Drinking can be good for you?

Before alcoholic students get too excited, lets clarify the subject. Drinking can be good for your heart and your memory, of course, that is in moderation.

According to the article, "The health pros and cons of drinking," one glass a day can actually help your health. One expert even said that drinking a glass of wine with dinner may actually help you lose weight.

"In a study of almost 50,000 women, those who drank moderately (one drink per day) gained less weight than women who abstained -- and less than those who had two or more drinks per day," stated the article.

Another woman in the article wondered if she is losing out on the benefits of drinking since she had stopped three years ago. According to the experts, she may be at a higher chance of getting certain diseases.

"Women who don't drink at all do have a slightly higher risk for certain diseases than women who drink just a little," stated the article.

If you don't drink alcohol because you only consume organic foods, there is a solution for that as well.

Another article, Raising a Glass to (Almost) Organic Wine, suggests that if you are green, drinking organic wine could be an option for you. Besides, drinking organic wine might have interesting and exotic flavors.

Another cancer link?

I have always felt that everything out there either causes cancer or prevents it. When someone very important to me was diagnosed with cancer, however, it became a little more important to know how to keep your body healthy.

According to the article, "Late shift work is linked to cancer," there is a new study that suggest that working at night my increase the chances of getting cancer. This sounds like another one of those myths, but there is significant evidence to back it up.

This cancer risk is increased because the circadian rhythm, which is the body's biological clock, is disrupted when people work or are up all night.

"The hormone melatonin, which can suppress tumor development, is normally produced at night," and, "light shuts down melatonin production, so people working in artificial light at night may have lower melatonin levels," states the article.

So what is the answer for changing these outcomes? Some companies are trying different types of lighting to see how that affects their employees. Or maybe the answer just lies in the idea that maybe night workers sleep in a darkened room when they get off their late shift.

For more information on cancer, check out the American Cancer Society.

Slow start to the season

Colorado's ski resorts are having a rough time opening up for the ski season this year. With an unusually warm fall behind us, many people are anxious to get up to the mountains and hit the slopes.

According to the article, "Rockies ski resorts hoping for snow," this late season is not completely unusual, and there are many different reasons for why the mountains have not gotten their deep-freeze.

One of those reasons may be that most ski resorts try to open up by the traditional Thanksgiving weekend, but as this year's Thanksgiving was unusually early, that may have hampered the snow.

Most resorts now make snow to aid them in opening earlier and to make the snow better for skiiers. But in order to make snow, the temperature needs to be around zero and with no humidity. Here in Colorado, "resort operators say it's been about 10 degrees above normal for the past couple of weeks," according to the article.

I went up snowboarding this last weekend, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and was very excited to hit the slopes. But when we got to Winter Park, there were only two lifts and three runs open. The snow was decent, but the runs were pretty busy and iced over fairly quickly.

Hopefully, the snow gods will grace Colorado, and the other ski states, soon so all the ski and snowboard buffs will get their snow fix.

How to strenghten your immune system

Many people know when it starts to get cold that they need to stock up on cold and flu medications for the winter. But what many people don't know is that eating healthy can strengthen your immune system as well.

According to the article, "Follow this eat-right plan to fortify your immune system," there are a number of ways that eating healthy can not only make you feel better but actually keep you from getting sick.

Some tips the article recommends are: drink green tea and consume the right amount of calories for you.

Green tea contains an anti-oxidant called "EGCG" that when up against viruses or influenza, it inhibits them from replicating and therefore is easier to fight off.

Making sure that you are not eating too many or too little calories is important as well. Too little calories can increase the susceptibility of getting sick. Consuming too many calories can "lead to increased production of compounds called prostaglandins, which have a suppressive effect on T-lymphocyte cell production. Fewer T-cells patrolling the body increases the chances of an antigen taking hold," states the article.

To find how the best amount of calories for you, check out www.mypyramid.gov which recommends the right amount based on a number of different things.

Exercising Pregnant Women

I always thought pregnant women were not supposed to exercise because something could happen to the baby. But according to the article, "Pregnant Exercisers Test Limits," that is not true.

Some fears for doctors include pulling abdominal muscles for runners, or raising body temperatures that could harm the baby. One woman was 11 weeks pregnant and swam 30 miles across the English Channel, in 9 hours and 30 minutes.

Another ran seven-minute miles until she was 39 weeks pregnant.

