Photo by Chelsea Dunfee

Pint glasses of Red Bull line the bar with shot glasses filled with Jägermeister balancing on the rims. A crowd forms as the first shot is tipped over, creating a chain reaction and knocking over shot after shot. Eager hands reach for the glasses as the final shot makes it tumultuous splash, ending yet another successful “Jäger-train.”

But as it turns out, students are getting more than just entertainment out of this lighthearted way to consumer Jägerbombs— they’re getting intoxicated faster without knowing it. As the consumption of energy drinks and alcohol becomes more popular, people may be inclined to develop a dependency on alcohol, according to a study by the University of Florida published in April in the journal “Addictive Behaviors.”

“Drinkers [may] underestimate their levels of intoxication and consume larger quantities of alcohol,” says Dennis Thombs, co-author of the study and associate professor in the Department of Behavioral Science and Community Health at UF. In a 2008 study, Thombs theorizes that this may increase the tolerance for alcohol, creating a “chronic pattern of drinking.”

Energy drinks use alone has grown exponentially in the last several years and become a necessary part of college life as a quick perk for the sleep deprived, according to “Beyond the Buzz: Inside Energy Drinks,” an article from the summer 2008 issue of College Avenue. Mix that with alcohol, and students may have an evolved addiction, merging two into one.

While bars are seemingly making profit from Jägerbombs and other similar beverages, the debate is on among students about whether consuming the drinks provides an added perk or pitfall.

“I get really tired when I drink, so having a little bit of an upper makes the experience that much better,” says Jordan Kelly, a sophomore biological sciences major. “The fact that it’s double the high gives energy drinks and alcohol its appeal. You can have the best of both worlds. You can drink without feeling like you’re going to pass out.”

And these actions are exactly what the CSU Health Network wants students to avoid. The consequences of mixing alcohol with high-caffeine beverages is a riskier alternative to drinking alcohol alone, says Jane Higgins, a medical doctor and staff physician at Hartshorn Health Services.

“You get the depressant effects of alcohol and you get the increased perception of performance enhancement from energy drinks,” she says. “Your skills are worse, but you think they’re better.”

Abbie Jefferson, a junior psychology major, says she doesn’t enjoy mixing energy drinks and alcohol, and she makes an effort to avoid the drinks.

“Energy drinks taste [bad], and I don’t like what’s in them,” Jefferson says. “If you’re going to drink something with alcohol, stick with coffee or [soda], not something with so many chemicals in it.”

In Thomb’s study, he explains there are more than added chemicals in energy drinks that contribute and encourage the behavior produced when mixing an energy drink with alcohol, just to mask the taste of alcohol, which may affect how fast a drink is consumed.

“It masks the liquor pretty well,” says Jeremy Kempter, owner of Luscious Nectar, a bar located on Linden and Jefferson streets. “People may drink it faster, which may [also] play a role in it. The energy drinks have a strong overwhelming flavor with a lot of sugar.”

Tiffany Knauer, a sophomore communication studies major, is an energy drink and alcohol fan. But the appeal for Knauer doesn’t have anything to do with the delayed awareness of intoxication.

“I usually drink six nights a week and I probably drink alcohol with energy drinks about three times a week,” Knauer says as she sits inside Luscious Nectar with a Red Bull and vodka in front of her. “I personally think that alcohol is alcohol, and people are just trying to find reasons for their behavior. All an energy drink is [is] sugar. You might get a little hyper, but it’s the alcohol that’s the issue.”

Sugar and alcohol aside, caffeine is the ultimate suspect that plays a large role in the effects of mixing the two conflicting substances. Thombs keeps this in mind, and in a phone interview, says he intends to monitor the caffeine levels in blood tests for a future follow-up study.

Despite the risky conclusions, Kempter, who says it’s not unusual to go through two cases or 48 cans of Red Bull a week, can believe the findings, although he has no real way of confirming them.

“It’s not like we have a problem with people who drink [energy drinks and alcohol],” he says. “[Those] people aren’t more rowdy than anyone else so there’s just no indication, but it’s not something we make a point to monitor.”

Meanwhile, less than a mile away, Bob Pischer, the general manager of Trailhead Tavern, goes through up to 120 cans, or five cases, in a week because of the Jägerbomb’s popularity. But he’s more skeptical than worried about any ban on serving energy drinks with alcohol, saying the news coverage is just another media scare.

“Alcohol was promoting risky behavior way before [mixing it with] energy drinks, and I don’t think that energy drinks promote that,” he says. “I think it’s a gimmick. Every night it seems like the media [says something new is] bad for you.”

At Mojeaux’s Bar and Grill, bartender Laura Marchelya says they go through only 24 cans, or one case, of Red Bull a week, and she agrees with Pischer. Although Mojeaux’s only has three regular customers who ask for energy drinks and alcohol, she still has reservations about the study.

“I read some studies on how energy drinks and alcohol can affect behavior,” Marchelya explains. “I feel like a lot of the comments about it have been [regarding] rave-type situations, like all-night dance parties.”

