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Kickin’ Into Spring Break

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Briana Beanland

Let the countdown to Spring Break begin. With less than two weeks left, it’s time to put down the snacks and pump up the cardio. Don’t be fooled by extreme diets or excessive workout plans; instead, try these healthy tips to look your best for your tropical destination.

First, let water be your new best friend. Fill up your Camelbak before you leave for class and carry it around with you throughout the day. Make it your goal to refill it around lunchtime and again around dinnertime. This increased intake of water will help you stay full throughout the day and have less desire to snack. It’s also a good idea to have healthy snacks handy. When you’re filling up your Camelbak, throw an apple or some pretzels in your bag. That way if you get in a bind and need food fast you don’t have to resort to fast food or junk food.

Then, to burn off calories, you’ll need to incorporate cardio into your everyday routine. Cardio raises your heart rate and is a great way to stay in shape. Head to the gym and try out the stationary bicycle, elliptical or treadmill. Start off with 25 minutes on your machine, and then every two days increase your time by five minutes until you reach your maximum potential. You’ll be surprised at how long you can go! If you have trouble staying motivated, try out one of the group fitness classes. There are all different kinds of classes, from Zumba to Cycling, and most of them are taught by students just like you. Find some classes that work into your schedule here.

“Aerobics class”

Finally, we are all individually concerned about that one problem area on our bodies. Whether that area is your stomach, legs or arms, if you put in some quality time you can wipe those worries away. Below are three of my favorite exercises, taught to me by an award-winning body sculptor, that focus on those three particular areas. Try them out while you’re watching TV or before you go to bed each night.

Side Leg Raises

Lay on your left side, propped up by your left elbow.
Keep your left leg straight and on the ground.
Slowly raise your right leg as high as possible.
Slowly lower your right leg within one inch of your left leg.
Repeat two sets of 25 for right and left legs.

Exercise Ball Crunches

Lay flat on your back, with an exercise ball held firmly between your ankles and your arms outstretched.
Slowly lift the exercise ball and your arms until they meet above your middle section.
Slowly lower the exercise ball and your arms until they gently touch the ground.
Repeat three sets of 15.

Dumbbell Arm Lifts

Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand up straight with your elbows parallel to your shoulders and dumbbells parallel with your head.
Raise your dumbbells straight above your head until you lightly tap the dumbbells together.
Lower your dumbbells back to the starting position.
Complete three sets of 15.

“Weight Training with Dumbbells”

With these simple tips you should be on your way to your spring break body. Remember to have fun with your workouts, change up your routine or spice up your IPod, to reach your full potential.

The Mystifying Allure of the Rom-Com

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Dustin McManus

Dustin McManus is a junior from Charlotte, NC. He can be reached at dmcmanus@live.unc.edu.

Reese. Julia. Sandra. All three are gorgeous, A-list actresses. All three have Academy Awards. All three are romantic comedy staples. And each one of them is always able to lure me in to whatever new romantic comedy she is starring in, no matter how cliché or unoriginal that movie is.

The latest rom-com mouse trap that caught me is “This Means War” starring Reese Legally Blonde Witherspoon. The plot? Completely unbelievable. The romantic outcome? Saw it coming a mile away. The ending? Sugary sweet. Overall feeling?

I enjoyed the hell out of it.

Against my better judgment and my critical eye, “This Means War” was a funny, entertaining feel-good movie that kept me hooked once Witherspoon’s beaming smile and blonde locks appeared on-screen. While “This Means War” wasn’t your typical rom-com, it had all the elements, clichés and conventions that drive each and every one of them. What kept the movie feeling a little fresh was the bromance between the two male leads, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy, who literally fighting over Witherspoon’s affection. The two worked for a federal security agency and were best friends until they found out they were courting the same woman. This deeply affected their relationship to the point where I would almost call “This Means War” a buddy-cop movie, complete with tons of action sequences and explosions galore.

