this, Teresa says writing was the best thing for her to stay connected to Tim. “If I really wanted to tell him something, I’d jot it down so I wouldn’t forget,” Teresa says.

These are some of the techniques this couple used to stay connected. They are now expecting a baby, which Tim says will make his next deployment difficult, but they will still make it work.

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love Celebrity Dish: Catching up with Mario Little

// Aliza Chudnow

Stars share, for better or worse. move for Mario, he is working hard with his new team, showcasing all of the skills and abilities he gained during his time as a Jayhawk.

Former KU basketball player Mario Little graduated in 2011 and is now playing basketball in Ukraine for Dnipro-Azot, a team in Ukraine’s top professional league. Although it was a big

What is living in Ukraine like compared to America?

Ukraine is better now that I’m getting used to it. It is a lot different from America, just for the simple fact that they don’t speak English. The girls over here are really high fashion though, more so than American girls, I’ll give them that much. I like it over here so far but there’s no place like home!

How is playing basketball there different than here at KU? First of all there is nowhere like Allen

Fieldhouse. But playing over here is okay.

The fans are into the game and they love the Americans over here. I can play my natural position and I have the freedom to do what I want, so that’s a blessing.

Was it a hard adjustment to move away from family and friends?

Anytime you’re leaving loved ones it’s a hard process, but I’m a big boy. I adjust to anything.

What is something you learned from the KU coaching staff that you were able to take away with you?

I’ve learned so much from the coaching staff on and off the court. Since basketball isn’t really big in Ukraine, I find myself having to help the guys out a lot over here with being in the right spot on defense and how to get open and so much other stuff. I even gotta help the coaches.

Do you keep in contact with all the KU basketball players?

Of course I keep up with my guys! I talk to most of them via Facebook, Skype or Twitter. I probably miss my twins the most since I just left and saw the rest of the guys right before Christmas break.

What are the guys like on your new team in Ukraine?

I’ve actually been blessed enough to be on a team with four Americans. Two of them are from Chicago and the other one is friends with the Morris twins. The other guys are cool too.

What’s some advice you can give people about moving somewhere new, starting over and meeting new people?

Just to be optimistic and be ready for change. Don’t be afraid to open your eyes to other things.

Couples advice: Rachel Buoye and Karsten Erdman Successful couples share their secrets.

The minute Rachel Buoye, a sophomore from Rochester, New York, set eyes on Karsten Erdman, a sophomore from St. Louis, she knew he was different. They met in August 2010 in a mutual friend’s dorm room in Templin Hall. “I knew right off the bat that he was a good guy. I didn’t date in high school, but I was attracted to him right away, which was different,” Rachel says. Buoye and Erdman hung out for about a month when she started wondering why he hadn’t asked her out yet. Finally, after a mutual friend asked if they were dating, he made the move, and they

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// Sasha Lund

have been dating ever since. After almost a year and a half together, the couple knows the key to happiness is not taking each other for granted, even when things get stressful.

Dating Tip: Don’t take each other for granted, especially when things get busy and stressful. Learn to appreciate the little things that you do for each other.

It’s all about the little things for Rachel and Karsten. Karsten, an architecture major, frequently spends long nights in the studio, and Rachel always makes sure to bring

Slow and steady: Karsten Erdman(left) and Racehl Buoye (right) hung out for a month before they were official

him something warm to eat. “I worry about him,” Rachel says, “so I cook for him a lot.” Appreciating each other is what keeps the two from fighting, and despite being busy, they always make time for each other. Rachel says cherishing the little things and not taking things to seriously is the key to their

success. “We make each other laugh and smile every day.” It’s also important to keep your significant other a priority, no matter how busy you get.

“Every night, even if we haven’t talked much during the day, we’ll say ‘goodnight, I love you.’”

School

Overcoming the Winter Blues Exercise and other home remedies can help alleviate symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

I

Home Remedies Watkins Health Center nurse Melody Volek says these tips might help with Seasonal Affective Disorder: Parking farther away from a building to walk. This has been proven to reduce stress, Melody Volek says.

Opening blinds in the morning when you wake up Study next to a window photos by ashleigh lee

Make exercise fun by doing an exercise video series

t’s the beginning of a new year and resolutions of becoming fit after the holiday season are set. But the reality of school, jobs, homework and the freezing temperatures eat at our resolves of what the new year could bring. The winter blues begin to set in.

Loss of energy, insomnia, lack of concentration, increased stress, craving carbohydrates and weight gain can all be minor symptoms of the winter blues, or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), says Melody Volek, a nurse at Watkins Health Center.

According to a 2008 American College Health Association survey, reported by the American Psychiatric Association, 30 percent of students report feeling dehabilitating depression throughout the year. Seasonal Affective Disorder affects about 6 percent of the U.S. population, young adults and women being at higher risk, according to a study from Penn State Behrend College.

Medical experts agree that exercise and daily physical activity is one of several home remedies that can help students overcome the winter blues. The hopeful goals of a new year can still be met by taking care of yourself mentally and physically.

Cherae Clark, a senior from Kansas City, Kan. and certified personal trainer at Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center, exercises four to five times a week. Working out in the morning helps Clark get a jump-start on her day, boost her mood and fit exercise into her daily schedule. “For me it’s a mind-set thing. I notice that I get really grumpy and less focused. I just feel better when I exercise,” Clark says.

Shortening of daylight in the winter months can disrupt biological clocks, as well as serotonin and melatonin levels in the human body.

Daily exercise helps reset the natural time clock, Volek says.

Exercise is the most powerful element that you can incorporate into your daily lifestyle to help with mood, says Katie Sharp, a secondyear Ph.D. student in clinical psychology from Omaha, Neb. “Exercise will definitely help. If you have Seasonal Affective Disorder, it is also important that you do light therapy.”

//Allison Bond

Other benefits of daily physical exercise can include, better lifestyle functions, disease prevention, promotion of positive self-image and help people be more in control of their time management, says Amber Long, fitness coordinator at the Recreation Center.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends exercising every day for about an hour.

However, it can be challenging for students to find the time to work out daily. Amber Long says that making it a part of your daily routine can help make time. Shorter daily amounts of exercise, such as 30 minutes, can be positive in terms of being more productive in other parts of the day. Other challneges exist as well.

“There is a certain intimidation factor at the Rec. Like you can’t go to the Rec because you don’t look like a fitness model. It is really for everyone who wants to do exercise,” Clark says.

Putting fears and excuses aside, finding help to create a personal daily exercise routine can be easy. As a certified personal trainer, Clark helps clients develop workout routines to help meet students’ goals. Clark says not to be scared to come in and talk to staff.

Students can sign up for a personal trainer through the KU Rec Administrative Office and obtain a KU Fit Pass for $50. With the KU Fit Pass, students are also given over 50 classes to choose from to help with exercise routines.

