A different kind of gender gap is plaguing campus, and on the surface, everyone seems OK with it. IM West is one of three gyms that students frequent on a daily basis. With few exceptions, a straight line can be drawn that almost completely separates the males from the females in the main fitness area. Women mark their territory on the elliptical machines and treadmills upstairs, while men dominate the lifting equipment downstairs. Do men and women differ enough physically to warrant different work out programs? There’s nothing biological keeping a man from using an elliptical and a woman from using the weight machines, right? [card]
Physically, there aren’t many differences in the muscles used between men and women. “There is not much difference in muscles to the point where one exercise might benefit a gender better. There are just different ranges,” said Jim Pivarnik, professor of kinesiology and epidemiology and director of the Center for Physical Activity and Health. For example, many male and female athletes lift weights for strength. Men are going to be able to lift more because they are physically bigger than women, but this doesn’t mean there isn’t as much intensity or strength gain. It simply means women generally aren’t going to have the same changes in size of muscle mass as men. Furthermore, the effort is the same between men and women, but the ranges are different, proportionally. A man’s range is just higher than a woman’s range.
Pivarnik also pointed out women are more prone to have knee injuries than men and this might make a small difference in how students behave at the gym. This would explain why women are usually seen using the elliptical machines. Ellipticals are easier on the knees because there is not a lot of impact. For many women, this might be a less painful route of exercise. After surveying 25 men and 25 women at IM West, the elliptical does in fact prove to be the most used machine for females. Not only is this machine less painful, it is a great cardio workout. “I use the elliptical because it works every part of my body,” physiology freshman Bridgette Ma said. In fact, Ma said she could burn about 600 calories working out on the elliptical for one hour. But if the elliptical is such a great way of burning calories, why aren’t more males using it too? In the survey, nearly 65 percent of women stated they used an elliptical, whereas only eight percent of males said they did. Clearly, the physical differences between men and women are too minute to be contributing to the gender gap at the gym. So, what is it all about?
“It all comes down to masculinity and femininity,” said Dr. Gary Stollak, a professor of psychology. The first adjectives that come to mind may differ slightly, but they basically mean the same things. Masculinity is considered “strong,” “aggressive” and “tough.” Meanwhile, femininity is described as “slender,” “passive” and “emotional.”
[brain]Environmental studies and applications sophomore Gino Antonio Washington claims he has learned how to be masculine from his cultural background and personal experiences, and these behavioral patterns replicate themselves even at they gym. “Whether I believe it or not, I get judged for it. If you don’t follow the patterns set forth, other males can bully you and call you soft,” Washington said.
This fear of being labeled “soft” is exactly the reason many males find themselves on the weight bench. These characteristics pop up everywhere, especially in mainstream magazines. You don’t expect a man to read Vogue or Cosmopolitan and you don’t expect a woman to read ESPN The Magazine or Sports Illustrated. Even the models inside reinforce these gender roles and serve as body inspiration. The audiences of these magazines are definitely not just one gender, but people generally try to fit these masculine and feminine roles. With masculinity and femininity shaping much of daily life, it makes sense the gym fosters these ideas as well.
[pink]Masculinity and femininity play a huge part in one’s motivation to work out and therefore influence the way a person exercises. Method goes hand in hand with the expected results. Most importantly, one’s body goal reflects how he or she perceives ideal masculinity and femininity. “We live in a world where John Wayne and Charlton Heston define masculinity,” Stollak said. Since this is what a lot of men distinguish as masculine, they want to exemplify the same characteristics. Physically, these characteristics include being bulky or built. The same goes for women. If a woman sees femininity as being toned and slender, that is the look she wants to perfect.
“I avoid weight lifting because I don’t want to look masculine. When I think of masculine, I think of broad shoulders and veins,” Ma said. In other words, the gender separation seen at the gym is not so much about biological sex differences, but about traditionally held notions of masculinity and femininity.
The survey of students at IM West shows a significant difference in the way men and women want to sculpt their bodies. The biggest dissimilarity is how each gender desires to change their appearances. Approximately two times as many men want to build muscle than women. In addition, nearly three times as many women want to lose weight than men. “One would like to believe that everyone who goes to the gym does it to stay healthy, but sometimes when this should be the most important thing, it’s not,” Stollak said.[ette]
Since men and women behave differently because they want different results from the gym, socializing might be more apparent in one gender than the other. With such a gendered atmosphere at the gym, it is inevitable that one or two people will take a stroll across the line, and try to pick up a date while they’re at it. According to Drue Hemingway, a kinesiology senior and an employee at IM West, there are always a lot of people, both male and female, who come in to get a serious workout without the socializing.
“Although there tends to be a gender split with women on the elliptical and men on the weights, there are still a lot of people who are serious about working out,” Hemingway said. Hemingway also has observed people who socialize tend to come in groups, and those groups consist of more women than men. However, when it comes to working out, men who were lifting weights were also sociable, because they took breaks in between lifts. Once the women were on the elliptical machines, the socializing was replaced with exercising as cardio leaves little air to breathe, let alone chit-chat.
