Hand
MANUAL
in the life of ... // AN HERBALIST
living vicariously through others is ok with us.
Robert Bussinger was a graduate student in communications studies when he lost his keys. He couldn't find them anywhere and at one point he decided to try out some Salvia divinorum, a potent psychedelic plant used for shamanic purposes. He had heard that the plant could help the user find lost items, and wanted to see if it was true. Bussinger found the plant at Persephone's Journey, an herbs shop on Massachusetts Street that is now called Sacred Journey, and tried it out.
This happened two years ago, and Salvia is now illegal in Kansas. But Bussinger became interested in the sacred and medicinal uses of different herbs and plants and started doing some research on his own. Now, he works at Sacred Journey and helps people find the plant most suitable for their needs.
"I've probably eaten every herb and botanical we have in the shop," he says.
Bussinger approaches plants from a shamanic perspective. He has trained with shamans from Gabon, Venezuela and in Mexico. He says
that people should get to know each plant by itself, because they all have their own spirit and medicinal value.
One of the store's most popular plants is the Kratom, which serves as a painkiller. Bussinger says that people who've tried it have reported positive experiences.
Oh, and those keys Bussinger lost? He found them a week after trying the Salvia.
// PATRICK DE OLIVEIRA
Photo by Patrick De Oliveira
The natural way: Former graduate student Robert Bussinger became an herbalist — a researcher and seller of natural remedies — after trying Salvia divinorum, a hallucogenic plant that's now illegal, in an attempt to find his long-lost keys.
it's not all about fast food and beer pong.
get some culture // ORQUESTRA DE SÃO PAULO
If the phrase "classical music" conjures up images of stuffy, old, white European men, perhaps a stop by the Lied Center tomorrow will change your mind.
There, in a performance beginning at 7:30 p.m., Kazem Abdullah, an up-and-coming, 29-year-old African-American maestro, will conduct the Orquestra de São Paulo, the state orchestra of São Paulo, Brazil, and one of the world's most prestigious orchestras. The diverse orchestra will be joined by Scottish virtuoso percussionist Evelyn Glennie in what is bound to
Contributed photo
Out of tune with stereotype The orchestra brings excitement to classical music.
be a night of fascinating sounds and rhythms.
Students will enjoy watching the Orquestra de São Paulo because its members are very spontaneous and like to have a good time while they play, Abdullah says.
The international ensemble will cover traditional European territory with a rendition of Johannes Brahms' "Symphony No. 2" but it will also play "Encantamento" and "Três Danças Brasileiras para Orquestra," both by the Brazilian composer Camargo Guamieri. Abdullah describes "Encantamento" as a very slow and sensuous piece, though "Três Danças" is an adaptation of typical Brazilian dances.
"This is really one of the world's best orchestras," Abdullah says. "They have a really strong understanding of Brazilian music and Brazilian composers."
Evelyn Glennie will add to the spectacle with her percussionist abilities and her style. "She plays with a lot of intensity and gusto," Abdullah says.
Student tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the Lied Center, 1600 Stewart Drive.
// PATRICK DE OLIVEIRA
The ladies go crazy for a sharp-dressed man, but nothing ruins an outfit more than a sloppy tie. It can be little difficult, but with these simple tips you'll be looking prim and proper in no time.
in case of emergency, read quickly.
essential life skills // TYING A TIE
Sean Galloway, an employee in the men's department of Weaver's Department Store, 901 Massachusetts St., says the simplest knot is the single Windsor. It's a casual style with a rectangular knot.
Start with the wider part of the tie on your right side, about a foot longer than the skinny side. You are going to do all of the actions with the wide part of the tie. Pull the wide side over to the left and then tuck it behind the skinny side so it's back on the right. Then pull it over to the left again, then up and through the opening at your neck. By this time you have wrapped it twice around the skinny end. Slide the fat part of the tie down through the loop you have made and straighten it out.
If that still confuses you, Galloway recommends instructional videos on YouTube.
Getting your tie the right length takes trial and error but Galloway says you can measure by the buttons on your shirt. The biggest thing is to make sure the tie ends in the middle of your belt buckle and it is smooth at the knot.
Photo by Andrea Olsen
"It really says something about a man if he knows how to tie a good knot," Galloway says.
It's knot so tough after all. With a little patience and a little practice, the classy look the ladies love is only a few steps away.
So practice up and send the right message.
// ANDREA OLSEN