If students are finding more severe symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, such as finding it difficult to get through daily activities or experiencing regular depression, they can call the Watkins Nurse Helpline or go online to Watkins website and set up an appointment. Watkins Health Center is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

If you are a full time student, one office visit is already covered in semester student fees.

With the winter blues hanging on for the next couple of months, make sure to start incorporating physical activity into your schedule now. Start off slow with a 30-minute daily physical exercise routine and build up as your body gets stronger, Clark says. Your mood with thank you.

Eating balanced meals on a regular basis Talk with a doctor if the depression interferes with daily activities

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school

Get Involved: Center for Community Outreach Because lectures are boring.

It’s a new year and a new semester, and if your New Year’s resolution is to get out there, get involved and make a difference, you can work with Lifeline, through the Center for Community Outreach. Lifeline is a program that partners KU students with kids from local middle schools and high schools for mentoring and tutoring sessions. The program also promotes self-esteem and healthy relationships for the kids involved, with both their tutor and their peers.

This year, Lifeline is working with the Girl Scouts of America to teach girls at Lawrence Central Junior High how to develop healthy relationships and their self-esteem. The kids aren’t the only ones who benefit from this program, though. KU students can also improve their own lives by

volunteering with this program. “I think volunteering for Lifeline helps you develop your own self-esteem and self-worth,” says Mihan Lester, a junior from Shawnee and a volunteer with the program. “You’re helping students graduate from high school so that they can maybe go to college, which they might not have been able to [do] before. You are actually making a difference in someone’s life, which is great,” Lester says. Lifeline provides the opportunity for KU students to connect with each other through event planning and also to connect with the Lawrence community. “As KU students, we’re kind of isolated on campus,” says Emily Lamb, a senior from Lawrence and director of CCO. “But by volunteering… you are reaching out to the community, and

//Megan Hinman

who knows what kind of difference you could make?” To learn more or to get involved with Lifeline, visit cco.ku.edu.

contributed photo

School Survival Skills: Polishing Your Paper In case of emergency, read quickly.

WHERE TO FIND WRITING ASSISTANCE: Anschutz Learning Studio: Sunday 2-5pm Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm Friday 9am-3pm.

Watson Library: Sunday-Thursday 6-9pm.

For complete hours and locations, see the Writing Center's website.

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Before your writing assignments stress you out this semester, consider getting help at the KU Writing Center. With help from its peer editors, you can be confident in your work. To get started, make an appointment online at writing. ku.edu. “Read through your paper at least once before you come in,” says editor Bridget Lamb, a senior from Exton, Pa., so you know what you want from the consultation.

It’s important to have a goal for your editing session, says editor Charlotte Davis, a junior from Overland Park. Be able to tell the editors which areas of your paper need improvement. Keep in mind that the Writing Center editors are there to help with the content and flow of your paper, not mechanics.

Be prepared to spend 30-45 minutes in your consultation, depending on the length of your paper.

Go in with a good attitude, ready to make progress. Be active in the editing process, and don’t expect the editor to rewrite your paper for you.

If you don’t have time in your schedule for a face-to-face appointment, you can email papers to the KU Writing Center. You should receive feedback within three school days. Though the Writing Center does not guarantee grade improvement, one student received the ultimate benefit from his consultation. “It turned my mediocre paper into an A,” says Bryan Do, a junior from Wichita.

“I was very glad I visited.” Hav-

//Megan Hinman ing someone else read your paper can be extremely beneficial. The editors at the Writing Center are available to do that, at no cost to students.

contributed photo

entertainment

& Q A You might not recognize actor and model Thomas Baker’s face yet, but you will soon. His credits range from starring as the abs on Abercrombie & Fitch shopping bags to guest spots on Showtime’s critically acclaimed series “The Big C” and CBS’s Emmy winning drama “The Good Wife,” as well as appearing in commercials with Erin Andrews and Taylor Swift. Most recently, Baker tested his acting chops by serving as the only guy (and playing 17 different parts) in the off-Broadway play “A Piece of My Heart.”

And later this year, you can see him on the big screen in “Men in Black 3D.”

How did you get into acting?

I got into acting because a talent manager saw my Abercrombie shoots and asked if

: Actor and model Thomas Baker

your name and face out there with casting directors and agents. And there are a lot of ups and downs. And I definitely haven’t finished my ride yet. But I am sure, as like with any roller coaster, it will end with a lot of exhilaration and excitement.

I would be interested in acting and taking classes for free in his studio in New York. I said yes. He flew me to New York City, and I took his acting classes and I fell in love with it. Funny thing is, I think I always had the acting bug in me. I did two plays in school, Death of a Salesmen and Romeo and Juliet, and loved it then.

I knew I wanted to be an actor right when I got back from visiting New York for the first time.

What has been your favorite role so far?

//author

How was moving to New York?

The experience has been like a roller coaster. It starts out really slow, and you just get your feet wet. The pure shock of flying into the New York City skyline is enough to scare anyone. But then it starts to speed up a little after you have gotten

My favorite was probably “The Big C.” I got to work with Laura Linney and Cynthia Nixon. Plus, I got the full actors’ union experience, with awesome meals and great pay.

If you could have any actor’s career, whose would it be?

There isn’t really anyone’s career I would want to emulate, just because I want to make my career my own. But if there is an alternate universe somewhere where I could hop into the career of another, it would probably be Daniel Day Lewis.

He breathes in his characters’ worlds. He doesn’t just act, he lives the character to an extent of alternate reality.

contributed photo

Any advice for young aspiring actors?

Just to stay positive, no matter what.

Always be yourself. Don’t lose your innocence. Listen to others. Always use your imagination.

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Entertainment It’s not all about Pizza and beer pong.

Top Album:

What’s topping the charts this week at KJHK // Kelsey Cipolla

Ryan Wise performs with The Sluts at the Jackpot on Sept. 24th, 2011. The local rock duo opened for An Horse and Bo Jackson. photo by sid @too much rock

New sounds downtown Two new acts take on The Replay Lounge //Alex Tretbar Lawrence has three fresh faces to add to its burgeoning music community: Ryan Wise and Kristoffer Dover of The Sluts and Victor Polanco of Going to The Hell in a Leather Jacket. The two projects perform together tomorrow night at the Replay Lounge— it’ll be The Sluts’ sixth show and Polanco’s second.

The Sluts play a bare-bones style of rock and roll, with Dover on drums and Wise doing vocals and guitar. Dover says the band’s formation was based on a perceived lack of traditional rock music in Lawrence.

“We were just bored with— I hate to say it— we were bored with the scene,” Dover says. “There’s a lot of bluegrass, jam bands and metal, all fringe stuff but none of the meat, the good stuff. So we thought, ‘we can do this thing,’ and got together to play on Saturdays, and we liked it. So we decided to get a show.”

That was about a year ago. Eight months later, The Sluts were playing shows downtown, where Wise and Dover met Polanco. Polanco was opening for Digital Leather at the Replay, performing for the first time under his new moniker.