But it is hard to determine what is a good standard for everyone because no one is really willing to endanger their unborn child. Advice can go from stopping all exercise to "listen to your body."

A 1980's theory is to keep your heart rate below 140 when exercising, which keeps you from overexerting yourself, but some doctors like Dr. Shangold, feel this isn't effective. Dr. Shangold is an expert recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

"Heart rate is not a useful parameter to monitor during pregnancy,” said Dr. Shangold. “It varies widely during pregnancy and the heart rate response to exercise also varies widely."

Exercising is very important in many women's life, and pregnancy should not keep a woman from doing something she loves unless she can't handle it.

Exercise your brain

While brain exercises lke sudoku and Brain Age (a Ninteno DS game) may help keep you mentally sharp, it doesn't help in all areas of the brain.

According to the article, "Exercise on the brain," one of the best ways to keep the brain sharp is by exercising. This helps the kind of thinking that is called executive function.

Those are, "the set of abilities that allows you to select behavior that’s appropriate to the situation, inhibit inappropriate behavior and focus on the job at hand," according to the article.

Normally, executive function begins to decline as people age, around the 70's. But, according to the article, elderly people who were athletic most of their lives have better executive function than those who did not. Even those who are older and their executive function is already declining, can improve their executive function by exercising.

So how does exercising help the brain? Exercising helps slow the "age-related shrinkage of the frontal cortex, which is important for executive functions," according to the article.

Exercise also helps cardiovascular health, which is the heart, and that in turn can help prevent heart attacks and strokes, which damage the brain as well. And exercise releases proteins that can stimulate growth in the number of connections between neurons that can help in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that stores memories.

3 foods everyone should eat

Many people are wary of foods they heard were bad for them. For a long time, people were worried about eating peanut butter because they thought it was bad for you. While it is high in fat, those fatty oils can help out skin, for people with eczema, or can help lower cholestrol.

According to the article "5 foods that should have a place in your diet," coffee and avocados are other examples of food people only eat when they splurge or eat with guilt.

Like the benefits of peanut butter, avocados may be able to prevent cancer by inhibiting the growth of the cancer cells. Avocados are full of antioxidants as well as the good, heart-healthy fat.

Coffee is also known to have some benefits. According to a study, coffee can improve memory in older adults, can improve eye-hand coordination and may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. This all has to be done in moderation, however, to prevent the jitters.

The infamous Staph

Maybe infamous is not the right word. But it seems to have scared a lot of people in the past few weeks, and since everyone seems to be talking about it, maybe it is infamous.

According to the article, "Staph at the Gym? Not if you're careful," staph is usually found in places like hospitals and nursing homes, but lately has been found in other places, like schools. Staph can be shared through things like razors or sports equipment, but most importantly through skin contact.

People with burns, cuts or eczema have a higher chance of getting staph, especially in humid places or with a lot of sweat, according to the website TeenHeath, Staph Infections.

That being said, staph is not usually found in gyms. It is possible on surfaces like the grips of cardio machines, but since gyms usually tend to be air conditioned, it is not very likely. The best way to prevent a staph infections is to wash your hands very throughly and keep all wounds covered.

Sleep: my anti-drug

We are always trying to get it, or always trying to prove we don't need it as much as everyone else. Sleep is elusive for some and too easy for others. But how much of it are we supposed to be getting?

According to the article, "At Every Age, Feeling the Effects of Too Little Sleep," it changes for people and for each age.

Newborns, for example, sleep 14-16 hours a day. As they age, children need less sleep until they hit puberty, and then the need jumps up to nine to 10 hours a night. High schoolers need more sleep than they are getting, and many researchers believe they are sleep deprived.

"Sleep deprivation has been linked to poorer grades, moodiness and depression," states the article.

Adults need about 8-10 hours of sleep a night, and they tend to be more healthy when they do.
Especially when they exercise is involved. According to another article, "Sleep hard after workouts? You must be dreaming," people who exercise heavily can usually sleep better.

For insomniacs, doctors many times will recommend they exercise five to six hours before they go to bed. Exercise raises the body's temperature and so five to six hours later when the temperature drops, sleep comes easier.

Hope for Myanmar?

Aung San Suu Kyi, the only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient, was allowed to leave her house for an hour to meet with a Myanmar government official. Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for 12 of the last 18 years.

According to the article, "Suu Kyi freed for talks with junta," Kyi was allowed to leave her house for the first time in three years. Suu Kyi was the democratic leader in Mynamar in the late 80's and won the election by a landslide, but the junta refused to recognize the results.

