Month: May 2016

Many times in my life I have felt degraded because of my age, but currently I actually feel stereotyped. Some would say there is a specific phase in life to pursue a degree, marry and have children. Finishing up my fourth year in college, I am constantly being interrogated. What is your plan after college? Do you have a ring on your finger yet? Nearing college graduation, these are commonly-asked questions I can’t answer. As if finishing school is not stressful enough, I deal with the pressure of needing to answer these questions when asked. (more…)

As the sun’s rays faded on the grounds of the Garrett Coliseum, the ultraviolet light bulbs flickered into existence and brought life to the mounds of foam being shot 20 feet into the air and onto an ecstatic and gyrating audience. Speakers on a nearby stage pumped out rhythmic pulses that seemed to send shockwaves through the crowd. Just to the side, vendors peddled their themed merchandise at elevated prices beneath white pop-up canopies. This was no ordinary 5K. It was a “Foam Glow 5k,” an event that seemed to focus more on the theatrics of glowing foam than on the actual running. March 26 proved to be an interesting night, indeed. The electronic house duo, Taste of Bass, walked out on to a black stage and excited an already-exuberant audience. They tossed handfuls of wands, rings an...

Have you noticed the increasing number of options there are at gas stations around Montgomery of what is typically branded as “5-Hour Energy shots?”  You can now find products like Viva Zen, K Chill and Vita Lize that are packaged in the same bottle with different labels at almost any convenience store throughout the city.  The ingredient in these products that has them flying off the shelves and creating controversy is Mitragynine Speciosa, which is found in the Kratom plant.  Kratom grows naturally in Southeast Asia and is a part of the coffee family.  It has been used in traditional South Eastern medicine systems for at least several hundred years of written recorded history. (more…)

When you think of the things you take for granted, what do you think of? Do you think of technology, clothing or a safe place to sleep at night? What about the ability to read this article? Illiteracy has been putting people at a disadvantage since the beginning of recorded history. If you think illiteracy ended with the abolition of slavery or that problems like illiteracy do not exist in America you are wrong.  Thirty-two million adults, 14 percent of the population, are illiterate, according to the 2014 U.S. Department of Education and National Institute of Literacy-data. As cliché as the saying may be, educational attainment is the key to success in life. Without the ability to read, (more…)

‘Tis the season for panic attacks, phone calls to mom at 3 a.m. and staying up so late we have no idea what day it is. Finals week is among us and as always, it means business. As we are all starting the assignments we should have begun months ago, there are many ways we can keep from falling apart. “Stress is a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, etc.,” Merriam Webster defines. Symptoms for stress are both mental and physical, including insomnia, muscle tension, headaches and hostility. (more…)

There is much joy in planning your family beach trip for Memorial Day weekend, but we can’t forget Cinco de Mayo. This wonderful holiday is sometimes overlooked and many of us may not really know the reason behind this celebration. Most would say it’s the one day a year to get sick on Mexican food, but many often confuse it as Mexico’s Independence Day, which is Sept. 16. On this day in 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo took charge in the village church of Dolores where he eventually overthrew the Spanish oppression. Only the city of Puebla really makes a considerable deal over Cinco de Mayo and Independence Day is actually more significant in Mexico. (more…)