Thursday, February 15,2007 rT^I /^\ * Corning Community College Issue 20 I I 1 Academic Drive Spring 2007 I I Vyl XwX Corning, NY 14830 Caffeine Overload By Lottie Mae Watts Many students purchase the energy drinks that are available in Spencer Pub in the basement of the Commons. As the pace of work, school, family, and other responsibilities only seem to increase, are larger numbers of students turning to caffeine-laden energy drinks to help them make it through the day? “Students buy them because they are told that consuming them will improve their grades, performance, immunity, fun, excitement, and weight loss,” voices CCC nurse Candace Rosing. However, the availability of such beverages is leading to many problems for those that consume them. Rosing notes that consumption of such beverages can result to Emergency Room visits as side effects such as chest pain, heart attacks, anxiety attacks, and insomnia, are experienced. She explains that there are a number of variables to consider that can affect how dangerous consuming energy drinks can be. An individual’s weight, medical history, tolerance for caffeine, and interactions with other medications are all factors to be considered. “I would be content with limiting caffeine availability on campus to coffee, tea, and soda pop. Soda machines are in many buildings also, but they don’t pose the threat of injury like energy drinks,” says Rosing. “A smart consumer would demand information first and consider other avenues before retreating to a potentially harmful conclusion.” Rosing also explains that there are definite warning signs that shouldn’t be ignored when drinking hyper-caffeinated beverages. Medical attention should be sought if side effects such as “skipped or irregular heartbeats, shortness of breath, dizziness, tremors, chest pain, feeling of impending doom (an anxiety attack), severe weight loss or inability to eat, symptoms of withdrawal, and insomnia” occur. One CCC student, a female studying general studies, says that she consumes two energy drinks a day. Story continues on page three. Exercise Becomes More Difficult During Winter By Amanda Morse As the holidays leave us and we pass into the colder months, classes resume, and it becomes harder to finish the tasks of the day as busy schedules become even busier. Cars refuse to start in the morning, making students late for classes, late night studying becomes the norm, and a lack of sleep becomes the general cause for zoning out in classes. It also becomes doubly harder to keep up a routine of daily exercise and healthy eating. When it is dreadfully cold outside, who wants to go outside for a jog? Story continues on page two. CCC Blood Drive Aids Those in Need By Anthony Pop kin Last week, the Red Cross received a total of seventy-four blood donations in the Triangle Lounge. “It was my second time donating. I donate because somebody in the world is always going to need blood,” says student Stephanie Rogers. According to the Red Cross, every two seconds someone in America needs blood. That is quite a lot of blood and unfortunately, only five percent of able-bodied donors actually give blood. Loretta Larsen, a staff member at CCC, states, “I’ve given blood for years...around fifty times. I give blood because blood is needed by people around the country and there are many shortages.” If needles bother you or you’re apprehensive for one reason or another just think of the gratification that comes from giving blood. Just one pint of your blood can be given to up to three people. The need for donors is vast and every donation helps with medical emergencies that derive from cancer, blood disorders, sickle cell, anemia, and many other illnesses. “I’ve volunteered for the Red Cross for five years and I’ve been a donor for about thirty-three years. It’s important because we help save lives,” says volunteer Susan Harris. Volunteer Barbara Hughes says, “I’ve volunteered here for ten plus years and I am a recipient of blood. You never know when you may need it.” Amazingly enough, Joyce Hallenbeck, a staff member at printer services gave her eighth gallon of blood. Hallenbeck had to donate at least sixty-four times in her life to reach that number. Seventy-four donations of blood were given in the Triangle Lounge at CCC. On April 25, the American Red Cross will be returning to CCC, so stop by the Commons Building and perform a good deed, and don’t forget that just for donating, you will receive snacks, drinks, and a cafeteria meal worth $4.50. Thursday, February 15, 2007 Page 2 Exercise Continued From Page One “It’s hard to eat healthy in college, because when you’re hungry everything looks good,” says Brigett Kellogg, a math and science major and second year student at CCC, who mentioned that during the winter months, people often eat more and then don’t burn off the extra calories. And she’s right. According to an article on webMd.com, the pounds aren’t gained during the holidays, but afterwards as people struggle to lose that one extra pound. It is a known fact, sad but known, that nearly half of Americans arc overweight, a factor that can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. It is even harder for a person who is already obese to lose weight. Loss of exercise during the winter months makes that even harder. While some people claim that they eat more when they are bored or upset, others claim that watching what other people eat could have negative affects. “I didn’t start drinking a lot of caffeine drinks until I Some students opted to sign up for an aerobics class that meets during the first few weeks of the Spring Semester. Signing up for a class that requires physical activity is one way to get exercise in if you’re not feeling particularly motivated. was in college,” says Kellogg. “And there’s the influence of others, like if your friends are drinking sodas.” So what can a person do when it is ten degrees outside and s/he can’t afford the money to go skiing? Here are a few tips