An alternative, legal form of marijuana known as K2 is gaining popularity despite its proven harmful effects on humans. However, Michigan legislatures are pushing to ban the substance all together.

Michigan is currently wrestling with the legal terms of using and selling this spice. Missouri, Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky and Kansas have already banned K2 and Michigan, along with other states, are currently working on legislation to ban all forms of the substance, according to an article by ABC News.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

According to Roy Mays, Manager of Global Investigations and Contract Security Services at Ford Motor Company and former police officer, laws regarding controlled substances are regulated either by federal or state governments. The FDC and CDC determine what substances need to be controlled by government regulation, then substances can be legalized for human consumption and distribution.

However, Mays notes that without the sufficient testing of these substances, the government has no reason to control them.

“K2 is too new and has never been studied, so they have no reason to control it and there is no proof that they need to control it,” Mays said. “Trial studies take a couple of years, and K2 is only two or three years old, so there have not been any completed studies thus far.”

Legally, K2 can be sold and marketed under the label of incense, but Mays is concerned that keeping a substance legal that alters the state of the mind and body can have many consequences.

“The obvious consequences of legality are similar to medicinal marijuana. It’s supposedly controlled but if you have a doctor’s permission or medical card, you can possess and consume the drug and reap the benefits of the THC or whatever the euphoric substance is that is getting people high,” Mays said.

K2 has effects on the mind and body comparable to marijuana, but the drug is considered poisonous to humans, and is not intended for humans to smoke, according to an article by ABC News. Still, K2 remains attractive because it is legal in most states, including Michigan, making it easy for people to get their hands on.

According to an article by ABC News, K2 is a “spice” containing the active ingredient JWH-018. Currently, Michigan has banned the JWH-018 ingredient, but the manufacturers of K2 have replaced it with similar acting ingredients that are sprayed on the spice, and resemble THC, according to a manager (who requested anonymity) at In Flight, a smoke shop located on Grand River in East Lansing.

While a drug labeled as a “spice” may seem harmless, you wouldn’t want to mix this one up in your spice cabinet.

Dr. Christopher Rosenbaum, a toxicologist and assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Massachusetts is an expert on K2, and has seen the harmful effects it has first-hand.

“People are reporting seizures, vomiting, accelerated heart rate and blood pressure, and requiring hospital care,” Rosenbaum said in an email.

Rosenbaum warns that the synthetic cannabinoids used in K2 are often unidentifiable, making it difficult to test their effects and do research on the substances.

While it seems that the dangerous effects of K2 outweigh the attraction to getting high, K2 remains a popular substance sold in everyday convenience stores and smoke shops. Michigan State University students report purchasing K2 at various locations in East Lansing, including the BP gas station on Michigan Avenue, and In Flight, a smoke shop located on Grand River Avenue.

According to the manager at In Flight, K2 is sold at their store legally, with prices ranging from $15 for 1.5 grams, to $30 for 3 grams of the substance. However, students are reporting steeper prices at different K2 retailers.

“Prices can get to $20 or $25 a gram for the really expensive stuff,” said an MSU sophomore, who asked to remain anonymous.

Still, prices are not the main concern for most K2 users. Students, store managers selling K2, and doctors point out the dangers of experimenting with the spice, but have also found consistent patterns in the costumers buying it.

A female sophomore at MSU, who has also asked to remain anonymous, sees a direct correlation between K2 users and people that are on probation for marijuana or alcohol abuse.

“The popularity comes from potheads that are on probation or trying to “drop clean” (have a clean urine test) for a job. Honestly, besides those two groups of people, I don’t usually hear much about K2,” the student said.

The manager at In Flight agrees, reporting that 99 percent of people purchasing K2 at their store are either on probation and in need of a clean urine sample, or are employed at places that drug test their workers on a regular basis.

“A lot of workers doing heavy labor are drug tested a lot so they buy K2 because it doesn’t show up on drug tests,” the In Flight manager said. “The construction guys working on the new museum come over and buy it all the time.”

