Zombies, although not literally, have been sweeping the nation, with movies like Zombieland and television shows like The Walking Dead. With the zombie fever heating up, a new game Humans v Zombies, or HvZ as the players call, has emerged across the world at over 650 colleges and universities.

HvZ is essentially a game of tag. All of the players start the game as humans and one player is randomly chosen to be the original zombie. This original zombie then has to tag the human players and turn them into zombies. The game is won when either the zombies have turned all the human players into zombies or when the humans survive long enough for all the zombies to starve, which is when a zombie does not tag a human within forty-eight hours.

“There really isn’t anything more appealing then running around a beautiful campus like MSU’s, shooting NERF guns at other people. It just sounded like so much fun,” humanities pre-law sophomore Ben Burroughs said when speaking of why he decided to be a part of the HvZ game.

Photo credit: humansvszombies.org

A few of the basic things to know about HvZ are that humans must wear a bandana around their arm to identify themselves as humans in the game. When the players are turned into zombies, they must transfer the bandana to their heads.  Players are turned into zombies by getting tagged by an existing zombie in the game; after they are tagged they have now become an official member of the zombie team. The human players of the game are the ones who are waking around with the NERF guns.  They have these guns so they can stun the zombies for fifteen minutes by blasting them with the dart guns. This means that the zombies cannot interact in the game in anyway until those fifteen minutes are up.

With the undead roaming the streets of MSU’s campus, the humans are on the lookout, NERF guns held high in anticipation for a zombie attack. The HvZ game has really taken off and many students have joined in on the fun.

“I absolutely enjoy playing it, and I will most likely play until I graduate. It makes going to class and hanging out on campus a thousand times more fun,” said Burroughs.

HvZ has become very popular on campus. When the game is going on you can count on seeing a multitude of students running around campus wearing their bandanas with pride.

“My favorite part would have to be the thrill of walking to class, looking over your shoulder every few steps, feeling completely paranoid that a zombie could jump out at you any second, and then the rush when you survive an attack is amazing,” said Burroughs.

HvZ has made such a huge impact on the students and the culture at Michigan State that even the staff at MSU realizes how popular this zombie epidemic is by offering a zombie-themed class in the Social Work Department, entitled “Surviving the Coming Zombie Apocalypse: Catastrophes & Human Behavior.” Along with classes about zombies there are many other activities and projects on campus that are incorporating zombies into them.

One of these projects would include the student film titled Apocalypse Theory, which is about the end of the world at MSU. This film was made by brothers and MSU students Brandon and Cameron Laventure. Together they decided to incorporate a scene with students playing HvZ into it.

“[HvZ] is a really interesting bit of culture we have at MSU. It gives campus its own unique life. Even if you are not a part of the game you are aware of the game and experience a part of it [just] by watching it,” said Brandon, who graduated from MSU in 2010.

The two brothers thought that including this scene in the film would bring a more personal feel to the film and be more relatable to the students, since this game is actually played here on our campus.

This craze has gone beyond being just for the students here at MSU; Troy Hale has recognized how popular zombies are in our culture and the entertainment industry right now and has decided to make a documentary film on the topic.

“Like anything, [zombies are] the current fad. A few years ago it was all about vampires, now its zombies.  Entertainment follows what people are currently interested in and vice-versa. Many shows are being made right now. The popularity and success of those shows create even more shows,” said Academic Specialist and Big Ten Network Coordinator Troy Hale.

Hale does not seem to think that this zombie mania will last long saying like everything, it has its life cycle. Something “new” will come along and interests will change. It will lose popularity and probably come back again in 50 years.

“It’s an interesting topic. People have a lot of interest in the topic so it’s the right time to make a documentary about it. Kevin Epling and I started to chat about all the interesting things going on around the topic of zombies. It’s an exciting thing to talk about so we started compiling interesting angles that we could cover in a documentary,” said Hale.

We see can see through the entertainment industry and the games that we play that zombies have truly taken over the world for the moment in a matter of speaking. Besides for HvZ being a part of the zombie craze right now, it is also a game of fun and excitement. It is a nice break for the students involved and even for those students who are just spectators between classes to take a small pause from constantly thinking about school work and focus on the game.

