iHBirsday • April 16, 1998
The Battalion
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There’s something
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te-summer season Lrinq irritatinq aiierqies
By Rhonda Reinhart
Staff writer
stroll through the park on a breezy spring day
might sound like a lovely afternoon. But for
-allergy sufferers, it may seem more like a
ightmare, especially when one ragweed plant can
‘lease as many as one billion grains of pollen.
Seasonal allergic rhinitis, otherwise known as
ay lever, is one of the most common allergic dis-
; : Bs in the United States. It usually occurs only
, Jk or twice a year, in the spring and late summer,
tee and grass pollen are the most common caus-
sejif allergies this time of year.
Dr. Barry Pauli, an allergist at St. Joseph Region-
1 Health Center, said there may be 40 million hay
jver sufferers in the United States alone. He said
ay lever is only second to colds in reasons for
lissing school and work.
According to the Allerdays Web site, allergy suf-
2rers lose three million days of work and two mil-
ion days of school every year and spend an esti-
a|ed $500 million each year on allergy treatments.
An allergy is an exaggerated response to sub-
Tces such as pollen, dust, mold and animal dan-
|An allergen is the substance that causes the al-
y. Allergy sufferers succumb to the discomfort
Jllergies because their immune systems overre-
jto an allergen.
this overreactive immune system is a result of
jetic composition. Hay fever is likely to be in-
Jited. Gand is passed on 65 percent of the time,
iiteven though allergies run in families, a child is
^not automatically sensitive to given allergens. A
tiildwith only one allergic parent has a 25 percent
auce of developing an allergy, while a child with
two allergic parents has a 66 percent chance.
Other factors contribute to the development of
an allergy besides gene inheritance. A person must
be exposed to at least one allergen to which he or
she has a genetically programmed response. He or
she also must be exposed to the allergens at a great
enough concentration and for a long enough time
period to trigger a reaction.
Similar to the common cold, the symptoms of al
lergies are sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion,
itchy watery eyes, itchy throat and sometimes
coughing and wheezing. Pauli said it may be hard
to distinguish allergies from a cold without an al
lergy test, but he said colds generally clear up with
in five days. Also, allergy symptoms begin almost
immediately after exposure, while cold symptoms
may build over a few days before they hit full-force.
Pauli suggests three treatments for allergies:
avoidance, medication and allergy shots. He said
even though avoidance may be unrealistic for some
allergy sufferers, mild allergies can be treated with
medication, and more severe allergies can be treat
ed with shots.
For allergy sufferers, spring and late summer
may bring months of misery. A survey done by
Louis Harris and Associates during the the 1996 al
lergy season revealed that 89 percent of the re
spondents were allergic to pollen from trees, grass
and plants.
Nearly one third of the respondents said that
they frequently or sometimes find themselves in
embarrassing social situations (such as sneezing in
church) because of their allergies.
Please see Allergies on Page 5.
Sisterhood on stage
ia a play cufto&e,
4t&uf details tied
t6e 6emt and
t6e dfctcyfie
life (fetwem
By Stephen Wells
Staff writer
F rom the art galleries to
the polo fields, A&M of
fers a great deal to stu
dents who make the effort to
pull themselves off the couch
and away from the confines of
a TV lounge. The Texas A&M
Theater Arts program is offer
ing a gem of such opportuni
ties tonight with the opening
of “Dancing at Lughnasa.”
Penned by Brian Friel,
“Dancing at Lughnasa” is a
memory play centered around
five single women, the Mundy
sisters, and the trials they face
both individually and as a fam
ily. From illegitimate sons to un
employment to trials with long-
lost relatives, these sisters try to
make their own in Ireland in the
summer of 1936, during the pa
gan festival of Lughnasa. The
sisters must struggle to keep
their faith in family and their re
ligion despite the pagan culture
which surrounds them and
threatens to tear them apart.
Susan Kelly, coordinator of
the Theater Arts program at
Texas A&M, said she wanted to
produce a play featuring
women playing the lead roles
as part of a tradition she has
made for herself.
“Each spring I try to do a
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imm
M
The bond shared between sisters is
piece that centers around
women,” Kelly said. “I started
this four years ago when I put
together a play that features
women playing lead parts for
Women’s Week.”
However, the play is more than
just a women’s feature. “Dancing
at Lughnasa” already has gained
critical and popular success.
“Brian Friel is a very strong
playwright,” Kelly said. “This
particular play was actually on
Broadway a few years ago. We
have some good female ac
tresses in the program and
found a good play with strong
women’s parts.”
