Who’s that girl? It’s Jess!

       After a captivating pilot launched on Sept. 20, 2011, the FOX TV series “New Girl” has captured the heart of viewers, leaving them wanting more. Finding the time to watch TV in everyday life is never promising but “New Girl” is a show worth scheduling around or even getting on Hulu to watch. That’s right, I said it. DVR it, break out the laptop for an online version or ask for this season on DVD for your birthday. Either way, it’s a show that you’ll definitely want to make time to see.

      Zooey Deschanel who is more commonly known for her quirky roles in movies such as “Elf”, “Yes Man” and “500 Days of Summer” takes the leading part as the “New Girl” in a world where she is not understood: A man’s world. After finding her boyfriend cheating on her, Jess (Deschanel) is left without a place to stay. As any young, eager, homeless person would do, she sets out to find an apartment but gains much more; three male roommates who have no idea how to handle Jess and her mess.

Jess’ character does not differ from any other Deshanel role. She’s cute, funny and nonetheless, awkward. To say the least, Jess is a girl with a vintage skirt on who makes life’s toughest situations seem relatively easy. Nothing new from the blue eyed endearing girl which doesn’t surprise anyone. She is who she is and that character isn’t changing.

 She gets cheated on, yet she finds three guys to live with who take her under her wing. She has a broken heart but she still sings about everything she does to stay lighthearted. She is misunderstood but she doesn’t care what anyone thinks. This character is admirable and that’s nice to see even if it the usual Deschanel role.

Her three roommates create an adventure for the viewers with three completely different personalities that you wouldn’t imagine going well together. And then there is her best friend CeCe (Hannah Simone), a tall, beautiful model who is the polar opposite of Jess. Nick (Jake Johnson) is the most mature and grounded of the three guys, making it easier for Jess to relate to him. Winston (LaMorne Morris) is the ex-basketball player who shares Jess’ pain in a way, as he comes back to this lifestyle without the fame of basketball. And then there is Schmidt (Max Greenfield) who plays the character of the frat boy wannabe with homosexual tendencies, which is confusing to viewers because of his annoying, womanizing ways. His role is automatically repulsive after the first watch, making his character the flaw of the show.

When it comes down to it, it’s a show about relationships, love, heartbreak and moving on. Everyone is experiencing their own problems but because they are all going through it together, this makes the show less sad and more entertaining. But what happens when feelings get involved within the circle? If anyone remembers the show “Three’s Company” or “Two Guys and a Girl”, you can somewhat get an idea of what this whole “New Girl” thing is about; A beautiful girl living with guys in a platonic state of mind. But do things always stay platonic? Who’s to say that a flame will be kindled within their apartment but you’ll never know unless you watch it for yourself.

50/50: The word cancer isn’t taken lightly but what if it was?

              Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who played the sweet, innocent boy from “10 Things I Hate About You” and the heartbroken fool from “500 Days of Summer” does an excellent job playing the role of a young, brave man whose life quickly changes in the utmost negative way.

“50/50”, which is inspired by a true story, is a humorous, yet heartbreaking film depicting the traumatic, yet eye-opening journey of a man who’s diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer. The title directly correlates to the over-all motif of this film; it is half funny and half depressing. The title also links to Adam’s (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) chance at survival, leaving the viewer with suspense. This serious, yet comedic filled movie is a tear jerking, knee slapping must see.

Seth Rogen, the hilarious dude from “Knocked Up”, “Superbad” and “Pineapple express” plays Adam’s best friend Kyle. Rogen keeps the audience pleased with comic relief as he plays the funny, carefree friend who tries to make everything positive for Adam. The contrast between Levitt’s pessimism and Rogen’s optimism creates a heartfelt feeling as the lines between the sadness and laughter become a shade of grey. It’s not black or white, funny or sad, it’s a mixture of both. Rogen and Levitt form a hilarious team as they challenge the serious aspect of cancer in a light hearted way.