Wise and Dover were struck by Polanco’s strange combination of metal guitar and

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electronic dance, and they talked to Polanco about setting up a show.

Polanco says he got the original idea for his music from live DJs. “I heard some live stuff of some popular DJs, and I noticed that they were throwing in clips of Ministry and Rage Against the Machine,” Polanco says. “And honestly, the crowd was going crazy for stuff like that, and I thought, ‘well this isn’t such an absurd idea.’”

You can catch both acts at the Replay tomorrow night.

The Sluts

Going To Hell in a Leather Jacket The Replay Lounge 946 Massachusetts Street January 27th, 9pm $2-3

Factories, “Factories” To me, listening to an album full of techno-infused pop is an activity to be endured rather than enjoyed. Factories, the eponymous album from an Arizonabased trio didn’t change my mind. The collection of up-tempo tracks isn’t bad. It just isn’t anything special.

In its first full-length album, the band fails to produce a cohesive collection of songs, alternating between light hearted, techno-infused pop and slowed down, emotive tracks jarringly paired with heavy-handed beats.

On some tracks, the peppy techno sound fits naturally. Lyrics, tempo and vocals join forces with the music to create songs that feel fresh enough to keep you interested and catchy enough to merit replaying. But when the vocals and the sentiment work against the band’s heavily produced sound, the end result is like an

indie record in the throws of an identity crisis. It’s hard for the vocals to come off as earnest and emotional when it sounds like a group of people are spastically clapping their hands in the background.

When husband and wife Bryan and Audra Marscoverta both sing, Factories sound like The Raveonettes, a duo that expertly balanced interesting harmonies with a fun techno sound. Then Bryan takes the lead on vocals, and the fun and whimsy of the Factories album disappears along with the sound of Audra’s voice.

Rating: 2.5/5

entertainment

Review

“We Need To Talk About Kevin” //Landon McDonald

Hollywood hits, indie flicks and everything in between.

W

hat’s it like to be the mother of a killer? The nature vs. nurture debate sprouts horns and a tail in Lynne Ramsay’s “We Need To Talk About Kevin,” a singularly disquieting highbrow horror film that explores the taboo subject of maternal apathy with nightmare logic, gut-wrenching performances and dialogue sharp enough to draw blood.

Tilda Swinton stars as Eva, a globetrotting travel writer who finds her free spirit tethered by an unplanned pregnancy. Reluctant to settle down with her amicable husband Franklin (John C. Reilly), Eva is implicitly resentful of Kevin from the moment of his birth. Yet the child, who gradually comes to resemble Swinton more and more, displays no neediness, only a cold, studied indifference and a love of cruel games and tacit manipulation. He is clearly a monster in the making, but of whose making? The film, which unfolds in a fog of memory months after Kevin has committed his final atrocity, wisely leaves that mystery in the hands of the viewer.

Swinton gives the performance of 2011 as the haggard, haunted Eva. With her hair dyed black and her alabaster alien features muted by imagined years of self-loathing, the Scottish actress becomes the aching embodiment of a profoundly broken woman. Additional credit must be given to Ezra Miller, who plays the adolescent Kevin as a smirking, seething cauldron of contempt, and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, whose score infuses every scene with creeping, implacable dread.

Simply put, seek out “Kevin” as soon as possible and discover how every parent’s worst nightmare can become a movie lover’s dream come true. From the surreal opening reverie to the nihilistic fury of its climax, this is a film designed to leave scars. It is also one of the past year’s few genuine masterpieces.

Just leave the expectant mothers at home.

FINAL RATING:

4 out of 4 stars

contributed photo

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A Day Without

Media Could you survive it? // Amanda Gage

“This year for Ramadan I fasted. No food or beverage of any kind other than water between sun up and sun down. It was, without a doubt, one of the hardest things I have ever done. The media fast was harder.”

-Kirsten Stelsad, freshman from Overland Park “I pulled out a notebook and started writing. After about an hour I started feeling this awkward pain in my chest, but I ignored it. I figured maybe I was just hungry. I kept writing, but as I was rounding out hour two my heart started to race and I started sweating. I was really confused, but this time I couldn’t ignore it. I was having a hard time breathing, and that’s when I realized I was having an anxiety attack. My life is so dependent on media that I was legitimately having an anxiety attack after only two hours without it.”

-Grace Stanfield, freshman from Manhattan, Kansas

Photo by Ashleigh Lee

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F

or our generation, the thought of going without the constant media accessibility that we grew up with is frightening. After we were born, we were consumed by Nintendo 64 and CD-ROM computer games. By the time we were 10, we graduated to the Play Station and by junior high most of us had cell phones. In high school we updated to smart phones and a laptop was a necessity before we went to college.

These students’ opinions are proof that our generation is consumed with all the different technologies and media that we have at our fingertips. And as there are benefits of constant connectedness, media and internet experts also believe there are disadvantages. It’s difficult to project whether these disadvantages will affect our social or mental capabilities in the future.

The assignment in the course Media and Society at KU required students to go without all kinds of media for 24 hours, including cell phones, Internet, books, television and print media. After their attempt to fast from media, students were asked to blog about it.

Barbara Barnett, associate dean of the School of Journalism and professor of the class, says a trend among students’ blogs was language associated with addiction.

Students blogged, “My day phoneless, computerless and musicless almost made me feel handicapped. I felt naked without using any type of media.”

“Media is like the air I breathe; it’s just a part of the natural flow of my life.”

“I have come to realize that five minutes without checking a text message is like the end of the world.”

KU students’ responses to the media fast mirrored responses from students at the University of Maryland, where in spring 2010, students in a journalism class were asked to spend an entire day without media and blog about it. The fast included cell phones, iPods, television, car radios, magazines, newspapers and computers.

The compiled blog posts from the students at the University of Maryland was equivalent to a 400-page book. The feedback the lecturer and teaching assistants received shed light on the impact media has on our generation.

Jessica Roberts, Ph.D. candidate and lecturer at the University of Maryland, says the responses from students surprised the staff. “What we were most impressed by was the hugely emotional reactions that people had,” Roberts says. “It was the isolation and loneliness and incredible emotional reactions that were remarkable to all of us.”

Many students also reported that they felt panicked because they lost the connectedness that they were so used to having at their fingertips. Many of the students did fail to abstain from media, Roberts says.

Barnett says most of her KU students failed as well, but not unexpectedly, because media is what they know. “You grew up with it,” Barnett says. “For you it’s the norm, and for my generation it’s a novelty.” Technology has become intertwined in our generation’s everyday lives. It’s natural to crave social connectivity, according to technology researchers such as Nicholas Carr.

Carr, technology writer and author of “The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to our Brain,” says that people today are drawn to technology for a number of reasons. He says that we have a social need to engage and communicate with others and that we feel social pressure to know what everyone is saying all the time. We’re wired to seek new information.

