magazine

MSU Quidditch TeamThe MSU travel team brings Harry Potter spirit to the Muggle world

Plus, an up-close look at being a resident mentor

in this issue5

6

10

8

14

Ing ThingsFind out who to follow

on Twitter, useful websites and fun random facts.

Like a good neighborResident mentors provide support and advice to students

whenever they need it.

QuidditchMSU’s Quidditch travel team brings Harry Potter spirit to

the Muggle world.

Smoke SignalsHookah may not be as healthy an alternative to cigarettes as one

may think.

How to Make a Camera CaseGet crafty with Jeannine Seidl and make a custom case

for your camera.

People say print is failing. I resent that.

When someone says “print” they tend to lump newspapers and magazines together. Is that fair? Just because both are printed on paper does not mean they should be thrown together under one heading. Magazines differ from newspapers in their content, operation, style, design, readership, circulation, release dates and cultural impact.

As you’ve no doubt heard, newspapers are on the decline in circulation and advertising dollars. More than 150 U.S. newspapers have shut down or stopped putting out a print edition since 2008. Morale in the newspaper industry is low as countless employees lose their jobs and their companies.

But is the same true for magazines? While reading a magazine in a bookstore the other day, I stumbled across an amazing advertisement called The Power of Print. The ad says that magazines are flourishing, and there are many statistics to draw upon.

For example, magazine readership has grown over the past five years, according to MRI. MPA estimates showed that average paid subscriptions reached nearly 300 million people in 2009. Plus, MRI found that four out of five adults read magazines, and magazine readership for ages 18 to 34 is growing.

The statistics become even more powerful when talking about advertising. The campaign cites that McPheters & Company found

that magazines deliver more ad impressions than TV or web in a half-hour period. Dynamic Logic found that magazines outperform other media in driving positive shifts in purchase consideration or intent.

Not too shabby, huh? So while the rest of the journalism industry scrambles to reinvent itself and move toward online content, magazines know their strengths and continue to push growth.

At Ing Magazine, we are proud to be part of the power of magazines. We hope to provide valuable entertainment and information for our readers. So when you say that print media is failing, be specific. The printed word still has hope in the future of magazines.

Volume 3, Issue 3EDITOR IN CHIEF

Becca Jaskot

ASSOCIATE EDITORKatie Dalebout

GRAPHICS EDITORGina Holder

COPY EDITORSEliza Foster

Brooklyn Pluger

ASSISTANT DESIGNEmily Misko

Sarah Puzan

SALES MANAGERParagon Group

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVESAshleigh Artist

Kara Leslie

PHOTOGRAPHERSShelby Robinson

Jeannine SeidlMike Smiy

Emily MiskoElise Kaufmann

FOUNDERAdam Grant

staff

Check out our stuff.ingising.comtwitter.com/ingmagazineAdvertise with us! Email magazine.ing@gmail.com

note from the editor

BECCA JASKOTEditor in Chief

note from the editor

twitter.com/ingmagazine | 2

EDITOR IN CHIEF Becca Jaskot

EVENT COORDINATORTrista Kempa

LEAD DESIGN Trista Kempa

ASSISTANT DESIGN Becca Jaskot

WEBMASTERJohnny Dinh

PHOTOGRAPHERS Cory Hurst

Jeannine Seidl Mike SmiyEmily Misko

LEAD COPY EDITORRebecca Butcher

COPY EDITORS Chelsea Wuth

Laura RiessKatie Dobruse

SALES MANAGERSParagon Group

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Andrew Stevens

Christlynn Chelladurai

STREET TEAMNicky Parks

Jeannine SeidlLauren Matzelle

Sarah HickeyCaitlin Lombardo

Katie DaleboutAnnie Perry

FOUNDER Adam Grant

staff

It’s the end of another school year. For some of you, it is the end of huge chapter of your life. Graduation is just around the corner and after that comes…real life.

Moving on can be an emotional time. I will be sad to see my senior friends leave, wondering if I’ll ever see some of them again. I can only imagine the fear and anxiety going through a graduating senior’s mind. But there is also excitement, liberation, and pride.

The theme of this issue is living—embracing all life has to offer and respecting the life around us. Many say that your college years are the best of your life. This can sound depressing—does that mean my life is all downhill from here?

Definitely not. We at ing believe in living up your time at college, but we also believe that the fun does not have to end here. There may come a time when your interests mature, but that does not mean you have to stop squeezing the juice out of life.