Many people feel the trend has received a lot of media attention over the years because this is still an issue for college-aged students to be aware of. Yet, grabbing their attention is harder than it seems, Higgins says.

“A big adverse effect captures attention for awhile,” she says. “Whether it would still be influential [after several years], I don’t know. As a health care provider, I remember [these kinds of events], but as a student coming in just hearing about it, it probably wouldn’t make a big impact.”

Teaching students to be responsible first is the way to go, Jefferson says, and after that, maybe then the public will start to see a natural regression in the level of consumption.

“Kids are going to do what they want, when they want,” Jefferson adds. “More education and more [valid studies] about the potential hazards could help.”

Photo by Garrett Mynatt

After Jeremy Justus lost his father as a teenager, he found other ways to cope. Soon it was easy for him to get lost in an alcoholic frenzy, and it became easy to look for love in his drunken haze. After years of self-abuse from excessive drinking and casual sex, Justus decided to change.

He, along with other people who have lost their virginity, are now taking it back and revolting against modern sexual norms. A word once used to describe sexual innocence has become purely a state of mind. These select individuals identify themselves as “born again virgins.”

“I started recognizing over the last couple of years [how] sex outside of marriage eats at you and tears you up,” he says. “Remembering the way I felt about [sex] made me feel worthless, and it became very easy to be a born again virgin.”

The definition of a born again virginity, and even virginity itself, is hard to define because the meaning gets blurred with each person’s experiences and personal opinions about what sex should be.

And when students were asked to define virginity, they all answered differently.

“Anyone who hasn’t had vaginal sex [is still a virgin],” says Maggie Poloncic, a senior finance and computer information systems major.

Other students agree and say that someone could “mess around” by engaging in oral sex and still be considered virgins if they refrain from intercourse. But Gretel Balmer, a Colorado State University coordinator for the Alpha Center, has a different take.

“A virgin [is] a person abstaining from sexual activity, not just sexual intercourse,” Balmer says.

Located on College Avenue, the Alpha Center is a Christian-based organization that provides pregnancy testing, STD testing, post-abortion counseling, and education and mentoring programs without judgment.

Balmer, now 34, was a born again virgin for two and a half years before getting married to Steve Balmer, who was a virgin, at age 23.

“A born again virgin is a person who wants to decease all sexual activity until they’re [married],” she says.

Gretel was 15 when she lost her physical virginity. Because of the stress she experienced from being sexually active, she became a born again virgin when she was 20 years old.

“I got to the point of being so tired of being in this cycle of meeting a person,” Gretel says. “You think they like you, you know they like you because physically they’re giving you attention. You get physical with them, and you hear from them on and off. About a week or two later you think, ‘do I have an STD? Could I be pregnant?’”

While students can have a hard time grasping the concept of born again virginity, others are at ease with the choices they make about sex.

“People make mistakes,” says Alysse Willhite, a senior design and merchandising major. “If you don’t want to have sex again until you’re married, I think that’s great. I agree with it.”

But some students on campus say if the deed is done, there is no going back.

“I’ve never heard of [born again virginity] before,” Poloncic says. “I’m not sure you’d be a virgin again [since] you’ve had sex. You can’t take that back – it’s already happened.”

According to Gretel, it’s more than a physical state, but an emotional and spiritual state as well.

“Virginity is not [about just] saying no,” she says. “It’s a whole bunch of things. It’s how you see yourself, it’s how you communicate and it’s how you love yourself and others. [Waiting] involves the whole person.”

For Justus, religion played a large role in his choice to become a born again virgin. Making the transformation from being sexually active to becoming celibate was just a portion of following the Lord, he says.

“When I’m fulfilling an act of God created inside of a relationship like [marriage], I get more out of it than if I’ve had six beers and [a woman and I] like each other,” Justus says.

He proposed to his girlfriend, Adrienne Boyd, 29, last October after a year of dating.

“I’ve known [Justus] for seven years and I’ve seen a huge change,” Boyd says. “Seven years ago, I wouldn’t have dated him. But there’s restoration in the things the Lord has said.”

But spiritual restoration doesn’t negate the view of virginity in the media; the media are partly to blame for the threat of the extinction of the virgin, says Jonathan Lupo, an assistant professor of speech at CSU who specializes in the study of pop culture.

“There’s an expectation that if you haven’t lost your virginity by the time you got to college then something’s wrong with you,” he says. “The media are telling us this is a part of the rights of passage.”

Students agree that media play an influential role in the current public opinion of virginity.

“[The state of virginity] is starting to change with TV and Internet,” says Eli Schutz, a sophomore construction management major. “[Media] has devalued virginity while religion has kept its value.”

When the media do choose to portray virginity, it is usually in a humorous context. One example is “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” where Steve Carell plays a middle-aged man who works at an electronics store and remains sexually innocent until it becomes his friends’ mission to get him “laid.”

