What I mean by that is while the occasional quiet night at home is nice, but do not make a habit out of it. So log out of World of Warcraft, put down the pipe, get off of Facebook and stop watching Netflix.

I don’t even care what you go and do, just make sure you are doing something and not wasting away your college years cooped up in a dorm or an apartment. Join a RSO, volunteer somewhere, play a sport at the REC or call around and find a party somewhere. Just don’t keep saying how you will go do something next weekend because before you know it, you will wonder where your college life went. Trust me, it flies by.

Before I came to Ferris I attended Western Michigan for three years. With the exception of going to some parties (it is called Wastern after all), I was not involved with anything at all that was going on at campus. I figured it was just something that I would have absolutely no interest in and would ultimately just be a waste of my time when I could be at home watching season 10 of South Park. In hindsight I don’t think my priorities were quite where they should have been.

After transferring to Ferris I got a job at the Torch, and I joined the debate team along with some other RSOs. These ended up being some of my greatest times that I have experienced at college. I met a ton of awesome people, gained a lot of experience in a lot of different areas, and not to mention some great lines on my resume.

I understand that staying home is the easy option and at the time may seem to be what we want to do the most. How do you really know that is what you want to do though if you never give anything else a shot to compete? As the saying goes, we only grow as individuals once we step out of our comfort zone. Plus, if you join something and it ends up being completely miserable, well stop doing it. No one is going to force you to stay.

Don’t be afraid to do something just because you do not know anyone else there. Get out and meet new people and experience new adventures. People are constantly telling us that these are the best years of our life. What they don’t tell us is that we actually have to go live our lives in order for that to be true. So go do something that you can look back at 20 years from now and reminisce about.

Personally, I know I would rather be telling the story; instead of listening to one.

Write Your Story is a post from The Ferris State Torch. If images or multimedia are missing, please visit the original post at the web site.

No related posts.

People in this day and age just cannot get enough speed, whether it is waiting for a webpage to load, wanting our fast food faster, or when we are behind the wheel. As the old adage proclaims, time is money.

Texas already boasts the highest speed limit in the country at 80 mph and now it cannot wait to go faster. We certainly have come a long way since 1987 when no speed limits in the country exceeded 55 mph.

As Texans wait to see if this bill will come into affect, there are safety concerns being raised about the possibility of traffic moving even faster along the highways. These concerns being that when traveling at faster speeds, people will have less time to react and require more space to stop which will ultimately lead to a rise in fatalities.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 10,591 fatalities in 2009 caused by speed-related crashes. In the U.S., speed is a contributing culprit in 31 percent of all crashes. So naturally, if the speed limit rises, these numbers will also rise. Not so fast though, that may actually not be true.

There is of course the famous German Autobahn, which is known for its stretches of highway where there is no speed limit. As it carries one-third of all German traffic, the fatality rates must be outrageous, right? Wrong. Each year, there are approximately 3.2 fatalities per billion kilometers of road on the Autobahn. Compare this to five people per billion kilometers on U.S. highways.

That begs the question — how is this possible? Well, for starters, I think speed does do one good thing. It makes drivers pay attention to the road. I have seen with my own pair of eyes people doing 70–75 down the highway, as they are texting, reading the newspaper, eating a $5 footlong and even doing their make-up. While speed may at times play a part in an accident, most of the time there is another variable involved. I doubt you would see that many people enjoying a cold cut combo on a whole-wheat bun if there was a steady stream of cars doing 90 past them.

Another argument is that no matter what the speed limit is, people will always do at least five over. So, if the speed limit were 100 mph, would people be going 105 or higher? No, the vast majority would not. People drive a speed limit they are comfortable with. We see this every winter here in our lovely state of Michigan. Once that horrid white stuff starts to fall from the sky, what happens on the roads? People slow down. Just because the speed limit still says 70, that does not mean they feel some undeniable need to go that fast. We are aware there is the possibility of the roads being treacherous, so we make the proper changes and slow down.

