There are times when we have been successful and have created true and compelling change, but there have also been periods in our history when the change promised never came and our progress became stagnant. I believe that we are currently teetering on the precipice of the two right now.

For six months, the Student Assembly has been working to create a Safe Ride program that aims to increase safety and decrease the tragedy of repeated alcohol-related deaths within the CNU community.

Likewise, we have been working to better the academic experience at CNU through researching and passing legislation regarding issues of dual-degrees, class registration and commencement.

Through various meetings with administrative officials, we have also sought to find solutions to the parking, dining and IT stresses endured by students across campus.

Each member of the Assembly is placed on one or more committees dealing with issues, and each E-Board member is additionally tasked with serving as the student representative on several faculty and state committees, both at CNU and in Richmond.

It is our duty, our responsibility, to work for you each and every day. That is our goal and our mission. However, we recognize the fact that we have work to do. As such, we will be discussing more ways to spread the word about our initiatives and garner the input of students, such as yourself. We will also be holding an open town-hall meeting to inform students about the premise and details of the Safe Ride program following Spring Break.

However, the fight for change cannot be one-sided, that is to say, we cannot do this without you.

The Student Assembly is ready and willing to work with students across this campus to make CNU a better place and represent your needs, but in order to be your voice, we first need to hear it. Email studentassembly@cnu.edu, visit out Facebook page entitled “Christopher Newport University Student Assembly,” contact us on Twitter using @CNU_SA, visit our office on the 3rd floor of the DSU or attend our open bi-weekly meetings on Mondays at 5:30 p.m. in Freeman 201. We are available, we are accessible, and we want nothing more than to know how best to serve you.

Together, we have the opportunity to make an enormous difference and leave a legacy for generations of students to come. This is our chance, this is our moment. It is up to us to seize it. Thank you.

Nate Morris, Senior, SA Vice President

Monday night’s BLT class in the Freeman Center focused around an obstacle course designed by Bell to work participants’ buttocks, legs and thighs. The class centers around resistance training to target problem areas, using barbells/body bars, resistance bands and stability balls to maximaxe the workout.

“I try to do something different every class,” Bell said, who switches up her work outs to make things interesting for the class. The BLT fitness class is taught by Bell Monday nights and sophomore Julie Woon Wednesday nights. Moves like lunges, squats and wall sits dominate the the 30-minute class, packing a tough workout into a short amount of time.

Directly after BLT on Mondays and before BLT on Wednesdays is 30-minutes of ABS, taught by Bell and Woon. The ABS class focuses solely on exercises to strengthen the core. Bell gives the class attendees three versions of each move at level one, two or three so they can modify their work out to their goals and needs.

BLT and ABS make a good workout together, and after attending Monday night, my calves and abs are sore and aching, but with work outs like these I know I’m on my way to a toned and strong body.

Rating for BLT: 4/5

Rating for ABS: 4/5

Christopher Gannon/MCT

With only two nominees on the ballot for the approaching March 6 Virginia Republican primary, the election has become a winner-take-all contest between former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Texas Representative Ron Paul. Many Ron Paul supporters at Christopher Newport University are hoping to make an impact and engage students, but are finding it difficult to break through a common political apathy among students.

“It has been thus far successful,” senior Ryan Yantz, who started a student-led Ron Paul campaign group last month, said. “People are wanting to get involved and volunteer, but they don’t know how to channel that, so we are always doing something.”

Since the group started, Yantz and his colleagues have seen a growth in interest among CNU students for the 72-year old Republican Representative, who is known for his stark libertarian principals.

“Right now, we have about 15 to 20 people volunteering,” said Yantz. “We are going to pass out literature and go door-to-door campaigning.”

According to Yantz, so far the ad hoc organization has been successful in registering around 20 new student voters before the registration deadline on Feb. 13, and the Facebook group, Christopher Newport University for Ron Paul, has doubled its ‘likes.’

