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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 19, 1997)
Page 3 Wednesday • March 19, 1997 E rtJ sign t. The 4 Fake Bake’ Students who tan at salons say artificial tanning saves time and is just as 'safe' as tanning under the sun. But dermatologists argue that the long term effects of such tanning remains unknown, and that tanners may be setting themselves up for a health timebomb. nd :alling By Shea Wiggins The Battalion obody is looking. Run into the sa lon, fire up the ultraviolet lamps and get that bronze glow-to-go. /ndoor tanners, once rare and ostra- ed, are becoming popular in today’s ipearance-driven so lely. About 50 tanning ieds in the Bryan-Col- leStation area cater to leindoor-tanning pop- kion at Texas A&M. The salons Bronze ody,Perfect:Tan and Uni- KalTan estimate 70-85 Kent of their clientele ^college students. Bronze Body owner on Knowles said lout 80 percent of the odents who tan there e female. “The guys who tan e generally fit and hletic,” he said. “Most tys don’t tan just like ley don’t do aerobics. It is not that «y don’t want to, but they think it is 6C You feel better about yourself. You always hear people saying, 'I am so white.' Jessica Holub Bronze Body employee Sophomore business major gay or feminine.” Knowles considers tanning a luxury. “It is not a necessity,” Knowles said. “It is like working out. It is all obsessive and compulsive and it depends on how you look at it. People are more attuned to their appearance, and it has to do with self-confidence.” Knowles said the tan- rbng bed was developed by doctors for treatment of skin disorders, such as psoriasis. Created in Ger many, the bed was brought to the United States in the ’70s. He said tanning has be come popular in a society where “time is money.” “Ten years ago you couldn’t get anyone to wash your car, but it sure is nice to have someone do it for you now,” Knowles said. “Do you have time to lay out all day when you can pop in for 15 minutes and get a tan?” Josh Mills, tanner, employee of Per fect Tan and a junior journalism major, said some tanners come in to relax their muscles, and others use indoor tanning to help clear acne. “A lot of people go to school, go to work and then go to tan,” Mills said. He said girls are more concerned about how they look, leading to the large number of female tanners. “A few girls are very obsessed,” he said. “They buy the best lo tion, and constantly ask us if our bulbs are changed, trying to get the strongest bulbs. One girl drove back to Houston to buy a ‘su perb’ tanning lotion that was $70 and a bot tle of tanning pills.” However, Knowles said a majority of “obsessive” tanners are older clients. Miss Teen, Miss Texas and Miss Bra zos Valley contestants have tanned in the salon for beauty pageants, Mills said. Brian Mazzola, tanner and a senior biomedical science major, said he tans once a week to keep a base tan. “I don’t want girls to know that I tan,” Mazzo la said. “If they ask me I say I fell asleep in the fishing boat.” Jessica Holub, tanner, employee of Bronze Body and a sophomore business major, said indoor tanning creates a healthy outlook for the tanner. “You feel better about yourself,” she said. “You al ways hear people saying, ‘I am so white.’” The connection be tween tanners and those who work out makes sense, Holub said. “People worried about their bodies are going to be worried about what they look like,” she said. Universal Tan worker and Blinn nurs ing student Kasey Roberts said salons try to prevent tanners from burning. See Tanning, Page 4 U A few girls are very obsessed. One girl drove back to Houston to buy a 'superb' tanning lotion that was S70...J ^ Josh Mills Perfect Tan employee Junior journalism major Pert pals prove friendship's roots grow past letters M ost people do not believe me when I tell them I have 20 pen pals. After an initial state of shock, people usually bombard me with ques tions such as “How do you find the time?” and my personal favorite, “Are you on crack?” No, I’m not on drugs, and I don’t have an abun dance of free time. After all, I am a college student. But since pen pal ing is something I love to do, I make time for it. I have been writing to pen pals for eight years and love it today as much as I did when I started writing my first pen pal, Jodi, at age 14. Jodi and I still write 25-50 page letters to each other every few months. Meeting a pen pal is something most pen pals only dream of, but luckily for me, this has become a reality — five times. Over spring break, I met two more of my pen pals. While visiting my uncle in Seattle, I spent a day with my pen pals Lisa and Elaine. Even though meeting a pen pal was not a new expe rience for me, my heart pounded as my uncle dropped me off at Lisa’s apartment complex near the University of Washington. I couldn’t help but wonder what she and Elaine would be like in person. Although we have written off and on for about five years, I didn’t talk to them on the phone until a few days before we met. They seemed outgoing and friendly on the phone and in their letters, but people can disguise their true personalities. Then I had a startled thought: “What if they don’t like me?” Lisa and Elaine had gone to col lege together and were good friends. I felt like an outsider. But I kept reminding myself that we had gotten along through letters and on the phone, so I had nothing to worry about. Lucki ly, I was right. While walking to Lisa’s apartment, I passed a few people and greeted them with a resounding “Howdy.” No one returned the greeting — all I got were weird looks. One guy said, “You must be from Texas.” I thought to myself, “Well, golly gee, I sure am — where people are actually friendly.” I hoped Lisa and Elaine had better manners than their neighbors. As Lisa opened the door to her apartment, we stood there with smiles. Although we were both excited to meet each other, it was obvi ous from the minute I stepped inside that she was just as nervous as I was. I didn’t know whether to hug her, but I did, and we both commented on how weird it was to finally meet in person. We soon left for a local mall where we were meeting Elaine at noon. Because we arrived early, we killed some time by walking around and talking. Conversation came naturally and soon we were laughing and carrying on like old friends. See Pen Pals, Page 4 Columnist Missy Price smior journalism major TY [Y Editor PORTS EDil iion Editor j b Editor ;ditor ;toon Edik in cummin 1 ®* j reton, Joey aub.DapW Mitchell, ie Hamlin'*! nnJanilrfH /Valdez cellor iyanRo# rt, Chad Ma |lal *| of student Rji Newsroom Pi nu,edu. m. Forca«l Advertisinl 84 5-267 8 o copy MSC VARIETY SHOW by Visa. 0:1 , semester s) at Texas' tngestoW The pre-audition meeting is TONIGHT at 6:00 pm in RM 216T of the MSC ^ Auditions ... March 31, April 1 and 2 6:30-11:30 201 MSC For more info, call 845-1513 CHARLES C. SCHROEPPEL, O.D., PC. Doctor of Optometry 505 University Dr. East., Suite 101 College Station, Texas 77840 Most Insurance Plans Accepted Serving The Brazos Valley For Over 19 Years CALL 846-0377 FOR APPOINTMENT MONDAY THRU SATURDAY We Have VERY COMPETITIVE PRICES On All Types Of Contact Lenses -- Tinted, Opaque Colors, Disposable, Toric, Gas Permeable, Etc. 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