If you want to avoid accidents out on the roads, pay attention to your surroundings. So many people are just oblivious to other drivers and what is going on around them. A fatal accident can happen at 25 mph, let alone 85. We get so caught up in our own lives we often forget that our actions can affect those around us, until it is often too late. Whether you are doing 25 mph through campus, or 70 down U.S.-131, please pay attention to what is outside your car and not just what is inside it. Put down the phone, put down the sandwich and put down the mascara.

As we wait and wonder whether our state will adopt any changes to its speed limit in the near future, come to the realization that driving safe is so much more then what your speedometer reads. n

Speed Demons is a post from The Ferris State Torch. If images or multimedia are missing, please visit the original post at the web site.

No related posts.

The site, which requires a college email to sign up, has now expanded to ten universities and is still growing.

Upon the launch, the website has received quite the amount of national attention, a good portion of which is negative. This is where I become confused.

People are saying how this website is disgusting, trashy, and immoral as it encourages people to engage in ‘meaningless’ sex. For starters, all kinds of sex has some meaning to it. The meaning just changes. Casual sex being for a physical meaning, and sex in a relationship being for a physical and emotional meaning.

While I do agree that this website is promoting casual sex, it is also promoting something else: honesty. Obviously, you are not going to go on this website looking for Mr./Mrs. Right, but at least you will find people who are being honest to themselves and others. Some people, especially young people in college, are either not ready or do not want a serious relationship at this moment in their lives.

So can people who are using this site really be faulted for shedding a false façade and being honest? Would it be better if they went to the bar looking for someone to take home and warm their sheets? How many people, both male and female, go out every weekend with the sole purpose of getting laid? Finally, guys can stop going to pro-abortion rallies or hanging out at the local pharmacy waiting for a woman to ask for Plan B to make sure they find women who are putting out.

It is ridiculous how many people will say they believe sex should be special and all that other rosy crap and then a few tequila shots later, their supposed morals are hitting the floor along with their clothes.

Look, if you truly believe sex should only be between two people who are truly in love, and it should be romantic and special, then that is 110 percent fine. Your solution is simple: don’t use the site. Just get off your high horse and stop preaching because I assure you the people who decide to indulge in casual sex do not care. I mean, I don’t see eye to eye with vegetarians, but I’m not going to question them because it does not affect me at all whether they eat meat or not. Plus, more for the rest of us.

There is also the ever-hovering concerns of STDs/pregnancy and how this website will ultimately lead to a rise of people being infected and pregnant. Newsflash, people: there are these fancy little things called condoms. With the exception of the one percent chance that they fail, strap one of these on and put your fears to rest. Casual sex doesn’t cause people to get disease ridden and pregnant, stupidity and people who believe the pull and pray method is a legit form of protection does.

So at the end of the day, if people enjoy and want to have casual sex, let them. It is not like they need this website in order to do it. It was happening well before the launch of this website and will be happening long after some new/better website comes along and replaces it. Just remember, wrap your (and your partners) tool… and stay in school. n

Words @ War is a post from The Ferris State Torch. If images or multimedia are missing, please visit the original post at the web site.

No related posts.

If so, then you may have just done some hardcore cold fighting. According to a Canadian study, individuals who compared their situation (attractiveness, finances, intelligence, etc.)to those in a lesser perceived situation were sick less than those who did not compare themselves positively. And I was always taught that I should not believe that I am better than others.

It is called a downward social comparison when we compare ourselves to people in worse situations. It helps us to fight colds because we are increasing our positive emotions. So that is the story of how Jersey Shore became so popular. We are actually fighting colds by watching people with intelligence of broccoli get trashed and fight for absolutely no reason.

It is much healthier if we stroke our egos by comparing ourselves to those who are not as blessed as we are. Those who view their situation as worse then most tend to have more stress and anxiety; both of which hinder our bodies’ natural cold-fighting abilities.

So if you ever get accused of being cocky or shallow, just look the accuser dead in the eye and inform them that you are just working extra hard to stay cold free.

I have not had a cold in over three years, and I am fairly confident in saying that after watching all these Charlie Sheen interviews, I just bought myself at least one more cold-free year.

