A Leap From The Edge Of Space

Have you ever looked out the window of an airplane and been terrified of what would happen if you jumped out if it? On October 14, 2012, an Austrian man turned that fear into a shockingly breathtaking reality, only he didn’t jump out of an aircraft. Felix Baumgartner jumped from a carefully planned capsule, sponsored by Red Bull, giving a whole new meaning to the famous tagline “Red Bull gives you wings.”

Avoiding The Flu

Each year on average approximately 20% of U.S. residents get influenza (a.k.a the flu). More the 200,000 people are hospitialized from flu complications every year, and since 1976 it is estimated that roughly 49,000 people have died from the flu in the United States. 

While the flu can be treated, it is no laughing matter and prevention of it is crucial. Feeling sick or being around those who have been exposed can increase your risk of getting it and increase the risk of spreading it to others. A person is contagious with the flu for 5-7 days after becoming sick, and 1 day before symptoms occur. You can pass the flu virus to someone else before you even know that you are sick. Typically it takes 1-4 days for a person to become sick after they have been exposed to the virus.

The Truth About Energy Drinks

So you stayed up late studying for that thermodynamics test last night and you’re hoping to nail it. You know the material and you’ve been to every class but you’re just not feeling up to speed. After all, staying up until 1 am on a Thursday night was no easy feat, half your friends went out to the bar and you barely were able to resist participating in thirsty Thursday. But alas! You prevailed and now you just need an energy drink to boost your brain power. You own this test!  

Healthy Fast Food?

Life in college is a busy time. Whether we have tests, quizzes, homework assignments, or any other class obligations to fulfill, we as students are always on the go. With that being said, it may be difficult for us to find a decent quick meal. So many of us turn to fast food in between studying and class without really thinking about what we are eating. Sure, you know that fast food is unhealthy and you know that a home cooked meal beats a fast food meal any day, but for some of us, eating fast food may be unavoidable. Fast food should not be consumed on an everyday basis, but if you occasionally feel the need to get it, what are some of the healthier options available to you? 

Adjusting to Montana Tech

How can you make your experience at Montana Tech fun and meaningful? Adjusting to college can be difficult at first, but once you get the hang of how everything works, things just seem to fall into place. Attending athletic games (go ‘diggers!), getting involved with activities on campus, and joining clubs are just a few ways to make your experience more rewarding. Some recommendations for first-year college students are:

Staying Healthy In School

Whether you’ve been in college for a few years or you’re just starting out, staying healthy during school can be a bit of a challenge. Eating healthy and exercising regularly are important parts of maintaining a healthy physical lifestyle as well as an academic one. What you eat, how often you exercise, and how much sleep you get can affect your grades, relationships, and many other facets of your life. Here are four areas that typically give college students the most trouble when it comes to staying healthy in school. 

Top 10 iTunes Songs of 2011

In December of 2011, iTunes released its “Rewind 2011” year-end chart toppers and awards for its top selling songs, apps, albums and more. A recap of 2011’s biggest hits would have you party rocking your way into the deep with Adele and LMFAO coming in at the  one and two spots. Adele really hit it big in 2011, surpassing old favorites such as Katy Perry and Bruno Mars. 

What makes a chart-topping song? More than half of the songs below deal with some form of love relationship whether it be a “forget-you”, grenade catching, or an extra-terrestrial experience. One song that was particularly infectious was “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People. What is this song really even about? Some guy named Robert with a gun who’s telling you to run faster than his bullet? 

Greenhouse Gas Inventory

What is a greenhouse gas inventory? A greenhouse gas inventory is how an institution, such as Montana Tech, or a household, such as your own, accounts for its emission of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are those that contribute to global climate change. 

 Did you know that since 2009 Montana Tech has conducted its own greenhouse gas inventory every other year? And finally, did you know that as a student, faculty, or staff, you play a major role in the accuracy of Montana Tech’s greenhouse gas inventories? In the past, commuting has accounted for 18% of the campus greenhouse gas inventory, or the carbon footprint, of Montana Tech.

Coupon Into Savings!

You hear it every day, “the economy is in the tank”, “I just need to save a little money”, “gas prices are just too high”. Well, all these things point to a nation looking to be frugal. Well, maybe there is a bit more you could be doing to be frugal. Take for example the hit TLC show, “Extreme Couponing”. These people will stop at nothing to score a deal, and they spend hours doing it. You don’t have to spend hours looking for coupons or make it your full time job to look for them, but next time you head to the shelves of the grocery store, consider taking the time to look for a coupon. 

5 Bad Valentine’s Day Gifts

The forced love, the cheesy cards, the overpriced meals, and those creepy giant teddy bears, you guessed it, it’s Valentine’s Day! Ok, so Valentine’s Day isn’t all that bad, but I think we all can recall our best and worst Valentine ’s Day gifts, even if they date back to our elementary school days. Valentine’s Day is often referred to as a “Hallmark Holiday”, made up so that card companies can make an extra buck. For most of us though, we really do want to be showered with a little extra love or given some cheesy card. If you’re looking to find the perfect gift for someone special, steer clear of some of these actual Valentine’s Day gifts below from the glo.msn.com/relationships blog and some of your fellow students at Tech. 

