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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 13, 1987)
Monday, April 13, 1987/The Battalion/Pa v edical school teaches oth ethics and tactics By Debbie Monroe Reporter Should terminally ill patients be S N, illowed to choose whether or not to , ontinue a medical treatment that ''"'■slidd ould prolong life, or should a doc- I 11 %: or malte that decision? tlie Jitetij This is the uestion posed to stu- rim "roifi lents enrolled in medical humani- cr ies classes at the Texas A&M Col- ram wasfc; ege of Medicine. Between classes in Meniviir; lathology and microbiology, the “d schoot >hysicians-to-be get a strong dose of lioethics. “I Metal!'; Dr. Bill Ward, associate dean of nationp? E tudent affairs for the college, says II grow v iccause of advances in technology, kofinsup loctors face ethical problems today iad more - hey've never faced before. 'lit potetsi r "Who shall live, who shall die?” increase Ward asked. “Who shall receive a mother r» ransplant, who shall receive a sec- jpnd transplant? These are all knotty small, *hj jroblems. irposes’ti; The A&M College of Medicine is dimes tliffj me of the few schools in the country vith an established humanities de- idoor eds!! jartment geared toward preparing ectuteari; e betwee: lasses ai lurtandif' nd more i.' Andre, n classes lass petroii mg and d spent j nmg to a I students for the ethical questions they will probably face during their medical careers. Dr. Don Self, associate professor of medical humanities, says the de partment’s goal is to help produce good doctors. “It’s an attempt to produce physi cians who are more than just techni cally competent,” he says, “ones who will have respect for the cultural and religious values of others, even if they’re different from the doctors’ own.” The ability to listen is what keeps doctors from simply being well- trained technicians, Self says. “We try to teach a sense of toler ance, a sense of openness, an ability to relate to people as people,” he says, “and not to see medicine as sim ply a business.” Ward believes students entering the medical school understand the responsibilities and challanges asso ciated with their chosen profession. “The students we’re seeing today are dedicated to wearing the healer’s mantle,” he says. “They want to help people, and I think they understand what they’re getting into.” Tight competition for the 48 slots open each year at the A&M medical school tends to eliminate students who don’t understand the pressures that accompany medical school and a career as a doctor. Prior exposure to the medical profession could be the difference between a student’s acceptance or rejection. It is the re sponsibility of the admissions com mittee, of which Self and Ward are members, to select applicants who understand these difficulties. “I ask them, ‘What’s the greatest challenge to the medical profession over the next two decades?’ ” Ward says. “If I get a blank look, then I’m concerned that the individual may not know what he or she’s getting into. “If I get an answer, I don’t judge it against my bias because that’s what that person feels is important. “A good medical student is a per son who is bright, inquisitive, aggres sive, and compassionate.” Contractor for Star Wars project will hire only union hall workers says >nbil - Heannfi he Seiutfi today out ate abona in abonioj lition Fori farmecw rector ti-abort ntj.ofJfl late ate is, it is m keacasoi •ecordnn t are ■epresen® e are qur :hancesofi legisW louses tins this weAjj will be 1 oimjtttt i ned the} epressionj UlministW 1 )V the lei EL PASO (AP) — Labor leaders re delighted that a primary contrac tor with the Star Wars project to be built in neighboring New Mexico will hire only from union halls after Employers there tried to change a tontract provision. U.S. Rep. Joe Skeen, R-N.M., isked Fluor Constructors Inc. to meet with the Army Corps of Engi- iiteers to see if a contract provision 0 requiring union labor on the con- 1 itruction site could be changed. Af- Jer talks, it was determined the con tact could not be broken, Skeen spokesman John Sneed said. Ray Brown, business manager of ihe Plumbers and Steam Fitter Local Union in El Paso, said, “I get tired >ver talk of Fluor cutting out the poor, little non-union contractor 8 ‘i when we’ve been cut out for years- us wtra ” The construction site is in New Mexico at White Sands Missile Range, 50 miles north of El Paso and have sLti jo miles south of Alamogordo, N.M. Fluor has agreed to hire only from union halls, although non union workers can sign up on lists of ! as «y “IVe got a terrible secret. II they only knew what 1 go through to stay thin.” "I feel completely out of control around tood. I eat everything in sight and then purge, by vomiting or taking laxatives. 