What is the Harlem Shake? It’s a YouTube phenomenon where one person in a big group begins dancing to the hit song Harlem Shake, by New York music producer “Baauer,” and then the video cuts to a shot of the whole group crazily dancing in strange costumes. Many groups have tried to claim the title of best Harlem Shake video, including UCLA’s own Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and UGA’s swim team that Harlem Shook underwater. While trying to collect Valentine’s Day shoutouts for Mojo, we stumbled upon a crowd of people in very strange costumes gathering in Bruin Plaza to record a UCLA Harlem Shake (organized and directed by third-year music student Sean Matusich). Good thing we were prepared and already had our gorilla suit on.

Check out the photos of the event featured on our sister blog, Spectrum.

—Kate PM

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Imagine you’re headed home at ten o’clock at night. You have a midterm the next day that you’ve barely started studying for, and you’re a five-minute walk away from a coffee shop. Do you go for the coffee, or choose another route?

I’ve faced this question pretty often as a UCLA student, so I was curious to find out what the experts say. To find out more about the side-effects of caffeine, I spoke to Dr. David Baron, the executive director of the Ashe Center.

Here’s a brief scientific overview of what caffeine does to the body:

Caffeine is classified as an “amine.” From a biochemical perspective, amines mimic neurotransmitters such as epinephrine and dopamine, which are the naturally occurring compounds that boost your mood and energy. It is no coincidence that each of these terms contain the suffix “-ine.” The suffix is used to classify amines, and each of these chemicals produce similar effects.

Caffeine (The good side)

Caffeine, if consumed in moderate amounts, is not bad. It is a useful stimulant to provide an increase in energy, alertness and concentration, Baron said. In small doses it can even relieve headaches. It also gives you a quick energy boost and pumps you up to be able to use all that energy efficiently, so when you do homework, you’ll be more mentally alert. Caffeine may also decrease the risk for diabetes because it interferes with some chemicals that contribute to diabetes.

Caffeine (Moderating)

Unfortunately, caffeine consumption is difficult to moderate because many people unknowingly consume caffeine in small amounts throughout the day. Common caffeine products include chocolate, tea, soda and energy drinks, and even allergy medicine and decongestants have similar effects to caffeine, Baron said. Unfortunately, since people have different tolerance thresholds, it’s hard to know when you’ve had too much caffeine. In general, however, tolerance is increased by drinking coffee or energy drinks on a regular basis. Your “limit” has probably been reached if you have trouble sleeping at night.

Caffeine (The bad side)

Caffeine can become addicting and lead to what Baron terms the “tolerance, dependence and withdrawal effect.” One of the withdrawal effects after discontinuing consistent caffeine intake is a headache (which may even turn into a migraine). Baron added that excessive caffeine consumption may cause the following symptoms:

• Irritability, anxiety, nervousness, agitation and mood changes
• Acid reflux
• Stomach ulcers
• Chest pain
• Dizziness
• Insomnia
• Bladder irritation

“Caffeine is also a major contributor to sleep disorders because it disrupts the normal flow of sleep,” Baron said. It may cause you to have trouble either falling asleep or staying asleep. Coffee has been shown to disrupt REM sleep, which is needed for cognitive abilities, such as learning and memory. Lastly, caffeine also stresses your heart and blood vessels, and in extreme cases, Baron said, it can contribute to heart attacks and strokes.

Energy drinks are significantly less healthy than coffee. They contain a lot of sugar, and when consumed in large amounts, may contribute to obesity. They also contain other amines, such as taurine, that produce effects similar to those of caffeine. The combination of the sugar, caffeine and other chemicals cause some people to exhibit adverse symptoms at a quicker rate than if they were to simply just drink coffee.

Alternatives to coffee and energy drinks

• Teas, especially green tea and black tea, are great alternatives to energy drinks and coffee. Not only do teas contain less caffeine, they also have great health benefits, such as antioxidants, as well as chemicals that reduce cancer risks. Tea only contains about 20 milligrams of caffeine, while a cup of coffee contains about 100.
• Hot cocoa also contains antioxidants such as gallic acid and flavonoid epicatechin.
• Getting aerobic exercise through activities such as jogging can energize you when you’re feeling a little tired. Even 5 to 10 minutes of vigorous exercise can help you focus.
• Fruits, especially apples and citrus fruits, are excellent sources of natural sugars that give you an energy boost.
• Finally, eating a hearty, complete breakfast is one of the best alternatives to caffeine. Your breakfast should contain proteins and carbohydrates to help fuel you throughout the day.

—Brian Pham

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Need some more tunes to add to your iPod study playist? Sunday, Feb. 10 on CBS the 2013 Grammys will celebrate the past year in music. We compiled a Grammys 2013  playlist of the nominated songs for your listening pleasure. Many you probably know all the words to, having heard them played over and over a million times on the radio, but, hey, that means they’re good, right? Take a listen to remind yourself why  it was so hard to get the choruses of ‘We Are Young’ and ‘Call Me Maybe’ out of your head all year long. Even though you may have no say in who wins, decide for yourself who you think deserves the prestigious award.

