By Megan Bruner

1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
2. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
3. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines
4. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
5. The Iliad by Homer
6. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
7. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
8. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
9. Night by Elie Wiesel
10. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austin

(Books are in no particular order)

By Shelley Garrett

Freshman 15, two words that are known to haunt many freshman students.  Rumor has it that when students leave home and move in on campus, they tend to gain weight, hence the name “freshman 15.”

Many believe that the true culprit of the freshman 15 is the food served in the cafeteria.  So the question is whether or not these two dreaded words are just a myth or an actual fact?  If you’re a student who lives on campus, you have most likely gotten the opportunity to become well-acquainted with the cafeteria and the food they serve. 

Some students believe that many healthy choices are not provided and that it is because of the lack of healthy choices that the freshman 15 even exists. One upperclassman said, “I feel that the only option they give you to eat healthy is the salad. When they do serve fresh vegetables they taste as if they are loaded with butter.”

Another student said, “It is definitely not easy to maintain a healthy diet considering the only thing good to eat is usually the pizza and not so many healthy choices are given, especially on the weekends.” Some athletes even feel that is hard to maintain a healthy diet on what is served in the cafeteria.

One football player said, “I think the problem isn’t that they don’t serve healthy food; the problem is that they don’t have enough variety, and the food they do have doesn’t fill me up. I don’t get enough nutrients when I eat there so when I leave I feel as if I just go out and eat junk food.”

To other students, the cafeteria is great for helping them maintain a healthy diet and avoid weight gain. The caf gives plenty of choices throughout the day that satisfies each student’s particular nutritional needs. One freshman said, “Even as a picky eater I still feel like it’s easy to find something good and healthy to eat in the cafeteria.” Another student said that you can usually find something to eat in the cafeteria that is somewhat healthy.

Do you ever wonder what goes on behind the swinging double doors of the cafeteria? How much thought truly goes into what is being cooked for students? Are the menus planned out carefully or are they just slapped together?

While interviewing Billy Hicks, Executive Chef, I asked him his own personal opinions of the food served along with how the caf goes about planning meals for each month. Hicks stated, “We try to make each meal balanced. We do this by making sure that all food groups are met in each meal. We also have this new program called “Just for You.” This is where we try to bake, grill and steam foods instead of settling with fattening fried food. In order to maintain flavor without adding those extra calories, we use olive oil instead of vegetable oil or butter. There are many food stations available to students as well that host several different food options. For the veggie lovers who search for more than just a salad, we host a vegetarian station. On some days it may have vegetable lasagna, other days it may have steamed vegetables or even risotto.  Along with the vegetarian station, we offer stations like the dessert bar, a place to make smoothies, waffles, wraps and sandwiches, fruit, pizza and hamburgers. The students have plenty of healthy choices, it just all depends on whether or not they want to take advantage of them.”

The cafeteria staff seems to put much thought into every single meal that is cooked. If you are wondering how they decide what to cook each day it’s by a tool called a “menu builder.” It gives tons of options for them to cook. First they look through it and decide what meals they know students would not eat. Then they go back through and decide what meals would be best. They also look back at previous dates to see whether or not an item was successful or not.

Hicks also says, “We will try to accommodate everyone’s needs. Whether you are lactose intolerant or on a special diet, most of the options we have are very accommodating. If by chance we don’t have something students would like they can always make a request. Soon we will have at the stations nutritional information about each meal. This will help students known what types of foods are better than others. We are even looking into a “water bar,” a place that would have different types of fruit like berries, lemons, etc., for students to add to their water. We’re hoping that this may encourage students to lay off the soda and drink more water. It all truly comes down to this; 10 to 1 students go for the greasy cheeseburger over the vegetables. Students choose what they eat. Our job is to provide a variety of healthy options for students, whether they take it is their decision.”