1 am. so obsessed with being thin that I exercise until I literally collapse. I am irritable, depressed and self- conscious." Anorexia the excessive pursuit of thinness can result in malnutrition loss of hair low blood pressure irrational thinking and even, death Bulimia, compulsive eating binges followed by the purging of food, can lead to severe dental problems, kidney failure or cardiac arrest. Greenleal's ABLE Program (Anorexia and Bulimia Learning Experience) can help you regain control of your life. The 4-week program is scheduled to coincide with school and work vacations. Session 1: June 1 -26 Session 2: July 13-August 7 Living with your secret could be killing you. Call us now for a free confidential assessment. (409)822-7326 Greenleal's services are covered by most health insurance plans JA Greenieaf 1^1%^#% Psychiatric Hospital 405 West 28th Street. Bryan, TX 77803 available workers kept at the locals. Non-union subcontractors must agree to work under conditions ac ceptable to unions. Wayne Andrews, business man ager of the Electrical Workers Union Local 583 in El Paso, said, “I have 30 people on the list that are non-mem- oers. They’re going to be treated just like anybody else.” In an area where the unemploy ment rate is high and cheap labor plentiful, the provision has created many critics who say smaller sub contractors will be shut out because they’ll find conditions unaffordable. Frank Gentile, president of the Alamogordo Chamber of Com merce, said, “It is going to take many, many New Mexico contrac tors out of the picture.” Sneed said Fluor signed a labor agreement with 15 unions after it re ceived the construction contract. The Army then approved the agreement. Andrews said he had listed 200 workers, of which about 165 are union members. He said there are m* , wh ■- /' 5. ''■VO • J» 16 union contractors in El Paso and 80 non-union. “It’s always been a weak situation here” for labor unions, Andrews said. “I was pleased to see that Fluor got it.” Jitters on opening night fail to throw ‘Picnic’ performers Cost story moke for on enjoyoble evening Review By Karl Pallmeyer Reviewer Typical opening-night jitters and the lead actress’ cold tended to hamper the Aggie Players’ per formance of William Inge’s Pulit zer Prize-winning play “Picnic” Friday. But four fine perfor mances from the cast and Inge’s brilliant story made the evening enjoyable and showed great promise for upcoming perfor mances. Rudder Forum was filled al most to capacity, due to Parents’ Weekend and to Aggie Players’ growing reputation of putting on first-class, profes sional plays. “Picnic,” which marks the end of Aggie Players’ 42nd season, will continue throughout April with weekend evening performances on the IB IS and 23-25. “Picnic” is the story of four lonely women living in a small southwestern town. One of the women is the beautiful Madge Owens (Reland Garrett, a junior theater arts major from White- house). Madge recently grad uated from high school and is un sure of her future. Her mother wants her to marry Alan Seymour (Mark Wilhite, a freshman the ater arts major from Mt. Pleas ant), a college-going son of a rich local businessman. Madge and Alan have been dating for awhile, but they are insecure in their feel ings toward each other. Madge’s younger sister, Millie (Pamela Saxon, a sophomore the ater arts major from Houston), is a tomboy with a passion for art and literature. Millie envys Madge’s good looks and popular ity while Madge envys Millie’s in telligence and artistic talents. The girls live with their mother (Ginny Green, a sophomore the ater arts major from Ft. Worth) and Rosemary Sydney (Emma Charlotte Reading, a junior the ater arts and English major from College Station), an unmarried school teacher who fears she is on her way to spinsterhood. Living next door to the Owens is Helen Potts (Jennifer Gordy McMakin, a senior speech com munications major from Beau mont). Potts was married, but her invalid mother drove her hus band away after a few days. On Labor Day, Potts offers a young man room and board in exchange for some chores. The man, Hal Carter (B.J. Thomas, a junior psychology major from El Dorado), was once a college foot ball star and member of Alan’s fraternity. Now he is no more than a bum trying to find work and a place to stay. All the women are drawn to Hal’s masculinity and boastful nature, and his pres ence changes each of their lives. Although Garrett’s voice was a little hoarse