According to K2 users and distributors, the scariest part of using the substance is its unpredictable nature. While some report feeling a similar high to the effects of marijuana, more serious and unpleasant side effects can occur, and students say that K2 is often not worth the risk.

“The effects are similar to weed. You’re dazed, giggly and have horrible munchies, but it only lasts about 15 minutes,” the female MSU sophomore said. “It’s not worth it in my opinion, but makes sense for people with specific circumstances.”

What’s on your holiday wish list this year? A big reality check is usually a good thing for people around the holidays. Are you asking for too much?  There are a lot of families out there that aren’t as fortunate as others during this time. While you’re dreaming about those ever-famous sugarplums and expensive Apple products, designer clothes or a fancy new watch, there’s a little kid out there that only wants a toy truck or a Barbie doll for the holidays. Some want warm sheets for their beds, or a new jacket with all its buttons to keep warm during winter. The simplest thing could light up a child’s world this time of year through participation in the Adopt-A-Family (AAF) program run by The Salvation Army.

By adopting a family with AAF, both individual and group sponsors help to provide reasonable wish list items to a family that would otherwise have a slightly less merry holiday.

The Salvation Army website states, “Being adopted is designed to be a once or, on very rare occasions, twice in a lifetime event for recipient families.” The guidelines supplied by the Salvation Army state that only $45 is required to make a happy holiday possible for a family of two (one parent and a child). There’s no limit to the amount that the sponsor can give, but it’s surprising just how far that money can go. Of the $45 donation, just $25 can purchase several gifts for a hopeful child, leaving $20 to supply a good amount of food for the family during the holidays.

Students right here at MSU are getting involved this holiday season doing whatever they can to help bring a little joy to their neighbors.

Education freshman Kara Kavulich said that she and her family adopted a family last year, and said that it was one of the most rewarding feelings she has ever experienced.

“It felt amazing to know that I was giving Christmas to two little kids that otherwise would have seen nothing under their tree,” Kavulich said.

Grandma’s Comfort (GC) is a charity right here in Lansing that helps give to a lot of people in the community, especially around the holidays. President Diane Zimmerman is the “grandma” in the name, and is actually an MSU alumna. She founded GC on Christmas in 2005. GC started out supplying blankets but has expanded in the past several years. They now provide birthday gifts, necessities for pregnant women in shelters, comfort bags for women and children in shelters and school supplies. The organization has also helped two orphanages and one boys’ school in Haiti.

The blankets supplied are both hand made and purchased, and also donated from members of the community. GC is always accepting donations, and it is an easy way to get involved right here at school.

Zimmerman explained, “We have no employees; we have a few specialists that help us and about 60 volunteers who help wrap and make gifts.”

Whether you take the time to make a blanket or purchase something that could help a child or a family in need, anything you can do will go a long way with Grandma’s Comfort.

Another way to help out is through Toys for Tots, a well-known program that is run by the United States Marine Corps, Toys for Tots has donation stations where donors can drop off toys that will be donated to less fortunate kids for the holidays.

“I bought a couple toys to donate to Toys for Tots, and I think that is just such a great cause,” said biochemistry and molecular biology sophomore Hailey Caudill. She added that even by spending less than five dollars, she was able to get some coloring pages and crayons that she knows will bring a smile to a child’s face.

“I can’t imagine being a little kid and thinking, ‘Why didn’t Santa come visit me this year?’” Caudill said.

Even though the holidays are meant to be about family, friends and happiness, a gift here and there definitely never upset a child. Anything you can do to help out this holiday season can go a whole lot farther than you think, and the AAF, Marine Corps, Grandma’s Comfort and The Salvation Army have made it their mission to help spread holiday cheer. Stop and think about what you are fortunate enough to have this season, and think about what you can give to others to keep the holiday spirit alive!

Christianity has a large presence on MSU’s campus. For some students, their faith drifts away from them but for others their faith is strengthened by going to college.

