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Friday, April 7,1989
The Battalion
Foundation representative, doctor
push public awareness of arthritis
Organization says it is time public took disease more seriously
By Juliette Rizzo
STAFF WRITER
Outside the meeting-room door in the hospital
was a large, white sign with the words “it’s time
we took arthritis seriously” scrawled in hand
writing that many people would associate with
their grandparents. It was the handwriting of a
victim of arthritis; not necessarily an elderly per
son, but anyone of any age or race.
The word arthritis usually brings to mind an
old, hunched over elderly figure with knobby
fingers, but, according to the National Arthritis
Foundation, this is more myth than reality.
According to the foundation, arthritis, affects
37 million people; one in every seven people and
one in every three families. It can develop at any
age causing inflamation of joints, pain, stiffness
and loss of joint movement.
Laura D. Brown, representing the South Cen
tral Texas Chapter of the foundation at a Hu
mana Hospital arthritis seminar, said young peo
ple may be as susceptible to arthritis as the
elderly but do not take the disease as seriously.
“The not me’ syndrome surrounds the college
community as well as others,” she said. “Eve
ryone needs to realize it can happen to them ”
At the meeting, Dr. James Giles, a local ortho
pedic surgeon, addressed local community mem
bers who are suffering from one of the many
torms of the disease or know someone who is.
Through knowledge of the disease, he said,
victims may become more aware and less scared
or what their bodies are going through.
Some general symptoms that may appear as
signs of one of the forms of the disease are pain,
swelling, limited range of motion and deformity
he said. '
Brown said the average person with the dis
ease may suffer less if medical attention is sought
as soon as any ol the symptoms appear.
The average person who has periodic aches
and pains waits four years to seek medical help,”
she said. By this time it is too late to stop the de
generative processes of arthritis.
Giles said some forms of arthritis may be he
reditary, but many forms cannot be traced to
anything specific, although some scientists have
linked some cases to viral infections and stress.
Arthritis is a disease that affects the autoim
mune system, he said. I he body’s autoimmune
system forms antibodies that aggressively attack
the joints, thus causing joint destruction. Carti
lage breakdown occurs faster than the body can
repair it. Besides affecting the joints, arthritis can
also affect the heart, lungs, kidneys and vision.
Brown said once the disease attacks the im
mune system, the victim may be vulnerable to a
number of other diseases unless proper health
care is taken.
Giles stressed the importance of balancing
exercise, to keep the joints active, and rest to
keep the joints stress-free. He recommended
exercise that is less stressful on the joints, such as
swimming.
For further information about the disease or
to become a member of the South Central Texas
Chapter of the foundation, contact Laura at
(512) 451-7323.
On Wednesday, April 26, the Arthritis Foun
dation is sponsoring an All-Star Salute to Secre
taries’ Week at the University Inn in College Sta
tion from 11:30 a.m.-l p.m. Local celebrities will
auction items donated by members of the com
munity. President William H. Mobley donated a
book for the auction, and Texas A&M represen
tatives will attend. All proceeds will benefit the
Arthritis Foundation.
Official says media
inaccurately depicts
Texas agriculture
By Sharon Maberry
STAFF WRITER
Mass media coverage of agri
culture usually does not accu
rately represent the industry,
Texas’ Deputy Commissioner of
Agriculture told Texas A&M ag
ricultural journalism students
Thursday.
“Public perception is every
thing in journalism,” Mike Moel
ler said. “Unfortunately, public
perception doesn’t always reflect
reality.
“Over the last few years, the
media, in particular the electronic
media, has concentrated on the
sensational, dramatic and un
usual aspects of agriculture. ‘Tra-
ctorcades’ to Washington, D.C.
become news because they’re visi
ble. Musicians putting on a con
cert to alleviate the farm crisis be
comes news. Farm auctions
become news.”
Moeller said one problem lies
in the complexity of agricultural
issues.
“It’s difficult to explain what
the Farm Credit System is in 30
seconds, much less why anyone
should be concerned about it,” he
said.
