While Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said he is excited about the opportunity for collaboration between the NCAA and its member institutions, especially regarding infractions and rules, he also blasted two Big Ten teams which have been involved in recent NCAA investigations.

At Big Ten Media Days on Thursday, Delany specifically mentioned NCAA investigations involving Ohio State and Michigan, commenting on the problems such violations create for the conference as a whole.

“University of Michigan had a problem with out-of-season practice. That was an embarrassment,” Delany said. “This year we have Ohio State getting ready to go in front of the infractions committee on Aug. 12th. That’s embarrassing.

“Neither one of those institutions have a history of being in that situation. It not only has reflected poorly on them, it’s reflected poorly on us.”

On Dec. 23, 2010, the NCAA suspended quarterback Terrelle Pryor, running back Dan Herron, receiver DeVier Posey, offensive tackle Mike Adams and defensive end Solomon Thomas for five games for selling memorabilia and receiving improper benefits from Eddie Rife, owner of Fine Line Ink tattoo parlor. Linebacker Jordan Whiting also received a one-game ban.

In the wake of these violations, Jim Tressel, who was facing a five-game suspension and $250,000 fine for failing to report NCAA violations committed by his players, resigned as OSU’s head coach on May 30, 2011.

In 2009, Michigan came under investigation for exceeding NCAA limits on the amount of practice and training time the players may take part in. The 14-month investigation ended in November 2010 with the NCAA adding a year of probation to Michigan’s self-imposed sanctions, which included cutting 130 hours of practice time before the end of the 2011-12 academic year.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez was fired on Jan. 5, 2011.

With new coaches joining each program this year, Delany said he made it clear to both Ohio State coach Luke Fickell and Michigan coach Brady Hoke that going forward, it was their responsibility to manage their teams.

“I explained to each of these coaches that going forward we do not want two more such cases and that they are the CEOs of their program.”

Delany said these mistakes are not limited to the Big Ten, but he is concerned about the violations that directly affect the conference.

“I can’t remember a period of time where we’ve had more questions about various programs, whether it be on the agent side, the recruitment side or the academic side,” he said. “We’ve had two of them in this conference and that’s two too many as far as I’m concerned.”

And while, in Delany’s opinion, certain systems and rules must be evaluated, it is up to individual institutions within the NCAA to work with the NCAA to fix problems with the infractions process, Delany said.

“They (the NCAA) have an infractions process, they have a regulatory system basically where they are enforcing our rules,” he said. “They aren’t their rules, they’re rules that come out of NCAA membership. To the extent they’re inexplicable or irrational, it’s not the NCAA’s problem, it’s our problem and we need to fix it if we need to fix it.”

Delany did say that mistakes will be made, but the Big Ten and other NCAA conferences, along with the NCAA, must address them and move forward.

“It’s not the NCAA alone that needs to change. It’s the conferences and the institutions, to really look at their processes so we can trust each other that when information comes up and needs to be addressed, it’s addressed in the proper way,” he said. “…I’m excited to address these things going forward.”

Delany used Thursday as an opportunity to call a meeting with all Big Ten coaches to discuss the state of the conference as it pertains to the NCAA investigations.

“I wanted to call them together today and speak to them candidly and from the heart,” he said, “explain to them that in many ways, the game is as healthy as it’s ever been.

“But also in my view, we as a conference have been hurt by the two institutions that have been involved in NCAA allegations and findings, and that I wanted to let them know that I expected them to lead their programs in a way that wouldn’t put us in that circumstance again.”

Fickell addressed concerns involving OSU’s program and stated his desire to move the program forward.

“I think from day one, the biggest thing that I’ve tried to do is focus on our leadership as well as trying to pound home the culture that we believe is important in moving our program forward,” Fickell said.

Hoke said he does not view the Michigan program as needing to be rebuilt, despite on- and off-the-field troubles.

“I don’t think we’re rebuilding, period. I mean, we’re Michigan. We’ve got kids who understand that they’re Michigan,” Hoke said of the state of his program.

Delany said that while the Big Ten has never added to the penalties handed down by the NCAA in cases of investigations, the conference has high expectations of their member institutions and that Jim Tressel did not live up to those expectations.

“I view us as having fairly high expectations about report and then reveal … I think Jim’s activity was in contravention of that,” he said.

While the Big Ten will not change its expectations regarding self-reporting of possible NCAA infractions, Delany said he feels confident that going forward, coaches will live up to his expectations.