The director of this life-changing film, Jonathan Levine, who is also known for “All the boys love Mandy Lane” and “The Wackness” does a wonderful job at laying this whole plot out. You don’t understand how true Levine stays to the journey of a cancer patient until you watch it. Levine seems to be the low man on the totem pole, as his films have been mostly independent documentaries that never got much attention. But after “50/50” touches the heart of its viewers, this director on the rise will be well known and very successful.

Levitt plays the role of a young man whose life is all planned out. He works at a local radio station; he has a beautiful girlfriend who is stands by his side and a mother and best friend that would do anything in the world for him. Until one day his morning jog turns his world upside down. After a sharp pain in his back and a doctor’s visit, Adam finds out he has a very rare form of cancer giving him a 50/50 chance at survival.

Devastation strikes the audience, as you watch Adam lose his hair, become brittle and throw his guts up from chemotherapy. But the real tear jerker hits when his girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) cheats on him leaving him down on his luck and even more depressed than before.

Introduction to Anorexia Nervosa: A serious illness

  Anorexia Nervosa is not only an eating disorder, it's a mental illness that attacks adolescences, adults, men and women everyday. In this blog, I will give a general overview of this disease, how to treat anorexia, talk about who is affected, what the causes are and discuss anorexia among college students. Nonetheless, my goal is to raise awareness for this disorder.

Anorexia: A General Overview

   Anorexia Nervosa is more than just an eating disorder, it's a mental illness. Although society takes a lot of the blame for this disease, Anorexia is genetically predisposed through genes and hormones. When looking for someone with this disease, the warning signs are very noticeable in a sense that their lives and daily activities will change drastically. There will be intense, fast weight loss, they will withdraw themselves from social activities and they will have a negative self-image and see something entirely different than what actually appears in the mirror. 

    When someone becomes more consumed with their body image rather than relationships, school or work, then take that as a serious sign of someone suffering from an eating disorder. Victims of this disease severely limit the amount of food that they intake and go to extreme measures to lose weight. They will cut their food into very small portions, exercise constantly, refuse to eat around other people and use laxatives and diuretics to speed up their weight loss process. 

     A number of different programs have been designed to help treat anorexia but there still isn’t a cure. Sometimes the person can gain weight by increasing social activity, reducing physical activity and using schedules for eating. Most patients will start with short hospital visits and continue treatment and therapy. If that person has lost a substantial amount of weight (below 70% ideal body weight) then they will need to have a longer hospital stay to be feed through a tube.

Treating Anorexia 

     Anorexia has more than one cause, so treating this disease is hard to manage. Thousands of people die each year because the disease goes untreated. There are also two sides; there is the psychical side and the mental state in which both need to be treated equally in order to cure this disease. In the severe phase of anorexia nervosa the patient is reluctant to accept rational arguments and it may be necessary to stop the starvation in order to prevent damage of the body. If it is impossible to persuade the patient to eat or drink nutrients in sufficient quantities at home, it may be necessary to insist on hospital care where tube-feeding or drip-feeding can be used. If the patient still refuses to accept nutrition, then sedatives may be required in order to make it possible. The patient should not go to school or work, be exposed to stress or demands, or exercise, as most of those things can be the reason of anorexia. The treatment of anorexia requires enormous patience from parents, friends and hospital staff. The cooperation of the patient will eventually be needed and this means that there is motivation needed by relatives, psychotherapists and staff.

Who is affected?

