For Kyle Anderson, sophomore secondary education major, it’s about having a good time doing something fun. Sheldon Patton, freshman secondary education major, does it a lot. Brandi Lundgren, senior health promotion major, said that she may be an exercise addict.

“(I would call myself) an exercise addict (instead of a gym rat) because I like to go outside more than I like being in the gym,” Lundgren said.

Working out is the past time of many individuals and two of these student consider themselves to be gym rats.

“People who aren’t basketball players could see (the name gym rat) as a bad thing,” Anderson said. “But when you are trying to play for a team and you are trying to get in shape, it’s good to be a gym rat.”

But for Patton, it’s not an addiction.

“I wouldn’t call it an addiction. It’s just a habit maybe,” he said. “Addiction is a pretty strong word, like you can’t live without working out. I don’t think I would ever become like that.”

Each student claims to work out around five times per week.

“I like being active,” Patton said “Both of my parents are relatively unhealthy. Not only does it give you more energy and make you feel better but I’ve gained muscle and physique.”

While Lundgren and Patton work out to keep in shape, Anderson goes to the gym to play basketball.

“I really only go there to play basketball,” Anderson said. “I meet a few guys when I moved here and they started inviting me. We have 10-15 people who go (to the gym) everyday. We get in some good games of basketball.”

Both Lundgren and Patton have jobs at the places that they work out. Lundgren works at the Emporia State Recreation Center teaching fitness classes.

“Usually I work out alone and I do cardio alone before my class and then I teach my class (at the Rec Center),” Lundgren said.

Patton works at Genesis, formerly Walburns, located at 1007 Commercial St.

“Even if I get bored I go to the gym,” Patton said. “When I have free time I go to the gym. Even if I’m not working out or working, I’ll go to the gym to talk to the people that are working or working out.”

Since Patton works as a personal trainer, he makes up his own workouts.

“I don’t like to work muscle groups more than once a week,” he said. “So I make sure to hit a different muscle group every day. I make sure that I do a lot of cardio because cardio is a great way to burn a lot of calories. It’s really easy cheap way to stay fit. I wanted to work at a gym.”

Anderson said that lifting weights is also a part of his weekly gym routines.

“(I go to the gym) more to play basketball but sometimes I’ll lift weights to help myself stretch out and get warmed up,” he said. “Sometimes I get on a bike for a bit.”

All three students played sports in high school, and Lundgren ran track for ESU.

“In high school I was always really strong but never really ripped so when I started working out at the gym I always concentrated on being ripped,” Patton said.

The strenuous training that Lundgren did with ESU track team during her freshman and sophomore years have made it hard for her to run now.

“I do bike mostly because I can’t really run anymore because my knees are shot,” she said.

Running is an important part of Patton’s workout routine.

“I really enjoy running so the day that I can’t run is not going to be a happy day for me,” Patton said.

Part of many people’s workout routine is a healthy diet.

“I eat healthy,” Lundgren said “I’ve learned a lot about nutrition. I just have a lifestyle of eating healthy. It’s just what I like to do.”

Patton also said it’s more about eating healthy than dieting.

“I eat a lot. I wouldn’t say that I diet to lose weight but I watch what I eat because I know what it’s going to do to my body,” Patton said. “It’s about not wanting to gain weight. According to my BMI, I’m overweight but if you see me in person than you can tell that I’m obviously not overweight.”

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Well, we’re at an end now folks. The year is finally coming to a close, and by now you’re all probably absolutely zombified by your finals and end of the semester assignments. Oh – so you’re not zombified from the finals? You mean to tell me that the masses dragging themselves to class everyday have been doing that because of some mutated form of mad cow disease? Shit. I give you Josh’s Top 5 Zombie Apocalypse Defense Weapons.

