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Vaccine 11-16

Disbursement for H1N1 vaccines uncertain

It has infected 400 students at San Diego State and Student Health Services asked for 15,000 doses of vaccination for last month. What is this mystery virus stirring up so much controversy and skepticism? The 2009 H1N1 “swine flu.”

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Business 11-12

Hyper-localism takes lead during recession

After being hurt by the unstoppable juggernaut of globalization, many small businesses may have found a solution to their woes: Hyper-localism.

Car 11-12

Smart car decisions for graduates

The advantages and disadvantages of leasing or buying a new car

Many college graduates find themselves in the market to purchase a new car, and after endless hours of studying, homework, tests and dreaded professors, many students want a car that showcases their hard work.

MR EXTREME 11-10-09

Superhero makes San Diego a better place

To some, he’s just a man skulking through the night for an overdue Halloween party; but to others, he’s a symbol, a crusader and a giver. His identity is a secret. His weaknesses are on par with any other man, but he gets his kicks from doing good and his adrenaline rush comes from sweet justice. He’s just your neighborhood friendly superhero: Mr. Xtreme.

DOUBLE DATING 11-10-09

Double the fun or double the problems?

It’s finally date night and there is an array of choices to be made. Should it be dinner, a movie or both? Or maybe the date should be something more exciting and less cliché. Then another question arises: Should we go solo or invite another couple?

Virgin Atlantic

The future of flying without breaking a leg

Many airlines are offering original and futuristic amenities

Cheap airplane seats are cheap for a reason. Crowded seats, a bad in-flight movie and the sound of the bathroom flushing a short distance away generally characterize what it feels like to fly coach.

Dating and Romance

Polyamorists multiply their love by sharing

Imagine loving someone so much that sharing him or her with someone else would be ideal. Not only that, by sharing him or her, jealousy and infidelity would be thrown out the window because there would be no secrets or affairs, just people loving other people.

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Surf 11-5

The science behind a traditional surfboard

So much of surf culture revolves around showing honor to surfing’s forefathers by riding their boards and practicing their way of riding waves. So many surfers use retro equipment from the 1940s to the 1970s, ascribing to this retrospective surf culture flashback. But all of these attempts of riding the boards of long ago have come second to the tradition of the alaia.

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Surf 11-5

The science behind a traditional surfboard

So much of surf culture revolves around showing honor to surfing’s forefathers by riding their boards and practicing their way of riding waves. So many surfers use retro equipment from the 1940s to the 1970s, ascribing to this retrospective surf culture flashback. But all of these attempts of riding the boards of long ago have come second to the tradition of the alaia.

2 comments

Taco 11-4

Fabulous fish taco finds around San Diego

So close to Mexico, it's no wonder San Diego has mouthwatering fish tacos

Chicago may have the best deep-dish pizzas and Philadelphia might be known for its cheese steaks; however, San Diego is fortunate to be home to delicious, sauce-laden fish tacos.

Energizing food to fuel any morning class

Triple-shot espressos, sugary energy drinks and calorie-loaded candy bars aren’t the only way to wake up. Students are on a constant hunt for the ultimate energy boost, but relying on teeth-staining and heart-racing unhealthy sources of caffeine is not the solution.

HOT AIR BALLOONS 11-3-09

Float on cloud nine while soaring the skies

See what life is like over the rainbow by gliding through the sunny skies

Hot air balloon rides give adventurers a sightseeing experience unlike any other. Offering a bird’s-eye view, hot air balloon rides can change a rider’s perspective of the city in which they live. And this thrill can be found right here in San Diego.

COSTA RICA 11-3-09

Flourishing wildlife awaits in Costa Rica

Orchids, butterflies, iguana, crocodiles, slots and monkeys fill the lush surroundings. It may seem impossible, but the tiny country of Costa Rica — although only about one-eighth the size of California — contains the greatest density of species in the world.

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Health and Fitness

Workouts custom fit for celebrity A-listers

Ari Gold has mentioned it; Kim Kardashian does it and now, San Diegan’s can be a part of it too. So, what is this fitness phenomenon that’s replacing typical gym memberships and workout routines? It’s called Barry’s Bootcamp — a Los Angeles-based fitness program that has branched out to San Diego with a new location in Hillcrest.

Haunted Trail 10-29

Evoking fear at San Diego's best haunts

Children are not the only ones who enjoy running outside beneath the balmy, moonlit sky. On Halloween every shadow and eerie sound can make any person wonder whether or not they are alone. Nightmares become reality in San Diego’s haunted trails made for the bold and fearless, allowing visitors to see demonic ghouls, bloodstained ghosts and masked Jason Voorhees. Each event runs until the end of Halloween night.

Whaley House 10-29

Whaley House is one of America's most haunted

Films about the supernatural may be exhilarating to watch, but when it comes to reality most people prefer to live in a world that doesn’t include paranormal activity. However, for the Whaley House, this option doesn’t exist.