It is a good start for a young campus organization, but sustaining continuing support and morale behind their unconventional candidate will not be easy, especially among a demographic that remains notoriously lethargic about politics.

“The most common trend around campus is the general disengagement and lack of interest,” senior Stephen Weinstock, fellow Ron Paul advocate, said. “But, we are trying to open people’s eyes into investigating it more.”

Voter turnouts among young voters have always been predominantly lower than other age demographics, but the last presidential elections show that this trend seems to be reversing. Turnout of voters between the ages of 18 to 29 rose above 50 percent in the 2008 presidential election, the first time in many years, and an improvement from the 2000 election, when young voter turnout was around 40 percent.

This recent boost in young voter turnout was due largely in part to President Obama’s Kennedy-esque, quasi-celebrity image and his ability to rally young voters behind him. Now, with the economy still fragile from a recession and unemployment high among recent college graduates, many young people are beginning to see the emperor as naked.

“I can see how Obama got so popular. He was really hip to get behind,” said Weinstock, who feels sympathetic toward the president for having “inherited a sticky situation.”

Junior Eric Dombrowsky, a Ron Paul campaigner, admits that in high school, he was also intrigued by Obama.

“I thought (Obama) was a really good speaker and I wanted him to win,” Dombrowsky said. “But, he hasn’t lived up to his promises. Once I started to study economics, I started to not like his economic policies and regulation on businesses.”

Enter Congressman Ron Paul.

Known for his stern ideological consistency of less government involvement, individual liberty and ending U.S. military action abroad throughout his political career,
Paul has become the new rallying cry of many disenchanted young voters, looking for what they call the real ‘change’ that was promised by Obama, but was left ultimately unfulfilled in their eyes.

“(Ron Paul) represents the idea the people our age are tired of the same system,” Yantz said. “The system that had us spend all this money for our college education, but only to finish college to work at Target.”

However, it is not just Paul’s political platform that is motivating these new voters to support him. Many believe that a fundamental change is needed.

“It is our truly dire situation right now that motivates me,” Weinstock said. “If you look back in history, you can see we are on the path to becoming a failed state. People our age are starting to realize that it is us who are going to inherit this nation and (Paul’s) message is suited for the problems our generation will face.”
“These are our problems,” Weinstock said, “and they need to be solved.”

Paul and his supporters’ calls for profound systematic change do not come without harsh criticism. Paul’s platform calls for sweeping cuts in federal government spending and reducing the overall size of the federal government significantly, including phasing out the Federal Reserve. Paul also advocates for monetary reform, which would bring the U.S. monetary policy back to the gold standard.

“I am not a fan of Ron Paul,” sophomore Conor Collins, a Mitt Romney supporter, said. He thinks Paul’s ideas are too extreme and even “dangerous,” which Paul would say is a good thing—to be ‘dangerous to the status quo.’

“Think he is so popular among young people is because of his extremist views,” Collins said. “(Ron Paul) is too unrealistic and young people are more likely to think that nothing is unrealistic. When they really look at the big picture, these changes are probably not responsible.”

However, Paul supporters feel these changes are needed and are not as radical as Paul’s opponents paint them.

“We need to control the government before it gets too big,” Yantz said. “These are not really new ideas. People say that (Paul’s) ideas are new, but really they have been around since the writing of the constitution.”

“We are making sure that people our age are aware that there are other candidates out there, other than the ones their parents are voting for,” said Weinstock.

For those who aren’t familiar with the teppanyaki concept, it is based on a traditional Japanese cuisine that uses a small flat iron griddle to grill food (not to be confused with hibachi, which uses charcoal or gas flame and an iron grate).

At teppanyaki restaurants in America, such as Hiyashi, guests are seated around three sides of a rectangular table (usually multiple parties, as tables usually seat from eight to 12), which features an iron grill in the center. The teppanyaki chefs then face their audience while cooking the multi-course meal. At Hiysahi, the restaurant is very dark; the biggest, brightest lights focus on the chef, so that patrons can focus on the show.

