Local businesses offer green alternatives

Photo by Sara Spigener

Helix, a store on College Avenue in downtown Athens offers products made from recyclable materials.


















By Sara Spigener

Green businesses in Athens offer environmentally friendly alternatives, and University of Georgia students and faculty want to see more of them.

Helix, an eclectic gift store downtown on Clayton Street, features a wide array of products from jewelry to baby clothes made out of recycled materials, and the store’s employees make a point to recycle.

“We recycle everything: cans, bottles, aluminum, paper, cardboard.” said Steven Owen, an employee at the store.

An interesting thing about Helix is that a lot of the recyclable materials they accumulate on a day-to-day basis go to artists who turn them into something to sell, like a local potter who picks up their cardboard and packing materials to create his wares.

Their commitment to recycling is evident in their sales as one of their hottest items is the handmade cloth shopping bag that shoppers can reuse at the grocery store.

Going beyond basic recycling, Rialto Property Partners will open Hotel Indigo downtown on College Avenue. Hotel Indigo is considered a “green hotel” because it is certified by the Leadership in Environmental Design Green Building Rating System, said Amy Hibler, the marketing director for Rialto.

The new environmentally friendly hotel will feature a green roof, a rainwater collection system for irrigation, and elevators that regenerate power. They will also offer priority parking for hybrid cars, Hibler said.

When construction started on the hotel, Rialto decided to donate the money that would traditionally be used for a groundbreaking ceremony. The money will serve the Athens community with part of it going to the Athens Land Trust, she said.

University of Georgia student from Jamaica, Trudy Trail, supports environmentally friendly businesses. “It’s a good thing businesses are trying to be green,” she said. “I think more businesses should try to do it.”

Cathy Elrod, an employee at the University of Georgia Center for Teaching and Learning shares a similar opinion.

“I think environmentally friendly businesses are good.” she said. “We have to take care of mother earth, so she will take care of us.”

-Edited by Bailey Keiger







Photo by Sara Spigener

Construction is underway on Hotel Indigo at 500 College Ave. The hotel will offer a green alternative to the typical hotel.

UGA goes green

By Bailey Keiger

Green is the new red and black at the University of Georgia, as more and more people are taking an interest in recycling.

According to the UGA Go Green Alliance’s Web site, $196,645.46 has been saved in landfill tipping fees since 2001 by recycling an average 1,000 tons of material a year.

"Our main goal with recycling is to cut down on waste going to the landfill by recycling anything possible," said Dexter Fisher, service support director for the university's physical plant.

The physical plant offers various receptacles to collect recyclables all over campus, which are usually emptied on a weekly basis.

"We recycle anything," Fisher said. "A lot of office paper, bottles, construction materials, stuff like that."

To further the conservation efforts on campus, the recycling center offers educational programs to teach the benefits of recycling.

"Most people know about recycling before they get to college, so our job is easy,” said Fisher, “but we still have workshops for the housing department since that's our biggest area what with all the students."

The university has entered the 2009 Recyclemania competition for the second time, which tracks campuses' recycling efforts nationwide. In 2008, UGA placed 3rd by recycling 543,260 pounds of waste.

But despite the university's efforts to encourage recycling, some say it is still difficult for people to follow through.

"We ask people to return coffee cup sleeves, but they don't really," said Caleb Nipper, general manager of Jittery Joe's Coffee at the Miller Learning Center. "They see the sign, but don't do anything about it. There's one custodian who always finds the cardboard sleeves in the trash and will collect them for us."

Even conveniently placed receptacles next to the shop's drink stand weren't doing their job, he said.

"We talked to the learning center's manager about moving recycle bins closer to us,” said Nipper, “but a day after they were moved here they were full of trash, not recycling, so it wasn't worth it."

The store has modified the way it receives and serves products to further cut down on waste.

"Our pastries used to come in cardboard, but now they come in plastic containers that we can reuse," Nipper said. "We use paper to serve them too, instead of plastic or more cardboard."

Discounts are offered to customers who bring their own coffee mug to use.

"It helps everyone. The customer gets a discount and we save a cup," Nipper said. "Every little bit counts."

Some others also see the benefits of conservation, and help out by recycling their waste.

"I'm just doing what I'm told," said Leslie Carithers, a custodian at the Tate Student Center. "It does help to keep the landfills clean, and if you can reuse something, that's better for the environment."

Edited by Suha Zakiuddin

Jittery Joe's launches concert series

The cabin-like appearance of Jittery Joe’s roasting plant parallels the store’s affinity for making homegrown, natural goods. Photo by Alex McKelvey/Edited by Jordan Stover

By: Alex McKelvey

Jittery Joe’s roasting plant will be hosting a luau-themed concert this Sunday. The coffee plant has recently decided to integrate some live local music into its tasting room by launching a concert series dubbed “Pickin’ on the Porch.”