[blue] Because more women than men come in groups to the gym, they’re obviously relying more on the buddy system. But in the end, masculinity and femininity still have the most influence on how one behaves at the gym, over any kind of socializing activity. Gender roles still draw strict lines that can sometimes blatantly be seen – like the one between the ellipticals and the barbells.
For one student, the line between masculine and feminine was challenged when he signed up for an aerobics class. Electrical engineering freshman Mark Sun was a little intimidated walking into his class and realizing that he was one of only two men in the room of 50 people. “I really just took the class because I needed one relaxing class for my busy schedule,” Sun said. Before long, however, Sun became very comfortable and realized it wasn’t the form of exercise that mattered, because he was getting the results he wanted. “I was always physically active throughout high school and I always liked to stay in shape,” Sun said. This was just a different way of achieving that goal.
[gino]Although gender expectations are prevalent and pervasive, there is certainly no harm in crossing the line. “What we really need to look at is what is masculine and feminine and how important it is to you,” Stollak said.
“I wouldn’t mind doing something like yoga or an elliptical. I’m all about doing whatever I can do to improve my performance,” Washington said. And if the desire to achieve a certain body image stays on the minds of the gym regulars, maybe that line between masculine and feminine practices will be crossed.

Everybody loves to hear about a bad dating experience. There are entire television shows built on the disclosure of bad dates. Sometimes it’s easy to look back and find humor, and sometimes we want to make sure it will never happen again. But is there really any way we can prevent a bad date from happening? By dating, we risk spending hours with someone we wish we’d never met in hopes of finding someone we can’t get enough of. In the dating process, it is inevitable things might not always come out the way one might hope. [man11]
“Emotional and physical attraction play a huge role in determining how a date might proceed,” said Katherine Klein, MSU alumna, Ph.D., and Research Scientist for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. We have an obsession with instant gratification, and if we don’t like what we see or feel almost right away, we won’t pursue it.
For accounting sophomore Dana Casault, the attraction was physical at first, but lacked any emotional connection. Moreover, her awkward date didn’t end soon enough. Through a friend, Casault met a boy at a party. She described him as “cute” and was very excited when he asked for her number. Since they live a little distance apart, they decided to meet at their city’s Festival of Lights show. The road they started out on was a little bumpy. “We first went to dinner at a place he picked. Not good food,” Casault said. Further along in the date, Casault was even more disappointed when her date grabbed her hand and she found it to be, “the clammiest, sweatiest hand I’d ever held. Ick!” Being polite, Casault decided to forget the incident and try to make the most out of the rest of the night. But Casault knew she should have known better than to say yes when he asked her if he could give her a kiss. Casault described it as, “Beyond terrible. I’m a fan of tongue, but this guy took it a little too far, especially when his tongue swiped the back of my tonsils!” She blew the whistle on his ‘tonsil hockey,’ and made a quick dash out of there.[red]
So exactly how much slack should you give? It is safe to assume people might be a little more susceptible to make mistakes on a first date because they are nervous. That being said, we might be able to conclude Casault’s date had the first-date jitters. So he let his tongue slip a little too far, his hands were a little sweaty and he made a bad choice of restaurant. Does this exclude him from getting a second date or is this not the case at all?
“It sounds to me like Casault wasn’t as physically attracted to him from the beginning as she thought she was,” Klein said. She raises a good point by saying if Casault was in fact really attracted to him, she might have been able to overlook the small “quirks” and given him a second chance. He might not have been able to control the bad food or the sweaty, nervous hands, but he definitely made it apparent that he wasn’t socially inclined during the kiss debacle. Unfortunately, Casault had to learn the hard way that her initial attraction to the guy deceived her.
On a different spectrum, men can be tricked into thinking a woman is interested when she really isn’t. Traditionally, men are the ones who usually have to go through the nerve-wracking process of asking a woman out, and they are often setting themselves up for rejection. In their defense, women tend to be choosier than men when it comes to a date. “Since a man is doing the asking, he knows what he is interested in,” Klein said. A woman, on the other hand, isn’t always as sure because she isn’t the one who is initiating the relationship. As a result, we see a lot of instances where the woman subconsciously misleads a man into thinking she is interested when she is really unsure. This can put men in a very confusing and uncomfortable position.
[phew]This theory proved true in mechanical engineering sophomore Ryan Emmory’s disappointing dating experience. “It was my junior year of high school and I finally asked this girl that I had been interested in to go to the movies with me,” he said. She said yes and the date was planned for the following Friday. In preparation, Emmory decided to wash and vacuum his car to make a good impression. When Friday rolled around and he knocked on her door to pick her up, she had a guy and girl friend standing beside her. “She had decided that she should invite a couple of her friends to come along with us for the date,” Emmory explained. Pretending not to let it bother him they were no longer alone on the date, Emmory went along with the new plan.