Suu Kyi met with U Aung Kyi, who was picked to work as the liaison between the junta and Suu Kyi. The meeting was arranged due to the attack the junta had on peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations. Many people were injured and as many as 40 Buddhist monks were killed.

For more information on Aung San Suu Kyi, visit The Burma Campaign UK.

Tips for a more organic life

While some people may think it is hard, or expensive to consume organic foods, there is an easier way to increase your intake of this growing trend.

According to "Five Easy ways to go Organic," some produce with peels, like oranges and grapefruits, have lower levels of pesticides than other fruits and veggies. The article also goes on to lend other tips to integrate organics into your diet.

Milk is number one on the list, explaining that milk has " a whole chemical system of agriculture," and that many people switch to organic milk "because they are concerned about the antibiotics, artificial hormones and pesticides used in the commercial dairy industry."

Peanut butter is also on the list. According to this article, most peanut farms use a lot of a fungicide that treats a common mold on peanuts. Many stores now offer organic peanut butter, but you can also make your own mix of peanut butter at health food stores like Whole Foods.

Last but definitly not least is the apple. It is one of the most consumed fruit, whether it be in solid or liquid form. It also is one of the most pesticide-infected fruit as well. Luckily, states the article, organic apples are easy to find in grocery stores.

This article was based off another site of a book written by Dr. Green. For more information, visit Organic RX.

Lipo in a shot?

Imagine being able to lose weight in certain areas by not doing anything but getting a shot. Lipodissolve, a new drug, can be strategicaly shot into certain parts of the body and will dissolve fatty deposits.

Sounds like a dream, right? Well, to many people it is, with many success stories. However, some physicians feel that this drug needs to be tested rigorously to ensure that it safe for people to use.

According to the article, "Feel Pudgy? There's a shot for that," explains what is in the drug to make it dissolve fat. "Anti-fat shots often contain a compound of approved drug ingredients known as PCDC, which includes a phospholipid called phosphatidylcholine and a bile acid called deoxycholate," explain doctors. PCDC is used in a drug in Germany that helps treat "blood vessles blocked by fat embolisms."

Even though Lipodissolve may not have gone through all the tests needed to ensure it is safe, many people are still running to the nearest treatment center. Treatments cost around $2,000 and requires six shots spaced two weeks apart.

Like everything medical, some treatments don't work the same on everyone. Some horror stories of Lipodissolve include skin smarting and turning black, and so much liquid that the area swells. In both situations, no fat-loss changes were seen in the areas that were injected.

Personally, I think this drug sounds too good to be true, and some more testing needs to be done to ensure that this a drug that is safe. For more information, visit http://www.fig.com/.

Vitamin water: Is it really that good?

I love Glaceau's Vitamin Water. Many people do. Just the name is enough to make people think that "hey, this is good for me, and it tastes great." But really, how good is vitamin water for the body?

The article "Confused in the beverage aisle? Here's some help," kind of clears some questions up. It explains that while Vitamin Water is tasty, it's not exactly a low-calorie drink. It does contain all kinds of vitamins and may even excuse you from taking a multivitamin every day; it also contains 150 calories and it does not use artificial sweetners.

Another article, "Ask Dr. Sears: Is Vitamin Water safe for kids?" really goes into detail about why vitamin or flavored waters in general are not really all they are cracked up to be. While Vitamin water may contain lots of vitamins, you are still getting a better package when you eat them in nutritious foods, and they may not be quite as beneficial when you are drinking them all in one drink.

Another thought that Dr. Sears brings up is that drinking lots of sweetened drinks can "depress the immune system, just the opposite of what you hope to achieve when consuming vitamins."

The first article points out the last point I want discuss. It explains how sports drinks are made for athletes to give them more energy to go while they are working out or doing their thing. Thus, they are loaded with carbs and sugars to give them that extra energy. So for the person who drinks them because they taste good and not because they are working out, they are consuming a large dose of carbs and sugars they don't need.

Vitamin Water probably isn't classified under a sports drink, but it does carry most of the same stuff. So for those of you like me, who drink Vitamin Water because it tastses good or after a work out, it is probably not the greatest thing for a diet.

First Ski area open for the season

Arapahoe Basin opened its lifts for the first time this season Wednesday. A-Basin is the first ski area to open in the nation for the second year in a row.

Skiiers and riders can look forward to an 18-inch base on the high noon run. There aren't any beginner slopes open right now.

