Feminism.

A word most often heard in history classes, associated with bra-burning and the revolutationary times of the 60’s.

The Women's Study Lounge in the Union is a reminder of a more sex-segregated time at MSU (photo credit: Emily Lawler).

Many students at Michigan State University have misconceptions about the feminist movement and are unaware that it still exists.

“I haven’t heard anything about it on campus.  I never hear anything about it, ever,” said Kelsey Hansen, a telecommunication and criminal justice junior.  Hansen refers to feminism and her experience with it at MSU.  She said the only thing she knew about feminism’s purpose was the effort to equalize the rights of women to the rights that men have.

Hansen is not alone, and that is the general notion that most students have.  However, there is an organization on campus that is fighting to bring awareness and clarification to what feminism is.

The MSU Women’s Council is a progressive feminist organization on campus,  said Chelsea Gladney, a junior who co-chairs the council.  The group meets once a week and has approximately 35 regular members.

“‘Feminism is the radical notion that women are people too,’” said Gladney, quoting the slogan that the MSU Women’s Council has printed on their t-shirts.

Many of the weekly meetings held by the MSU Women’s Council focus on the stereotypes that members and feminists in general face.  According to Gladney, the portrayal of feminism as an aggressive and negative movement is inaccurate.

“It’s supposed to be strong and it’s supposed to be empowering, not in any way demeaning to anyone,” she said.

Gladney pointed out that while feminism is characterized by activism, it is also a belief system that can be held by anyone and is an international concept.

“Feminism is for everyone, it really is for everyone.  It’s not just for middle-class white women who have all the opportunities.  It’s for black, Asian, Hispanic, men, women, lesbian, gays, transgenders, it’s for everyone.  It’s not just for people of this country.  We have a very different form of feminism than [other nations] do somewhere else, but they still have their own forms of feminism.  It’s international,” Gladney said.

A fact that students may be surprised about is male participation in feminism.   Gladney said that the MSU Women’s Council has three male members that attend the weekly meetings, and if a man believes in women’s equality he is a feminist.

Killian Lynam, a general business and pre-law junior, said that he believes that feminism belongs at MSU and society in general.

“I think that [feminists] are advocates for women’s equality.  I don’t think that they are any different than people who advocate for racial equality.  I think there is definitely a place for [feminism],” said Lynam.

Lynam said that misconceptions, such as all feminists are lesbians, is the result of ignorant thinking.

“I think that feminism is a really misunderstood concept.  I think that the sort of radical element pierces through most people’s minds, when really it shouldn’t be taken as threatening,” Lynam said.

Kristina Banister Quynn, a visiting assistant professor who teaches WRA and IAH classes at MSU, uses women’s texts and feminist ideas in the way she teaches and the readings she assigns to her students.

Dr. Quynn explained that feminism might not be as prevalent and visible today as it has been before, but that it does still exist.  She cited the Take Back the Night event, hosted by the MSU Women’s Council, which occurs on campus each year as a strong example of feminism on campus.

“The Take Back the Night march here on campus, which I think is very well attended, and it’s about women getting together and having a candlelight march through spaces where they would feel uncomfortable walking alone at night, and say ‘We won’t be afraid, we will take back the night, and be able to walk on our own,’” she said.

Female mannequins model "kiss me" shirts ins in a union storefront (photo credit: Emily Lawler).

According to Gladney, the Take Back the Night (TBTN) occurs annually at MSU and will be held on Apr. 20 of this year.  The event is held to support survivors of sexual assault and encourages them to stand up and tell their stories.  Workshops for both men and women are available during the day.

“These events help women and men heal and come together as a community.  TBTN lends strength, and I like to think that it lets everyone know that they are not alone and that people are still working for their cause… Working to end violence against women comes along with feminism.  We want to end violence towards all people,” Gladney said.

Feminism has not transformed, but rather, transitioned into a more inclusive movement of women from all backgrounds, Quynn said.  There are now multiple types of feminisms, such as pro-choice or lesbian Chicana feminisms.  This inclusiveness moves toward including all women, not just middle-class Caucasian women.

According to Quynn, although the negative stereotypes regarding feminism still exist, it can come back into a positive light.

“Nothing shuts down conversation or makes people more wary than claiming to be [a feminist].  I can, however, claim to be studying and interested in issues of sex and gender, and immediately people’s ears perk up.  All in all, I think labels come and go, fading in and out of popularity, and who knows maybe ‘feminism’ will make a come back,” Quynn said.