5. .22 Rifle/Glock 18 – If you have to go with a firearm, which is not recommended by most Zombie survival experts (see Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks), go with either the .22 Rifle, or the Glock 18 pistol. The reason for firearms being shunned is that they inherently will eventually run out of ammo. If the world is in absolute chaos, then ammunition will be a limited resource that may never be manufactured again. .22 caliber ammunition, while small, will be effective in destroying the brain of any would be Zombie if used correctly.

4. Chainsaw – This is mostly on the list for fun’s sake, since if you aren’t having fun during the zombie apocalypse then what the hell are you going to do? Being powered by gasoline, which will be a limited resource like ammo, the chainsaw will only last you as long as you have the luxury of fuel. I recommend a diamond grit infused chain for your saw, and after you unleash this puppy be prepared to take a dip in the local creek to wash yourself off.

3. Shovel – The shovel serves both a utilitarian purpose, as well as a weapon one. The edge of your shovel can be sharpened to be used as a spear, or a pike for a close range weapon that will still keep distance between those pesky zombie bites and you. Turning zombies into Pez dispensers should be on any zombie apocalypse bucket list. Secondly, you can dig trenches around your base of operations to keep them trapped for a zombie barbecue (assuming you have the fuel to spare). Lastly, if it breaks then it just turns into a spear/beating stick.

2. Machete – Some may roll their eyes at this bladed weapon, and would rather throw their support behind something like a katana. Katanas are fine to use, assuming you have the training necessary to use it correctly. If you don’t know what you’re doing you could hurt yourself, or the rest of your posse. Machetes are simple hacking weapons that require no real training to use, and will effectively cause wounds to a zombie skull if they get close to you.

1. Your Body – The movie “Zombieland” made this tool perfectly clear. When everything else has been taken away, the best weapon that every person has is the human body. While fragile, it can be worked into a weapon of nearly unlimited effectiveness. Basic self-defense, cardiovascular conditioning and muscular endurance are must-haves for any zombie apocalypse survivor. Cardiovascular health will be important for constantly being on the move in a world that will not have the luxury of constant fuel supply, and basic self-defense can keep small groups of attackers at bay so that you can conserve your limited weapon materials. The effectiveness of most zombie defense weapons is only as good as the person wielding it, so make sure to keep in tip-top physical condition at all times. Even if the zombie apocalypse never comes, then you can maintain a healthy lifestyle; something that can’t be said for most of America.

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When out shopping for groceries or household products it’s easy to get confused about which products are good for the environment and which ones are merely pretending to be. Many companies have jumped on the “Eco-friendly” bandwagon in the last few years and are taking advantage of consumers’ interest in environmentally conscious products.  This act of capitalizing on the popularity of the environmental movement is known as green washing and is sadly a common sight in supermarkets around the country.

As consumers, we have the responsibility to purchase products that are in line with our own moral guidelines. We also have the right to know how our products are made and if they were created through environmentally friendly means. We must be careful not to be confused by companies trying to green wash their customers.

Luckily there are a few organizations out there trying to help make the choice easier. Good Housekeeping recently announced a new green seal to designate products that are less harmful to the environment. Green Guard also serves to inform customers about which products are truly good for the planet.

But even with standards like these it is not easy to be sure that the product you are about to buy is as green as it says it is. NSF International, The Public Health and Safety Company has put together a list of tips to help consumers determine what products are really living up to their claims.

Here are just a few points to keep in mind next time you are at the store;

• Be aware of products that make vague overgeneralized claims such as “all-natural” or “fully organic” on the box. These buzz words can mean a lot of different things and to varying degrees. The more specific the packaging is the better.
• Avoid products that try to exaggerate their green-ness. For example any product that touts “CFC-free” is trying to trick you. CFC’s have been illegal for over a decade and thus this claim is no longer worth mentioning.
• Examine the ingredients list. Look for heavy chemicals or ingredients with names that are hard to pronounce. Odds are high that if it has a long scientific name it’s not natural or good for the environment.
• Also check out the directions and warning labels. Any product that warns against using the product in enclosed areas or to keep away from pets and children is probably choke-full of harmful chemicals. Remember if it’s bad for you it’s bad for the environment. Try to pick products with low amounts of warnings or use restrictions.
• Look at the packaging. A product that’s Eco-friendly could still be sold in a box or wrapper that isn’t. Make sure what you are buying is all over Eco-friendly not just the insides but the outsides as well. Look for products that have paper or cardboard packaging and avoid items in heavy plastic containers that will be harder to recycle.
• Finally don’t be fooled by simple images of trees, flowers, the sun or other symbolic displays of nature on the box or packaging. I feel this should almost go without saying but I know I have been lured in on more than one occasion by a box that appeared greener than it really was.