      Women in general are under a constant pressure to look good and fit in. Although every woman wants to look beautiful and attractive in the eyes of others, our society as a whole has taken it entirely too far. More importantly, this disease hits close to home, as the majority of the victims are in the U.S. Seeing images of flawless, thin females everywhere makes it hard for women to feel good about their bodies. More and more, women are also feeling pressure to have a perfect body. Anorexia has a huge effect among teenagers worldwide. Statistics indicate that in the United States alone, anorexia affects more than 10 million people. Although anorexia can occur in both sexes, the disorder is very common in the female gender. Research results indicate that more than 90 percent of people diagnosed with anorexia are women. Anorexia is mostly common in females, teenagers and young adults, rarely affecting older people. Although most people see anorexia in females, the male gender is also suffering as well, as everyone wants to fit in. Victims are all around us, as everyone wants to be accepted and anorexia doesn’t pick which obsessive, self-conscience person it attacks. Complications which specifically affect male anorexia include the fact that men with anorexia lose more muscle and tissue than women, who will instead lose body fat. The fact that muscle and tissue is more often lost in men is very harmful to the body. This makes male anorexia far more dangerous than most cases of female anorexia.

What causes anorexia?

      Anorexia is not always the desire to be thin and it’s not something to write off on and forget about. This disease is about control and people who can successfully control their eating habits this much are suffering from deeper emotional and psychological problems. People with this disorder have low self-esteem and do not have the ability to deal with their distorted self-image that they see when they look in the mirror. Most anorexics desire a sense of control, especially if they experience changes in their lives over which they have no power. Changes that can trigger anorexia may include divorce of one’s parents, receiving unexpectedly low grades, rejection in a peer relationship, having a sports injury, and entering a new school. Along with control, this disorder is also about escape. For example, someone who has anorexia nervosa is already predisposed to having mental health issues as is therefore; they are also likely to suffer from other conditions. Starving allows victims to temporarily forget depression, anxiety, stress, anger and guilt. Since anorexics already have high expectations of themselves, if they fall short of their goal weight, they will go to extreme measures to be the size that they want to be. The individual becomes preoccupied with an unhealthy desire to lose weight and it eventually leads to them starving themselves, maintaining rigorous exercise programs, and sometimes by purging, laxatives, or diuretics. Even when weight loss endangers a sufferer’s health they may not understand they have a problem that must be solved. Other causes of anorexia include:

· Certain personality traits, such as obsessive-compulsive and sensitive-avoidance

· Genetic factors that predispose people to developing anxiety, perfectionism, and obsessive-compulsive thoughts

· Low self-esteem, lack of identity. Anorexics frequently lack a firm understanding of themselves; they hope to gain attention and respect through achievements, including having an admired exterior, rather than cultivating their natural personality.

· Overprotective, rigid families. These families do not invite open communication, especially concerning emotional issues. Mothers are emotionally cool while fathers are physically or emotionally absent.

· Media. Studies have shown that women who watch TV three or more nights a week, influenced by the ubiquitous images of thin women, are more likely to develop anorexia.

· Event triggers. Certain memorable incidents, from teasing to rape, can set the ball rolling for individuals who are already vulnerable.

· Athletics. Involvement in a sport that demands thinness encourages anorexia.

Anorexia and college students

         Although eating disorders affects people of all ages, the most prominent is college students. People always say that you will gain the freshman 15 when during your first year of college. It’s not gaining the weight that is the problem; it’s how students respond to it. According to The Massachusetts Eating Disorders Association, 40% of female college students have eating disorders. So why is it so hard for us to diagnose our fellow classmates with this disorder? Because they should know better. As a society, we expect this behavior from the high school girls wanting to be thin. We also assume that college students have been provided with enough information about eating disorders that they would be smarter about their eating habits and diet. So, to all the fellow college students out there, if you or one of your friends is suffering from this disease, it’s better to attack it in its earlier stages rather than let it go untreated. If you know someone who is suffering or need help yourself, call this hotline: 781-647-6700 or email: Info@waldenbehavioralcare.com. This is a care center that is available to victims and patients at any time.

Living in the Sky

            On the top floor of the admissions building at the University of the Cumberlands sits a man in a swivel chair with his feet planted on the grey, Berber carpet. Although his dress pants and silky, red tie make him seem so sure of where he’s at, he will soon chase his dream of living in the sky.

