T-Town Tuesdays: Buffalo Phil's

One thing in common with all college students is that they don’t like to spend their own money. Each student is required to have three hundred dining dollars per semester, so why not put them to good use and eat at Buffalo Phil’s!

            Buffalo Phil’s is a restaurant with many great food options! Their food ranges from delicious chicken tenders and burgers to homemade broccoli and cheese casserole. Not only is the food great, but it also has three convenient locations on campus. The main restaurant is located on the corner across from TCBY on the Strip. Whether you are looking for a laid back bar atmosphere or a sit-down dinner, Buffalo Phil’s on the Strip has it all! The other locations can be found in Lakeside dining hall at the top of the stairs and on the bottom floor of Burke residence hall. If you’re ever looking for a quick midnight snack, these are prime locations.

            Once again, Buffalo Phil’s is an awesome hang out for college students and everyone should experience it! Don’t forget, the best part is that they take dining dollars and have great food!

Thoughts on Thursday: Freshman Fifteen

Everyone’s heard the warnings of packing on the weight during your first year at college, but it is really something you need to worry about? Maybe not. According to the Wall Street Journal, a more pressing concern is actually the “College Creep.” A recent study performed by Jay Zagorsky of the Ohio State University and Patricia Smith of the University of Michigan-Dearborn found the average female gains 8.9 pounds over her college career, while the average male gains 13.4 pounds. Of that weight gain, only 3.1 pounds for females and 3.5 pounds for males occurs during the first college year. Unfortunately doctors worry this slow but steady weight gain is setting precedence for the rest of your adult life with unhealthy college habits.

 So while it may be tempting to indulge in an excess of delicious dining hall food, chow down on processed snacks during late-night study sessions, or down one too many of a certain calorie-heavy beverage,  just remember people who are overweight are more likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, breathlessness, and joint problems down the road. Even if your adolescent metabolism allows a poor diet without weight gain, getting the proper nutrients and plenty of water is key to having energy and focus. And if you’ve never been to the University Recreation Center, you’re missing out! You can read about all it has to offer here: http://urec.ua.edu/. With the aquatic center and climbing wall, avoiding the College Creep may be less work than you think!

T-Town Tuesdays: Mugshots

There are so many fun and exciting places to hang out, have a good time, and get some GREAT food in T-town.  One of my personal favorites if Mugsots Grill and Bar. Located right downtown on Greensboro Avenue right next to The Shirt Shop, Mugshots offers great food and drinks, a fun atmosphere, and a fair price.  They have a wide variety of foods on the menu (delicious appetizers, salads, soups, pastas, desserts, etc.), however, they are most known around T-town for their mouth-watering burgers and beer-battered fries!  From the classic "middleburger", an 8 oz. hunk of beef piled high with mayo, mustard, fresh lettuce and tomatoes, pickles and onions, to the "walkerburger", a burger smothered in blue cheese crumbles, lettuce, tomato. pickles, and a light coat of blue cheese dressing, you will not struggle with a lack of options.  If you're really hungry or just up for a challenge, "The MUGSHOT" is the option for you!  "The MUGSHOT" is a monstrous 3 patty high burger with strips of bacon, cheddar and swiss cheese, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, and red onion.  If you finnish the whole thing in 12 minutes, the meal is on them!

If you're hungry or just looking for a good time, Mugshots Grill and Bar is the place for you!  Roll tide.

Major Madness: Exercise and Sports Science

Do you ask yourself how the body works? Do you wonder how it recovers from injuries? If you are interested in the peculiarities of the human body and its performance then you may consider majoring in Exercise and Sports Science, a division of the College of Education. Exercise and Sport Science is a major mainly targeted toward Pre-Physical Therapy students and students interested in sports-related fields. The great thing about this major is that the requirements for physical therapy school are built into the program, unlike other majors in which those requirements are in addition to the degree. You pick three concentrations within this major to study (only two if one of them is the pre-professional concentration). The concentrations include fitness, nutrition, business, health promotion, coaching/sport skills, disability sports, and a pre-professional track. Not only are the classes included in this degree interesting, but they are helpful to many medical professions. Going into graduate school with a foundational knowledge of body parts, how they work, how they move, and how to fix them will be a huge advantage and a jumpstart into your chosen career. This degree can be helpful in many fields such as private and corporate wellness, cardiac rehabilitation, physical therapy, YMCAs, park and recreation departments, university recreation, personal training, and exercise physiology. The degree requires 34 hours of kinesiology classes with 36-39 additional hours for the concentrations. The concentrations support a well rounded knowledge of not only kinesiology but also fields that would further a career in a kinesiology-related field. 

Monday Major Madness: Chemistry

Do you enjoy learning about electrons and the bonds they form?  Does the way molecules interact with each other interest you?  How about acids and bases?  If so, chemistry is the major for you!  When pursuing a chemistry degree, there are four degree options: Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or Marine Science.

As an undergraduate working towards a chemistry degree, you can get more involved with the chemistry department by participating in undergraduate research.  This is beneficial because it builds your resume and also helps you put the concepts you learn in class into a real life situation for better understanding.  Undergraduate research also helps you become more acquainted with the faculty, graduate students, and other undergraduates in the department.  There are several undergraduate research opportunities (yes, even for freshmen) within different areas of chemistry such as organic, inorganic, physical, analytical, and biochemistry.

After you have your degree, you have several career options.  Most students at UA that graduate with a degree in chemistry go into a health profession or graduate studies.  With a chemistry degree, you could become a biochemist, pharmacist, dentist, or professor; you could even work for the government in research and development.

For a list of chemistry major requirements visit: www.ua.edu/majors/chemistry.html.

If you are interested in the chemistry department or want to become involved in undergraduate research visit: www.bama.ua.edu/~chem.