For more tips check out the NSF Web site or any of the green standard sites such as Good Housekeeping or Green Guard.

Shopping in a green way can be challenging but the reward of actually finding Eco-friendly products is certainly worth it.

Happy shopping!

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On average, James Elhers, assistant professor of art, gets a score of between 60 and 90.

But that doesn’t deter him from bowling. He uses the sport as a way to bond with his students outside of class.

“It’s a good camaraderie tool,” Elhers said. “And I’m a terrible bowler. It gives the students the opportunity to beat their professor at something. I like doing it. I’m just not good at it – 90 is a good night for me. I’ve broken 100 before, but I’m awful.”

Elhers tries to make group bowling outings a regular occurrence but in reality, he and the art students only go a few times per semester.

“It’s fun and (Elhers) wanted to bring students together and it’s actually fun to do,” said Thomas Fort, sophomore engraving major.

There have been as many as 50 students who come to the bowling outings. Other nights, there are only about 20.

Elhers even created shirts for the art bowling “league.”

“I love (them),” Fort said. “I’m going to go get one.”

Although it’s not an activity that is free to students, Elhers picks night in which the bowling alley offers specials to make it as cheap as possible for the students.

“We do it on Wednesday night and we start at ten,” Elhers said. “It ends up being about $5 per person so it ends up being a bit more manageable.”

Elhers said that the students in attendance are mainly engraving students and people they may bring along.

“Last time it was only the engravers that were there,”  Elhers said. “But I’ll announce it to everyone.”

However, he offered the invitation to any student who wants to spend an evening with a bunch of art students.

“It hasn’t been exclusively art students,”  Elhers said. “Some of them will bring their boyfriends and girlfriends. If anyone reads this and they want to go bowling with some art students they are more than willing to come with.”

As an incentive in the past, Elhers even offers awards to the student with the highest score and the student who heckles the most.

“I’m really big on heckling,” he said. “I used to give two prizes just to keep it interesting.”

At times, the games can become pretty competitive.

“There are a couple of engraving students in particular who kind of taunt each other,” he said. “I kind of instigate that a little bit. It’s all fun spirited.”

While Elhers is naturally competitive, some of the students are just there to have a good time.

“I’ve felt the need to be competitive,” Fort said. “It’s all in good fun. I’m pretty sure everyone would agree with me on that. Usually it’s just one or two people jabbing at each other.”

Elhers said that he thinks students enjoy seeing him doing terrible at something.

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We live in a world that’s gone celebrity crazy, haven’t we? It’s a tad depressing that most of us know more about the love lives of Rihanna and George Clooney than we do about the Health Care bill. What draws us towards these famous folks that bleed, sweat, and die like you and me? I’ve got a theory. It’s not too complicated, or convoluted. It simply says this: The more money you have, the crazier you can afford to be. Whether it’s shaving your head, growing a beard or calling out a fellow actor with the crudest of verbage, the landscape of Hollywood is dotted with personality landmines just waiting to be setoff. Here to make you feel all too normal is Josh’s top five crazy celebrities.

5. OzzyOsbourne – You could probably attribute most of Ozzy’s shenanigans to being a rock star, or the number of er… substances that he chose to partake of during the 60s and 70s. No matter the cause, Ozzy has set the standard for insane rock star. He has bitten the head off of a dove and a bat. On top of all of this, Ozzy urinated on the Alamo at nine in the morning wearing a woman’s evening dress. You can’t make that shit up. Favorite Quote: “Dogs smoke in France.”