Fighting colds is not even all that is beneficial from positive thinking. It has been proven to increase life span, lower rates of depression, better coping skills, and ultimately have a greater effect on physiological and psychological well-being.

Bottom line though, we need to stop envying those with things we do not have and be thankful for what we do. College students seem to love to complain. Well, at least we are lucky enough to have the opportunity to better ourselves and get a degree.

Older generations are always telling us that these are the best years of our lives, and they are right. Even though times in college may get stressful, in the grand picture we are all blessed to have the chance to get an education beyond K-12.

So do we really want to spend the best years of our lives complaining and being sick? n

Positive Powers is a post from The Ferris State Torch. If images or multimedia are missing, please visit the original post at the web site.

No related posts.

Where did the American people get all of these front butts, back titties, and quadruple chins?

Let me enlighten you. They received these jiggly attributes courtesy of big food corporations. These manufacturers are trading a fatter nation in exchange for a fatter wallet.

The way they have been doing this is by pumping high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in almost every food imaginable. HFCS is a man-made sugar replacement which is not only sweeter than good ol’ fashioned sugar, but is also cheaper, thus the motivation behind these food manufacturers swelling our food with it.

So why exactly is HFCS a huge reason why eight-year-old boys have more cleavage than a Victoria’s Secret catalog?

For starters, it is jam-packed with calories. Shockingly enough, that is not even the worst reason to be consuming it.

Normally when our body has consumed enough food in order to properly fuel us, it sends signals to our stomach which relay the message of, “Hey I’m full, put down the fork.” When you eat HFCS, it blocks your body from getting that message. Since that message is no longer getting relayed, you keep eating and eating.

We end up eating well beyond the amount that someone would normally be able to eat. So not only is the HFCS adding more calories to your diet, but it is also allowing you to eat more calories. So that all equates to a double-dose of bad news and diabetes in the near future for us.

Here is some news that is even worse: Chances are that we, as an American people, will be too dumb and lazy to do anything about it. People will claim they are uninformed of what exactly they should be eating (see ‘dumb’ above). People will complain about how hard and time consuming it is to check a food label before tossing it into their cart (see ‘lazy’ above). These food manufacturers are not going to stop unless we do something about it, and in this case that something will be refusing to buy food with HFCS in it.

Citizens in Egypt were able to stand together and force their president out of office. Can we Americans stand together and force HFCS off of our grocery store shelves? Only time will tell if we decide to take back the power of what we put in our mouths.

Home of the Fat is a post from The Ferris State Torch. If images or multimedia are missing, please visit the original post at the web site.

No related posts.

The only thing worse than Valentine’s Day is Sweetest Day. Man, I hate Hallmark.

The big problem that I have with these holidays is that I am completely and utterly missing the point of them. Christians celebrate Christmas to commemorate the birth of Jesus. Jews celebrate Hanukkah to remember the re-dedication of the second temple in Jerusalem. These two examples are holidays in which I can see there is a specific point of holding a celebration. I get it.

Come Feb. 14, every one of us poor saps who are in a relationship, regardless of ethnicity or religion, end up making the trek to the local florist and the nearest store (possibly the gas station) which sells a heart-shaped box of chocolates. Again, I ask, what is the point?

Of course, the romantic will respond that the point of Valentine’s is to present our love to our beloved, to show them how much we appreciate and care for them.

Should we not be doing that every single day though? Why do we need some random day in February to show how much we love and care for the person we are in a relationship with? People should not feel forced or obligated to buy their loved one flowers, candy, a card with some B.S. written in it, and a fancy dinner. We should want to do those things. We should do these things because we love our significant other, not because our calendar says it is time to do so.

So, for my fellow guys, if you truly love your wife or girlfriend, do not wait until the next Valentine’s to get her some flowers. It will show her how much you care about her and that you were thinking of her. Plus, let us be honest, women love that crap even though flowers die a week later. If you are one of the lucky ones and your girlfriend/wife doesn’t care for flowers, then do something else to show her that you care. Offer to help her study for a big test or help her with the dishes. It doesn’t have to be something extravagant, sometimes it is the little things that mean the most.