April brings Earth Day, and we are reminded to respect our planet. If we learned anything from Avatar, it’s that we should live in harmony with nature. While we try to live each day to the fullest, we must also remember to live sustainably.

Thanks for reading ing this year! We’ve had a great time creating magazines for our fellow Spartans. We’ll be back in the fall and better than ever. Whether you’re spending the summer abroad, starting a career, or babysitting the neighborhood kids, have some fun and enjoy the break. To our graduating seniors, congrats and we wish you a rich and fulfilling life.

april & may

Check out our stuff.ingising.com

twitter.com/ingmagazineingmagazine.wordpress.com

BECCA JASKOT Editor in Chief

twitter.com/ingmagazine | 4

localtwitter-ers

Usefulwebsiteslocaltwitter-ers Randomfacts

msualert

msufinaid

EatAtState

MSURHA

MSU_Basketball

WKAR

MSUSocialNorms

campusspecial.com - Print off coupons to use at businesses around MSU and several other universities

www.omegle.com - Chat with strangers

deviantart.com - Browse through art, network, and upload your own pieces

mapmyrun.com - If you’re a big runner, use this site to track your routes or find new ones. Or use it to find out how far you walk every day across campus

reddit.com - Vote on news to make it higher or lower on the page

The creamy middle of a Twinkie is not cream at all but mostly shortening.

If Facebook were a country, it would be the fifth-largest country in the world, after China, India, the U.S., and Indonesia.

Many phrases we use daily were coined or popularized by William Shakespeare including all’s well that ends well, one fell swoop, vanish into thin air, play fast and loose, in a pickle, foul play, tower of strength, flesh and blood, be cruel to be kind, heart’s content, and with bated breath.

Compiled by Marites Woodbury

Many people work behind the scenes at Michigan State University to make students feel at home

in their residence halls, and resident mentors work in the forefront to ensure a hall runs smoothly. Students interested in becoming resident mentors must apply by Dec. 1, and the job requires students to balance discipline and friendship.

Resident mentors are students within a residence hall who serve as advisers for other students living on their floors.

“The responsibilities of a mentor are facilitating a positive community where my residents can live and feel safe,” said

mechanical engineering junior Tim Polom, a mentor in Bailey Hall. “Also, I try to connect the residents amongst each other.”

Mentors are also responsible for creating a sense of community within their floor and hall.

“You have to get your floor involved, and you want to make a floor where they feel safe,” said Will Dyar, an environmental economics junior and another mentor in Bailey. “We do a lot of community development, floor-wide and building-wide, to try to get people to know each other.”

Mentors must put on different activities or events for the students in the hall, and the frequency of events varies by hall and neighborhood. Activities can be active, such as ultimate Frisbee, or something simple,

like watching a TV show or movie. Cristina McWethy, an accounting

senior and mentor in Yakeley-Gilchrist Hall, said that events are often based off of the previous year’s events or brainstormed and inspired by what students are interested in doing. Mentor in Akers Hall and Chinese language and culture senior Genevieve Cousineau had her residents submit ideas for events at the beginning of the semester.

Mentors also have to be good role models for their students and be there in a student’s time of need. “They guide us in the right direction. They’re here if we ever need help with anything,” said natural science freshman Jeffrey LaHood. “It’s almost like an older sibling that’s just kind of there to look out for you.”

Like a good neighbor, mentors are thereResident mentors provide students with advice and support whenever they need it

By Jack Crawley

Sophomores Kristine Washburn, Kelli Wassink, and Sarah Beyer exclaim over a vintage record cover at a hall event organized by the resident mentors of Williams Hall this past month. Students were able to mold bowls out of heated up records while enjoying Pokey Stix and socializing.

Photos by Elise Kaufmann

The biggest perk of being a mentor is free room and board, but mentors say that other benefits come with the position. Part of the reason Polom decided to become a mentor is because he feels that it helps you stand out on such a large campus and play an influential role in the students’ lives.

McWethy said her favorite part of the job is the bond she has with residents, as well as her fellow staff. “It’s like a family,” she said. “We’re best friends.”

Inspiration from previous mentors seems to be a popular reason that current mentors signed up for the job. Dyar, McWethy, and Cousineau all credited their former resident mentors as a one of the major reasons they became one.

Like any job, there are downsides to being a resident mentor. The hours can be demanding on students at times.

