President Obama will spend the next few weeks meeting with leaders from Israel,Palestine and Egypt in hopes of fostering peace in the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will all visit Washington to discuss the prospect of peace with President Obama.
Trying to find common ground
President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will talk today about the prospect of peace in the Middle East. photo taken from http://www.bbc.com
Obama will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu today and hopes to establish some common ideas for peace in the Middle East. Netanyahu said this morning that he does not support a two-state solution, an idea that has been supported by many, including the Obama administration.
“The new Israeli government is definitely more skeptical of peace right now,” said Safia Swimelar, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Elon University. “Netanyahu said he wants a fresh start and new plans. It’s kind of ironic that now that we have a U.S. side that seems more engaged in the process, there is an Israeli side that is more skeptical toward the peace process.”
Listen to Professor Safia Swimelar talk about the peace talks.
Centuries of conflict
The conflict in the Middle East has been a problem for centuries and attempts to rectify it have been countless.
“I just finished a class called the Spirit of Israel and we talked mostly about Zionism,” said Elon student Meghan McCrystal, “and the conflict that is now present between the Israelis and Palestinians. I’d be impressed if Obama can fix it because the issues are so personal to many people and they have been around for so long.”
The tensions are primarily related to land ownership and religious differences.
“Of course the conflict between Israel and Egypt can be traced back to when Israelites were help as slaves in Egypt,” said Reverend George Shive. “And tensions rose between Israel and Palestine in 1948 when Israel was established as an independent nation on Palestinian land.”
The conflict between Egypt and Israel seems to have been resolved. Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab states who have had peaceful relations with Israel and they are being included in these discussions as a form of mediation.
Egypt as a tool for mediation
“I wouldn’t say that they are best friends with Israel,” said Swimelar, “but they’re clearly not enemies. So they are seen as key actors in the diplomatic arrangement because they do have this ability to talk to the Israelis but also be on the side of the Palestinians given their identity.”
The mediation that Egypt’s President Mubarak could provide a forum in which both the Israeli and Palestinian parties are willing to talk.
“Something that happens a lot in Middle East peace negotiations is that a third party is brought in to help mediate,” said Paul Findle. “It’s a function of the process of mediation and when so much is at stake, especially religious or political difference, that mediation is welcomed.”
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter hosted the Israeli Prime Minister and the President of Egypt to discuss the issue of peace in the Middle East in which strides were made toward peace. The parties all signed agreements known as the Camp David Accords.
Will these talks be successful?
This famous image of President Jimmy Carter and Israeli and Egyptian leaders at the Camp David Accords gives hope for peace in the Middle East
The success of these most recent peace talks remains to be seen.
Political Science professor Rudy Zarzar is optimistic about Obama’s efforts and believes that this is a high priority on his agenda
“He already expressed interest and support for the two state solution,” said Zarzar. “He has declared before the world that solving this problem is a matter of national interest for the United States. He already has former Senator George Mitchell sent to the Middle East to serve as a mediator between the two sides and with the Arab States. And, finally he already asked some key figures in the conflict to come to the U.S. for discussions.”
Though the new Israeli government seems less inclined to work toward the peace process at this time, there is hope that because of the power of the Obama administration. Many Israeli and Palestinian citizens are also optimistic about peace in the Middle East.
“I really think that the negotiating power and diplomatic power of the Obama administration is going to make things better,” said Swimelar.
Obama’s administration has always operated on a platform that seeks to create communication and connections with foreign nations. Obama hopes that creating peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will lead to more peaceful relations with all of the Middle East.
Listen as Obama discusses his policy for foreign affairs and the Middle East.
There is and always will be a need for journalists.
In a world so interconnected by wires and satellites, the exchange of information occurs at a rapid rate – thanks to journalists. In a society whose success is heavily dependent on an informed public, opinions are shared and voices are heard – thanks to journalists. In a culture intrigued by the lives and stories of others, those stories are broken in a moments notice – thanks to journalists.
The question is, in this new technological and cyber-obsessed culture, where do journalists stand? How do they stay relevant and how do they meet the needs of their audience?
Black words on a white page no longer constitute the most effective journalism. The morning routine of reading the paper with a cup of coffee and the smudges of ink on our fingers are becoming a thing of the past, left to our grandparents’ generation.
Also long gone are the days when journalists were simply reporters and writers. They are now innovators, photographers, designers, videographers and seekers.