A strong relationship between the United States and China is “profoundly consequential” to American economic success in the 21st century, according to former Gov. Jon Huntsman, R-Utah, who spoke to a full-capacity audience of about 220 people at Dartmouth College on Tuesday.

Huntsman, who announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination in June, recently served a two-year tenure as U.S. ambassador to China ­— a nation he described as full of an “energy” that the United States lacks.

The optimistic character of the Chinese people, who Huntsman described as “excited about where they are in life,” results from the near 10 percent growth their economy has experienced for “30 years running.” In comparison, the United States has seen opposite results, he said.

“All I can tell you, ladies and gentlemen, is we are in a funk in this country,” he said. “We’re not going to get out of this funk we’re in until, realistically, we deal with debt and spending.”

In order to “ignite the economic engines,” Huntsman said the United States must accomplish three “critically important” reforms — tax reform, banking regulation and innovations for energy independence ­— issues that have been in discussion “for eight presidents.”

Domestic manufacturing, which has declined from 20 percent of total American gross domestic product to 11 percent since the 1980s, is an issue that must be addressed to alleviate unemployment levels, Huntsman said.

“We need companies that export products, and we need companies that hire people and create jobs,” he said.

In response to a question by the most recent presenter in the lecture series, former Gov. Buddy Roemer, R-La., about whether or not Chinese trade was fair, Huntsman said trade in China is “evolving” and will continue to do so.

“Is it fair? No, it’s not fair yet,” Huntsman said, noting that there remain “hurdles” that China must overcome before trading practices are ethical.

Despite this lack of fairness in Chinese trade, the economic relationship between the United States and China will continue to be a crucial part of American trade, he said.

“In the years to come, the two most pronounced trends in the U.S.-China commercial and economic relationship will be more in the way of opportunities for small businesses at a more economically competitive rate,” he said, adding that the United States is the “preferred market for China.”

In addition, China is “one of our largest creditors” outside of the United States, as it has financed much of our national debt, Huntsman said. Japan, however, closely follows China in terms of foreign investments in the United States economy, according to Huntsman.

The American and Chinese approaches to economic projections are in opposition, according to Huntsman. The United States economy focuses on short-term solutions to economic problems, whereas the Chinese emphasize long-term goals, he said,

“We need a long-term strategic dialogue with China,” he said, adding that it is “difficult to bridge those cultural gaps.”

In order to respond to China’s increasing prominence in the international community, Huntsman said American students should learn Mandarin, as China will soon be the largest English-speaking nation.

“Whether they realize it or not, [learning Chinese] begins to prepare [Americans] for the 21st century, and it begins to prepare us for the competitive challenges for the 21st century,” he said.

Huntsman also addressed climate concerns in response to a student’s question.

“First of all, I think that science should lead this discussion, not politics,” he said, adding that natural gas is a “bridge product that we need to take seriously.”

“We’re facing some historic challenges, and we all have a choice,” he said. “You all have a choice [in the upcoming election],” he added. Huntsman also discussed his patriotism, which he said was the fundamental reason he decided to run for president.

“I can’t stand the thought that we’re about to hand down the greatest nation that ever was to your generation,” he said, adding that America today is “less hopeful and weaker.”

The upcoming election is of particular significance to college students, as the current problems with which Americans must contend will directly affect young Americans, Huntsman said.

Huntsman said the decline of the United States’ prominence in the global economy over time is “un-American,” adding that this is a “completely unnatural” phenomenon.

President Barack Obama is “a good man,” though he has not succeeded in addressing the problems that are important to the United States, according to Huntsman.

“He’s fundamentally failed us,” he said, on issues including job creation, economic debt, Medicare and social security.

Dartmouth public policy professor Charlie Wheelan, who moderated the discussion, said politicians vying for the Oval Office must contend with a number of “sobering issues,” including health care reform, foreign trade and changes in our military.

“Now we also have some presidential candidates who, if elected, will be addressing all of these challenges at once,” he said.

Plastic may no longer be an option. Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, along with City Council members Chris Riley and Mike Martinez, introduced a resolution Monday that would eventually lead to a ban on plastic shopping bags in most Austin stores. In doing so, Austin would join a growing number of environmentally-conscious cities and countries that have chosen to banish the wasteful plastic scourge.