Before he could regroup from the surprise, he found out they would be taking the other guy’s car. “My spotless car would now be staying at her house. The night had now gone from bad to worse,” Emmory recalled. The movies seemed to go smoothly, but when they arrived back at the house afterward, the most awkward part of the night presented itself. “We were all sitting in her living room watching TV with her parents, and then all of a sudden it was just me sitting there with her parents, and the three of them had vanished into the basement,” he said. [date2]
It was obvious Emmory’s date wasn’t as interested in him as he was in her. As a result of insecurity, we see a lot of cases where a woman might seek friends for support. “Since she invited her friends, she might have been trying to indicate that it wasn’t a date,” Klein said. This doesn’t necessarily mean she didn’t like him at all – it just means she may want to remain friends. The friends are more for comfort than anything else.
If a woman doesn’t want to consider it a date, she tends to try and produce non-verbal signs rather than coming right out and saying no to the invite. There is no right or wrong answer because everybody has a different level of comfort. Some people find it too harsh to say they aren’t interested. Emmory was very confused and upset with the fact she chose to ignore him. “That was my first and last date with her,” he said.
For those who are a little more verbal, make it clear what kind of relationship you hope to have. If you are originally not attracted to a person when they ask you out, save yourself the misery and just say no from the beginning. Then, the second date request is avoided, and you don’t have to uncomfortably dodge that doorstep kiss. In a way, it’s just courteous because you are letting them know you want to respect their feelings and want to remain friends. “As you date more people, you learn how to say things without hurting feelings,” Klein said. There are nicer ways to say ‘I’m not interested in you.’[date]
Animal science freshman Isaac Brugger’s dating dilemma shows how having a passive opinion on the relationship’s status had him shedding some money. Brugger received a call from one of his good girl friends from high school. He remembered she had just broken up with her boyfriend. When she mentioned they should get together for a meal sometime, Brugger didn’t hesitate to agree. “Even though I had no intentions of actually turning this into a relationship, I couldn’t turn her down because she went out of her way to ask me out,” Brugger said.
Although Brugger was confused about whether she might think it was a date, he refrained from bringing it up throughout the whole meal. The bill came and Brugger was wondering if he was going to have to pay because he was a guy. “After all, she was the one who asked me out. It’s not like I wasn’t going to pay for myself, but I didn’t want to pay for her, especially since I never really wanted to consider it a date in the first place,” he said. Although the bill wasn’t ridiculously expensive, Brugger wasn’t quite sure if he should have been paying for the two of them.[man12]
Most everyone has experienced the awkward moment at the end of a dinner date when the waitress sets the bill on the table. It’s a contest to see who will pick it up first, or rather, who can politely hold out the longest. “If you’ve been dating for six months, there’s usually some sort of system to how a couple might share the responsibility,” Klein said. “The woman might offer to pay once in a while. Or maybe the woman offers to give the tip and pay for dessert while the guy pays for the meal.” Gender roles are constantly changing, and it shouldn’t be assumed it’s the guy’s responsibility to pay.
In fact, more couples are shirking ancient dating traditions and ‘going dutch,’ or splitting the bill down the middle. It can be a little confusing, however, when two people are new to the concept. “I have a friend in Texas who says the guys down there are raised to always pay for everything. She doesn’t even bring a wallet on her dates,” Klein said. Resolving this situation depends on the context and clear communication between the two. If a girl asks a guy out, it might be better for her to offer to pay for herself and then see if the guy insists on paying for her. Klein pointed out every circumstance is different and communication should be concise about the status of the relationship.
[bagel]Although ‘bad date’ will always be a term used by anyone in the single-and-looking world, there are ways to tell if a person is attracted to you from the beginning. This might come in handy when deciphering whether to initiate a closer kind of relationship with one of your current friends. “One thing that we subconsciously notice is each other’s dilated pupils,” Klein said. “The whole cliché phrase of ‘gazing into each other’s eyes’ that we hear a lot in the movies is actually true.” Some more obvious signs to pick up on are exemplified through body language. Is he leaning in or closed off with his arms crossed? Is she keeping eye contact and showing interest by asking questions? Sometimes people even mirror the other person’s actions.
The next time you go out in public, check out the conversation between two people. Not too close to eavesdrop, but far enough away to observe without looking too creepy. It’s interesting to see how many of these signals can be identified, and you can avoid a lot of awkward moments of your own by taking a peek at somebody else’s, as well as noting these tales of romantic missteps. Remembering these dating dilemmas and mastering these signs and signals won’t guarantee you the date of your dreams, but it might save you from clammy hands and stilted conversation.

To all of those participating in long distance relationships (LDRs), I hear you. No one said it would be easy, but they also didn’t say it was impossible. In a generation characterized as wanting instant gratification, many young couples struggle with an LDR. Despite this, it isn’t unusual for many students who are entering college to collide headfirst with issues due to an LDR. But how healthy and how realistic are these relationships? Can we expect them to last through a semester, or beyond?