For my women readers, if you are lucky enough to have a good man who shows you how much he loves you throughout the entire year and not just on holidays, do not forget to get him a little something to show how much you care about him. Good news: the thing we guys enjoy the most is completely free and you don’t even have to wrap it.

With a few flowers, some more sex, and some selflessness, maybe we can start reducing the ridiculously high divorce rate and make our relationships not feel like a chore.

So maybe the point of Valentine’s isn’t to force us to buy overpriced roses, but to serve as a reminder; a reminder that just saying you love someone is not enough.

Actions speak much louder than words. n

Why Am I Buying Flowers? is a post from The Ferris State Torch. If images or multimedia are missing, please visit the original post at the web site.

No related posts.

The plastics technology major came to Ferris solely for academic reasons, but decided to try out for the team his freshman year. Four years later, DeHart is taking full advantage of his first full year as a starter as the Bulldogs are currently sitting in first place in the North division in the GLIAC. As a senior, DeHart knows he is expected to be a presence and make plays on the court for his team.

“The extra minutes definitely take a toll on the body, but I love it,” said DeHart. “I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.”

DeHart has already surpassed his scoring total from last year as he is currently third on the team in scoring, averaging 8.5 points per game. He contributes this increase in scoring not to himself, but to his teammates’ ability to draw double teams and kick the ball out so he can sink the open shot.

“I just want to do anything I can to help this team win a title,” said DeHart.

The Bulldogs have currently won six in a row and eight out of nine as the team prepares for the final six games of the regular season. DeHart and the team will be looking to make a final push in order for them to hold on to first place as they are looking for a GLIAC title. Ferris will be looking to keep up its superb play in order to send DeHart and his fellow seniors out with a championship.

“I just want to go out my senior season without any regrets,” said DeHart.

DeHart has one year of school remaining before he graduates with an engineering degree in plastics technology and, like the rest of the student body, is just hoping to find a job upon graduation. His dream job would be a sales representative for plastics engineering somewhere along the east coast. n

Walk-on Wonder is a post from The Ferris State Torch. If images or multimedia are missing, please visit the original post at the web site.

No related posts.

Schneider was recently recognized for his dedication to both as he was one of the six recipients of the GLIAC Commissioner’s Award, which is awarded to students who display their talent both in the classroom and on the field.

“It is definitely an additional honor as I have always taken a lot of pride in my schoolwork,” said Schneider.

The recreation management major believes a big reason for his success in the classroom is his mindset on how he approaches his classes.

“For me, it is just a competitive thing, school is a type of competition and I am very competitive,” said Schneider.

After a disappointing 2009 campaign in which a thumb injury limited Schneider on the field, he played in all 11 games this past season and led the Bulldogs to a 5–6 overall record and an impressive 24.8 points per game.

A duel threat at quarterback, Schneider completed a remarkable 70.5 percent of his passes as he threw for 1741 yards, 12 touchdowns, and only three interceptions. He also rushed 97 times for 453 yards and six touchdowns. Schneider hasn’t contributed as only a quarterback though, as he lined up at receiver and fullback in 2009 to help offset a rash of injuries at the positions.

He contributed a lot of his success to the coaches as they helped him take strides on the field.

“It was great having a new coordinator, QB is more mental than anything, but I didn’t have anything to worry about as I knew the coaches were always in my corner,” said Schneider.

Even though he feels sports are very different than school, he most certainly has not had any lack of success in either.

Schneider is currently a junior and will be looking to return to lead the Bulldogs his senior year and help return Ferris to its winning ways.

“Playing quarterback, you have to be the smartest player on the field, making sure you get the ball to the right people and avoiding turnovers,” said Schneider. “Not saying I am the smartest, of course.”

By the look of things, the chances that he is the smartest player on the field are pretty likely. n

Dual-Threat is a post from The Ferris State Torch. If images or multimedia are missing, please visit the original post at the web site.

No related posts.

There are important skills of life we cannot learn from sitting in front of a machine with a web browser open. One of the most important things that we learn from being face to face with people is one that most of us take for granted: the skill of face-to-face interaction.

