Many incoming college students might be surprised to find out there are police on campus, but rest assured that the University of Oregon Police Department is here to keep you safe, secure and informed via the variety of services. They’re not out to get you.

Why are they here?

The UOPD is more focused on keeping the campus community welcoming and secure than busting students for having a good time (as long as it’s controlled).

According to Kelly McIver, communications director and public information officer for UOPD, “our officers and the Eugene police officers would much rather be dealing with actual criminals that are coming onto campus stealing bikes and laptops than dealing with students that are intoxicated.”

Watch out for Campus Crime Alert

Campus crime alert is one service offered by the UOPD. Email alerts notify members of the community of crimes on or near the UO campus and allow people to take the proper precautions.

Remember your rights

A big question: can the police enter your room if you refuse open your door in the dorms? According to McIver, “it would depend on the necessity of the situation.” For example, a burglary attempt is handled differently than any suspicion of a controlled substance. Tip: your resident assistant decides whether police involvement is necessary or not, so be nice.

The ticket that will ruin your Friday night (and your record)

It’s more than likely at least one person you know will get a ticket for being a minor in possession, more commonly known around campus as an MIP. The way to get a ticket for Minor in Possession is being just that.

“In our community, your body is treated as a container so possession doesn’t just mean ‘I have a beer,’” said McIver. “It means ‘I have alcohol in my body, as well as on my person.’”

The consequences of getting an MIP, or any ticket for that matter, is a hefty fine and, most likely, your first court appearance.

Avoid getting into trouble

Best advice: be respectful to police when interacting with them. McIver suggests if you feel you’re being treated unfairly, take notes and file a complaint afterward. Looking cool in front of your friends isn’t so fun when you get arrested.

“Don’t be obnoxious, don’t steal stuff, don’t do the kooky things that you saw in that movie, and you’ll probably be fine,” said McIver.

DuckLife is the Emerald’s magazine for incoming freshmen, made available during IntroDucktion. This story has been reprinted from the magazine in its original form.

Although it hasn’t felt much like it thus far, what with all the rain, summer is the season of fun. Spending time outdoors, adventuring to new places and having a good time with friends and family make up the definition of summer to many of us. It’s important to make sure that while we are making this summer the most memorable one yet, we are also staying healthy.

One of the most common health concerns during the summer months is sunburns. While sunburns are completely preventable with the use of sunscreen, applied evenly and often and covering up with clothing, many people still get them. Once you get a sunburn, the most important thing to do is begin treatment immediately. Act quickly, moisturize and hydrate are three tips for treatment provided by the Skin Cancer Association website. The website also states to, “Take a dose of ibuprofen, for example, Advil as soon as you see signs of sunburn and keep it up for the next 48 hours.” But, again, to avoid having to treat a sunburn, apply sunscreen when you know you’ll be in the sun an extensive amount of time and you should be okay.

We are all going to go to at least one barbecue or block party this summer, especially around the fourth of July. Choosing healthy, fun summer meals to make or bring will make it easier to go back for a second (or third) plate without losing your summer bod. Incorporating summer vegetables and fruits, like berries, melons, squashes and avocados, to your dishes will not only add color, but they also provide vitamins, minerals and low calorie deliciousness.

Another aspect of summer health that cannot be stressed enough is to know the signs of heat exhaustion. With all the extra time in the sun, the body needs more fuel to keep it going. “Normally, the body cools itself by sweating. But if you are exposed to high temperatures for a long time and don’t replace the fluids you lose, the body systems that regulate temperature become overwhelmed,” as stated by the University of Maryland Medical Center. Delayed treatment can result in a heat stroke, which can be life threatening. To avoid getting the symptoms of heat exhaustion, make sure to keep fluids with you when you are out in the heat and to get out of the sun if you start to feel dizzy, extremely thirsty and sweating or have nausea.

Having fun during the summer is important. Staying healthy is also important and it’s not hard to do both. Incorporating good health tactics into your summer fun will only make it better.

Over the past few years there has been a surge in the production and consumption of organic products. Not only are organic vegetables and food products seen more and more in supermarkets across the country, organic skin and hair care products have been on the rise, and for good reason, too.

Many of common chemical-based products most of us have bought throughout our lives have taken a back seat to, or at least been hindered by, the rise in the availability of organic products. The seemingly recent discovery of the harmful ingredients in many cosmetics, such as skin and hair care products, has sparked a new wave of organic alternatives.

The Food and Drug Administration enforces an act called the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which states the definitions, rules and regulations of foods, drugs and cosmetics in the United States. “The FD&C Act defines cosmetics as articles intended to be applied to the human body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness or altering the appearance without affecting the body’s structure or functions,” as stated on the FDA website.