The cafeteria also provides a menu online for each day. Along with the menu it also provides nutritional facts and information on allergies. If you are searching for more information, check out the Web site, http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CSSE/CharlestonSouthern/.  So, is it possible for students to maintain a healthy diet while eating selections served in the cafeteria? Looks like you’ll just have to decide for yourself.

This is a list of majors that will give you the most money back to pay off all of those school loans (Assuming you can find a job in this rough economy)!

Some of the lowest paying majors offered at CSU include sociology (focused on social work), elementary education and music.  Want to find out the average salary of your major? Check the list.

Interested in a low paying major?  Find out ways to boost your income while still having a career you love, click here.

A planning meeting for the Costa Rica Eco-Tour 2011 will be held Sunday Nov. 1st at 3:00 PM in the Brewer Center.

Call (843) 870-4216 for more information.

For Date Night: Last Chance Harvey (December 26)

 For Girls Night Out: New Moon (November 20)

 For the Boys:  Armored (December 4) 

 For a Big Group: Old Dogs (November 25)

 Kid’s Movie (That College Kids Really Like): Where the Wild Things Are (October 16)

 Horror Flick:  The Fourth Kind (November 6)  

 Sci-Fi:  2012 (November 13)

 Novel Based: The Road (November 25)

 Remake: Sherlock Holmes (December 25)

 Biography: Amelia (October 23)

 By Megan Bruner

1.   Habitat for Humanity

     Habitat for Humanity helps those in need by building houses for families.  It can be a one-time project or a semester-long endeavor. You can get involved by contacting Melissa Bell at CSU at mbell@csuniv.edu.

2. Charleston Animal Shelter (SPCA)

     This volunteer opportunity is perhaps the most fun of all! Their volunteer tasks include playing with kittens, walking dogs, and feeding the animals.  Check out their wWeb site at www.charlestonanimalsociety.org.

3. Goodwill

     Goodwill needs volunteers to help with mock interviewing, food drives, and other community events.  If you’re crunched for time, you can always help out by going through your old clothes and donating things that don’t fit, or that you don’t wear to their drop-off locations.  Find out more about their volunteer opportunities at this link: http://www.goodwill.org/page/guest/about/howweoperate/volunteer

4. Crisis Ministries

     Crisis Ministries strives to provide shelter and food for the poor in downtown Charleston, as well as present the gospel message of hope and love.  You can fill out a volunteer application as well as register for an orientation by logging on to http://www.charlestonhomeless.org/.

5. My Sister’s House

     My Sister’s House provides emergency shelter and help-line to women who are victims of domestic violence.  They especially need volunteers who can speak both English and Spanish to act as translators.  Find out more at http://www.mysistershouse.org/.

6. The American Cancer Society

     The American Cancer Society hosts several events and programs that benefit those suffering from cancer.  You can find out how to volunteer in the Charleston area by visiting http://www.cancer.org/docroot/EMP/EMP_2_Volunteers.asp?sitearea=EMP&level=1.

7. Trident Literacy Association

     Did you know that at least 15 percent of people in the tri-county area are illiterate? The Trident Literacy Association recruits volunteers to help adults learn to read and write so they may apply for jobs and lead a more rewarding life.  For more information, check out http://www.tridentlit.org/volunteer.htm.

8. Ronald McDonald House

     The Ronald McDonald House provides housing for families with critically ill children who have been hospitalized.  Their house is located very close to MUSC, and they are always in need of volunteers.  You can fill out a volunteer form at http://www.lovebuilds.org/Volunteer.asp.

9. Meals on Wheels Summerville

     The Summerville base location of Meals on Wheels is always in need of helpers to assist in packaging meals in the kitchen.  You must be 18 to volunteer and participate in a short orientation.  You can find out more about how to get involved at www.dycon.com/svillemeals.

10. Boys and Girls Clubs (Trident Area)

     The Boys and Girls clubs provide opportunities for mentoring young people.  Volunteer tasks include homework help, substance abuse prevention, as well as just having fun playing sports or doing other activities with the kids. You can sign up to be a mentor at www.bgclubta.org.