Dyar said his least favorite part of the job is Friday and Saturday night duty shifts, plus the late-night rounds. Each mentor serves mandatory shifts, or duty, during which they cannot leave the building and must be ready to assist with any problems. When on duty, a mentor must do rounds, in which they survey each floor of the hall and check on the students. The mentors are not able to share personal stories of being on the job, but Polom said that rounds can be a downside of the position because it can keep them up late.

Mentors must enforce the rules of the hall, and must be ready to discipline students if necessary. They must handle the situation if they find alcohol. Some situations even require bringing in law enforcement, which is what happens when illegal drugs of any kind are found.

Each mentor tends to have his or her style of discipline.

Dyar said he prefers to be calm. “If you seem relaxed, and you seem more friendly toward them, they’ll be less hostile toward you and more willing to do what you ask of them,” he said.

Establishing a friendship with residents is beneficial, said McWethy, who also shows proper discipline when the situation calls for it. “If you establish that friendship relationship, you tend not to have as many problems because they’ll come to you if they need it because they can rely on you,” she said. “They tend not to retaliate because they can confide in you.”

Cousineau is stern when lying out the rules at the beginning of the year, but then she becomes more friendly toward her residents. “When I start

off assertive like that, they usually get the picture and they don’t push the boundaries,” she said.

“It depends on what the student’s doing, but I prefer to give them a warning first, and make it really, really clear that I’m not on board with what they’re doing,” Polom said. “But if I have to, I won’t hesitate to document the situation, [and] refer them to my assistant hall director and hall director.”

For help, mentors look to hall directors, whom are full-time employees within residence halls. Directors assist and supervise mentors and oversee their halls. Like mentors, the directors must strive to create a positive environment, help students feel comfortable, and address students’ general concerns.

Mentors also receive training to prepare for their responsibilities. Training starts in the spring, shortly after applicants are hired. Training continues before school starts in the fall.

“You come two weeks before everyone moves in, and that’s when you do training every day from 9 to 5,” said McWethy. “It’s a lot of training, but it’s worth it because you bond with your teammates.”

MSU changed the application process for resident mentors this year. Applications for next fall became available in October, and the new deadline is Dec. 1. The application includes a 500-word essay about why you want to be a resident mentor.

Besides being an enrolled student, mentors must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75. They must have completed at least 12 credit hours when they apply and have lived in one of MSU’s residence halls for a minimum of one semester. Mentors may not student teach or hold internships during their first semester and must gain approval for any thereafter. They must make themselves available for a minimum of 24 hours per week for varying time intervals and allow ample time for their regularly scheduled responsibilities.

McWethy said the process is very competitive. “There’s like 700 kids applying, but they only have an average of 130 spots open,” she said. Applicants attend a large group interview before being narrowed down to one-on-two interviews.

Students interested in becoming a resident mentor next fall, or in learning more, can visit the Michigan State Residence Life website at www.reslife.msu.edu.

Photos by Elise Kaufmann

Quidditch

MSU’s travel Quidditch team makes Muggles’ dreams come true

Not just for wizards

By Eliza Foster

Photo and cover photo by Elise Kaufmann

Will Hack, captain of the Michigan State University Quidditch team, crouches next to

his six teammates with one hand on his broom. With the shout of “Brooms up!” he and the other players quickly hop on their broomsticks, sweep to the middle of the field, and attempt to grab a Quaffle or Bludger.

This is no ordinary group of Muggles.

Inspired by the Harry Potter series, the MSU Quidditch team was started in 2006 as an IM sport. A traveling team was introduced in late 2009; this is the first official year the team has hit the road. Comprised of 20 students, the team went to New York City in mid-November along with more than 50 other teams from across the country to compete in the World Cup.

In the fictional world of Harry Potter, the World Cup is the biggest tournament when it comes to Quidditch, and the Muggle version is no different. This was the first year that the MSU team competed.

The team lost in the first elimination round to Texas A&M University with a score of 180-40, but the Spartans were excited to meet teams and Harry Potter fans from across the country.

Anthropology and linguistics junior Bailey Reidinger spends her summers working at a camp in North Carolina that hosts a Harry Potter week each year.

“I thought that if I can play Quidditch with five and six year olds then I can do it with college kids,” said Reidinger, who is also the headmistress of the club Quidditch team.

She tried to start a team her freshman year, but with little success.