For this month’s Hot & Healthy, keep things light, lemony and lovely with Devin’s pasta salad just in time for spring!

And once you try out that salad, get ready to toss her salad with this month’s scandalous sex act. Just please the perineum with your tongue, let things heat up and then indulge in some more pasta salad!

College relationships. To many, college love is the graduation from high school crushes and puppy dog love to mature relationships that, hopefully, offer promises of a bright future, post graduation and beyond – as long as you survive the ‘break up season.’

Every year between January and March, couples will begin to split for what appears to be no good reason. You may notice it among your group of friends. Couples who have dated for months and years alike will slowly begin to break things off in hopes of finding something new.

Kate Mortensen, an economics junior, has experienced relationship troubles nearly every winter.

“Its just general unhappiness,” explains Mortensen. “Everything will be going smoothly for months, but every winter things just seem to go downhill, until spring, and everything suddenly will be perfect again… It just seems like we get the winter blues or something.”

Mortensen’s relationship stresses are not unlike many around campus and are generally dismissed by students as mere winter blues; however, they may actually be side effects from a mood disorder called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD, as stated by the Mayo Clinic, is a type of depression that starts at the same time every year, usually during the winter months, and can lead to moodiness and irritability. Other symptoms include hopelessness, anxiety, loss of energy, social withdrawal and weight gain. SAD is treatable, and treatment ranges from UV light exposure to prescription drugs; however, tanning is a simpler solution that will give you the same benefits without pricey doctor visits.

Tanning may be the solution.

Sarah Munkacsy, owner and operator of Bronze Bay Tanning in downtown East Lansing is a strong believer that tanning is a viable treatment for SAD and a better alternative than taking prescription drugs.

“A lot of people come in and say ‘I’m really depressed,’” she said. “[Personally] I feel so much better when I tan.”

Munkacsy, who was diagnosed several years ago with SAD, spent several winters taking antidepressants like Prozac in an attempt to return to her normal, vibrant self.

“I just didn’t like how I felt. I usually have a type A personality, and I just didn’t feel like myself,” she said.

Upon being asked about her relationship with her husband, Munkacsy said she did not feel like she changed toward him. Her husband, who works with her at their tanning salon, told a different story, signaling that she was quite moody before she began treatment.

After several winters of taking Prozac, Munkacsy approached her doctor asking if there were any other treatment options for her SAD. Her doctor suggested tanning two to three times a week, and she hasn’t looked back.

“It’s so much better than drugs,” she said. “I feel like myself again.”

What is it about tanning that makes people feel better? Katie Edwards, an employee at Bronze Bay Tanning, explained it in simple terms.

Edwards had recently worked on a research project involving tanning and its general effects on the body. According to her research, light exposure leads to two different mood elevating chemical reactions. The first is the production of vitamin D, which studies suggest is directly related to moods; that is, the more vitamin D you have in your system, the happier you tend to be. The second reaction is the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin, as with vitamin D, is stimulated by light exposure and is directly linked to moodiness and possibly depression. During the summer months, most Michiganders are active and readily get sufficient light exposure; however, with the typically overcast winters, light and warm days are hard to come by. Therefore, less sunlight means less vitamin D and serotonin, and as a result also means moodiness, depression and a strain on your relationships.

SAD is suspected to affect up to 20 percent of the general population; however, Munkacsy believes most cases go undiagnosed and dismissed as moodiness or winter blues.

“I have tried tanning and do feel a lot better after I go,” said Mortensen. “I’ve never officially been diagnosed with [SAD], but whatever winter moodiness I have, it clears it up pretty well.”

Mortensen, who has struggled with relationships during the aforementioned ‘break up season,’ went on to talk about her relationships.

“It seemed like I’d get in a lot of petty fights pretty readily for no reason,” she said, “but since I started tanning it’s been a lot easier over the winter months. I just hope that [my boyfriend] feels the same way.”

“I think that most people aren’t educated about [SAD],” said Munkacsy. She suggests that anyone interested in tanning and its positive affects on mood should visit www.tanningtruth.com.

“It’s such an easy fix. If people knew how much better you feel after tanning, a lot more people would be doing it,” said Mortensen.

So before you break off another relationship between the months of January and March, try getting a tan. The results could save your relationship and make you feel more like yourself again.

It’s college, right? When textbooks run $500 a semester and paying a parking meter is difficult, some students are looking for ways to eat for free. A growing number of MSU students are finding an alternative way of getting their groceries, and let’s just say this practice requires a strong stomach.