Designing layouts, shooting videos and uploading stories on the road are now in the job description of a journalist and the new responsibilities will continue to be discovered.
Audiences today have been conditioned by the fast-paced nature of today’s culture and the ability to instantly access any and all information one could ever desire.
“Our assumption had been,” Jeff Jarvis says, “that if it appeared in a major newspaper or magazine, that was the definition of attention. It assumed that the world paid attention to our news. So under this argument, we could be seeing an admission that papers and magazines have lost their juice.”
Print journalism is still in use but readership is declining and the effectiveness lacking. Having to wait until the morning publication or the weekly issue is too much for this society.
As Elon students complete final projects and prepare for the end of the semester exams, there are many things happening on campus that could serve as distractions.
This morning around 9:00 fire alarms at Belk Library went off and students and staff were rushed outside. The Elon Fire Department responded to the alarm. Students waited outside while fire fighters checked the building.
The alarm was found to have been set off by a malfunctioning fire detector.
“I had just sat down to start a paper when I heard the alarm,” said junior Justin Marks. “I’m glad it isn’t a real fire but I’m a little frustrated that we’re waiting out here for nothing.”
Also today, two apartments of Elon students in the off-campus Sheridan Apartment complex were searched by police along with the on-campus Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity house. These searches were part of a recent string of drug busts that have been occurring on campus over the last week.
Four Elon students, Tyler Reynolds, Nicholas Siciliano, Derek Schwarz and Meredith Haggerty, are being held in the Alamance County Jail on drug related charges.
Leigh-Anne Royster, a counselor at Elon University
Elon’s coordinator for personal health and community well-being, Leigh-Anne Royster, was arrested on April 29 for resisting a public officer. Responding to a case of sexual assault, Royster refused to give information to a police officer because of confidentiality agreements she maintains as a counselor. The case has since been dismissed.
“I can’t believe she was arrested just for doing her job,” said sophomore Jenn McHugh. “I work with her very closely and feel so badly for her.”
The “bubble” of Elon University has been caught off guard by these events.
“Nothing like this ever happens to Elon so I think the whole campus is definitely taking note now,” said Craig Burns.
The federal government has been holding daily press conferences to update Americans on the status of the H1N1 “swine flu” outbreak.
At Monday’s press conference, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said “we have started to see encouraging signs that this virus may be mild and that its spread may be limited.”
‘Cautiously Optimistic’
“We are cautiously optimistic,” Napolitano said, “but we realize that this is not the time to rest.”
Many students have visited Elon's health center because of the swine flu scare.
Despite this good news, Elon students are still very aware and nervous about the possibility of catching the swine flu.
“Every time I hear someone cough or say they don’t feel well,” said sophomore Taylor Burns, “I immediately think they have the swine flu and I make a mental note to stay far, far away from them.”
In North Carolina, there is only one confirmed case of the H1N1 strain with seven probable cases.
“I was in the health center today for a sinus infection and it was packed with people,” said sophomore Kate Balderston. “I think everyone is scared of the swine flu. Anyone with a cough or cold is getting checked out.”
How to avoid the ‘swine flu’
With 15 confirmed cases in South Carolina, those students who traveled south of the border for fraternity banquets this weekend made sure to stay cautious and careful.
“I thought about taking a mask with me,” joked sophomore Aaron Richards, “but I thought it might just be easier and less awkward to take some hand sanitizer.”
The key to keeping the virus contained is a joint responsibility of individuals, families, businesses and the government at all levels.
“Individuals have a responsibility to cover your mouth with you cough,” Napolitano said, “to not go to work or send you child to school if your child is sick or are sick, to wash your hands continuously or use an alcohol gel.”
There are 286 cases of the H1N1 strain in 36 states and approximately 1,000 cases nationwide.
While this flu is discovered to be no more dangerous than the normal influenza strain, there is a chance that the H1N1 epidemic could die down this season and come back in fall with flu season.
Freshman Grant de Roo gave President Obama a “solid B+.”
“I think he’s done a good job,” de Roo said. “He’s gotten a little sidetracked by smaller things like these Guantanamo trials, but overall I definitely think he’s doing well.”
De Roo voted for Obama in the November election. Freshman Gina Maini did not vote for Obama but is also pleased with the job he has done for the first 100 days.
“I think Obama has done very well in the diplomacy front,” Maini said. “They’ve completely changed from how the Bush administration handled diplomacy to how they’re doing diplomacy now, which I like.”