Before arriving at Hiyashi, I had very high expectations. I had heard great things, and being a lover of all things teppanyaki, I was desperately hoping it would live up to its reputation. My experience began with a very friendly waitress, who offered quick drink service, even though we were seated at one of the fullest tables in the restaurant. The grill entrée menu included the traditional steak, chicken and seafood options, which are found at most teppanyaki restaurants, as well as many combinations, such as chicken and steak, or even lobster tail and filet mignon.

The first course was a clear broth soup, with scallions and paper-thin mushroom slices. This warm and soothing appetizer does not fill the stomach but merely makes guests hungrier as they wait in eager anticipation for more. Next came the green house salad; the best part about this salad is the deliciously creamy ginger dressing it is tossed in, which left me jealously eyeing others’ bowls after I quickly finished mine.

After the final salad bowl had been cleared and drinks had been refilled, the chef finally arrived. Dressed in a Japanese-style apron and a tall chef’s hat, the chef is often the make-it-or-break-it factor at many teppanyaki grills. Our chef was friendly and engaging, without being overwhelming. He successfully kept us entertained while cooking our meal, while simultaneously leaving us time to spend a few minutes in conversation with our dinner partners.

After arriving at the table, our chef quickly confirmed our entrée orders, then poured us our sauces, which are an essential part of any teppanyaki experience. We were all given a portion of delicious dark ginger sauce (“for steak and chicken!”), and a scoop of the teppanyaki favorite “Yum-Yum Sauce” (“for rice and seafood!”). I have asked employees at multiple restaurants what is in this magical sauce, and have always heard some version of “it’s a secret” in response. No matter what it’s made of, this delicious, creamy sauce took what was already wonderful at Hiyashi and gave it a new level of decadence.

The chef then set to work preparing our fried rice (with many egg and spatula twirls and flips, to the delight of the kids sitting next to me) and our fried fresh vegetables. The fried rice was covered not only in soy sauce, but also in Yum-Yum sauce, something I had never seen before. The chef overcooked the rice so it stuck to the grill, but by the time it got to my plate it was still very tasty. After the rice and vegetables came teppanyaki noodles, something I have never seen at any other teppanyaki restaurants. The thick noodles were fried with scallions and tasted much like lo mein noodles. This addition to the usual line-up took most patrons over the edge from very full to unable to move, but they were a nice addition, if not totally necessary.

While cooking our entrees, the chef flipped mouth-watering shrimp appetizers into our open mouths with his spatula (I was the only one who couldn’t actually catch the shrimp, so after multiple attempts he kindly put it on my plate).

My steak and shrimp entrée was perfectly cooked (sometimes steak temperature is not consistent at these types of restaurants), so I was very pleased. However, the large portions of the rice, veggies, and noodles required me to take most of my entrée home in a doggy bag.

Grill entrées at Hiyashi Sushi and Grill range from $14 to $35 per person. If you are working with a tight college budget, however, their lunch prices are much lower: $9 to $12 per person. A separate portion of the restaurant offers traditional restaurant seating and an a la carte Japanese menu, as well as fresh sushi and a sushi bar.

Hiyashi Sushi and Grill’s friendly, attentive staff serves as a perfect compliment to their fresh, delicious fare. The combination of the entertainment and flavorful food make this a must-try for couples and an exciting night out for friends or special occasions.

Photo Illustration by Rosa Lee Harkrader/The Captain's Log

In a busy student’s life, eating a proper meal can often go overlooked, so many students turn to eating fast food during a stressful day. McDonald’s currently represents 43 percent of the fast food market, and it is a first choice among many students.

George Arnold is a Christopher Newport University senior from Germany, and while he has not had McDonald’s since coming to America, he said, “In Germany, we only have McDonald’s and Burger King for fast food. I mainly go there because it is fast, and is the only shop that has food at 2 a.m.”

Other students expressed similar sentiments about visiting the fast food chain known for its golden arches regularly.

