Julie Homerding

The T-shirt orders, apartment crawl lineups and early morning breakfast plans with friends and visitors are U of I student’s plans for the first Friday of March every year. Built up with anticipation, Unofficial 2013 has already passed and now Spring Break plans are the primary focus.But what about everyone that is studying abroad? Because traveling to other countries can happen just about any weekend, not just during spring break, obviously heading to Dublin, Ireland for Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day was the best choice.

I kicked off my Unofficial by heading to the Guinness factory with the Illinois students from my program, we even invited the students in our program from different Universities to join in on our Illini tradition. We learned about how Guinness is made, touring through the steps and history of Mr. Arthur Guinness, the owner of the Irish brew.

After the tour, we wandered around Dublin exploring, and headed over for a traditional Irish dinner filled with bangers and mash, fish and chips, Guinness and Bulmers, an Irish cider.

On Friday morning, everyone from my study abroad program headed out to the pubs to meet up with other Illinois students that made their way to Dublin for the weekend. We spent the afternoon catching up on our European adventures, listening to live Irish music and getting into the Irish culture.

As I was walking down the main quad this past week, I noticed a student with a yellow shirt that read, “Run Strong, Live Strong.” Livestrong, a slogan made famous by world-renowned bicyclist Lance Armstrong, has brought courage and empowerment to individuals for the past 8 years.

Lance Armstrong created the Livestrong Foundation after his victory over testicular cancer, and this charity continues to prosper thanks to the continued support of its founder, his sponsors and his fans. While the ideals of the Livestrong campaign are achievement and dedication, recently, the man behind the name has been stripped of his titles and accomplishments, going against everything the iconic yellow bracelets stand for.

In August, Armstrong, winner of seven Tour de France titles, was accused of “doping” throughout his career. Armstrong initially denied the allegations, but he then abruptly changed his stance, falling strangely quiet on the issue while rumors continued to spread.

According to the New York Times, Armstrong said, “There comes a point in every man’s life when he has to say, ‘enough is enough…For me, that time is now.” 

Food. It’s a necessity. Not only to survive, but also an essential aspect in many socializing activities, business events and celebrations. Ironically enough, food, a staple in our society which brings people together, has torn others apart in the past week. The controversy between the Chick-fil-A fast-food chain restaurants and the opinions, religion, gay-rights and humanism have risen to a series of events.

Taking a few steps back to 1967 when the first Chick-fil-A restaurant was established, Truett Cathy created a food chain of success which has grown to over 1,600 chains across the United States to serve what is known as “America’s Best Quick-Service Restaurant,” according to the official website, www.chick-fil-a.com and mission statement. Although this may be known as “America’s Best,” this may not stand what is best for America.

Dan Cathy, son of Truett, currently holds the position as President of the company and also holds true to his Christian lifestyle. According to an article from The Christian Post, Cathy said on The Ken Coleman Show, “I think we are inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, 'We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage. I pray God's mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about.’”

Since Cathy’s comments were revealed, his supporters and opposers took action last week to support their own morals.

The kick-off to summer has arrived. Beach dates, pool parties and spending time outdoors will be on the list of many Collegiette’s’ agendas. With some fun in the sun this season, a few characteristics come with the summer territory; one in particular is a bronzed tan. With time off from schoolwork, tanning and relaxing become a part of the summer schedule. Avid tanners may even prepare for the main event during the spring by indoor tanning. While indoor tanning may be second nature for this generation of Collegiette’s, the new ban on indoor tanning for minors may change the way for the future.

In Chicago, the City Council voted in favor to ban the usage of tanning beds for anyone under the age of 18. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th) led the way to secure the ban. The decision was made to fine whomever violates this up to $250. Spray-on tans, bronzers and private tanning devices were not included in the ban, as stated.

Aside from the city of Chicago, the state of Illinois allows minors over the age of 14 to use indoor tanning beds with the consent of a legal guardian. The Nation Conference of State Legislators states that the restriction of minors using tanning beds under the age of 18 with parental consent is the law in most cases across the nation, but it is legally banned for minors in California and Vermont under legislation. http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/health/indoor-tanning-restrictions-for-minors.aspx