from an article on webMd that might help: Turn On Some Music. What? Music? What’s that? Dancing is an excellent way to get exercise! Let it all out...nobody The Weight Room in the gym is open tor student use from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during weeks when classes are in session. has to see...not if you’re home alone! Next, walk up and down the steps. It might sound lame, but in place of one of those stairstepping machines, jogging up and down the stairs might feel like the old fashioned way of exercising, but it is still exercising. When you’re desperate enough to lose the weight, it might just work. For weight lifting, try dumb bell curls and presses. If you don’t have weights, try using full water bottles. And just think, when you’re thirsty, the water is right there! Okay...maybe that is sort of a lame reason... but the point is that there are many different things around the house that can be used for weights. Just don’t try something bizarre...and hurt yourself. For the abs, do crunches. It might not be as cool to the lie on the floor and do them as it is for the people on those fancy machines in infomercials, but a person needs to be tough to survive the winter in Corning, and compared to that, crunches really are a piece of cake. Lastly, keep your workouts short. During the winter, many crave sweets and prefer sitting on the couch compared to the motivation it takes to get out and exercise. If this is the case, keep the activities short but intense. Exercising at least four times a week for 15 to 20 minutes is much better than not at all. When it snows and the wind chill is not at a negative factor, go outside in the snow and play with your kids, or for those who don’t have any: go sled-riding with a bunch of friends. Chances are someone is bound to have a hilly front yard that you can launch yourself down. You are never too old to have fun in the snow. The main defense against unwanted weight gain is simply keeping active. It is hard for some to stay active during the winter months, when the cold weather chases you inside, but there are still plenty of things to increase your heart rate and your level of healthiness. It Snow! Let We are now several weeks into the Spring Semester. Does it seem like Spring to you? I know that there are quite a few new students this semester who are becoming familiar with our strange terminology, such as Spring Semester. They probably also need to be brought up to speed about our cancellation procedures due to this Spring snow we have been experiencing. Let me take a few minutes to refresh everyone about snow procedures. First, when and where can you find information about morning cancellations? The quickest and most accurate source is NEW this semester: MyCCC. Cancellations will show up in red on most every page in MyCCC. Of course, we notify all of the local news agencies (radio and TV) and put the announcement on the webpage as well as the College phone system. We try our best to make these announcements by 6 a.m. It is important for everyone to realize that we can not predict how every road in our service area is going to be maintained; therefore, you are ultimately responsible for making a decision about your own safety. Please exercise good judgment when it comes to your situation. Second, what happens if we experience a storm during the day? In this situation, students and staff are cautioned to remain on campus until notified that Spencer Hill is safe for travel. This will be done by placing signs on building doors, messages on MyCCC, and having the College radio station (WCEB,91.9 FM) make announcements. It is recommended that the main Spencer Hill route be used to exit the campus. In the event of any closing during the day, students with disabilities who are dependent upon public transportation should go to the Public Safety Office or contact that office for assistance. Public Safety will work with the State Police Department to control access to Spencer Hill in this situation. Third, what happens to evening classes in the event of a storm? Generally, the same procedures and methods of notification are used. If you have a class in a local high school, that building may be closed to the College if the district has been closed for all programming that day. The decision for evening classes will be made by four p.m., but again, you are ultimately responsible for making a decision about your own safety. Please exercise good judgment when it comes to your situation. At all times, please drive safely. Barry Garrison CCC Executive Director of Information Systems Thursday, February 15, 2007 Page 3 Caffeine Continued From Page One “I know it’s not healthy,” she says, referring to the drink she was sipping containing 160 milligrams of caffeine. “But it’s either drink it or fall asleep in class.” “Modifying one’s lifestyle should be considered first,” explains Rosing of alternatives to consuming energy drinks. She urges students that consume energy drinks to discover other ways to obtain energy, including not staying up too late, consuming healthy foods, drinking enough water, participating regularly in exercise, and find strategies to cope with stress. Other hardened consumers, such as Human Services major Jason Oakley, purchase up to five energy drinks per week. However, he claims that he doesn’t feel any effects from the caffeine in the drinks and doesn’t drink them to attain energy. “1 just drink it because it tastes good,” Oakley explains. “It would be a good idea to warn people,” Oakley says of the risks associated with consuming energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster Energy, and Rockstar. “On some drinks, it says ‘Consume Responsibly,’ but people need to realize their limitations. It’s just like alcohol. You need to know your limitations.” However, knowing limitations can become increasingly difficult for consumers as they are enticed by clever drink names and advertising campaigns. The most recent addition