Top five snowboarding websites

EasyLoungin

A small forum with some of the best discussions on topics from riding techniques to next year’s gear. EasyLoungin also has an active classifieds section to buy and trade snowboarding gear.

Shayboarder

A small blog run through the eyes of a female rider living and working in Mammoth. The author has done some very hard work in the previous years making friends with people in the industry, and the result is some very informative interviews with industry professionals.

GearTrade

While not a website specifically dedicated to snowboarding, Geartrade has a massive assortment of used goods for sale, ranging from boards to outerwear. With some patience and attention to detail, you can easily find some great deals.

YoBeat

A blog-ish website that features a multitude of content, from small reader-submitted video edits, to interviews with pro riders. Its motto is “making fun of snowboarding since 1997.”

R/snowboarding

A section of the main website Reddit, R/snowboarding, a sub-Reddit, is probably the most beginner-friendly place for people with questions. The community has a very varied skill base, and hosts discussion topics for all types of riders.

- By Wyatt Christiansen 

Five health myths you probably believe

1.  Coffee stunts your growth

http://kidshealth.org/teen/expert/nutrition/coffee.html

   Forget what your parents told you as a child. Coffee doesn’t actually stunt your growth. In fact, there’s no scientific proof supporting the theory. However, coffee does contain caffeine, which can lead to anxiety and heart problems.

2. Cracking your knuckles leads to arthritis

http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/musculoskeletal/question437.htm

   Whenever you crack your knuckles, bubbles of gas burst in between your joints, creating the all-too-familiar popping sound. These bubbles reappear in approximately twenty minutes allowing you to crack your knuckles again. The reality is that anyone is prone to arthritis whether you crack your knuckles or not. So, go knuckle-cracking to your heart’s content.

3. Shaving makes hair grow back thicker

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hair-removal/an00638

   Contrary to popular belief, hair doesn’t grow back thicker. The newly grown hair just seems thicker; unlike the hair that was there before, the follicles have not been worn down yet (making them thinner).

4. You only use a small percentage of your brain

http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/nervous-system/10-brain-myths10.htm

   While it may be true that sometimes we do not use our brains to their full potential, it’s not true that we only use a small percentage of our brains. In fact, our brains are always active (even while we sleep), making each area of the brain important. If we didn’t use every area of our brains, we wouldn’t be able to function normally. 

5. It takes 7 years to digest swallowed gum

http://www.dukehealth.org/health_library/health_articles/myth_or_fact_it_takes_seven_years_to_digest_chewing_gum

   Remember – it’s not the stomach that does the digesting; it’s the small and large intenstines. So even though the human stomach cannot break down gum, it doesn’t stay in your stomach for years. Gum doesn’t have superpowers allowing it to stick to the walls of your stomach, so swallowing gum is actually harmless. It goes in one end and comes out the other just like anything else, though it takes intestines more work.

- By Claudia Preciado 

Test your knowledge: 2011 pop culture trivia

1. How long did Kim Kardashianʼs marriage last?

a. 14 days
b. 45 days
c. 72 days

d. 104 days

2. What were Steve Jobs' last words?

a. Continue my legacy!
b. Oh wow! Oh wow! Oh wow!
c. Goodbye world!

d. I see Jesus!

3. Which of the following is the top selling DVD of 2011?

a. Tangled
b. Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn
c. Bridesmaids

d. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

4. Which artist sold the most albums in 2011?

a. Rihanna
b. Lady Gaga
c. Adele

d. Katy Perry

5. Who said the following: "You and this show have been the great love of my life. This last show is really about me saying thank you ... it is my love letter to you."

a. Charlie Sheen

b. Oprah Winfrey

c. Selena Gomez

d. Skyler Samuels

6. In “Bachelorette,” who did Ashley pick?

a. JD
b. Berry
c. Ben

D. Grant

7. Which competitor was the winner of “Dancing with the Stars”?

a. Ricki Lake
b. Rob Kardashian
c. Derek Hough

d. J.R. Martinez

8.  Which of the following people did not die in 2011?

a. Michael Jackson

b. Amy Winehouse

c. Kim Jong-il

d. Osama bin Laden

9. What did Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon name their twins?

a. Knox Leon and Vivienne

b. Hudson and Julitta

c. Adrian and Adriana

d. Moroccan and Monroe

10. What date did the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton take place?

a. May 12, 2011

b. February 23, 2011

c. April 29, 2011

d. November 6, 2011

answers: 1.c 2.b 3.d 4.c 5.b 6.a 7.d 8.a 9.d 10. c

Score: 

7+: You probably stalk the tabloids, but it's okay. Good job!