“There were only six people that showed up,” she said. Since then, though, Quidditch’s popularity has increased.

“I hope it can be big, bigger with more PR,” said genetics junior Shalayla Howard. “It’s good to watch, fun to play, and people should come out and see. It’s fun to be a part of something that you grew up with.”

This was the kind of attitude that physics and mathematics freshman Erin May had going into her first year.

“I always joked about playing Quidditch in college,” said May. “When I got here I found out that MSU actually had a team.”

At the team’s first match of the

year in September, May spent her time playing the golden snitch.

“As a snitch I have to avoid capture,” said May. “I can run, walk, climb trees, bike. I just can’t go inside any buildings.”

She was also required to wear either yellow or gold clothing to make her appear more like the tiny golden ball the seeker spends the entire game chasing.

Chemical engineering senior Mike Parr, is seeker on the MSU team.

“I think that it’s the best position to play,” said Parr. “I make or break the game.”

When it came to personality differences, Parr found few between the “Boy-who-Lived” and himself.

“I think we are similar,” said Parr. “I am driven, motivated, a nerd, and a leader like Harry.”

In Harry’s realm, Quidditch is no joking matter, and it is taken seriously in this world as well.

“I am a member of the International Quidditch Association and on the Rules Council,” said Hack. “There are about 450 teams in the entire association, with 150 teams in Europe.”

The rules are constantly changing, which makes each game a little bit different.

“I would say that Quidditch is a combination of dodgeball and rugby,” said Hack.

In the wizard version of Quidditch, the members of each team are not afraid to play dirty and injuries occur often. In the Muggle version, however, it is a little more subdued.

“Our biggest injury was a torn ACL this year,” said Hack. “And when brooms break in half we usually have the player switch out his or her broom to prevent injuries.

Quidditch players are not only fans of the popular series but love the movies, as well. With the first part of the last installment released into theaters Nov. 19, the emotions were mixed.

“It’s sad,” said Reidinger. “You and every person in your generation are all part of this group excitement and that will come to an end this summer.”

The second part of the seventh movie is slated to release in July 2011

Klump felt similarly. “We can’t let go,” she said. “Harry

Potter grew up, so did we, but we are all still together.

QuidditchQuidditch Rules:Field: Ovular, 48 yards long

Scoring: Goals are scored by putting the Quaffle through one of the opponents’ three hoops from either direction. Each goal is worth 10 points. Catching the snitch is worth 30 points.

Three Hoops: 4 feet, 5 feet, and 6 feet in height; made of wood, plastic, or metal

Winning: The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Game time: Undetermined. The game ends when the snitch is caught.

Positions: 7 - 3 Chasers – use the Quaffle and aim to score points - 2 Beaters – use the Bludger and aim to knock out opponents - 1 Keeper – protects team’s hoops - 1 Seeker – tries to catch the Snitch

Quaffle: volleyball

Bludger: kickball

Snitch: tennis ball in a yellow sock, which is tucked into snitch runner’s shorts

Snitch runner: Not part of either team. Must wear yellow or gold. Goal is to run the snitch by tucking it into the back of one’s shorts. The snitch is allowed to leave the field of play within a predetermined area.

Knocked out: When a Beater hits an opponent with a Bludger, he or she is “knocked out.” That person must drop the ball, run back to his or her own hoops, and touch one before resuming play.

Brooms: Players must have brooms between legs and carry them with arms or legs. If a player violates this, the player “falls of the broom,” is not considered in play, and must perform the knock out procedure.

Physical play: Players can tackle opponents below the waist or charge them if they are in possession of a ball.

Infractions: Using careless, reckless, or excessive force; kicking; tripping; charging or tackling from behind; false starts; interfering with keeper in keeper zone when he or she has the Quaffle

Penalties: yellow card warnings, red card game suspensions, knock out effect

While many students smoke hookah as an alternative to cigarettes, the health effects may be just as harmful

The air inside Sayli’s Hookah Lounge in East Lansing is heavy with fruity smells. About 25 young adults, illuminated by the glow

of charcoal, inhale smoke from bubbling water pipes. Thick clouds of flavored smoke escape from their mouths and nostrils. Among them sits Widad Nasser, 18, a freshman at Michigan State University who won’t smoke cigarettes because she thinks they’re gross. Yet, Nasser will smoke hookah, a tall water pipe that has been used for centuries in the Middle East and South Asia. Also known as an argileh or shisha, the hookah has become trendy in college towns.