After my boyfriend graduated from high school about three years ago, our relationship transitioned into an LDR. Helpless, I had to figure out how to deal, and I am certainly not the only one. When circumstances and goals lead two people in opposite directions, a decision has to be made – often regardless of the relationship itself. “Whenever geographical separation occurs, it is enormously taxing on relationships,” said Dr. Steven McCornack, associate professor and undergraduate coordinator of communication. Keeping that union strong is sometimes a hard process to configure when there are already a lot of new experiences and challenges that come with a foreign environment.[doctor1]
This is one of those “easier said than done” scenarios. Even without the long distance element, relationships can be taxing and stressful, and there are going to be discrepancies. “Arguing is healthy in a relationship in a sense of disagreeing. Once every couple of weeks is a good rule of thumb to live by,” said Dr. William Donohue, distinguished professor of communication.
During the first few months of my boyfriend’s absence, we would argue constantly about not being able to see each other due to our conflicting agendas. He had a strict football regime and I still had long days of classes, sports and studying. We came to the realization that arguing about things out of our hands was futile. This agreement was an important mechanism to avoid unnecessary arguments. “Know how to nurture a relationship. It’s just like kids. They need a lot of routine,” Donohue said. Set dates and times to when you plan to meet in person. Remember to factor in how you will meet, where you will meet and what you will do to make the most of your time. It’s always relevant to incorporate activities that made the relationship flourish from the beginning. This makes it easier to look forward to the next time you can be together, rather than be focused on separation.
This “to be continued” status has become somewhat of a routine in my relationship. Now, we both attend different colleges and are two hours apart versus one. Instead of seeing each other every weekend, we are sometimes forced to skip one. Our relationship structure had to change. I thought it was hard before, but that was just a baby step. What makes things easier, however, is the fact that we have instilled in our relationship an understanding of what we are. From the beginning, we were both very adamant about maintaining trust, and, in our relationship, trust comes from lots and lots of communication.
“All the data we have suggests a huge contributor to LDR survival is the sharing of mundane, everyday information,” McCornack said. Things such as the nasty casserole in the cafeteria, the annoying classmate in calculus or the picture of your niece sitting on your desk are the stuff that is forgotten in conversation when one is not around. Even though your partner may not want to hear about your bad hair day or the crazy squirrel that jumped in front of you today while you were riding your bike, it keeps him or her involved when they’re not physically able to be there.
[class]“I think it’s almost fun to be in a long distance relationship because it’s a challenge,” hospitality business freshman Lawrencia Atakora said. In her first year of an LDR with her boyfriend, Michael, Atakora found that being apart has actually made their relationship grow stronger by focusing less on the physical aspect. “It really has helped us to get to know each other in a different way,” Atakora said. Meeting first in Ghana, West Africa at an international Turkish school, the couple got to know each other over the course of two years. To make up for distance, they rely heavily on technology, a common element in most other LDRs. “Interactive qualities can be great, but sometimes how people present themselves can be of a concern,” Counseling Center professor David Novicai said. In some situations, technology can hinder the strength of a relationship by indicating infidelity. This most obviously occurs through social networking Web sites, like Facebook or MySpace. Compromising photos posted by a mutual friend or a cryptic wall post can mean a lot to a partner who is unaware of the context.
It sounds controlling to ask anyone to put limits on their behavior, because nobody should have to alter his or her social life for another person. But an agreement of what is socially acceptable between each member of the couple can help alleviate any spats of this nature. If each person considers the direction of the relationship, as well as the expectations of each other, guidelines should be set amicably. “Your conversation should be very open, direct and non-defensive,” Novicai said. Each partner should be able to hear the other say, “I went out with so and so.” The other should be able to respond with, “That’s great. How was it? What did you do?” without getting suspicious. If there’s any trust at all in the relationship, it shouldn’t be a big issue. “We never actually sit down and talk about our social limits, but we just go by the same standards as when we were together and that keeps us faithful,” Atakora said.
In other LDR cases, it’s not a matter of being faithful. It’s a matter of trying to get schedules to coincide. “It’s quite common for couples to struggle because they have a lot of ambiguity in schedules,” Donohue said. Criminal justice freshman Jake Rathbun shared his unsuccessful effort in trying to make a LDR work with his previous girlfriend, Casey, who attended Marquette High School. Rathbun and Casey became involved with each other when they were set up by a friend in high school. They spent several months together before becoming separated when Jake went to college. “The hardest part for us was when we had the possibility of seeing each other, and our schedules got in the way,” Rathbun said. As much as technology has helped in maintaining relationships in this generation of LDRs, it’s still not the same as being together physically. “[Technology] relates in a different way than pictures. There’s more reassurance and clarity,” Novicai said.[david]
Even when the lines of communication are open and honest, there can be other relationship obstacles from the background. These people usually are the most interested in the relationship and offer the most opinion and insight. “Friends and family members typically put pressure on partners to disband when separation occurs, especially if no ‘firm commitment’ (such as an engagement) is present. The attitude is, ‘why stay with him [or] her when so many people are right here?’” McCornack said. Currently reunited with his girlfriend, no preference freshman James Bryde acknowledges that it isn’t someone else’s decision to commit to an LDR. “You have to remember not to listen to everyone else. Do what you know and feel is right,” Bryde said.