4-6: Brush up on your pop culture. 

<3: Where were you, under a rock? 

- By Melissa Tong 

Home for the Homeless: part one

   As part of our capstone project for the School for Ethics and Global Leadership in Washington, D.C., a semester school I attended last year, each student was asked to set up a social venture project. We could set up any club or organization that would help the greater community. Because the Club for Christ takes monthly trips to Pomona Promise, a local church that feeds the homeless, I figured I could use the connections I’ve already made. As we prepared to have our projects presented to the partnering Ashoka (a global citizen sector), I began to think about why I picked Pomona Promise to be part of my social venture project.

   As I thought of our trips to Pomona Promise, I knew that handing out food was not enough. Every time my fellow peers and I take a trip there, we usually sit down to talk to the people we meet. I suddenly realized that it’s the communicative experience that makes the trip precious. People with no jobs, no homes, no family will open up and tell us about their experiences – they come from all walks of life.

   I came to realize that this isn’t about “us” helping “them.” We have learned so much from the homeless. They have taught us lessons learned in the past, hardships they have endured, and the perseverance to keep going, when shelter is something they can’t afford.

  We have gained so much from volunteering at Pomona Promise. It’s not about staying in the kitchen to prepare the food, rather, it’s talking to the people who have experienced much more than most of us will ever know. This social venture is dedicated to blogging the stories of the many men and women we have met, starting with the weekly pastor of Pomona Promise himself, Craig Chisolm. Visit the blog dedicated to my project: http://home4thehomeless.blogspot.com/

- By Yiwa Lau 

Stop procrastinating!: Top nine ways to get back to work

   When was the last time you said you’d stop procrastinating…tomorrow? Let’s face it: at Webb, it is not that difficult to stop procrastinating no matter how many AP classes you’re taking. Ever wake up from a nap at 8 a.m. that was supposed to last 10 minutes? I faced the same situation in the beginning of junior year. These days, I usually go to sleep at 11:00 p.m., while maintaining my GPA with four AP classes, along with the notorious Honors Spanish 3 class with Sr. Valera. 

Here it goes…

1. Wake up early in the morning if you did not finish your homework. It may sound painful (it is), but try to keep in mind why you are striving for the best and the reason why you came to Webb. Splash your face with water and wake up. Then sit down at your desk and finish your homework. Make sure you don’t blast distracting music, because it won’t help you focus, though it might pump you up.

2. The notorious morning free block… Finishing just two classes’ worth of homework during a free blocks will mean more sleep when you really need it. Just think about your friends who use their free blocks for sleeping and do homework the day before (or the day) it is due to motivate you.

3. After afternoon activities, we all know that there is an hour or two before dinner starts. Use that time. Bring an hour’s worth of homework to afternoon activities, and finish some work in the dining hall while waiting for food. When I have a speech or a writing assignment due, I only bring my iPhone, and work the magic. I find it easier to be creative after activities.

4. After dinner (which, by the way, should only take 20 minutes), there is another hour or two to finish homework study hours officially start. This takes away from socializing time and all that, but use the days when you’ve finished your homework to have fun and hang out without interruption.

5. There will always be those days when you end up staying up into the wee hours of the morning. Just give it all you got and when you crash, clear your mind of homework and fill your mind with images of your most recent crush. You’ll be out seconds. Remember to set your alarm clock!

6. Along with using your time efficiently on the weekends, it is not necessary sleep in until 11 a.m. on a Saturday or Sunday morning and leave it all to Sunday night. Waking up at 8 a.m. or even 9 will not kill you or make your day depressing. I promise. You do not need 11 hours of sleep, not even as a junior or a senior!

7. Planning is key. It may sound cliché, but think about it: every goal that you set at the end of the day is like an exciting mission. Check off every homework assignment that you do on your planner and feel the satisfaction of accomplishing each mission. And let your final reward be a satisfying “A.”

8. This goes along with efficient planning: study for tests ahead of time. Webb life will become easier than ever.

9. If you have free time, do take some time to just hang out and enjoy yourself. Keeping well-rested is another key to success.

- By Thomas Kim