4. Tom Cruise – I suspect that you were expecting to see Mr. Top Gun himself on this list. If it’s not the scientology that makes you think he’s crazy, then it’s the possessive nature he has towards his wife, Katie Holmes. I can understand being passionate about your chosen faith, but many thought Tom crossed the line when he criticized actress Brooke Shields for seeking medication for her depression. Tom is also notable for his jumping about like a five year old proclaiming his love for Katie Holmes during an Oprah interview. The man was once in the seminary to join the priesthood, and now is a representation of the insanity of Hollywood. God bless you Tom Cruise.

3. Joaquin Phoenix – Joaquin Phoenix is probably best remembered as that dude that played Johnny Cash, the bat swinging brother of Mel Gibson in “Signs” or the incestuous emperor Commodus from “Gladiator.” Phoenix was hit with tragedy early in life when his brother River Phoenix overdosed on an eight ball of cocaine. Phoenix began a career of his own not long after. I respect Phoenix’s work in “Walk the Line,” since it’s kind of like the white guys equivalent of “Ray” – minus the blindness and soul. Phoenix’s real claim to fame came about a year ago when he grew out his beard, and began his career as a rapper. Audiences were shocked when he appeared on the rap scene with his shades, beard and white boy antics.

2. Britney Spears – Britney is like the Hollywood equivalent to Dracula – she just won’t stay dead. She started off as a member of the Mickey Mouse Club after an appearance on the show “Star Search.” Not long after Britney was feigning innocence and signing multi-million dollar record deals. In 2003 Britney attracted attention for French kissing Madonna, and then for exposing her lady parts to a photographer while hanging out with Paris Hilton. Things got even crazier for Britney when she married Kevin Federline and promptly had two children with him.

1. Gary Busey – Busey is crazy enough to get his own category of crazy in my list. It’s like he snorts pixie sticks mingled with cocaine and Ritalin before going to any celebrity event. You never know what he’s going to say or do. For instance, in an interview with the Christian program “Prayer Hour” Busey claims that Bible stands for “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.” Just your average religious adherent? I think not. He discusses in a different interview that before “finding Christ” God gave him the experiences of cocaine and living in the fast lane to learn from.

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Today marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a nation-wide event to celebrate our one and only planet Earth. Most of us grew up celebrating and learning about this holiday in our classes every year, and maybe even attended a parade or clean up in its honor. Maybe your parents were extra environmentally-aware and had you go out and pick up trash or plant a tree in previous years. We should not take the fact that we grew up saturated in eco-friendly education for granted.

The history of Earth Day reaches back more than 40 years during the Kennedy administration. It wasn’t until Nixon that we officially saw the establishment of an official Earth Day, which tied in with the creation of what we now know as the Environmental Protection Agency. Both of these were created during April 1970 to tide the growing concerns the American people had about their government’s role in the environment.

College students should take note: it was specifically because of the work of college age students during that time that raised the necessary awareness to create Earth Day. Students at that time were protesting for a handful of reasons from civil rights to the war in Viet Nam. But one of their biggest concerns was the environment issues, and how they should be dealt with by the government. In response to the outcry by the people, the government created the EPA to watch over and guide environmental policy throughout the country.

Earth Day was created around that same time to raise awareness to the many environmental issues that were present during that era, and to spread information on how we can better treat the planet.

Since its creation Earth Day has served as a yearly reminder to treat the planet with respect and care as it’s the only one we have. Thousands of organizations and businesses donate money to environmental charities or offer service projects to improve their communities on this holiday.

But is it enough? Some environmental organizations would say no. Grist.org, an environmental organization and news source has created the “Screw Earth Day” campaign. The goal of this campaign is to get people to start ignoring Earth Day, and start viewing every day as a good opportunity to help the planet. Why only think about the Earth one day a year when the problems persist all year long?