“The running joke was how horrifying [it was for] him to be a 40-year-old virgin,” Lupo says. “There are very few real depictions of sexuality and virginity in the media because we’re living in a very prudish kind of culture.”

Gretel and husband Steve have two children, seven and nine, who watch TV shows that are intended for younger audiences, but Steve says these shows now take a more sexualized approach in portraying the characters.

“It’s interesting [to watch] some of the shows like ‘The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,’” Steve says. “At a young age, the girls in there are very attractive. I wouldn’t say they’re portrayed as sexy, but they definitely wear short skits where if I had a daughter, I wouldn’t want her to be wearing that. I think that there are very early on portrayals of women not as a person but as a sex object, and you can see how it really [can have a snowball effect].”

And Lupo says the sexual portrayals in TV shows and commercials will not end soon.

“Sex will always win out,” he says. “Sexualized imagery will always be there.”

It’s not only about what the media discusses that impacts our views, but what it also chooses not to discuss.

“Virginity is rare [in the media],” Lupo says. “It may be depicted as something silly like in ‘American Pie,’ where it was a race to lose one’s virginity, and it’s something they had to shed quickly or they’d be freaks. It’s very rare in which there will be real discussions about what it means to lose your virginity or what it means to be a virgin.”

Marilee Long, a professor in the Department of Journalism and Technical Communications, stresses the importance of media literacy since virgins are missing from the big media picture.

“[We need to] keep in mind and remember entertainment media is typically fictionally based,” she says. “It doesn’t have time to give you the back story. Its goal is to entertain you, not educate you. What you see in the media is usually not a good reflection when it comes to the sexuality of real world conditions.”

Regardless, sex is everywhere. All over the world, media uses sex to sell products and hype storylines in TV shows and movies. For Willhite, the modern view of virginity starts formulating here.

“Sex sells and kids get a skewed view. [They think] that’s the right thing to do,” Willhite says. “If you want to be cool then you will do that. Everything’s sexual, [and] I think the media is becoming more lenient every year.”

Poloncic agrees and says that the uncertain value of virginity “just comes from people trying to figure out how they want to live their life instead of just doing what their parents say.”

Regardless of the reasons, Gretel provides hope to those who want to change their ways.

“[Before becoming a born again virgin], I was sick of all the stress of all the crappy relationships and the low standard that I set for myself,” she says. “When someone looks at you and says, ‘I don’t believe enough in you to wait, just give in,’ then [I’m] saying, ‘you’re better than that.’”

Justus agrees and adds that it all starts with the belief that there has got to be a better way to get enjoyment out of life.

“It’s like learning [how] to fly,” he says.

Claire Danes (“Romeo and Juliet,” “Stardust”) played the part of Grandin almost to a tee in the television movie, and took the audience on an emotional ride through the frustration, the heartache and, finally, the clarity.

The film begins Grandin’s journey at her aunt’s ranch. She gets fascinated with the gate as it opens and closes. Soon she sees an intricate design in her head that plays out on-screen. It involves what it seem to be complex math skills and dimensions. But she still has a hard time dealing with other people, so she bonds with the cattle and other animals.

From her experience that summer, she spent her lifetime pursuing an education dealing with cattle, which ultimately led to some pretty innovative thoughts. She also published many articles for Beef magazine.

The vision of the story was just as impressive as the life presented in it. Grandin sees everything in an extreme visual sense. Director Mick Jackson (“Volcano,” “The Body Guard”), took that piece of information and made the film enticing. Whenever a euphemism is uttered, the audience is shown what Grandin imagined. When her respected science teacher, Professor Carlock, asked her to remember all her pairs of shoes, the screen showed every shoe she had seen in her lifetime, ticking by like a set of fast moving pictures.

This film ultimately provides hope for everyone affected by autism. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a film full of heart ache and despair; there’s a tinge of humor, and when the film has ended, it will leave you breathless and wanting more. Grandin is an inspiration, and I urge everyone to see the movie, or at least watch the trailer.

Grade:  A

Stephen King drew inspiration for his ‘70s book “The Shining” (which was eventually made into two movies) from the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. “Catch and Release,” a romantic comedy with Jennifer Garner and Kevin Smith, was filmed mostly, if not entirely, in Boulder in 2006. “Independence Day” was partly filmed at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs in 1996.

And what does Fort Collins have? While we can’t exactly say we’ve had any close encounters with the Hollywood kind, we can’t say that FoCo is a total stranger to the film business:

Jon Heder (star of “Napoleon Dynamite”) was born here October 26, 1977. But don’t get too excited; he moved when he was 2 years old to Salem, Ore., where he was raised.

Jake Lloyd (little Anakin Skywalker in “Star Wars, Episode I”) was born here but also moved in 1994 to jumpstart his film career.

A scene from “A League of their Own” was filmed in the South College Fieldhouse in the early 1990s.

