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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 1998)
04 th YEAR • ISSUE 72 • 12 PAGES COLLEGE STATION • TX TOMORROW TUESDAY • JANUARY 20 • 1998 PHOTOS COURTESY: DETROIT FREE PRESS remember hitting the running back and a guy falling on top of me. I remember telling riy teammates I couldn't breathe, and telling the trainer I couldn't breathe. Probably ten seconds after that, I faded away." Reggie Broivn Detroit Lions linebacker Texas A&M’s Brown once again defined by his heart By Jeremy Furtick Sports Editor A s millions of stunned viewers, team mates and fans watched Detroit Lions linebacker Reggie Brown lay on the turf during a Dec. 21 game against the New York Jets, these were the last thoughts the injured player had before becoming unconscious; they also were terrifyingly close to being his final thoughts ever. “He was not breathing. He was turning cyanotic; his lips were turning blue,” Dr. Terry Lock, Lions team physician, said. “Lie was struggling in an attempt to breathe, but really wasn’t getting the air. At that time, we started mouth-to-mouth on him.” Brown had suffered a dislocation of the first and second cervical vertebrae, bruising the up per portion of his spinal cord and essentially causing the complete collapse of his ability to breathe and to move his arms and legs. He was immediately administered CPR, and in a short time was given an IV stabilized on a spine board and loaded into an ambulance. Brown remained unconscious until arriving at the hospital. He had no idea at that point what had happened; there had not been any time for tests, so the severity of the injury was still unknown. His thoughts, however, were not focused on his condition. “I was just feeling lucky I was alive,” Brown said. “I was just so happy to see the light.” It seemed the worst was over. The transition from his near-death experience on the field to being conscious under the hospital’s care ap peared to put Brown in the clear. But that was not the case at all. “When you have a contusion of the spine, you get associated swelling, you can get bleed ing, and all of that can damage the spine fur ther and decrease the function of the spine,” Dr. David Collon, Lions team physician, said. “He’s still at risk of virtually anything, but again, the odds of serious or worse complications de crease as time goes on.” Brown underwent successful fusion surgery on the dislocated vertebrae the day after the injury. Once again, he had escaped a critical point in his attempted recovery, but again was still facing potentially devastating results. “An injury (like Brown’s) can increase in time, within hours or within days,” Dr. Russell Nockels said. “This kind of injury can perma nently impair someone. So it’s very important that we try to retard or prevent its progression. “We’ll be making sure he doesn’t lose ground neurologically. The fact that he doesn’t make great strides is not necessarily a bad tiling.” But Brown did make strides, and none more impressive than the ones he took up to the podium at a Jan. 7 press conference at Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital before traveling to Hous ton to begin a stay at The Institute for Rehabil itation Research (TIRR). Brown began his rehab at TIRR already in the upper two percent of the recovery rate of indi viduals who sustain his type of injury, a feat that excited and impressed his doctors in Houston. But Brown did not simply go through the motions at TIRR; he used his charisma and car ing nature to aid other patients at the institute. “Reggie was great. He was very motivated to work and did whatever we asked him to,” Sher ri Barash, Brown’s physical therapist, said. “He really motivated the other patients and worked with them. He wasn’t like, T’m an athlete, leave me alone, I know what I’m doing.’” Please see Brown on Page 9. Celebration remembers ife, legacy of Dr. King By Stacey Becks Staff writer Students and community members observed irtin Luther King Day during a birthday cele- ition last night in Rudder Auditorium. Dr. Ray M. Bowen, president of Texas A&M Uni- rsity, welcomed the participants and said A&M ould resemble King’s philosophies. “He believed people could live in communities brotherly love,” he said. “The A&M community eds to be an example of brotherly love.” About 400 people participated in the program remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The program was sponsored by the Depart- ;nt of Multicultural Services, Department of sidence Life and the Office of the Vice President ' Student Affairs. Kevin Carreathers, director of Multicultural rvices and a co-coordinator of the program, said i celebration was a remembrance of King’s life d philosophy. “The program is to commemorate the life and ;acy of Dr. King,” he said. “It’s to continue to share Dr. King’s dream.” During the program, Trenton Manley and Mil- ton Lindsey, students at Neal Elementary in Bryan, together presented what King meant to them. They ended with the statement “Be thyself, young, gifted and black,” with a standing ovation from the audience. Becky Petitt, head of the Office of Diversity Ed ucation and co-coordinator of the Martin Luther King Day program, said the program was a way to link Texas A&M to the surrounding