“There are brain studies that show that when we find a new piece of information, dopamine, a chemical that encourages us to do things over and over again, is released.

We get pleasure from finding new information,” Carr says. This can benefit people by expanding knowledge and increasing social activity. Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Center from Los Altos, Calif., says that the benefits of media are huge.

“You have access to people, information and resources far beyond geographical and temporal constraint,” Rutledge says. “You are no longer just a recipient of information.

You can pass it along, you can choose it and create it.”

The knowledge and connectivity we can gain from media seem limitless, but experts debate whether or not media affects us negatively. Rutledge says the disadvantage of media is when people aren’t media-literate.

They don’t take the time to understand the implications of media and they don’t think critically about information sources.

She says that because information is essentially unlimited on the Internet, people need to be educated about how to use it and be unbiased in order to receive the full benefits that media offers. “It’s a downside when people haven’t learned to be good digital citizens because there aren’t differences in communications where you have such a broad platform like you do on the Internet,” Rutledge says.

The Internet is becoming increasingly personalized depending on what we search and it’s remembering that information to market to us and to help us filter through the Internet. This allows people to see information on the Internet through a minimal spectrum, shielding them from other irrelevent information. Gunnar Garfors blog, “The Major Minor Details on Media, Technology and Travel,” says that the Internet’s personalization can be a bad thing in many settings.

“People buy or watch certain newspapers and TV programs based on their preferences,” Garfors, CEO of Norwegian Mobile TV Corporation, says. “But two persons buying the same paper will at least be presented the same information in the same manner and in the same order. With the Internet, this is no longer necessarily the case.”

Another disadvantage of constant connectivity and so many forms of media is multi-tasking. A 2009 Stanford study found that people who frequently divert their attention between different information on the Internet can’t control their memory or pay attention as well as people who zero-in on one task at a time. The Stanford researchers are still studying whether regular multi-taskers are born with an inability to concentrate or if they continue to shorten their attention

span by willingly taking in a lot of information, but they do believe that multi-taskers’ brains aren’t working as well as they could.

Media and Society freshman Grace Stanfield admits that she constantly has multiple Internet windows open on her laptop and she frequently shifts her attention back and forth between them. “I think it’s feeding this ADHD-like personality so many people our age are starting to demonstrate,” Stanfield says.

Carr, the technology writer, also believes that multi-tasking isn’t good for our brains.

Carr says that when we jump from one website or medium to another, we can’t fully absorb all the information we take in and grasp its entire meaning. He says that multitasking is beginning to narrow our definition of the ideal intellectual life because of the way we process information.

“I think that people are getting accustomed to getting distracted and being

interrupted all the time,” Carr says. “As we train ourselves to constantly shift focus, we become less-capable of meditated, deeper forms of thinking. In some ways we’re broadening certain aspects of thinking, but we’re also becoming superficial.”

While media obsession presents possible disadvantages, there isn’t enough research yet to determine the outcome of our generation’s close relationship with media. Without a doubt, media has become embedded in our generation’s everyday lives and will be in future generations.

After reflecting on her experiences and struggles of media fasting assignment, Kirsten Stelsad knew why the challenge was so hard to overcome.

“The truth of the matter is, I tried to live in a technological world without any technology,” Stelsad says. “If everyone around me is as equally submerged in media as I am, when I try to pull myself out, it’s harder than I could’ve imagined.”

What is the media device you use the most and how much time does it consume of yours each day?

“My computer. I spend about two or three hours on it each day.”

—Julia Miggins, senior from Tulsa, Okla.

“My iPhone. I spend probably about eight hours daily on it. My friends say it’s excessive.” —Nathon Miller, junior from Wichita.

“I use my phone the most. I have all of my emails linked to it, so it makes it easy to keep up with what I need without having to lug around my laptop.”

—Aaron Elston, senior from Mulvane “My iPhone. I spend about two or three hours on it.”

—Josh Kozberg, senior from Minneapolis, Minn.

“The media device I use the most would be my cell phone, since I have the iPhone it holds all of my music, a lot of my pictures and different applications. I use my phone to check Facebook and Twitter. I have my phone with me probably 24 hours of the day, but only use it probably 8 to 10 hours of the day.”

—Katie Wells, sophomore from Overland Park.

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Campus & Town

TEN THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT

THE ELDRIDGE HOTEL

Who knew? //Kelsea Eckenroth

The Eldridge Hotel is a premier hotel located at 701 Massachusetts St. The hotel has been around for 157 years and plays a big role in the history of Lawrence.

Manager of the hotel, David Longhurst, provided these 10 interesting facts about the Eldridge Hotel.

photo by kelsea eckenroth

1 2 3

The hotel was originally founded in 1855 by settlers from the New England Emigrant Aid Society to provide housing for people that came to Lawrence.

The hotel was originally named the Free State Hotel after the settlers’ intention of Kansas coming into the union as a free state.

In 1856, Sheriff Sam Jones and a group of pro-slavery forces burned down the Free State hotel.

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7 8 9 10

4 5 6

Col. Shalor Eldridge rebuilt the hotel and vowed to rebuild it and add another floor every time it was destroyed.

William Quantrill and his group of confederate raiders destroyed the hotel when they attacked Lawrence in 1863.

Col. Eldridge kept his word and rebuilt the hotel again, but this time he renamed it Hotel Eldridge.

The growth of the motel business led to the hotel closing and being converted into apartments in the early ‘70s until 1985 when it was renovated and restored to its original state.

The hotel is known for the legend of the Eldridge Ghost, who some people think is Colonel Eldridge looking after the well-being of the hotel and its guests.

The hotel was featured on an episode of the A&E show “My Ghost Story” in 2011.

Col. Eldridge’s chair is stored in the basement of the hotel and is always clean, but everything else around it is covered in cobwebs.

Campus & Town

What it’s like…

to find out you’re pregnant in college // Nakai Marr as told to Nadia Imafidon

Nakai Marr, a junior from Lawrence, discovered she was pregnant a week and half before fall semester of 2011.

She and her boyfriend of four years, Eric, decided to keep the baby, and Marr is continuing to pursue her plans of graduating in four. Her due date is April 16, and she graduates in May. My body works like clockwork. I was leaving Wal-Mart with a box of

tampons in my bag when I realized I hadn’t gotten my period that morning. I always get my period first thing the morning. I quickly turned back to buy a pregnancy test and rushed home.

This wasn’t the first time I’d taken a pregnancy test. I’ve been sexually active since I was fifteen, and if I ever missed my period, I took a pregnancy test, and the negative results gave me relief. This was a different experience entirely.

My mom had stopped by my house that morning. I rushed to the bathroom and told her I’d just be a second. My mom yelled at me from outside the door to hurry up. I peed on the stick and anxiously looked at the test window. Shit, I had never seen these two lines before. Turns out the

scariest thing in the world were these two little lines. I started bawling and walked into the hallway carrying the test. My mom looked at it and the first thing she said was abortion.