Most recently, Claire Danes will star in an HBO original movie, “Temple Grandin,” a story about an autistic CSU animal sciences professor. The film debuted on Feb. 6 and a film premiere was held in the Lory Student Center Theatre.

So when you think that Fort Collins has no famous connections, I hope you look back to this blog and remember that all the other “famous cities” are just overrated anyway. Think about it: Half the scenes from the original “Shining” (starring Jack Nicolson) aren’t even shot in Stanley Hotel. Heck – they weren’t even shot in Colorado. As for the television remake, it flopped like Boulder’s “Catch and Release.” And Colorado Springs’ “Independence Day?” … OK, fine, there’s nothing wrong with that movie. It continues to overshadow Fort Collins.

Stay tuned soon for a review of “Temple Grandin.” As always, keep checking back for other new blogs – I plan on attending the Boulder International Film Festival this weekend and am hoping for some juicy sightings. I appreciate the attention.

Editors Note: Stacey was not able to attend the Boulder International Film Festival on Feb. 11-14. For information on the festival and how to get involved in the future, visit the BIFF Web site.

Well, if you haven’t already, check out my previous blog, “A lifetime of movie lovin’,” and see if our tastes match. If they do – even only a little bit – then I urge you to rent any of the films listed below. They’re worth it, and you can take that statement to the bank.

The movies listed here are what I like to call “the unfortunates.” These guys never really had the recognition they deserved. Maybe it’s because they have mostly unknown actors or were produced with a very low budget. Who knows? What I do know is they provide a glimpse into another reality or time, allowing you to forget about your problems for just a little while.

So kick your shoes off, turn on the TV, turn out the lights and enjoy.

1. Stay (2006) iTunes Rental $2.99

Genre: Psychological Suspense

Sexuality Rating: None

Violence Rating: Suicide reference, mild blood

Drug Rating: None

MPAA: R

This is one of these films I hate to even explain because I’ll probably ruin the whole element of surprise. I’ll do my best. But first, let’s point out a few things: this movie is the perfect blend of death, life and everything in between. The transitions from scene to scene are smooth and creative, providing an innovative look into the lives of the two main characters and contributing to the disorientation throughout the film.

It all starts with a car wreck, an event that changes Henry’s (Ryan Gosling) life. After the accident, he gets a temporary replacement psychiatrist, Sam (Ewan McGregor), when his regular doc goes on leave. Henry then makes a bold statement, declaring that he’ll kill himself in three days. As time ticks away, Henry sends ripples through the psychiatrist’s life as Sam tries to find him before its too late.

2. The Fall (2006) Blockbuster Rental $1.99

Genre: Drama

Sex: None

Violence: None

Drugs: Mild

MPAA: R

I love artsy films, and this one surpassed my expectations. Filmed in 18 different countries over the span of four years, this movie is sure to take you out of your living room and into another world altogether.  A beautiful example of story telling and amazing cinematography, it’s easily enjoyable.

The movie is set in 1920’s Hollywood at a Catholic care facility where a man named Roy (Lee Pace, “Pushing Daises”) is taken after he breaks his legs while filming a stunt for a movie. He meets a little girl, Alexandria (Catinca Untaru), who broke her arm in a fall of her own. As the man and girl grow to know each other, he tells her a story.

This is where the imaginative ideas come into play. Once Alexandria becomes surely hooked on his words, Roy makes a little deal with her – if she gets him more pills, he’ll continue the story.

3. The Chumscrubber (2005) Blockbuster Rental $1.99

Genre: Drama

Sex: Little

Violence: Little

Drugs: Heavy

MPAA: R

Despite the unusual name, I like this film particularly because this sort of storyline probably happens all the time in the real world but is never told.

It takes place in a suburb, where Stanford wives are multiplying and unhappy children and teenagers push the limits of what they can get away with. It shows the interaction between people in the midst of a small town drug dealer’s suicide. The results draw a line between the main character, Dean (Jamie Bell, “Billy Elliot”), and everyone else.

This is a town where emotions are so repressed that, inevitably, little explosions start to happen. Wait long enough, and emotions start to manifest themselves beneath a sheet of pent up anger. Figure that.

4. 11:14 (2005) iTunes Rental $2.99

Genre: Drama

Sex: Brief but mild

Violence: Heavy (very graphic at times)

Drugs: None

MPAA: R

Robberies, vandalism, hit and runs, sex in cemeteries – this one has it all within an hour time frame.

The film uniquely examines a particular incident from multiple points of view. It seems like everything escalates until it all goes wrong at 11:14 p.m. Those are the magic numbers, folks. Every time you watch another character’s point of view, a little more information is revealed. The director doesn’t take you too off course – things are always stuck in this hour-or-so time frame, always in the same city.

I’ve always liked films that have multiple vantage points, but few are made and even fewer are made well. 11:14 has no main character, but the cast includes Patrick Swayze (”Dirty Dancing”), Rachel Lee Cook (”She’s All That”) and Ben Foster (”Hostage”). Swayze plays an overprotective but somewhat still estranged father; Cook, a highly sexual teenager looking for trouble; and Foster, a young hooligan who doesn’t know what he has until he’s… cut off. There’s a pun to Foster’s description. You’ll get it when you watch.