“Yes I would recommend the game to other students; it’s the novelty of embracing a childhood toy, combined with the fun and skills of being a college student. Not to mention the more people that play, the better,” said Burroughs.

With players as excited as this to share the game with as many students as possible makes it easier to see why this game is becoming so popular and many more students keep joining every year.

If you want to learn even more about HvZ, the official website is http://humansvszombies.org where you can find a more in-depth account of all the rules, as well as interesting facts and information about the game, including how the game was invented.

This month’s recipe is Chia Seed Pudding, a delicious and quick dessert that only needs a few ingredients and can be made in 5 minutes.

Have you heard of chia seeds? They are an amazing superfood that is gaining popularity at an alarming rate. They are loaded with fiber and expand in your stomach to keep you full because they absorb water, which you will see in this recipe as they expand in the fridge to make your pudding nice and thick. They also contain protein, antioxidants, and omega, which is a brain food so is perfect to load up on at this time of year by finals.

Also, studies have shown that eating chia seed slows down our bodies’ conversion of carbohydrate calories into simple sugars which can help regulate blog sugar levels which can help with sugar cravings.

If you like tapioca pudding, you will love this!

All you do is mix all the the ingredients in the bowl still really well, then pour over the chia seeds in the other bowl then mix well again and toss in the fridge and wait as long as you can (anticipation & hunger usually gets the best of me)!  The longer you leave the chia seeds stay sitting still in the bowl in the fridge the more they will grow, expand, and thicken.  Leave it in the bowl sitting still in the fridge for at least fifteen minutes, but you can leave it in there for hours and even overnight would be best to really thicken it up.

It’s a super healthy, super filling, superfood dessert!

Enjoy!

As I was sitting on the CATA bus the other day, a couple sitting next to me decided that it was the appropriate time to have a make-out session. Considering that I had just finished taking a terrible exam and felt somewhat under the weather, watching them exchange saliva made me feel as if I was going to regurgitate lunch. It’s understandable that Valentine’s Day has passed months ago, which may have an influence on all this public display of affection, but I also believe that there is a perfect time and place for everything. Whether it is, thanking your girlfriend for that amazing dinner, or showing your boyfriend how grateful you are for that obnoxious red hearted bear, this display of gratitude should have some kind of physical limit in public areas.

This is hard for me to say because I have always been a fan of PDA. I still believe that life is too short to not show somebody your love or affection, but I think that out of respect to the rest of us, there should be some ground rules. It’s as if the person you were sitting next to in class decided to let out flatulence without any warning or remorse; they decided to do it because they felt that it was important to them despite the olfactory damage inflicted. They’re ultimately the kind of person that will do that at a wedding or funeral, and while to some this may be disrespectful and shameful, others take pride in their public display of gas; similar to how others take pride in their PDA.

Although passing gas in public may be considered a funny quality, it exceeds the limit of proper social behavior, like PDA. People should take into consideration that when they’re in public, they can still act like themselves while respecting others. Otherwise we would live in a vulgar society, where people wouldn’t care about their fellow human beings; PDA should still exist, but with boundaries. Such as, how people view food superstitions like the five- second rule, where if their food drops on the floor, they have five seconds to pick it up before it gets contaminated with bacteria. This principle should be applied to PDA in the sense that, people should have a “ten-second rule” of having a make-out session. If I am on a thirty minute bus ride, I sure as hell do not want to see a reenactment of a love scene from the movie The Notebook, on my way home.

“PDA should be displayed appropriately, as if you were a parent in front of your children. Making-out for a long period of time in front of your children is as unsuitable as if you were to do it in front of others,” stated political science student, Leiana Monkman.

If you’re a passionate person, it’s easier to say that you’ll limit your practice of PDA rather than to actually do it. It’s not as if every time you go to kiss your boyfriend or girlfriend you’re going to time that kiss, its more about being aware of where you are at the moment and taking it into consideration. Personally, being passionate is one the best qualities somebody could have, but knowing where and how to display it makes it more admirable. When researching what others thought about PDA, I came across the public display of affection quiz at Gagirl.com and found it to be pretty accurate and amusing; here are some of the questions:

Is it ever okay to PDA in church or synagogue?