According to a study done by Jenny L. Small, a doctorate student of philosophy at the University of Michigan in 2008, “In sum, the recent studies on college students and religion and spirituality have shown students to be highly interested in these issues and strongly influenced by their families, their peers, and the campus environment.”

“The world is all around you, with drinking and girls and money. All of those things are nice but with being a Christian you have to find a way to navigate through that, but you can’t completely avoid it at the same time,” said advertising junior Richie Christie.

Food science junior Mallory Flanders said, “I am surrounded by the world and I can so easily get caught up in trying to conform myself to what the world wants whether that’s in body or mind or competition.”

Jake MacLean, a pre-med junior and Christian leader on campus, said living in the college environment at MSU is such an opportunity and there are many different desires to have.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

“At Michigan State, you can do whatever you want, whenever you want,” he said.

“It’s awesome being a Christian at Michigan State because you have to be a Christian, you can’t be a half Christian. You have to choose to either step out or go out and party away,” said MacLean.

A great way to keep your faith in college is to get involved in a student organization, like campus crusades, where people share your same beliefs and values, said Christie.

“These are great communities of people with the same beliefs and values. These people are there for you when you’re struggling,” said Christie.

“Many Christian students around campus attend smaller bible studies throughout the week whether it’s at their dorm or an off campus location, but there is a weekly meeting where everyone gathers called Real Life,” said Flanders.

“Real life brings me back to Christ. It brings me back to reality instead of the life I try to live in this world,” Flanders said.

With all the distractions and temptations of a college campus, MacLean said, “I’ve had to step out and be a Christian in a place where maybe a lot of people aren’t stepping out.”

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

MacLean is part of MSU’s Campus Crusades. He said, “the Christian community I have, especially with Campus Crusade, has been great because they are also a bunch of guys who are stepping out.”

Small’s study said, “An additional important study found that college cannot be considered the cause of the decline in the religiosity of young adults. In fact, the authors found that ‘those who never attended college had the highest rates of disaffiliation, decreased service attendance, and decreased importance placed on religion.’”

“Being in college increases my faith because of all the struggles that I face because I’ve had to over come them,” Flanders said.

Flanders admits that her faith is challenged and is not always simple.

“It’s easy for me to want attention and want things that give me temporary happiness but I know it won’t give me permanent happiness,” she said.

“I was a Young Life leader throughout high school. Young life is a lot like MSU’s Real Life,” said education junior Lexi Justice.

Justice said now that she is at college she is involved in many groups and has to put in a lot of volunteer hours. It’s hard for her to find Christian organizations that don’t conflict with her other activities and school work.

College students tend to view religion and spirituality in different ways.

“I think often religion is perceived as a political stance or sometimes it’s just used when people have a low time in their life,” said Flanders.

According to the study, “Many college students differentiate between religion and spirituality. Michael Zabriskie found in a study of 1,200 students on four college campuses that 41.5% defined themselves as spiritual and religious, 27.5% as spiritual but not religious, 5.3% as religious but not spiritual, and 14.2% as neither religious nor spiritual.”

Flanders said, “Students shouldn’t feel like they are being judged by the Christian community, anyone can come to Real Life as they are, no matter their background or beliefs.”

1. We have a wide variety of musical tastes at MSU.

2. Someone is always listening to Amy Whinehouse.

3. Someone is always listening to Wiz Khalifa.

4. People often use their headphones as a reason to not talk to you.

5. Every one who does answer is happy you asked!

This month’s mix is pretty interesting, and would be a good playlist to finish up your studying. Watch the video below to see what gets people in the mood… to study, of course.

The Barnes and Noble located on the corner of Grand River  and Charles Street  here in East Lansing is closing its doors on December 31. Barnes and Noble had just recently celebrated their 10 year anniversary at that location in September.

“I think that this will be a big loss to the city. It is an ideal set up for East Lansing and I hate to see it go,” said R. Dale Wilson, professor of marketing at MSU.