The original hookah, made out of a coconut shell base and a tube with a head attached, was designed to smoke hashish. Modern hookahs have a glass-based bowl and are still used to smoke hashish or tobacco.

At the base of a hookah is the bowl, usually filled halfway with water. The water cools and humidifies the smoke that emerges from the body. The body of a hookah is a hollow metal tube connected to the head. The head of a hookah is a small clay bowl where the moist tobacco is placed inside and heated by a burning charcoal above it. Attached to the body is the hose, which is flexible and allows smoke to be drawn from the top of the water bowl.

The hookah works simply. When a smoker inhales through the hose, the smoke passes from the heated tobacco through the body into the water, and then goes through the hose and into the smoker’s mouth and lungs. Hookah tobacco is moist and comes in a variety of flavors such as apple, cherry, strawberry, and grape.

Smoking hookah has become a way for students to hang out and relax. Sayli’s said their clientele comprises students, professors, teachers, and business people. The average age ranges from 18 to 24 year olds.

Pre dental senior John Bazzi smokes hookah as a way to socialize. “Throughout the Middle Eastern world, the hookah is used mainly for social gatherings; it is a reason to sit down and enjoy the company of friends and family,” he said.

As a freshman in 2007, Bazzi did not smoke or drink and felt awkward at parties during his first couple of years. “In a way, I felt alienated from the MSU community and wanted to somehow be a part of it,” he said. “How else can I stay close to my culture and fit in

with the MSU students? The hookah.” Pre law senior John Van Nater

has been smoking hookah for years. “It definitely is a social thing, and I only smoke it when I am with my buddies,” he said. “It feels good, but then afterwards I always feel like garbage. I smoke upwards of 2-3 times per week. It’s

By Lexis Zeidan““

According to the World Health Organization, a smoker may inhale 100 times more smoke in one hookah session than by smoking one cigarette.

While many students smoke hookah as an alternative to cigarettes, the health effects may be just as harmful

enjoyable, that’s why I do it.”Research has shown the flavored

tobacco is appealing to young smokers. It hides the unpleasant odor of tobacco smoke, which is why youth are more likely to smoke the hookah rather than a cigarette.

Yet, there is a misconception that smoking hookah is not harmful to one’s health. Many students believe the water inside the hookah filters out the harmful

chemicals in the tobacco smoke, which is not true. Although water is

present, it does not filter out the toxic ingredients in the tobacco

smoke. Hookah smoke contains

toxins such as carbon monoxide and tar, which are found in other tobacco products. According to the American Lung Association, the burning charcoal releases high levels

of carbon monoxide, metals, and cancerous chemicals.

Since hookah tobacco contains nicotine, there is also a risk of

addiction. Many students believe that

smoking a hookah is much healthier than having a cigarette, which is only

true to some extent. “Our health risks were publicized due

to the fact that the nicotine level in our tobacco is at 0.5 whereas in a cigarette it is 2.4,” said Sayli’s owner Mahad Bussuri.

Studies show, however, that hookah can be seriously harmful to smokers’ health.

A typical hookah session lasts 40 to 45 minutes. According to the World Health Organization, a smoker may inhale 100 times more smoke in one hookah session

than by smoking one cigarette. On a yearly basis, someone who smokes hookah twice per week inhales as much smoke as someone who smokes 28 cigarettes – more than one pack – per day.

Hookah smokers tend to inhale more deeply because of the flavored, colored smoke. The Centers for Disease Control says this can lead to health effects including lung and oral cancer, respiratory illness, heart disease, decreased fertility, and tooth loss.

Hygiene can be another health risk to hookah smokers. A study published in 2005 in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that sharing a mouthpiece or hose and using inadequately sanitized equipment may put the smoker at risk of contracting infectious diseases like hepatitis C, herpes, and common viruses. Hookah lounges like Sayli’s must take sanitary measures to keep their clientele from getting sick.

“The health risks from sanitizing our products are very important to us,” Bussuri said. “After every use we clean our bottles and rinse our hoses that were used and we take the extra step of purchasing disposable mouthpieces that can be used individually.”

Whether the health affects are known or not, students continue to enjoy smoking with friends at hookah bars or in their own residence.

“Although I am familiar with the hazardous effects this causes to my health, I still continue to smoke because I find it a way to recollect on my thoughts and things I accomplished that day,” Bazzi said.