With all the campaign promises that politicians make, the first 100 days can be a time where those promises are realized or are disregarded.
“I think, as far as the war goes,” said Elon junior Beth Pazar, “he’s maintained what Bush was doing. He hasn’t done anything drastic like he said he would. Our economy is recovering from the downward spiral it was in for the past eight year. I think it’s just a matter of time before it’s healthy again.”
Pazar gave Obama an “A-” for his first 100 days in office.
“He’s not doing any damage and that’s a very good thing,” Pazar said.
Elon sophomore Matthew Woodward praised Obama for the job he has done.
“I think he’s done well,” Woodward said, “especially for the magnitude of this election. He’s handled himself well and has gotten off to a good start. I’m excited for the next 4 years.”
What do the experts think?
Elon students seem to be on the same page as many political analysts. CNN gave the president a “B,” and a “B+” for the way he has handled the recent swine flu crisis.
According to Fox News, a stereotypically conservative news organization, Obama has done well his first 100 days.
Obama’s approval ratings and grade after his first 100 days are very similar to the numbers George W. Bush had in 2001.
Listen to what Gina Maini has to say about Obama’s first 100 days in office.
Gerald Whittington has his hands full with Elon’s constant construction, ahead-of-the-times technology and money that is more precious than ever.
by Amy McLeod
Elon is rapidly climbing its way to sit among the best and most prestigious colleges and universities in the nation.Elon’s campus is constantly growing and developing, new buildings and features with every blink of the eye. Elon is dealing with the national financial crisis with better success than most other institutions of higher education.Elon is known for being at the cutting edge of technology, both in terms of technology on campus and the technological education that students receive.
You can thank Gerald Whittington for that.
Whittington is Elon’s Vice-President of Business, Finance and Technology, meaning that he oversees all business and financial operations of the university.He is also responsible for all of the physical assets of the university, meaning buildings, grounds and any new construction as well as all technology on campus.
‘This place was getting ready to explode”
“When I came here to interview I got the sense,” Whittington said, “just right off the bat, that this is a place that was getting ready to explode.And I thought you could probably help out somewhere and be a part of that.And that’s why I decided to come to Elon.”
And explode it did.Under Whittington’s direction, Elon’s campus has doubled in square footage and its national recognition has increased greatly.
“The size of the campus has gotten a whole lot larger. The number of students here has grown tremendously.The quality of the student body has continued to increase year over year.And that’s pretty gratifying. The recognition of the university since 1992 has just skyrocketed.”
How Whittington and Elon stay ahead of the technological curve
On top of the operations of the university, Whittington is also responsible for all the technology on campus.Elon has employed a series of three-year plans in regards to technology that increase the campus’s understanding of technology, apply technology to all programs offered at Elon and provide students with the knowledge they need to successfully use technology in the real world.
“They’ve worked for us.Each three-year plan that we’ve done keeps up ahead of everybody else, so right now this plan is well in advance of what anybody else is thinking about. We’re trying to keep ahead mainly so that our students and faculty have a leg up.”
Watch Whittington discuss Elon’s stance on technology.
How will Elon deal with the nation’s economic crisis?
With the economic crisis on the minds of all Americans right now, Whittington is also forced to think about how Elon will cope with the uncertainty of the future.
“We’re not immune from this,” Whittington admits. “The effects, however, for the university are significantly less dramatic than other institutions. “
Because many of Elon’s programs and operations are supported by students’ tuition as opposed to a large endowment, most programs will remain intact and Elon will not feel the effects nearly as much as other colleges and universities.
Gerald Whittington talks about the impact of the economy on Elon
Life apart from Elon
With having to think about Elon’s financial future, countless construction projects and equipping students with the technological knowledge necessary to be successful in the real world, does Gerald Whittington have time to do anything else?
You’d be surprised.
Whittington was born in Washington, DC but spent time growing up in Europe.He currently lives in Chapel Hill with his wife Roberta. Whittington is the father of two sons, both of whom live in Atlanta.Roberta is the president of Hinshaw Music Publishing Company, whose international headquarters is located in Chapel Hill.
Before marrying, the two sat next to each other for 16 years in the choir of the Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church.Whittington also performs 15 to 20 times a year as a professional singer with the Bel Canto Company.
Whittington plays bridge “moderately well” and reads “voraciously.”He is an avid sports fan, his allegiance lying with the Tarheels of UNC, his undergraduate alma mater.