Sunday’s concert will feature the local band, Kinky Waikiki, a quartet that meshes traditional Hawaiian music with a dollop of Western swing. To compliment the tropical feel of the upcoming “Pickin’ on the Porch,” Jittery Joe’s will be serving in-house pineapple “spamkabobs” and a homemade apricot beer.

Keith Hendershot, owner of the café section of the roasting plant, is responsible for the birth of Jittery Joe’s “Pickin’ on the Porch.” He borrowed the name from a small coffee shop in Joliet, Ga. Hendershot was impressed with how well the live music enhanced his experience at the coffee shop.

Hendershot recognizes that live music has the potential to disrupt his store’s unique local identity. This is why he is very selective about the bands he books.

“I definitely wanted to do music, but I didn’t want to make this place a full-fledged venue,” Hendershot said. He is careful to maintain a sense of close-knit community and communal relaxation.

This Sunday’s concert is the third installment in the concert series. Other musicians who have performed at “Pickin’ on the Porch” are Vigilantes of Love and Curly Maple with David Blackmon. These ensembles produce relaxed music that compliments Jittery Joe’s atmosphere well.

Kinky Waikiki will do no different. Hendershot booked them because he believes they will enhance customers’ experience at the coffee plant.

When two-year patron, Parker Browne, was asked to describe what he liked about the ambiance of the roasting plant, he said, “It’s an open atmosphere with friendly people. There’s this old-world mentality here; people can barter for coffee with homegrown vegetables.”

Jittery Joe’s old-world, cottage-industry style is embodied in employee Evan Smith’s passion for homegrown products. This Sunday, Jittery Joe’s will be serving in-house “pineapple spamkabobs” and Smith’s apricot homebrew.

“He’s been brewing for about a year, and recently he’s been experimenting with fruit-inspired beers,” coworker and roaster Christian Hampton said. “We’re serving the apricot beer Sunday to compliment the bobs and the tropical theme.”

Sunday’s “Pickin’ on the Porch” is intended to create an atmosphere that reflects the personality of Jittery Joe’s, while providing the customers with quality entertainment.

Edited by Jordan Stover

Mind your manors

By: Leila Mattimore

A recent music venue is offering an alternative to the downtown Athens scene for local residents and students who want to enjoy the summer evenings outdoors while listening to great bands.

Ashford Manor, a bed and breakfast in downtown Watkinsville, Ga., is just over 20 minutes from the University of Georgia campus. This summer Ashford Manor will present their 2009 “Concert on the Lawn” series including bands such as Lazy B & The Recliners, Randall Bramblett, Grogus and The Highballs.

The Concert series was inspired by the Ravinia Festival of Chicago, where Mario Castro, one of the owners of the Manor, moved from. “People brought their sterling silver and china and ate their picnic suppers by candelabra,” Castro said. “The idea has really caught on here at Ashford Manor.”

According to Castro, the concerts began with about 50 people attending, and it has now grown to an average of 700.

For every concert the gates open at 5:30 p.m. The support act plays from 6:00 until 6:45 p.m., and the main act plays from 7 to 9 p.m. The time and space allows families to see some of the great music that they can’t bring their children to in downtown Athens.

“It also allows neighbors and friends to see each other during the summer, when they otherwise might not be able to.” Castro said. People can come and enjoy each other’s company without having to entertain at their own homes.

Monday June 8, 2009 will be the venue’s first concert. They will begin their “Concert on the Lawn” series with Sons of Sailors, a band known for playing Jimmy Buffett classics. Ashford Manor’s concerts are scheduled every other Monday evening until Sept. 21, 2009.

Recently, the Manor has teamed up with the University of Georgia Music Business Certificate Program to offer students an opportunity to gain valuable experience by working with a newer music venue.

“Ashford Manor is such a unique place, and we’re lucky to have it,” said Alexandra Irvin, a junior romance languages major who is also getting her certificate in music business and working for Ashford Manor this summer. “The closest outdoor venue before would have been in Atlanta.”

Irvin is one of many students who are interning with the Lawn series this summer. “I’d really like to see more students come out and notice this place,” she said. “It’s beautiful.”

“The only downside is the weather in Athens right now” India Waters, a junior speech communications major from Atlanta said. “We planned on going to the kick off with Packway Handle [Band] on Monday, but unfortunately it got rained out.”

Ashford Manor had to reschedule their first concert for later in the summer.

Tickets are $15 for adults, and tables are also available for purchase for 2-4 guests for a single night. A table for two is $125, and a table for four is $160 per night. Both include tickets, table, chairs and linens.