Not only is it essential for college students to critique this skill as we are preparing for interviews, as we get ready for the real world, but it is a must for kids as soon as they start their schooling careers. How to interact appropriately with one another needs to be a skill that children are picking up from a young age, but in this age of technology, people seem more apt to want to text or Skype someone than have a face-to-face conversation.

While technology has assisted us in so many things, it is inadvertently hindering us in what should be basic human skills. No matter how much we can learn from a computer, there are other things that a machine will never be able to teach us.

Recently I have discussed the possibility of a master’s degree with some human resource managers, in which each one told me the same: Whatever I do, do not bother with online courses. They even told me they tend to look down upon resumes in which the individual had received their whole master’s degree online, all relating back to how there is no human element when taking classes online. Even though there is still a teacher and student in an online course, the entire message is being mediated by a computer. As soon as mediation starts to occur, in any form, the message tends to change as it is now being taken out of context.

While some technology can assist a teacher in his lesson plans, some tend to lean on it far too much. I am sure most of us have had a teacher or two whose entire semester consists of them standing at the front of class and reading off a PowerPoint. I know I despise this teaching method, as I am in firm belief that it is not even a method. Since these teachers are leaning so heavily on technology, why don’t they go the last mile and just throw up the PowerPoints online and not even hold class? I can read them myself just fine.

People learn best when they can hear other people’s examples and experiences which are related to the material. Is that not what college should be? Taking the material and relating it to real life out in the work place so we can actually see how the things that we are learning about are going to be used? I don’t know about you, but scribbling down a PowerPoint then answering questions does not exactly get me amped up about what I am learning.

Without the human element in the classroom, we may as well just be machines going through
the motions. n

Words @ War: Con is a post from The Ferris State Torch. If images or multimedia are missing, please visit the original post at the web site.

No related posts.

Beating Northwood: Justin Keenan dunks a ball during a game against Northwood on Dec. 11. The Bulldogs recently played Northwood on Jan. 15 and won 94–85. Photo By: Kate Dupon | Photo Editor

Ferris head coach Bill Sall thought his team did a great job down the stretch closing out the game, as they went 11–12 from the free throw line down the stretch.

For most of the game, the score remained tight as there were 13 ties and 13 lead changes. Trailing by two with 6:11 left to play, the Bulldogs went on a 12–1 run and they would not trail again for the remainder of the game.

Senior forward/center Justin Keenan led all scorers with 33 points and 12 rebounds in the double-double effort.

In their highest scoring game of the year for the Bulldogs, there were plenty of points to go around as senior guard Matt Dehart recorded 18 points, sophomore guard/forward Kenny Brown had 12, and two other Bulldogs chipped in with nine points. Senior guard Darien Gay fell one point short of a triple-double, as he piled up nine points and 10 assists along with a career-high 14 rebounds.

“I believe Justin had his best game of the year as he took what they gave him and did a nice job of sharing the ball,” said Sall.

For the game, Northwood held an advantage in most of the major stat categories with the exception of shooting percentage and rebounds. In the second half, though, Ferris made its living at the free throw line as the team went 21–26 (80.8 percent) and 23–32 for the game.

With the win, Ferris is now only one game behind GLIAC North division leader Grand Valley State. Ferris State currently boasts the record of 11–5 overall and 7–2 within the GLIAC.

Sall knows that with 10 games left, every game is important and his team has to be prepared to play every night.

“GLIAC has a lot of good teams, more then I have seen in a while,” said Sall. “We have to have the ability to come out and be tough every night.”

The Bulldogs have now won five of their past six games with their only loss coming out of conference against Eastern Michigan.

Michigan Tech accounts for one of the Bulldogs’ two conference losses as Ferris fell on the road to the Huskies 74–71 on Dec. 18. They will look to keep up their hot play and avenge their earlier loss as they play host to Michigan Tech on Jan. 20.

“Last time, Tech played very well and took it to us; being able to come back and get a win will be huge,” said Sall. n

Offensive Outburst is a post from The Ferris State Torch. If images or multimedia are missing, please visit the original post at the web site.

No related posts.