Sharing advice with students
When asked about the best pieces of advice he has ever been given, Whittington recalled bits of wisdom that had been passed down to him.
The first piece of advice that Whittington shares deals with working one’s way up in the world.
“Way back yonder somebody told me, dress for the job you want, not for the job you have.Dress so the people above you can see you as one of them.”
Whittington’s second suggestion involves relationships and how to respectfully begin relationship, particularly with elders.
“A piece of advice that I got from a dean at UNC is always give every person their ‘propers’.And that means that you always address someone as ‘Mr.’ or ‘Mrs.’ or ‘Ms.’ You always begin a relationship in a respectful and proper and formal way.”
Pointing to a plaque on his shelf, Whittington noted the final piece of advice.The plaque, written in Latin, read, “small matters do not worry a judge.”Colloquially, Whittington translated, “don’t sweat the small stuff.”
Whittington shares the best advice he has ever been given
As Earth Day approaches, Elon students gear up in an effort to conserve energy, recycle more and educate about environmental issues during the campus’s “Earth Week.”
The Green Team and the Sierra Club chapters at Elon University have joined forces to create a week’s worth of events and presentations centering around Earth Day, which occurs on Wednesday, April 22.
For a full list of “Earth Week” events, click here.
In an informal survey of 141 Elon students, 88.7 percent said that they would consider themselves to be environmentally aware and nearly 64 percent said that their Elon education has made a difference in their awareness.
“Coming into Elon I wasn’t very aware,” said sophomore Tamara Burnett, “but for our Global Studies class we were all required to read An Inconvenient Truth. That book really opened my eyes to a lot of the problems plaguing our environment and the severity of them.”
There are many different ways to be environmentally conscious. The majority of students polled, 61 percent, try to follow the three step process: reduce, reuse, recycle.
Not all students are so willing to make the effort. Sixteen percent of students surveyed said that they have taken no action to preserve the environment.
“To be honest,” said sophomore Chris Myers, “I know it’s a problem but I don’t really have the time or the energy to care or to change my lifestyle to make a difference.”
As some students have realized, it does not necessarily take a huge effort to make a real difference.
“I try to remember to do the little things,” said Jenn McHugh. “I try to turn off the lights and water when I’m not using them. It’s a work in progress but I think I’m getting better about it and every little bit helps. This is the only planet we have and if I can make a difference for my kids and my grandchildren, I’ll do what I can.”
“Landfill on the Lawn” demonstrates students wasteful behavior
The Earth Week activity planned for today is Landfill on the Lawn. Physical Plant brought trash from dormitories and academic buildings to the Moseley lawn.
Earth Week's Landfill on the Lawn at Elon University
Student volunteers and members of the Sierra Club and the Green Team then dug through the trash, sorting out recyclables such as newpapers and water bottles.
“There’s always a lot of water bottles,” said Elon junior Kim Krumm, “because people will buy water bottles, drink them and throw them out and that’s not very sustainable. Elon did give out new water bottles and that’s great. In fact, we did find a couple of them in the trash.”
From water bottles to jeans and textbooks, the piles of trash at Landfill on the Lawn were full of students garbage, much of which could be recycled.
Listen as Kim Krumm discusses Landfill on the Lawn and the importance of recycling and sustainability.
Communications professor Ken Calhoun spoke to Elon students on April 8 about interactive media and how it is growing and being used to inform audiences.
Ken Calhoun talk to Elon students about interactive media in today's industry.
“Traditional media is a one directional media,” Calhoun said. “There’s a sender and there’s a receiver. Interactivity allows for this kind of conversation, active participation by the audience. It provides back-and-forth in the model, more of a conversation. That’s what people want from their media.”
The three “flavors” of interactive media that Calhoun says are beginning to develop are storytelling, responsive visuals and conversation.
STORYTELLING
Interactive media is becoming a popular way to tell stories. Media objects such as interactive narratives give the viewer the ability to make decisions that impact the plot of the story.
“It gives viewers the opportunity to have a media experience that you can navigate yourself,” Calhoun said.
There are no longer restrictions for the type of media used to tell a story – video, pictures, audio, etc. It all depends on which type of media will most effectively tell each portion of the story.
Listen to Ken Calhoun talk about strategies for effective interactive storytelling.
RESPONSIVE VISUALS
“Responsive visuals are experiences we have online that are really visually based,” Calhoun said. “They’re graphics, info graphics, data visualizations, timelines, maps, stuff like that.”