Under this definition, cosmetics include, but are not limited to, skim creams, lotions, perfumes, nail polishes, shampoos and conditioners. One of the regulations under the act is the proper labeling of cosmetic products, where the label must prominently display all ingredients in descending order of predominance and must be present on both the packaging and the actual product.

Although products are labeled multiple times to ensure the consumer knows the ingredients, this doesn’t mean everyone will know what those ingredients are. Many of the chemicals used to prolong the shelf life of products are hormone based, which alters the body’s natural production, or clogs pores and causes acne.

UO student Chelsea VonDeisenroth has joined the organic revolution and feels her body is benefiting from it.

“I prefer organic cosmetics because all the toxins they use in regular cosmetics are bad for your skin, clog your pores and age your skin,” she said. “When I use organic skin care products, I feel like I am repairing the damage done to my skin.”

Like VonDeisenroth, former UO student Kelly Ross has embraced organic cosmetics and has taken it into her hands to provide them for others. Ross started her company, TASTYFACE Organics, to make organic products more readily available to her family and the public.

“I stumbled across an article about how our skin absorbs at least 64 percent of what we put on it … and the light went on,” Ross said. “I had to do something. I couldn’t stomach the lack of education and lack of availability of really, truly clean and organic products.”

Ross recognized that many organic products were too expensive and wanted to create a product that was both safe and affordable. Also, the shelf-life for TASTYFACE products is a lot shorter than common chemical-based products, but Ross sees this as a good thing.

“We have a shorter shelf life because of this freshness, but in my eyes, it’s just like food,” she said. “Why would I eat something that doesn’t spoil? I wouldn’t. Skincare is the same.”

It has become increasingly noticeable that fast food chains have been making an effort to provide nutritional information and healthier alternatives to their normal quick-meal menus.

The big push toward “healthier” fast food began in 2011, when the FDA unveiled a mandate that required fast food restaurants to provide calorie counts on their menus, but have the menus really gotten any healthier?

A recent study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine shows that it may not be the case. The study compared the menus of fast food restaurants 14 years ago, in 1997 and 1998, to the same restaurants in the present day. It focused on eight popular chain restaurants: McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC, Arby’s, Wendy’s, Jack in the Box and Dairy Queen. The study stated that among the eight, “the restaurant with the greatest improvements in the nutritional quality of menu offerings from 1997/1998 to 2009/2010 was KFC … followed by Jack in the Box.”

The study found that the health aspect of fast food products have not changed as much as they could and states that “fast-food restaurants have an opportunity to contribute to a healthy diet for Americans by improving the nutritional quality of their menus.”

Though this study shows fast food chains have not made much improvement health-wise, the widespread addition of health-conscious alternatives to various fast food menus makes them seem as if they have improved somewhat dramatically. Many chains have begun to list the nutritional facts of all their menu items in full on their websites, rather than just listing the calorie count.

McDonald’s, one of the most popular fast food chains in the world, is probably best known for their crispy and deliciously salty french fries. In 2011, McDonald’s announced they began cutting the amount of fries in their Happy Meals by half and offering apple slices as an alternative in an attempt to offer parents a healthier, but still fast, choice for their children.

Even with these moves toward healthier meals, fast food restaurants may not have become any more appealing to the health-conscious public than they were otherwise.

Alexsis Winterhalter is one University of Oregon student who tries to avoid fast food — only eating it if she’s on a long road trip or needs a meal on the go. And even when she does get it, Winterhalter tries to choose healthier options, if they are available.

“I always get chicken instead of a hamburger,” she said. “I still get fries, even though they are unhealthy. But I try not to eat a lot of them or any other fast foods.”

Fast food restaurants still have a long way to go in regards to providing healthy and quick meals to the public. The findings of this most recent study provide some hope that “healthy fast food” is possible but that chains still have a lot of work to do.

Everyone exercises for a reason. Whether it be to lose weight, better your health or meet a cute guy, you have to have some kind of motivation pushing you to go to the gym. Otherwise, why would you go?

Motivation to exercise varies from person to person and there are infinite possibilities. According to a study done by Brigham Young University, “45 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise in the morning actually reduces a person’s motivation for food.” Exercise not only helps you build muscle and burn calories, but it also helps control your appetite. This may be great motivation for morning people trying to eat less calories.

Another study done by professors at the University of Miami stated, “The more alcohol people drink, the more likely they might be to exercise.”  One reason behind this may be that people who drink are more motivated to exercise and burn off those extra calories. Could this be why the Student Recreation Center is packed every Monday afternoon?