Dumpstering or dumpster diving is, well, exactly how it sounds. It has become a bi-monthly routine for some students. The downside is climbing into dumpsters and rifling through garbage to possibly find a couple of unharmed cans of soup or a bag of partially bruised apples.

“My experience was kind of a letdown,” said Katie Adams, a professional writing senior, of her first unsuccessful dumpster diving trip.

When the concept was explained to me, I imagined opening a dumpster to find bags of bagels, loaves of bread or boxes of unharmed rolls. I pictured them being available to reach from the bin and take home to toast for breakfast the next morning. This, however, was not the case when I — excuse the pun– dove into the challenge. After three dumpsters full of empty cups, plastic bags and coffee-stained boxes, I found the ends of a few bread loaves mixed in with other trash. I was an amateur, at best. I gave up my first attempt at freeganism after three hours and five dumpsters filled with nothing but garbage. 

The upside, however, is free groceries, and potentially a lot of them.

“The trick is to be systematic,” Adams said. “Some of my friends who do it all of the time get a whole trunk full of bread. I guess you just have to pick the right place and time of day and hopefully you’ll get lucky.”

Jessica Checkeroski, a studio art senior, is a bit more dedicated to the cause. She doesn’t consider herself a freegan, though she goes dumpstering about twice a month.

“I look for bread, fruit, and vegetables. Anything else like cereal or vegan hot dogs is just a nice surprise,” said Checkeroski.

Sticking mainly to grocery stores with compactors or bakeries, Checkeroski doesn’t feel nervous about the cleanliness of the food that she picks up because most of it is packaged or surrounded by other food.

“[It’s] like finding a garbage bag of just bagels or a box of just potatoes,” she said.

Checkeroski won’t just take anything, though.

“If something looks gross, it probably is. I used to think the idea of taking food out of a dumpster seemed unsafe but once I went, I realized that the food isn’t in that bad of shape at all. Especially now that it is winter, my logic is that if it is frozen its shelf life is longer.”

Checkeroski has never known anyone to get sick from the food they’ve found on a dumpster dive but understands why it won’t sell in stores.

“I get why the food can’t be sold – bruises, freshness, too ripe – but [for it] not to be used is wasteful,” said Checkeroski.

In regards to issues of legality, Checkeroski has never experienced any problems, though she has heard of others who have.

Hannah Nowicki, an employee at Great Harvest Bread Company in Okemos, had never heard the term freegan before, but she has heard stories of college students rummaging through their dumpster after hours.

“About 2 to 3 months ago we were taking out the garbage while closing down for the night, and the girls found some students digging through the dumpster,” said Nowicki.

Since Great Harvest Bread Company gives their extra bread to soup kitchens in the area, the students could not have been finding much more than a few loaf ends.

“My friends who were working told them that they wouldn’t find anything, but the students refused to leave. The police were called because they were trespassing,” said Nowicki.

Checkeroski feels that the food she finds in dumpsters is fair game.

“Once something is in the trash, let me decide if the risk is worth taking or not,” she said.

Freeganism isn’t just about dumpster diving. It is an entire lifestyle based off of surplus food and materials that are put to waste daily by consumers and manufacturers. The freegan movement was started in the 1990s as part of the environmentalist and anti-globalization trends happening at the time and has grown quite large in New York, Los Angeles and London — where foraging waste is called bin-diving or skipping.

According to freegan.info, those who first practiced freeganism still purchased items. They tried to boycott major companies that tested products on animals, violated human rights or abused the environment, qualities that didn’t set them apart from most activist groups of their kind. After realizing that every purchase they made was still “supporting something deplorable,” freegans took on a new, unique set of principles. By almost fully rejecting the entire economic system, freegans maintain the concept of boycotting all things mass-produced, animal tested or environmentally unfriendly.

Although dumpster diving is the most common practice, many freegans are also vegans. Vegans chose a diet that consists of only animal-free foods for political and health reasons. Freegans often adopt this lifestyle for the same reasons but also because a cruelty-free diet is more economical than one that includes animal products.

Freegans aren’t alone in their quest for free food. Some students who do not wish to dig through garbage have applied for bridge cards as a way of avoiding the cost of groceries. Bridge cards are like electronic food stamps and are offered by the federal government to anyone who qualifies (qualifications vary from state to state).

“I would say most of the people who have it need it. It’s hard to say exactly who does,” said Alan O’Donnell, a human biology senior. “Technically, I’d probably survive without it, but it definitely helps.”