• Never
• Maybe
• Every time you go.

At the movies, you sit:

• In the middle row, in the center to get the best view.
• Anywhere you can sit together and not get a neck cramp.
• In the back row, nice and private!

And my favorite…

At a party Saturday night, you two spend how much time “upstairs” together?

• There was an upstairs?
• Maybe twenty minutes.
• There was a party downstairs?

If you answered C to every question, Gagirl.com states, “Think twice before groping each other. You may be making everyone around you feel uncomfortable. Be especially careful in such public spaces as church or businesses, where it is taboo for intense PDA. We suggest you tone it down a few notches.”

So next time you’re in a class or on the bus with your girlfriend or boyfriend and they’re looking especially good that day, try to restrain yourself. Show them a preview and let your partner see the movie in a private place. Like I’ve stated in my previous article, “Patience is a virtue.”

The longer you wait to you let out your passionate side to your loved one, the more exhilarating it will feel when you finally have the right moment.

I can’t make myself go to class. I haven’t done a reading in I don’t remember how long. This is the longest sentence I’ve written in a month. My friend just texted me telling me we’re going to Rick’s tomorrow night. Today is Monday.

El Oasis, on Michigan Avenue in Lansing.

So, in the true spirit of my disease (I think senioritis has been certified as such by the CDC at this point), for this month’s column I declined to actually go to a restaurant where I have to sit down, wait for food, and in general behave like a normal, civilized human being, and instead went to a food truck. But it’s a food truck that doesn’t really move, so is it even really a food truck? That is too existential of a question for my level of brain function right now.

You have probably realized that I am speaking of El Oasis, the Mexican food truck (?) located on Michigan Avenue as you head west towards the Capitol, kind of across the street from Theio’s (the place that I don’t understand why everybody loves; its takes forever to get in at breakfast which is the only time you want to go, service is super slow, and the food kind of sucks). It is in a parking lot and there is nowhere to sit down and eat there. For where I’m at in my life right now, this is ideal. For you, it may not be. Adjust your expectations accordingly.

The menu is pretty standard Mexican fare – tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas and so on. However, don’t expect Taco

Part of the (very well-priced) menu; pretty standard Mexican fare except for the beef tongue and tripe tacos.

Bell. This stuff is legit (or at least it seems legit to me, but I am not exactly a connoisseur). The food is all homemade (truckmade?) and there was a woman wearing a pink polo shirt that said “La Jefa” (The Boss) on it giving orders in the background, so all in all, the scene is pretty awesome. There was also a token hipster in line, a given with any food truck experience.

So my friend and I grabbed our food and ran back to the safety of our apartment to take pictures of it without the hipster judging us for being so lame. I had “Gregorio’s Special” (who is Gregorio?), which consisted of a beef taco and rice and beans, and I got some pico de gallo on the side because I had chips at home and I am obsessed with pico.

The taco consisted of a soft tortilla (the good kind, not the kind from the $1.50 pack you get from Meijer), ground beef, lettuce, tomato and cheese. It was definitely really great – flavorful and clearly fresh – but I had severely underestimated the size. I’m used to Americanized Mexican places where the servings are for, like, that kid in Matilda who ate the whole chocolate cake. This was for a normal person, even a not-super-hungry normal person. All of my illusions about Mexican portion size have been shattered. The rice and beans saved the meal, being kind of spicy and delicious, and most importantly, filling. I got the hot sauce on the side, but it wasn’t that great. It was a strangely electric orange color and weirdly bitter, although, it was indeed, very hot.

The pico de gallo, on the other hand, was really good – it was pretty standard tomato, white onion, cilantro (all uncooked) mixed together with some lime juice. The ingredients were definitely very fresh, probably the only really important thing about pico de gallo, but in my opinion the amount of lime juice was excessive. But what do I know? I’m just a white girl from the suburbs.

Beef taco, rice and beans. Tasted a million time better than it looks, I swear.

My friend got a small burrito (like me, she was expecting Chipotle-like sizes and so opted for a more human-like portion) and also ended up wishing she had ordered more. That being said, it was a good option for a vegetarian – it contained beans, rice, sour cream, avocado, lettuce, pico de gallo and cheese. She also got the mild sauce, which was definitely the better choice of the two sauces. It was kind of a green chili sauce with a bunch of cilantro, which is personally one of my favorite herbs.