In order for responsive visuals to be effective, they must be self-revealing and truly interactive.
“They have to be open, organic and fed by the changing world,” Calhoun said.
CONVERSATION
“Conversations are the social media aspect,” said Calhoun. “All those aspects where we’re contributing to a narrative; we’re contributing to a body of text.”
As Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and blogs explode, conversation media are becoming a popular and very effective way to communicate. Calhoun says that these social networks have become interactive media because they are setting the conditions for conversations, not hosting them.
What are colleges and universities doing to provide healthy dining options for students and what are the physical and emotional impacts of the freshman fifteen?
by Amy McLeod
You know what I’m talking about. The Octagon Rush. On any given Friday at about 12:30 p.m., the line for the beloved Bowtie Ballet extends out of Pangeo’s, wraps around the entrance of Octagon Café and ends up anywhere between Fireside Lounge and the Admissions Office. The line to get a chicken steak provolone and French fries from GrillWorks has hungry students packed like sardines inside Octagon. Maybe the realization that the delicious Bowtie Ballet has 1,015 calories and the perfectly seasoned French fries from GrillWorks have 44 grams of fat would curb the appetites of those hungry students.
When the deep-fried chicken nuggets and waffle fries from Chic-fil-A are the healthiest things a student can find to eat, there’s a big problem. Many of dining options in Octagon Café and throughout the rest of Elon University are unhealthy. The key questions: Is the nutrition of the food important? What are those in charge doing to make the dining options healthier for Elon students? And what physical and emotional implications are students experiencing due to the lack of healthy dining options?
Students from neighboring schools speak out.
In an informal survey taken of approximately 250 students from Elon, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University and Furman University, 88 percent of students said that they have gained weight since arriving at college. Nearly 65 percent of those surveyed said unhealthy dining options were to blame for the weight gain.
results of an informal survey regarding weight gain in college
What does Aramark think about its job as dining service?
Laura Thompson Aramark senior food service director at Elon University spoke candidly about the job that Aramark venues at Elon are doing in terms of the nutritional value of food being served.
“If you want me to be honest,” Thompson said, “I’m not sure that our menus are 100 percent nutritionally sound. I think we definitely have room for improvement. I think we offer a lot of good options but definitely have room to improve the options that we can add to give students more healthier options.”
Aramark recipes are all created at the corporate level and then passed down to individual schools and universities. Individual school menus are then created at a local level. Elon’s dining services typically use all of the recipes that the corporate level provides in order to supply students with as much variety as possible. That means, however, that not all options offered can be “healthy.”
“I think we’ve just let it slide,” Thompson said. “None of our managers come from a nutrition background. I think it’s just something we need to educate our managers and our employees who are preparing the food. It’s a big education process.”
While the health of students is a priority for Elon, there are limitations that dining services face as they plan meals and try to appeal to and cater to all students.
“I’d love it if we could be healthier,” said Grace Patterson, one of the GrillWorks workers at Octagon Café, “but when we’re trying to make four chicken provolone sandwiches, seven cheeseburgers, three grilled cheese and nine orders of fries for hungry students we don’t have time to think really about nutrition.”
Ideas for the future
Some students don’t care or prefer to eat calorie-laden foods. The plethora of dining options that Elon offers allows Elon to provide options for all students, whether they are football players who need to eat 8,000 calories a day or sorority girls who are trying to stay fit for Spring Break.
“We can look at every location,” Thompson said, “and hopefully offer something that is nutritionally sound to the students who are looking for that but we can still offer the French fries for the student who doesn’t really care what they eat.”
Right now, Aramark focuses on having a balanced menu but sometimes nutrition is the aspect that gets sacrificed.
“I think we focus on giving a well-balanced program but if you walk into a dining hall are you going to find a well-balanced meal every single day?” she asked, “I don’t think so and that’s something that’s an initiative of ours to work on this summer when we re-tool our menus.”
Along with offering a balanced selection of dining options, Aramark has and will continue to attempt to provide options for those with food allergies or other restrictions. As the gluten allergy, known as celiac disease, becomes more prevalent, Aramark is trying to accommodate students suffering with that disease in their menus.
“I got really excited when I saw that Colonnades advertised gluten-free pizza,” said Elon junior Ben Kaufman. “But when I requested it, the lady pulled out a gluten-free wrap and put sauce and cheese on it. Not exactly what I had in mind. It’s great that they have options, but I wish there were more and better options because this allergy is being diagnosed a lot more recently and it’s very limiting.”