Loveland Ski area is close to opening up as well. The two ski areas have a race every year to see which can open up first. Loveland just doesn't have the 18-inch base that they are looking forward to quite yet.

Lift tickets for A-Basin run about $45 for adults, but if you're looking for a season pass, they will cost anywhere from $259 for just A-Basin or $309 for the bonus pass, which includes five days at Keystone and Breckenridge, or one day at Vail/Beaver Creek.

http://www.denverpost.com/skiing/ci_7131553
http://www.arapahoebasin.com/?page=site/news_template&nav_id=a31253b49c9bbfeb8eaac83ef2bddf1e
http://www.skiloveland.com/

Reason Appenix exisits-found

For years, people have been asking, why do we have appendixes? Really, it seems the only reason we have it is to take it out when it gets inflamed. But it seems some doctors at Duke University have found its purpose.

According to the article, "Purpose of appendix believed found," the appendix houses, protects and produces good germs that help protect your intestines. When good germs that humans naturally have in their bodies are purged, in cases of chlorea or dysentry, the appendix replenishes the body with the good germs.

According to the article, "If a person's gut flora dies, it can usually be repopulated easily with germs they pick up from other people. But before dense populations in modern times and during epidemics of cholera that affected a whole region, it wasn't as easy to grow back that bacteria and the appendix came in handy."

The appendix is not a necessary organ for humans to survive, but it does come in handy if one gets chlorea or dysentry. And the appendix is not important enough to attempt to keep if one gets appendicitis, when the appendix gets inflamed.

Does acupuncture really work?

Acupuncture is one of those things that you hear about in movies or magazines, but never really sure if it works. According to one study, acupuncture may be the number one alternative way to help deal with pain.

This study, appearing in the article, "5 alternative medicine treatments that work" by Elizabeth Cohen, eight respeced medical centers like Harvard and Stanford, found that acupuncture was also helpful when it came to nausea and chemotherapy.

Another article I found on acupuncture, called "Say 'ah' to acupuncture" by Catherine Price, explains a little more in detail what it is.

"Acupuncture teaches that the body contains two opposing forces: yin and yang. Together, they contribute to your chi (pronounced "chee"), a Chinese word roughly translated as 'vital energy.' If this energy flow is interrupted or blocked, it can cause pain and disease," writes Price. "Acupuncturists try to restore balance in the body by stimulating specific points, often by inserting thin metal needles into the skin. Sometimes electrical currents are even added to the needles to increase their effectiveness."

This article goes on to explain Price's experience with acupuncture--she had a sore back--and after the needles were inserted and taken out, she said the pain wasn't completely gone, but she felt much better and more relaxed.

For some other symptoms such as PMS or depression you might want to try the last four alternative medicine treatments and see what they can do for you.

Twice as much love from A-Basin

Arapahoe Basin, also known as A-Basin, is a favorite ski area among locals due to its great skiing and snow, along with its size. A-Basin is a very small, very localized ski area that is located west of Loveland Ski area and about six miles away from Keystone.

According to the article, "A-Basin looks for higher profile," earlier this year, A-Basin got the OK to expand the skiing area by 80% and opening a lift that takes skiiers and riders to the back side of the mountain. This $3 million expansion will bring 36 new runs and 400 acres to the once-tiny ski area.

I liked A-Basin because of its local feel-- there are no huge lines, no resorts and no tourists. You have to bring your own food and you get to park right at the lifts. I was slightly concerned when I read of the expansion, especially when I saw they added a restaraunt. But the resaraunt is ok--food is important when you are exercising vigorously like that--and they didn't add a resort or lodging of any sort.

For those environmentally conscious, only 1 percent of the trees in the ski area needed to be cut to make way for more terrain, according to the article. The top of the area is open bowls, and the bottom half is tree skiing. And about 50 acres below the bottom of the lift is all backcountry stuff.

And while season passes are sky-rocketing at other resorts, A-Basin's is staying relatively low. Check out A-Basin's website for pass prices, snowfall and more.

Bad Soda!

People always say that soda is bad for you. And while I believed them, I also thought that soda is everywhere; it can't be that bad for you if you can get it anywhere you go.

I was wrong. According to the article, "Nutritionists: Soda making Americans drink themselves fat," soda contributes up to 10 percent of the daily caloric intake in the American diet. In a 32 oz. cup of Coke, there is around 400 calories--nearly 25 percent of a womans daily caloric needs.