“Barnes and Noble is a place to read, browse and socialize. It is a retail anchor in East Lansing. I will miss it,” said Patricia Huddleston, professor of retailing.

While the reason for the closure is unknown, the vice president of development at Barnes and Noble David Deason did release a statement saying, “The current lease is at its end of term and we will be closing the store at the end of this year.”

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe

The company is keeping pretty tight lipped about the reason for the closure. While Barnes and Noble employees were questioned, they declined to comment on the story. It is known, however that the company and the building owner were unable to agree on the cost of a new lease for the upcoming year, which played a role in the closing of the store.

Huddleston speculates that this Barnes and Noble was one of their less profitable stores to begin with and that parking is a big issue. “If you do not have campus parking, or are on foot, you have to pay for parking. This makes the location of the store less convenient.”

“Many citizens of East Lansing will be disappointed by the closure, and wish that the two could’ve came to an agreement on the leasing price,” said Wilson.

The reaction to the closure of the store will most likely vary from person to person depending on who you ask. Both elementary education freshman Caitlin Karram and Lyman Briggs Freshman Darren Donnelly were not aware of the closing, but were also not very upset that Barnes and Noble will be closing.

“I would rather buy books online, it is easier,” Donnelly said. This brings up the debate on whether online shopping and e-readers will end up putting traditional books stores out of business.

“We are in the transition mode from traditional to online retailers, consumer preference is hurting their business,” Wilson stated.

On the other hand, biochemistry freshman Alek Guettler and Lyman Briggs freshman Breanna Borg were shocked to hear the news.

“I am very upset and very surprised,” Borg said.

With the closing of Barnes and Noble in a prime retail space and one of the biggest buildings on Grand River,  it may make people wonder how long will it be until another business will take its’ place, and what that  business  will be. Jacobson’s Department store was located in that building before Barnes and Noble moved into it.

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe

“It will be hard to find one retailer to take over the space. It may have to be subdivide,” offered Wilson.

While agreeing with Wilson that a good option for the building would be to subdivide it, Huddleston suggested that, “It might be interesting to subdivide the building as an incubator for local entrepreneurs to start up a business and merchandise their stuff; this could be a creative way to use the space.”

Some of the students on campus also shared what they might like to see open up in the vacated building once Barnes and Noble is gone.

“I would love to see another book store open there. I think that location is great for books,” said Guettler.

“I want to see a nice sit down restaurant go into the building,” Karram said. Even with many different ideas on what will fill the newly vacated building once Barnes and Noble is gone, both Wilson and Huddleston agreed that it will be hard to say how long the building will stay unoccupied.

With the closing of Barnes and Noble creeping closer by the day, whether you are upset or indifferent about the closing it is becoming apparent that the citizens of East Lansing will need to find a new place where they can buy books and music while also spending a quiet afternoon wandering through the shelves, or  to study silently.

“We will lose a convenient place for students and faculty of Michigan State to buy non-school books,” Huddleston said. Schuler Books and Music will now be the closet major book store to campus. It is located in the Meridian Mall.

Finals week is quickly approaching, which means times of high stress are on the horizon.  Along with the struggles of exams, papers, and presentations, external pressures from significant others seem to play a significant role in anxiety.

Communication junior Travis Richards said, ”I feel like exam week puts undue stress on relationships because everyone has such high expectations for their performance that they put all other aspects of life on the back burner including, but not limited to, relationships.”

Obviously finals are a time of high stress, which affects all individuals differently.  When we encounter a stressor, a multitude of things can go on psychologically that effect our behavior, some more governing than others.  Personally, I obsess about the situation and let it dominate my mind until it is resolved.

(sxc.hu)

“I get sassy.  I isolate myself and let the little things bother me.  I also procrastinate because I have anxiety about starting all of the work I need to finish,” said Eli Broad business junior Emily Kmiec.

Procrastination is a strategy that is beyond familiar on college campuses.  However, procrastination enhances stress by causing your work to pile up and making you feel overwhelmed.

