All posts by jen5005

Fun competition at 2015 Extreme Stater

#HealthyPSU, On Campus

On Sunday, October 18, 2015, despite the cold temperatures, 22 student teams (88 racers total) competed in the 3rd annual Extreme Stater. This year’s event was held at Stone Valley Recreation Area and included a variety of new course elements. After running about 5 miles of trail, canoeing across Lake Perez, climbing a 50 foot climbing wall, flipping giant tires, zip lining and overcoming 10 other team challenges, three teams emerged as the top finishers.

Congratulations to the winners! Thank you to all participants and volunteers. We hope you had as much fun as we did and will join us again next year.

1st place: Team 8, 1 hour 33 minutes

1st place team

 

Do you have what it takes? This fall, get ready for an outdoor adrenaline rush. Penn State’s Extreme Stater is ready to meet your adventure-seeking needs and is moving to a new location at the Stone Valley Recreation Area!

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On Sunday, October 18, twenty-five teams will compete by racing on an outdoor obstacle course to win prizes and glory. The race will start and finish at the Stone Valley Recreation Area, near the Odyssey III course/boat house (located 17 miles from campus). Bus transportation will be provided for students who need it. The course will feature running, climbing, canoeing, team obstacles and other extreme encounters. Be prepared to challenge your mind and body in ways the classroom can’t!

Registration
Registration opens on Tuesday, September 8th and closes on Tuesday, September 29th or when filled. Register at the Office of Student Activities in room 209 A HUB between 7:30 am – 4:00 pm, Monday – Friday.  Registration forms may be completed in advance: Extreme Stater Registration Form

Building Your Team
Each Extreme Stater team must consist of four competitors (two males and two females). An event waiver form is required per participant and will be available at the time of registration and must be completed prior to race day. Students 17 or younger will be required to have guardian signature on the waiver.

Who Can Participate?
Participation is open to University Park undergraduate or graduate students. Registration will end when twenty five teams have registered or by September 29.

Location
The race will start and finish at Stone Valley Recreation Area near the Odyssey III course/ boat house area. Stone Valley is located 17 miles from campus. The GPS address is 325 Charter Oak Road Petersburg, PA 16669. See the map below. We will offer bus transportation for students who need it.

How Much Running Is Involved?
About 4.5 miles.

What are the Prizes and Do We Get Swag?
The registration fee includes an event t-shirt and a chance to win a variety of prizes.

Prizes for the top 3 finishing teams:
• 1st place team- $50 gift card/team member to the Penn State Bookstore
• 2nd place team- $40 gift card/team member to the Penn State Bookstore
• 3rd place team- $30 gift card/team member to the Penn State Bookstore

Additional prizes will be randomly distributed in a drawing at the end of the race. All finishers will be eligible for the drawing. Prize donations have been made by the following offices and local businesses*:

Anthym

Freeze Thaw Cycles

Webster’s Book Store & Cafe

Residence Life

Adventure Recreation

Campus Recreation

University Health Services

Student Book Store

Rapid Transit

*This list is subject to change as additional donations come in.

*This list is subject to change as additional donations come in.

Who’s Sponsoring Extreme Stater?
Current sponsors of this event include the Association of Residence Hall Students (A R H S), the Kinesiology Club, University Park Undergraduate Association (U P U A), Residence Life, Student Activities, Adventure Recreation, Campus Recreation, and University Health Services.

What’s the Start Time and When Do We Check In?
The event will start at 10:00 a.m. Teams must check in at the registration table near the Odyssey III course/boat house area by 9:30 am. All team members must be present at the time of check in. Carpooling is recommended. There is limited parking on site.

What if it rains? The race will be held rain or shine.

Where is Stone Valley?
Follow Route 26 West (West College Ave) for 9 miles. At the base of Pine Grove Mountain, turn right on Charter Oak Road. Follow Charter Oak Road for 3 miles. Turn left onto Lodge Lane (Stone Valley West Entrance). Follow the signs for Extreme Stater parking.Map

 

Photos from previous Extreme Stater events:

photo 6 photo 5 photo 4 photo 3 photo 2 photo 1

 

Homecoming 2014: What does “We are Penn State” mean to you?

On Campus, ,

We are Penn State. Whether roared by 100,000 strong in Beaver Stadium, shouted at Penn State hopefuls touring campus, or during the final moments of THON, chances are you’ve heard these four words countless times. But what do they actually mean? The obvious explanation is that as students, alumni, faculty, and staff, we all identify with Penn State in some way. But this simplistic interpretation falls short in encompassing the unity, spirit, and pride felt by the many who lend their voices to this chant.