The most interesting part, however, is how the body responds to soda. The body releases a hormone called ghrelin that tells the body to be hungry and to eat. If you eat a meal, the levels of ghrelin would drop for a while. When you drink a soda, however, that does not happen. So you could eat a whole meal plus the 400 extra calories from the soda and not know the difference.

Some soft drink companies, like Pepsi, are making an effort to make their products better. They also have a program for teens called "Get Active, Stay active" which, as a consumer, shows me they care about the health of their customers. Check out the nutrition facts for Pepsi products and see if you can change how you look at soda.

Tragedy and Confusion

This weekend, a CSU junior was killed in an accident in the mountains. A group of people were four-wheeling up in the mountains west of Fort Collins, and one of the SUV's, a Toyota 4-Runner, went off the road and rolled.

The part that gets confusing is that every news outlet that I have read has said so far that the driver swerved off the road in order to aviod hitting two oncoming vehicles. But there is a facebook group called Mike Morgan RIP! that informs its members what actually happened.

The driver of the 4-Runner took a turn too sharpley and the car rolled; there were no other cars on the road. The person who wrote on the facebook group wall was driving behind the 4-Runner and saw the whole thing happen.

The victim was a guy named Mike Morgan, an active member of Delta Tau Delta on CSU's campus. The driver was also a Delt named Robert Bowling. Morgan died on Saturday, and Bowling was arrested and thrown in jail with charges of vehicular homicide. It is still not determined whethere alcohol was involved or not.

I heard about this tragedy on Sunday, the 23rd, and went looking all over for some news outlet that had some information. I finally found an article that gave some information, but was absolutely disguisted at what I read in the comments below it. This article is "One dead in off-road accident."

Some of the people who commented on this article said things about how this should be used as a lesson to others, that CSU could have somehow stopped this as well as Greek Life. The most outrageous part of these comments though, was that they believed somehow that the parents of the victim were to blame because they didn't teach their children strongly enough not to drink and drive.

How dare someone blame the parents of this man for something he could not control. Not only that, but CSU and the Greek life are mourning the loss of a fellow student and friend. People, students and Greeks make their own decisions; blaming the organizations they belong to does not change the fact that this was a very tragic incident.

Why eating healthy is so important

Colorado is one of the more health-conscious places, and looking around, it is rare to see someone grossly obese. I mistakingly thought that the high levels of obeseity were finally falling, but I was wrong.

According to the article, "Fighting Obesity: The Role of Behavior, Biology and Bad Choices," written by Martica Heaner, obese means having a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30 or higher. Because just a scale cannot accurately measure fat and muscle together, the BMI takes your height and weight into consideration.

According to this study done by Centers for Disease Control's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which you can also find on MSN, Colorado is one of the states with the lowest levels of obeseity. Colorado had an obesity prevalence of around 18.9%, which is lower than most out there.

Our bodies store fat in situations that we can't eat. It is pretty common knowledge that food and calories equal energy, but having too much calories can add up.

"Since the body is hardwired to be thrifty, it keeps on doing what it does best—storing all the extra calories that you consume," wrote Heaner.

Cycling: A great way to stay healthy

I had heard one time that Lance Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France champion, had an unusually strong body and heart that scientists had never seen before. I did not really think much of it though, until I ran across an article.

This article, titled "Tour de France cyclists' hearts bigger than normal" by the Associated Press, explains that the hearts of many athletes, especially cyclists, have larger hearts.

According to some researchers, many cyclists who ride in extremely difficult rides like the Tour de France have unusually large hearts: up to 20-40% larger than most.

According to the article, "Athletes who train hard in aerobic sports, such as cycling, running or swimming, tend to have a bigger heart that pumps more blood throughout the body."

The athletes have better endurance because they have increased air flow throughout their body due to thicker heart walls that can handle more blood flow, according to the article. Cycling is a great way to get in shape because it is an endurance sport- if you can stand riding for hours, you can feel the burn but have fun at the same time. And it is a great heart work out as well.

If you are interested in cycling, check out Lee's Cyclery, a great locally-owned bike shop. Or if buying a bike is not an option, most gyms offer cycling classes which is a fun, great workout.

Are You In Shape for Winter?

Some of the most common complaints after a beautiful day on the slopes are "Man am I sore," or "I discovered some muscles I never knew I had- they feel like they're on fire." That is mostly because many people do not realize what a great work outs skiing and snowboarding are.