“There must be something addictive in McDonald’s food, because once you eat it, you want to keep coming back,” said junior Alex Edwards.

Even though some students find McDonald’s tasty, there are risks that come with eating fast food. Almost all nutritionists say that a person should eat fast food no more than once a month for a healthy, normal diet. For some students, this is a hard rule to live with.

In response to the nutritionists’ recommendations, Edwards said, “I would say they are absolutely correct. I do eat McDonald’s about seven times a month. I really like the McDouble, as it is really tasty and only a dollar.”

Even though Edwards enjoys the McDouble, most students say that the main attractions of McDonald’s are the low cost and convenience. Also, if a student has anything less than the 19-meal plan, there will be some meals that they will have to eat away from the dining halls.

“It’s mostly the convenience of fast food,” said sophomore Cory Katona. “I only go once a month or so (to McDonald’s), but I go to Taco Bell maybe five times a month, because sometimes I can’t go to the Commons.”

While students like Katona may go to fast food restaurants when they are out of meals, others either find healthier restaurants, or cook their own meals.

Places like Panera, Subway and Chipotle have gained a larger following in the last few years because of their healthier options, while the patrons are served at the same speed of a fast food restaurant.

“I go to Panera, because it’s a little more healthy than other fast food places,” said sophomore Katelyn Rhone.

Another option for students is to cook their own meals, and even though freshmen and many sophomores do not have kitchens, they find creative ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“I go to McDonald’s zero times a month. I have a stockpile of food in my dorm, because it is healthier and costs less money than eating out,” said sophomore David Blanton.

Freshman Sara Finley agreed. “It is easier to grab fruit or something from the dining hall. I have a bag of trail mix I snack on whenever I get hungry,” Finley said.

Most students seem to know the dangers of eating fast food, but the ones who continue to eat it say the convenience of fast food outweighs the calories.

“Usually it is an on-the-go thing,” Edwards said. “If I have time, I will make a meal on my own, but the point of McDonald’s is you eat and you go.”

Adam Baker/The Captain's Log

He has won the USA South Rookie of the Week award six times and recently scored a career high 37 points. For freshman Mike Cherry of the men’s basketball team, he is acting older than his freshman status would suggest and has already earned his spot in the starting lineup for the Captains.

Cherry is undersized for a college basketball player, and has gone up against larger opponents nearly every game. He has shocked them with his play on the court, particularly his shooting from behind the three-point line. Cherry has finished the regular season with a three-point field goal percentage of .437, and has made 52 three-pointers on the season, more than double any other Captain.

Cherry was recruited towards the end of his junior year from Bertie High School, in the small town of Windsor, N.C. He has slowly improved every game and proven to be a leader on the court, even as a freshman.

“Nobody knew that this little country kid from Bertie could do this,” senior Tyren Johns said.

“He has such a confidence about him that I think really allows him to lead. The other players, even though he’s a freshman, are kind of drawn to his personality and his confidence,” said head coach John Krikorian. “That’s been something that is very rare in a freshman and he’s displayed that since he’s been here. You can see that on a daily basis that his strength, leadership and mental toughness has been way beyond his years. You see it every single day in different ways in the locker room on the court or in the dining hall. He’s a pretty cool young man.”

Johns agrees that Cherry plays more like an upperclassman than a rookie, and Cherry’s ability to get the team into their sets on offense and his ability to shoot the ball from behind the arc late in the game has lifted the team up. His leadership has helped CNU go undefeated in the USA South Conference this year.

Despite all of his recent success and attention, Cherry still remains humble. Cherry says that he does not pay attention to the awards or school records, all he wants to do is be there for his team and help them accumulate wins, as well as having fun playing the game he loves.

This was evident in the game against Greensboro where he scored his career high of 37 points. “I was kind of surprised at the amount of points that I scored. I didn’t notice until afterwards they said I had one more three-pointer of breaking the record and one more three-pointer of getting 40 points and at the time I didn’t even know, I just wanted to get the win,” Cherry said.