James Madison junior Shannon Conaway has a more effective method that will help to reduce stress.

“I compartmentalize, so I take one thing at a time and divide and conquer,” she said.

This strategy is helpful to avoid becoming lost in your work.  Make a list of all you have to do and then go through and complete each task in its entirety.

Special education junior Lexi Justice said her nervousness bleeds into her personal life.

“I can’t stop thinking about whatever is bothering me, and then I begin to worry about everything,” she said.  Like Justice, when many people are stressed, it overflows into their personal lives often causing unnecessary problems.

These avoidable problems can create unneeded tension in students’ lives outside of the classroom.  But how can these stressors be managed and their effects minimized?

Stress leads to irritability causing us to lash out more at others and behave in ways that wouldn’t normally.  When we do act out, those people often attribute our behavior to our rude character instead of our pressing situation.

“The biggest thing is the fundamental attribution error, [which is] attributing things to internal causes instead of external ones,” interpersonal communications professor Kelly Morrison said.

To avoid the fundamental attribution error, look at the circumstances as a whole and determine if you could be making misattributions that could negatively impact your situation, she said.

For Eli Broad business junior Emily Kmiec, the stress of her partner rubs off on to her causing additional unnecessary anxiety.

“It makes me stressed, and I want to help because it feels terrible to be stressed because there’s nothing you can do,” she said.

Personally, I fall victim to what author of The 14 Day Stress Cure Morton Orman, calls ‘Kicking-your-seeing-eye-dog.’

Morton says, “[this is a] pattern whereby you try to change or mold your partner into someone who thinks, feels, and acts just like you do.”

However, trying to change your partner or having unrealistic expectations is not something that is going to benefit your relationship in the long run.

For Justice, running is her stress reliever.

Morrison suggests managing stress by getting more sleep and participating in either yoga or meditation.  She says these hobbies can provide the quiet time you need to handle your situation, without the risk of injury.

Morrison points out that so rarely with all of the various technologies are we separated from the stressors of our lives.  With iPhones, Blackberrys, e-mail and other forms of instant communication, we are constantly connected with work and school with no downtime in-between.

For Kmiec, relying on her friendships to manage her stress is key.

“Confiding in my friends helps to manage my stress by hearing the opinions of the people who are important in my life,” she said.

Talking with friends about stress is a technique Morrison defines as self-disclosure.

“Self-disclosure tends to relieve stress and facilitate mental health, so talking to someone is typically a good idea.  This could be a good friend, a parent, partner, or certainly talking to someone at counseling services on campus,” Morrison said.

Communication junior Travis Richards said, “I divert my stress away from my girlfriend and confide in outside sources in order to avoid putting unnecessary stress on the relationship.”

Shannon Conaway submerges herself in her work in order to ease the anxiety associated with stress, which gives her less time to devote to her partner.

Conaway says, “When I’m stressed, I have less time [for my boyfriend] because I’m too busy with homework.”

However, limiting face-to-face contact with your significant other could be counterproductive because of the insufficient emotional reactions of interacting by the means of technology.

“When you’re online, you’re less likely to empathize because of online empathy deficits,” Morrison says. When you are unable to see the reactions of your behaviors, you’re more likely to act in destructive ways.

By cutting your partner out, you are also losing a valuable support system that can help you through your stressful experience.

So, during this time of approaching angst, try to take Kelly Morrison’s advice by being open-minded and understanding of your partner and look for relaxing alternative outlets to channel your stress.  It could save you relationship, or at the very least help you to avoid a few miscommunications.

As I walked along the Red Cedar River on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, I wondered, “Where are all the guys at MSU?”

It’s not as if I am saying that MSU resembles a girl’s boarding school and it’s impossible to meet a guy, but as a twenty-two year old junior, I feel as if the chances of meeting someone decent before graduation are slim to none.