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Under 21, 10-29

Plan your own frightening Halloween rager

Halloween is a favorite holiday for many, with trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving and festive costumes. However, for students younger than 21 years old, this holiday has some limitations considering bars are not an option. So, what is there to do on this cherished holiday?

Haunted Hotel 10-29

The Haunted Hotel leaves guests scared dead

Check in to the hotel intending to have visitors experience a nightmare that will haunt them all year long. The Haunted Hotel has rooms that recreate this year’s eeriest movies and classic horror monsters people wish to forget when going to bed alone at night. Wandering down pitch-black hallways, guests will find bloody bodies plastered to the walls and the basement scene from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” where more than one Leatherface runs and waves his chainsaw over victims’ heads.

Clubs 10-29

Big kids guide to a Halloween club crawl

On Saturday, college students everywhere will be forced to buy their own candy. The glory days of Power Rangers and Disney princess costumes have sadly come to an end. For those born in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, it’s time to put away the pumpkin buckets and save the cavities for Christmas. Trick-or-treating may be finished, but the party is just getting started.

Tescia Deák 10-29

SPOTLIGHT: Passion for design in alumni's artful future

Tescia Deák decorates people with her designs.


Deák is an artist. Not the type who will paint a portrait or photograph an event. No, Deák is a jewelry designer — self-created, self-funded and the sole proprietor of her own company la t da.

Stoddard 10-29

SPOTLIGHT: Stoddard keeps good humor with success

Despite the large number of teaching awards he’s accrued in nearly 30 years of lecturing at San Diego State, Dr. Michael M. Stoddard is sometimes at a loss for explanation to why students find him engaging.  


With career highlights that include serving five presidential administrations and being named an Oxford Fellow, this political science professor’s resume is captivating enough to motivate even the most apathetic students.

Haunted Trail 10-29

Evoking fear at San Diego's best haunts

Children are not the only ones who enjoy running outside beneath the balmy, moonlit sky. On Halloween every shadow and eerie sound can make any person wonder whether or not they are alone. Nightmares become reality in San Diego’s haunted trails made for the bold and fearless, allowing visitors to see demonic ghouls, bloodstained ghosts and masked Jason Voorhees. Each event runs until the end of Halloween night.

Whaley House 10-29

Whaley House is one of America's most haunted

Films about the supernatural may be exhilarating to watch, but when it comes to reality most people prefer to live in a world that doesn’t include paranormal activity. However, for the Whaley House, this option doesn’t exist.

1 comment

Under 21, 10-29

Plan your own frightening Halloween rager

Halloween is a favorite holiday for many, with trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving and festive costumes. However, for students younger than 21 years old, this holiday has some limitations considering bars are not an option. So, what is there to do on this cherished holiday?

Haunted Hotel 10-29

The Haunted Hotel leaves guests scared dead

Check in to the hotel intending to have visitors experience a nightmare that will haunt them all year long. The Haunted Hotel has rooms that recreate this year’s eeriest movies and classic horror monsters people wish to forget when going to bed alone at night. Wandering down pitch-black hallways, guests will find bloody bodies plastered to the walls and the basement scene from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” where more than one Leatherface runs and waves his chainsaw over victims’ heads.

Clubs 10-29

Big kids guide to a Halloween club crawl

On Saturday, college students everywhere will be forced to buy their own candy. The glory days of Power Rangers and Disney princess costumes have sadly come to an end. For those born in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, it’s time to put away the pumpkin buckets and save the cavities for Christmas. Trick-or-treating may be finished, but the party is just getting started.

Salad 10-28

Essentials to keep salads healthy and tasty

Ways to spice up a salad while keeping the calorie content to a minimum

Skip the bacon bits and put down the Caesar dressing, salads can be chock-full of nutrients, vitamins and protein if prepared the right way. They are great low-calorie meal options for those craving something fresh and tasty that also contain many health benefits. Use some creative ingredients to mix in with the greens for a healthier, tastier salad. 

Raw 10-28

Getting to the uncooked truth of raw food

Raw foodists rave about the health benefits of going raw, but not all can stomach the idea of an uncooked meal. Love to eat uncooked fish, rare steak and drink unpasteurized milk? People who have no problem eating such foods may be better suited for the lifestyle than others. No matter the preference, raw food diets are becoming increasingly popular among people who are trying to live a healthy lifestyle.

But, the raw food diet, also known as “rawism,” is more than just eating sushi or ordering a bloody steak.

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AZTEC ADVENTURES 10-27-09

Aztecs embark on local outdoor excursions

Aztec Adventures provides students with the chance to enjoy nature's beauty

Traffic, technology and a large population are unavoidable aspects of the San Diego city life. But they don’t have to be.