What? You don’t have a list of favorite herbs?

Also in the plus column was price. The burrito was $3.50 and my taco plus rice and beans plus pico de gallo came out to $4.25. However, you might spend a little more if you are actually getting enough to create a whole meal – we had to supplement with the little food we have left in our cupboards (we have too much senioritis to go the grocery store).

All in all, it was a successful outing. We ate good Mexican food. We didn’t have to hide the fact that we ate it all in five minutes, since we were in the privacy of our own apartment. And most importantly, we avoided the dreaded scorn of the hipster.

Here are my conclusions:

-       Order more than you would at a more Americanized Mexican place; portions aren’t huge

-       If you own a fixie, you should ride it to El Oasis. You would fit in there.

-       Go for the mild, not the hot sauce

-       You should try either the beef tongue or tripe tacos, because they’re on the menu and I wanted to but was too scared/hungry

-       It is hard to accomplish things in April of your senior year

THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT!

As a spring breeze starts to pick up and scents of flower blossoms and freshly cut grass fill the air and the year begins to dwindle to a close, it becomes increasingly difficult for the average Michigan State student to focus on their studies as well as maintain healthy lifestyle habits, including a daily workout. It’s guaranteed that with finals just around the corner, and “stress food” abundant everywhere, most students will find the task of being healthy at the bottom of their priority list. However, this task is becoming easier thanks to a fitness phenomenon that is taking campus by storm: Zumba.

Zumba is a Latin dance fitness class that has not only developed a strong following at Michigan State, but also worldwide. According to the official Zumba Fitness website, more than 12 million people across 125 countries in 110,000 locations participate in Zumba.

One of these participants is comparative cultures and politics sophomore Adam Harrison, who is also a certified Zumba instructor.  Harrison enjoys the fast-paced nature of Zumba and sees it as a fun way to work out in a loose environment.

Photo credit: Alex Tekip

“When I participate in Zumba, whether it be instructing or in a class, I don’t realize that I’m sweating until the end. It’s a fun way to let your body go wild while shaking it to good music,” Harrison said.

Harrison received his Zumba certification underneath the guidance of fellow instructor, applied engineering and science sophomore Robin Lawson. Both individuals enjoy teaching classes and sharing their passion for fitness and dance with their students.

Lawson has been a dancer since age eight, and started taking Zumba classes as a freshman. She instantly fell in love with the high-energy aura and dual nature of Zumba, and immediately approached instructors, asking for recommendations and guidance to change her position from the many being taught by one, to the one teaching many.

“Performing is something I’ve been doing for a very long time, and in a way, instructing Zumba is on the same level, only I can directly see the reaction of my audience, and I can watch as the let go and begin to feel the music,” Lawson said.

Harrison started attending Zumba classes as a freshman as well, and started officially teaching classes in February. He makes up the less than 5 percent of male Zumba instructors within 75 miles; lack of male representation was a major reason he wanted to be an instructor.

“Zumba has helped me achieve a healthier lifestyle, and I wanted more male representation within the classes at MSU, for men to know that the gym isn’t the only place to go work out,” Harrison said.

Human biology freshman Jaime Cloyd has attended classes taught by Lawson and Harrison. Cloyd has an avid interest in fitness and nutrition and sees Zumba as an easy way to stay healthy with her busy lifestyle, or get in a workout on days where she doesn’t have the motivation to go to the gym.

“The free Zumba classes offered in Brody are convenient to go to because they are close to home and don’t take much time.”

Cloyd also enjoys the social aspect of Zumba classes, often participating in Zumba with her floor mates, including her roommate, junior zoo and aquarium science major Laura Boelema.

“[Boelema] and I go once or twice a week to take a break from studying to get in exercise and meet new people,” Cloyd said.

Cloyd and Boelema are only a small part of the workout dance party. Zumba classes at MSU can range in attendance from ten people to over 100.

“Zumba is basically a big party.  The goal is to have too much fun that you forget you’re working out,” said Lawson.