She told me we’d take care of it like it was any other job. No one would have to know. My mom got pregnant in college, dropped out, and ended up divorcing my dad later, supporting our family without a degree. It wasn’t until I was in high school until she could go back to complete her medical degree. My mom just wanted me to finish school. So did I. I had to call Eric at his internship, and ended up telling him through sobs. The line went dead silent. He told me he would be home during lunch, and came home to down a bottle of whiskey. Eric ended up throwing up more than I did that day.

Adoption wasn’t an option; I didn’t want to feel a baby move inside of me, carry it to term and have to give it away. Until now, I had always thought if I ever had an unplanned pregnancy, I’d choose abortion. I didn’t realize

how devastated I’d feel just thinking about getting rid of the baby’s existence. And honestly, we didn’t need to choose that option. I love Eric. I want to have his children, and we already have a home to take care of a child.

This pregnancy wasn’t planned, but who is ever ready to have a child.

Now I wake up feeling like crap, and go to campus where I get judged.

I get looks from the skinny bitches that think I’m just getting fat or the people who know I’m pregnant and judge me because I’m 20 and not married. What they don’t see is that I took the pill every morning after I brushed my teeth for six years, and I still got pregnant.

I’m a pregnant student taking 17 credit hours and waitressing nearly 30 hours a week. It sucks to be the girl the professor calls out for falling asleep, but then I think “I’d like to see you build a person and come to class every day.” But I’m self-sufficient and I plan on graduating next year. My whole life has changed for something that isn’t real to me yet.

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Campus & Town

Lol.

WESCOE

WIT //Brittney Haynes

Girl: It kinda reminds me of how someone would talk about their molesty uncle.

Girl: I don’t think I’ve ever really loved anyone.

I mean, I tell my pillowpet Pickles I love it…

Professor: You can pray to Guy: Mine’s the one with the deity of your choice. the really, really bad If you’re not into that, you handwriting. can have a drink.

Professor: The phrase “too much information” came from caption writing.

Guy: Like, he went to A.A. and then he went to the Hawk for dollar night.

Girl: The first thing I’m getting when I make my millions is a boob job and a teacup pig, in that order.

Professor: What’s the trend in churching?

������������

Girl: I’ve never cried at anything in my life except when I watched the new Planet of the Apes movie.

6TH & MAINE, 23RD & OUSDAHL Guy: Whatever, I’ll just pee AND 23RD & HASKELL off the balcony.

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WHAT IT’S LIKE TO... //Brittney Haynes

We know you’re curious.

A month ago, Carly Adams would have told you that her spring break plans consisted of going on a cruise with her friends. Now, Adams, a junior from Sedgwick majoring in applied behavioral science, plans on saving her money for a second trip to Honduras.

Over winter break, Adams spent eight days in Primavira, Honduras with the organization Student Helping Honduras building schools for children. ”I’ve felt like I’ve always been called to teach in a third world country and I’ve always been involved in volunteering,” Adams says. “I found the organization on Twitter this past summer and after researching it, I fell in love with it.”

After getting up at 7:30 a.m. every morning, Adams and the rest of her team would work on the worksite most of the day, but more importantly they would get to know the children and the families they were helping. The team became very close with the villagers and became very active in the community. “The whole trip was amazing, but getting to know the construction workers, the chil-

Adams smiles with a Honduran child at the construction site of the school. contributed photo

dren and families was definitely my favorite,” Adams says. The team learned to cook authentic Honduran dishes and ended every day with a game of soccer.

Adams says that even if you couldn’t speak Spanish, playing soccer was a great way to interact act with the children, despite the language barrier. Adams went to Honduras with Jenna Olitsky, a junior from Leawood, and the two hope to bring the organization to campus. “We’re having the man that actually the organization coming to speak to hopefully encourage students to come on a trip this summer or next January,” she says.

Campus & Town

What do you know about...

Smart people do smart things.

C.A.R.S. anthropology in Peru: Interesting research being done by a KU graduate student // Kelsea Eckenroth Peru is rich in information about humans and biodiversity. It is full of different cultural groups, linguistic groups, undiscovered archeology and regional history. Despite Peru being filled with everything an anthropologist dreams about, there isn’t an anthropology department at the Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Tarapoto (UNSM) in Peru.

This is where Sydney Silverstein, a graduate student studying cultural anthropology, and a team of researchers from the KU department of anthropology come into the picture.

Silverstein and the other researchers are trying to collaborate with UNSM to eventually create a relationship between the two universities, one similar to the relationship between KU and the University of Costa Rica. “Our goal is that eventually the university has some sort of anthro department and that students from that university can do an exchange semester at KU and KU students can go down there and study,” Silverstein

says.

The partnership will allow Peruvian students to obtain student visas and come to the United States to take courses that their universities don’t offer due to lack of resources. KU students interested in Latin America, students wanting to study Quechua (an indigenous language spoken in South America that is offered at KU) and other languages, and students wanting to go to one of the most biodiverse places in the world will be able to do so.

For students interested in anthropology, the KU Office of Study Abroad offers a summer ethnographic field school in Peru. The program gives students the opportunity to study in the Peruvian Upper Amazon.

Besides being an awesome learning experience, Silverstein says the field school is an important part of forming the relationship between KU and the UNSM.

In many senses, the technological growth of a nation is now measured by how much it can shrink its phones, computers, mp3 players and the like.

Keeping up with Moore’s Law, to double the processing power and cut prices by half, is a pursuit that has forged the epicenters of modern technology.

Meanwhile, one of the most advanced applications of this pursuit has been taking place right here in Lawrence.

Carey Johnson, a KU professor of Chemistry, and Rongqing Hui, a KU professor of electrical engineering and computer science, have been steadily closing in on a method of making the cutting edge of laser imaging available to society as a whole. According to Johnson, Coherent anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy (CARS) is a method of laser imaging used in biomedical science to directly observe DNA and the other building blocks of life.

CARS works through triangulating the unique resonant frequencies of elements by emitting variable wave-

// John Garfield

lengths of light, a method that both preserves the sample and eliminates unnecessary steps. ”CARS has been around for a long time, but it’s been developed based on $300,000 laser systems that take up large optical tables,” Johnson says. “It’s not a very usable method of microscopy for everyday clinical use — it requires a very specialized lab and a system that’s not portable.”

By making use of a $156,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health, Johnson and Hui stand a chance to revolutionize biomedicine and clinical work by re-engineering CARS to fit inside a shoebox. The project, scheduled for completion by 2014, could mainstream methods of DNA analysis and testing previously available only to the wealthiest and most prestigious institutions.

Electromagnetic spectrum:johnson and hui are pushing the limits of optical engineering in pursuit of the next level of imaging technology.

Contributed photo

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play

WEAR THIS...

DO THIS...

Sunfire Ceramics Just do it.