Grist offers a list of activities and habits we should all adopt on a daily basis to reduce our impact on the Earth. Waiting around for Earth Day once a year is not going to be enough to combat some of the problems we are facing. Their list includes unplugging appliances when not in use, recycling at home and at work, eliminating the use of plastic water bottles and plastic shopping bags, and reducing the amount of meat in your diet. Even just one day of vegetarianism would greatly reduce the amount of emissions created by cows and the transportation needed for the meats.

Celebrating the Earth is something we should continue to do on a yearly basis. We should use Earth Day to remind ourselves of all the wonders that nature provides. But when it comes to actually doing our part to conserve and protect, those are things we should carry with us every day.

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Being in a band is about more than fame and money. For Eric Murphy, senior English major, it’s about a love of music and a passion for the art.

“We just want to write good songs and play them and record them well,” Murphy said. “There’s the artistic motivation but then there’s the motivation of ‘I hate my job’. So it would be really nice if we could start paying some bills with this. We’re just giving it a shot. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll do something else.

Murphy is a guitar player, singer and writer for the local band Radio City.

“A band that a lot of people say we sound like is The Replacements and they were influenced by a band called Big Star,” Murphy said. “They had an album named Radio City but we didn’t know that. The original idea was to make super cheesy ’70s rock and we thought that that sounded completely extravagant and stupid so we used that (as our name). Now people think we did it on purpose because of Big Star.”

Murphy’s favorite part about music is being able to see it all come together from what he originally imagined.

“(My favorite part about music) is writing music and coming up with the arrangement with the band, the first time you play a song the right way, the way it sounds in your head,” he said. “The first time you play a new song live is the most exciting thing.”

Radio City plays all their own music so being able to compose a song is an important part for them.

“I just listen a lot (to get inspiration for my writing), to a lot of other people, all different kinds of music,” Murphy said. “Sometimes listening to music that’s not like what you write will inspire you more. Most of the songs we have right now are all about growing up here. We don’t try to sound like classic rock but we’re influenced by it.”

Radio City has never done a cover of another band because they haven’t found the right one.

“We’re not against (doing covers) and we toy around with it in the basement but we write a lot so we’re always more excited to play the songs we wrote than a cover,” Murphy said.

The band practices in the basement of their lead singer, Matt Kosinski, Emporia resident.

“How often we practice depends on what’s going on,” Murphy said. “For a while, If we weren’t at work or school, we were down there (in the basement) but now since we do shows every weekend and we all have jobs, we haven’t been down in the basement much.”

Since all of Radio City’s band members don’t live in Emporia, that also makes it harder to practice often.

“Everything has to be totally scheduled, band wise and the rest of your life,” Murphy said. “It’s not really conducive to most musicians.”

Radio City will record a full length album in St. Louis this summer. They have played in Kansas City, Warrensburg, Mo., Manhattan and Lawrence. They will soon take up gigs in Tulsa, Okla. and Omaha, Neb.

“We’re going to record a full length album in St. Louis,” Murphy said. “We’ll start with a national booking agent in June. The plan is to get an independent agent. We deal with Sidecho Records in California right now and that got us on ITunes. But the goal is to end up on independent label and tour.”

With the connections that Radio City has, the band could well be on its way to stardom.

“People can give you chances and you can go out and play and if there is a good crowd there and if you have a good show, then that’s good,” Murphy said. “But you to make sure that the people come. There are a lot of factors (affecting our success). We’re thankful for opportunities.”

While he has big hopes for the future of Radio City, being a full time musician has not quite become a serious option for Murphy yet.

“It’s not really hard to make a CD anymore,” Murphy said. “We don’t really know about it being a ‘career’ career. It’s something we’re toying with. At some point I realized that the caliber of the song writing and the performances are about as good as other people that are doing it. So it’s like ‘shot we should do it then.’”