As you gather with other Penn Staters to celebrate Homecoming 2014, take the opportunity to reflect on what “We are Penn State” means to you. What is your role as a member of the Penn State family, and how does your personal behavior represent us as a whole?

For Meaghan DeMallie, the answer is clear. As a marketing student, THON participant, and President of the Panhellenic Council, being part of Penn State has meant much more than just getting an education. Through service, involvement, and sisterhood, Meaghan’s Penn State experiences have helped shape her into the leader she is today. Because of that, Meaghan takes pride in representing not only herself but also her organizations and the Penn State community. Check out Meaghan’s advice below and remember— if you choose to make drinking part of your Homecoming celebration, Take the Lead and do it responsibly.

meaghan

 

Tips from the Sleep Sheep: 5 Ways to Get More Zzzs

#HealthyPSU, Sleep Management, Stress Management, ,

Sleep, sweet sleep. Not only does catching enough Zzzs feel great, but it’s also a way to keep your body and mind in tip-top shape. Although late nights may be tempting, not getting enough sleep is linked to lowered immune function, poorer eating habits, and impaired memory and learning.

To feel and perform at your best, make 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night a priority. If you’re not currently meeting this recommendation, the Sleep Sheep may be able to help. Check out these five simple tips for getting better sleep:sleep tips

  1. Keep a consistent schedule. Going to sleep and waking up around the same times every day will help set your internal clock and help you get better sleep.
  2. Create a pre-sleep ritual. Get ready for bed each night by practicing deep breathing or listening to relaxing music.
  3. Go dark for better sleep. Turn off lights, use curtains, or wear a sleep mask (available for free in 201 Student Health Center) to fall asleep faster.
  4. Keep your eyes off the clock. If you can’t sleep, don’t watch the clock. Instead, get out of bed and read or listen to relaxing music. When you feel tired again, go back to bed.
  5. Hit the gym at least 2-3 hours before you hit the hay. Regular exercise earlier in the day can help you fall asleep at night, but working out too close to bedtime can interfere with sleep.

Join the Fight against H I V / AIDS

On Campus,

Despite major advances in the last few decades, H I V / AIDS remains an important public health issue for the international and U S communities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that worldwide, over 35 million people are living with HIV. The problem also hits closer to home– over 1 million Americans are living with HIV. College students are also at risk, as a quarter of all new HIV infections in the US occur in young people between the ages of 13 to 24.

If you’re ready to join the fight against H I V / AIDS but aren’t sure where to start, PublicHealth.org can help. Whether you’re interested in conducting research, educating others about prevention strategies, or simply learning more, this website will connect you to free online H I V / AIDS resources, including open access journals, research organizations, and public awareness organizations. Check out PublicHealth.org and join the fight against H I V / AIDS today.

Top 5 Reasons to Start Your Day with a Healthy Breakfast

#HealthyPSU
  1. It’s nutritious— a healthy breakfast contributes important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to your diet.
  2. Breakfast fuels your body with energy to keep you going through tough workouts.
  3. It’s brain food. A morning meal helps you concentrate and focus in class.
  4. Research suggests that students who eat breakfast perform better academically than students who don’t.1
  5. It’s delicious!

Try these quick and easy ideas:

  • Instant oatmeal topped with almonds
  • Half a whole-wheat bagel with peanut butter
  • Low-fat yogurt with fruit—watch HealthWorks show you how to make a delicious yogurt parfait.

Sources Cited:

  1. Trockel MT, Barnes MD, Egget DL. Health related variables and academic performance among first-year college students: implications for sleep and other behaviors. J Am Coll Health. 2000 Nov;49(3):125-31.

If you suspect alcohol poisoning, call for help!

#HealthyPSU

If you think that a friend or peer may have alcohol poisoning, it’s crucial to get help. Calling 911 or alerting a resident assistant can make the difference between life and death. If you’re under 21, you may be wondering if you’d get in trouble if you were drinking and got help for someone you thought had alcohol poisoning.

The answer is no. Both Pennsylvania and Penn State protect underage individuals who get help for someone who may have alcohol poisoning.

Pennsylvania Medical Amnesty Law States:

If an individual, in good faith, calls and believes they are the first to call 911, police, ambulance or campus security, gives their name and stays with the person to prevent that person’s death or serious injury, the caller is immune from prosecution for consumption or possession of alcohol.

Penn State’s Responsible Action Protocol States:

Students who act responsibly by notifying the appropriate authorities (e.g., calling 911, alerting a resident assistant, contacting police) typically will not face University disciplinary action for their own alcohol violations, unless they are responsible for other violations (e.g., vandalism, assault) as well. However, these students will be required to attend BASICS or a similar program; the fee will be waived.