Although friends and family do not intend to stir up trouble, they definitely can put a lot of negative pressure on the relationship. “Sometimes my friends would say anything to make me go out with other people,” Atakora said. “It’s a bad situation to be stuck in.” On the other hand, Bryde’s family was a positive support in his efforts and talked him through the hard times. “You have to remember not to listen to everyone else. Do what you know and feel is right,” Bryde said.
Despite all of these potential outside influences, the internal quality of the relationship is often the biggest indicator as to whether it will last. “The context in which people meet has absolutely nothing to do with how long they will stay in an LDR,” McCornack said. Some predictors of relationship stamina are similarity in personality, values, tastes, commitment, attachment styles and conflict strategies. When you are compatible in most of these areas of similarity, you are better able to understand how well your relationship will function through distance. “You are going to feel a connection no matter what. Distance won’t make it go away, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t pursue something that can work out,” Atakora said.
[bride]Of course, no one opts for an LDR casually. It’s not something you can predict or avoid. “Seventy percent of people will have a long-distance romantic relationship at some point in their lives; 90 percent will have a close friendship that becomes geographically separated,” added McCornack. Be realistic with an LDR. Do you have plans to be together in the future? Are you going into the relationship with good intentions?
Atakora is sure of the future of her LDR. “As soon as I graduate from MSU, I plan to either meet up with Michael in London or Michael will travel to the United States to be with me. This way, Michael and I will both have the education to provide us with jobs and we can get back to what we had before we were separated,” Atakora said. With Atakora’s situation, college could only be a small hump on their long road to relational permanence. To those truly committed to others across land or sea, LDR more accurately stands for “love doesn’t roam.”

Staphylococcus is a term that has filled the ears of every news-watcher in recent months. And no, it’s not a new character on Sesame Street. It is a group of bacteria, also known as staph bacteria, which has the potential to cause a multitude of diseases due to infection of various tissues in the body. As a society, it is important to be aware of the bacteria, but we must recognize how it can affect us individually. “It’s like hearing a plane crashed in a small foreign country and everyone starts thinking it will happen here in the U.S., too. People don’t always understand the context of this bacteria,” Dr. Dele Davies, professor and chair of Pediatrics and Human Development at MSU, said. There is also an initial assumption staph infections are composed of one rare and deadly bacterium, when there are really more than 30 different types of staphylococci that can infect humans. Most infections, however, are caused by staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).[cheathem]
Under the microscope, S. aureus appear as large, round, golden-yellow colonies. “Staph bacteria can live in a healthy person’s nose, scalp, groin, armpits and skin, but once it enters a cut or wound, an infection can set in,” said Marcus Cheathem, principal information officer of the Ingham County Health Department. A lot of the time, we see the bacteria in the form of minor skin infections. The infection presents itself in the form of boils, pimples, impetigo (infections defined by the existence of itchy blisters) and abscesses. This type of S. aureus is passed on to another person through close skin-to-skin contact, cuts in the skin, contaminated surfaces and equipment and poor personal hygiene. [staph]
A typical example of how it’s spread is through close-contact sports such as wrestling or football. “If you participate in contact sports, be careful to shower and wash your hands on a regular basis,” said Cheathem. Fortunately in these cases, the simplicity of good hygiene and draining boils can improve the patient’s condition dramatically and efficiently within several days.
Anyone can develop a staph infection, although some people are at greater risk than others. The prevalence of staph infections differs demographically. Staph-related illness can range from mild and requiring no treatment to severe and potentially fatal. “Up until about 1980, all S. aureus were sensitive to methicillin. Now we have what’s called Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (MRSA),” Dr. Daniel Havlichek, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and professor of Medicine at MSU, said. MRSA is a type of bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics. Some of the frequently used antibiotics include oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin, in addition to methicillin. “There are basically two big families of MRSA, ” Havlichek explained. “The new one is the one that seems to be causing all of the commotion.” Havlichek also said the old MRSA that has been around is mainly seen in long-term hospital or nursing home patients who have some type of deficiency in their immune systems. This includes people who are diabetics, cancer patients, intravenous drug users and those with numerous other medical problems. [staph2]
“The patients at the hospital are more at risk of getting the infection since their immune systems are often compromised, and many of them have open wounds or some sort of medication lines inserted, both of which provide easy access openings into the body for infection,” nursing senior Kelly Baker said. MRSA in these health-care settings usually causes serious and possible life threatening infections, such as bloodstream infections, surgical site infections or pneumonia.
[bakerbun1]Lately, more cases of MRSA infections are cropping up that are community-associated rather than health-care associated. This means normally healthy people are contracting the bacteria outside of hospital care facilities. Looking at the MSU community, this could imply if someone had MRSA, it could easily be spread among the rest of the student body.
These incidents are what Havlichek refers to as the “new” MRSA family. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates approximately 12 percent of MRSA infections are now community-associated. Moreover, this percentage may vary by community and patient population.