5. Strictly Sexual (2008) Hulu.com Free

Genre: Drama

Sex: Heavy (no nudity or graphic scenes)

Violence: None

Drugs: None

MPAA: R

One thing to keep in mind throughout this movie: it’s not as bad as you think it is. No nudity, no graphic scenes. Yes, I’m serious, and no, it’s not a “Skin-a-Max” type of movie. It places more emphasis on the relationships and interactions than the steamy parts.

Although the writers can get a little cheesy, the important thing to remember is it’s free. So if you absolutely hate it, you don’t feel like you lost $2, only an hour and 40 minutes.

Basic premise: two women are fed up with relationships, so they pick up two men from the bars, take them home and realize that the sex was so good, they don’t want to live without it. The men need a place to stay, the women need some good lovin’ – just make a deal and get it over with.

The men agree to stay at the “pool house” for extra attention whenever the women need it, no questions asked. All is well until emotion seeps into the plotline. Then it gets interesting.

Intrigued yet? You should be. Now, I may be a little out-of-date in my selections, seeing as how the movies listed are mostly from the mid-2000s.  I’d be interested in what College Avenue readers watch. So tell me: what’s your favorite movie that didn’t quite make it to the box office and why do you like it? Comment, bookmark and for my sake, keep coming back.

Abbasi’s first love was music.  He has taken a lot from the world of classical and jazz and been able to apply it in his art.

“Because of my knowledge in music, I learn harmony, contrast, composition [and] color,” he says with the hint of a smile.

Abbasi turned 13 years old in 1979, the year of the first Iranian revolution. He remembers the whole atmosphere of Iran changing.

“Many people at this time were involved in politics,” Abbasi says. “I have a lot of memories from that, but I’m very happy that I have seen everything and this gave me a lot of experience.”

Because of a war between Iraq and Iran, Abbasi didn’t go to college right after high school.  Seven years passed before he chose to study graphic design at the University of Tehran.

Apart from music, his family acts as a major influence on his life and professional work. He has a wife and two sons, 8 and 11, who live in Tehran.

“You can see some of my work comes from my family,” he says. “One of my book cover designs is a portrait of my mom from a young age. Another poster is a painting from my youngest son. This makes me happy [to involve them in my work].”

Abbasi works full time as both a professor and graphic designer, something that can be tiring, but he finds comfort in knowing that his wife and sons support both of his jobs.  He says he has no regrets in his life and it continues to show through his passion for art.

Since I will be doing some film grading for my College Avenue blog, I suppose it’s best if I graze the surface on how I critique films. Generally speaking, I don’t like cheese. I define cheese as blatantly obvious remarks that could be called cliché or corny. Some might argue that cheese is in the eye of the beholder. I say, “to-may-to, to-mah-to.”

Going back to the origination of my perfectionist self, my dad asked me once why I like certain movies.

“There has to be a common theme between your favorites and the failures,” he told me.  I can still remember his thunderous voice booming off the walls, mainly because it happened just last month.

I have to admit, it took me a while to answer. Dad, if you’re reading this, then here it is: I like creativity. Give me something in a movie I haven’t seen before (with no cheese) and I’ll most likely love it. That’s the main reason why I like “The Ring,” the 2003 blockbuster hit that made people want to give their television sets away.

The Ring, unlike many horror films – namely the recent release “Paranormal Activity” – had originality. We had never seen anything like it before. Even the original Japanese version, Ringu, lacked something. The American remake was eerie and disturbing.

Paranormal Activity, on the other hand, lacked so many things. Like a good plot line.

You got me why people like this movie. I guess it was the impression that this “really happened.” And if it could happen to these folks, then it could happen to them. Man, I hate to burst their personal bubble, but this was a production with a script, actors and a director.

Some might argue, “’Paranormal’ was original and creative. Nobody has pulled off a demon haunting/possession story before.” Here’s my problem with that statement: Nobody has ever pulled off a good demon haunting story, unless you count “Ghostbusters,” in which case I do not. It’s a comedy.

I remember my ethics professor showing a trailer to “Paranormal Activity” in class. The whole class watched in awe in the darkness and collectively shrieked when air gets blown under the sheet and makes ripples across her side of the bed. Please.

On the contrary, and you may laugh when I state this: I liked “Twilight.” Not only did I think it was a decent movie, but I also think Kristin Stuart did a decent job as Bella. Critics were too hard on the actress. They were probably comparing the book to the movie. I learned to never do that, and I learned the hard way when “Forrest Gump” came out on the big screen. (Yes, “Forrest Gump” was a book first. And it was brilliant).