Chris Sexton, an admissions counselor at UC will soon leave his students and co-workers behind to serve his country from the skies and share views with the birds as he earns his own set of wings.

“Why did I decide to join? I wanted to travel all over the world but with importance, and I knew that serving my country was most important,” Sexton said.

When Sexton entered as a student at the University of the Cumberlands, he walked amongst his classmates as a 16 year old freshman. He was just a kid when he left his home in Somerset, Ky. to attend college with towering students that were ancient in comparison to him. While most teenagers were getting their permit, Sexton was headed to his college math courses with no idea what he wanted to do with his mathematics degree.

“I actually wanted to major in mathematics and take the pre-med route just to be different than everyone else, but that didn’t last,” Sexton chuckled with a half added smile.

After graduating from UC, Sexton worked as a loan officer at a local bank. He quickly realized he didn’t enjoy it and came back to UC to start his current position as an admissions counselor. Although he was happier with this job, he knew he didn’t want to stay in Williamsburg forever.

So, with his mind set on traveling the world, he applied for the US air force. Sexton had high hopes of becoming an officer. This particular position requires a college degree in which he had already obtained. He started applying for Officer Training School with dreams of becoming a commission officer.

Along with completing a timed heavy, rigorous test, Sexton also got his pilot’s license and conquered the flight simulation test. Furthermore, he was required to complete an extensive, 20 page application while gathering five letters of recommendation and was then asked to write a personal essay on why he would be a good officer for the US air force.

“I’m already sworn into the air force but I’m in a delayed entry program. That means that I have more processes to go through before I’ll be put in a class and it will probably be late spring before I go,” Sexton said.

The competition was tough. Nearly 1,200 people turned in applications that were qualified and only 260 were selected. Sexton, without a doubt, was one of the few.

He will first travel to the Maxwell air force base in Montgomery, AL. From there, he will go to initial flight training in Colorado and onto Pensacola, FL where he will complete his Combat Systems Officer training.  

His wife, Tara Sexton will also be joining him once he resides in FL. She is currently a teacher at Williamsburg and will be leaving her students behind as well.

Chris Sexton

However, Sexton won’t leave the ground without being missed. He has been working for admissions for three years and has obtained several jobs within his position as an admissions counselor. Along with going to college fairs, traveling and helping students, Sexton is also in charge of the UC Bloggers. This is essentially a website where students give their views on the college, along with tips and advice with hopes that prospective students will feel welcomed by their input. He is also responsible for travel scheduling and making sure that all six counselors have a vehicle for when they travel to different college fairs. In addition, he is the public service announcer for the football team and for both men’s and women’s basketball.

            He is also the leader of the PatriotAdventure Club on campus. This club is for thrill seeking students who want to get off of campus and have fun outdoors. Sexton took over this position this year and has successfully made many trips so far with the PAC.

            “Chris seriously made this semester so much more fun by introducing me to the PAC,” said Kendra McCollum, a senior at UC. “The club let me experience things I never would have otherwise and I hope it continues once he’s gone but without a doubt, he’ll be missed.”

            Sexton will first have to earn his “wings” which will take around a year and half to complete. After that, he is in a six year commitment to the air force and dedicated to serving his country.

            For someone who is so important on campus, Sexton is more than ready to brush his peach toned cheeks against the clouds. He has grown up in this small, college town making a name in the community but he’s prepared to take the next step in his life.

“I just want to make a career out of this. I want to ride it out for as long as I can and then see what God has for me next,” Sexton said.

The Battle of the Brass Lantern

                On Saturday, the University of the Cumberlands football team will take on their rivalry school Union College for the Battle of the Brass Lantern at 12 p.m. at Union College in Barbourville, Ky.   

            The Battle of the Brass Lantern is a trophy that is passed between the UC Patriots and the Union Bulldogs. This trophy is specially made for the two teams and is exclusively for football.