A current MSU student has seen this community-associated MRSA up close when one of his family members contracted it. Human biology senior Joe Egan’s younger brother saw a swelling underneath the nail on his left index finger. When the swelling didn’t go down and continued to pus, he decided to see his general practitioner. “The doctor diagnosed it as MRSA, gave him a strong dose of antibiotics and told him to wash it regularly,” Egan said. To make sure it hadn’t spread, Egan’s brother had to visit a surgeon. “I was definitely relieved to find out that the MRSA hadn’t spread because that meant a quicker recovery for him,” Egan said. Fortunately, within a week, the swelling had subsided and the MRSA never returned.
“Basically what we’re seeing is the normal activity of bacteria evolving and becoming more resistant over time to antibiotics. It will increase slowly over time so we need to be hastening to research this new genetic frontier,” Cheathem explained, speaking about the new family of MRSA. If you ask a doctor whether MRSA is a concern in the hospitals, the doctor is likely going to say “yes” because that’s his or her profession. Although staph infections are not going to take over the world in a matter of days, but it is a reason to take these infections seriously. “We don’t know who is susceptible to it or why, but it’s naïve to deny that it’s there,” said Havlichek.
Many MSU students are aware and relatively afraid of the infection. “It’s scary to think that MRSA could possibly become something that I need to worry about. I’ve always considered myself very healthy,” said no-preference freshman Katie Slotter. Slotter became aware of MRSA when her mother was diagnosed with the health-care associated strain in the hospital. Although Slotter understands this type of MRSA is hard to contract in her normal living environment, she has seen the seriousness of the infectious disease. It is a concern of hers that, although it is not a significant threat, the new kind of MRSA can affect the MSU community. [antibody]
Staph bacteria live on a variety of people and places, and when a certain set of conditions comes about, it can cause infection. “I am not really that worried about it. I guess it’s because I’ve been around it a lot working at the hospital and haven’t contracted it,” said Baker. On the other hand, there are a lot of sensible things that concerned people can do to make sure the chances of acquiring a “superbug” staph infection are significantly reduced.
“I can’t stress enough the importance of good hygiene. We need to be vigilant with hand-washing and good hygiene because that’s how it spreads,” said Davies. Some other obvious measures recommended by the CDC include paying attention to cuts and scrapes and not sharing health-care items such as towels and razors. If you see something that is unusual or bothering you, just go get it checked out. It’s that simple. [staph3]
“There are many bacteria in our body and like any bacteria, we can’t get rid of it completely,” said Davies. “But, we want to keep it tempered.” It is tempting to assume staph infections are raging through the university and the country due to heightened media coverage – staph isn’t sweeping through the university like a tidal wave. Through simple preventative measures and vigilant awareness, staph infections can be kept under control. It’s just like many other health complications – prevention is often as simple as washing your hands.

In the complex world of dieting, it may seem like there are so many different diets to choose from and so little time to lose weight. Dieting has become a national pastime, especially for women. In fact, according to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), 91 percent of women on college campuses have dieted. When dissatisfaction with natural body shape or size leads to a decision to actively change physical body weight or shape, a dieting mindset surfaces. But how does one define a diet? Most people think of it as an easy and effective way to permanent weight loss, consistent with the general beliefs of society. However, the most effective method for permanent weight loss is changing your eating habits to a healthier lifestyle. [percent]
A current professor at MSU, Jonathan Robison, stressed, “Ninety to 95 percent of people who lose weight with a diet gain most of the weight back within three to five years.” Robison holds a doctorate in health education/exercise physiology and a master’s of science in human nutrition. His experience with this issue tells us there is no scientific evidence diets lead to being thinner in the long run. “Anybody who restricts specific foods and calories is going against 25 years of research stating this is an unsuccessful way to lose weight and keep it off,” said Robison. Why do these diets fail and why do we keep taking this approach toward losing weight if they don’t work?
It’s not that we aren’t serious about losing weight or are unwilling to put forth our best effort. Despite diet dedication, a majority of diets are intrinsically flawed from the start. It’s not practical to follow a diet that requires you to consume only a certain percentage of calories for a day or to cut an entire food group. “Before I knew the effective way to diet, I thought it meant that the less I ate, the more I would lose. Now I just stick to eating healthier things in general,” said microbiology freshman Cutrina Burse. Burse took up dieting and more exercise as a way to improve her performance on the women’s rowing team. Burse discovered diets weren’t all they were hyped up to be. She made the transition to eating healthier as part of her new lifestyle, and this served to replace the diet altogether.
“There’s no way I would put dieting and health in the same context. The struggle we usually come across is separating what our society thinks is healthy and what really is,” said Ronda Bokram, a nutritionist at the Olin Health Center. “We’re meant to enjoy our food.” This means we need to allow ourselves the food that keeps us fueled and, technically, happy. When a diet alienates us from eating typical, everyday foods, it is guaranteed to fail because our body doesn’t want to continue to pursue it. Therefore, it is vital to be knowledgeable about the approaches to healthy eating and its benefits.