You can contact the venue by calling the Concert Hotline at 706-769-2633 or by e-mailing ashfordmanor@charter.net. Tickets are also available online.

Edited by Jordan Stover

Drought out, but conservation still in

This garden is one of many university projects that resulted from the drought in an effort to lessen its dependence on the municipal water supply.

Photo by Hal Tift

By Hal Tift

The northeast Georgia community can breathe a little easier now that rainfall is approaching normal levels for the first time in several years.

Most government water restrictions have been lifted or eased in the area.

As of early March only the Lanier and Hartwell basins are still classified as being in a drought, said David Stooksbury, assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering at the University of Georgia.

But those two basins have recently been upgraded from “drought” to “mild drought” classification, and the rest of northeast Georgia is officially drought-free for the first time since March 2006, Stooksbury said.

Now that people have experienced the difficulties of an extended drought, Stooksbury is confident that they have come away with a new perspective.

“It has really made it clear to the general public that water is a valuable resource,” he said. “And it is finite.”

The Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources cleared Athens-Clarke County for more relaxed water restrictions beginning on April 8, according to the official Web site of the Athens-Clarke County Public Utilities Department.

Specific information about the reduced water restrictions is available at www.accpublicutilities.com.

While the restrictions have lessened significantly, Stooksbury is hopeful that people will not abandon all the day-to-day concessions that helped them survive the drought. Such concessions include turning the water off while lathering in the shower, using electric shavers to conserve water and many others.

“I think there has been some change in people’s behavior that will last,” he said.

Heather Kinsaul, a senior history major from Thomaston, Ga., said that she reacted to the drought in several ways.

“At home we never had to worry about it,” she said, “but since the drought started I stopped flushing my toilet every time.” She also said she would occasionally shower out of the sink.

While sink-showering may not be a part of her regular routine anymore, Kinsaul said that flushing the toilet only when necessary may be a permanent habit.

It isn’t just individuals who contributed to the water-conserving effort. The University of Georgia responded to the drought in many ways, some of which resulted in permanent changes that will contribute to water conservation permanently.

“The major thing that happened as part of it was about a year-long project where we upgraded all the toilets on campus to low-flow toilets,” said Ken Crowe the director of energy services. “It took about a year to do that. Buildings like the learning center were built at a time when you had to put low-flow toilets in anyway, but the vast majority of our buildings were built way before that.”

Crowe said that most old toilets used roughly 3.5 gallons per flush while new ones use only 1.6 gallons.

Edited by Suha Zakiuddin

Yoga instructor opens new studio

Chet Thomas poses for a picture at his new yoga studio, Om Town Yoga. (Photo/Marcus Crawford)

A chart of the skeletal system at Om Town Yoga. (Photo/Marcus Crawford)

The door to Thomas' studio at Om Town Yoga. (Photo/Marcus Crawford)

By Marcus Crawford

What do an astrologer, a mechanic and Chet Thomas all have in common? All three individuals are concerned with alignment. And while Thomas might not be able to read your horoscope or align your tires, he can definitely give you a workout.

Thomas, the sole instructor at Om Town Yoga, has been practicing yoga for about 10 years. His background is primarily in Iyengar yoga, a method that emphasizes the alignment of mind, body and spirit, but Thomas teaches Hatha yoga at Om Town. Hatha yoga focuses on anatomical alignment in order to develop increased flexibility, strength and stamina.

Om Town Yoga, located at 190 Park Ave., is a relative newcomer to the Boulevard neighborhood that insulates the studio from the commercial cacophony of Prince Avenue. When Thomas opened Om Town Yoga six months ago, he hoped that locating his studio within a residential area would encourage his students to walk or bike to class.

Thomas’ emphasis on the Athens community is even evident in the studio’s name – “Om Town,” which is a play on words meant to remind the reader of “hometown.” Thomas’ communal and intimate approach to yoga has earned him a dedicated and diverse following.

“It’s kind of a mixed range of backgrounds and ages that come to class, ” Thomas said.

Helen Fosgate, the editor UGA Research Magazine, has been going to Om Town Yoga since January 2009. She has been practicing yoga for 10 years due to her desire to maintain flexibility as she ages. Fosgate also noted that students could glean an important life lesson from yoga’s more complex poses.

“The entire point is learning how to relax in difficult places,” Fosgate said.

Yoga poses, or “asanas,” offer different degrees of challenge. The shoulder stand, also known as “Sarvangasana”, can be particularly formidable for those new to yoga. Fortunately, Thomas encourages all of his students to work to their individual limits.