For more information about hookah health effects, contact Olin Health Center’s Health Education office at 517-353-0718 or visit http://olin.msu.edu/alcoholtobaccoandotherdrugs.php

Spartans, what is your profession?!”

When asked by Gerard Butler or a clip from 300 at

football games, Spartans know to respond with a deafening “A-WOOH! A-WOOH! A-WOOH!”

But a new university effort called Spartan Sagas provides a different answer to the question: Spartans’ professions are diverse and influential. Spartan Sagas is part of a new branding initiative to showcase how MSU alumni use their professions to accomplish extraordinary feats.

Heather Swain, interim vice president for University Relations, said the university’s new identity initiative focuses on MSU’s dedication to working on some of the world’s difficult problems with a combination of hard work and excellence. She said separating hard work and success does not fully illustrate what MSU really is.

“There is a sense of doing things that are really amazing, but doing it with a humble, hard-working ethos,” she said.

Jim Peck, executive producer for MSU for the Big Ten Network, said Spartan Sagas gives people a way to connect to the brand, but also to connect to MSU.

“Sometimes with all the work we’re doing, we forget to tell all the amazing things that are happening here,” Peck said. “Unlike reading list of accomplishments, when you read personal stories about people, it helps to bring the information home.”

The Production

There are several pieces to Spartan Sagas. There are the professionally made sagas; the sagas Spartans contribute through video, pictures and text; and the big questions element.

The big questions section focuses on big issues society faces, such as the economy or climate change. Those who visited the Spartan Sagas website in the past few months were able to vote on questions they wanted to see answered. University Relations then made videos of faculty experts addressing the questions.

Subjects for the professional sagas are nominated on the website or by a faculty member. Peck said that once a subject is chosen, there are three main steps to producing the saga:

1. Pre-interview the subject. Peck said the pre-interview creates a foundation for the sit-down interview he conducts and helps him know what to talk about and what the subject’s interesting stories are.

2. Interview the subject in person. The team that creates the professional sagas has traveled around the country and will be traveling internationally.

3. Spend a day with the subject capturing video and still photos. The crew records a day in the life of the subject and collects visual content to support the story. The professional sagas on the website are mostly still photos and audio, but Peck said video versions of the sagas will run nationally on the Big Ten Network and on a local PBS station in November.

Funding for Spartan Sagas comes from the University Relations budget and is relatively inexpensive, Swain said, because the sagas are produced by University Relations staff.

Approximately $150,000 a year is used to fund the travel needed to shoot the sagas and approximately $25,000 was used when University Relations partnered with an agency to do the initial graphic design of the website.

Community ReactionSwain said community reaction

to the campaign has been positive, and people are contributing their own personal stories to the website. University Relations recently worked on promoting the campaign on campus, and she said the people they talked to have heard about Spartan Sagas in some way.

Communicative sciences and disorders junior Erin Dixon said it was a cool idea to see what people do with their education that is outside the box. She also liked that the Spartan Sagas website has both “ordinary people” and people who use their education differently.

Peck said Spartan Sagas features everyone, from people who are well-known to those most have never heard of, but are nevertheless making a difference in the world.

“It’s been a lot of fun to help them tell their stories,” he said.

Dixon said that it is interesting to learn what others are doing to make a difference, even for people who are not Spartan fans.

“If the goal is to raise awareness and educate people about what Spartans are doing with their education, that’s a really successful way to do it,” she said.

SPARTAN SAGAS

SHOWCASESMSU ALUMNI

By Annie Perry

10 Tips to Surviving Hard-core Holiday Shopping By Kara Leslie

10 Write out a list of what you want to buy. Making

a list in your head leaves you vulnerable to buying things you don’t want, especially when you see two mothers fighting over a Talking Elmo. So write it down.

9 Dress for comfort, not style. Leave the stilettos for your holiday parties,

not your holiday shopping. No one cares what you look like when the sun isn’t even up yet.

7 Be nice to the employees at the stores, even the ones selling you

needless contraptions from the hallway booths in the mall. Don’t be a witch. Halloween is over.

5 Starbucks will be closed in the wee hours of the morning, so get

your coffee (and you’ll need coffee) from good old McDonalds or a gas station. Plus, it’s cheaper!

3 Paying with plastic is the way to go. It’s fast and easy. The customers

waiting in line behind you will not be very happy if it’s 4 a.m. and you’re counting out change.