Aramark recognizes the increasing number of students who are have a gluten allergy and are actively trying to provide those students with gluten-free options.
“We are hoping to expand that program more because we are seeing celiac disease being more and more diagnosed and more of our students coming on campus are having that issue so we’re hoping that this summer we can expand that option for those students.”
Every summer, managers revisit their menus and make changes in order to make the dining options healthier, better and more diverse. During this summer’s re-vamping process, Elon’s dining services will also be employing a new initiative of Aramark’s called “Just4U.” This initiative will provide signage in dining halls that will indicate if the food is low calorie or low fat, for example. This will help students make informed decisions about the food they are eating, giving them more opportunity to control what they are eating.
The Aramark Web site has this to say about its new Just4U initiative:
“Just4U® point-of-service menu identifiers make it easy to find selections that are lower in fat, lower in calories, lower in carbohydrates, vegetarian or organic. In addition, Just4U® ‘Eat Well Selections’ make it easy to find foods that offer several nutritional benefits in one menu item for business diners that are concerned about limiting the calories, fat and sodium in their diets. These new identifiers simplify the decision-making for busy customers who want great tasting, healthy choices that fit their own personal preferences.”
This signage will provide important information quickly about dining options. Currently, most nutritional information is available on the Elon Dining Services Web site but is not available at the dining halls or markets.
“This summer we hope to have a big overhaul of our menus,” Thompson said. “It will be something that will be emphasized at the beginning of the summer when our managers are into their menu production to make sure that with every meal that you have that there is a nutritionally sound option.”
Listen to Laura Thompson talk about some things Elon is doing to improve dining services,
Mental and emotional impacts of the Freshman 15
New initiatives are great but what about the impact that has already been felt by college students at Elon and across the country?
“We learned in my educational psychology class about the crazy things that can happen to students in college,” said sophomore Sam McMillan. “So many people develop eating disorders and begin to suffer from depression. And a lot of times it can all be traced back to weight gain.”
A 2006 survey conducted by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) measured the awareness and prevalence of eating disorders on college campuses across the country. The survey revealed shocking statistics about eating disorders in college students.
Sixty-three percent of the 1,002 students surveyed felt their lives had been personally impacted by an eating disorder. Nearly 20 percent admit to having personally had an eating disorder at some time. Of that 20 percent, only 25 percent had ever sought treatment.
Students coming into a new environment, meeting all new people and establishing an entirely new lifestyle can be physically, mentally and emotionally affected by small changes and hard adaptations, said McMillan.
“Being on their own for possibly the first time and facing a heavy academic load can make the first year of college very stressful,” said Dr. Karen Cullen, a behavioral nutrition researcher at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “Many college freshmen respond to stress by eating.”
The real story of one Elon student who has felt the effects of the Freshman 15
One Elon junior has suffered from an eating disorder since her freshman year. Without the support and watchful eye of her parents, she stopped paying attention and caring about what she ate.
“I was always very fit and very thin because I was always playing a sport,” says Heidi Williams (name changed to provide anonymity). “Whether it was soccer, swimming, or track, I was always doing something. When I got to school and didn’t have a coach or my parents keeping me in check, I let myself go.”
Williams recalls spending a lot of time in the all-you-can dining halls and enjoying the late night options available on campus. Having what seemed like endless meal plans and endless options, Williams found herself eating more than was healthy and more than was necessary.
“I remember going home my freshmen year for Thanksgiving,” Williams said. “It was the first time I had been home and my mom just kind of stared at me. The first thing my sister said was, ‘So I guess you’re enjoying the food at school.’ That hit me hard and I’ve never forgotten it. I hadn’t let myself realize how much weight I had gained until my family wouldn’t let me ignore it anymore.”
The realization that she had gained the “freshman 15” in her first few months on campus sent Williams into a dieting and exercising frenzy that turned into an eating disorder.
“I started skipping meals and throwing up what I would eat,” Williams recalled, the subject visibly difficult to discuss. “I started running every day, anything I could do to get back to my normal size and weight. I’ve been fighting it since then, December of my freshman year.”
Tips for avoiding the dreaded Freshman 15
We want to believe the freshman fifteen is a myth, one of those “it’ll never happen to me” kinds of things. But it’s real and the convenience of dining options on college campuses coupled with the lack of healthy dining options makes the freshman fifteen more real than most people would like to believe.