Friday night, her performance was marvelous. She showed the confusion her charac ter felt as she was confronted with the choice between the security provided by Alan or the wild sex uality offered by Hal. Saxon was also brilliant, especially when she begins to let her girlish ways drop in favor of womanhood. The show was almost stolen by Reading and Donnie Wilson, a freshman theater arts major from Bryan, who played Howard Bev- ans, Rosemary’s boyfriend. They were both humorous and touch ing in their roles as two people who don’t want to face growing old alone. McMakin and Wilhite turned in fine, believable performances as did the rest of the supporting cast. The only weak perfor mances were those of Thomas and Green. Thomas was uncon vincing in that he displayed none of the raw sexuality that causes the women to be attracted to the character of Hal. His swaggering boasts and sexual innuendoes seem empty and false — not se ductive. Green was often dry in her delivery and somewhat melo dramatic. The Aggie Players’ perfor mances of “Picnic” will begin at 8 p.m. and will be held in Rudder Forum. Tickets are $4 for stu dents and senior citizens, and $5 for the general public, and are available at the Rudder Box Of fice. Humorist amuses audience at A&M autograph session By Karyn Miller Reporter Jim Everhart paused to tell a joke while his wrinkled but steady hand scribbled an autograph on one of six volumes of his Illustrated Texas Dictionary of the English Language. A few peo ple around him heard the joke and inched closer. The author of these six volumes visited the Texas A&M Bookstore Friday to autograph his humorous books. He probably did more talking than signing, but the more Everhart talked, the louder the laughter grew. He had once been a stand-up comedian, but he quit because he couldn’t stand up long enough, he said. So, he took up selling his jokes and writing books instead of performing. Everhart said he originally planned to write a book entitled A Texan Interviews the President with President Lyndon B. Johnson as the source. but couldn’t find a starting point until he watched one of Johnson’s addresses on tele vision. “My fellow Markins,” said President Johnson, according to Everhart. That introduction gave Everhart his starting point. The author decided to write a Texas diction ary instead of a book specifically about the Presi dent. The 46th entry in his first volume of the Texas dictionary reads, “Markin — a citizen of the United States. ‘Ah am a Markin.’ Everhart is an American, but he is not a native Texan. He is originally from Evanston, Ill. Coming to Texas from a northern state helped him hear the Texas accent portrayed in his dic tionary, he said. His volumes of Texas dictionaries don’t make fun of Texans; they just flatter and entertain them. He said the dictionaries “build themselves” because Texans are so willing to contribute words and phrases. One of Everhart’s next ventures is to write a book on Aggie lingo. Everybody in Texas knows about Aggies, he explained. When he said that he wants to find two Aggies to help him, several people among Evenhart’s A&M bookstore audience volunteered. He added that he doesn’t want to make an other Aggie jokebook, although he has the expe rience and know-how to write one — having writ ten jokes for entertainers and disc jockeys. Everhart’s age is catching up with him. His progression of years is obvious from the photo graphs in his six volumes of the Texas dictionary. “I’m 26,” Everhart said good-humoredly. “I’m just in rotten shape.” The small audience that Everhart collected in the bookstore left laughing. Books • Gifts • Supplies Hours: M-F 7:45-6 Sat 9-5 845-8681 Problem Pregnancy? wc listen, we care, we help Free pregnancy tests concerned counselors Brazos Valley Crisis Pregnancy Service We’re local! I 1301 Memorial Dr. X 24 hr. Hotline I 823-CARE SkiLOlI GRILLE $1 00 off one pound of the best beef or chicken fajitas in town! Served with: Grilled onions, beans, rice, sour cream, quacamole, pico de gallo, cheddar cheese and homemade flour tortillas 693-1164 or 764-0076 for guaranteed delivery in 29 minutes Good thru 4/18/87 • Limit 1 coupon per order • Delivery area inch all of C.S 2628 Texas Ave. S. College Station 1ELL Ml-MS OH.PITS. I5NT TKCOrf IT'S NOr&GHT +13 HA/D- AU>£Arr, o nr PI Beta Phi and sigma Alpha Epsilon Aggie Dating came April 16 7:30 p.m. Rudder Auditorium ooor prizes Include: a Razz Scooter courtesy of Scooter Brown's II semester rental) You could win a date with Troy Ireland • Yell Leader Usa Murray - Diamond Darling Tickets: $4 in advance $5 at the door Benefiting MPA and Twin City Mission