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They always say don’t judge a book by its cover, but what about albums? Often times the content of an album is predicted, or even enhanced, by the art that goes with the sale of the CD. In an era where music downloads have put a significant dent in the sale of hard copies, album artwork may have its place at the guillotine next to newspapers and DVDs. That being said, album artwork is one of my favorite parts of an album, since it has the potential to draw me towards a work before I even get the opportunity to sample the music. Then there are those album covers that defy explanation. Why anyone in their right mind would choose some of these covers is beyond me, but I guess I am not selling albums. Here is Josh’s Top Five “Hilarious Album Covers.”

5. “Street Songs” from Rick James –Here’s James with dreads, a bass guitar and red thigh high boots standing on a street corner with what could only be described as a woman of questionable reputation walking away behind him. In essence, this is Rick James’ life put onto the cover of an album. His drug induced shenanigans were made famous by some court cases and Dave Chappelle, so the reputation of Rick James could only be enhanced by the fact that he died with enough drugs in him to make Tony Montagna cringe.

4. “Zip Zap Rap” by Devastatin’ Dave –The actual single from the album is an anti-drug song to teach the hopefully adolescent listener just how whack crack is, since we all know rappers are notorious for their staunchly anti-drug position. I am totally surprised that Devastatin’ Dave isn’t mentioned alongside such greats as MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice. I suppose this is white America’s solution for reaching urban youth – a guy who looks like a poor Lionel Ritchie. In fact, I think this cover makes me want to do drugs more so that I can hopefully lose the memory of having ever found this steaming pile of 80’s MC crap.

3. “In a Metal Mood – No More Mr. Nice Guy” from Pat Boone –We have an aging man in a leather vest who is giving you one heck of a shimmering wink. As a fan of such bands as Behemoth, Mastodon and Dimmu Borgir, the hilarity of this being subtitled “No More Mr. Nice Guy” is astounding. If the title, the wink and the leather vest don’t get you then the ear piercing and gold chain will. He means business, since apparently crooning metal is about as badass as Pat Boone could ever hope to be.

2. “Sticky Fingers” from The Rolling Stones – Wait a second. I’m not sure if they just greased a guy up and slipped him into the most sperm killing, voice heightening jeans they could find, or what. No matter what, this album cover raised some eyebrows at its debut in 1971. The original vinyl issue featured a working zipper that when opened showed underwear, but that probably wasn’t what people were expecting to see. Most casual observers believe the infamous… form in question was Mick Jagger’s, but in actuality the model is unknown since there were several different men who posed.

1. “Por primera vez” by Tino – Unfortunately, the first thing that comes to mind when I see this album cover is Ricky Martin violating Wilmer Valderrama while singing “Livin’ La Vida Loca.” The pose itself is classic, but the combination of clothing and the stare that just screams sex offender is wonderfully tacky. The strangest part of this cover seems to be that he REALLY wants you to know that he’s married. Maybe it’s some sort of sin deterrent, since those Daisy Dukes would drive anybody into a Latin loving frenzy.

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The harsh winter is finally behind us and now we can sit back and enjoy the wonders of spring and summer. But just because the seasons are changing that doesn’t mean we should change our energy-efficient habits.

There are still a lot of little things we can do every day to help reduce our energy use our impact on the planet and our monthly bills.

One of the best ways to utilize the new weather is to optimize windows and doors for shade. Use or install curtains on all windows to reduce the amount of light, and therefore heat that enters your home. By cutting out unwanted heat you will drastically reduce the need to cool your place.

Of course this technique should be used wisely, as the less sunlight you allow into your home the less natural light you’ll have and the more you’ll have to rely on lamps and over head lights. The amount of energy used by lamps and lights could cancel out anything saved in air conditioner use, so be careful of that as you plan. Use curtains and window shades to find the right mix of indoor and outdoor light, depending on the time of day.

Another great tip is to watch your appliance use. Appliances suck up a lot of energy not just when in use but also when not being used as well. Any appliance left plugged in still draws energy from the wall even if the appliance is turned off.

This energy that is lost during inactivity is known as vampire energy and can account for up to two percent of your monthly energy bill.

