On campus, there is the Ewigleben Sports Complex. Inside, people can find the Pro Shop, ice rink(s) and basketball court. I go there for the air hockey table. There is also the UREC – the University Recreation Center. This building hosts a complete cardio and exercise center, basketball courts, swimming pool, and a free-weight room. I go there quite often for the climbing wall.

The Rankin Center contains our campus bookstore and a coffee shop (which between the two of them take half of my Torch wages), and the student lounge. This lounge is a great place for students to grab a nap between classes (without walking back to Cramer or driving back to their apartment) and play a free game of pool or ping-pong. Off campus, there are two bowling alleys, multiple parks, pizza places, and quite a few nightclubs. These places take the second half of my wages. If you are into volunteer work, there is a local scout troop and a recycling center. If you go to church every week, a local phone book will get you on the right track or you can get in touch with one of the campus groups.

If you are into the partying scene, the local nightclubs are a great place to start. The online community is also a good place to get connected with your peers. Sites like Facebook and MySpace allow users to meet each other based on whatever search criteria is used (and the privacy rights of searched users). Now in my fourth year, every memory I have from Ferris is of hanging out with the people I’ve met here. To meet new people and try new things is to truly live, and being at college away from anything normal is the perfect time for this. Get out there, make mistakes, and get ready for a great year.

Say Cheese! The Buxton family poses in front of the Pidgeon River. Photo By Thomas Wilson, Opinions Editor

This summer I had the privilege of joining my girlfriend and her family on their yearly camping trip to Pigeon River, a rustic state park near Vanderbilt, Mich. At that point I had known my girlfriend for about five years, and had dated her for about three and a half. This summer was the first time I was invited to join them.

This brings me to my first point. If the girlfriend’s family is of the exclusive type, don’t be shy. It is the role of the outsider to make the first step into the family. Relationships work on a give and take basis, and the outsider has to be the first to give, but not too much.

One time I was hanging out at the girlfriend’s house talking with her and her father in the garage. I was working on her bike, which I know much about, when we got on the topic of bike care, particularly as it pertains to rust. Her father made a comment about whether or not the bike should be kept outside because it might rust. Being the genius that I am I chimed in with, “It’s aluminum, it doesn’t rust.” That was a big mistake. Never question the father’s intelligence. Her father replied with, “No, but it can corrode,” and I went on to feel like a jerk.

While camping I fell into a similar situation, but handled it much better. It was really dry and there was a high fire risk. We wanted to build a fire to make hobo pies, but we needed to figure out how to safely do it. After inspecting the fire pit, I said, “We’ll probably be okay as long as we sweep all of the small brush and leaves out of the fire pit.” Notice how I said, “probably.” When giving advice to someone who is elder, non-assertive language should be used. The outsider can’t come on too strong, or else he’ll risk being perceived as condescending.

I wasn’t the only one dealing with this new experience, my girlfriend’s sister also brought along her boyfriend. He and I are quite different. He has no problem with the not being shy part, but it goes a little overboard. He tends to try to please people and be the center of attention. It becomes really hard to really know who he is, because he’s always trying to make people happy. That type of behavior is a little disconcerting to me, and others too, I’m sure. People shouldn’t always put on a front, even if their feelings contrast from that of the group their trying to fit into. They should stand true to them, while respecting the family’s decision to believe otherwise. I find that that kind of frame of mind garners much respect.

On the same subject, my girlfriend’s sister and her boyfriend tend to have their own exclusivity. They were very picky about certain aspects of the trip being conducive to their enjoyment, despite how it affected other people. When trying to fit in with a family, the outsider has to make sacrifices for them. He can’t expect them to adapt to his wants. Having a selfless attitude will bring him a long way.

Adapting to a new family can be rough. It’s a new environment that’s hard to get used to. I found that after a couple of days of being subjected to the habits of my girlfriend’s family, it began to become a little overwhelming. A great way to cope with this is to just take some time alone. Every morning I would get up and walk down to the river to pray and think. It helps to meditate about the day before diving into it.