Applications can be filled out online, and they ask questions about personal income but not about parents’ income or whether the applicant is claimed as a dependant. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is an entitlement program, meaning anyone who applies and meets the requirements will automatically be given a bridge card. The idea is that the card will help facilitate the costs of monthly spending on groceries and not be the sole means for providing food.

The card is issued by household, so everyone who applies is given a different amount to spend each month depending on his or her income. Bridge card owners cannot purchase alcohol, cigarettes or household items (including toothpaste), and are limited by the amount they are given by the government.

According to Marie Boyle and David Holben in their book, Community Nutrition in Action, one of the drawbacks of the card is that it does not necessarily allot enough money to buy nutritional items, so the USDA and the DHHS are concerned that bridge card users cannot afford to follow the dietary guidelines that they set for Americans. Because of this, these organizations are rallying to give more money to people with bridge cards, which could mean a lot to students who struggle to make ends meet.

Though my first experience with freeganism didn’t yield anything but a few photos of garbage, I feel like the dumpster divers are on to something. If you can stomach the idea of getting into a pile of trash, you can walk away from the experience with food for the week or at least a story to tell friends. Then again, not everyone is cut out for the freegan lifestyle – I stopped trying after a few hours and ended up at Noodles & Company. Inside, that is.

For this month, sauce things up with Devin Bone’s “BOOM Roasted BBQ Sauce.” Check out this Bar-B-Cutie!

To keep things saucy once you’re done indulging with some BBQ pulled pork, check out this sex move from Cosmopolitan, the saucy spoons!  Both partners lie on their side facing the same direction, and the giver enters the receiver from behind.  This position allows the giver’s hands extra access to pleasure the receiver with touching them in all the places that count.

While traditionally sendoff gifts for students include cash, leftovers and clean laundry, pepper spray is becoming a rising trend.

When no-preference freshman Emily Snoek went home for Thanksgiving and told her parents that during her first three months of college she walked home alone almost every night, they were certain she needed pepper spray.

“I tried to convince them I was okay, but they really wanted me to have it so I came back with pepper spray from Thanksgiving,” Snoek said.

Snoek, a member of the co-ed campus a cappella singing group State of Fifths, walks home from rehearsal at the music building to her Yakeley-Gilchrist Hall dorm. She now walks with her hot pink pepper spray in her hand ready to use.

“I think they got a little worried about me when they heard I had been walking alone so much so now when I walk home when it’s dark, I carry it in my hand ready to use and it makes me feel safer,” she said.

Snoek says she gets questions about the pink plastic dispenser that hangs from her key chain often.

“People notice it and ask what it is.  When I tell guys I have it they usually ask me if I’ve tested it out on anybody,” she said.

Unlike Snoek, Nishat Islam was motivated to buy pepper spray for herself as a safety precaution in response to the female attacks that occurred on campus in the fall.

“I heard earlier in the semester that one girl was attacked on just a Wednesday coming home from class.  That was so random and it really made me think it can happen to anyone, so I wanted to be prepared if that was me,” she said.

Islam, also a no-preference freshman, had evening classes fall semester, which prompted her decision to invest in pepper spray. She now carries her pepper spray with her at all times and holds on to it whenever she walks alone at night.

“One night when I was walking home from my class a bunch of boys came out of the woods, and I held onto my pepper spray so tight. I was so glad I had it that night,” Islam said.

While neither student has used her pepper spray, both say it makes them feel safer just having it on them.

Will having pepper spray really keep you safe in the case of an attack? According to MSU Police Sgt. Paul Kuchek, using pepper spray when attacked may cause more harm than good, and carrying certain types of pepper spray could even be illegal. The amount that is allowed according to MSU ordinance, .05 oz., is very small compared to what law enforcement officials carry and will likely fail to completely incapacitate an attacker.

“I’ve been sprayed with it many times in my training and what I was sprayed with was much stronger and I was still able to defend myself through the pain, so it may not be effective,” Kuchek said.

While it may not be an effective tool to fend off attackers, pepper spray does effectively give female students peace of mind in unavoidable situations that may be potentially unsafe.

“It just makes me feel better knowing that even if you cant beat a male physically you have another method,” Islam said, “Even when girls are strong they still could be at a disadvantage since boys can at least try to beat up an attacker when girls wouldn’t be as likely to be able to.”

While pepper spray is evidently more prevalent among the female student population, male students may be more likely to experience physical violence.  According to MSU sociology professor Stephanie Nawyn, men are more likely to be injured or to experience physical violence than women.

“There is a sense that women are more vulnerable and the assumption that men can protect themselves, since many women don’t have the experience with fighting that many men often get from a young age,” Nawyn said.