Cherry is currently majoring in mathematics and has aspirations of becoming a teacher as well as a basketball coach. The Captain’s have earned the top seed in the USA South Athletic Conference Tournament, giving them a first-round bye as they finished their season 12-0 in the conference.

“My focus is just win and get a ring and help my team to get there,” Cherry said.

“If he can stay humble and hungry and continue to be motivated to work hard as he has, then the sky is the limit,” Coach Krikorian said. “He will be as good as any division three guard in the country if he continues to work like he has.”

On their fourth album, “The Reckoning,” rock band Needtobreathe adds Southern flavor to radio tailored rock music to create a blend of rock and country.

The Southern twang of lead singer Bear Rhinehart’s voice is evident but not so overpowering, that it will scare away haters of country music. The band creates a good combo of rock and country that will attract fans of bands like Kings of Leon and Mumford and Sons. Fans of both will enjoy Needtobreathe. Lengthy guitar riffs, catchy hooks and strong drum beats draw the listener into each song.

Needtobreathe blends many different styles in “The Reckoning” which may or may not please previous fans. Having been a fan of their music for about three years, I feel that their new sound is refreshing. They show how versatile their music can be.

The guitar sound is much louder and heavier than their previous albums, which may not appeal to the fans who preferred their slower songs. The listeners who have never heard their previous work will definitely enjoy ‘The Reckoning.’ There is something that everyone will enjoy.

Lyrically, the album is very strong and relatable. Although Needtobreathe is known for Christian lyrics, listeners can interpret them any way they please. The songs are very versatile depending on who is listening to them.

The album opens with the track “Oohs and Ahhs,” one of the catchiest songs on the albums. The song is very different from the band’s usual bluesy rock sound, but it will not disappoint old fans.

“Slumber” is the fifth track and first single from the album and is appropriately named for it will make you want to go to sleep. The lyrics are boring as well as the beat of the song. The chorus is repetitive and not very catchy. Nothing exciting happens, making it a bad choice for their first single. If I had never heard of Needtobreathe before were to hear “Slumber” on the radio, I would never go and listen to their other material.

Track four, “A Place Only You Can Go,” is a standout track on the album and my personal favorite. The guitar is very simple and Rhinehart’s voice dominates the song. The bagpipes in the chorus add an element of sadness to the song and the lyrics are well crafted.

“Drive All Night” is the second single and third track from the album. The harmonious chorus is identical in style to choruses on their past albums. This is the song that is most like the bands’ previous work and will definitely attract their previous fan base. “Drive All Night” would have made an excellent first single because it is most representative of the whole album.

“Tyrant Kings,” track 11, is another strong track on the album. It starts slow and escalates to become one of the most lyrically powerful choruses that the band has written yet. “More times than not the ones you love are who you let down/ We’re chasing something big our parents never tracked down/The hardest part is looking back and making sense of/The humble tries and troubled times of where we came from.”

Though slightly less upbeat than their previous albums, Needtobreathe has an equivalent amount of slower songs and more forceful songs that create a very balanced album. Each song fits with the sound that the band has created. With the exception of “Slumber,” not a single song on the album feels like it does not belong.

Every time you listen to the album, it seems to get better and better.

Photo Illustration by Corrie Mitchell/The Captain's Log

Last month, it was time to shed the coats and lose the scarves as Virginia heated up for the fourth-warmest January in history, as reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

However, Virginia was not the only state, as Wyoming, Nebraska, Arizona and several others reportedly experienced some of the warmest average temperatures during the winter season.

Looking back at the snowstorms over the last few winters, this level of heat appears to be unnatural, and many Christopher Newport University students mourn the missed opportunity for classic snowman building and snowball fights.

Senior Meteorologist Michael Pigott for AccuWeather.com claims this January was warmer “mainly because of the jet stream pattern,” which causes the air to move east to west instead of north to south. Because of this, Alaska continued to experience severe cold that seemed relentless, with temperatures dipping as low as 35.6 degrees below zero.