Need an idea of what to get someone for a birthday, Valentine’s Day, or just want to create a nice piece of pottery for yourself? Seong Hyun Moon, a freshman from Seoul, South Korea, is looking for just that, and Sunfire Ceramics is the place to go.

“I want to make a vase for my friend, because she loves flowers and needs a place to put them,” Moon says.

Sunfire Ceramics, 1002 New Hampshire, offers a wide range of pottery products that fit students’ budgets.

One pottery project typically costs less than $12, which includes the $4 painting fee. If there are more than ten people in a group, the painting fee is $3.

Cheryl Roth, owner of Sunfire Ceramics, says painting mugs and Jayhawks are the most popular projects among KU students, and that there are many projects available for the upcoming Valentine’s Day

//Rachel Cheon

holiday. “We have Valentine’s mugs, Valentine’s frames, a variety of different vases, heart plates, and some really cool candle holders and various shapes of hearts,” Roth says. Sample designs and tools such as stencils, stamps, sponges, and brushes are provided, and staff members are there to help with the painting process. After painting, the staff will fire the pottery in the kiln and have your masterpiece ready to pick up in 3-5 days. Sunfire Ceramics is open Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 6p.m.

hours of operation: Monday & Tuesday: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Wednesday - Saturday: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Sundays: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.

contributed photo

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Get it while it’s haute.

Getting to class on a snowy day just got a little easier with the help of the ongoing trend of Wellington boots. Girls, and even a few brave men, have developed a love for these classic rain boots. Not only are they a stylish footwear option, but they are also practical boot for those treacherous winter days.

The 1st Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, popularized the Wellington boot during the 19th century.

This new boot replaced the Hessian boot, which needed to be worn with breeches, since many men started to wear trousers in the early 1800s.

During World War II, the Wellington boot became a necessity for the Allied soldiers because they had to work in flooded conditions across Europe.

These thick and durable rubber boots were a staple for warfare apparel.

Now, people not only wear these boots to bear the weather, but also to create a fashion statement. At the 2005 Glastonbury festival in the United Kingdom, Kate Moss once again shocked people when she wore her black Hunter rain boots with cutoff denim shorts. As much as this was a practical outfit due to the vast amounts of mud at the music festival, Moss stayed true to her iconic fashion sense by pushing the boundaries with rain boots.

If you are feeling brave and want to weather the winter elements in style, there are many different options and types of Wellington boots. My personal favorite is the classic Hunter boot ($125) in the original green. I don’t know if I love them because

//Lizzie Marx

they keep my feet warm and dry during those snowy days or if it’s because Hunter has received a royal warrant from HRH The Duke Of Edinburgh and HM The Queen for their ability to keep important feet comfortable. Hunter also paired up with the prominent London based shoe company Jimmy Choo to create a black wellie with a debossed crocodile print ($425) for the fearless fashion follower. A more affordable option would be Urban Outfitters Back-Zip Rain Boot ($49 in the brass color) to simulate the utilitarian chic trend.

Snow day or not, enduring the winter weather just got more stylish with these worthy wellies.

photo by lizzie marx

PLAY

Out & About: Students talk about SOPA and free internet content // Sara Sneath Opposition to anti-piracy bills known as the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act can definitely reinforce a KU student’s appreciation for free online content. On Thursday, Jan.19, the day after online protests against the anti-piracy bills, I asked students in Anschutz library and the Underground about free online content they enjoy.

Joseph Moberly Manhattan junior “I was on Twitter and they were talking about the interesting facts that we’d be missing if we didn’t have Wikipedia and a lot of them are absolutely ridiculous. Also, I usually keep up with sports and stuff on the Internet. I’d miss clips and upsets.”

Josh Groves Overland Park sophomore “The coolest thing I’ve seen on the Internet lately is a replay of Thomas Robinson’s alley oop dunk from the Baylor game.”

Vinay Nath Maple Grove, Minn.

Junior “In the last week, I found free shipping online for some clothing I was purchasing.”

Teejay Sijuwade Lagos, Nigeria “I enjoy Gizmodo. It’s pretty much a gadget guide. It has information about electronics, video games, and everything else in the computer world.”

Breyawna Washington Pittsburgh, Pa. junior “The best thing I’ve seen this week was a video on Youtube about religion versus the Bible; like you can have religion outside of the Bible. It really opened up my eyes.

Me and my friends sat down afterward and discussed this video for like hours. It was very moving.”

Logan Gollogly San Diego Senior Logan Gollogly, a senior from San Diego, “The blackout Google and Wikipedia just did was actually very interesting as far as the protests against SOPA. It was a great demonstration of social activism online.”

voices. Also, me and my roommate watch ‘Pretty Little Liars’ on Hulu. If that wasn’t available, I don’t know what I would do on Tuesdays.”

Katherine Gerstner Lawrence Junior

Salman Husain Wichita freshman Salman Husain, a freshman from Wichita, “I like watching animal fight videos, like tiger versus lion. In addition, Wikipedia is my go-to study tool. I’m not embarrassed about that. It’s pretty essential for me.”

“I like Wheeloflunch.com. It’s basically a website where you go on and click this spinny thing. You put in your zip code and it spins around and tells you a random place that you can go eat lunch at. You can even pick the meal, like breakfast or just coffee. Oh, and the Dailypuppy.com: Every day they post a new puppy. That’s my homepage.”

Madeline Schuman Kansas City senior “I was trying to do my homework last night and I went to Wikipedia to find an answer and I almost didn’t know what to do. I was like, ‘Where do I go now for the answer?’ I guess there are different sources, but Wikipedia just has everything.

I use it for music facts, movie facts, just anything and everything.”

Mike Sofis Pittsburgh, Pa. senior

“I watch a lot of Colbert online, especially the recent election coverage. I could see parts of Colbernation.com being cut off.” daily

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1/2 lb. SIRLOIN STEAK Kristin Nichols Newton Freshman “I just like reading online a bunch of travel articles. I just read about the rudest cities in America. I just think it’s really funny to have access to something like that.”

Megan Morrissey Omaha, Neb. freshman “I watch a lot of Youtube videos, like the ‘shit someone says’ videos. Since I’m from Nebraska, there’s like ‘shit Nebraskans don’t say.’ I’d miss random videos of animals being dubbed with peoples’

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PLAY

{

EAT THIS...

Food should be fun.

What you need to make this dish:

}

Nutella Plain non-fat Greek yogurt Fresh fruit (strawberries, bananas, blueberries, apples) Graham crackers and marshmallows (optional)

//Lauren Shelly

Photo by lauren shelly

To all you fellow Nutella lovers out there, I have just recently joined the club because of this dish. It is a simple recipe that you can whip up in about 3 minutes. Simply mix about 1/2 cup of Nutella with 1 cup of yogurt. Refrigerate until serving. Once your dip is chilled, you can enjoy it with some fresh fruit, such as strawberries, bananas, blueberries or apples. If you have a sweet tooth, graham crackers and marshmallows go well with it too.