Nawyn, who specializes in sex and gender issues, explained that carrying pepper spray can be emasculating to men and although men experience more physical violence than women, women are more susceptible to sexual assaults.

“Pepper spray seems to be more about protection from sexual crimes, but since sexual crimes usually occur with people you know, carrying it around campus isn’t where women are most vulnerable,” she said. “It’s not if you have it with you on campus, it’s do you have it at the family reunion with the creepy uncle or in your home with your husband or boyfriend, and would you be brave enough to use it on someone you loved?”

Whether using pepper spray as protection from strangers on the ‘rape trail’ or from family members at a family reunion, confidence is crucial.

“I hope I never have to, but I hope I would be brave enough to use it if I did need to,” Islam said.

Although female students may never use it, simply having it on their key chains makes them feel more confident that they could fight back if attacked.

“If you get attacked your adrenaline will start going and having even a little bit of power from the pepper spray will make you a bit more likely to fight back or at least try,” Snoek said.

Fighting back in a rape or attack situation may seem natural for some women or be difficult for others, it may be worth the risk since retaliating could prevent the crime.

“For most rapists, you will stop them if you try to fight back,” Nawyn said.

While carrying pepper spray is not the only way to stay safe, it can provoke female confidence and empowerment.

“Women should do what they need to do to feel safe: Carry the pepper spray if it helps you know you’re worth it, but have the confidence to go with it too,” Nawyn said.

Though the benefits of carrying pepper spray include confidence and peace of mind, there are unfortunate disadvantages to using it on a perpetrator.  In addition to not completely incapacitating the attacker, the use of the pepper spray could potentially increase their aggression, Kuchek says.

“If you spray someone you need to be prepared to defend yourself physically, because more than likely it will just tick off your attacker so they will come after you, but on the other hand if the attacker is unsure about the attack, it could make them give up,” he said.

Pepper spray in and of itself may not fend off attackers. Carriers should consider taking other proactive steps to prevent attacks.

“If it if makes you more confident, carry the pepper spray but also take a self defense class and stand up to a boyfriend in a bad relationship,” Nawyn said.

Pepper spray or not, female confidence goes a long way in promoting safety and preventing sexual crimes. For students like Snoek and Islam, that confidence comes from something hanging from the their keychain.

“You never know what can happen,” Snoek said, “I’d rather be the exception that gets away.”

Additional Safety Tips From MSU Police Sgt. Paul Kuchek:

1)     Be aware of your surroundings: Make sure you are paying attention when you are walking, especially at night.  Put away your phone and Ipod so you know what is going on around you.

2)     Safety in Numbers: Try to get two or more people to walk with you, especially when it is dark.

3)      Splurge or beg for a safe ride: Spend the extra dollar or two for public transportation and if you are in dire need to get out of a bad situation immediately call a friend you can count on to come pick you up.

4)     Take the Scenic Route: Don’t take the short cuts around campus that are in remote places.  At night take the long way, get some exercise and stay safe.

5)     It Can Happen to Anyone, don’t Let it be you: It’s not just females that need to be careful, when males are walking across campus intoxicated, people know they can’t fight back and can take advantage of that.

Plenty of single women are taking the opportunity to have a girls’ night with good friends instead of chasing the traditional Valentine’s Day dream of dinner, chocolates and budding romance. Whether it’s an expression of independence or a stand against those dates that have gone wrong in the past, it’s happening, and it might just be a refreshing way to spend your February 14.

“I’ve had a girls’ night [on Valentine’s Day] many times,” said social work master’s student Cherie Michaud. The more I think about it, it’s a kind of Valentine celebration with the people you care about who are friends instead of a significant other.”

Others have taken to this trend, as well, celebrating with people who they love, not necessarily a significant other.

“I’ve done it with my girlfriends so that no one has to spend Valentine’s Day alone. I look at it as spending time with the people that you love regardless if it’s a friend of significant other,” said creative advertising senior Nina Altadonna.

But it’s not just the ladies of MSU that are banning together to celebrate.

“It’s not only the girls; it’s just anyone who doesn’t have plans,” Michaud said.  Friends, regardless of gender, are finding a fun way to spend the day.

“We usually just invite whoever is available,” Altadonna said.

And the men agree.

“I probably won’t hang out with a girl; I’ll hang out with my guy friends,” said economics junior Trevor Stiles.  “If it is a guys’ night, it would be because we’re all single, and Valentine’s Day is a reminder that we’re single; it’s good, and it’s bad. There are two ways of looking at it.”