This is not the first time Leffingwell has supported banning plastic bags. In 2008, when he served as a member of City Council, Leffingwell proposed banning plastic shopping bags. His efforts did not lead to a ban then, however. A group of six large retail stores pledged to voluntarily reduce bag use at their stores instead.

The reduction amounted to about a 20-percent decline in use over the past two years, according to Leffingwell. The agreed target was 50 percent. According to the Austin American-Statesman, the mayor cited the program’s general ineffectiveness and its small size (it involved only the original six retailers who proposed it) as reasons for revisiting the idea of a city-wide ban.

The mayor also cited a January 2011 report from the city’s Solid Waste Services Department, which estimated that Austin’s plastic bag habit — some 263 million bags used annually — costs the city more than $850,000 per year in landfill maintenance and roadside cleanup.

The city council will consider the new resolution at its Aug. 4 meeting. If adopted, the resolution would direct city employees, along with local retailers, to create an implementation plan. The mayor has said that a ban would be imposed gradually and would likely allow for some exceptions to be made. Small stores, for instance, might be exempt. However, he was careful to say that the ban must be widely applicable to be effective.

A number of U.S. cities have banned the plastic bag in stores. In 2007, San Francisco was the first to do so. Portland is the most recent member of the club, which has grown to include Brownsville, Palo Alto and Los Angeles County.

Internationally, banning them is more popular. Mexico City banned plastic bags in 2009; the Chinese government has severely restricted their use; and Italy banished them entirely in January.

Plastic bags can persist in the environment for decades. They do not degrade readily; they merely break into smaller pieces. They pile up in mountains and in landfills, pollute rivers, swirl endlessly in oceans and endanger wildlife. But while managing plastic bags after they have been used and discarded certainly creates environmental problems, it is by some accounts a smaller problem than the consequences of making the bags initially.

Plastic bags are made from oil and natural gas, and the environmental cost of producing them is severe. They waste non-renewable resources that could be used for more productive purposes. The Chinese government estimates that its restrictions save some 37 million barrels of oil per year from being used to make plastic bags.

According to Salon, an online magazine, only 2 percent of plastic bags are successfully recycled in the United States. Many are thrown away and sent to landfills, but even bags sent to recycling centers pose problems. Because they are so thin, the bags are difficult to process and often clog machines, requiring them to be removed by hand.

Businesses favor them, of course, because they are cheap, costing 1 to 2 cents per bag, compared to paper bags’ 4- to 6-cent price tag. And manufacturers claim that making them is less damaging than making paper bags. Paper bags require that trees be ground up, and because they are heavier than plastic ones, paper bags require more fuel to transport to retailers.

But that argument fails to account for the higher recycling rate for paper bags, many of which are now made from recycled materials to begin with. Moreover, trees, if properly managed, are a renewable resource, unlike oil and natural gas.

And paper bags are not the only alternative. During the voluntary reduction program, the Texas Retailers Association, a group that opposes the mayor’s proposed ban, estimates that the participating stores sold more than 900,000 reusable canvas bags to customers.

These bags, also often made from recycled materials, can be used over and over again. Getting customers to use them has been the primary issue. Eliminating plastic bags, or charging for them, may be an incentive customers will respond to.

Plastic bags serve their purpose quite well, and they epitomize convenience. But the piles of discarded bags and small bits of plastic floating in our rivers and oceans are slowly assembling into a permanent monument to the consequences of our collective laziness.

According to the Austin American-Statesman, Leffingwell said, “It won’t take much for Austinites to understand that plastic is no longer an option.” He is right, and Austin should kick this wasteful habit.

If one thing defines cinema in 2011, it’s alien movies. From “Super 8” and “Battle: Los Angeles” to lighter fare such as “Paul,” it’s been difficult to hit a multiplex without seeing some sort of interplanetary entertainment option. “Cowboys & Aliens” is the last big blockbuster of summer, and it’s not even the only alien movie opening this weekend, but its fresh twist on the genre makes it an entertaining ride.

Even though the film’s ad campaign touts it as blending sci-fi and Western elements, it starts off as a mystery. Jake (Daniel Craig) wakes up in the desert with a bizarre bracelet attached to his wrist and no memory of how it (or he) got there. He rides into the nearest town and quickly bumps up against Percy Dolarhyde (Paul Dano), unaware that Percy’s father (Harrison Ford) is a powerful cattle baron whose very name inspires fear in the local townspeople.

