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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 11, 2002)
in Noi^ : hoo|/Co|| egj if/Fullerton Coltp • Ac»d«ny[(i„ ta|i idated) ;dai 7 / 'o gum eer scoring ti ints in twoseaa the team inscoc 1 games, cfii t games, inclic i 38-point ei Los Angeles, a 9-of-10 tin a 34-point efi in West. He i by New Meti , among otheis ather, Bill Tun seasons in t netball Associat the Golden Ss aland Trailblai les Lakers. Ids depth tof ie,” Watkins sa ime shooter »l help fill ourvt coring. We exps and Kevin to con »ht away.” rales and Turn November eari ; that was nation! No. 22 I Watkins earls hman forwart ght of Lawreni Luis Clementet 1 Institute, of the Aggies ; is Watkins’ soa ins. Watkins, wti points per game jnds per game £ dated High School in, will walk-onu id next season. “3- iesigning 'in and d Bldg, er litor m like to i have in on the o you losition L IS Sci Tech THE BATTALION 3B Thursday, April 11, 2002 Alcoholism’s real effects TAMU Roadrunners present... ftun Thru The Vines Tk. fOlc Saturday. April 13. 2002 9 am at Messina Hof Door Prizes, Massage, and Food following the race! $100 to overall winners! www.runthnithevines.com LOOKING FOR LIONS THE LIONS OF TEXAS ARE LOOKING FOR STUDENTS TO START A NEW LIONS CLUB AT TEXAS A&M. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED CALL DR. RYAN AT 822-7006 NOW. Medical professionals describe alcohoVs toll on the body By Jesse Stephenson THE BATTALION When most people think of alcoholics, images of whinos passed out in the gutter come to mind. While this is not entirely inaccurate, alcoholism is a disease that affects many people across a wide variety of livelihoods. These can include white-collar workers and students, not only the homeless on the streets. Simply put, alcoholism is a psychological dependence. “It is drinking to a point that causes an individual illness or harm to the individ ual’s health," said Dr. Gerald Frye, a Texas A&M professor of medical pharmacology and toxicology. Frye said alcoholism is a difficult sickness to track down. It seems to be a combination of biological and acquired traits. "There is some evidence supporting a predisposition to alcohol, but it is not a purely genetic disease," Frye said. Dr. Dennis J. Reardon, the Department of Student Life’s Senior Coordinator of Alcohol and Drug Education Programs, said “Nobody has isolated the gene responsible for alcoholism yet.” Although it does appear to be hereditary. He said, “Looking back at family history, if Grandpa had it, he could have passed it down to grandson. It does have a tendency to skip a generation.” Studies done at Texas A&M estimate the number of alcoholics in the student population to be around five per cent. “Most of those are hereditary alcoholics that come to school,” said Reardon. “Maybe four to five percent of the students who are alcoholics develop alcoholism at A&M.” Within the general population, the number of alcoholics lies between 10 and 12 percent. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism formed a task force in 1998 to uncover facts about drinking on college campuses. The study found that drinking contributes to an estimated 1,400 deaths, 500,000 injuries, and 70,000 cases of sexual assault a year. There are various symptoms of alco holism. These include blackouts, tolerance, withdrawal, and denial. When a person has a blackout, he or she will have no memory after a night of heavy drinking. “They occur when alcohol cuts off the connection between short and long term memory,” Reardon said. Advanced stages of alcoholism are marked by poor relationships, a poor out look on life, legal troubles and poor job performance. “In the case of students, you will see poor academic performance,” Reardon said. There are also effects that you will not necessarily see. The body can become severely damaged by heavy drinking, which Frye describes as anything that exceeds three of four drinks a day. “Cirrhosis of the liver, weakening of the heart muscles, and an increased risk of high blood pressure and stroke are all related to heavy drinking,” he said. Brain damage is also highly associated with alcoholism. But Reardon said that some of the damage may be reversible. “Studies have shown that the brain may be able to recover,” Reardon said. “The liver damage is not reparable, but you only need ten percent of your liver to function properly.” Still, quitting now is greatly beneficial to all heavy drinkers. The greatest number of fatalities and injuries are a result of alcohol-related accidents, most notably drunk driving. Also, accidents such as falling when you are drunk constitute a large number of injuries, Reardon said. Alcoholism is a disease that is never cured. An alcoholic is always in the recovering stage. “An alcoholic who does not drink is an abstaining alcoholic,” Frye said,. “There is no cure for the underlying reasons that cause you to drink.” FRANK CHANCE • THE BATTALION ■■(Limited Time Offer} CiciV P»«A “Happy Hour” ^ Free Drinks vuCtk BuffetPwicJume,. Monday - Ftiday 2 - 5p.m* Aggie, BudckAcceffedl- {^1713 S. T^xas Ave^at Harvey Rd. in Culpepper Plaza J 1 Ck’s w/Approved I.D. ^ Hawaiian Grill Sc Bar featuring Saturday & Sunday Brunch Tropical Fruit Plates Omelettes Unique Hawaiian Dishes Mimosas & Bloody Mary’s The breakfast that is fit for a Hawaiian King! Call and reserve your spot today! 694-4618 Prince Eye Care R. Michael Prince, O.D. TAMU Class of ‘94 • Eye Exams • Consultations • Glasses • Contact Lenses Now accepting TAMU Cigna and Blue Cross/Blue Shield Vision Plans Walk-ins welcome or call for an appointment 201 N. Main Bryan 822-2020 fax: 822-2021 MEET ME AT SATCHELS $ 1 — Longnecks all day / every day Across the street from Traditions Dorm 260-8850 FREE PARKING BEHIND SHADOW CANYON Low Summer Lease Rates • I Bedroom I Bath $ 300 a month • 2 Bedroom I Bath $ 325 a month - I mile from campus - Lease term June 1st - Aug 20 th - No Pets Casa Blanca & Academic Village Apartments 4110 College Main Call 846-1413 http://users3.ev I .net/~hannenenterprises/ ATTENTION All On-Campus Residents The deadline to cancel your housing contract for the fall 2002 - spring 2003 academic year and receive a 100% deposit refund is: April 15, 2002, by 5:00 p.m. In the Housing Assignments Office Room 101 YMCA Building Letters of cancellation can be faxed to: 979-862-3122 or mailed to: Housing Assignments Office 101 YMCA Building College Station, TX 77843-1258 Deadlines to receive a portion of your deposit: April 16 - May 1 May 2-15 May 16-31 After May 31 75% 50% 25% no refund 4,°' a............ NINETIETH ANNIVERSARY ■uf'JLrujfeS Hu nsT I 1 J 1 i- • ■Vinivcrsaiy S0 ^J» 1911-2001 Texas A&M University THE CHANGING FACE OF AGRICULT LIRE: A Convergence of Agriculture, Natural and Renewable Resources, Food and Health A New Paradigm for Funding Innovation and Commercialization in Agriculture: A Rationale for Animal Genomics Dr. Roger E. Wyse Managing Director, Burril & Company - San Francisco, CA and Chairman, Alliance for Animal Genome Research Friday, April 12, 2002 3:00 p.m. - Room 115, Klehergf Animal and Food Science Center * * All Faculty and Students are invited to attend.* The OoWeae of Agriculture and Life Sciences 90 h Anniversary Lecture Series ■ K ■ f zf fr-nni,motion with Texas A&M Universitys 125 h Anniversary Celebration ' S aTd/sTonsW h part byite Office of the Executive Vce President enc, Provost