Photo Credit

Nothing about “This Means War” was innovative, thought-provoking or forward-thinking. None of the performances will garner Oscar buzz. The movie itself is not a masterpiece of cinema. And yet, I honestly couldn’t help but fall in love with it. For all intents and purposes, this movie should have been a train wreck, but it just worked. No matter how conventional or formulaic “This Means War–or any rom-com is for that matter–was, it successfully accomplished what a good rom-com is: escapist entertainment and the idealistic surrender of reality. I walked into “This Means War” fully aware that the movie would be an unbelievable, fairy-tale account of love found, lost and reacquired within an hour and a half. What I did not expect was just how good the chemistry would be between the leads (shout-out to a crass, scene-stealing Chelsea Handler) and how committed these actors were in bringing to life fairly two-dimensional characters in order to attract the audience’s attention and tickle their funny bone.

With romantic comedies, it’s all too easy to point out the critical flaws and glaring plot holes that normally exist. What’s difficult to admit is how they are able to draw you in and thoroughly speak to the believer inside of you; the one that believes in true romance and a life full of humorous misunderstandings, comical mishaps and, ultimately, happiness. That’s what I love about romantic comedies. When they do their job right, they make me forget about the confines of reality and allow me to fully immerse myself in a mystical world where overcoming any obstacle is possible. So no matter how many movies starring Jennifer Anniston or Katherine Heigl come out, just know that I will probably eventually be in line to see them. Romantic comedies are safe and pure entertainment.

What more could you ask for?

Pubs and Why They Rock

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Emily Milks

The pubbing scene in Scotland is an important one because the love of beer runs deep here. Most days, pubs are full of both students and middle-aged people, socializing with a pint (or a few) for a couple hours. As a college student without a job, I am unfortunately broke. Oh, so broke. My choices of where to go for a drink are limited because of this, but there are some really good pubs here that are cheap in general because, let’s be real, student discounts at expensive pubs really get you nowhere. Perhaps what I love most about a pub is its ability to simultaneously serve as a restaurant and a cool place to hang out after 9 o’clock. The food is deliciously fattening and the beer is just as good.

One pub I love is The Southsider, and my friends and I go there far too often because it is five minutes away from our flat and ridiculously cheap. Also, it serves a mean haggis. The same bartenders work every time we go and it has gotten to the point where we have conversations with them because they recognize us. One is from the States but prefers to call herself Scottish, as she got a little offended when I called her American. Then I got a little offended. Not too many students go to this pub, so it is relatively unknown to the younger population of Edinburgh.

Photo by Emily Milks

There is a pub on the same street as my flat called The Holyrood 9A, and it is utter perfection. The only problem is that its prices are far from healthy for my budget. Oh well, I make allowances for this one. This pub is beautiful and full of wooden tables and pretty pictures, but the real beauty lies in its beer. This pub has so many choices, and the bartenders really know their beer. If you go in with a certain kind in mind, they will show you other ones that are similar that you should try. And although the prices are steep, the free samples make up for it (sort of).

As a student though, I think my favorite pub would have to be this place called Teviot. It is in the student union. I repeat: there is a pub in the student union. Yeah, and you thought the Union at UNC was cool. As a pub, it is not anything special. There is regular pub food, regular beer and decent prices. But the atmosphere is what makes it so good. It is always full of young people having a good time with friends, catching up and talking too loud. It is glorious and I love it.

That is the great thing about pubs, though. It is not necessarily about the food or the beer or the wooden tables that melt my heart. For me, it is about having good memories with friends and just enjoying my time, however short it is, in Scotland.

Have You Been to the Barre?

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Charlotte Ekberg

Photo Courtesy

With February already here and spring break in our midst, working out has become a daily moral predicament for me. My workout routine usually consists of 30 minutes of using the the elliptical, running or practicing Pure Barre. Unless you have been living under a rock for the past year, everywhere you look girls are making it up to the Barre, and it’s no wonder– the workout focuses on burning fat and giving you some major ab-bum-thigh toning. The classes have been trending across the nation in cities such as New York City, Los Angeles and, most recently, Chapel Hill. I have to admit, I fainted within the first 10 minutes of my first class in Meadowmont. (In my defense, I was recovering from mono.) After drinking a lot of water, I returned later to redeem myself and finally get the full class experience, which was painful.