[food]People may make choices about when to eat based on emotions, ideas or habits, but the best eating decisions are often made when one carefully considers the cues from his or her body. “I have a history of disordered eating and at one time, had a very difficult time finding a balance between eating for energy, health, and vitality and not eating at all,” said Beth Brooks, a physical therapy technician at the office of Dr. Gary Gray in Adrian, Mich. Even today, Brooks has to remind herself the foods she puts into her mouth serve a purpose: providing her with vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, fiber, protein and other rudiments.
Coupled with initial dieting struggles are numerous misconceptions and ideas that might mislead the innocent people trying to lose weight and adopt healthier eating habits. Too often, people become victims of dieting fads and fail to find success in their quest to shed some pounds. Here is a list of some myths relating to dieting in contemporary society that have been debunked.
Myth 1: Energy drinks and caffeine burn calories
Energy drinks are extremely popular within this generation of college students. Most consumers aren’t aware these drinks rely on large doses of caffeine to have that boost of energy. “They are designed to give the user a false energy supply. They allow you to push through exercise or performance and result in a crash at the end. During the use you can burn calories, but there has to be activity to do so,” said Justin Gifford, a nutritional specialist and certified personal trainer of Inner Strength, LLC. When looking at the whole picture, caffeine is actually dehydrating. It’s not energy because energy comes from fat, protein and carbohydrates.
Myth 2: Diet supplements are proven effective and are a normal way to shed pounds
In actuality, what you don’t know about diet supplements can hurt you. “I hate advertisements that claim to be the ‘miracle cure,’” said physiology and pre-med sophomore Abigail Podufaly. The draw of these supplements is that they are easy to get and easy to use. The underlying reality to these supplements is there is no such thing as a “magic pill.” When these companies try to sell their product by promising drastic weight loss, they are just giving potential customers a dangerous alternative to safer weight loss practices.
Myth 3: You can lose weight and eat whatever you want
We have all seen those commercials that advertise, “Lose weight and still eat the foods you love!” Tempting as these promises may seem, people cannot lose weight eating whatever they want. “The human body is like a machine, and the way to keep the machine at optimum performance is by feeding it several meals a day,” said Gifford. A haphazard approach to eating can lead to drops in the level of sugar and cause a crash in energy. People should concentrate on eating a variety of foods, in order to maintain a balanced amount of nutrition.[meal]
Myth 4: Certain foods, like grapefruit, celery or cabbage soup, can burn fat and make you lose weight
Sorry, no dice: no foods can actually burn fat. A prime example of myth is the cabbage soup diet. Contrary to the beliefs of many diet enthusiasts, there’s no magical ingredient in cabbage that can help pounds fly. This fad diet is based on the simple idea that if people starve themselves by eating mainly cabbage soup and drinking some water on the side, they will lose weight; this idea is both false and rather unappetizing.
Myth 5: Fat-free and low-fat foods are healthier than “normal” foods
A common mistake people make when they start to change their eating habits is buying and consuming all fat-free and low-fat substances. “Fat-free foods are not always the best choice because some fats are needed to aid the body in performance. Fat is needed to carry essential fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins and phytochemicals throughout the body,” said Gifford. These substances are needed to help build a strong immune system, keep skin clear and blemish-free and help the brain function properly. On the other hand, there are certain fats to watch out for, including trans-fat and saturated fat. These types of fat can increase risk for heart disease.
Although every body is different, every body still displays hunger cues, and this is when intuitive eating comes into play. “It is extremely important to listen to your body when it comes to hunger and cravings because that is your body’s way of telling you that it needs something,” said Brooks. Intuitive eating creates a healthy relationship among food, mind and body: eat when hungry and stop when sated.
“I’ve tried the gamut of diets! Now, I just try to exercise and enjoy eating because I refuse to give up the things I love,” said Podufaly.
The existence of diets will be around as long as losing weight is a priority to society. However, healthy eating habits shouldn’t revolve around the latest dieting trend; such habits should become integrated into daily life. “If you’re serious about losing weight, don’t turn it into a crash diet. Make eating healthy your lifestyle,” said Burse. Diets often work as short-term goals, and myths about certain diets are difficult to avoid. But depending on energy drinks or celery is not an ideal way to reach weight loss goals. Just let your body do the talking – and let your mouth handle the rest.

Every college student has heard of the dangerous \”Freshman 15,\” and in some cases, some students even worry about blazing the trail to the \”Freshman 30.\” It would be nice to say after your first year in college, the fight to maintain a healthy lifestyle only gets easier, but it is only the beginning of the battle. Research has shown an increased level of physical activity is the key component that helps students who are looking to take on the challenge. It does not matter how fitness is defined – what matters is whether a student can apply fitness into a busy life. As many students adapt to the college routine, one of the biggest challenges is keeping in shape while balancing everyday activities, but the positive impact of fitness on students\’ life is undeniable, affecting both physical and mental health.[desktop]
\”Build it around enjoyment rather than a workout if that\’s what motivates you, because any type of movement is better than none at all,\” said Jonathan Kermiet of Health Education Services at the Olin Health Center. According to Kermiet, studies from 2000 show fitness affects numerous aspects of a student\’s life. Fitness can help relax muscles, and, although it cannot be eliminated completely, it tends to help manage stress. When this happens, it also is easier to fall asleep at night. Feel a cold or the flu coming on? Any type of aerobic exercise speeds up the heart, pumps larger quantities of blood, makes you breathe faster to help transfer oxygen from your lungs to your blood and makes you sweat once your body heats up. These side effects will help increase the body\’s virus-killing cells, preventing the flu and cold.