While beginning students at Om Town Yoga might be too exhausted to ponder life skills, Lynn Kovaciny, a longtime student of Thomas’, emphasized the importance of thought in the practice of yoga.

“It’s hard, but you use your brain and body at the same time,” Kovaciny said.

Throughout the class Thomas reinforced the necessity of conscious thought, instructing students to relax their face muscles and keep their limbs active whilst maintaining specific poses.

Thomas holds classes at Om Town Yoga from 6:15 p.m. until 7:45 p.m. on Mondays and from 5:45 p.m. until 7:15 p.m. on Wednesdays. For more information, interested readers can check the studio’s website at http://www.athensomtownyoga.com.

Edited by Lindsay Dobras

New athletic gear protects sick and injured

By Marcie Opraseuth

ATHENS, Ga.—A local sporting good company reinvents its product to serve the needs of special customers undergoing chemotherapy and other medical treatments.

Stan Kanavage, former University of Georgia football player, started Evoshield, a sports protection company. The company uses body-forming shields that mold into a unique fit for each athlete. The shield is lightweight, fits into an athletic shirt and disperses energy on impact.

According to Evan Dewalt, the creative and marketing director, the company is making special shirts in order to accommodate unlikely users of the product, such as people who have medical conditions and would not be able to play sports without protection.

Evoshield has made around 100 special shirts for people who have pacemakers, chemotherapy drips or need organ protection, said David Hudson, vice president and customer service manager. People find the Evoshield website and send requests for the special shirts. In order to make the shirts, the customer mails a sample shirt for sizing and marks where protection is needed.

“They’re all special. That’s why we started the company,” said Stan Payne, national sales manager of Evoshield. “It’s not only for athletes but for any child who wants to play sports.”

Sixty percent of the people that request these protective shields need them to continue playing sports. Forty percent need them just to continue their lifestyles. The shield gives customers a second chance to live a normal life.

“The best part is when the parents call back and say thank you,” said Payne.

Frank Hodges, a Mississippi resident and parent of a 6-year-old boy with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma has ordered a special shirt for his son. Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a type of cancer that attacks the body’s lymph nodes and severely weakens the immune system. His son must undergo a 30-month chemotherapy treatment and has completed one year of the process.

“I was looking for some type of protection,” said Hodges. “It seemed the most customizable.”

For children who have a chemotherapy port, there is a fear that impact may cause serious complications, which will most likely result in surgery. By having protection, these children can live their lives normally without injuring themselves further or causing infection.

The special shirt Hodges’ son uses has a thumb guard that covers the left side of the child’s chest in order to protect the area where the chemotherapy is given.

Other examples of people using Evoshield to continue playing sports include people who were affected by a brutal crime. One man was shot in the chest with a shotgun and has no muscle or bone for protection over his lungs, according to Hudson.

Another example is a man who was stabbed from the heart down to his midsection. His muscles were destroyed, which caused the man to have no protection over his heart.

Edited by Lindsay Dobras

Green toilets help conserve water

Photo by Hal Tift

The Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel has green toilets in the restrooms to help conserve water during the drought.

Edited by Suha Zakiuddin

Coffee shop gets creative

Red Eye Coffee owner Gregg Carey prepares a shot of espresso to show how espresso and milk are added together to make latte art.
Photo by Courtney Smith/Edited by Jordan Stover

By: Courtney Smith

What: Thursday Night Throwdown
When: Tonight, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Red Eye Coffee, located in the Bottleworks building on Prince Avenue.
Cost: $5

Coffee, competition and chess. Bottleworks-area coffee shop Red Eye Coffee is bringing together these three ingredients to create what he hopes is the perfect recipe for cash and community.

In an effort to muster up business and give customers a different kind of coffee shop experience, Red Eye Coffee owner Gregg Carey holds weekly barista throwdown competitions and chess nights to help his customers get to know one another in a comfortable and inviting environment.

“I want to create the kind of coffee shop that I would want to go to,” Carey said. “Most places around town are kind of get 'em in and get 'em out. They have this 'take your espresso and get out of here' attitude or everyone has their computer out typing away and no one talks to each other.”

Carey says he wanted to smash the idea of the quiet and isolated coffee shop and model his business after the bustling espresso bars in Europe where coffee is not just a drink, it is an art.

“I wanted my coffee shop to be a social hub where people can come and meet each other and talk or play games together,” he said. “A coffee shop should be based on customers and coffee as the most important things and the barista throwdown is about not only making the coffee good to drink but also nice to look at like a piece of art.”

According to Carey, the object of the barista competition is to mix the espresso and milk in such a way so that it creates a picture out of the different colors of foam.

“I am actually not very good at latte art myself because it takes a lot of practice but its kind of a fun thing for people to learn how to do and play with because, to my knowledge, no coffee shop in Athens does it so it is new for most people,” he said.

