Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 1983)
Friday, October 14,1983/The Battalion/Page 3 ■ " ' -W-MWIf. - ' .. W- . : ■ . TTY AS AYtVf'S IC rYvSaV 1 C3 VIII AGF OF HOPF Program testing officers for job satisfaction, fitness by Connie Hutterer Battalion Reporter How physically fit are College Station’s police officers? How much do they like their jobs? Does their fitness affect their job satisfaction? The Texas A&M Depart ment of Health Education is helping the College Station Police Department answer these questions. Last weekend, 42 police offic ers spent one of their off-duty hours doing sit-ups, filling out questionnaires and taking heart rate tests while Texas A&M stu dents recorded the data. It was the first of three weekends of testing coordinated by Ginny-Lib Sulzer as part of her doctoral dissertation. Sulzer began planning the program this summer when the College Station police asked Dr. Jackson Wagner, head of the Texas A&M College of Medi cine and a reserve police officer, to study the physical fitness and job satisfaction of police officers. “It’s a combination of stress and fitness testing,” Sulzer said, “to see if we can improve their fitness level. Then we want to look at how the officers inter pret their job satisfaction.” One officer who participated in the program said, “both of us get good out of it.” The police department should learn how to retain heal thy, happy employees, and each officer will receive a personal “perscription for wellness” with suggestions for diet, exercise and relaxation techniques aimed at his own interests, Sul zer said. Testing will be done in the afternoon and evening Friday and Sunday in the courtroom of the College Station Police De partment. After last week’s basic testing, officers must return with a five page medical history for a quick physical by Wagner and a nine minute session of stress testing. The results will be computer analyzed and returned to the officers, who are encouraged to put the suggestions to work, Sul zer said. She will check up on the officers periodically to see if any changes in their programs are needed. After six months, the officers will repeat the tests for evalua tion of any improvements in fit ness and attitude, she said. The police turnout was good for the first session — 42 of the 65 patrol officers, detectives, administrators and reserve officers attended. One officer quipped, “It’s strictly voluntary, but when the chiefs name is first on the list, well...” A nurse taking blood samples speculated that some volunteers may have been scared away by the blood test and the six hour fast required. The first weekend’s tests were not too demanding, however. After completing a lifestyle questionnaire, the offic ers gave blood for testing of their sugar level. Their blood pressure was measured and they were wired for the electro cardiogram. Next came the “pinch test,” where students used a skin calip er to measure the fat layer on the chest, abdomen and upper arm. Then it was time for the workout. First, the officers sat with their heels firmly planted against a box with a gauge painted on its top. They stretch ed forward to push a bar along the gauge, measuring their flex- iblity. Next, a minute of sit-ups and a minute of push-ups. Officers averaged 30 sit-ups and 40 push-ups in the allotted time, graduate student Bruce Cro- whurst said. Next week’s tests won’t be quite so easy, Crowhurst said. After Wagner’s approval of their physical, the officers will be tested for heart-rate and blood pressure while riding a bicycle ergometer, which can be set at various degrees of difficulty. The data collected will give a good indication of the officers’ fitness, Crowhurst said. “Some of them will poop out right away,” he said, “but some will just keep going and going.” The health education depart ment will evaluate the officers’ happiness by their responses to the Texas Wellness Institute’s Lifestyle Inventory. The inven tory asks 323 questions about diet, exercise and alcohol con sumption, including how long the subject usually stays at a par ty, if he feels good about sex, how often he brushes his teeth, and whether he chews gum while swimming or water skiing. When the study is completed, Schmidt said, the health educa tion department may use the data to write papers for profes sional organizations interested in the relationship between fit ness and happiness in stressful occupations like police work. news. , Pass the buck ■sh- i , s ^ I This is just one of the dollars ' needed by Texas A&M Christian Children’s Fund to help support a village in Colombia. One third of staff photo by Mike DaVis the $25,000 Christmas goal has been raised. Contributions are being accepted in the Memorial Student Center fish bowl. Political Forum agenda Includes trip to capitol by Jamie Hataway pie, and now there is a waiting May said a spec Stevtj ireal ‘Ififil nanti* Mtelw by Jamie Hataway SUcllH Battalion Reporter sap A MSC Political Forum will take a group of Texas A&M students ■D Austin this month to get a a nut'first-hand look at the Texas poli- 'hidn-fital system. clivill® The group has a full agenda, ex pi,but the highlight of the trip ( probably will be the meeting Jith Gov. Mark White, travel ^coordinator Lauri May says. White will brief the group on is role as governor and talk ab- iut things he would like to see romplished in the future. The group of 26 also will eet with state Sen. Chet Ed- ards, a Texas A&M graduate and who, at 31, is the youngest )le, and now there is a waiting list, she said. The trip costs $25 and is open to any student. Kevin Brannon, the Austin trip coordinator, said the high light for him on a previous trip was talking to former Speaker of the House Billy Clayton, who pulled up his pants leg to show off the Texas A&M emblem on his cowboy boots. May said a special part of last year’s trip was having punch and cookies with the governor’s staff at the mansion. Political Forum has also sche duled a program by William Sul livan, former U.S. ambassador in the Phillipines and Iran. Sulli van will speak in Rudder Thea ter on Nov. 29. A trip to Washington, D.C. is planned in March of 1984. 'STAR WARS DRAGONS LAIR GYRUSS MAPPY x MILLIPEDE MAD PLANETS XEVIOUS AND MANY. MANY MORE! CHEXX ICE HOCKEY in ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 15 11A.M. NORTHGATE : between DUDDLEY’S and the COW HOP refill prop iner Lmember of the Senate. Edwards ill talk to the fellow Aggies ab- OUrdflput the ups and downs of being a freshman senator, May said, evenlw Others to speak on the trip oljcyjJ are Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby, former the (Assistant Speaker of the House I Joe Gibson, Land Commissioner '■ | Garry Mauro (also a Texas A&M 'graduate), Railroad Commis sioner Mack Wallace and an assistant speaker of the house who has not been named. * | Tours of the Lyndon B. John son Library, the Capitol and the governor’s mansion are sche duled. The group will be treated to ncheons by two lobby groups at The Quorum Club, an exclu- ^ n( |i sive, invitation only club. A re- e j Jicent article in Texas Monthly ’ said that is where the real politi- ’ a ®ans are, not just the lawyers a P sf ' who talk politics, naiflr Cathy Hay, chairman of Poli tical Forum, said the trip was advertised during MSC Open House earlier this semester. The trip had to be limited to 26 peo- You’ll find all the handy study aids you need: book outlines, maps, charts, diagrams, bibliographies, book introductions. Many cross references. $ 19.95 now $14.95 SCRIPTURE HAVEN, IncT ^ VICTOR A Division ol Scripture Press Publications, Inc ~\M~ Shiloh Place, C.S. 696-7434 gleaming white porcelain exciting tropical furniture hand-crafted wood carvings a complete mug collection plush pillows galore candles for every setting wall decor for every mood * exquisite dining accessories * a complete collection of baskets * brass, brass, brass * shimmering stemware * natural fibre blinds/floor cover * beautifully woven rugs * and much, much more Save 20 - 50% on Long Distance CALL STAR TEL TODAY Get the facts - then decide 779-2830 1313 Briarcrest Drive, Bryan, Texas TTie pleasure of your senses will tell you that you are enjoying a unique shopping experience! Pier 1 Imports associate store Manor East Mali (adjacent to Cloth. World) M-F 10:0OAM-9 :OOPM Sat. 10:0QAM-6:00PM Texas Avenue at Villa Maria Bryan 779-8771