Many Zumba participants do not realize that while dancing to a fusion of Latin, International, and current Pop music, they are undergoing interval fitness training, and toning their body while shimmying and shaking, moving around almost as if they were at a workout dance club.

“Since the audience for Zumba classes is within the age range of seventeen to twenty-four, I use club-inspired moves in my routines,” said Harrison. “The choreography is flexible and people can keep up easily…they leave feeling healthy and accomplished.”

Boelema describes the post-Zumba experience as one of rejuvenation.

“After Zumba I feel healthier and more energized,” she said

The feeling of having accomplished a solid workout in such a quick and easy manner is the major force of attraction propelling Spartans to attend Zumba classes, to stray away from the end-of-the year, finals-induced stress and distractions, and monotonous nature of the gym, to stay in step when it comes to being healthy.

“Zumba is not intimidating, it’s always changing, there’s fun routines, fun music, and friends,” said Harrison. “What is there not to love?”

Zumba Classes are free for MSU students with a group fitness pass, and $3 for all others. Check out your neighborhood news bulletins and the MSU rec sports website for more information.

2. “@katyperry tweet me once and my life will be complete.”

3. “If I win the lotto, I’m buying us a week date with Kristin Wig.”

4. “3 all nighters in a row probably isn’t healthy but it’s the #pledgelife”

5. “My time in East Lansing has made me miss Ann Arbor a whole bunch… And also hate U of M a whole bunch more #GoGreenGoWhite”

6. “There’s nothing I love more than seeing Ohio State losing.”

7. “The only people I play in Words With Friends are my parents #foreveralone.”

8. “Haven’t made flashcards since Nam #desperate.”

9. “Cedar Village smells like dead animals.”

10. “#thatawkwardmomentwhen you don’t text someone back but you play them in a phone game.”

Joel Ruffin Jr., founder of the organization People Who Do Stuff, is a go-getter.

Founder of People Who Do Stuff

As of March 14, 2012, the organization was officially recognized as a registered student organization at Michigan State University.

On a campus of nearly 50,000 students the significance of the individual often gets lost in the masses, but Ruffin Jr. was determined to make the power of the each and every Spartan felt at MSU.

“People Who Do Stuff is an organization that realizes the power of the individual, and recognizes the ever-growing demand for the individual to exercise that inherent autonomy of power for the creation of programs and resources that will help develop and advance their community,” Ruffin Jr. said. “We strive to empower the individual to become the change they wish to see in the world.”

The organization serves as a platform that connects people to resources that can help them make a difference in their communities. Ruffin Jr. calls it “an organization that will move and change the world.”

Through the efforts of Ruffin. Jr. along with faculty and staff at MSU, People Who Do Stuff hopes to gain local, nation and possibly international attention as the organization grows. MSU students, state administration and MSU faculty have contributed to building and co-founding the organization, according to Ruffin Jr.

Ruffin Jr. saw the need for People Who Do Stuff when he noticed how difficult it was for students to make a difference in their community without being a part of registered student organization. The organization seeks to provide the means for any student to start their own organization.

People Who Do Stuff provides space for programming, training in branding programs and leadership styles, and helps partner students with alumni and professionals that want to help students achieve their goals.

“We are an organization that gives the power back to the individual, we’ll do that with an inclusive community that will help support that individual’s goals and dreams as well,” Ruffin Jr. said.

As the economic hardships prevails, Ruffin Jr. reminds us how important it is to close the gap between Main Street and Wall Street. But he says when people are aware of the resources right in their own communities; the discrepancy between capitalism and democracy can be reconciled.

Ruffin Jr. sees People Who Do Stuff as a “new model of a community,” and with his entrepreneurial spirit, he hopes to see his organization team up with similar movements around the nation to become one giant resource for individuals striving to make a difference.

As Ruffin Jr. prepares for graduation this May, he hopes his organization will involve enough MSU and community members that his legacy will live on. The psychology senior plans to stay heavily involved with the development and expansion of People Who Do Stuff, with an ultimate goal of turning it into a non-profit organization. Ruffin believes with an innovative team of workers, he can help lead this organization to reach his goals.

