I Thursday, Sept. 9,2010 UHS to offer free yoga classes weekly By Mike Hricik COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER Karla Hudecek never imagined herself teaching yoga But she attended a class 12 years ago after lifting weights to see what it was about and felt a connection. “It wasn’t just stretching. It was wonder ful,” Hudecek said. Penn State students and faculty interest ed in achieving peace of mind and body through yoga can now do it for free on cam pus through University Health Services (UHS). Yoga instructors Hudecek and Amy Rumbel, an instructor at the State College Area Family YMCA, teach the classes, UHS Staff Assistant Liz Barton said. Hudecek, a yoga instructor with the Department of Kinesiology who teaches classes at the White Building, said there are a number of reasons why college stu dents should do yoga. “College students spend so much time in their mind. There’s often times this discon nect between the body and the mind,” Hudecek said. “Your body has a lot of wisdom if you’re willing to listen. That’s what yoga has to offer.” No skill level or flexibility is required for students who want to begin taking yoga, Barton said. Skills learned on the mat can be utilized in daily life, Hudacek said like dealing with insomnia, stress, emotions and focus. Rumbel said the weekly yoga program began with a wellness series that UHS con ducted last year that included programs like nutrition, meditation and yoga. The yoga class became so popular among stu- Activist to oversee government carp control By John Flesher ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER John Goss, an environmental activist and former state official from Indiana, was appointed Wednesday as the Obama admin istration’s point man in the fight to prevent Asian carp from gaining a foothold in the Great Lakes. Goss will oversee efforts by fed eral, state and local agencies to halt the advance of bighead and silver carp, which are on the verge of invading Lake Michigan Military bans game sale By Anne Flaherty ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER WASHINGTON Military bases across the U.S. have banned the sale of a new video game that lets a player pretend to be a Taliban fighter and “shoot” U.S. troops in Afghanistan. “Medal of Honor” by Electronic Arts a major game developer based in Redwood City, Calif. hits stores Oct. 12. Gamers are scoffing at the decision, saying that advanced technology has made it common place in the gaming world to let players switch sides and play the bad guy. After public protests, including by British Defense Secretary Liam Fox, U.S. military officials decided not to stock the game in any of the nearly 300 base exchange shops. The game also won’t be sold at any of the 49 Game Stop stores located on various mil itary bases. Troops will be allowed to own copies, but they would have to buy them off-base. “We regret any inconvenience this may cause authorized shoppers, but are opti mistic that they will understand the sensi tivity to the life-and-death scenarios this product presents as entertainment,” said Maj. Gen. Bruce Casella, who commands the Army & Air Fbrce Exchange Service, which oversees more than 180 base exchange shops. Casella made the decision last week, with the Navy quickly following suit. Kathleen Martin, a spokeswoman for the Navy Exchange Service Command, said 1/2 iflia Mi BESTf^llnt lf you go What Yoga classes When: Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Where: Student Health Center room 205 Details: Free; students can bring their own mats dents that UHS decided to continue the program this year, Rumbel said. Free yoga classes will be held throughout the year on Thursday nights. Hudecek said the response she gets from students who have never done yoga before in her classes is overwhelmingly positive. “I had a student tell me just on Friday, ‘I don’t know if it’s yoga or what but I used to get so stressed out about the littlest things, but now I can breathe and handle any thing,”’ Hudecek said. Breathing techniques taught in yoga classes can induce the body into an automatic state of relaxation, Hudecek said. Penn State student Megan Ruffe said taking yoga at the White Building helps her relieve stress. “It’s relaxing. After a Stressful day and a lot of activities it’s good to wind down,” Ruffe (sophomore-division of undergradu ate studies) said. Yoga classes are also offered through the Department of Kinesiology. For the spring semester, Yoga (Kines 077) and Advanced Yoga (Kines 077 A) will both be offered for Health and Physical Activity credits. through Chicago-area waterways. Scientists say if the prolific carp become established in the lakes, they could damage the food web and a $7 billion regional fishing industry. For four years, Goss has served as executive director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Indiana affiliate. Previously, he was director of the state Department of Natural Resources and also served as vice chairman of the Great Lakes Commission, an agency repre- the game won’t be sold at any of the Navy’s 104 exchange shops “out of respect for the men and women serving and their fami lies.” Past versions of the 11-year old “Medal of Honor” game have been set in World War H, allowing players to act as either members of the Allied force or the Nazi regime. The latest version is set in modern Afghanistan, where some 140,000 U.S. and NATO troops are fighting the Taliban. The story is told through a small group of char acters known as “Tier 1” operators, elite fighters who take their orders directly from the president and defense secretary. “Operating directly under the National Command Authority, a relatively unknown entity of hand-picked warriors are called on when the mission must not fail,” an online description of the video game by Electronic Arts says. The website does not advertise the fact that the multiplayer version allows a play er to role-play as a member of the Taliban. One online promotion features video interviews with Special Operations person nel who the company says served as con sultants to improve the authenticity of the game. The faces of the men interviewed were blurred and their names not given. “By me being a part of it, I at least have some say on how toe community is repre sented,” one man says. Britain’s Pox said last month that he was “disgusted and angry” by what was a “tasteless product.” Pox called on retailers to show their support by not selling it. LOCAL & NATION To e-mail reporter mjhsso7@psu.edu senting the region’s eight states. Goss “will help to ensure coor dination among government agencies and the most effective response across all levels of gov ernment to this threat,” said Nancy Sutley, head of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. He also will be Sutley’s primary adviser on the carp problem and will be in charge of carrying out a $78.5 million federal strategy, which calls for a series of techno logical and infrastructure DOUGH BOY FRESH Christine Reckner/Collegian Chris Uhlhorn (sophomore-actuarial science) throws the dough of the pizza he's making up in the air during his shift at Canyon Pizza on Sunday afternoon. upgrades. Upgrades could inlude strengthening an electronic barri er on the man-made waterway linking Lake Michigan with the Illinois River. Critics say the plan lacks clear goals and timetables and is weak because it does not endorse clos ing navigational locks and gates in Chicago that could give the carp an opening to the lake an issue that has sharply divided the region. Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota and Pennsylvania have learn well ♦ live well lionscrossing.com nittanycrossingpa.com collegeparkpa.com The Daily Collegian filed a federal lawsuit seeking to shut dawn the locks and perma nently sever the link between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds. A hearing on the case was continuing Wednesday. Illinois officials say closing the locks wouldn't necessarily keep the carp from getting through, but would devastate Chicago-area barge and tour boat operators and drive up costs for businesses that depend on waterborne cargo ship ments.
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