According to an article published on ScienceDaily.com, “Lack of motivation is a barrier to achieving both the recommended amount and intensity of exercise.”  The article discusses a study done by Brandon Irwin and colleagues from Michigan State University that uses the principles of group exercise to test whether virtual exercise partners would increase motivation to work harder, which they found it did.

UO student Chelsea VonDeisenroth feels working out with a partner helps her stay motivated. “I have more fun and want to work out longer when I’m with a friend,” VonDeisenroth said.

Motivation is an essential part of maintaining a consistent exercise routine. No matter what motivates you, use it.

Wrigley’s, the gum company that has been offering mouths across the world a minty chew since 1892, has decided to offer something else people love: caffeine. The company recently began selling a new caffeinated gum called “Alert Energy,” which has sparked major controversy.

As a result of the new product, which debuted last month, the Food and Drug Administration announced on May 6 that it is launching an investigation of the caffeinated gum and many other products containing caffeine. According to Michael R. Taylor of the FDA, “Our concern is about caffeine appearing in a range of new products, including ones that may be attractive and readily available to children and adolescents.”

The most obvious perpetrator of added caffeine made available to kids is soda, but it is not the only one. Several common household items are among the list of foods with added caffeine being investigated, including jelly beans, waffles and syrup. Many of the products containing added caffeine state it on the label, but that doesn’t ensure that they stay out of kids’ hands.

Wrigley’s “Alert Energy” is advertised to contain as much caffeine as one cup of coffee. Parents may not recognize that certain products, such as the gum, contain that much caffeine or even that their children are consuming them.

Some parents may not have a problem with their children ingesting caffein, or they may not understand how much is too much. The FDA has cited that approximately 400 milligrams of caffeine per day, which is comparable to four or five cups of coffee, is OK for healthy adults.

Ken McClain, a physician at the University of Oregon Health Center, said that while there is not a set level for children and there are not many scientific studies focused around children and caffeine, the general medical consensus is to avoid, or at least limit, caffeine intake for children.

“Physically, children are smaller in size so they are bound to be affected more per milligram of caffeine they drink or eat,” McClain said. “Also, their brains are still developing, which may also have an impact on how they are affected.”

Spencer Oien is one UO student who has experienced the effects of caffeine firsthand. Oien consumes most of his caffeine through a pre-workout supplement called N.O.-Xplode, which contains as much caffeine as approximately two cups of coffee. Oien says his body seems to have become used to the added caffeine and he experiences “caffeine headaches,” a common symptom of caffeine withdrawal, when he doesn’t have that extra boost.

“On days I don’t workout, I have to drink a cup of coffee to avoid getting the headaches,” Oien said. “Otherwise, I don’t eat or drink anything else with caffeine.”

Casey Keller, Wrigley’s president for North America told NPR, “After discussions with the FDA, we have a greater appreciation for its concern about the proliferation of caffeine in the nation’s food supply.” In response to the investigation, Wrigley’s has put the marketing and sales of “Alert Energy” on hold temporarily while the FDA continues its inquiry of the issue.

The Food and Drug Administration on May 1 approved Plan B One-step, commonly known as the “morning after pill,” to move from behind pharmacy counters onto shelves, making it possible for girls as young as 15 to obtain the pill without a prescription. The progestin-only emergency contraceptive has been the topic of a fierce controversy among anti-abortion and abortion rights advocates for some time. 

Until now, the pill was only available over the counter to girls aged 17 and older. In addition to changing the age limit, the ruling also tends to the concern some women have about pharmacies being closed when they need to purchase a Plan B One-Step pill. The move to over-the-counter allows women to find and purchase it from store shelves.

According to a the FDA,  “Plan B One-Step will be packaged with a product code prompting a cashier to request and verify the customer’s age.” This means any girl 15 and older who wants to purchase a morning after pill must have proof of age and an identification card to purchase the product. 

Claire Aubin, a representative of the ASUO Women’s Center, approves of the ruling but fears many girls won’t be able to purchase the pill because they will lack the identification needed.

“I think it’s wonderful that they have lowered the age restriction, but it’s still not enough,” she said. “It’s very hard to attain proof of ID when you’re 15, unless you can get a passport which costs hundreds of dollars or a state-issued ID, which you still need parental permission for.”

Though she is concerned that some younger girls will still be unable to purchase the pill, she is hopeful that this new ruling will spark even more dialogue about sexual health in general.

“Sexual health and bodily autonomy doesn’t start when you’re 15; it exists your entire life,” she said. “Hopefully it leads to a larger conversation of what sexual health means and how important it is to our society, as well as how important it is for people to make decisions for themselves.”

In early April, Edward R. Korman, a federal judge, ordered Plan B One-Step be made available for all ages over-the-counter and gave the FDA 30 days to remove the age restrictions. The FDA appealed the judge’s ruling by lowering the age limit rather than removing it. According to a New York Times article, Korman said, “the agency’s move to restrict distribution to those 15 and older was not realistic.”