Not only is this dish delicious, but it is also a somewhat healthy snack when paired with fresh fruit.

According the Hershey’s and Nutella product websites, Nutella has less fat, calories and sodium than a Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar. Professor Marty Glenn, a nutritionist

from the Health Sport & Exercise Department at the University of Kansas says that Nutella itself isn’t significantly healthier than regular chocolate, but it is made with skim milk. Combining it with the non-fat Greek yogurt definitely makes the snack healthier.

Non-fat plain Greek yogurt has a thick, creamy and tangy texture without the use of as much fat compared with regular yogurts. Greek yogurt is also higher in protein - another bonus.

Andrew Williams, a senior from Overland Park, says, “I have never tried Nutella before, but this recipe sounds very delectable, especially paired with fruit and yogurt. I wasn’t sure about the plain yogurt that was used, but it turned out to taste really good with the chocolate and hazelnut spread.”

DRINK THIS...

//Lauren Shelly

Thirsty for more?

Not a big fan of coffee? Drinking green tea is another way for you to get your caffeine fix instead of reaching for an unhealthy can of Red Bull.

“Green tea is my new obsession. It tastes great, has caffeine, and is good for you. I have switched to drinking tea instead of coffee because I feel like coffee makes me too jittery and hyper,” says Lindsey Buck, a senior from St. Louis.

Professor Marty Glenn, a nutritionist from the Health Sport & Exercise Department at the University of Kansas says, “Green tea is probably the healthiest way

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to get your caffeine for the day. It contains about 25 percent less caffeine than coffee, so about 25 to 50 mg.” While this is less caffeine than coffee, it is still enough to give you a caffeine jolt. Not only does it keep you focused while studying, but it also has tremendous health benefits as well.

Studies show that green tea contains antioxidants, which help boost your immune system and fight off bad cells. The antioxidants in green tea are known as catechins, which help prevent several types of cancer, high cholesterol, weight gain, heart disease and strokes.

Cynthia Sass, a dietician from Shape magazine says, “Tea is tied to better bone density, slower bone loss, a stronger immune system and a reduction in belly fat.

Regular tea drinkers also have a 20 to 30 percent lower risk of heart disease and 40 to 60 percent lower risk of stroke.”

Glenn also says, “People with heart disease have been known to drink about two to four cups a day in order to keep those rates down.”

So, start your day off with a cup of hot green tea— your body will thank you in the long run.

Photo By Lauren Shelly

PLAY

DRINK THIS...

Bubble Tea Thirsty for more?

For non-alcoholic drinks, many people drink coffee, hot chocolate, smoothies, hot teas, or soda. Besides these beverages, there is another kind of non-alcoholic drink available in Lawrence. Bubble teas, also known as boba milk teas, typically contain a tea base such as oolong tea or black tea and are mixed with milk and various flavors like green tea, taro, almonds, and honeydew.. Rick Gan, a junior from Seremban, Malaysia, enjoys the wide range of different flavors bubble teas come in and has them as much as three times

a week sometimes. “You never really get tired of them,” Gan says. In these milky teas, there are bubbles, or pearls, which are dark chewy balls made from gluten-free tapioca starch, that make bubble teas so addicting.

Kevin Song, a junior from Los Angeles, says even though he is not really a tea person, he enjoys some good milk tea if it goes well with the pearls. “The pearls taste good when you add it into milk tea, and it’s also fun to chew on them,” says Song. Bubble teas are available in several places includ-

//Rachel Cheon

ing House of Cha (21 West Ninth St.), Encore Cafe (1007 Massachusetts), Zen Zero (811 Massachusetts), and Little Saigon Café (1524B W. 23rd St.). Bubble teas typically come in 16 ounce servings and cost between $3-5. Try these fun, bubbly drinks with friends, on a date, or on the go.

contributed photo

EAT THIS...

The Best Hangover Food: Pho Food should be fun.

The morning after a fun night can be quite unpleasant with headaches, nausea, and dehydration. You may turn to pizza or hamburger for help, but for some students, nothing beats pho as the cure for hangover. Steamy pho broth takes care of the thirst, and

contributed photo

//Rachel Cheon alleviates pain and nausea from the hangover. Hyung Jin, a senior from Lenexa, is one of those students. “The broth really takes care of any nausea. It calms my stomach down after a night of throwing up,” Jin says.

Pho is a nutritious, low-calorie masterpiece made of rice noodles, beef, chicken, meatballs, various herbs and vegetables in beef broth that has been simmered for seven to 10 hours. Steve Nguyen, owner and chef at Little Saigon Café (1524B W. 23rd St.), says that pho is the most popular dish among KU students at his restaurant.

“9 out of 10 students want pho,”

Nguyen says.

Although many enjoy having pho as a hangover food, Nguyen says pho is good for any occasion. “It’s good for anytime of the day. It’s a very healthy food with natural ingredients and no artificial stuff in it,” Nguyen says.

Regular sized bowls are $6.50, and larger bowls are $7.50 to $8.50. Unfortunately, Little Saigon Café is closed on Sundays, so you will have to take care of your hangover from Saturday nights some other way, but for those hangovers from Friday nights, try pho. Your body will thank you.

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Third Time's A Charm

// Bre Roach

“The last thing I envisioned while growing up was being a bridesmaid at my mother’s wedding. Again. And Again. And again.”

I stood to the right side of my mother, shivering from the cold. My black and pink tanktop dress hit my knees and my high heels would have shown brave toes had they not been buried in the snow. My mom was getting married in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and we were standing outside, rubbing bare shoulders with the cold.

To say that I was annoyed standing shin-deep in snow is a gross understatement. The fact that this was just another one of my mother’s marriages could have added to the frustration because, let’s be honest, the last thing I envisioned while growing up was being a bridesmaid at my mother’s wedding. Again. And Again.

And again.

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At any of these weddings I would have probably been scolded for having a glass of wine but chugging an entire bottle was exactly what I wanted to do when I saw my mom’s sealing kiss with my different stepdads.

The reasons for the multiple marriages are extensive, but allow me to state the obvious: my mom is beautiful. She doesn’t wear makeup, and at a year shy from 50, she doesn’t look a day past 35.

She’s charming. She picks things up quick.

For instance, after my father (a complete jock and her first husband) and she got divorced, she quickly became engaged to a Texan where she complemented that relationship with Southern food and a dusty old pair of cowboy boots that she had since high school.

They never officially got married, and after they broke off the engagement, she packed up our childhood home and headed for California. My oldest brother and sister moved with her, but my other sister and I stayed in Sterling with my father because we thought California was full of dirty hippies.

There she met an Italian man who loved fine dining, so she became an expert on wine and Italian dishes in about 24 hours. Seriously. She’s brilliant with

this stuff.