How about backpacking 10,834 feet at San Jacinto Peak, going on a sea kayaking expedition in Baja, Mexico hiking through underground mud caves or just making s’mores under the desert stars with new friends? Students interested in outdoor activities like these can turn to Aztec Adventures. This program, sponsored by Associated Students, focuses on outdoor education, preservation and recreation for SDSU students and community members with multiple trips. Canoeing, camping, hiking, backpacking and mountain biking are among the many activities offered. 

Singles

College culture's effects on dating

It is common for preschool children to play “house” and engage in mock romances with their 5-year-old peers. Preschool is the first time away from adults and surrounded by equals, which is why children often use this freedom by claiming boyfriends and girlfriends and pretending to get married on the playground. This emphasis on the opposite sex within a newfound freedom is similar to when young adults enter college.

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Breast Cancer 10-22

Keep an eye (and a hand) on those breasts

One in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society.


Research shows within the next year, thousands of young women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. The worst part is that most young women don’t know their “girls” well enough to look for warning signs of the disease, which can help prevent it. 

Doctor 10-22

Saying 'What’s up, Doc?' to the right physician

Many students use the popular Web site

www.ratemyprofessors.com

to find the best professors to take. It is a site where students can leave comments about previous professors they have had to help other students make adequate course decisions.



The same rating system is also used with doctors. By visiting www.ratemds.com, patients can leave and read comments from others explaining whether or not their last doctor’s visit was up to par.

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Sam 10-21

Sam 'the Cooking Guy' keeps recipes easy

Sam “the Cooking Guy” Zien is an average Joe when it comes to cooking. He doesn’t use fancy ingredients or chef terminology. He has no ridiculously over-the-top recipes, and he even prefers burritos from a taco stand to dining at an expensive restaurant. Overall, Zien just cooks good food — with a sense of humor. 

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Oktober 10-21

Letting the good times roll this Oktoberfest

All year long, international beer aficionados wait for the world’s biggest outdoor festival and their chance to party with millions of others at Munich, Germany’s annual Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest has become one of the world’s biggest gatherings, attracting 6.2 million attendees in 2007 full of fun activities and depleting almost 7 million liters of beer.

BRIGADES 10-20-09

Organization gets a facelift with the help of doctors

For San Diego State students looking to spend their Spring Break helping people, there is a choice available right on campus.


Last year, SDSU alumnus Jimmy Camacho started a new chapter for the nationwide organization called Global Brigades. In its inaugural year, Camacho took a handful of SDSU students to Honduras during Spring Break to team up and help solve water issues in the area.


The Water Brigades aided a small rural community in one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere.

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TANZANIAN LIBRARY 10-20-09

Feeding hungry minds across the world

Donating money is not easy for most people, even if it is for a good cause. But a San Diego State professor is doing something different for charity despite the economic strain.

It does not involve giving away money, but giving away books. Dr. Peter Larlham, professor in the School of Theatre, Television and Film is collecting used books to start a library for his former elementary school in central East Africa.

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Dating and Romance

The blurred gender roles in modern dating

American women are often considered lucky to live in a society that allows them to be equal to men. Women can vote, own property and have careers.


But in the dating world, it’s rare to see a woman approach a man, ask for his number or even take him out on a date. Many girls still want to be old-fashioned when it comes to dating, but that might be changing as men and women continue to become more equal.

Dating and Romance

Differences in couples are only skin deep

Racial differences are only skin-deep when it comes to relationships. And while some people look for comfort in a partner with the same race and background, they may be surprised to find distinct similarities of a person from a different culture.

Speed Dating 10-15

Speed dating's corporate cousin hits SDSU

It’s not what he knows, but who he knows.
Oftentimes this phrase is repeated by parents, friends and other family members. For those who need to jump that social gap and meet other people, Career Services has introduced ways to make that easier.
On Sept. 23, Career Services launched its first speed networking conference for students in the College of Business Administration. Sixteen representatives from different occupations in the business field, ranging from accounting to real estate, networked with 41 San Diego State students in the Career Services office during the conference.
Groups of six students sat at tables with two professionals talking about business and the future of their respective fields. Students made professional contacts they otherwise would not have had in the process. After being introduced to the initial group, students were to switch tables and converse with a new set of professionals. This ritual is known as speed networking, and it links professional contacts in a fraction of the time real-life networking takes.
Speed networking, similar to its romantic cousin, speed dating, exists to help students develop more contacts with professionals in their field of study in a social environment without the pressure associated with job fairs and interviews.

Park 10-14

Taste of North Park highlights city's finest

Visitors were able to tickle their taste buds and satisfy their senses at the first annual Taste of North Park. Although North Park is still a growing community, it is trying to make a community of vibrant boutiques, art galleries and of course, restaurants. However, this historic San Diego community is finally getting the publicity it deserves with this new event.