Maybe I liked Stuart’s portrayal because I wasn’t too excitable when I was in high school either.  I could relate to her lack of emotion throughout the movie. Now, “Twilight” wasn’t the absolute best film of the year, but it provoked the romantic in me, which is sincerely hard to do.

Stay tuned, kids. The next blog will be great: the top five movies that skipped the box office. These movies aren’t rejects by any means, but a compilation of great films that have gone largely unrecognized. So if you’re a film buff like me, it’ll be a list that you won’t want to miss.

Before you go, leave me some feedback.  Are you a movie buff? If so, why do you like certain movies and dislike others?

As for me, come back and see me sometime.

As a result, the International Agency for Research on Cancer upgraded tanning beds from “probably cancerous” to “absolutely cancerous,” meaning the “fake-bake” machines fall into the same category as mustard gas and arsenic.

“While all of those agents are indeed very dangerous, the chance of exposure to mustard gas is practically nil and arsenic is in drinking water in some parts of the country whereas people are typically exposed to some kind of UV rays every day,” says Dr. Jac Nickoloff, the department head of environmental and radiological health sciences in an e-mail.

He may believe the unlikely comparison may be due to media hype, but he doesn’t ignore the risks of getting cancer.

“Everyone’s risk is different, and you can’t tell because of skin color,” he said. “There are huge individual varieties. Cancer is vastly complicated. All I can say is I have job security.”

Despite this threat looming over tanning salons, businesses are still making profit, and die-hard tanners are still seeking their UV fix.

“I will probably tan for the rest of my life,” says Gretchen Wilson, a sophomore history major and tanning enthusiast. “I like being tan, I like how it [emphasizes] my freckles.”

Wilson admits to tanning nearly every day for the past three years, and regardless, she isn’t worried about the cancer scare at all.

“I think everything will give you cancer this day in age … they just don’t know about it yet,” she says.

Tanning salons aren’t fretting over the hype either, but some are seeing concern in customers, even if the concern is coming from very few people.

“I’ve had less than five clients come in and say [they’re] worried and want to change from the UV therapy bed to the mystic sprays,” says Heather Ducic, the manager of Planet Beach at the corner of Harmony Road and Lemay Avenue. Even though she’s been managing for nearly five months now, she’s been a client at Planet Beach for two years and a tanner for five years. She admits to going into a tanning bed regularly, about three times every week.

There are tanners who prefer the natural approach. Microbiology sophomore, Krysta Atkinson says she tans pretty naturally anyway but admitted to tanning in a tanning bed only once and she’ll never do it again.

“Just the fact that you’re baking inside of a bed that shuts on you kind of bothers me,” she says. “Technically, it’s unnecessary. It’s just one aspect of all that women do to feel better about themselves, which isn’t bad but I think it’s gone a little far. [But] the golden-brown-look is really in.”

According to Alicia Ernst an esthetician at Trios Salon and Spa said she blames Hollywood for giving birth to the image of the golden-brown look. People need to get away from the Hollywood definition that tanning is healthy, she said.

“The tanner you get, the more your skin is crying for help,” Ernst says. Every time someone tans, whether the tanning occurs in the sun or on a tanning bed, the skin is defending itself by changing its pigment color, meaning the skin is going into panic mode.

Carol McEndaffer, owner of Laurels Salon of Distinction on Laurel Street, doesn’t believe the study is balanced. Instead, she has her own theory. McEndaffer believes corporations that produce tanning lotions are scaring everyone away from alternative tanning methods by claiming that it will give consumers skin cancer.

“I think that [the tanning lotion businesses] want to keep us scared,” McEndaffer says. “They scare people out of the sun and out of tanning. People now are vitamin D deficient and depressed because they don’t get enough sunlight.”

Two days after the media initially reported the study, which placed tanning beds in the same category as mustard gas and arsenic, the president of the International Tanning Association Dan Humiston took quick action. The ITA released an advertisement in the July 31 edition of the New York Post. The advertisement, an image of a folded newspaper with a block of text below a headline reading: “Indoor Tanning put in Same Category as Sunshine. Public Response: Duh.”

“Media reports comparing indoor tanning to toxins like mustard gas, cigarettes and arsenic are outrageously over-hyped,” stated the advertisement. “The same ‘Group 1’ category includes red wine, salted fish and regular sunlight.”

But according to the Offices of Dietary Supplements, vitamin D can be obtained through foods like a yolk of an egg, salmon or even cereal and orange juice. But Ducic doesn’t think that’s enough, saying any more people are too busy to eat healthy.

ITA was unavailable for further comment, and a copy of the advertisement can also be viewed online at the ITA’s Web site.

“Tanning is the same thing [as wearing make-up],” Wilson says. “It’s just the price of beauty.”

Photo by Garrett Mynatt

On a Friday night, people gather inside the University Center for the Arts building to catch a glimpse of something not viewed every day. After the doors open, the crowd spills in from three directions and they stop. The scene is overwhelming. There are so many posters catching someone’s eye here and intriguing someone else there, where the movement of people becomes a trickle. Posters carrying social themes and other messages are tacked on every wall, and the viewers have discussions, each of them shuffling from poster to poster at their own pace.