Unfortunately, most female students find themselves in this situation because as they advance through the university system, their dating pool shrinks while for male students, it expands. When girls enter MSU as freshman, their selection of boyfriends is considerable. Underclassmen, upperclassmen, grad students, grad assistants and even PhD candidates make up the dating pool.

Many senior females feel that it’s somewhat social suicide to be dating a freshman boy, hence the term “boy.”  While these boys feel as if dating someone older is like winning the jackpot; they get a more experienced cougar-like woman. Older females continue to struggle to find that potential boyfriend as they age in a university setting. That “other” campus in Ann Arbor is intertwined with a proper city employing scores of eligible young professional men.

(sxc.hu)

“As a twenty-one year old senior, I feel that my only option is to date senior guys because I am not looking to date someone not old enough to go to the bars with me,” said communications junior Aly Weiner.

On the other hand, twenty-one year old males have no bias towards girls as young as eighteen because having that younger girl on his arm makes him look more masculine and virile. The guy feels more superior with a younger girl because it’s as if they are guiding them through life.  When this kind of relationship dies due to lack of common interests, those young girls yet again find themselves searching for that imaginable soul mate. As semesters pass by as quickly as virtues are lost, girls begin to feel that aching pressure in finding that right guy before graduation.

“By second semester, senior year dating seems pointless…starting a relationship so late in college usually ends in a breakup when we both graduate because we’ll probably be going in separate ways,” said human biology senior Ilana Anders.

When many single girls graduate, their ears are boxed by their parents and friends; interrogative questions about if they’re seeing someone, and if not, what they should do to start and by the time they’re in their late twenties they should be rewarding their parents with grandchildren.

As if the stress of job interviews and applications are not enough, many girls feel pressure to meet the right guy during their years in college. On the contrary, many guys as young as eighteen feel that dating in college should be casual and that if something is meant to work out, it will.

“Dating in college is somewhat unrealistic. Everyone is overwhelmed with school work and when I do meet a cool girl, she becomes too attached to the idea that we’ll be together forever. I am not worried about finding a girlfriend though, three more years is a long time, and there are plenty opportunities to meet new people,” said sophomore Josh Kaplin.

After wondering “what had happened to all the guys here at MSU,” I made my way home and realized that maybe I just need to relax. Sure, we might not like dating younger guys and may be getting older, but I feel females should sometimes compare dating to old Chinese proverbs. In this case “Patience is a virtue,” in the sense that to eliminate that pressure, all students should be patient with having a relationship.

Attempting to please our parents, friends or even yourself by jumping into this committed liaison may end in shambles because of pressure buildup and by simply not being ready to completely share yourself with another person. Some of the best relationships begin when people are not even looking—best friends falling in love or lab partners turning a study date into a romantic one. Being patient is important because romance seems to hit people when they least expect it.

Being in a relationship is like opening a book for the first time and finding it filled with boundless dialogue in a foreign language. You may never know if you will end up understanding the context or if the ending will be happy or sad. So, instead of trying to find that book too quickly and then struggling through those pages, females who feel that pressure of finding the right guy when they’re young should be patient.

When you do feel that anxiety and hear those dreaded questions about why you’re still single, use the other functional aspect of that book by whacking that person across the head with it. This will usually get them to be quiet and you’ll probably get a good laugh out of it.

Pulled an all-nighter lately? It is hard to imagine staying up all night to finish a research paper or study for a final without some sort of energy aid to keep from dozing off in the library.

What most students may not know is that energy drinks and other caffeinated beverages actually have the opposite effect students are looking for when trying to do some last minute cramming.

“Anytime you get too much of a stimulant in your system, it will cause the opposite reaction you are looking for. Instead of feeling more alert it will actually make you feel nervous and jittery which is not going to help your concentration,” Olin Health Center Health Educator Jonathan Kermiet said.

Students may not realize there is caffeine in many things such as coffee, tea, chocolate and other foods or drinks; so if a student is pulling an all-nighter and drinks coffee, then an energy drink and then eats chocolate they will over-stimulate themselves and have a reaction much like an adrenaline rush resulting from stress; which can make it harder to focus on studying, Kermiet said.