It does not matter if you ski or snowboard, both sports you will wantt to get in shape before you go up. Not only does working out keep you from getting sore on the slopes, it can also help in balance and flexability as well. I found a few websites that give some great exercises to help get you in shape for this new season.

The first is at SnowboardingSecrets.com. A few great exercises I like about this site are the tricep "dips" that essentially build the muscles that help snowboarders get off the ground. This site also has a balance exercise that I find very interesting. It consists of placing a tennis ball under the balls of your feet, and then trying to balance on them.

The other site is for skiiers and its netfit.com. Like the snowboard website, it recommends many leg exercises including the lunge and leg press. One of the things I like about this website is that it has two tables near the bottom of the screen that give examples of a good workout on a bike or a treadmill. I also like that this site gives a description of the exercises as well as photos.

Enviro Green AND Fun!

While I am interested in health and exercise, I am also very interested in trying to be as environmentally green as I can. For example: I drive a Honda, I like to recycle, and I try to ride my bike instead of drive my car when I can. But sometimes, I need to be able to get somewhere quickly and my legs just can not pedal that fast. What, besides a car, can do that?

A scooter. Scooters are fairly green, considering they get around 100 miles to the gallon, they come in a clean 2 stroke, or a 4 stroke and are fun to ride. They are also nice because they can be parked anywhere: on the sidewalk, in motorcycle parking or small places. For those who commute to campus or work, they are great because parking passes are usually much cheaper than for a car.

My favorite scooter out there is made by Genuine called the Buddy. The Buddy is a fun and quite small scooter that comes in a rainbow of colors to choose from. They have an under-the-seat storage compartment, a car charger and come in 50 cc's and 125 cc's. For those that don't know the difference in 50 and 125 cc's, the smaller one is legal without a motorcycle license and gets up to aroudn 35 mph, while the 125 cc gets up to aroudn 70 mph, but does require a license.

Looking forward to the winter

I have lived in Colorado my whole life, but until I came to college, I never realized what Colorado has to offer to the outdoor enthusiast. That could be because I was never much of an outdoors enthusiast until I moved up to Fort Collins and was introduced to everything Colorado had to offer.

One of the main reasons I like to be out enjoying the wilderness is because that usually means that you are doing some form of exercise, and what better way to work out than playing outside. That being said, my two favorite outdoor activities that occupy most of my free time are cycling and snowboarding. Although I may not be a huge health and exercise buff, I do enjoy eating healthy and working out whenever possible.

As it is fall, we are moving away from the beautiful Colorado summer hills where cycling occupied a few hours of my day, to Colorado's most popular playground; the slopes. Just recently, I purchased a new snowboard from Outpost Sunsport, a locally-owned sports shop that specializes in ski and snowboarding gear as well as patio furniture. Now I can not stop staring at my beautiful new snowboard in anticipation for the first time I get to take it out on the slopes.

For some great skiing/snowboarding passes, check out the Colorado Pass, which gives you unlimited skiing at Keystone, Breckenridge and A-Basin with 10 days at Vail and Beaver Creek. Another popular pass is the Rocky Mountain Pass, which gives you unlimited skiing and snowboarding at Copper, Winterpark and Mary Jane, as well as 6 days at Steamboat.

Introduction

Hello there!
My name is Sarah, and I am a senior Public Relations major with a minor in Business. So far, most of my journalistic experience stems from the classes that I have taken here at Colorado State University, though I do hope to change that soon with an exciting internship of sorts.

Originally, I am from Arvada, Colorado, where I was born and raised. I spent four interesting years at Pomona High School and was involved in activities like marching band and choir (yes, I was a band nerd). Although I no longer play an instruments, I do enjoy spending my time outdoors riding my road bike or hiking during the summer. During the winter, snowboarding and sledding fill what is left of my free time.

I am a huge fan of nature, and spending as much time in it as I can makes me a pretty happy person. I love Colorado, and don't know what is going to happen if I move away from here. I love to travel and see new sights and I plan on visiting and revisiting a few places once I gradutate. It has been a life-long dream of mine to visit Alaska, which I plan on doing as soon as I can afford it. I have also been to Europe twice, and I would love to go back. That's all for now, but feel free to check out some of these links I've listed below.

http://www.alaska.com/places/regions/no/story/4527759p-4504200c.html- Alaska
http://leescyclery.com/index.cfm- Lee's Cyclery for those of you looking for a bike