You might just call the emerging tradition a “friends’ night,” not deliberately planned, but powerful nonetheless.

Beth Woodworth, an advertising senior, has a Valentine this year, but if not she would be spending the holiday with close friends.

“I wouldn’t be looking for a date. I’d probably just go to the movies with my friends and include some drinks,” Woodworth said.

Publications and event listings are even catering to this new trend. New York Magazine has a special feature for singles, which reads, “Trust us: Being an uncoupled city girl on the most romantic day of the year means there’s fun to be had.”

The article includes reviews and suggestions for places to go out with your friends.

“If Valentine’s Day fell on a weekend, I’d be going out to the bar, but since it’s Sunday we will stay at home and drink some wine instead,” Altadonna said.

With friends to fall back on, the urgency of locking down a date has almost disappeared from campus.

“I am absolutely not looking for a date. If it happens, it happens, but I am not worried about it,” Stiles said.

This sentiment is echoed from many students.

“No, I am definitely not looking for a date.” Michaud said. “I feel like it is a day to spend with someone special, not someone you grabbed off the street and said, ‘Hey, take me to dinner!’ I think it should have a little more meaning than that.”

“I’m not looking. I don’t care to have a date. I would want to be out on a date with a boyfriend, but I don’t want to be cliché and date just because it’s a holiday,” Altadonna said.

If no one is actively looking for romantic dates, are we in the midst of a Valentine’s Day transformation? You have to wonder if friendship will replace the traditional date in coming years.

“[Girls’ night is] definitely taking over, at least in college, because I think it’s so rare to go on sporadic dates with people who aren’t in relationships. Even my friends who have dates will go out to dinner, but meet up with us afterwards,” Altadonna said.

Woodworth agreed and noted the increased amount of anti-Valentine’s Day sentiment.

“Now there are Facebook groups being made against Valentine’s Day and events inviting people to go out to the bar instead.”

There are also those romantics who believe that faith is not lost in the traditional date.

“The date is still very idealistic, and the girls want to have a date for V-day because it is just the way we’re programmed. Anyone’s first choice would be to go on a date,” Michaud said.

The traditional dinner, chocolates, flowers and heartfelt card can be interpreted as an intimate expression of love or a sad attempt to capitalize on the holiday, depending on who you ask.

According to History.com, the truth is that the tradition of Valentine greetings date back to the Middle Ages with written Valentine cards coming on to the scene around the 1400s. The first commercial cards produced in the U.S. were made in the 1840s.

The Greeting Card Association, has estimated one billion Valentine cards are sent and received each year, an amount second only to Christmas cards.

“I think it’s been so blown out of proportion it goes past what the day should really be about,” Michaud said. “Things like love and caring for someone. I know that flowers, candy and dinner are kind and meaningful gestures, but now it has become expected. You’re not even surprised anymore.”

“I think a lot of [the holiday] is Hallmark, because they try to juice as much out of it as they can. With jewelry, cards and candy, corporations and businesses are taking advantage of it,” Altadonna said.

Considering all of the hype and money spent on this holiday, it can sometimes be hard to remember what the day is all about.

“I think it’s a little overrated but cool because you can take a day out of the year and spend it with who you love,” Stiles said.

The true meaning of Valentine’s Day is not lost at MSU. Instead, it is being celebrated in different ways. Those who do not have a romantic partner to go out with will join their friends for the night. The idea is that no one will be left alone because true love is still being celebrated, regardless of the form it takes.

If you’re still feeling pessimistic about V-day this year, just remember that there are worse holidays to look forward to.

“It’s way better than Sweetest Day,” Stiles said.

Katie Frey celebrated her 21^st birthday for four days.  Sounds like the perfect formula for an epic hangover, right?  However, the MSU student decided to only drink during one of those days.  The rest of the time she chose to spend with family and friends, completely sober.

“I’m really glad I chose the way I did.  I got to celebrate with all the people that I wanted to and in a way that I could remember everything,” Frey said.

Frey spent the evening of her birthday having dinner with her family.  She had one glass of wine at dinner and went for a couple of drinks with her best friend later that night.  After that she spent the next two days without alcohol having game nights with friends in East Lansing and her hometown.

“I really wanted to spend quality time with all my friends, and most of my friends are under 21,” Frey said.

Finally, on the fourth day of celebrations, Frey had a picnic with her extended family and also her boyfriend’s family.  Again, she didn’t drink, deciding that she had plenty of time to go out to the bars later.