The posters make a social, cultural or commercial statement that crosses international borders and bodies of water. One poster has the tip of a red heart upside down that transforms into an iceberg as a ship comes closer to the iceberg heart. This was a German poster made for a musical based on “Titanic” grabbed a lot of attention.

This is just one of the many posters that come together to make the 16th biennial Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition.

“The sheer brilliance of some of these posters are shocking because [they’re] so good,” says Linny Frickman, curator of the show and University Art Museum director. “Some of the [posters] take my breath away because they’re so smart in terms of being able to solve a [problem visually].”

Phil Risbeck, a co-founder of CIIPE in 1979, emphasizes the accessibility of the posters, saying that an audience doesn’t have to reach a certain education level to understand the messages being communicated.

Not all the posters are designed to solve a problem to be able to catch the audience’s attention. Some of the posters are there for commercial aid, moving a message about a product, while other posters spark curiosity about its themes.

This year’s honor laureate and CIIPE judge Majid Abbasi, pronounced ob-see, focuses on the cultural aspects of Iran, his native country. His posters are mainly built around tributes to Iranian icons like contemporary authors and photographers.

Photo by Garrett Mynatt

The night before the CIIPE unveiling, Abbasi shyly looks around the room at the grand opening of his poster exhibit, displayed in the Curfman Gallery in the Lory Student Center. Abbasi converses with students and graphic designers alike, while everyone takes in the wide variety of posters and book jackets occupying the space under spotlights and glass panes.

For Abbasi, it’s not easy to pick a favorite poster out of his entire collection of work.

“It’s very difficult to say,” he admits. Because he knows what it took to make the poster and the context behind the meaning, he can’t pick any one piece as being his favorite. He is proud of them all, he says.

Since Abbasi designs his posters for an Iranian audience, an international audience may not grasp the complete message. After 15 years of designing, Abbasi, 44, says the hardest thing to accomplish is to keep the original concept intact.

“Many people don’t know [my] language or my alphabet,” Abbasi says. Whether he is explaining things to his students in Tehran, where he teaches at a private university, or when working with a client, he is constantly striving to create an effective message for the appropriate audience.

One word in one language can carry a completely different meaning in another. Thus whenever Abbasi travels to another country, he is always equipped with a translator and holds a lecture to explain his work.

“I try to explain every unclear concept,” he says. “If I know that our language and our text is not readable for an international audience, I’ll try to design a very clear poster. If I design any unclear concepts, I’m not a successful designer. I think the best poster should not [need] any explanation.”

In addition to that, Abbasi says graphic designers should be aware of the issues in their own culture, and respect the limitations set by the government or society.

“I try to design my works in adaptation with the rules of society and government,” he says. “Many times, my work has been refused, so I try other ways to express myself.”

Because of his discipline as a graphic designer, Abbasi has gained respect from John Gravdahl, a CSU art professor and CIIPE co-coordinator.

“He’s very well known in the graphic design community,” Gravdahl says. “[Iranian society] has a fantastic design history and contemporary works. It’s the top ranking [in graphic design] right now and it has been for a long time, and it‘s been increasingly recognized so [Abbasi’s] a perfect candidate [for the CIIPE judge].”

For some artists, the poster is used as a communication tool to disclose all kinds of repression that often spurs debate, different from Abbasi’s purpose.

“[The CIIPE provides an] international window that open up so people can look at a social issue that they didn’t think was that important [in other countries],” Gravdahl says. “It’s not something you’ll find in a newspaper ad.”

Over a century ago, posters as advertisements actually were the case, according to Frickman.

“The medium of the poster was founded as an advertising tool,” she says. “They were used to get people to buy things or to do things. I think, while it still has the impact, there are obviously other means to make us do that now. When we look at the examples [now] we are able to understand what kind of visual strategies the artist is using and we become more perceptive viewers.”

After the purpose of the poster started to evolve, Risbeck got the idea to start a show at CSU after he went to an international poster show in Poland. The CIIPE is the first and longest running poster show in the United States, he says.

“It’s more important now from when it was founded in 1979 because our world is increasingly visual,” Frickman says. “By the way we function and manipulate the world through the Internet, we’re taking visual clues from things constantly.”

There’s a lot of preparation that goes into CIIPE, especially keeping up the worldwide trends of graphic design, according to Risbeck. Gravdahl along with fellow designers always keeps an eye in the world of graphic design.

Photo by Garrett Mynatt

“We keep our eyes open for new talent,” he says. “We’re also interested in bringing newer visions in. We look at other exhibitions, and once in awhile someone will send us examples of their work, asking to be in the show. We’ll review it but basically it depends on a track record and quality of work. We have few American designers, but we [also] have a good representation of all over the world.”

Whether cultural or commercial themes, posters are distributed in large quantities, and audiences are asked to get a message out of them, Gravdahl says.