“Coming into school last year, I was aware of the freshman fifteen. I had definitely heard about it but I wasn’t worried. Maybe I should have been,” said Elon sophomore Meredith Reedy laughing.
It doesn’t have to be inevitable. There are steps that can be taken and preventative measures that can keep the dreaded freshman fifteen away.
According to the Baylor College of Medicine, there are several things students can do that will keep the pounds off.
First, dealing with stress positively. It’s always important to limit foods high in fat, fat calories and sugar in check. Drink lots of water and get plenty of sleep.
Keep dorm-room snacks healthy. It’s easy to have candy or chips but snacking on vegetables or pretzels are much healthier options. Schedule physical activity into the daily routine. If it doesn’t become habit, it won’t seem important. Eat all meals; skipping will not cause quicker weight loss. Plan ahead. Know how you plan to stay healthy and don’t let yourself get out of control.
Michael McManus spoke to Elon students on Thursday about the increasing use of illegal drugs in America and the effort he has had in fighting drug wars over the past 30 years.
Michael McManus speaks to Elon students about the drug war and how he's been fighting it.
McManus is a former Federal Agent with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. He was one of the agents instrumental in bringing down George Jung, prominent a drug lord and the man responsible for America’s cocaine market. The 2001 movie Blow is based on Jung and his downfall.
“I have been blessed with an absolutely fantastic career,” McManus said. “I drive fast boats, smuggle cocaine out of the Bahamas and drive beautiful cars. And I get paid to do it.”
‘The people losing this battle are your little brothers and sisters’
McManus began by informing students about the way the drug industry has grown over the past few decades.
“We’ve won the drug war since 1979,” McManus said. “The people losing this battle are your little brothers and little sisters.”
According to McManus, of today’s eighth graders, 14.7 percent are experimenting with drugs, along with 28.7 percent of tenth graders and 36.5 percent of high school seniors.
A poll that surveyed 50,000 students revealed that the top three reasons why teens use drugs are peer pressure, family problems and as a form of rebellion.
On the other hand, the top three things that keep teenagers from using drugs are being brought up with a strong family, their religion and being educated about drugs and their potential effects.
Popularity of synthetic drugs and raves
No longer relying on plant-grown drugs such as marijuana, the youth today are experimenting with chemically created, synthetic drugs.
Ecstasy and Methamphetamine (meth) are two of the drugs becoming popular among young people.
“Meth is one of the most powerful, most addicting drugs you will ever see,” McManus said.
Young people are now going to “rave parties” and “pharming parties.” Rave parties consist of excessive ecstasy and pharming parties come about when young people steal their parent’s prescription drugs and they are randomly exchanged and ingested.
The recipe for meth can be found online and all ingredients can be purchased at Wal-Mart. The silent victims of these new drug markets are children of dealers whose skin is burned and lungs are infected by the acid and chemicals used to make meth.
McManus then told students about his experiences working undercover. He successfully infiltrated the Colombian drug system by obtaining the trust of drug lords. By using them, their sources and listening to cell phone activity, McManus was able to break down the system before drugs could get on the streets in America.
The most frightening moment of McManus’s career
“I’ll never forget it,” McManus said. “It was April 2, 1979 and it’s when I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.”
McManus was undercover with another agent on a cocaine bust. His partner went with one of the dealers outside to see the drugs and the dealer came back inside the bar without McManus’s partner.
Knowing something was wrong but having to stay calm, McManus was in “survival mode.” It turns out his partner was behind the bar with an accomplice of the drug dealers. He was held at gunpoint but was not harmed.
When he went outside the two “bad guys,” one of the dealers pulled a gun on him. McManus pulled his gun on the second dealer.
“I’m a police officer,” McManus told the man. “You’re under arrest.”
Knocking the gun out of the first dealer’s hand and breaking his wrist, McManus shoved the second dealer’s head into a car.
“There was no time to see my life flash before my eyes,” McManus remembers. “That night sent two people in two different directions.”
McManus’s partner resigned the next day. McManus knew that it was now his job to fight the drug war.
“My goal is just to educate society. Remember this, if you smoke one marijuana cigarette, you won’t become addicted to cocaine or heroine. I just want you to be prepared to make an educated decision.”
“We can look at every location,” Thompson said, “and hopefully offer something that is nutritionally sound to the students who are looking for that but we can still offer the French fries for the student who doesn’t really care what they eat.”
amy mcleod 