As of Sunday afternoon, seven chalk art murals had been applied to the outside of the Recreation Center (REC). There is everything from a volleyball player, Boise River rafters and the Friendship Bridge to jump roping and swimming. Several passersby commented on the striking colors and the unique displays on the walls of the REC. Kimberly Robin Hayes, junior psychology major, was one student who saw the chalk art display for the first time on Sunday. “Holy crap,” Hayes said. “These guys did amazing. It’s just so detailed, the talent is unriveted. It’s amazing; they’ve really taken the color and just expressed all of the emotion that they needed to.” Hayes said she thinks the idea of an ongoing chalk art competition is a great idea. “Summer’s here, it’s getting warmer, this is just going to encourage people to go out, to get active and indulge in everything that Idaho has to offer,” Hayes said. Hayes was particularly struck by one of the chalk murals. “My favorite is definitely the... ...

  For the third year in a row the ARC Idaho is hosting the Sprout Film Festival on May 3-4 at the Egyptian Theater.   The ARC is a nonprofit agency which serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Their purpose is to assist people with disabilities to achieve greater independence in life.   The upcoming short films feature people with developmental disabilities, cover a wide variety of topics and invoke many emotions among viewers.   Nicole Young, senior communication major, has been involved with the planning of the film festival and saw it for the first time last year.   She added she’ll be going again this year and hopes to see more students there.   “The overall theme is the most powerful,” Young said. “Because as a culture I think that we have a tendency to put people with disabilities in a certain category and we sometimes forget to celebrate what their abilities are because we’re focused on what their disability is. From the very beginning of what... ...

The Student Union Performance Series (SUPS) shined again by inviting students in out of the rain for great tunes and dry seats. The beginning of Earth week might have started as a rainy, gloomy day on campus, but was instantly transformed once within earshot of the Student Union Building (SUB). Last King Outlaw took the stage first as crowds started to pour in out of the weather. The three-person ensemble of drums, guitar and bass hit the spot with groovin’ reggae sounds which not only attracted students but university faculty as well. Eric Shaw, athletic certification specialist from the registrar’s office, happened to be having lunch in the SUB and lucked into the music. “I like this stuff, this is pretty true reggae roots,” Shaw said. “I’ve met James the guitar player (of Last King Outlaw), he’s been in a couple classes that I’ve been in and he’s a really cool guy. I had no idea he was playing tonight and I’ve always wanted to check him out.” The band... ...

The Student Union Building (SUB) was checkered with various people as the seven members of Soul Patch started to play on Friday afternoon as part of the Student Union Performance Series (SUPS). The scene was that of people eating, studying and others jamming to the sounds of tunes being amplified through the usually calm seating area. The place livened up quickly as people applauded and scrambled around to find the best seating, which included some students scurrying to quieter areas for studying. Katelyn Watson, geosciences major, was among the actual studiers trying to find peace and quiet. “It was alright, (but) I was trying to get work done. It’s fine but I was just going to head out to a quieter spot. It’s probably fun for a lot of people though,” Watson said. Although some people were admittedly a little bothered by the sound level, others seemed to enjoy it and congregated specifically for that reason. The SUB seating area remained full of life and full of upbeat sounds until... ...

Can chalk go on the wall of the REC center? Recreation Services sure thinks it can. Lisa Stuppy, director of Recreation Services, said the current artwork is fading and it is ready for something new, hence the Chalk Art Contest. Stuppy said last year one of their staff members chalked the wall, and after they posted it on Facebook and saw the huge response to the art, they decided to try and make it a recurring theme. This will be their pilot contest to see how much interest they gain. If it’s a hit, they could potentially repeat this contest about every six months. “I kind of came up with the idea of ‘what if we opened it up to all students,’” Stuppy said. “Where they could submit a drawing and they could then chalk on one of the blocks of concrete, if you look at that wall they’re sort of sectioned off by concrete blocks, so it would be really easy to divide it into 10 or 11 (sections)... ...

It was a full house on March 25 at The Morrison Center as the West Side Story crew took the stage. The performance was action-packed with twists and turns along the way. The backdrop was set, the orchestra started to play and suddenly the stage was filled with men dancing and singing. The crowd seemed mesmerized by the loud music which immediately set the feeling of love and conflict. The scene was that of two worlds, one Hispanic and one white, trying to mesh within one city neighborhood. The songs were a mix of Hispanic and English which added to the surreal ensemble of actors portraying a somewhat modern day version of Romeo and Juliet. One recent health science graduate, Danae Perkins, happened to be at Monday night’s showing. “I think it was awesome,” Perkins said. “The dancing, the voices, the storyline was really easy to follow. I studied Spanish in school as well, so I picked up a lot of the Spanish words, so it was really interesting.” Perkins... ...

Many students go about their daily lives at Boise State without considering what the person sitting next to them in class overcame to simply be there. While the process of becoming a Boise State student, for most, consists mainly of graduating high school, filling out applications and applying for financial aid, others have had larger hurdles to overcome. Kha Nguyen, sophomore exercise science major, moved to Boise from Vietnam in 2000 when he was seven years old. His aunt married a soldier during the war and his family eventually followed her and her husband to the states. Nguyen, who had just started second grade at the time, said it was not a pleasant experience. “(Starting school here) it was horrendous,” Nguyen said. “I cried everyday for the first two weeks after school because I didn’t know anyone; I didn’t know the language, I didn’t know the culture, so I was just a kid in the corner.” Nguyen explained while kids in elementary school were perfecting their grammar and spelling skills,... ...

Other than simply feeling good, sex may actually be good for people physically, as well as mentally. According to an article by WebMD, sex has many health benefits. It lowers stress and blood pressure. Sex boosts immunity by increasing antibodies which can decrease the amount of colds a person has. Sex burns about 85 calories (or more) per 30 minute session and if a person has sex two or more times a week, as they age, they are less likely to have a fatal heart attack. Sex is also listed as one of the key factors in boosting self-esteem. “Having sex and orgasms boosts levels of the hormone oxytocin, the so-called love hormone, which helps people bond and build trust,” said Kathleen Doheny in an article on WebMD. Apparently oxytocin released during orgasm increases the feeling of generosity and promotes sleep, while boosting endorphins (your body’s pain killers). In other words, sex may reduce PMS, cramps, headaches, etc. and allow you to be well rested for upcoming classes. Sex also... ...

Whether it’s romance or sex, one thing is for sure, women around Boise State know how to plan for the Valentine’s Day on a student’s budget. So in hopes of helping all the guys on campus to avoid the dog house, this year we got it straight from the horse’s (or woman’s) mouth. Here’s what the women around campus are planning and expecting for Valentine’s Day.   Karen Rueckert, Junior “Just answer the door in nothing but a red bow and a smile.(Then there’s) body paints and chocolate fondue, but you don’t need anything to dip, because… except maybe a little paint brush.”   Kristina Jensen, Senior “Hand-made coupon books. So you make your own little coupons for your significant other, like a night of massage, or a bubble bath, or I’ll cook dinner one night, or whatever and you just make a little coupon book and give that to them. Or maybe (plan) a picnic on the living room floor with crackers and wine, or a movie night on... ...