About last month’s warmer temperatures, freshman Ren Mitchell said, “It’s a little weird to hear the birds chirping in the middle of January. I feel like it’s the spring season even though it’s not. I don’t miss the snow, I guess. I know it doesn’t snow around here very often anyway.”

Despite reports of warmer weather in January, Feb. 11 brought wet snowflakes to campus. The response was immediate, as students gathered at windows and jumped at the chance to get outside, huddling in the doorways to the various residence halls and walking around campus, dragging their feet through the snow-speckled grass to leave decorative trails in their wake.

Facebook posts raved about the snow. Students snapped and posted pictures to mark the occasion. However, not all students were excited to see the snowflakes falling down, as some saw it as more of a hassle than anything else.

“The snow isn’t going to stick,” junior Stacy Devers said. “It’ll be gone in the morning. In the meantime, everyone will get really happy, and will forget how to properly drive, making the roads dangerous for everyone else.”

When the snow melted under the sun the next morning, it was good news for commuters and professors who faced the daily struggles of navigating traffic and crowded parking lots, knowing they would not also have to face inclement weather and bad drivers come Monday morning.

Freshman Donovan Campbell, a longtime resident of the Newport News area, said, “We typically get only one or two instances of snowfall each year. We have had more warm days than is usual during January. Climate change is a very likely cause for these mild and temperamental winters.”

All of this warm weather begs the question: Is global warming to blame? Will it continue to affect the temperatures in the spring and summer, and even next winter?

It seems those questions will have to go unanswered for now as scientists and meteorologists gather more data and continue to make their predictions. However, the meteorologists at AccuWeather.com believe that the warm trend may continue through the end of February and into March, though perhaps not as high as what has been experienced in January.

Jack Boston, AccuWeather.com expert senior meteorologist, predicts that temperatures may even begin to drop below average temperatures during March, making the arrival of spring “a bit sluggish.”

Svpply is self-described as “a retail book marking and recommendation service.” When signing up for an account, which is free of charge, new users are asked to provide their existing Facebook or Twitter information, from which Svpply finds people they already know to follow on their website.

Much like Pinterest, which is a largely popular website among Christopher Newport University students, Svpply allows users to post various products to their home page by adding them to their list of “wants.”

This website adds a new dimension to the ever-expanding social media sphere. With Svpply, users can actually purchase the items that they love on the spot. There is no need to look elsewhere for the products listed on the site—they are all for sale. By clicking the “buy” button that pops up when scrolling over the picture, users are taken directly to the vendor’s website, where they can purchase the selected item.

For the most part, the items on Svpply are fitting for those students following the indie or hipster cultures, which is fitting because the creators of the website were working on Svpply as a side project in between graphic design jobs.

Products featured on the site are, for the most part, of the whimsical, nature-inspired variety. Currently on the “editor’s pick” page of the site, a nature kaleidoscope kit is being sold for $12 by Tydepool, as well as a rectangular red book bag featuring images of a woman with hands on her hips, which is being sold by Etsy for $50.

Through Svpply, users can follow stores or people. Following a store will allow the user to see all of the products that store offers, while following a person will allow the user to see all of the products that user has added to his or her list of “wants” or “owns.” Users and stores can also create “sets” where multiple items can be added to one list. For example, one user’s set titled “AU” was full of gold-related products: a passport cover, playing cards and 1920s orthodontic fillings.

Svpply divides products into eight categories: apparel, accessories, shows, tech, media, home, art and other. Additionally, users can search based on gender or price.

For the most part, it will take a good amount of browsing to find products within the general college student’s price range. Given that many of the products come from websites that sell handmade products, they are a bit more expensive than if the same products were sold at the local retail chain. However, it is not impossible to find accessories, clothing or room décor within a tight budget.