Another problem with accu
rately covering agricultural issues
is the stereotype that agriculture
has gained, in part, from tele
vision shows like “Green Acres”
and “ The Beverly Hillbillies,”
Moeller said.
Also, American society has
evolved away from the agrarian
society that it was as recently as
Wodd War Ily he said. Moeller
estimated that only 40,000 Tex
ans earn their entire incomes
nom farming and ranching. It’s
difficult for the urban population
to relate to farmers and ranchers
who make up a relatively small
part of the population, he said.
Although there are only
40,000 full-time farmers and
ranchers in Texas, their diversi
fied interests make it virtually im
possible for them to be cohesive
around one issue and speak with
one voice, Moeller said. There
fore, they can’t approach the me
dia with their concerns and be
heard.
“The end result is that the
press holds a perception that
there are two agricultures in Tex
as,” Moeller said. “There is tradi
tional agriculture, made up of the
people who have been in the busi
ness for a long time and who
grow traditional crops like wheat
and cotton and corn.
“In general, traditional agricul
ture is not news. You rarely find
anything interesting enough to
put on the news, unless it’s a ca
tastrophe.
“The second type of agricul
ture is, what I call, new agricul
ture. This includes non-tradi-
tional crops, like fish farming,
exotic wildlife and growing crops
in arid land.
Moeller said the Texas Depart
ment of Agriculture works to ac
curately represent agriculture to
the general population. The
agency focuses on the transition
from traditional agriculture to
new agriculture.
“Agriculture is in transition
and that message goes out all the
time from our agency,” he said.
“We’re also trying to give urban
people something they can relate
to in the area of agriculture. We
recognize that most Americans
today have no farm background.
We do a lot of programs on
things that directly affect urban
dwellers, like food quantity and
quality and controlling pests.”
Eastern
(Continued from page 1)
era pilot. “We are ready to accept
concessions — if that’s what the new
management wants, I’ll go along
with it.”
At a crowded union hall in Miami,
Machinists members chanted “Hey,
hey! Ho, ho! Lorenzo’s got to go”
and sang “Take Me Out To The
Ballgame” as they heard news of the
sale.
Union officials were more cau
tious. John Peterpaul, vice president
of the International Association of
Machinists, said his union is “guard
edly optimistic” and Jack Bavis,
chairman of Eastern’s 3,600-mem
ber pilots union, said his group was
encouraged by the development and
looked forward to working with Ue
berroth.
In New York, Lorenzo told re
porters that under the proposed
urchase Texas Air would get about
200 million cash, would be forgiven
$185 million that it owes to Eastern
and would get $79 million worth of
Eastern assets.
The asset transfers — which have
been vocally opposed in principle by
the unions — would include East
ern’s New York-Montreal route plus
eight landing slots and one gate at
New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
In turn, Ueberroth and his part
ner Thomas Talbot, a former airline
Faculty
(Continued from page 1)
cause many problems exist in de
partments concerning who should
be tenured.
“We hope to make the tenure sys
tem better by providing fairer ac
cess, clearer rules and fair compen
sation to non-tenured faculty
members,” Hunting said. “Right
now tenure procedures vary too
much. Departments have different
criteria. Tenure is sometimes based
on favoritism. We want it to be based
on merit.”
Jim Biehn, secretary and trea
surer of TEA and a senior engi-
executive from California, would
own 30 percent of the airline. East
ern’s unions would get another 30
percent of the company in exchange
for wage and work-rule concessions
to be negotiated with Ueberroth.
Drexel Burnham Lambert Inc., a
major investment house, and
Ardshiel Inc., a smaller New York
firm, would sell securities to inves
tors for the remaining 40 percent of
Eastern.
Eastern would get a 19.9 percent
interest in Texas Air’s computer res
ervations system, System One, as
well as the Miami-London route op
erated by sister carrier Continental
Airlines.
Ueberroth said his group also
would receive proceeds of Eastern’s
previously-agreed $365 million sale
of its profitable Northeast shuttle to
developer Donald Trump.
