I was a hapless first-semester freshman, assigned to the course like so many other freshmen, unpleasantly surprised to find myself back in a combination of high school gym and health class. Nevertheless, I did my best, attending every class despite the awful hike up to Pucillo, and they expected us to exercise after that workout? and the boring lectures on the makeup of fats and proteins. I know what a lipid is, by the way it’s been drilled into me since grade nine, at least!

Nor am I the most athletic of people.

Still, I tried my best in kickball games and dutifully raised my heart rate on the bicycle every week. I even kept a workout log of all the times I went to swim laps in the pool. All of this, however, was for nought. At the end of the semester, after taking two tricky tests and spending far too much time compiling my Wellness portfolio, I received my grade: C-.

All right, I can understand why we have to take Wellness. The university wants to make sure we know how to live a healthy lifestyle, and then feeds us almost solely deep-fried foods in the dining halls.

They want to make sure we get exercise, but apparently once a week in class is enough to satisfy them.

I already have a fairly good background in how nutrition works; I wouldn’t be a healthy vegetarian if I didn’t.

All of that anatomy stuff we learned in high school, is it really necessary to have our excess fat pinched in calipers in front of the whole class?

If the university must insist on making everyone take this useless class, which pertains only to a select few (and uncommon) majors, then it should at least be “Pass/Fail.” Something like calculus at least tests my analytical ability.

Why should I be graded based on my athletic ability? Why should one completely irrelevant course haunt me even until my senior year?

Millersville, a serious re-evaluation of the Wellness curriculum is long overdue.

No related posts.

The survey was given to 119 undergraduate students in hope of discovering three things; financial practices and debt accumulated by MU students, basic financial knowledge and key financial topics, and general interest in a course on personal finance if it were offered.

The survey showed that 50 percent of participants owed over $10,000 or more in student loans, and 31 percent of those surveyed owed money in private loans that typically have a much higher interest rate.

In this day and age of high tuitions at private colleges, we have it pretty good at Millersville, paying roughly $14,000 per semester.

Still, to pay for this, students are forced to take out loans which build up quickly and can even cause one to leave school and enter the work force early.

Sixty-one percent surveyed had at least one credit card, and three quarters of those owed more than $1,000 on their credit card.

Credit cards companies often trap college students who are looking in every pocket for spare cash, the creditors have no problem loaning you money at extremely high interest rates.

Probably one of the most startling things found in this survey was that nearly 43 percent of those surveyed were late on payments or had missed at least three.

A large group of college students graduate with terrible credit scores and this can prevent one from getting a much needed loan, credit card, or even what we all want out of college, a job.

MU students proved naive on their financial knowledge; 80 percent of students did not know their credit score and 38 percent did not know how to acquire one’s credit score, although 69 percent of students knew good reasons on why one should know their score.

It is always good to keep track of things like this because as listed above, a low credit score could be very detrimental to one’s future.

Ninety-three percent surveyed said that MU should offer a course in personal finance.

There is a sense among students that knowledge about personal finance is important, it is just that many are unaware of the hazards posed by not knowing how to manage money.

MU has built a website called Cash Course that takes aim at educating the student body on how to organize and budget income.

No related posts.

Unfortunately the last one is just as true and time tested as all the rest. There must be something about the gloom and doom of the winter season that pulls people apart, after summer pushes them together.

I hate to make this sound that every winter everyone breaks up and goes their separate ways until spring when the world is itself again and we can all be happy, because that is in no way what I am going for here.
Rather, I would like to take the time to see if I can pick apart and analyze why relationships seem to fail more in winter than any other time of the year.

Is it because of the colder weather? It couldn’t be, simply because when it is cold, couples are more likely to want to cuddle, and who doesn’t love cuddling, honestly? Alright, so we can scratch the cold weather angle.

Finals are just around the corner, could the stress from studying and the pressure of the recent workload increase come into the equation. Perhaps, however, what better way to relieve the stress of school then with a boyfriend or girlfriend?