So when using or purchasing appliances make sure they are energy efficient. Energy Star is one of the highest rated standards for energy efficiency in appliances so look for their seal of approval. Then once you are done using the appliance be sure to unplug it.

Speaking of appliances fans are one appliance that get brought out in mass quantities this time of year. It is important to realize when using fans that they are designed to cool the people in the room not the room itself. Fans work to lower your temperature but do nothing to the actual temperature of the room. So when you leave a room remember to turn off any fans (electric or overhead) along with the lights. If it’s plugged in be sure to unplug them as well.

Those who are interested in taking a more involved role in managing their energy use should talk to their landlords or property managers about making renovations to your apartment or house to make it more efficient.

There are a handful of things that could be improved in any home to reduce the energy output or to increase its ability to stay cool during the summer.

Better insulation could be installed to properly trap in the cold air and release the heat.  Also see if a house fan could be installed. Working in place of an air conditioner unit, a house fan sucks in cool air and pushes out the hot air. Check your home for cracks and leaks in windows and doors to see if any of the cold air you are generating is leaking out.

For a cheap investment you could install your own personal solar power panels that could power most of the appliances in your home. The panel, which could be bought for a little as 60 bucks, would hang on an outside window and draw power straight from the sun. That power could be converted into energy to charge appliances and electronics you would typically plug in.

There are lots of ways to save energy during the summer and spring months. The more that we do to conserve energy the less resources we use and the better off the planet will be. And, for you personally, you will see the difference in your energy bills.

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Parkour is the art of trying to get from point A to point B as fast and efficiently as possible using your body to get over any obstacles, said Austin Schopper, senior secondary education major and avid parkour participant.

However, parkour also has a life philosophy that trainers follow. Schopper said that trainer is the correct term for a person who does parkour because that acknowledges that there is both a physical and a philosophical aspect.

“When you limit parkour to just physical than you ignore the philosophy side of it,” he said. “You use whatever you have at hand to try to overcome obstacles in your personal life. I have a lot of problems with math. I just have to take every resource that the college gives me to overcome that obstacle.”

Other trainers said that while parkour is extremely physical, there is a lot more than just jumping off of things.

“If you just run at a wall, you’re going to run into a wall,” said Nathan Brown, senior English education major. “You have to think about every body movement that you put into it. You are constantly thinking of what you are doing.”

According to Schopper, parkour started in the 1980s in Paris when a group of teenagers got bored.

“The founder’s father worked in the military and part of their training was to do parkour,” Schopper said. “After his father taught him, (the group) took it further and started applying it to everyday activities.”

Scopper said that parkour means “obstacle course” in French.

“To me it’s a like a martial art,” he said. “It’s kind of a personal thing but it’s like any other exercise or sport you might be involved in. I use it to try to better myself physically.”

Although there is a large physical component, Schopper said that anyone can participate.

“Nobody starts being a professional,” he said. “I’ve worked with people that were not physically fit at all and I’ve worked with people that are in the best shape that I’ve ever seen. It’s really for anybody. You just have to know where you are at and where you are comfortable starting with. There is no minimum level that you have to be at.”

And parkour can be done almost anywhere.

“If you are willing to get creative with it there is really nothing that is off limits,” Schopper said. “You get people that will say that they can’t come up with anything to do but you just have to get creative.”

Sometimes their training can draw a crowd.

“A lot of people gather when we fall,” Brown said. “When we do it on campus, the people that live on campus will watch for a little while. If we are doing something extremely dangerous they will watch for a little longer. If they are interested they are interested. If they are not they are not.”

Both Schopper and Brown have different reasons for their interest in parkour.

“I do it because I like to see how far I can push myself and where my limits lie,” Schopper said. “To me it’s almost religious. I feel like you are given this body and if you don’t use it then you are spitting in God’s face.”

The skills that Schopper has gained from parkour are unique.

“The hardest move that I can do it a double kong,” he said. “A double kong is a vault where you have to push yourself off with your hands twice.”

