Bacchus

Winter, with its bitter temperatures and icy conditions, provides a perfect excuse to ditch that outdoor fitness regimen. Slacking, however, may come at a price: mental and physical health. If your stress level has hit an all-time high and your strength and flexibility are worse than you can ever remember, it may be time to break out of hibernation. Yes, getting your mind and body in shape does take some effort, but the quest toward inner peace and muscle tone doesn't have to include hours of slaving at a fancy or expensive gym. Some local fitness professionals, including wellness coach Al Bacchus, say that folks who make slight adjustments to their daily or weekly routines can drastically improve their quality of life.

"TYING ONE ON" will take on a new meaning at Carroll Community College this week as students, faculty and staff members commemorate National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week with a variety of activities. The week, sponsored by BACCHUS groups at schools across the country, is meant to help college students think before they drink or use drugs. BACCHUS - an acronym for Boosting Alcohol Consciousness Concerning the Health of University Students - enlists students to help educate their peers about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

Before Western Maryland College students left for the annual partying rite known as Spring Break, they got a sobering reminder from a campus alcohol awareness and education group: Don't drink and drive.The Western Maryland chapter of Boost Alcohol Consciousness Concerning the Health of University Students staged its second annual "Safe Spring Break" campaign last week before the college's 1,200 undergraduates took off for Cancun, Key West, Daytona Beach or home.The week-long program included a "Ghost Day," during which students or staff members "killed" by drunk drivers spent the day in silence; a pool party; WMC Squares, an adaptation of Hollywood Squares with faculty and staff members in the squares: and a "Hard Mock Cafe" dance featuring "mocktails" such as pina coladas and strawberry daiquiris without rum."