The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, September 19, 1985, Image 4

Texas A&M Newspaper Collection

The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, September 19, 1985, Image 4

Newspaper Page Text''^i V:; ■ ■.: V • Page 4/The Battalion/Thursday, September 19, 1985 Letters, visits help couples handle long separations By MANDY MIKULENCAK Reporter For some, going away to col lege means having to leave a girlf riend or boyfriend behind, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the relationship has to end. Some students at Texas A&M say long-distance relationships are possible if the person is will ing to find ways to cope with the situation. The common theme these relationships seem to share is fre quent communication through a combination of phone calls, writ ing letters and weekend visits, but Dr. Donna Davenport, a counsel ing psychologist at the Student Counseling Service, says there may be more to maintaining those successful relationships. For example, Sheila Roberts, 19, says she relies on long-dis tance phone calls to stay close to her boy-friend, Don Wiktorowski, 23, who lives and works in Massena, N.Y. “I think the ones that last and that really work are the ones that have not only the frequent com munication, but where both peo ple are committed to continuing to grow together,” Davenport says. Roberts says their relationship is successful because she and Wiktorowski decided from the beginning that they were suited for each other, and that it was im portant to stay together and work things out. “If the two people are compati ble, things will pretty much work out if you’re just willing to work with the other person,” Roberts says. Davenport says that couples sometimes try to keep the relationship established exactly as it was before the separation and think of change as something that may threaten their relationship. She says trouble may begin when the relationship remains stagnant like this, because growth and change allow the couple to continue to share the things they’ve shared all along. Southeast Asia News of recent coup attempt doesn't alarm local Thai studeri By FRANK SMITH Reporter Colorful, scenic posters pc aying life in his native Thailai jor- traying hie in his native Thailand line the walls of Suchat Pivsa-art’s room in Dorm 8. “The north part of Thailand is very pretty,” he said while point ing out several pictures of that re gion shown on one of the posters. Pivsa-art is from the province of Singburi, 60 miles north of Bang kok. The 23-year-old junior chemi cal engineering major is one of about 40 Thai students enrolled at Texas A&M and is one of six in the Corps of Cadets. He said news of last week’s at tempted military coup in Thai land really didn’t alarm him. “I know the names of the lead ers of the coup and I know all of them are in or used to be in the military,” Pivsa-art said. “Because all of them are in the military, (even) if they were successful and they changed something, the gov ernment would not change very much. So, so be it. We are not afraid about it.” Sudjit Hemsorach agreed. Hemsorach, also a cadet, is a sophomore aerospace engi neering major from Bangkok. “In my opinion, even though we have a military coup, they are still Thai,” he said. “Everybody’s still Thai.” Nithi Kietchai, a sophomore aerospace engineering student from Bangkok, said he first heard news of the attempted coup while in his dorm room in Moore Hall. a good cause by forcing the gov ernment to take heed of the country’s economic problems. “I was watching TV when a bunch of guys came running down the hall yelling, ‘Nithi! Ni thi! There’s a coup in Thai land!’ ” Kietchai said. He said he could sympathize with those leading the takeover attempt. “I kind of agree with the coup because the economy in Thailand is bad right now,” Kietchai said. “I mean oaribad.” Although the effort was unsuc cessful, Kietchai said it may serve An A&M political science pro fessor who teaches a course on Asian governments and politics said the Thai military has ruled the country intermittently in re cent years. Kwang H. Ro, associate profes sor of political science at A&M, said the military leaders, after permitting free elections, will typ ically monitor the new civilian government’s effectiveness at economic reform. If the civilian rule proves ineffective, the mili tary will want another change, he said. “Consider this: In the United States we change governments through peaceful means — elec tions,” Ro said. “Some other countries simply cannot wait four more years or five years or six years. And they like to change right now. There is a coup.” However, Ro said that Thai power struggles never involve plots against the nation’s Gj u rehead monarch. “The one characteristic I hai coup is they never chalb the royal family,” he said. “1 monarchy in Thailand is a tti popular institution. AThaicn is simply designed just to chatj ruling factions.” the ruling Pivsa-art also emphasized i popularity of the king. “The king doesn’t have pen but he has a lot of influence Thai people,” Pivsa-art said guess every Thai loves him, spects him, will protect him." Occasional political pon; struggles aside, Pivsa-art saidtl the unity of the Thai people strong, especially within thefas ily unit. “Here, the technology