“People Who Do Stuff is going to be huge because people who want to do stuff exist all over the world, and once we get together, there’s nothing we can’t do,” Ruffin Jr. Said.

Dancing with the Stars isn’t the only hot spot for competitive ballroom dancing. Ballroom Dance Club/Competitive Ballroom Dance Team here at Michigan State University has room for plenty of dancers from novice to expert.

The Ballroom Dance Club has been around since the 1980s and is mainly focused on providing inexpensive dance lessons to the community. These lessons are held on Sunday afternoons throughout the school year on campus at Demonstration Hall.

“The Sunday lessons are taught by a professional couple while there are student captains who are [also] student captains appointed to help teach,” said Secretary/Public Relations and zoology junior Sarah LoPresto.

Photo credit: Jill Hakala

While the club has been around since the ’80s, the Competitive Ballroom Dance Team, which is connected with the Ballroom Dance Club, just started recently in 2009. This aspect of the team brings a more aggressive and creative feel to the club because students get to actually compete and show off their dancing skills instead of just constantly practicing them.

“For the competitive dances all colleges [who have a Competitive Ballroom Dance Teams] train for collegiate competitions,” LoPresto said.

Some of the competitions that they attend are the Ohio Star Ball Competition, which takes place in November and the Ohio State University Competition that takes place in April. When the members of the Ballroom Dance Team compete they have to dance with other members on the team as their partners.

“It is very important that the students pick their own partners and we don’t assign them,” LoPresto said.

This is because dancers must have good chemistry with their partners in order to perform well in their dances. Due to this fact and the lower membership of men on the team, some of the guys may have up to two or three partners. Because of this, the team is especially in need for new male members.

“Anyone can join the [competitive] team there are two levels. If you want to be on level two then you do need to audition, but there are no cuts,” LoPresto said.

The team is always open to new members and anyone is welcome to join.

Before the dancing part of the competitions begins there are some guidelines that the members must remember and need to follow before they can begin competing. While there are no set rules on the dress code for the dancers at the competitions, the members usually try to wear dressier clothes.

“The guys wear all black and the girls wear heels and dresses. Nothing like all the fancy costumes you see on Dancing with the Stars,” LoPresto said.

Along with the dress code there are also specific dances and techniques that the dancers need to know.

“We have a dance syllabus that tells us what dances to do and different moves and skills within the dances,” LoPresto said.

After the team figures out what dances they are doing for the competition, they begin practicing for the day when they get to show off their dancing skills and techniques in the competition.

“Everyone on the team competes at the competitions, there are just different levels in [each] competition. Bronze, which is the lowest level, then silver, and finally gold. In the gold level there is more technique,” LoPresto said.

The members who are a part of the bronze group at first shouldn’t get discouraged according to LoPresto because you can move up in categories based on your skill level and number of years on the team.

Photo credit: Jill Hakala

SPREADING THE WORD

For just starting in 2009 the Competitive Ballroom Dancing Team has done a good job with getting the word out about their club, in a variety of different ways. Some of the existing members on the Ballroom Dance Team were introduced to it through their friends or by fellow members on the Ballroom Dance Team.

“I have been dancing forever and when my friend told me about it, I went. I love it, it is like home,” said English junior Kaitlyn Hlywa.

Additionally some team members happened to come across the Ballroom Team on their own. Several people found out about it from the Michigan State’s student life web page that lists all the clubs at MSU while other members heard about it at Sparticipation when the Ballroom Dance Team had a spot there to recruit new team members.

“I wanted to keep dancing after high school, [then] I heard about the club through their booth at Sparticipation and wanted to try out ballroom dancing,” said accounting sophomore Ashley Wood, a member for two years now.

The members of the Competitive Ballroom Dance Team are very passionate about dancing and each other as a team, many see the team as being as close as family.

“My favorite part of the team is the bonding experience. [The team] is more about fun, it is like a family,” Hlywa said.

“I love that the team is one big family and when we all hang out together. I also love midnight breakfasts with the team. [Everyone] makes me feel welcome,” said studio art junior Jill Hakala.