Go out to the movies, have dinner together, kick their roommate out and have some alone time. If you want to break up just because you have to spend your time free time not studying with your significant other, well then maybe you should really take a break, no need to read any further, I wish you the best of luck with your next romantic endeavor. However, for the rest of you, continue on.

Let me see, oh yes, Christmas is coming up and presents are a must for your loved one, especially if you were a cheapskate the rest of the year. This is your chance to make up for it. But is that enough to break up a relationship?

I have heard about boyfriends or girlfriends breaking things off because they simply did not have enough money for the holiday season, to buy presents, and then after all the hype died down and the wreaths were taken to the dump, they would get back together as if nothing happened.

Is that even logical? Why break up just because you can’t afford a present for them? Go to the dollar store and get some crafty materials to make something homemade, it may not be their favorite present ever, but it’s something, right?

There is no need to let your embarrassment over financial situations lead to the demise of your relationship.

What about problems at home? That seems like a logical and often used excuse. However, let us think about this, if you are having problems at home, would you not want someone, not at home, that you could go see and talk things over with?

I mean sure you may be upset about what is going on at home but that is what your boyfriend/girlfriend is there for and to talk to about, plus if you play your cards right they’ll hold you and console you. What more can you ask for?

Next reason, with break coming up, if you two go to school together, maybe one of you doesn’t want to be tied down for a month whilst you are both away.

This is kind of like saying, oh well since I don’t have you right here then I don’t want to be bothered with you. It sucks to have that happen to you. It is basically an act of selfishness on one of your parts.

Again, stupid and even possibly insulting. But I suppose you could pull that and get away with it, it just doesn’t seem like a good enough excuse to break up.

These are all just potential logical reasons that relationships end at this time of the year; time and time again. You may ask me, what makes you the all-knowing master of what makes relationships fail?

Simply, all my relationships have ended in the winter months and as my relationships seem to fall apart so do the relationships of those around me. It is almost like a domino effect, of sorts, unfortunately.

So basically, you are with someone you love right now and aren’t planning to pull any stunts and break up with them, maybe just have a talk about some of these reasons people do just make sure you will still be together when you need someone to kiss at midnight on New Years.

Good luck to everyone, whether you will be with the one you love or not this holiday season.

No related posts.

No related posts.

Despite their dominant performances, coach Mary Fleig believes that they have not been fully battle tested, and that they need to maintain their intensity as the season and the competition progresses.

“We haven’t really learned much yet.  Our challenge is set on the PSAC on Jan. 3 and 4,” Fleig said.  “Intense defense is our mind set.  We practice hard and  are always improving
and learning.”

Millersville hit the road for their third game of the young season, traveling to Wilmington, Del. to face off against Goldey Beacom.  Defensive efforts aided the team’s poor shooting performance by causing 28 turnovers and holding Goldey Beacom to a mere 30 points.

Senior Gladine St. Julien went 10-for-10 from the charity stripe and finished with 14 points on the night.  The 69-30 outing saw freshman Gabrielle Styles contribute her best offensive outing of the early season.

Styles earned the honor of PSAC East Freshman of the Week following her strong performance at Goldey Beacom.  She has helped out tremendously adding depth to the team’s post rotation and is a boost off the bench.

In the Goldey Beacom game, she shot five for seven, finishing with 11 points and helped Millersville cruise to a convincing victory.

“She has done a good job and has helped the team with offensive rebounding,” Fleig said.  “She gives us a spark and is learning a lot working on her communication and defensive principles.”

Millersville completed their 4-0 start at Pucillo Gym, against the University of the Sciences, on Nov. 24.  They flew out to an early lead and never looked back.  Once again Millersville defense enabled them to force their opponents into 39 turnovers, as well as dominating them on the offensive boards 29-6.

Junior Aiesha Bellamy looks to give the ball to one of her teammates during a win against University of the Sciences. Photo by Christian Shuts.