isa belter than in my country,'! said. “But I think of our of our — how can I say it? Heat warm-ness — the relationship tween people in your family, think that in my country veb| it better. We’re closer togethtj lot more than here.” Vitamins not answer to all health problems Franklin Bohac, 19, is another student who has decided it’s worth the extra effort it takes to maintain a long-distance relationship. Bohac keeps close to his girl friend, Kim Caesar, 18, by tele phoning and writing but also plans to make frequent trips home this semester. Sharyn Romler, 22, agrees that for a relationship to work, it’s es sential for the couple to share things that go on in each other’s lives. By PAGE PATTON Reporter For Bohac, going home means driving 90 miles to Granger, but he says both he and Caesar will share the responsibility. “I plan to drive down one weekend,” Bohac says, “and then Kim will drive up the next.” Romler says the relationship she has with boyfriend Tim Sas- mann has been successful for over two years, even though Sas- mann lives and works in Hous ton, because they take the time to call each other to talk about what goes on in their daily lives. For others, weekly visits aren’t necessary to carry on a successful relationship with someone back home. Tracie Green, 20, says she only sees her boyfriend, Tim Welch of Dallas, about once a month, but keeps in touch through letters and phone calls between visits. “When you think about it, that’s what going with someone is all about — sharing each other’s lives,” Romler says. “It just takes a little more effort when one per son lives 130 miles away.” Magic youth pills sold by a quack out of the back of a wagon or a spe cial tonic that brought vitality back to the elderly are some of the potions once used to fool the public into thinking that the aging process could be reversed. Although these mystical cures sold to reverse the aging process have been around for centuries, the process is actually irreversible. “No vitamin or mineral can pro long life or stop the aging process,” says Dr. Alice Hunt, a nutritionist at the Texas A&M University Agricul tural Extension Service. Hunt says one company markets a product, which is supposedly similar to what bees feed their queen, and the company claims the mixture gives people extra strength and power. “The product is nothing but pro tein and carbohydrates,” Hunt says. “There are no special compounds in it. And it could be dangerous to take it.” “and signs of vitamih abuse are be ing seen. “People are taking 100 to 1,000 times more than the recommended daily allowance,” she says. “After the aj, menopause, the! While some vitamins and nutri ents are being abused, others, such as calcium, are not being taken enough. 1 K nants from the field, such as pollen or ragweed, and serious allergic re actions may occur. Hunt says. And is the extra effort it takes to maintain this type of relationship really worth it? “It’s definitely worth Romler exclaims. it!’ “Vitamin companies have played up the need for vitamins,” Hunt says, “but with a good basic diet, with a variety of foods, a person doesn’t need vitamin pills.” If children eat properly, she says, they don’t need vitamin supple ments either. Although professionals know that the aging process is irreversible, modern-day nostrums can still be found. Another modern theory believed to be true is that the intake of vita min C will prevent colds. “Vitamin C does not prevent the common cold,” Hunt says, “but it can reduce the symptoms by about one-third.” If a person has a cold, it is better k fluids with vitamin C than to drink fluids with vitamin C to rely on a vitamin C pill, she says. “Vitamin C is the most common vitamin taken today,” Hunt says, Women suffer the most from the lack of calcium, resulting in an in crease of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a reduction in bone density accompanied by in creasing breakage. Hunt says. This is due to a loss of calcium from the bone. “It is estimated that one out of four women over 65 will see some complication from osteoporosis,” Hunt says. Osteoporosis is a long-term chro nic disease, she adds, and people set the stage for the disease their entire life. “The teen years up to 35 are the most important,” Hunt says, “be cause that is the time to lay down ex tra calcium. of 40, or dy begins toi on the stored calcium,”snesa«. But just taking calcium pit the remedy for osteoporosis. “Two-thirds of American w | do not get the RDA of calciumi ded, " Hunt says, “which isesiis to be 800 milligrams a day.” Exercise prevents calcium she says, so if people exercist get the RDA of calcium tl their diet, there is no need for “Just two glasses of millu would meet RDA stjudardi, savs. NA1 Pi S< "People still believe the mjtli only kids need milk,” she savs, they need to realize thatadulisr it uk).” The aging process cannoi stopped and osteoporosis is a pi it. Yet even with the technolop fered today, no known concoo can help. “Good nutrition and exerdst keep what we have in goodcu tion,” Hunt says, “but that’sii it.” A,

Texas A&M Newspaper Collection

Texas A&M Newspaper Collection

The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, September 19, 1985, Image 4

Are you interested in including a title to our archive?

Follow us!