The film’s first act is by far its best, staged with all the tropes of a traditional Western. Director Jon Favreau nails the pace, letting an intense slow burn guide the opening scenes. He showcases beautiful, sprawling landscapes and dusty gunfights with a flair that would make John Ford proud. Also great is Dano, whose absolutely revolting character gets big laughs as Craig humiliates him time and time again.

And then the aliens attack, and the film begins to sputter. The first alien attack scene is effective and tense, but it’s also dark to the point of being distracting. Just before the aliens attack, the screen is so dim that it’s nearly impossible to see what’s going on, something that most of the film’s nighttime scenes suffer from. The film also makes the mistake of sidelining a good chunk of the supporting cast after this attack scene, taking Dano out of the equation, as well as Keith Carradine’s intriguing sheriff and a few others — all of them vital parts of what’s made the movie work so far.

Once the cowboys go tracking down the aliens who have kidnapped their townspeople, the film slowly catches up with its forward momentum. One of the main problems with this middle section is Harrison Ford’s character. Ford is, as always, simply awesome and gives an energized, hungry performance that holds up a half-baked character. His ruthless cattle baron never quite inspires the terror in the audience as he does in the characters, and his inevitable redemption arc is nothing short of forced. It’s as if the film’s five (!) credited screenwriters knew he had to start the film as a gruff bastard and end it as a slightly less gruff town leader but decided to let Ford fill in the blanks.

All of the film’s acting is solid, even if the character work isn’t. Craig is a hero through and through, instilling his character with a confidence that carries him even when he has no memories whatsoever. The film’s only real character is Sam Rockwell’s Doc, whose wife is kidnapped in the alien attack. At this point in his career, Rockwell can pretty much do no wrong, and he quietly steals the show from seasoned vets given much more material to work with, even getting the film’s most cheer-worthy moment.

Where the character work stumbles, Favreau picks up the slack by keeping the film moving. His aliens aren’t exactly distinguishable from the many other extraterrestrials that have graced multiplex screens this year, but there’s a few delightfully gross details that redeem them. Favreau also knows how to make his creatures menacing, casting them as fast, brutal conquerors that never run out of ways to kill you, brought to life by near-seamless visual effects.

“Cowboys & Aliens” gets a lot right. From the cowboy iconography to the thrilling action sequences, Favreau’s passion for the project is clear throughout, and that’s enough to forgive some shoddy character work and the occasional slow stretch. Fans of Westerns will find plenty to like here, as will sci-fi fans, but the real treat is watching Ford truly acting again. One can only hope he continues to give such clearly enthusiastic performances, hopefully with better written scripts in the future. And Ford isn’t even the strongest part of a stacked ensemble that helps make “Cowboys & Aliens” an enjoyable close to the summer movie season.

Several studies have recently shed light on the effects of binge drinking.

A new animal study by Washington U. School of Medicine in St. Louis found that binge drinking does not necessarily kill or damage brain cells. Rather, excess alcohol temporarily disables the brain’s ability to learn and create memories.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration to 0.08 percent or above. This typically happens when men consume 5 or more drinks and when women consume 4 or more drinks in about 2 hours.

After a night of binge drinking, half of the key receptors in the hippocampus, the brain’s information consolidator, become blocked. Other receptors are activated to produce a steroid that will undermine the brain’s ability to strengthen neuron connections, an essential part of memory and learning.

This new information sheds light on what it means to “black out.”

According to researchers, alcohol doesn’t damage cells. At high BAC levels, brain cells are still communicating. The brain still has the ability to process information, but the brain does not create new memories because key memory receptors are blocked.

Researchers also noted that consumption of drugs, along with alcohol, is more likely to cause blackouts than either substance alone.

According to a study released last Thursday by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, nearly one in four Americans binge drinks during a month’s time.

Studies cite the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which interviewed 137,000 people from 2008-2009 on the topics of alcohol and drug use.

Results for Louisiana were in the median range.

Approximately 60-65 percent of Louisianians ages 18-25 use alcohol within a month’s time.

Of these residents, 37-40 percent binge drink in a month.

The survey also studied how citizens in each state perceive the risk of having five or more drinks of an alcoholic beverage twice a week.

The survey showed that 36-42 percent of Louisiana residents ages 18-25 think drinking to this extent is a great risk.

States with the greatest percent of residents participating in binge drinking are located in the northern portion of the U.S.

Among the highest were Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Vermont, New Hampshire and Delaware.

The state with the least perception of risk was Utah.