Lorenzo said an outright liqui
dation of the airline’s assets would
have been more profitable to Texas
Air shareholders. However, he said,
“We did not buy Eastern Airlines to
dismantle it or to liquidate it.”
The Texas Air chief said Eastern
intended to file a bankruptcy reor
ganization plan that would pay cred
itors 100 percent. Lorenzo will re
main in charge of the airline until
the deal is approved, but Ueberroth
will participate in formulating the
reorganization plan.
neering lecturer, said TEA has a
powerful lobby group in the state
Legislature and that it encourages
faculty members to write letters
pushing faculty-oriented bills.
“TEA is trying to pass many im
portant bills,” Biehn said. “One
would put a faculty member on the
Board of Regents. This member
would not be able to vote but would
represent faculty interests.
“Another bill would establish a
minimum salary for full-time faculty
members of $20,000. Currently
A&M has more faculty members
that make less than $20,000 than any
other university in the state.”
At
SPECIAL
EFFECTS
Waterbeds & Bedrooms
I
FUTONS
ARE HERE!
Mattress Pads
Padded Rails
Satin Sheets
Massage Units
j $9 95 j
i$29 i
BEDS STARTING AT
$129°° complete
Futon Frames from Special Effects in natural & black
STARTING AT $199 00
SALE ENDING SOON!;
! 1104-C Harvey Rd.
I r» l • I C
Post Oak Square
Behind Grandy’s & Cavender’s 693-0563
Monday - Sunday
A&M
Steakhousel
^ Delivers
i^,/846-5273
ID’S
j Problem Pregnancy;
/•We listen, We care, We help
•Free Pregnancy Tests
•ConccmeA Counselors
Brazos Valiev
Crisis Pregnancy Sei-vice
We’re Local!
3G20 E. 29th Street
(next to Mexfley's Gifts)
24 fir. IwtCim
823-CAKE
Call Battalion
Classified
845-2611
UNIVERSITY
COMMITTEES
Apply in 221
Pavilion
Deadline Ext.
April 7
PARTY SPECIAL
lO LARGE PIZZAS
1 topping (each)
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE
WINNERS OF OCA'S AGGIE OLYMPICS
FIRST THE WAL-TONES
SECOND OFF CAMPUS AGGIES
THIRD SCHUHMACHER
Mem
UPCOMING OCA EVENTS
DOMINOE TOURNAMENT APRIL 10 DIXIE CHICKEN
ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET APRIL 11
GOLF TOURNAMENT APRIL 16 BRYAN GOLF COURSE
FOR MORE INFO CALL 845-0688
Contact Lenses^
Only Quality Name Brands
(Bausch & Lomb, Ciba, Barnes-Hinds-Hydrocurve)
79
00 pr.*-STD. DAILY WEAR SOFT LENSES
SPARE PR. $5.00
i pr. *-STD. EXTENDED WEAR SOFT LENSES
$ QQ00 pr. *-STD. TINTED SOFT LENSES
DAILY WEAR OR EXTENDED WEAR
SALE ENDS MAY 19,1989 and Applies to clear std.
Daily Wear Soft Lenses Only
Call 696-3754 for Appointment
with purchase of
1st pr. at reg. price
CHARLES C. SCHROPPEL.O.D., P.C.
DOCTOR OF OPTOMETRY
707 South Texas Ave., Suite 101D
College Station, Texas 77840
1 block South of Texas & University
Eye exam & care kit not included
MSC CAMERA
GENERAL MEETING
MEDICAL
PHOTOGRAPHY
BETH MORGAN, MEDICAL
PHOTOGRAPHY COORDINATOR
MONDAY APRIL 10
RUDDER 504 7 P.M.
COME BY AND SEE THE NEWEST
IN MEDICAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND
GET PHOTO CONTEST DETAILS
A basketful of cash is better
than a garage full of 'stuff'
Have a garage or yard sale this week - Call 845-2611