to the myriad popular gy do a can Classic Drink Drink Size (oz) Caffeine Content (mg) Coca-Cola Classic 12 34 Cocaine Energy Drink 8.4 280 Crunk 8.3 100 Full Throttle 16 141 Monster 16 140 NOS 16 200 Pimp Juice 8 81 Red Bull 8.3 80 Rockstar 16 160 Vamp 16 240 Source: http://www.energyfiend.com/the-caffeine-database/ instances of insensitive advertising comes from Redux Beverages, the creator of the energy drink incongruously dubbed Cocaine. Claiming to have 350% more caffeine than a Red Bull and a slogan of “the legal alternative,” it seems impossible to know at this point if marketers know where to draw the line. “It sounds like it would be something that is really bad for you,” exclaims Oakley of why he would never taste Cocaine. Of the name choice, he adds, “It is not something that should be marketed openly like that.” “That is not appropriate in any way, shape or form,” agrees Liberal Arts major Daniel Camp of the Redux Beverages creation. Camp also believes that because young people are easily influenced, marketing campaigns should not be structured in a manner that sends the message that a drink called Cocaine is okay to consume, because it could result in a belief that the illicit drug of the same name is also safe to experiment with. A By Anthony On Saturday nearly three hundred children and adults saddled up and headed to the Commons to attend the free Cool Kids Wild West Show sponsored by the Activities Programming Committee. The show highlighted the skills of Richard Tumbleweed and his assistant Donna Daring. Daring is a fitting last name as Donna took the majority of the risks during the show. Some children even dressed for the part. Jar-ret, a five year old from Beaver Dams, wore boots, a cowboy hat, and a vest. “I like making lassos and I like cowboys because of their horses,” says Jarret. As Richard Tumbleweed began doing tricks with bullwhips and lassos the crowd gave out big “YEEHAS” for each trick completed. Some of the tricks preformed included hitting paper airplanes out of the air with a bullwhip and Richard Tumbleweed hitting Styrofoam targets from various areas that Donna Daring held. Tumbleweed even used two bullwhips to make a sound similar to that of an old train locomotive. As the show came closer to the end, children were invited on the floor and given the chance to practice their own rope tricks. The miniature ropes provided were given to the children to take home as souvenirs. With the show ending, many of the children’s eyes seemed filled with a sense fulfillment as the show seemed to provide just what they wanted: a chance to be part of the show. “When picking acts, I look to not only entertain the audience, but to also make them feel as part of the show,” says Cool Kids director Steve Appleton. The next Cool Kids event will be held Saturday April 21 as Bubble-Mania floats to the Main Dining Room. The show is free and suitable for children and families. At the end of the program, kids were given the chance to try out the different lasso techniques that were presented. 01 Good Popkin ’ Time in the Commons Thursday, February 15, 2007 Page 4 Letter to the Editor After discussing this with another student, I have decided that dorms would be beneficial to the students when it comes to already being on campus for classes. The subject of transportation wouldn’t be an issue in not making it to classes, especially for those of us who have classes scheduled in the early evening hours or those that have them first thing in the morning. It would be a great idea for something like that to be available on campus. But if CCC cannot make dorms a reality, it should have student discounts available at local lodgings for those with classes that are going to be too late to catch a bus or to travel home. I know that when I start my practicum next Fall, I will be in that situation where my class gets out at 9 p.m. from Airport Corporate Park, and I have no transportation to where I live in Hornell. Buses stop running to Bath from Corning at 5:30 p.m. The last bus from Bath to Hornell is at 6:50 p.m. Unfortunately, it is imperative that I take this class to fulfill requirements for graduation. Dorms would be nice, and I’m sure that there are definitely negative issues, such as higher insurance rates with students on campus 24/7, but it is an idea that is still worth looking at. -Nancy Daniels Do you have an opinion? Have it published in The Crier! Send letters to the editor to lwatts2@corning-cc.edu. The Crier Staff Editor Reporters Lottie Mae Watts Barry Garrison Assistant Editor Amanda Morse Anthony Grapevine Anthony Popkin Lottie Mae Watts Treasurer Rachel Seymour Photographers Dustin Harris Secretary Anthony Popkin Theresa Stermer Lottie Mae Watts Student Association Representative The Crier welcomes Anthony Popkin article submissions! Please send articles Advisor to lwatts2@corning- Paul McNaney cc.edu. Winter Wonderland By Theresa Stermer J Z H J R F G S I K N V D Z R W T F D S Y M P S Z L F J B G Q S H Q J C U S G J C B H E O F L S R E Y A L Z N R C U D A Z U L V U O L E S A U W F K N J S O G Z S V E M T A S G V M H D Z A L H N N L M A S R U X C E E N O N I C N N R H M C D S A G Y O M P C V Z H E D H M S O R O K E L S N O W M A N R K S Q X C O J E A Q S W I T H G I F L L A B W O N S G T T V B T F P T A H N U A R C C O H K N A H J S N O W P L O W T N P A S J N E O E B R P F D O E E B D O E L U N A N S L W N Q A V V I B E R T S H R M J N B D Q S F G Q W M W G V O Y N A S A S O H U W L R Z O O O H W X R M O S N E T T I M A V I N Q N O B X Q L W W C H V R A S M T Y G B A S W T w D Q Q D W I T G K R F D A I T C H L E Q W G B A B I Q I E S X R I D P M A H N G D Y C Y B K S H J H I C V P T S D C S L E D W V V V T R R L S D H Y K BOOTS COAT COLD EARMUFFS FRIGID FURNACE GLOVES HAT LAYERS LONGJOHNS MITTENS SALT SCARVES SKIS SLED SLIPPERY SNOW SNOWBALLFIGHT SNOWDAY SNOWMAN SNOWPLOW SNOWSHOVEL SWEATER THERMAL WINTER Write for The Crier. 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