Geothermal Energy In Butte

The natural mineral resources of Butte have been mined for over 130 years, and now the Mining City has the potential to utilize yet another untapped resource; geothermal energy. Dennis Lester, a Petroleum Engineering Alumni of Montana Tech, and owner of Geothermal Energy Montana LLC, has been creating a plan to develop a geothermal energy power plant in Butte since the late 1980s. 

“This project would be a great step forward for Butte as well as Montana and the United States” said Lester of the project. The only other geothermal project of this kind in the United States exists in New Mexico, but other projects of this kind can be seen in many countries throughout the world, such as Japan, Germany, Australia, and Switzerland. 

The Guest At Every Party

Having a party? Don’t forget the food! Don’t forget the beverages! And most of all, don’t forget the Solo cups! A recent story on National Public Radio’s (NPR) All Things Considered featured a piece about red Solo brand cups and how instrumental they have been in creating the perfect disposable beverage container. After all, these red cups have been partying with college students since the 1970s!

Country singer Toby Keith has even written a song about the cup called “Red Solo Cup.” The makers of the Solo cup didn’t even need to ask Keith to write the song. He just sings it as a true fan of the iconic cup, saying “I love you, red Solo cup. I fill you up. Proceed to party. Proceed to party.”

20 Questions: Shawn Crowe

1.What sports, clubs, or associations are you affiliated with?
In the community I participate in art shows 

2. What is your favorite academic subject?

My favorite subject is history, although I haven’t been able to take any history classes at Montana Tech.

3. Who is your favorite faculty member?

I’ve been really pleased with all of my professors at Montana Tech, but my sister, Stephanie Crowe, works in new student services and she helps me navigate around Tech’s general system, which can be confusing at times. 

Drivin' On Thin Ice

How do you get to school? Do you drive, take the city bus, walk, or fly? As the temperatures in Montana dip below freezing and the snow begins to fall, getting to Tech can become a bit of a challenge. Unfortunately it’s also the time of year where the most accidents can occur. Ever been the student who had to reverse down the Park Street hill because of icy roads? The good news is that there are winter and even fuel saving tips that can help you ‘break the ice’ on your way to school. 

Stricter Parking For Tech

Ever noticed one of those cars on campus with a never-ending stack of parking tickets splashed across its windshield? Maybe this car has even been yours at some point! Well it looks like the jig is up for habitual offenders because parking enforcement at Montana Tech is about to get a lot stricter. 

The Montana Tech parking policy already states that students with unpaid parking citations will not be allowed to re-enroll for future semesters or obtain transcripts. However, in addition to these penalties, Montana Tech also reserves the right to immobilize or tow vehicles of habitual parking offenders. 

20 Questions w/ Alesandro Acuna

Alesandro Acuna (AJ for short) is a freshman in liberal studies. In addition to studying at Montana Tech he competes in body building and weight lifting competitions. 

1. What sports, clubs, or associations are you affiliated with?  

The sports that I am participating in as of now are body building and weight lifting competitions.

Smart Water

So there you are at RD’s Party shop or maybe in the Marcus Deli and your mouth is bone dry. You are so thirsty that you wish it would rain and leak through the ceiling in hopes that even the tiniest drop will land on your tongue. This is the type of thirst that can only be cured by drinking crisp water. So what do you do? Ah, you purchase bottled water of course! 

But have you ever stopped to think about where bottled water comes from? Or where its plastic bottle comes from? Or better yet, have you ever thought about what you’ll do with the plastic bottle when you’re finished with it? 

Maybe you’ve though about this cycle and maybe you haven’t. If you haven’t given it thought, here are some interesting facts about bottled water:

Sustainability At Tech

A school of engineering students and faculty should be able to put Montana Tech on track for being carbon neutral in the future, right? Did you know that Montana Tech has a sustainability committee that is working on just that concept? The committee is relatively new for Montana Tech and it is still in the early stages of developing a climate action plan to put Montana Tech on track to become carbon neutral. 

20 Questions w/ Lacie Lovshin

Lacie is a sophomore student studying elementary education here at Montana Tech. 

1. What sports, clubs, or associations are you affiliated with?

I am involved with Montana Tech Cheerleading, I’m actually the captain of the squad! I also referee and play beach volleyball at the Mcqueen Athletic Club here in Butte. 

Recycling At Montana Tech

So you’ve just finished a refreshing beverage that you’ve purchased on campus, now what do you do with the empty container? You could very easily walk over and place it in a trash can. However, with a little more effort you could be environmentally responsible and dispose of your used product in a recycling bin.