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Supper 10-14

Supper clubs offer opportunity to play chef

The philosophy of dining at a supper club is simple and different from most restaurants: customers grill their own steaks. Guests become their own cooks at these retro diners at the waist-high steel grills sitting at the center of the restaurant.

BELMONT PARK 10-13-09

Belmont Park celebrates birthdays all month

Childhood memories of eating cotton candy, driving bumper cars and riding roller coasters at amusement parks still ring clear for college students today. Amusement parks have an old-fashioned entertainment value that has persevered throughout the years, especially here in San Diego. Belmont Park, one of the few beach amusement parks left in San Diego, has entertained since 1925 when the coaster first opened.

UNIQUE HOTELS 10-13-09

Quirky hotels in different shapes and sizes

Las Vegas isn’t the only destination for eccentric hotels and themed accommodations. The U.S. has a vast assortment of unique and quirky hotels that can add a little extra to an ordinary vacation.
In Manhattan, Bryan Berg, renowned cardstacker, was the inspiration behind the Holiday Inn’s new Key Card Hotel. The hotel includes a lobby, guest bedroom, bathroom and life-sized furniture all made completely out of key cards. While it may be challenging to get comfortable in bed, the photos and lifetime memories accumulated by such a weird and wacky experience are sure to be quite the topic of conversation.

Health and Fitness

Keep a healthy immune system

High vitamin dosages are found in popular immunity-boosters

October and November seem to be the most stressful months of the semester; they’re packed with midterms and papers that cause lack of sleep and poor eating habits. These months also happen to be prime flu season when illnesses spread easily. With the combination of stress, sleep deprivation and viruses, many people are susceptible to illness. Fortunately, there are ways of preventing illnesses and reducing the chances of contracting a cold.

Health and Fitness

Nationwide ban does away with flavors

Flavored cigarettes are a thing of the past with a new ban

Some smokers, occasional or regular, satisfy their nicotine cravings with a hint of strawberry, vanilla, chocolate or pineapple. But the days of flavored cigarettes are finished. They are no longer available on the shelves of U.S. stores, groceries, gas stations and even mall booths.

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Netflix 10-8

Netflix revolutionizes its rental service

When people are recommended to watch a terrible movie or something that is completely unrelated to their style or taste, it can turn them off to taking another’s advice.

Eye Institute 10-8

The 'tooth fairy' brings the gift of sight

A 60-year-old woman bit off exactly what she could chew — and she got her vision back in the process.

Juice Diet 10-7

The realities behind juice cleansing diets

This diet aims to cleanse the body with natural juices

Few things are more refreshing than starting the day with fresh-squeezed juice. After all, juice is rich with nutrients, flavorful fruits and enough energy to start a morning off right.

But one’s attitude toward juice may change when having to drink it as a sole source of nutrition.

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Absinthe 10-7

Popularity of absinthe increases in bars

Although a mysterious allure swirls around the alcoholic drink absinthe, most rumors about it are false. Some people argue bohemian artists and writers from the 19th century had described hallucinations and visions of a “green fairy” after drinking absinthe — these are also untrue.

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CABO SAN LUCAS 10-6-09

Cabo San Lucas has a lot to offer for vacationers

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico — The southern tip of Baja California offers tantalizing wonders for every appetite. Whether you’re seeking adventure, fine wine, fresh seafood or a chance to party, you can find it here.


OLYMPIC TRAINING CENTER 10-6-09

Going for the gold in San Diego's ARCO center

Many people are unaware that the best athletes in the world are training in San Diego’s own backyard. And no, this isn’t referring to the Chargers or the Padres.


Nestled on the outskirts of Chula Vista lies the ARCO Olympic Training Center, dedicated to churning out Olympic contenders.

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PALOMAR MOUNTAIN 10-6-09

Escape to the mountains and see the stars

Standing more than 6,000 feet high, Palomar Mountain looms high above the clouds with lush, gigantic green trees and serene sounds of nature. For those who love the outdoors, not only is Palomar Mountain State Park a great spot for a day hike or weekend getaway, but its beauty makes it a breathtaking and rejuvenating experience.

Dating and Romance

I'M A GIRL, YOU KNOW: Couples who make a Halloween statement

October is my favorite month of the year.


And while my birthday and the launch of football season are two prime reasons for this, I also believe Halloween is definitely the best holiday of the year.

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Dating and Romance

Dates that put dinner and a movie to shame

Going on dates in college is often predictable, overrated and sometimes a complete waste of money. For those who’ve just started dating, the stereotypical dinner and a movie gets old fairly quickly; and for those who are in long-term relationships, they often find themselves stuck in a routine lacking that initial excitement and spark from the “honeymoon stage.”


So, for that special someone, why not take advantage of what San Diego has to offer and step out of the box into an uncommon, yet entertaining, date.