Depending on how the cup is swirled and turned when mixing the espresso with the foamed milk, the picture created can be anything from a heart to a palm leaf or intricate flower, he explained while showing pictures of expertly designed lattes on his computer.

“I think I would actually feel bad drinking that,” Daniel Grace, a psychology major from Macon and the sole customer in the otherwise empty building, said. “I really dont know if I could, I would feel guilty that the counter girl went through all that trouble to design it and then my first sip destroys it.”

According to Jittery Joes' employee Sean Lovell, such a community mentality coupled with group events is exactly what keeps customers coming back to the same coffee shop everyday and what has made Jittery Joes such a success.

"It [holding events] definitely helps business;" he said, "it builds a sense of community and gives the customer a distinct memory of a place so they're more likely to come back."

It is Carey's hope that students returning to Athens for summer session will want to participate in these events with their friends and that the events will build his customer base so that his business will be able to survive and reach the potential he dreamed about when he first opened 6 months ago.

Edited by Jordan Stover

Twitter attracts fans to secret show

By Jordan Stepp

All it took was a single Twitter entry to fill up local venue Tasty World on Wednesday night.

At roughly 4 p.m., people began “tweeting” the news about a secret show at Tasty World featuring Athens band The Whigs. When the band took the stage only a few hours later, it played to a packed house. Word got around quickly to fans through a variety of social networking websites, but the first to break the news was Twitter.

“I follow Flagpole on Twitter, and I got this message on my phone saying that there was a secret show coming up,” said Kayla Bishop, a freshman at the University of Georgia. “I knew I had to tell my friends so I Facebooked it.”

Morgan Klaus, a recent UGA grad, found out about the show in a similar fashion. She had checked her Twitter account moments before, but it took three other people entering the same message before she saw it.

“After that, I just grabbed some of my co-workers, and then they started tweeting about it,” said Klaus.

The Whigs had leaked news of the show only to a few friends and local publications. When Flagpole messaged its followers, they messaged their friends. What used to be called “word of mouth” has given way to the technological era of instant messaging and texting.

The emergence of online social networking has allowed bands like The Whigs to reach out to their fan bases in many new ways. Bands are now using Web sites like Twitter and Facebook to offer fans extra ways to interact with the bands. Besides uploading videos, giving away tickets and creating online forums, today’s bands are reaching out to fans through sudden events only available to Facebook “friends” or Twitter followers.

“We just thought it would be cool to play some new stuff at the show,” said Whigs frontman Parker Gispert. “It was great to see so many people come out for a secret show.”

Fans were thrilled to hear new material.

“I’m really looking forward to their next album,” said Bishop. “It’s awesome that we get a taste of it tonight and for free!”

Edited by Lindsay Dobras

Students aren't the only ones on summer vacation

(PHOTO/Imann Gad)
Outside of the Ramsey Student Center, there is far less foot traffic than usual during the summer.

By Courtney M. Holbrook

ATHENS, GA -- The Ramsey Student Center at the University of Georgia goes through many changes over the summer.

As students venture off to various summer activities, Ramsey adjusts to a new schedule and clientele.

“It’s much less crowded,” said Gretchen Kent, a graduate student studying accounting and a desk assistant at Ramsey. “We start to get new people and we plan a lot of new activities.”

Some of these new activities include summer camps for children that involve everything from swimming to dodge ball.

“Summer is the only time we see more kids than students,” Kent said. “Little kids go off to camp, and it’s in Ramsey.”

But that does not eliminate options for adults and students.

Ramsey offers summer membership rates for $50 – compared to the fall and spring rates of $75—and memberships for students taking classes in the summer are already paid for through student fees.

According to Kent, more non-students use the weight room in the summer. She says the lack of crowds gives adults more time to try new equipment.

Ramsey also begins a new selection of group workout classes including All Access Group Fitness sessions that customers can sign up for at the front desk.

The program provides a variety of options for group instruction including dancing, weight lifting and more.

“I love that I can keep taking dance classes over the summer,” said Maria Kelly, a third year art history major. “It’s so much less crowded. There’s more room to move around!”

Because of the decrease in summer membership, Ramsey’s hours of operation are altered. Monday through Friday, the hours are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday is 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday is noon to 9 p.m.

Despite a more restricted time schedule, the students who stay on campus don’t have many complaints.

“I love Ramsey in the summer,” said Nate Taylor, a fifth year biology major. “You can actually use the weight room without waiting for the equipment.”

Some people are even more inclined to go to Ramsey in the summertime due to the lack of congestion.