I have been pretty active since I was a kid, and my 4 x 4 relay team in high school still holds the school track record. I consider myself someone with moderate athletic abilities, but the day I took that class I worked out muscles I didn’t even know existed, and unfortunately my capabilities were a lot less then I thought.

Basically, Pure Barre is a total body work out that burns fat and tones the body. The room is paneled with mirrors and lined with a ballet barre. With high beat music blaring, my class began with light weights, moved to a barre to incorporate some ballet-inspired motions and then included some yoga and Pilates exercises. The class is not easy, but it’s not boring either since there is a variety of unique exercises. There is a lot of thrusting, pulsing, and holding of certain positions. The key to Pure Barre is that most of the exercises are micro-movements involving just moving an inch or two. While those micro-movements may not sound daunting, I promise you will instantly feel a burning sensation that will remain there for the rest of the class.

Whether Pure Barre is a fad or here to stay, it has become quite popular with in the local community, primarily among UNC-Chapel Hill college students. Getting a spot in the class isn’t easy! If you want to attend a class you have to sign up online, and most of the time it gets full hours before the class even starts. Although barre involves exercise directed mainly towards woman I can’t help to think that even the most athletic men would drip a sweat.

The Brand “Me”

Posted on February 18, 2012 by Hanson Qin

Hanson Qin is a senior from Sichuan, China. He can be reached at cqin@live.unc.edu.

We all have a favorite brand, whether it’s a high-end fashion designer or an international coffee house. Brands are everywhere around us, and in our materialistic society, they are simply unavoidable. I personally have a fascination with brands because they are the main ingredient of modern consumer culture. If you think about it, brands have now become the new language of globalization. Whereas foreign territories were once colonized by people, they are now taken over by powerful brands that bring a new identity and culture.

From what I’ve seen, our culture of brands has also influenced the way we market ourselves as individuals. No longer is it just about getting a degree from a good school and then naturally finding yourself at the office after graduation. Now, it’s about standing out, being different from the rest and bringing something totally unique to the table. One of my Public Relations professors told me that, honestly, most college graduates are completely generic and blank when they leave school. Employers now want experience, diversity and innovation. The only problem is, it’s really hard to have all of these traits unless employers give you the initial chance to develop them!

So now, everyone is starting earlier. Students are applying for internships as freshmen, and the college internship experience has almost become a universal requirement for all employers. Even if you do have the experience, so do most of your other peers. How is it possible to make yourself stand out?

Photo Courtesy

From what I have learned throughout my four years at UNC-Chapel Hill, one of the most important things to do is embrace all the qualities that make you different. Sometimes, this can be hard in the Carolina community since there seems to be one mainstream way of thinking and behaving—typical of many small college towns. Despite this factor, don’t let that stop you from embracing your individuality. For me, I have come to embrace and love my multicultural background. When I was younger, all I wanted to do was to assimilate to mainstream America. But the older I get, the more I realize how important and beneficial my Chinese heritage has become—especially to many employers of international companies.

For those who do happen to fit into the mainstream mold, try to develop an identity that makes you unique. Perhaps study abroad in a country you’ve never imagined yourself living in, or join an organization that supports a cause you’re not familiar with but still interested in. College is a critical time to develop your sense of self. In a globalized world where competition is fiercer than ever, being normal is simply not the standard anymore.

On the bright side, this is good news! I think our culture in general is becoming more progressive and open to embracing differences. Gays are getting married, racism is gradually vanishing and America is becoming more accepting and respectful of other cultures. This is a generation where we can be different, be ourselves and create an authentic brand called “Me.” Now isn’t that exciting?