For those Harry Potter fans, $15 can buy a black wire deathly hollows necklace from Esty. Or, those with a soft spot for Pluto can purchase a glow in the dark shirt that reads “Pluto: Never Forget” with an image of the former planet for $16 from Y-Que T-shirt Superstore.

This website, which was re-launched in its current format this past fall, offers trendy students a new way to share their favorite products with one another and inspire new styles on campus.

Often times, these fetishes are simply an enhancing element to any relationship, and can be as simple as lingerie or body piercings. However, sometimes they are considered a type of disorder that causes many problems in one’s life or may cause harm to others. These are also referred to as paraphilias and may require professional treatment, and should not go untreated in most cases.

Couples or partners should discuss any experimentation or fetishes with one another before getting down and dirty—make sure your partner is understanding and is willing (or unwilling) to practice the fetish you may be into. Here are some fetishes that have no negative effect on one’s life, but may leave you shocked (you may even figure out that you have one):

Agalmatophilia: Mannequin love. Yes, that’s right, a fetish where the individual is attracted to a doll or statue. This is not a life-threatening fetish, however, you may want to keep an eye on anyone who is spending too much time around those life-like mannequins.

Foot fetishists (also referred to as foot partialism or podophilia): Perhaps one of the fetishes that is easiest to hide, except in the bedroom. Again, this  fetish is not harmful and the most damage it may do is catch you off guard and creep you out a little. Foot fetishists may simply spend more time around the foot region of another’s body, and actions can include massages, kissing and so on.Another similar fetish is the shoe fetish—not the kind that leaves women buying pair after pair to expand her collection—but men who obsess over and are aroused by women wearing shoes, usually high-heels or stilettos.

Ursusagalmatophilia: Individuals who dress up like animals or other characters are referred to as “furries” or “plushies.” Although bizarre, this fetish is most common between individuals who both dress up, therefore unless you have a job where you are dressing up as an animal, you probably will never encounter someone with this fetish–not to mention, this fetish almost reveals itself with its oversized, fuzzy costume included.

Paraphilic Infantilism: This fetish expands the world of wearing diapers outside of just children and the elderly. It is mostly men that develop this fetish, which involves wearing diapers and pretending to be an infant. Personally, this is definitely a bizarre fetish. Although it is not harmful, make a mental note of it just in case anyone ever suggestively hands you a pair of Pampers Easy Ups.

Autoandrophilia: This fetish involves women dressing up as and/or imagining themselves as men, and can include both heterosexual and homosexual women. This brings a whole new meaning to ‘using your imagination’ if you ask me. The fetish known as Altocalciphilia is specific to women wearing high heels.

Somnophilia: This fetish is when males are aroused or excited by watching their partners sleep. This fetish is often referred to as the “Sleeping Beauty” fetish. Personally, the scariest part of this fetish is that you never know who is watching you while you catch up on your beauty rest–and that lack of knowledge may be a good thing!

Bondage: This is a very well-known bedroom practice, and can be very light and playful to very extreme and borderline dangerous. Handcuffs are a common, mild form of bondage and are typically a result of innocent experimentation between couples. More extreme forms of bondage include mouth gags, collars, chains, whips and so on. There is a difference between experimentation and needing these things to become aroused, and partners should discuss this if they choose to partake in bondage activities. Many bondage practices inflict pain on their partner, therefore it is extremely crucial that partners discuss bondage before practicing it on one another—a partner who does not discuss practices such as this with you (or receive permission) is no partner at all if you ask me!

In general, fetishes are fairly accepted in our society. A MSNBC.com study allowed users to share their opinions on fetishes, where one reader wrote: “What is wrong with saying, “Hey, I like this or that and it makes me feel really good,” when it is not hurting someone else?”

Another respondent (anonymous) sums it up nicely: “Everyone has a fetish. Whether it is an oral fixation with biting your pen caps or enjoying having a woman in high heels. It is normal, we all do it. You can either embrace your fetish tendencies or you can hide behind them and call us mentally ill. I prefer to fly my freak flag proudly.”