Features

Getting the Jitters About Energy Drinks? How Safe Are They?

It's that time of year again. You have two ten-page research papers due, four finals to study for and only a week to do it all! With the promise of a seemingly endless series of all-nighters, you begin the agonizing process of running on two hours of sleep and willfully blinding yourself in front of a computer screen. Since prying your eyes open with Scotch-tape really doesn't work as well as it does in the cartoons, you resort to other means of staying awake. The typical solution for college students: a beverage designed to deliver an overwhelming surge of caffeine and sugar that jolts tired nerves back into life.

From Red Bull to Monster to 180, energy drinks have become the newest means of keeping up in an increasingly fast-paced world. Although they are frequently used during finals to provide that extra boost of energy, they are also becoming a fad in weight rooms and bars across the country. For example, on Red Bull's homepage, the company defines its product as "a functional beverage, specially developed for periods of increased mental and physical exertion" and encourages customers to "drink one can.before the start of a concentration task, the start of a race or game in sports." More

Is a New Student Center in McKendree's Future?

Over recent years, McKendree's student recreational facilities have frequently been a topic of discussion among both students and university administrators alike. Are there plans in the making for the eventual construction of a YMCA on campus? What about Student Government's latest proposal of an entirely new student union building? Just how realistic are any of these goals and ideas? Are they merely whispered hearsay or is the McKendree staff seriously considering the university's need for an improved student recreation center? The factors to consider when regarding such questions take shape in two words: money and level of interest.

Where are the funds going?

According to Vice President of Student Affairs Todd Reynolds, a renovated or expanded student union is "part of a long-range plan," which must be weighed along with other potential ideas for keeping McKendree up-to-date and attractive to students. Currently, the university's development personnel have a list of goals that includes extensive renovations to Holman Library, Voight Science Building and the residence halls in addition to an improved student recreational center. Reynolds termed these prospective aspirations "ongoing projects," meaning that the money McKendree collects in its fundraising campaigns is being channeled into each of these options until the opportunity and amount of interest rises to begin actively pursuing one or two of them. With several expensive projects on the agenda at one time, the need for a new student union may be overshadowed by the preferences of individual donors and restrictions of federal grants that are more inclined to provide funding for academic ventures rather than recreational ones. More

McKendree's New Provost is Raising the "Bahr"

In case you didn't know, Dr. Gerald Duff retired as Provost of McKendree this past December. Dr. Christine Bahr was hired to serve as the new and first woman Provost to the university.

Bahr comes to McKendree from a ten year career at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Indiana, where she served as vice president for academic affairs. Before that, she worked in Michigan. After she and her husband decided they wanted to move back home to the St. Louis area, the search for a new job began.

"I wanted to work in a private institution, preferably one with a strong liberal arts tradition, and possibly a religious affiliation, but most importantly, an institution with a singular focus on academic excellence and student learning," said Bahr of her search for the perfect job. After picking a handful of schools, she ended up only applying to McKendree because it was the only one that fit all of her criteria. More

Thinking About Grad School? Why Not Go to McKendree?

Every student dreams about it. In times of endless piles of homework and stressful exams, students especially dream of that day of achievement and finality. The day is only four days away: Graduation Day. On May 10, seniors will be gathering to walk and receive their well-deserved diplomas. After graduation, a new blank chapter is ready and waiting to be written on. Although each chapter will be different for every student, a common chapter title will be graduate school. There are countless opportunities for graduate degrees in different graduate schools around the country. If students want to embrace the familiar and stay true to their Alma Mater, McKendree University has a few graduate programs to offer.

McKendree offered its first graduate program in 2004. The first program was Masters of Arts in Education. Since then, the options have expanded to masters in nursing, business administration and professional counseling. The classes are scheduled in the evenings as well as online, making graduate studies easy for the working adult to fit in his or her schedule. Some of the programs even offer their classes on off-campus sites.