The controversy surrounding the topic of emergency contraceptives is certain to continue as new information arises as to whether Korman’s ruling will be upheld. As for now, girls ages 15 and older can purchase the morning after pill. Only time will tell if the pill will be made available to every female who needs it.

If there is one thing many University of Oregon students have in common besides being a Duck, it’s allergies. In the spring, the warm weather becomes a mode of transportation for pollen and other airborne allergens. Seasonal allergies are a hassle and often uncomfortable.

Allergy symptoms include a running nose, itchy eyes and throat, nasal congestion, sneezing and a cough. Similar to those of the common cold, they are easily recognizable.

Seasonal allergies, also known as allergic rhinitis, are an annual epidemic. According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, “Roughly 7.8 percent of people 18 and over in the U.S. have hay fever.” That statistic excludes children under the age of 17 in the U.S., of which 10 percent had experienced hay fever in 2010. The AAAAI also provides a statistic stating that worldwide allergic rhinitis effects 10-30 percent of the total population.

You may have started to get seasonal allergies when you were a kid, which is the most common age to begin feeling symptoms. However, according to Amy Beth Rowland, a registered nurse in the Nurse Specialty Clinic at the UO Health Center, students may get worse allergies living in Eugene than they did living elsewhere as a child due to increased exposure to pollen.

“In Eugene in particular, there is so much pollen from the grass,” Rowland said. “A lot of the people who move to Eugene who have never had allergies before sometimes develop them just because of the very high amount of pollen in the area.”

The Oregon Allergy Associates, a part of the National Allergy Bureau, measures the levels of pollen in the Eugene-Springfield area using an air sampler at their office in downtown Eugene. The latest measurement, taken May 3, states that trees in the area, mainly maple, ash and walnut, have a high concentration of pollen so far this season. The pollen count for grass in the area is currently measured as having a moderate concentration.

Avoiding seasonal allergies is tough, especially in spring and summer, because the pollen causing them is airborne.

“Staying indoors, driving with your windows up, keeping your windows shut and using just central air so you don’t have the pollen blowing in through the windows can be helpful,” Rowland said.

If your allergies are really bad, Rowland suggests wearing a pollen mask, available in the health center, to avoid getting any pollen in your nose and mouth.

Rowland is just one of several nurses who works in the Nurse Specialty Clinic focusing on allergies and colds. If you are having trouble with allergies, set up an appointment and they can refer you to an allergist if needed.

Allergies are a fact of life, especially in Eugene. Take the necessary precautions to keep your allergies at bay while you enjoy the spring weather and be sure to see a nurse at the health center if your allergy symptoms escalate.

Alleviating allergies is sometimes the hardest thing to do successfully. You take medicine, stay indoors for as long as you can and you still get those annoying itchy, watery eyes the second you step outside. Here are some over-the-counter and home remedies that should do the trick.

Antihistamines

Antihistamines are over-the-counter or prescription allergy medicines. They work by preventing the effects of histamine, which is created by the body and can cause allergy symptoms, such as sneezing and itchy, watery eyes.

Saline rinse

According to Amy Beth Rowland of the Health Center, “You can try doing a saline rinse, which is just a salt water solution and you can use something called a neti pot to do it.” You use the neti pot to pour the solution in one nostril and it comes out the other, thinning mucus in the nasal passage.

The last thing anyone wants to do when they wake up in the morning with sore muscles is go work out again. However, exercising a moderately sore muscle is good for it and can have the same effects as rest or massage.

According to a recent study done by researchers at National Research Center for the Working Environment in Copenhagen, “actively warming up the muscles with exercise may be an effective alternative (to massage).” The researchers state that although the reason why massage and exercise aid in muscle recovery is unclear, it may be because they help reduce lactic acids associated with tissue damage and exercise.

Exercise also improves blood circulation and oxygen flow to the muscles, aiding in recovery. According to Livestrong, “exercising helps to loosen tight muscles and tendons which can also help to alleviate feelings of muscle soreness and stiffness.” Therefore, light exercise can be effective in helping your muscles become stronger and less fatigued.

Although exercise is good for moderate soreness, it’s important to recognize if your body is over-exhausted. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, also known as DOMS, affects a variety of gym-goers, even experienced body builders. DOMS is the result of muscle tissue being stressed beyond what it is typically accustomed to due to intense physical activity. It is perfectly normal, but can be more strenuous or lengthy than moderate soreness.

Muscle soreness is common for anyone who works out. Especially when you are beginning a new workout plan, your muscles won’t be accustomed to the work you’re putting them through. The key is to listen to your body.