I don’t mean to say that the family is completely detestable. Just that people, and groups of people, are different. It’s hard to get used to new things, and a person shouldn’t try to take it all at once. It helps to take a break every once in a while.

On the last day we all went to the beach to hang out. My girlfriend’s family is much different than what I’m used to. I got to a point where I just got overwhelmed, so I took the dog for a walk. It helped me regain my composure.

The last thing we all did was take family pictures. We all were able to bond and have fun with each other. Despite the rough patches, it was a great experience that I wouldn’t trade. I had learned so many things about what it’s like to adapt to a new environment with different types of people.

According to an article on the Detroit Free Press web site, Bishop’s chief of staff, Matt Miner, ordered that bloggingformichigan.com, a website that has been critical of state Republicans, be blocked from state Senate computers. Bishop later stood by the decision.

It was a bad move for Bishop, who had previously been able to operate amidst criticism because of the fact that the subject was far too boring for the average Michigan citizen to care about. But, because the site was censored, the rotten egg of political criticism became an emotionally-charged forbidden fruit in the media.

The plan to stop the criticism probably would have worked if state Senators did not have access to computers outside Senate offices. But, surprisingly, Michigan legislators, who only earn a base salary of $79,650, and an additional $1,000 per month per diem, making them only the second highest paid state legislators in the country, have personal computers that are (so far) outside the reach of state Republican censorship.

The story was printed in numerous publications, which lead to the unblocking of the site. The site was probably also unblocked because it was getting too much free publicity. (Normally the embarrassment alone would have lead to the decision, but Bishop, who allegedly hid in the men’s room the night the Michigan Business Tax was passed, is no stranger to embarrassment.)

A legitimate excuse was not given for the action, but that was not due to lack of effort. According to the Detroit Free Press, Bishop Spokesperson Matt Marsden said that the blog was blocked because, “The use of state time and taxpayer money to surf sites that are not applicable to the jobs staff were hired to do is not an acceptable use of state time or funds.”

Technically, the above excuse would be legitimate, if not for two problems. First, things that could be done at the web site, such as blogging, keeping up with news and analyzing public opinion, are directly related to the jobs many of the staff members were hired to do.

Second, I seriously doubt Bishop and his staff have never engaged in an activity that “is not an acceptable use of state time or funds.” Does he ever check his personal email messages on a state computer? Has he ever ventured over to JibJab.com to hear George W. Bush and John Kerry sing “This Land?” If not, he probably should have.

It also seems that wasting time censoring other politicians while collecting a salary that far exceeds the median income for the state could be considered an unacceptable use of state time and funds.

A similar event happened a few months ago when the chief of staff for Martin Meehan, a Democrat who was serving in the United States House of Representatives, oversaw the editing of Meehan’s Wikipedia page. The text that had been removed was republished in articles around the country, including this one, as it said, “He also ran on a platform of term limits. However, after serving four terms as US Congressman, the number of terms he pledged that he and no other congressman should serve out, he has since gone back on his word and now is adamantly against the idea of term limits for Congressmen.”

After the edits were caught, the changes were undone, and a section about the incident was added to the Wikipedia page.

Dirty politicians have to live with dirt and with the Internet. They can’t hide it like they used to be able to. Attempts at sweeping the dirt under the rug often result in the magnification of said dirt. But hopefully the politicians don’t catch on because nothing lends credibility to criticism like an attempted cover-up.

Singer and mother Britney Spears, Hilton heir Paris Hilton, and Lindsay Lohan, who spends more time causing media grief then improving her acting skills, have taken over all media outlets, including SportsCenter.

Not because they are great celebrities, but because they behave in a way that would land us all in prison for longer than a month or have our parents bury us in the back yard.

“She’s so lucky, she’s a star.”

Remember that line? Yeah, these ladies are lucky to be stars because that’s really the only thing saving them. From what the media reports, as skewed as it is, Spears would have Child Protective Services knocking on her door if she was still in the boondocks without star status.