“We played well, but it’s not the same as going up against one of our big foes in the conference.  Once we get tested, then we will know more about ourselves,” Fleig said.  “I think we have the team to do it, and if we keep stepping it up at practice, we will be ready when we get tested.”

The team is content with the opening of the season, but as Fleig points out the competition will only improve as the season pushes on.  They have a game plan that consists of a solid mixture of team defense and quick play, and their communication will improve as the season progresses.

They are also finding second chance scoring, as the team is amounting just over 16 offensive rebounds a game.   Millersville looks to keep up the intensity and maintain their defensive domination as PSAC games approach.

With the holiday break, the Lady Marauders do not hit the floor again until Dec. 5 at 6 p.m.

They take on Chestnut Hill, at West Chester University, as part of the annual West Chester tournament.

No related posts.

The holiday portion of the concert was very well done, it lightened the mood to bring the holiday spirit. The music was obviously well rehearsed and nicely presented to an audience ready to get in the Christmas spirit.

After a mini intermission the concert band came up on stage. The band consisted of 60 wind and percussion players that have been practicing all semester. The instrumentalists came from all different majors on campus to share in the same love of music. They began by playing In Wartime, a long piece directed by Kieth Wiley. Then they finished their section with the joyful song Dance of the Jesters.

After another short intermission, The Wind Ensemble came up on stage to play Lemminkainen’s, Return. This piece told the story of a hero’s epic journey in Finland.

The MU Wind Ensemble plays holiday-theme pieces at its annual holiday concert. Photo by Christian Shuts.

Daniel Heslink, the conductor explained how this piece of music was first played; it was meant to fill the entire town with music and reach everyone’s ears.

The wind ensemble’s goal was to fill Lyte Auditorium with that same kind of feeling.

The wind ensemble is made up of the most experienced players from Millersville University. The 46 members of this band had to go through a intense auditions to be able to be part of the Wind Ensemble.

The concert ended with a performance of the Millersville University Community Orchestra. This orchestra is comprised of Millersville students and community members.

They were directed by Reuben Blundell and played the song Funeral and Triumphal Symphony. The concert ended with a very memorable piece, displaying a wide variety of musical talents.

No related posts.

Yes, I admit it, I am a political junkie during the election season. So now I have to focus on a new subject to enlighten you all with, before we break for winter.

Since the Christmas season is nearly upon us, as noticed by a plethora of commercials and that annoying neighbor who has to be first to put up there decorations before everyone else; I thought it appropriate to raise an issue that has been brought to the forefront in recent years.

In recent years, there has been an effort to reduce the religious element in the Christmas holiday season. What do I mean by this?

Back in 2006, major retail chains like Best Buy and Wal-Mart, to name a few, ordered their employees to use “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” as the official greeting to customers entering the store.

The effort was presumably done to ensure that no one was offended because of their religious beliefs.

This however, created a controversy among many shoppers, because most people were not offended to the standard greeting regardless of their own religious affiliation.
After pressure from some groups, most of the major retailers brought back “Merry Christmas” as their official greeting.

The movement to remove religion has not been confined to stores though; as some of you might be familiar with the push to remove nativity scenes from schools all over the nation. Just Google the subject and you are sure to find numerous examples of schools that have done this.

Other symbols of Christmas like Christmas trees and songs like “Silent Night” have been removed from public schools in the name of political correctness.

My only question is what happens to the symbols of other major religious holidays around the same time?

As far as I know, there has been no effort committed to remove symbols of Chanukah, Kwanzaa, or Ramadan in public schools.

If the point was to remain politically correct and ensure a separation of church and state, why has there not been an effort to remove all holiday themes from public schools?

Perhaps I am missing some key information in my point, but there appears to be some type of double. There is nothing wrong with having Christmas themes in public schools.
Heck, most, if not all of us have memories of Christmas plays in elementary school.

So what is the problem with displaying Christmas themes in public if all religious holidays are given fair representation?