community. “It’s a great opportunity to collaborate with the community,” she said. “We have always gotten a good response to the program.” Eric Curley, president of Alpha Phi Alpha fra ternity, said he thinks so many people show up be cause of King’s contributions to all people. “The reason it gets such a good response is be cause of who we are honoring,” he said. “Dr. King helped not just black people, but people as a whole.” i Curley said the entire Alpha Phi Alpha fraterni ty attends this program every year because King was a member of Alpha Phi AJpha. BRANDON BOLLOM/The Battalion Trenton Manley and Milton Lindsay of Neal Elementary in Bryan explain what “Dr. Martin Luther King Means To Me” at a celebration Monday night in Rudder Tower. lave a Dream’; Students lect on words, teachings of artin Luther King Jr. See Page 3 Women’s Basketball am falls to Iowa State at me Saturday, 68-52. See Page 7 ■gynfwmroiggBi llett: Diversity’s future de- nds on non-discriminatory missions. See Page 11 mm Iplp^/bAttalion.tamu.edu »ok up with state and tional news through e Wire, AP’s 24-hour line news service. Beutel aims to educate students on keeping their New Year’s resolutions By Amanda Smith Staffwriter With a number of Texas A&M students making New Year’s resolutions, The Beutel Health Center is providing information and programs to help students with goals for good health. Dr. Jane Cohen, a nutrititionist at the health center, said students must have a plan when laying out healthful resolutions for the new year. “Students need to give specifics when they declare their New Year’s resolutions,” Cohen said. “(They can be) like running 30 minutes a day or cutting down on their con sumption of fatty foods.” Cohen said college students tend to show deficiencies in Vitamins A and C. Vit amin A is found in foods like broccoli, spinach and red cabbage. Vitamin C is found in fruits such as oranges and in many fruit juices, Cohen said. “University students are smart enough to understand how to eat healthy,” Cohen said. “Students may get tired over during the semester with other things.” To increase awareness this semester, health center will continue to offer programs that in clude dietary analyses and programs in conjunction with the Student Recre ation Center. “This year, we are going to work on a fruit-and-vegetable emphasis,” Cohen said. “Part of the population has varying prob lems with food issues.” As part of the healthful awareness activi ties this semester, the health center will offer a week of programs on maintaining a healthy weight at the end of January and a week pro- factoid. College students tend to show deficiencies in Vitamins A & C, which are found in vegetables and fruits. • Dr. Jane Cohen, Beutel Health Center mmim c/r/l grams focused on eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia at the end of Febmary. Both weeks will be promoted by univer sities across the nation. Students on special diets or faced with weight problems may seek help at the health center, Cohen said. In addition to healthy eating, Cohen said students should get some exercise. Nation al recommendations are 30 minutes a day, four days a week. Winter holiday prompts closure, limited hours at some B-CS stores By Kelly Hackworth Staffwriter Some Bryan-College Station businesses experi enced a decrease in revenue when the majority of Texas A&M University students left the area during the winter break. Several businesses decreased their hours, while others closed altogether. Although the owners felt the “The winter break is the worst because more people leave town for the winter break than any other holiday.” AARON BROWN MANAGER, SWEET EUGENE’S absence of the students, the permanent residents of Bryan-College Station continued to support the area businesses during the break. The businesses which suffered the most were those closest to campus and in the Northgate area. Aaron Brown, manager of Sweet Eugene’s in Col lege Station and owner of the Copasetic Cafe, said Eu gene’s business was cut in half during the break. “Even though the permanent residents come out more once the students are gone, there is still a signif icant drop,” Brown said. “The winter break is the worst because more people leave town for the winter break than any other holiday.” Double Dave’s Pizza in Northgate saw a greater- drop in business than their other area locations. Double Dave’s manager Kevin Hartley said the restaurant lost about 50 percent of its business during the break. Hartley said they also closed their doors two hours earlier than usual. Some businesses opted to cut costs by closing down during the winter break. Burton Creek Pub closed for the entire break, and Freebird’s in Northgate remained open for 10 days be fore closing for renovations. The Copasetic Cafe in Northgate also closed in anticipation of a slower crowd. Bullwinkle’s Grill and Bar in College Station saw lit tle change in its lunch and dinner crowd, but alcohol sales decreased. The College Station Chili’s business was slower, but activities at the George Bush Presidential Library kept business steady throughout the break, manager Mark Koenig said. Business at Jason’s Deli was “down considerably,” manager Audra Larkins said. She said the lack of A&M students attributed to the decrease.