The bottom line is: If you suspect that someone may need medical assistance, call 911. You could save a life. For more information, please contact:

Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board

Office of Regulatory Affairs

Bureau of Alcohol Education

P L C B website

Toll-free: 1(800) 453-PLCB (7522)

Hearing Impaired: T D D/ T T D / T T Y  (717) 772-3725

 

Penn State Office of Student Conduct

814.863.0342

Email Student Conduct : Student  Conduct AT psu.edu

Active Lions makes walking or biking to campus fun and easy

#HealthyPSU, On Campus,

Want to get more exercise and show our planet some love all while saving time and money? Active travel could be the solution for you, and a new smartphone app, Active Lions, can help.

Not only is active travel a smart way to fit exercise into your busy schedule, but it’s also an economical and eco-friendly method of transportation. The Active Lions app, which is based on research led by faculty in Kinesiology and funded by a grant from the Penn State Sustainability Institute, offers tools to help Penn State students, faculty, and staff walk and bike to, from, and around campus.

Not sure what path to take? The route planning tool can help you map a safe and efficient walk or ride. Other features allow you to view weather information and stay motivated by setting goals and tracking your progress.

The Active Lions app is free to download and use on iPhone and Android smartphones. For more information and to download the app, visit the Active Lions Facebook Page or their website.

Five Things the Tobacco Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know

#HealthyPSU, ,
  1. “Cigarette companies intentionally designed cigarettes with enough nicotine to create and sustain addiction.”
  2. “Cigarette companies control the impact and delivery of nicotine in many ways, including designing filters and selecting cigarette paper to maximize the ingestion of nicotine, adding ammonia to make the cigarette taste less harsh, and controlling the physical and chemical make-up of the tobacco blend.”tobacco industry
  3. “Low tar and filtered cigarette smokers inhale essentially the same amount of tar and nicotine as they would from regular cigarettes.”
  4. “More people die every year from smoking than from murder, AIDS, suicide, drugs, car crashes, and alcohol, combined.”
  5. “Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer and coronary heart disease in adults who do not smoke. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, severe asthma, and reduced lung function.”

A team led by researchers at the University of South Carolina surveyed 1,404 adult smokers for their reactions to these five “corrective statements,” which a federal judge ordered the tobacco industry to include on cigarette packages and other materials beginning in 2013.

Unfortunately, the corrective statements have yet to make their debut. The tobacco industry appealed the ruling, and for good reason: study results show that for each statement, between 1/3 and 1/2 of adult smokers said that the information was new to them. These respondents were more likely to report feeling angry at the tobacco industry and more likely to feel motivated to quit smoking compared to those who did not find the information to be new.

The study also found that reactions to the statements differed between racial/ethnic groups. African Americans and Latinos, who suffer disproportionately from smoking-related conditions such as cardiovascular disease, were more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to report that the statements were new to them. They were also more likely to report feeling angry at the industry and more likely to report feeling motivated to quit smoking.

These findings suggest that if shared widely, corrective statements can inform consumers, thus helping to prevent smoking, encourage quitting, and reduce smoking-related health disparities. Read more here and chime in—did any of the corrective statements catch you off guard? How effective do you think statements will be in motivating people to quit smoking?

Hookah Smoking: It’s Not That Innocent

#HealthyPSU,

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tobacco use remains the #1 preventable cause of premature illness and death in the US. You’re probably well-versed on the ill effects of cigarettes on health, but what about hookah, or water pipe smoking?

the truth about hookahIt turns out that hookahs and cigarettes have more in common than you might think. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco compared levels of nicotine and tobacco-related carcinogens, toxicants, and irritants in 55 healthy and experienced hookah users before and after smoking water pipe at hookah bars or lounges.

On average, after just one session of hookah smoking, users’ nicotine levels jumped 73-fold. This level of nicotine is high enough to contribute to addiction. That’s bad news for college students, as nicotine exposure as an adolescent or young adult increases risk for future nicotine dependence. And if that wasn’t enough, users’ levels of cancer-causing tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) doubled, while their levels of benzene, an irritant, nervous system toxicant, and carcinogen, increased by 91%.

While the body of research on hookah smoking is still growing, the bottom line is that hookah smoking isn’t harmless. Next time you and your friends are making plans for the evening, consider that even occasional hookah use could increase risk for addiction and chronic disease.

How to Make a Turkey Burger

Cooking Videos, Healthy Eating, , ,

Living healthier is about the small choices, and today, our latest recipe illustrates one of those simple choices to make: lean turkey over the fattier kinds of meat.

Watch as our HealthWorks volunteers cook up a turkey burger.  This recipe can be customized to your tastes by adding vegetables, spices, or cheese.

Have you made this recipe? Leave a comment below about what you did to make it yours.