Not long after her stint in California (about nine years) was she divorced and moving back to Kansas. She settled in Hutchinson, but it didn’t take long before she was engaged, yet again, to my current stepdad who owned a farm in the middleof-nowhere America. Do I even need to tell you that she learned how to break a horse within a few months? Or how the chickens eat out of her hands and the garden will produce sweet potatoes just by her looking at it?

At first I didn’t exactly understand why my mom had so many relationships. I was a child, and the sanctity of marriage came far down the list of my priorities.

But when I got into college and the phone calls regarding her new relationships became the hot topic, I began to take a long look at how these marriages had affected me. So I began the unwinding of my mother at the place that made the most sense: in Chili’s over chips, guacamole and beers with my father, her first and longest husband.

My dad and my mom stayed married for 18 years after dating all four years of high school. My dad was quarterback of the football team and my mom was the prettiest girl in school. You know, that

bull crap. My dad’s cool. I mean that. My dad can probably beat you at beer pong and throw a football farther than you and figure out what’s wrong with your car, later fixing it with his eyes closed. He had his legs stretched out in the booth so his frame was forming an L-shape in the restaurant when I asked him what the hell was up with my mom. His response went a little something like this, “Well, Breanna, I have no idea.”

Brilliant. Not only did she have us all mixed up, but the one man she’d been with for a majority of her life was just as clueless as their kids. Even though my dad’s advice was just as cheap as the beer he drinks, I finally started to come to some conclusions myself.

First off, I do not think my mother is a bad person. I don’t think my mother is a crazy person. In fact, all I know is that I am thankful for watching her go through these marriages and engagements so that I can learn through them. I used to wear my mom’s red high heels when I was little.

I used to play in her fingernail polish and look at her romance novels’ covers in utter confusion/amazement. Like every girl, I wanted to be just like her, but I know that I will not copycat her when it comes to (continually) tying the knot.

The way these relationships affected me as a child was anything but healthy.

Since my stepfathers’ families were quickly moving in and out of my life, I became desensitized to permanent goodbyes. I got really good at ridding myself of past step-siblings or stepdads. It took me until college to really feel the impact of missing the people that I had once shared a home with. With time I have learned the correct way to address a close relationship that requires a permanent goodbye.

When I settle down, I want it to be for good. I don’t want a trial-run. In my eyes, that’s what dating is for, and throughout that dating time, you pick out what you know you are and aren’t looking for until you find someone that will be compatible with you in many aspects. If it takes me until I’m 49 to find someone that I get along with darn near perfectly, then so be it. But I can assure you that I will not be on my fourth husband by the time half my life is over. Who knows, I may just be a bachelorette for the rest of my life and adopt.

speak

Syringe: a diabetic vs. the world // Chris Neal

The first sign I had that something was wrong was when I was 15 and a sophomore in high school.

While getting ready for school, I blacked out in the shower at my house and woke up with a massive headache. The water was still streaming over me as I sat up wondering what the hell just happened.

After several minutes of sitting in the bottom of the shower, I snapped out of

my daze, got out, and crawled back to bed. I stayed there all day instead of going to school. Little did I know the next day would change my life forever.

I still felt like crap, but attempted to tough it out at school the next day.

My English teacher, Ms. Nunley, knew something was wrong when she saw me.

I was pale and missing about 20 pounds that disappeared before I returned to school. She followed me into the hallway after I asked to get a drink. “Chris, are you feeling all right?” she said. “You look like you’ve lost a lot of weight.” I told her I was fine and that I just needed a drink of water, but she didn’t buy it. She forced me to go to the nurse. From there, I went to

my doctor and was then on my way to the hospital with Type 1 diabetes, which, according to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 15,000 children and teens are diagnosed each year.

A few hours after being sent to the nurse, I was checked into a room at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. The doctors were having a hard time figuring out how I wasn’t in a coma with my extremely high blood sugar. The average person’s blood sugar ranges from 70-150; mine was 921, which means the cells in my body weren’t getting the sugar they needed for energy and were devouring my fat and muscles like a microscopic version of Pac Man. Eating real food was not an option, so I was given a steady diet of ice chips whenever I was hungry. Eating at this point would have just thrown more sugar into my bloodstream, making my condition even worse. The ice chips, along with 15 bags of saline, were acted like a system flusher to help bring my blood sugar down.

When I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, I had no clue what it was. But I later found out that it’s a genetic disease when your pancreas stops making insulin. Imagine your cell as a door and the insulin as a key and diabetes is like losing that key. Without the key, your cells can’t obtain sugar and will devour everything they can find until you die. How I managed to get this disease is still a mystery in my family. Nobody on either my mom or dad’s side can figure out who had it. It’s as if it popped up out of thin air and now I’m stuck with it.

For me, this means I have to inject insulin five to six times a day and have to check my blood sugar by pricking my fingers. I even have to be able to look at a plate of food and know how much insulin I’m going to need for that meal. I used to have to look up all of my food in a book that the hospital gave me to see how much insulin is required for each food item, but now I can just eyeball it and take what I think is the right amount. Trust me, it sucks.

After I was discharged from the hospital, depression rapidly set in. I began to feel like I couldn’t go anywhere without being looked at like some monster. I felt the need to hide myself when taking my medication just to keep others from staring at me like some drug addict. I had this feeling that the world and even God was against me. I know now that I was being completely close-minded and assumed

way too much about what others thought, but can you blame me? For the first few months, I stared at the walls in my room repeating questions like “Why me God?” and “What did I do to deserve this?” I had thought that having this disease was worse enough, but I didn’t think how it would affect my family until I had low blood sugar late one night.

I had never said anything bad to my parents, but that changed when I woke up one night and had to deal with low blood sugar. When experiencing low blood sugar, you tend to get really agitated and can only think about stuffing your face to get rid of the weird feeling. All I can remember is me telling my mom “Until you have been through the shit I’ve had to go through, don’t act like you know me or anything about me.” I quickly realized the severity of my words when my dad ran downstairs to confront me. He said “what did you say to my wife?” The night ended with my parents and I sitting in their room as I cried my eyes out talking about how much I hated my life because of this disease.

After that night, I decided I couldn’t go on like this. From that moment on, I simply decided to stop caring about what others think anymore. I had let my assumptions of what I believed people thought of me consume my head and it was dragging me down. It took some time, but I eventually convinced myself to take the “shit happens” approach to life. I was done dwelling on how my life was supposed to be and told myself to get over it.

Having diabetes has taught me how to confront my problems and how to deal with them. Now, when a problem comes up, I just see it as another thing I need to deal with as opposed to freaking out like I would when I was first diagnosed. The most important thing I’ve learned from having this disease is responsibility. I have to take my medicine every day and at certain times. If I don’t, I could lose my eyesight, my feet, my hands, my arms, and I could even die. When you have those kinds of consequences, you force yourself to be responsible.

So, in the long run, this disease developed my coping skills. Now I just roll with the punches and I no longer blame God. And in a sense, I’m kind of happy about it. Don’t get me wrong, having to take six shots a day really sucks, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s made me a stronger person.

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