Brown has also gained some interesting skills from parkour.

“I can wall run,” he said. “I can probably go up to 10 feet in length. I’ve gotten to the point where I just coast. It’s not something you can just do.”

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The freshly released reboot “Clash of the Titans” chronicles not only the struggle for one of mythologies greatest heroes, but also the squabbles between the gods that his culture worships. Greek mythology is an awful lot like a soap opera. Someone’s always fooling around with a mortal they aren’t supposed to, causing a war over not getting enough deity street cred, or trying to mend relationships with their illegitimate children. It’s fascinating even to modern audiences most likely because the Greek deities are so human, and they aren’t always clearly good or bad as in the majority faith in American culture, Christianity. So, largely in honor of “Clash of the Titans,” here is Josh’s Top 5 “Greek Gods and Goddesses.”

5. Hades – Contrary to popular belief, Hades was not some sort of evil deity comparable to Satan. This god of the underworld was instead more like a misunderstood emo-kid that was given the literal short stick when he and his brothers Zeus and Poseidon were drawing straws for where they were going to rule for the rest of eternity. Hades was dealt the underworld, and he sat down there and moped with the souls of the dead and his three headed pooch Cerberus. Hades was so desperate for someone to love him that he stole his wife Persephone to gain a companion. In doing so he pissed off her mother Demeter (the season and harvest goddess) and forced her to make a compromise that created seasons for us mortals. Hades also had the ability to turn invisible and was reportedly the god with the most bling due to his position under the earth where the mines were.

4. Athena – Athena was the goddess of wisdom that was birthed out of her father Zeus’ fractured skull after Zeus had eaten his first wife. Seriously. Athena not only makes it into the Top 5 based on that alone, but she also was a totally armor clad warrior goddess who earned the title “First Fighter” in Greek mythology. Athena was noteworthy for her “take no crap” attitude and would not hesitate to turn mortals into nasty creatures for insulting her. Creatures made in this manner include spiders and the Gorgon called Medusa. Athena is also famous for being a virgin goddess, as she never allowed a masculine god or mortal to rape or marry her.

3. Aphrodite – This goddess of love was kind of like Olympus’ community bike – everybody could ride. Aphrodite not only consorted with mortals, but also had affairs with the god of war Ares, the messenger of the gods Hermes and the patron god of booze Dionysus. She did all of this while being married to the physically disfigured god of metallurgy Hephaestus. Not only was Aphrodite looser than an ovulating drunken pornstar, but she was born when the Titan Cronus threw the severed genitals of the sky god Uranus into the ocean. Aphrodite was born of naughty parts. It gives the exclamation “Holy Balls!” a completely different context.

2. Dionysus – Dionysus might as well be the god of college. Like Athena, Dionysus was born of Zeus, only this time he was transferred from a woman’s womb to his father’s thigh… Yep. His whole existence was based around getting drunk, having sex, and entertaining you. Dionysus inspired frenzied celebrations of excessive drinking where people would indulge in whatever sexual appetites they felt like at the time. It is no small coincidence that he was looked to as a fertility god. He also was the inspiration for theatrical productions in the ancient world, where theatre festivals were performed in his honor. Dionysus has often been referred to affectionately by a few of my mythology teachers as “the party god.”

1. Zeus – Zeus was a powerful god, but he’s number one for fathering some of the coolest figures in ancient literature, including Perseus, Hercules and Helen of Troy. If you thought Aphrodite was ridiculous in her pursuit of carnal pleasure, brace yourself. The powerful lightning god Zeus is not usually remembered for his heroic feats, since his dozens of bastard children have that covered for you. Zeus’ sexual appetite was in a word: retarded. The god got more tail than a toilet seat, and his prudish and overbearing wife Hera knew it. Zeus would transform into animals, other men, or sometimes nothing at all to get with a woman he wanted. He also gets my number one spot for birthing his children out of his thigh and head. Yeesh.

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