Well, let me end by saying Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays, and of course a Merry Christmas to all of you.

No related posts.

The topic of the lecture he gave on Wednesday, Nov. 19 in Ford Atrium in McComsey Hall was The Political Economy of the Darfur Conflict: Geography or Institutions which was also the topic of his book.

Students and faculty alike attended the lecture, and were given the opportunity to ask questions afterwards.

According to Suliman, Darfur is a remote, landlocked region in western Sudan.

It once was, as part of Sudan, a British colony. Darfur’s population of about six million is very poor and are surrounded by poor countries such as Chad which is experiencing a civil war.

It is about the size of France and is an arid region with the Sahara desert in the north.

During the lecture, attendees learned that traditionally, Darfur has been divided into two major ethnic groups: the nomadic Arab tribes, and the African tribes.

As the Sahara expands southward, the nomadic people are forced to find new grazing grounds for their herds.

This has been causing conflicts with the settled tribes in the south for many years.
In 1970, the Land Tenure Law was created to settle the nomadic people and introduce a market economy to the region.

However, due to corruption by politicians, this law failed and left many people in financial hardship.

The current crisis began in 2003, when the Sudanese government took sides and began to favor the nomadic tribes.

Suliman hypothesizes that the conflict is a result of geography, as well as poor governance.

“If you take it from the economic perspective, it will not be sufficient,” Suliman said. “Only an interdisciplinary approach that takes into account the social and political sides will be beneficial.”

He has come to the conclusion that the solution lies in revised government, accessible education, healthcare, skilled jobs, and a banking system that will help Darfur transition from a traditional economy into a market economy.

Bill Gregorio, a business minor, heard about the lecture in his macroeconomics class and decided to attend.

“I’m surprised by the fact that it was external influences. I thought it was just differences between ethnic groups,” Gregprop said.

Attendees were able to ask questions afterwards. Questions ranged from questions about the economics of Darfur to the quality of education.

Afterwards Suliman said, “I was glad to give people an idea of the Darfur conflict and hopefully that will increase awareness about the Darfur crisis and hope that more people will take an interest in studying conflicts like this.”

No related posts.

Christmas doesn’t have to be a huge financial problem if new year, work out a rough budget of expected Christmas costs.

Calculate how much disposable income you have between now and Christmas. A certain percentage of this can be dedicated each week to cover your expected Christmas costs.

If you save $5, $10 or $20 per week over a year, it can provide you with a big leeway to spend on your gifts.

Buying presents for family and friends can be expensive, especially if you have a large family and a lot of friends.

There are a few things you can do to eliminate the high prices such as do a Pollyanna where everyone draws a name out of a hat and buys a present only for that person.
Also set a limit on the cost of presents so that way its fair between everyone and you don’t feel obligated to put out a lot of money for an expensive gift.

Some people don’t like shopping, while others enjoy hustling and bustling from store to store.  But the majority of us nearly 75 percent often come home without a single purchase for our efforts.

In order to eliminate this dilemma you can make a list of all the gifts you wish to buy before you go shopping. If you wait for inspiration to strike, you could be wandering aimlessly around the shopping centre for hours.

Buy a few extras, such as chocolates, just in case you forget somebody. If possible, do your Christmas shopping early – in the first week of December or even in November. Some well-organized people do their Christmas shopping gradually over the course of the year, starting with the post-Christmas sales.

You have the option of buying your gifts by mail catalogue or over the Internet. Some companies will also gift-wrap and post your presents for a small additional fee.
Stress, anxiety and depression are common around the holidays,but you can reassure yourself that these feelings are normal.

To reduce some of these feelings you can use relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or focusing on your breath, to cope with anxiety or tension.

People under stress tend to ‘self-medicate’ with alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs. Try to remember that drugs can not solve problems or alleviate stress in the long term.

When around your family and if you know that politics or a certain subject is touchy among your family members, then avoid the subjects, and if someone brings it up, then bring something else up to talk about it.