According to Union’s athletic website, the battle began in 1905 and acquired its name from the coal mines- as the lantern is symbolic in paying homage to the coal mining industry in southeastern Ky. where both colleges are located.

“No matter how good or bad the season is going for us or for Union, it’s a battle every time we play for the trophy. We’re ready,” said the Patriot’s head coach John Bland.

The Patriots have managed to take home the trophy for the past five years after Bland became head coach in 2006. According to Bland, 2005 was the last time Union had the trophy in their possession, making the competition to get it back or keep it, highly competitive and intense.

            Zack Stroub, a senior on the Patriot’s football team said, “We’ve won it every year since I’ve been here. I don’t expect Saturday to be any different because everyone is focused and ready to dominate again.”

Head Coach John Bland holding the Brass Lantern 

            According to Bland, the Patriot’s athletic director Randy Vernon, will transport the trophy to Union College on Saturday before the game and keep it in his possession until the battle has been won. The winning team will receive the trophy to celebrate and take pictures after the game. It’s then the school’s responsibility to add the plaque onto the trophy and keep it in the football office until the following year.

“We’re gonna win, that’s the plan. We can’t leave that trophy space empty. It’s coming back with us,” Bland said.

Campus Medical Clinic Opens

On Aug. 24, the University of the Cumberlands opened a new medical clinic on campus that is available to undergraduate and graduate students who need to seek medical attention.

            The medical clinic is located in the Browning Annex complex behind the science building and is open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. daily. A $20 copay will be charged with each visit and added on to the student’s tuition account. In addition to the copay, the remaining amount of the visit fee will go through the student’s personal insurance or the insurance that is provided from the school and billed to them.

            Dr. Eddie Perkins, a prominent physician in the community and the head of the Physician’s Assistant program on campus, is the clinic doctor.

            “The idea of this clinic was to make it easier on students to get the help they needed in a convenient way,” said Perkins.

This clinic provides UC students with a medical professional without having to go off campus and make appointments at local doctor’s offices. Since athletic injuries are very common on the courts and fields. The clinic makes it easier on the athletic trainers to maintain all of the injuries and check up on their students.

Peggy Haus, an athletic trainer on campus said, “The convenience of having a clinic on campus saves time, gas and transportation coordination worries for students.  The clinic is within easy walking distance on the main campus for almost anyone.”

             The clinic is not available to the staff of the university at this time; however, they intend to offer medical care to the faculty and staff in January 2012 according to Perkins. Furthermore, the program isn’t allowed to hire the PA students, but it is a requirement as part of their educational prerequisites to work in the office.

            “It would be great if the PA students could get paid to work in clinic but it’s against the program’s standards,” Perkins said.        

Dr. Eddie Perkins

            

The Voice Audition

Two weeks before coming back to campus, Brandy Norman drove seven, long hours to Atlanta, Ga. to audition for NBC’s vocal competition “The Voice”.  The day that she left was the longest day of her life. She was pooped from work and ecstatic that she was getting this opportunity. Her excitement at that moment outweighed the exhaustion she felt and she got behind the wheel to start her journey.

Brandy Norman

            Arriving in Atlanta was intimidating for her. When she finally made it to the hotel, she started to practice before she walked a block over to the audition. In her heart she knew that “Someone like you” by Adele was the perfect choice. She had all the confidence in the world standing through lines and walking to the audition room until she heard a lady say, “The judges ask that no one sings Adele songs.” She was one door away from auditioning and had to change her song.

            She walked in and let the countdown begin. Since she was number ten out of ten people, she had nine voices to listen to before she went. Then the judge called, "Brandy." So, she stood up and started singing Independence Day. It was over and she had done the best she could. He started telling everyone that he wasn’t interested and then she heard, “But Brandy, keep your phone on in case of a call back.” Her trip was complete. It was the closet she had ever been and that was enough.