After conducting a non-scientific survey of 21 MSU students, nine said they drank one caffeinated beverage per day while two responded claiming they drank more than three caffeinated beverages per day, which could be potentially harmful.

However, more than half of the students agreed they were aware of the negative effects of caffeine on the body and mind.

“People can develop a tolerance and an addiction to caffeine. So the problem then becomes when or if that person wants to cut down or cut off or quit, they will suffer some mild withdrawal–type symptoms; headaches and irritability and some of that which is uncomfortable,” Kermiet said.

“I know that caffeine is in your system for a very long time. The withdrawals give you headaches and coffee addicts may make New Years’ resolutions to quit but have negative side-effects because they were addicted to caffeine,” undecided freshman Alicia Vignoe said.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

While many students trek across campus, energy drink in hand, some still make the decision to stay away from caffeine in their day-to-day lives.

“Caffeine, when broken down to its scientific base, is a chemical. I believe that it’s hard for people to distinguish caffeine as being a dangerous substance because it is (included) in tasty, everyday drinks such as coffee, pop, and energy drinks. One can never go wrong with an ice cold glass of water that boosts metabolism and memory, which is the path I tend to stay on,” major sophomore McKayla Beam says.

Some research suggests that coffee or caffeine may be good for you, but it goes along with the saying “anything in moderation, moderation is the key word,” Kermiet said.

It is hard to give a rule of thumb for caffeine consumption because, like alcohol, it depends on the individual.

“The key for most people (or) what you should be aware of, is that if you are finding yourself to be jittery; feeling kind of strung out…I think that is a good sign to at least stop and ask yourself, ‘Okay what is this from? Is this from the all-nighter I just pulled or from the five or six cups of coffee I had because of the all-nighter?’ I think there are red-flags that people should be aware of,” Kermiet said. “A good rule of thumb, two to three servings of a caffeine source (per day) is sufficient or more than sufficient. Anymore than that…you need to be careful.”

Another trend on college campuses are the Four Loko drinks or mixing alcohol with energy drinks to get the desired energy required to stay out all night while becoming intoxicated.

“When alcoholic beverages are mixed with energy drinks, a popular practice among youth, the caffeine in these drinks can mask the depressant effects of alcohol,” Robert Brewer, an epidemiologist in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Alcohol Program said in a prepared statement. “At the same time, caffeine has no effect on the metabolism of alcohol by the liver and thus does not reduce breath alcohol concentrations or reduce the risk of alcohol attributable harms.”

According to the CDC’s Alcohol Program, Brewer said, Caffeinated Alcoholic Beverages (CABs) are premixed beverages that combine alcohol, caffeine, and other stimulants.

Although the Four Loko drinks were banned from being sold by retailers in Michigan November 2010 because they were dangerous and unhealthy, Kermiet said he would be more concerned about students mixing products of the same kind.

“You’re mixing an upper with a downer basically. The caffeine is a stimulant and the alcohol is a depressant. I think what sometimes that will do is exaggerate the effect of whatever your taking the most of,” he says, “But I would probably be more concerned about those students mixing caffeine with another stimulant.”

Although Kermiet considers alcohol and caffeine less harmful than mixing two stimulants, the CDC still warns of the risks when mixing alcohol with caffeine.

Sports are a constant cultural machine in the United States. They posses both the power to excite and the power to disappoint, but also have the ability to unify – to bring an entire school, city, state or nation together. Occasionally, that power travels, crossing borders, oceans, and cultures in the process. International sports have experienced growing popularity in the United States, and the East Lansing are as well as the campus of Michigan State University are not exempt from this trend.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

There are plenty of clubs at MSU that promote awareness of international sports. One such club is the Kendo Club, whose members practice a historical and popular Japanese martial art and compete against other schools.