“We want [audiences] to be aware of what’s going on around them,” he says. “You can’t just sit in a room with a lamp and come up with a piece that means very much. You have to keep your ears and eyes open to society. This provides a glimpse of what’s going on around the world.”

In March 2008, Curiel started a family business with her sons, Brandon and Eric, despite entering into a yearlong recession. Although she feels like she has escaped the tight squeeze of the economy, she’s still optimistic and working hard to bring in business by advertising in the Rocky Mountain Collegian and negotiating with customers.
Photo: Susan Curiel

“The coupons are good for a dollar off of something different every week,” she says. “But I tell the cashiers that if they have a coupon for a soup and they want a salad, give it to them.”

Justine Reed, owner of White Balcony, also maintains a hopeful attitude about the rest of the year, claiming it’s the owner’s attitude that really makes the business. Reed says that she and her staff put in an effort to make people feel happy when they leave the store.

But her survival tactics have increased, as well. The Old Town business, which offers knick-knacks like little rubber duckies, journals and fridge magnets, has increased its prices, but according to Reed, sometimes she feels the need to “absorb the increase so our customers don’t feel it as much.”

But sometimes when vendors increase prices, the store must also raise their’s to keep up with the costs, Reed says.

A few blocks away, Dwight Hall, head brewer and managing partner of CooperSmith’s Bar and Pub, also feels the pressure. “The costs are way up for us [with] things like energy, food, beer, suppliers and delivery charges,” says Hall, adding that the popular brewpub occasionally raises prices when necessary.

Despite higher prices for some items or services, college students remain both loyal but cautious. Jenika Howe, a junior history major, says there’s an attraction to go to the local businesses, but if prices rise she, “might reduce the times I go, but I’ll still pick that spot.”

Aubrie Robinson, a senior journalism and technical communications major agrees with Howe. She admits to being a shopper but not a shopaholic. “I don’t really notice the price increase unless it’s 25 percent higher,” she says.

Martin Shields, the northern Colorado regional economist and associate professor in the economics department, says it might not be the best plan to raise prices. “Sometimes, businesses raise prices in an attempt to boost revenues. But with demand declining, price increases are not a good way to increase profits,” he says.

Catalyst Coffee, a five-year-old espresso bar and tasting lounge located at Shields Street and Horsetooth Road, temporarily closed its doors in January for 10 days because of a $20,000 debt. Owner Fade T. Wall held a fundraiser before the closing and raised half of what they owed. It was enough to keep from permanently closing, and to Wall’s surprise, the vendors were willing to work with her.

“My landlord took $1,000 off the rent,” she says. “Before we moved in, this place was unoccupied for a year, so to the landlord, some money is better than none.”
Photo: Ming Lee

Jim Risser, owner of Finest music store at the Campus West shopping center on Shields and Elizabeth streets, hasn’t been as fortunate. He had three locations: Greeley, Windsor, and Fort Collins, and in the past year, he closed Greeley after 36 years of business, and then closed in Windsor shortly after.

In addition to the recession, Risser’s been battling technology since 2004. Risser says sales have declined 60 percent with the popularity surrounding iTunes and downloading music; the competition is hard to keep up with. Risser has a plan though, they have a downloading center in which you can download and burn a CD right there in the store. But with this commodity, sales are still down.

Meanwhile, Ming Lee sits in his restaurant well after it’s closed, the lighting hitting the features of his face. His hands are clasped together and a sigh escapes him. Business isn’t good for South China, located on South College Avenue and Harmony Road, and he’s worried about the economy getting worse.

“I hope the new year will bring change, but I don’t know,” Lee says. “When Wal-Mart was here, 10 years ago business was good. Now, nobody comes.”

Lee has already done what other businesses have by raising prices; all items on the menu increased from at least a quarter to as much as $2.

“I was so scared to change them. I didn’t want to lose business, but suppliers have raised their prices,” he says.
Photo: Dwight Hall

photo by clint brewer

Back in Old Town, a live theater of 49 seats located on Pine and Walnut streets called Nonesuch is having companies cancel their reservations after a month of being booked, managing partner Nick Turner says. He says since people are spending less money, they’re cutting out unnecessary purchases and reducing entertainment spending, and “it’s [getting harder] to convince people that this type of entertainment is worth their time and money.”

While many business owners are counting on a new president and Democratic Congress to refuel the economy, there is a worry sweeping through businesses about increased taxes. According to Jeremy Reese, the revenue manager for the city of Fort Collins, the number of businesses that have closed or relocated in 2003 totalled 306, and since then, there have been up to 755 closed businesses. In addition to that, sales tax continues to climb. In the past five years, the total sales tax collected is $8.3 million.

“I’ll start branching off [if they’re too expensive], and I’ll try to find better deals somewhere else,” says Tyler Clark, a senior construction management major. “I feel sorry for [businesses] because they don’t choose to close. It’s just the market these days.”