2 After your turkey dinner, don’t sit around reading through the

newspapers to find the greatest deals. Who has time for that? Go to websites like bfads.com. They find the deals for you and tell you which stores to go to.

1 Just avoid the holiday shopping frenzies! You’re on a tight budget anyway!

4If you want a good deal, you must not be above sleeping outside in a tent for

one night.

6 Be aggressive, B-E- aggressive. Cheerleader style.

8 Bringing your significant other is a bad choice. Unless you want to

end your relationship. Trust me on this one: keep him or her at home.

BALANCE

GOOD GRADES

JOBBILLS

FRIENDSFAMILY

HOMEWORK

GYM

1. Take breaks!

2. Find a good place to study.

3. Find what techniques work for you.

4. Don’t wait until the last minute!

5. Test yourself on what you’ve studied.

6. Eliminate any possible distractions.

7. Set goals and create a routine.

8. Get enough sleep!

9. Ask your teachers for guidance.

A lot of you may never have had to study this past year, but college is different. You won’t be able to just look over your review sheet on your way to class and pull off a 4.0. Barton said, “Start off with short study sessions to train yourself up to the level you need to be successful at State, much as you would train yourself for a marathon by running longer and longer distances over time.”

10. Freshmen: Remember, this isn’t high school.

It’s that time of year again. Finals are quickly approaching, and it’s time to start hitting the books hard. To ensure that you’re able to study successfully, Fred Barton of the MSU Learning Resource Center shared some tips that will better your finals week.

By: Kaitlynn Knopp

10 Tips to Successful Studying

If you just can’t understand something, ask for help! Professors have office hours and e-mail addresses for a reason. �ey would much rather see you take advantage of that than fail.

It will be so much easier to concentrate if you’re well-rested and wide awake. Shoot for 6 to 8 hours the night before an exam. You will be relaxed, alert, and ready to kick butt.

Write down on a sticky note or white board what you hope to accomplish each day. Make it manageable, but make sure you’re getting stuff done. When you meet or exceed your goal, you can take a break and then either get ahead on tomorrow’s tasks or be done for the night.

Turn your cell phone off and close your laptop. Constantly refreshing your Facebook news feed then texting your best friend about something you saw is not going to help you pass. �at’s what break time is for!

Have your roommate or a friend quiz you on the material you are studying. You will find out what you know and what you still need to work on. You could also do practice problems provided in your book or by your professor.

Procrastinating is the worst thing you can do. Pulling an all-nighter and cramming everything in your brain definitely is not the way to go. Does it sound appealing to cram a whole semester into one night? I didn’t think so. Spread out your studying so you work at it a little every day. �en you are able to learn more because you have more time.

“�ere is no best way to study,” Barton said. You need to do what works for you, and there are a lot of different options. Try flashcards, re-reading, charts, graphs, going over notes and PowerPoint’s, having it explained to you, makings songs, or making yourself a study guide.

… and your dorm room doesn’t count! �ere are too many distractions in your room, so you are not going to be able to study efficiently or effectively. Find a lounge, an empty classroom, or go to a library. If you consistently go to the same place to study, Barton said that place will put you in the mood to concentrate and focus.

Don’t read through a whole book or do all of your math problems at one time. It might seem like a good idea to breeze through it just to get it done, but it’s not worth it. Barton said, “Research shows the more challenging a task is, the less time you can concentrate on it before you need a break. By taking short breaks in between tasks, it restores concentration powers, improves memory, and makes studying more efficient.”

Getting Crafty with Jeannine Seidl:How to make make a custom camera case

Instructions:

1. Find your cameraand cut a long strip off the base fabric that will wrap all the way around your camera width wise.

2. Cut two smaller rectanglesfrom felt that are the same size as the top and bottom of your camera and attach them to the long strip appropriately. It should create a sleeve for your camera with enough extra material of the base color to close the case.

3. Attach a few circlesof felt in various sizes, a button for the lens, a rectangle on the back for the digital screen, and any other buttons you want to mimic your cameras features.