The basic idea of Kendo is to strike the top of the head, wrists, throat, or abdomen of an opponent with a bamboo sword called a shinai.  In the competition version of the game, each hit earns a player two points, and the player with the most points at the end of a match wins.

The competitive nature of Kendo makes it very popular in its native country.

“In Japan, [Kendo’s] popularity is similar to that of football in America, with about a million people practicing the art,” said Ron Fox, the club’s adviser, who also works as a physicist at MSU’s National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory.

Despite its popularity abroad however, Fox said that kendo hasn’t quite caught on yet at MSU.

“At MSU, only 25 people practice the club, in addition to an introductory one credit class that about 40 people enroll in each year,” he said. “We don’t have much of a fan base.”

Although he wishes more students were currently participating, Fox continues to promote his club and push his students to their full potential.

“[The club’s] participation rate looks to be increasing over the next few years,” said Fox. “We hope that our fan base will increase as well.”

The Kendo Club organizes a yearly tournament held at Michigan State every year: the Midwest Kendo Federation Student tournament, and Fox encouraged those interested to attend.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Another international sports club at MSU is the Polo Club, which boasts a slightly larger population.

“Our club has almost forty members, the biggest program for a university in the U.S. We have a strong fan base as well,” said club vice president Cassie Scarfone, a senior majoring in human biology.

Scarfone said the club hosts a yearly benefit match against the University of Michigan that “draws in quite a crowd.”

This match, called Poloat the Pavillion, benefits both the polo clubs of Michigan State and the University of Michigan. It is the biggest match of the year for both clubs, and usually provides the polo club with their highest attendance of the season at an affordable cost – tickets are just $5 for students and $10 for other guests.

International sports are also drawing interest in the East Lansing area. West Michigan Capoeira, a martial arts studio that practices an ancient Brazilian sport, has branched off into East Lansing with hopes of sparking an interest wider than just the undergraduate community at MSU.

Capoeira is an art form based on an ancient Brazilian war dance. Individuals who practice capoeria begin by forming a “hoda” circle, then proceed through a series of motions that combine rhythmic dance and martial arts, often in formation with others.

“Right now, we have about ten participants, and most of them are grad students,” said instructor Show Grande . “I’m hoping that eventually interest will spark, and people will investigate and look into capoeira.”

Grande’s biggest wish is that individuals interested in capoeira will have an “epiphany” moment, similar to one he had when he was younger.

“I just walked into a capoeira studio and was amazed at the gracefulness of those involved,” said Grande. “I was so entranced that I had to keep reminding myself that the sport was real, and ever since then I’ve been blown away.”

While international sports clubs are always working to improve their fan base and gain awareness amongst the student body, they are also invested in the passion and drive that team members have.

“I tell my team, ‘Just shut up and do it’. They are all dedicated to the art, and open to what the sport can offer them,” Fox said.

This passion and drive is mixed with a willingness to cross cultural borders. International sports clubs have both American members as well as many who are, of course, international.

“We have had many international students in the kendo club; this year, we have several Japanese members” Fox said.

Many international members are drawn in by their native loyalties to the sport, or want to contribute to bringing the sport into light at MSU, in Michigan, or even the nation, and fight to raise cultural awareness of the sport by changing stereotypes.

“Currently, the polo community is trying to change the stereotype of the sport as an ‘elitist’ game,” said Scarfone. “In reality, anyone can become involved [in polo] and it can be much more affordable than one might think.”

According to Grande, “Investing in an unknown sport is like continued learning.” International sports can help broaden the cultural horizons of students at Michigan State, and, much like American sports, they have the power to bring us all together as one globally united city and campus.

“Practicing a difficult sport gives students confidence in everyday life,” Grande said. “When we all feel like we are accomplishing something together, we become united.”

For more information, contact:

Michigan State University Kendo Club: kendo.msu.edu

Michigan State University Polo Club: msupolo@msu.edu

West Michigan Capoeira: CDOWestMichigan@gmail.com