To get organized with your presents you can write up a Christmas card list and keep it in a safe place so that you can refer to it and add or delete names year after year. Plan to write your Christmas cards in early December.

Remember Christmas cards with ‘Card only’ marked on the envelope can be posted at a reduced rate during November and December.

Arrange to send cards or presents in the first half of December, to avoid disappointments.  For great savings, buy Christmas necessities such as cards, wrapping paper, ribbons and decorations at post-Christmas sales.

It’s easy to let yourself go when you are off school and work, but remember that too much food and alcohol is harmful, and drunk driving is a real danger and is illegal.

Get enough sleep, plan for as many early nights as you can.  Also keeping up your regular exercise routine can give you the fitness and stamina to make it through the demands of the festive season.

No related posts.

Around 60 people turned out for WIXQ’s first annual Q-Stock. On Wednesday Nov. 19, Club de ’Ville was filled with the sound of local music and those who wanted to support it.  It went from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. People in Club de ’Vlle sat in big easy chairs and were able to play and watch others play Wii tennis. The game may have been a simulation, but the player’s ambitions to win were not.

Jeff Rawson and Erik Golden of WIXQ talked about how MU’s own radio station looked at Q-Stock as a way to reach out to local businesses, and to help bring a taste of the diverse Lancaster city art and music scene to the Millersville Campus.

“We think it’s going really well, and we’re excited over the results of an idea we had just two weeks ago,” said Golden.

Throughout the night, WIXQ’s DJ Bruce, Bruce Geetz, spun old vinyl records, including some 70’s funk and classic rock. Music from the 90’s includes some hip-hop, future funk and other genres. The event featured artists such as James Brown, Doobie Bros., The Beatles, and Blood, Sweat and Tears.

“I think it is a great turnout for a Wednesday night, and for the first hour. Kids are here, buying things, I think it’s a good start,” said DJ Bruce.

Fans of old vinyl were treated to an excellent selection, which was sold by Lancaster record stores, Bonafide Records and Mr. Suit records. They Sold selections of newer and older vinyl to suit many tastes.

Rick Noll of Bona-Fide Records discussed his impressions of Q-Stock.

“The Q-stock was a blast and a swell way to spend a night.  I have been selling vinyl for 25 years, as well as trying to run an indy label with mixed results,” he said

“There seemed to be a big interest in classic rock at the show, as I sold Led Zep, the Beatles, Stones, Dylan and even the Woodstock LP.  Also I sold a few punk LPs and a fair bit of jazz and soul. Overall, it was a festive evening and I was fun to hang out with my friends, as well as meeting the students and the radio station staff,” said Noll.

Millersville students peruse through music goodies of all kinds at Q-Stock. Photo by Christian Shuts.

Esro Jenkins, an artist from Lancaster, displayed original works of his own creations, using numerous mediums including spray paints and acrylics, “I paint on anything I can get my hands on,” said Jenkins.

He admited to having no formal artistic training, but was clearly talented anyway.

“I’ll do whatever to make a piece look good, I’ll try anything to gain experience and practice by modeling other peoples works as I strive to create original works of my own,” Jenkens said.

Gretchen Marie, an artist and model from Lancaster, displayed original multi-media works.

“I’m just excited to be part of a fun event like this,” she said.

Marie’s pieces ranged from those inspired by reality to more fantasy driven works.

“I create artwork depicting aspects of my own everyday life,” Marie said.

Sara Gallo-Cornell, an MU senior majoring in fine arts worked primarily with metals. On display at Q-Stock were some of her original works, that were not made of metal, however. She created these works using a sweet sounding medium: candy.  To create her pieces, Gallo-Cornell set candy in a resin so the piece will not become old.

“I love using candy because it comes in bright colors that are not achievable on metal,” Gallo-Cornell said.

WIXQ hosts first annual local music celebration at Club de 'Ville. Photo by Christian Shuts.

No related posts.