“I really believe that life can be just as rich and wonderful and fun and adventurous and crazy without alcohol,” Frey said.  “Drinking can be fun, but if you let it consume your life, you miss out.”

Andrew Rutherford, who turned 21 during finals week in December, cited safety as an important element to remember.  Rutherford said that his mother, who works at Sparrow Hospital, sees people being brought in to have their stomach pumped all the time.

“I think a lot of people just think that people go out with their friends, and they’ll go to the furthest extreme they can get,” Rutherford said.

Rutherford decided to take a break from finals and celebrate his birthday with friends at a local restaurant.  He had a few drinks throughout the night and paced himself.

Rutherford said that he had too much going for him to mess it up by getting into a risky situation.

“I think people on their 21^st birthday, it’s like they made it and they just don’t care for a night, and that can be really dangerous,” he said.

While some individual students are shying away from the stereotype of overindulging on their 21^st birthday, managers of East Lansing bars are also encouraging celebrating carefully.

Paul Stewart, manager of Crunchy’s, said that he wants customers to enjoy themselves while celebrating responsibly.

“Being able to go to the bars is part of college life, but it shouldn’t have ill-effects against your college life,” Stewart said.

In order to achieve safety for customers, Crunchy’s and many other East Lansing bars are members of the Responsible Hospitality Council (RHC).

According to the RHC webpage, “The purpose of the RHC is to adopt practices that promote responsible advertising, safe on-site management, community stewardship, compliance with state and local liquor laws and responsible alcohol consumption by our patrons.”

Stewart, who is an executive board member of the RHC, explained that the RHC has specific rules for patrons celebrating their 21^st birthday.  According to a Best Practices document, a few of the rules include:  the celebrant and designated driver are identified, the table may only have one server, no one is allowed to order directly from the bar and service will be refused to the table if it needs to be stopped to any member of the table.

According to the website, there are currently 17 establishments that are members of the RHC.

Francisco Delatorre, manager of Harper’s Restaurant & Brew Pub, said that Harper’s tries to avoid hosting 21^st birthday parties.  He also said that patrons are not allowed to become very intoxicated because his employees are trained to recognize the signs of too much to drink.  He advised that students not drink too much on their 21^st birthday and to definitely not drive after drinking.  According to the RHC webpage, Harper’s is a member of the RHC.

Chelsea Grantham is another MSU student that chose to not drink too much on her 21^st birthday.  Grantham said that she drank less on her 21^st birthday than she had on previous birthdays because she wanted to have fun and remember it, too.  Grantham also said that she didn’t want to adhere to the stereotype of getting too drunk.

Grantham said that students might feel pressured to drink more on their 21^st birthday because strangers will buy them drinks, and people are encouraged to do “more shots than average.”

It is possible to not have to be carried home after turning 21.  Some MSU students are not always overindulging, and bars are encouraging that.  Either way, students should be careful while celebrating.  After all, being able to remember the experience and the stories that go with it is half the fun.

So, it may be just a little after the holidays, but everyone still enjoys some eggnog every now and then, right?  Of course!  So in honor of the season, here’s Nick Lippard’s delectable eggnog french toast.

And to burn off those calories, along with any other calories you inevitably gathered throughout the holiday season, let’s go with a sex move that includes a bit of a French twist!  That’s right, it’s the Eiffel Tower.

So, go ahead and grab those two dear friends of yours and give this thing a go. Simply have one girl in between two guys.  She will be on her hands and knees giving oral sex to the one guy while the other will be satisfying her from behind. The two guys put their hands together into a triangle formation, and voila! French architecture in a sex move.

“I would never date a man whore,” said advertising senior Brittany Hickman.

She’s not alone. Around MSU when women talk about promiscuous men they, more often than not, refer to them as man whores.

A promiscuous woman is labeled a slut.  Is a man whore the male equivalent? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary does not even recognize “man whore” as a word. It is a term in pop culture that women have made up.  That does not make it any less significant, though.

“A man whore is a guy that gets with a lot of girls but doesn’t have any standards. He’ll get with any girl, any time, any place,” said political science senior David Das. For guys, the man whore is usually the source of entertainment among his friends. “It’s a double standard, [for man whores and sluts] when your friend is a man whore, it’s always funny, like free entertainment,” Das said.

Among men the consensus is when a woman is called a slut it’s more offensive than a man being called a man whore.

“The word slut is demeaning to a woman, but when we use man whore we’re not looking down on anybody, or any guy,” Das said.