“I definitely go to Ramsey more in the summer,” said Kyle Loge, a fourth year microbiology major. “I’ve been going to Ramsey for over two years, and the summer is definitely the best.”

The less crowded, more easily accessible Ramsey Student Center should be taken advantage of immediately, as fall semester and the center's return to congestive normalcy are fast approaching.

Edited by Ben Bussard.

Mind your manors

By Leila Mattimore

A summer music venue is offering an alternative to downtown Athens for students and local residents who want to enjoy the outdoors and listen to great bands.

Ashford Manor, a bed and breakfast in downtown Watskinsville, is just over 20 minutes from the University of Georgia campus.

This summer Ashford Manor will present their 2009 Summer on the Lawn Series including bands such as Lazy B & The Recliners, Randall Bramblett, Grogus and The Highballs.

“Ashford Manor is such a unique place, and we’re lucky to have it,” Alexandra Irvin said, a junior romance languages major who is also getting her certificate in music business and working for Ashford Manor this summer. “The closest outdoor venue before would have been in Atlanta.”

Irvin is one of many students who are interning with the Lawn Series this summer. “We are really trying to get more students to come out and notice this place,” she said.

Edited by Jordan Stover

Correction: Ashford Manor was originally mispelled in the original posting.

Yoga instructor opens new studio (Brief)

Chet Thomas poses for a picture at his new studio, Om Town Yoga. (Photo/Marcus Crawford)

Question: What do an astrologist, a mechanic and Chet Thomas all have in common?

Answer: All three individuals are concerned with alignment. And while Chet Thomas might not be able to read your horoscope or align your tires, he can certainly give you a great workout.

Chet Thomas, the sole instructor at Om Town Yoga, has been practicing yoga for about 10 years. While his background is primarily in Iyengar yoga, a method that emphasizes the alignment of mind, body and spirit, Thomas teaches Hatha yoga. He has a new studio that is located on 190 Park Ave.

Edited by Lindsay Dobras

Staying in shape takes more than a gym membership

(PHOTO/Imann Gad)
The Butts-Mehre building, located off of Lumpkin Street, is where UGA athletes spend most of their time exercising and keeping fit.

By Imann Gad

ATHENS, Ga—Being in shape calls for more than just the frequent visits to the gym but a well-balanced diet as well.

A well-balanced diet depends on healthy but moderate eating habits. Eating smaller portioned meals more times a day is better for the body than a couple of big meals.

Former UGA football player Kelin Johnson knows the importance of a healthy well balanced diet.

“To look good is to feel good,” Johnson said. “In order to live a comfortable life you have to take care of your body.”

Johnson, who was a defensive back from 2004-2007, is currently serving the football team to help players maintain a healthier lifestyle.

“It’s not only about eating right or working out hard,” Johnson said, “it’s about a healthy balance between the two.”

Eating the right foods is a very important factor when it comes to maintaining one’s weight.

Rex Bradberry, strength and conditioning coach for the Georgia Bulldogs, knows that bad eating habits can affect your performance on and off the field.

“Eating a well-balanced diet,” Bradberry said, “increases your energy level on the field and in the classroom.”

Bradberry, who has been with the Bulldogs since 2003, and is currently working on his Phd in Kinesiology maintains a very strict diet.

“I workout everyday,” Bradberry said, “and I make sure that I have five small well-balanced meals.”

The benefits of maintaining a physical regimen are often lost without the combination of an appropriate diet.

Clay Walker, strength and conditioning coach for the Georgia Bulldogs, works with the larger framed players and is aware of the what those players are eating.

“Many of our linemen are big because of the position they play,” Walker said. “It’s more important for them to maintain a well-balanced diet for their position.”

A lot of the players have to adjust their weight depending on their position on the field. If a player needs to gain weight for his position, it is very important that they gain the right weight.

“People may think that gaining weight is easy,” Walker said, “but it can be hard when you place your body on a strict diet.”

Walker, a former Bulldog player who has been a coach since 2002, is currently working on his doctorate in kinesiology with an emphasis in motor development.

Both Bradberry and Walker would agree that eating healthy is a good start to a healthy lifestyle and incorporating a 30-45 minute workout a few days a week is a great way to maintain that lifestyle.

Edited by Ben Bussard.

Jittery Joe's filters trash (brief)

By Bailey Keiger

Jittery Joe's Coffee at the Miller Learning Center is trying to do its part to keep our environment cleaner.

"We recycle all our cardboard and use paper instead of plastic to serve food," said Caleb Nipper, Jittery Joe's general manager.

But despite the store's efforts to encourage recycling, Nipper said it is still difficult for some patrons to follow through.

"We ask people to return coffee cup sleeves, but they don't really," Nipper said. "They see the sign, but don't do anything about it."