[kermiet1]It is also evident that working out regularly encourages students to leave their dorm rooms. Students are less likely to spend time on the Internet and focus on various bad relationships, both of which can contribute to stressful situations. Some of the short-term effects that people will notice right away are an increase in energy, better concentration, a higher metabolism (leading to weight loss), higher self-esteem and a decrease in depression. These can serve as motivators to work out on a regular basis.
Another motivator that many students rely on is working out with a friend or partner. \”At first, I thought it was kind of pointless to go with a friend to work out because technically, you are not doing the same thing. But then I realized I tend to stay longer and work out harder because I have to wait until they\’re done before I leave,\” said psychology freshman Courtney Loughman.
Loughman brings up an interesting point: a lot of men and women workout in pairs. Whether they serve as a lifting buddy, or just someone to chat with, they are enabling the other to do some sort of physical activity. \”If you need to go to a class or with a friend to get it done, that\’s perfectly normal. Focus on the benefits. Know what you like to do,\” said Kermiet.
But what if you\’re not an athlete? How would you fare in physical activities? It all depends on personal goals and enjoyable activities. If you aren\’t happy with what you\’re doing, you\’re not going to work as hard as you can to reach your full potential. \”I like to play racquetball and disc golf with my friends, and in the process, I don\’t even think about the fact that I am getting a workout,\” said Mark Tornga, a supply chain management sophomore. Those who are looking for beneficial exercise also should stick with what they like. People who love to swim should not force themselves to run five miles. In the end, it could become discouraging to continue with the routine, and results could fail to appear. [fit2]
Something to be wary of while working out is the risk of over-exercising, a danger that many workout fiends don\’t consider. According to the Office of Health Education (OHE) at the University of Pennsylvania, over-exercising, or compulsive exercising or obligatory exercising, is when an individual engages in strenuous physical activity to the point that it is unsafe or unhealthy. Kermiet noted that in a lot of cases, people who have body issues over-exercise as their way of trying to achieve unrealistic perfection. This phenomenon is also common with men who rapidly start lifting weights. Compulsive exercising is risky in many ways. Emotionally, people become socially withdrawn, while physically, it can lead to insomnia, depression, fatigue and dehydration. The OHE also claims that additional side effects may include muscular and skeletal injuries, shin splints, bone fractures, arthritis or damage to cartilage and ligaments. Women can even reach the point to where they are no longer able to menstruate, a condition called amenorrhea. \”Know your body. Be aware of aches and pains and know when to stop,\” said Kermiet.
Sometimes, people don\’t realize there are many different ways to tie fitness into a busy schedule. \”I already find myself more active than in high school. Instead of driving to school and sitting all day, I ride my bike everywhere and walk a lot more,\” said Tornga. He also likes to do push-ups, pull-ups and stretching in his own room because it is more convenient than walking to the gym. Other ways to squeeze fitness into a daily routine include climbing stairs instead of taking the elevator, rocking out to your favorite music (make sure the door\’s closed!) or parking further away from a destination. The bottom line? Any kind of movement increases activity and encourages healthy habits to form.
One common myth that needs debunking is that women are less likely to work out than men. Not true! At Atlas Gym on Hagadorn Road, the ratio of women to men is 60 percent to 40 percent, with 75 percent of the clientele as students. Men tend to lift a lot and do a little cardio, while women attend classes such as strength training, boxing and aerobics. These are all great ways to get in shape and increase energy. But, don\’t think women can\’t lift weights and men can\’t join classes. There is no limit on what people can do to improve their bodies.
[tornga1]\”I run at least five times a week. Three times a week I try to get in a weight training session with 3- to 5-pound weights, a stability ball and a medicine ball. Then I\’ll do routines choreographed by the trainer David Kirsh in the book New York Body Plan,\” said dietetics junior Elise Truman. Her routine has been effective for two years now, and she has kept with it because it works best for her body and schedule. Her motivation is to promote a healthy lifestyle, maintain muscle, burn calories and stay in shape. Truman also understands the importance of activity in various lifestyles. \”I think fitness is an important part of everyone\’s lifestyle, but very much so for a student. It\’s hard to eat right when students are away from home a lot of the time, so exercise is a great way to keep excess weight off,\” she said. \”Also, exercise can help decrease stress, and every student has that.\”
No matter how beneficial regular fitness habits are, it is important to set realistic goals. Know exactly what you hope to improve, and find something that personally works for you and your schedule. It can be hard to drag yourself to the gym, or even outside to hit the pavement, but with a good pair of shoes, a positive attitude and goals to guide you along the way, it can be easy (and fun!) to dive into a new and healthy lifestyle and never look back.