“Slut is a more degrading term. You hear guys being called sluts, too. I hear that all of the time. Being called a male slut is worse than being called a man whore, though,” said economics senior and self-proclaimed “retired man whore” Alex Mortenson. Now focused on graduation, Mortenson said that he used to get around a lot.

“Girls think it’s one of the worst things you could say about someone.”

Traditionally a man who sleeps with a lot of women is called a player or a ladies’ man, but now the term has changed.

“A ladies’ man hooks up with a decent amount of girls, but he puts in the work. He’s not with a different girl every night, and he doesn’t go up to every girl and ask for it,” Das said.

“The difference is rejection,” said electrical engineering senior Billy Mattingly. “A man whore doesn’t mind being rejected; it’s like he’s on a mission. If he’s rejected 30 times in a night, he’ll take home girl number 31 if she’s willing.”

Mortenson admits to being called a man whore more than once in his life.

“I guess if people hear that you’ve slept with more than one person in a short amount of time they’re going to call you a man whore. Even if you met three gorgeous girls, and you like them all, you’re still called one. It is not necessarily true.”

“With a lot of guys it’s a pride thing too. If a girl says it, it’s not a complement. If another guy calls you a man whore, though, it’s definitely a complement,” Mortenson said.

Men may think that having a man whore around is fun, but women tend to think differently.

“A man whore is someone who knows how to talk to women, and they charm them. They do this to get what they want from a girl, and usually sleep with multiple women and aren’t ashamed of it,” Hickman said.

Some people think that it’s just human nature for men to behave this way and boys will be boys, but it is hard to ignore that American pop culture is driven by the media. Movies our generation watched as preteens, like Austin Powers and American Pie, glorified male promiscuity. Now current television shows like Entourage reinforce the same ideals.

“I think that the media influences you, but not to the extent where you act on it. Maybe there is a desire to be like Vince from Entourage; what guy wouldn’t want to get any girl he could? But it also has to do with age. People our age know that it’s the movies; maybe for younger people the media has more influence,” Das said.

“American Pie and Old School were the two that began all of it,” Mortenson said. “They had a lot of influence on that genre. I was influenced by those movies when I was younger.”

Others disagree and believe that men are not simple creatures who repeat after any movie or TV show they watch.

“Movies are just movies. They are telling the story of how men behave, over the top, of course. But I don’t think it’s really glorified. Like ‘American Pie,’ for example, Stifler is the man whore of his friends, but they’re not glorifying it in any way, unless you want to be like Stifler. A lot of people don’t,” Mattingly said.

If the media doesn’t contribute to man whore behaviors, men must be acting naturally with television and movies mirroring life. This isn’t a new occurrence; MSU has always been full of promiscuous men looking for action with no strings attached.

“Yes, this was back in 1972. Of course it was the age of free love and sex, but as far as the media went it was kind of in its infancy. On broadcast television there wasn’t a whole lot. There was some suggestive humor, but not as blatant or open as it is today,” said MSU alumni Mark Iansiti.

Mortenson suggests that the average age of college students may explain the population of man whore’s around MSU.

“I feel as people get older they slowly realize that life is not all about sex. It is the age of people that around campus, they are all 18 to 22,” he said.

As a father, Iansiti is able to see the influence that the media has on his son’s behaviors and actions.

“I think there is some innate behavioral hard wiring in young people to explore, act out and rebel. But I think that the movies and the media industries capitalize on that and recognize the interest young people have in that behavior,” he said.

“Because sex sells [television and movie studios] take real world situations and glorify them to make them into Hollywood dramas. At least a mature audience knows that it’s been glorified and not realistic,” Das said. “It’s a fantasy thing.”

Children and teens will always have idols that have questionable behaviors, and it’s easy to compare the free love preached by rock stars of the seventies with media’s promotion of man whore’s today.

“It depends on where they get their influences,” Iansiti said. “Some people were motivated by music and some by TV.”

Men may not like to admit that they act like the characters in pop culture, but there are always women to call them out.

“Guys totally act the way they do because of popular movies and TV shows,” Hickman said. “I’ve noticed my guy friends acting different. It’s like they’ve got more testosterone after watching movies like that.”

The reasoning behind the man whore population around campus may boil down to the age old question of nature verses nurture, but every person has their own opinion. In the future maybe we will answer this question with experiments and research studies, but for now womankind is forced to live with it. Or as Mortenson suggests, wait it out until the current man whore is grown up like himself.

Do us a favor, man whores of MSU, before you use a pick up line from a movie, just remember that we’ve probably seen it, too.