Even conveniently placed receptacles next to the shop's drink stand were not doing their job.

"We talked to the learning center's manager about moving recycle bins closer to us,” said Nipper, “but a day after they were moved here they were full of trash, not recycling, so it wasn't worth it.”

Edited by Suha Zakiuddin

New kitchen launches cooking class series

(PHOTO courtesy of Alice Bender)
Alice Bender, the Nutrition Services Coordinator at the University Health Center, shows a student how to chop broccoli for a healthy snack. The class is part of a cooking series the UHC is hosting entitled "Anyone Can Cook."

By Miranda Stancil

The University of Georgia Health Center is offering students the opportunity to spice things up.

Offering $5 cooking classes with a registered dietician, University students will be able to learn how to cook healthily while adding some flavor to their diet.

The series, entitled “Anyone Can Cook,” began May 14 and is being taught in the new nutrition kitchen, which was built as a part of the addition to the University Health Center.

The kitchen is fully stocked with cooking appliances such as skillets, knives and cutting boards. It also has a dishwasher and its refrigerator is stocked with healthy food.

Alice Bender, the nutrition services coordinator at the University Health Center, is teaching the series and thinks the new kitchen is crucial to the education she is able to offer in the classes.

“This gives real life experience to students – they can chop and cook in a kitchen rather than just watching a video or someone else do it,” Bender said.

Bender, who offers individual nutrition counseling to students, thinks it’s beneficial to students to practice preparing healthy dishes.

“From my work with students over the past 15 years, I know that many are interested in preparing more of their own foods in a healthy way,” said Bender, “but most don’t know where to start or don’t have the food preparation knowledge and skills.”

Liz Rachun, health communications coordinator at the University Health Center, said the center is offering the classes because students have continually shown interest in the topic.

“Students are always requesting information about nutritious, inexpensive and easy ways to prepare meals,” Rachun said. “Cooking classes cover all these bases.”

According to the center’s Web site, the cooking class series kicked off with a class featuring the cooking techniques needed to prepare vegetarian meals.

The second class of the series, titled “You Can Take It With You: Eating on the Go,” took place May 20. Students in the class practiced preparing healthy lunches and snacks for days when they can’t make it home to eat.

According to Bender, food safety guidelines are addressed in the classes and students are taught basic preparation techniques like how to chop vegetables, how to sauté or stir fry, and how to modify recipes depending on what they may have on hand or what their preferences are.

Bender believes the series emphasizes the importance that students know certain cooking techniques in order lead a healthy lifestyle.

“It is much easier to have a healthy diet if you prepare your own foods, so having the ability to cook and prepare meals will serve students well not only while they are in college, but also throughout their life,” Bender said.

Kristyna Mauch, a senior majoring in publication management, has taken both of the cooking classes offered and has enjoyed the hands-on education she’s received.

“I moved into an apartment this past January, and I was off of the meal plan for the first time since leaving home,” Mauch said. “I had no idea how to prepare healthy meals, which is important to me because I like to stay fit. The classes have helped me out a lot.”

Mauch plans on attending the rest of the series, which includes a class on May 28 about preparing a balanced breakfast, and a class on June 1 that focuses on cooking with locally grown foods.

The University Health Center will continue to offer cooking classes on a wide range of topics throughout the fall and spring semesters, Rachun said.

Edited by Ben Bussard

Staying healthy takes more than a gym membership

By Imann Gad

ATHENS, Ga—Being in shape calls more than just the frequent visits at the gym but a well balanced diet as well.

A well balanced diet depends on healthy but moderate eating habits. Eating smaller portioned meals more times a day is better for the body than a couple of big meals.

Former UGA football player, Kelin Johnson, knows the importance of a healthy well balanced diet.

“To look good is to feel good,” Johnson said. “In order to liver a comfortable life you have to take care of your body.”

Edited by Ben Bussard.

A new parking lot is part of the health center's remodeling plan.

Photo by Bailey Keiger

Health center gets new wing

By BAILEY KEIGER

The University of Georgia’s health center has recently undergone a massive facelift to better serve the campus community.

“The consensus was that we needed to expand to serve a campus like this,” said Liz Rachun, health communications coordinator for the University Health Center.

The plans for renovations began almost as soon as the original health facility was built in 1997.

“Because of all the construction going on in the area during the Summer Olympics, the cost of building skyrocketed, so the plan had to be scaled down,” Rachun said. “Only now have we been able to get a plan for renovation together to add all the services we originally wanted.”

One of the reasons the remodel took over 10 years to plan and complete was the unique location of the health center.

“Our original plan was to extend the back of the facility, but we discovered that there are a number of historic, old trees back there that we didn’t want to harm,” Rachun said. “So we had to wait ‘til we acquired the money over the years to design a new plan that fit the area.”