4. Braid 6 piecesof embroidery thread together and make a loop to keep the camera case closed.

5. Attach the braided loop to the flap and place a button to secure the loop!

>> Felt in a few different colors

>> About 8 buttons in various sizes

>> Embroidery thread

>> Needle

>> Scissors

Supplies

BALANCE

GOOD GRADES

JOBBILLS

FRIENDSFAMILY

HOMEWORK

GYM

1. Take breaks!

2. Find a good place to study.

3. Find what techniques work for you.

4. Don’t wait until the last minute!

5. Test yourself on what you’ve studied.

6. Eliminate any possible distractions.

7. Set goals and create a routine.

8. Get enough sleep!

9. Ask your teachers for guidance.

A lot of you may never have had to study this past year, but college is different. You won’t be able to just look over your review sheet on your way to class and pull off a 4.0. Barton said, “Start off with short study sessions to train yourself up to the level you need to be successful at State, much as you would train yourself for a marathon by running longer and longer distances over time.”

10. Freshmen: Remember, this isn’t high school.

It’s that time of year again. Finals are quickly approaching, and it’s time to start hitting the books hard. To ensure that you’re able to study successfully, Fred Barton of the MSU Learning Resource Center shared some tips that will better your finals week.

By: Kaitlynn Knopp

10 Tips to Successful Studying

If you just can’t understand something, ask for help! Professors have office hours and e-mail addresses for a reason. �ey would much rather see you take advantage of that than fail.

It will be so much easier to concentrate if you’re well-rested and wide awake. Shoot for 6 to 8 hours the night before an exam. You will be relaxed, alert, and ready to kick butt.

Write down on a sticky note or white board what you hope to accomplish each day. Make it manageable, but make sure you’re getting stuff done. When you meet or exceed your goal, you can take a break and then either get ahead on tomorrow’s tasks or be done for the night.

Turn your cell phone off and close your laptop. Constantly refreshing your Facebook news feed then texting your best friend about something you saw is not going to help you pass. �at’s what break time is for!

Have your roommate or a friend quiz you on the material you are studying. You will find out what you know and what you still need to work on. You could also do practice problems provided in your book or by your professor.

Procrastinating is the worst thing you can do. Pulling an all-nighter and cramming everything in your brain definitely is not the way to go. Does it sound appealing to cram a whole semester into one night? I didn’t think so. Spread out your studying so you work at it a little every day. �en you are able to learn more because you have more time.

“�ere is no best way to study,” Barton said. You need to do what works for you, and there are a lot of different options. Try flashcards, re-reading, charts, graphs, going over notes and PowerPoint’s, having it explained to you, makings songs, or making yourself a study guide.

… and your dorm room doesn’t count! �ere are too many distractions in your room, so you are not going to be able to study efficiently or effectively. Find a lounge, an empty classroom, or go to a library. If you consistently go to the same place to study, Barton said that place will put you in the mood to concentrate and focus.

Don’t read through a whole book or do all of your math problems at one time. It might seem like a good idea to breeze through it just to get it done, but it’s not worth it. Barton said, “Research shows the more challenging a task is, the less time you can concentrate on it before you need a break. By taking short breaks in between tasks, it restores concentration powers, improves memory, and makes studying more efficient.”

November & December28 Men’s basketball vs. Tennessee Tech 1 p.m.

The Alliance of Queer and Ally Students, ASMSU conference room, 5:30 p.m.

Symphony Band, Cobb Great Hall, Wharton Center 7:30 p.m.

Campus Band Concert, Concert Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.

Hockey vs. Ferris State, 7:05 p.m.

Women’s basketball vs. Milwaukee 7 p.m.

Women’s basketball vs. Dartmouth, 1 p.m.

Spring Semester Choir, MSU music community school, 5 p.m.

Women’s basketball vs. Texas 4 p.m.

Mayhem Poets, MSU Union, 9 p.m.

Women’s basketball vs. Vermont, 7 p.m.

Men’s basketball vs. Texas, 7 p.m.

Women’s basketball vs. Iona, 2 p.m.

Winter Break Begins

Men’s basketball vs. Bowling Green, 1:30 p.m.

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

“A Christmas Cabaret,” Wharton Center, time TBA

Finals week

“9 to 5 The Musical,” Wharton Center, time TBA

“Nickel and Dimed,” Wharton Center, 7 p.m.

UAB’s Holiday Arts & Crafts Show, MSU Union, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday & 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday

Last day of fall 2010 classes

Men’s basketball vs. Prairie View A&M, 6:30 p.m.

01

04

07

10-11

17

22

29

02-03

04

08

12

18

30

03

05

10

15-19

21

04-05

10

13-17

18

Compiled by Hajr Muhammad