As befitting a play touching
on so many sensitive moral is
sues, the plot of “Dancing at
Lughnasa” is driven by charac
ter development, a challenge
even for professional actors.
“The actors have really loved
working with this script be
cause this playwright really fo
cuses on the dialogue and tells
the story through words and a
little less action,” Kelly said.
“We’re still discovering little nu
ances in the script and the char
acter’s lines tying in together.”
With a production this
SPECIAL TO THE BATTALION
the focus in “Dancing at Lughnasa.”
large, the set has to be just as
impressive as the acting.
“This is a very complex set,”
Kelly said. “The walls of the set
are as thick as they would be in
real life. It took a long time to
build the set, then fill the walls
with styrofoam and put dry-
wall putty on the outside to
make it look more realistic.
This is our largest set this year;
it will probably take weeks to
take it down.
"We’re still tweaking things
and trying to get everything
just right. It’s been a real chal
lenge to get older props and
older-looking props to keep
that period look."
Even the smallest detail is
not overlooked. Though the
music is never on for more
than a few seconds at a time,
the selection process was as
meticulous as any other facet
of the production.
“With plays like ‘Riverdance,’
the whole Celtic music awareness
is so much greater than it has
been in the past, so we had to get
the music just right. I must have
gone through a dozen CD’s.”
Please see Lughnasa on Page 5.
[0>
Parents Weekend • April 18
Honor Thy Father, Thy
OTHER...AND Thy’RE PALATE.
Bring them to Messina Hof’s Unforgettable
Parents Weekend Wine & Roses Gourmet Dinner
Saturday Evening, April 18
You’ll all enjoy a delectable, multi-course gourmet feast in the European
ambiance of our Vintage House restaurant. It’s only $30 per happy person and
includes a fresh wild green salad, your choice of three sumptuous gourmet
entrees, a fresh vegetable medley and our famous Port ‘n Cream sundae.
It’s mind-boggling...and that’s without the wine.
Space is limited, so please call for your reservations today... (409) 778-3138
The Vintage House at Messina Hof
4545 Old Reliance Road • Bryan, TX
Come Home To Melrose
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i i m —
I" *?:
.)« O- %
TV
Private bedroom/bathroom suites, in furnished or
unfurnished 2-, 3-, and 4-bedroom/bathroom
apartments. Individual leases. Your rent includes
no utility deposits, cable TV, local phone service,
24-hour monitored intrusion alarm, entrance gate
video screening from your apartment, full-size
washer and dryer, and all kitchen appliances
including microwave.
Enjoy unparalleled amenities: resort-style
swimming pool, fitness center, sports facilities,
computer lab, fully fenced perimeter and gate
courtesy officers.
“ Come out today! ”
409 • 693 • 9432
Redeem your coupon at 201-B Holleman
«? 601 Luther St. West • College Station, TX 77840 • www.melrose.com
^ Parents’ Redeem this coupon at
)2 Weekend MfMM \ Melrose for your key card
’ i and your chance to win ' -J*
O Special JKSaUWS r „ O
Months Free Rent
Saturday, April 18 only
Need a Job For The 1998 Fall Semester?
'Tvk
College Station CMomuniiy edv^aon
• Are you a fun person?
• Do you enjoy working with kids?
• Looking for valuable work experience? 1
’ Are you available Mon.-Fri., 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.?
’ If you answered yes to any of these questions,
we may have a job for you.
Applications are now being accepted for the Kids Klub After School Program
at Central Park Office until April 21
For more information call:
764 - 3486
WAlh
Campus Tux Party
atWings n’ More
Across from the campus on Texas Ave.
Starts Today
from 11am to 4 pm
-7 > ‘ T
fwVW â–  j
DJ, Barb Fiores
will be broadcasting li\/e 11-1
Visit Al’s Mobile Tuxedo Store for on-site rental reservations
until 4pm. It's easy & fun...or come to the Harvey Rd. store.
Outfitting Aggies Since 1957
FORMAL
WEAR
ffOO Harvey Rd.
next to Post Dak Mall.... 409-693-0947
WA\b
See store for details. Some restrictions apply, expires 4/25/98
Win
Register to
the Ultimate Ring Dance Datt
• A Tuxedo from Al’s Formal Wear
• Dinner at Outback Steakhouse
• Flowers by University Flowers
• Hair by Dana at Couffieurs
• Nails by Nails Magnifiq