According to the health center’s Web site, the new plan consists of a brand new vision clinic, expansions to the dental and women’s clinic, and relocation of the allergy and travel clinic and urgent care clinic to the first floor for easier patient access.

There will also be a health promotions department which will include a fully-functional nutrition kitchen to educate students about food preparation and food health.

“The health promotions department has been around, but the nutrition kitchen will be a new addition to that department,” said Alice Bender, nutritionist II for the health center. “We have not been able to offer classes before, so this will be a great opportunity to help students prepare healthy food and to educate them on food safety.”

Senior Barbara Uhler from Putnam County is looking forward to taking advantages of the new classes.

“I will probably use the classes, since I can’t cook at all,” Uhler said. “They sound like fun.”

Bender said that was the main goal of the nutrition kitchen, to teach those who may not have the skills to prepare healthy meals.

“Lots of people come to college not knowing how to cook, and one thing we’ve learned is that it’s difficult to have a healthy diet without proper cooking skills,” Bender said.

Bender said that this facility is unusual among college campuses.

“I haven’t heard of any other university that offers this. We have to give a lot of credit to our director for being so innovative and allowing us to build this,” Bender said.

The first phase of renovations, which cost $13.7 million, started in February 2008 with a remodeling of the parking lot, and ended in March 2009 when the main lobby area was complete. The full renovations will be complete July 2009 after the original areas of the facility have been remodeled.

Edited by HAL TIFT

How to keep your pets safe this summer

John Holden walks his American Border Collie into the university veterinary school.

Photo by SARA SPIGENER

By SARA SPIGENER

If you’re a pet owner, you should take extra precautions in the summer months to keep your pets healthy.

Overheating is one of the biggest concerns when it comes to pet health in the summer. Keep physical activity to a minimum in the middle of the day. Try exercising your pet in the morning or evening when it is coolest, said Kathy Kero, a veterinarian at the University of Georgia Community Practice Clinic.

Most pet owners know not to leave their pets in a car with the windows up, but animals should never be left in a car under any circumstance. Sometimes, especially in the hottest months of summer, all it takes is a few minutes for the temperature inside the car to reach 100 degrees, said Jeff Stortz, a veterinarian at Oconee Veterinary Hospital.

“You wouldn’t want to be left in your car in the summer, so you shouldn’t do it to your pet,” he said.

Outside pets need extra special attention in the summer months to keep them healthy. Make sure there is plenty of shade where your pet is kept outside, and make sure the pet can get to that shade, said Pat Rives, Athens Animal Control superintendent. If your yard is shaded, but your pet is in a pen or tied up and can’t reach it, it doesn’t do them any good.

Keep an eye on your pet’s food and water that is left outdoors. If you feed your pet outside, don’t let extra food just sit in the bowl. This draws insects such as flies and ants. Fly strike is especially common during the summer months when people leave pet food outside, Rives said. Fly strike is the irritation of animals’ ears due to biting flies that are often attracted by food.

Most owners know to keep a supply of fresh, cool water available to their animals. But a lot of times, pets can knock over their water bowls, Rives said. Make sure that the bowl your pet drinks out of is sturdy. Try using a heavy bucket or check the pet store for water bowls that are sturdy and hard to knock over.

Flies are not the only insects to worry about in the summer. Mosquitoes start to show up when the weather gets warm, and this means increased risk of heartworms for your pet, Stortz said. Dogs should be on preventative medication to guard against heartworms, so talk to your veterinarian if your dog isn’t.

Also, summer is the high season for fleas and ticks that can carry disease and cause irritation and infections. These pests can affect any animal, even inside pets, so it is important to keep your yard trimmed and talk to your vet about preventative measures, he said.

Stortz said that one problem that pet owners don’t really think about during the summer is allergies. His office sees a lot of instances of allergies during the summer when pollens and other allergens get worse. If your pet is scratching a lot, you might want to get it checked for allergies. Not only do plants cause allergies, but many of the plants in bloom during the summer are poisonous and can be fatal, Kero said.

Another problem that owners don’t typically think about is chemical ingestion. Some pet owners keep their pets out of the heat by putting them in the garage, but this can expose animals to hazardous insecticides and fertilizers, Kero said. She has seen numerous cases where pets were exposed to antifreeze when their owners were preparing for vacation.

“Just a couple of laps of antifreeze could kill an animal in only a few hours,” she said.

Keep an eye on your pet during the summer. If there is any sudden change in behavior or diet or if the animal becomes more lethargic than usual, make sure to get it examined by a veterinarian right away, Kero said.

Edited by HAL TIFT.