If you are at all interested in joining the competitive ballroom dance team or in taking lessons from them the best way to contact the team is through their website www.msu.edu/-ballroom. If you would rather have a firsthand look at the club instead, then go Thursday nights when the competitive team holds an open practice which is more of social and informal practice from ten to midnight in Demonstration Hall.

It seems like you’ve been asleep for days. Waking up on a Sunday morning in your own bed is an admirable achievement and waking up somewhere else is well, surprisingly standard. Although waking up in a foreign place such as your sister’s front yard or best friend’s bed may be typical, it’s foremost unfortunate. Waking up not remembering or regretting what happened the night before leaves an aching feeling of discomfort along with a throbbing headache which acts as a constant reminder of “wtf did I do last night?” In these circumstances, vitamins and fluids may cure the physical aspects of a hangover, but the emotional damage is left untreated and therefore requires immediate remedies.  The following five solutions may help relieve that lingering doubt:

(sxc.hu)

1. Phone a friend, find out what happened. When waking up the next morning having no recollection of the night before, the best way to actually get over it is to first find out what happened. Hopefully those questions will be directed towards friends rather than parents, because there are just some things parents shouldn’t know. Getting the facts of what happened the night before alleviates that sense of anxiety and allows you to learn things about yourself that you thought you were incapable of. Such as taking ten shots of tequila or doing a headstand on the kitchen table. Among these remarkable breakthroughs, you might also discover some downsides of last night such as your wallet being missing or that you broke up with your partner after two years of dating. Regardless if the news is bad, any news at all is good news, and that’s why it’s crucial to find out what happened.

2. Check your inventory; make sure you even have a phone to be able to call that friend. When the events of last night unfold, it’s vital to check every pocket, purse, room, and car to make sure that you have your three essentials: wallet, keys, and phone. These items will not only alleviate that hangover stress but will provide a sense of truth to that feeling of uncertainty. Such as you may wonder why you only have two dollars in your wallet after a fifty withdrawal from the bank. Well, my friend, you may have been very friendly last night and bought your friends (or even strangers) several rounds of drinks. Even though you are now broke, look at the plus side, you have random new numbers in your phone and are ultimately a very giving person, so I applaud you. Also, among those new numbers, you may find those seven digits from that girl or guy that you chatted up to last night. This may be a complete exaggeration but calling strangers never hurt anyone. Nevertheless, having those belongings will help cure that emotional damage of a hangover.

3. Apologize, if necessary. After finding your phone, or commendably having it all along, use it to call anyone that you may have injured or insulted last night. Whether you drunk dialed or ran into your ex-boyfriend and called him an asshole or punched someone in the face because you felt like it, an apology is obligatory. For many people, saying “I am sorry” is like facing the death penalty, but if you know or find that you did wrong to others, be that honest Spartan I know you can be and man up to your mistakes. Not only will this help resolve any issues between you and that person, but will help clear that guilty conscious from last night’s calamities.

4. Do penance. If the apology to your friend didn’t suffice then taking them out to lunch or doing their laundry may get you one step closer to forgiveness. You know this always worked when you got into trouble with your parents, so make up for those mistakes by spoiling your friend a little. If a self-directed apology is necessary because you feel so ashamed of your actions or abuse of alcohol, then go do something for yourself. For example, if you drank too much and decided to shave only part of your head because it was hot outside (unlikely in this Michigan weather), go get a real haircut and maybe a massage while you’re at it. If you drunkenly decided to buy the taco twelve pack from Taco Bell at three AM and felt guilty about it in the morning then go for a run or lift some weights. These resolutions will offer a sense of comfort from the emotional damage of that Saturday night.

5. Get over it, and pretend it didn’t happen. So you worked really hard in trying to remember and find out what happened last night, now try and forget it. After making sure you have your entire inventory, apologized to yourself and others for being a complete waste of existence, and making up for it, now try to forget everything that happened. Don’t confuse forgetting those events from not learning from your mistakes. If you portray yourself as that obnoxious drunk, not only will you continue to have these regrettable hangovers and sense of insecurity, but no one will want to hang out with you.  Even though these five steps along with fluids and vitamins may cure that Saturday night disaster, be honest with yourself and recognize that it’s probably going to happen again. So, if none of these five steps work, slap yourself a little and grab a cocktail.