General admission to graduate school involves a number of steps. A graduate admission application must be completed. This can be completed on the school's website for free. Other steps include an official transcript from all colleges or universities attended, a current vita or resume and three professional references. One must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA in his or her undergraduate studies as well. Additional requirements may vary depending on what specific graduate study one wishes to pursue. More

Crash and Burn

To begin with, I won't say I'm an expert on cars. In fact I won't even say I know the least bit about cars. I can fill my car up with gas, go from point A to point B, and arrive at a destination in one piece, but that's about it. I still go to my dealer to get the oil changed because it's cheaper for me than doing it myself, and I still have my dad change my windshield wipers because I don't know how. However, I'm obsessed with the BBC America's show Top Gear. So, when I saw Richard Hammond's book, Car Confidential: The Odd, the Mad, the Bad and the Curious, I picked it up and bought it without a second glance. BIG MISTAKE!

Okay, the book is hilarious and I laughed at the comic drawings and semi-witty banter. It did remind me of the show I had come to faithfully watch, but the book lacked the integrity and quality to be called a 'book.' If a person has never seen Top Gear or heard of Hammond this book on cars would seem ridiculously useless and a seemingly waste of money. I had seen the show and still had that same thought, and I loved both the show and host. It's one thing to have corny comic car commentary on television, but to create a whole book and publish it is ludicrous! More

Having Roommate Trouble?

Imagine coming back from a turbulent day, one in which school was stressful, life was complicated and in which a huge amount of homework was assigned. Imagine coming back to your dorm, and realizing that your emotional guard needs to stay up; your roommates, those with whom you don't get along, are there.

Frustrating scenarios of this nature tend to be frequent for those who have left home and now live in one of the different housing options offered in college. Roommate conflicts may arise from conflicting personalities, annoying habits and interpersonal differences. These have been defined as three of the main factors leading to the hostilities that may occur within a common living arrangement.

To illustrate this circumstance, a McKendree West resident listed the behaviors that characterize the co-habitants of his apartment. According to this person, who wished to remain anonymous, his roommates make a mess after eating, their garbage is often on the floor, they are extremely loud and it is rare to see them cleaning, which means the kitchen and bathrooms are usually dirty. More

A Final Update From SGA

First of all, allow me to apologize for the lack of a USA Today Trivia Night. Student Government decided to fund an organization that desperately needed funding. This organization planned to compete in a national competition, and Student Government felt that the competition warranted funding. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Usually, I report on the minutes from the Board of Trustees meeting. The meeting was held on May 3; thus, a Student Government representative was not present.

If you won a gift certificate from Student Government and have not picked it up, you may do so by visiting the Office of Residence Life.

Congratulations to the 2008-2009 Student Government Association: president Braden Posey, vice president Scott Best, secretary Lindsey Freeman, treasurer Nishant Timilsina, student counselor Annie Bierman; sophomores Ashley Parrot, Danny Kupferer, Miranda Linneman, Emily Eilermann and LB Mathews; juniors Lindsie Rollinson, Jake Wittenauer, Zach Rhines, Bridget Buckley and Christopher Miller; seniors Erin Thoman, Michelle Zimmerman, Adam Schwind, Drew Purcell and Jessica Bathon. More

Tips to Help Your Computer

The semester is almost done and if you're like me, you'll be spending countless hours in front of a computer during finals, wanting to never look at a computer again when all is finished. Unfortunately, many of us will be returning to school and finances prevent us from simply taking a hammer to our computers as a celebration of not being forced to sit in front again for a few months. With that in mind, I've compiled a checklist of what needs to be done before you leave and before you come back to McKendree (or a grad school, as may be the case). More

Sex at McKendree:
The Mystery of the Female Orgasm

If you've ever seen Sex & the City, you know that Samantha averages about 4 orgasms per half hour show. Is this normal? It seems that media portrayal of the female orgasm has reached an all-time high in its efforts to show that women do enjoy sex, but have they gone too far? Until Meg Ryan faked one in When Harry Met Sally over her salad, mention of the female orgasm caused a ruckus. Now, as soon as a female character slips beneath the sheets she's moaning like crazy.

Many women believe that this leads to a lack of male understanding when it comes to women climaxing. If media shows an effortless orgasm, and pornography shows a 45-minute orgasm, guys have no real idea of how it works and women feel embarrassed by not conforming to the Kim Cattrall-style of sex. Countless studies show that only 1 in 4 women climax regularly, and a full 1/3 of women rarely or never reach orgasm. So what is the truth when it comes to the female orgasm? More