Hilton has been caught drunk driving three times and was sent to prison. Then the princess realized it’s a scary, mean place (is she that naïve?) and pulls some crazy reason to go home.

I’m thinking she got out of jail only because of whom her daddy is. Thank God for the judge who said she needed to go back to jail.

Lohan, who was also found driving drunk, has avoided jail even though she enjoys chasing little old ladies in tiny cars with her pimped-out Escalade with her friends. I’m thinking she’d have better luck hitting mailboxes with a bat.

“Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen”

A movie made for Lohan to sing and strut and whatever else to bring the attention of all media outlets to her. It is now impossible to not hear about what she is doing.

Hilton is contacting the media to share about how bad jail is. Wow. Thanks, I haven’t been to one, but I can tell you jail is not a five-star hotel.

Spears deflects the drama by declaring herself “country.” Wow, that’s something to be proud of. She is instead going out of her way to act “country” in Los Angeles and I’m thinking Los Angeles isn’t the place.

These ladies have made every female in her twenties seem like a bimbo. I don’t understand, but I do know they are the poster children for how stars get preferential treatment.

There are four that I am rooting for. Hopefully their dreams come true and these four men make it into the group and work with Bad Boy recording company, under the supervision of Combs.

My first pick is Robert, a Detroit native, who over the course of the show and his stay in the house has not sung a bad note. He has a unique tone and is good at working with the potential members.

Secondly, De’Angleo is a guy who seems more business-minded. I have noticed that he works well with groups also. His actions speak volumes to what he can bring to a quartet of talented performers.

However, Mike, who is known as ‘Big Mike’ on the show, wouldn’t be a bad pick either. His journey has been different than the rest of the men because he was the only person that Combs wanted to lose weight. Over the course of the show he has lost forty pounds and has a voice that is out of this world.

Finally, there is Brian Andrews. The trait that makes Andrews stand out in my mind is his modesty and he can sing a song at the drop of a hat.

With a season of great talent, Combs has asked America to help him choose. With the final show on Sunday, Aug. 26, he will choose his four man group. As the season ends I can hope that my four personal selections make the cut. However, Combs usually likes to put in a twist. One can only hope for the best.

Breaking a sweat Students keep the pounds off by tugging for victory at the IFC Hall Brawls. Torch File Photo

Ferris provides a fitness center that is open throughout the week. It provides a variety of exercises from swimming, running, and biking to lifting weights. The most unique feature at the facility is the rock wall, which provides a challenging and fun exercise that is often overlooked by many students. An avid climber myself, I can say that it is a great workout.

On sunny days it is nice to go for a bike ride or walk around campus. Not only does this get you more familiar with the area, but it helps to burn off a few extra calories too. Bring a friend along to make it more enjoyable; even if it’s just a walk, it gets you moving. This is not supposed to be strenuous, but it does keep you off the computer and gets you to start moving around. Make time for quick exercises like push ups or sit-ups in between spurts of studying to clear your mind, you will find studying becomes easier and your waistband looser.

The biggest problem I have found is eating late. Eating earlier allows for food to properly digest before you go to bed. It’s not good to have a lot of food sitting in your stomach before going to bed. Eating throughout the day keeps your metabolism up and is better than eating a few huge meals in a day.

In addition to not eating late, you should also try to eat better food. Even if the buffet line is serving pizza for the fifth day in a row, you can always skip it and eat a salad. You may be tempted to eat a lot of food when you’re at school, but with a little will power you can keep the portions low. Dinning halls can be your worst enemy or your best friend this year when facing the freshman fifteen. Even though you have access to unlimited ice-cream, it’s not a good idea to eat as much as you can.

Try something new; to keep you motivated, make your workouts different and challenging each time. Try a new way around campus, a new workout routine, or go with different people. I know that it’s easy to sit in your room and play games every night, but it’s not going to get you anywhere. Get off AIM, drop the controller and get outside, Ferris has a great campus to explore and you’ll feel better too!