Who do you think will win at the Grammys? Tweet us @dbmojo or comment below.

—Sarah Greenwald

Tags: playlist

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Next to bone marrow, hair is the fastest growing tissue in the human body.

That was more than enough of a reason for UCLA alumna Serena Lee to donate 10 inches of her hair to charity. Lee, who graduated in 2009 with a degree in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, got her trim at the Locks of Love event on Thursday. The event was hosted by the Alumni Scholars Club at the James West Alumni Center.

For those unfamiliar with the non-profit organization, Locks of Love makes available free or reduced price hair prosthetics for children who have lost hair because of medical illness. Anyone is able to participate, although there are a couple of requirements (the hair must be longer than 10 inches and must not be dreaded or bleached).

This was Lee’s second time participating in the Locks of Love event on campus (first time was back in 2008).

“I needed a new haircut and also wanted to donate my hair to a good cause and I knew UCLA always hosted these events,” she said. “I have a lot of hair so I’m not really scared about cutting it shorter.”

VIDEO: Watch people get their new ‘dos and listen to participants explain why they decided to take part in the event.

Mojo followed Lee around while her assigned stylist led her inside the building, which was bubbling with activity. Students of UCLA, Vidal Sassoon and Aveda Institute ran around (sans scissors – whew) the workshops to accommodate clients of all ages, who were requesting a variety of hairstyles.

After separating Lee’s hair into two ponytails and measuring ten inches, the stylist meticulously snipped at the edges, eventually chopping off the two stocks of hair.

“I’m not worried at all,” she said. “My hair already feels so light but that’s a good thing.”

After placing the two ponytails secured by a rubber band into a ziplock to be donated to Locks of Love, the stylist proceeded to cut, spray, blow dry and flat iron the rest of Lee’s hair for the finishing touch.

Lee grew increasingly anxious to see the results (there were no mirrors around for her to scrutinize her hair during the process) but after two hours she was finally granted permission to look at her new ‘do.

“This was all so suspenseful but it made the end product much more satisfying,” Lee said.

Is your hair big because it’s full of secrets? Did you also contribute to Locks of Love? Send us before and after photos on Twitter @dbmojo.

—Stephanie Son

Tags: aveda institute, hair, locks of love, ucla alumni scholars club, vidal sassoon

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With the coolest suits, the most beautiful women and the most iconic beverage order in history, it’s no wonder why James Bond has been a cultural icon for the past 50 years. Campus Events Commission, along with the Rally Committee, will be showing the latest Bond installment, Skyfall, as part of the Pauley Pavilion Lock-In Friday night. Since there’s no better distraction from midterms than reminiscing about the greatest secret agent, let’s look back at some of 007’s finest moments.

1. Sean Connery – Deadly Laser Pointer (Goldfinger): “Do you expect me to talk?” “No, Mr. Bond – I expect you to die!” Sean Connery was the first James Bond and this moment in the iconic film Goldfinger has been recreated in countless TV shows and movies. Fun fact: The script called for a spinning buzzsaw as opposed to a laser beam, but it was decided that a buzzsaw had become too unoriginal.

2. George Lazenby – Honeymoon, Interrupted (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service): The final moments of Lazenby’s only entry in the Bond franchise produced one of the most shocking moments in Bond history when 007’s new wife, Tracy, is shot in a drive-by in their wedding car. Bond proves himself to be just as human as anyone else when he’s holding his wife in his arms and saying, “We have all the time in the world.”

3. Roger Moore – Epic Ski Chase (The Spy Who Loved Me): Connery briefly returned as Bond after Lazenby’s departure, only to pass the torch to Roger Moore. Moore’s finest moment in the 007 canon is arguably the epic ski chase down the Austrian slopes. When it looks like Bond is facing certain doom going off the cliff, he releases his parachute with the Bond theme kicking in right as it opens.

4. Timothy Dalton – Rooftop Joyride (The Living Daylights): Dalton replaced an aging Moore for two Bond entries: The Living Daylights and License to Kill. 007 grabbing onto the roof of a jeep before sending it over a cliff in a fiery inferno is one of the most thrilling scenes in Bond history.

5. Pierce Brosnan – Insane Bungee Jump (Goldeneye): There was a six-year gap between Dalton’s last Bond film and Brosnan’s first, but when Bond came back, he came back in style. 007 jumps off the Archangel Dam with nothing but a bungee cord attached to him. Not only is it awesome to watch, but the scene broke the record for the highest bungee jump from a structure in a movie.

 6. Daniel Craig – Bathroom Brawl (Casino Royale): There was some hesitation at having a blonde James Bond, but all of that was thrown out the window when the black-and-white opening sequence to Casino Royale came on screen, and we all had the pleasure to watch Daniel Craig beat the snot out of some dude before drowning him in a sink. I guess blondes really do have more fun.

If you want to see even more great Bond moments, Skyfall will be shown this Friday (Feb. 8th) at 11 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion. Who’s your favorite Bond? Leave a comment or tweet @dbmojo.

—Mike Bedard

Tags: CEC, films, james bond

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