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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 2003)
m THE BATUIOI le Vagina Monolgue be performed ve Ensler's "The Vagit nologues," a continjtior Texas A&M's V-Dayffortt j violence againstivomei I girls, will be pdorme; irsday and Friday iater. Both perfonance ;in at 8 p.m. erformances benet gram for the Reducon o 1 a I Family Violent! Fo; re information, ciitaci y@neo.tamu.edu. >eral Arts host 'eer fair Frida) assist students in :ime jobs and internslms, College of Liberal isoring the Liberal Aits er Fair in conjunction will; lommunications Career Fail Friday in the Rudderfjjiibil from 10 a.m. to 3 p,m. tional Instruments, la h for America, the U.S :e Corps and Veloi ironies are just a lew tompanies that will be or pus recruiting students Sarah Schuler, anacadem- dviser in the College al Arts. e uncertainty in thecurreri omy is of concern to all sty- s who are graduating during i times," said ema, director of experiet education in the Cares 1 er. king permits for st Campus age available mits for the West Campus ig Garage will be urchase by all commute resident students, and vendors, said ms, associate director ol portation Sen/ices, isportation Services is ig into other matters con ig the operation of be the largest pi e on campus, are discussing thepw of offering discowfei ig rates in the us Garage, especially in 'ening," Williams said, garage is located on le side of the Student ation Center. Both ? and the pedestrian ’ay underneath Wellborn are on schedule and will npleted in August 2003. e Farm excludes ear damage i coverage 1 Farm Insurance Co, s largest auto insurer, ii l notices to its 40 lolders informing ire not covered r blasts and radiation e. Farm joined a hostol nies in excluding nuclear- auto claims amid height' ear over terrorism. BATTALION Liffick, Editor in Chief Bunce, Managing Editor i Webb, Copy/Design Directoi tlch, News Editor lips, Asst. News Editor iullivan, Asst. News Editor Cingsley, Aggielife Editor irr, Asst. Aggielife Editor e Hudson, Asst. Aggielife Editor kson, Sci/Tech Editor leutsch, Opinion Editor Porter, Asst. Opinion Editor Crow, Sports Editor aenlaub, Asst. Sports Editor is, Photo Editor llimon, Asst. Photo Editor eLuna, Graphics Editor vn, Radio Producer erbusch, Webmaster ON (ISSN #1055-4726) is puMisMtfi igh Friday during the fall and spring sa® tday through Thursday during file sif* ipt University holidays and exam pert 4 University. Periodicals Postage M < 1^1X 77840. POSTMASTER: Send a** he Battalion, Texas A&M Univeisity. till ! Station, TX 77843-1111. station news department is managed tt rexas A&M University in the Divish ol dia, a unit of the Department ol lews offices are in 014 Reed McDonald vsroom phone: 845-3313: Fax: 845- ail: news@thebatt.com; WeP site: iebatt.com 5 ublication of advertising does notimplt r endorsement by The Battalion. For cam- d national display advertising, call 845- lassified advertising, call 845-0569. fices are in 015 Reed McDonald, and tre 8 a.m.-to 5 p.m. Monday tlm# 5-2678. : A part of the Student Services Fee end- ; A&M student to pick up a single copy of First copy free, additional copies 254. ons are $60 per school year, $30 for* emester and $17.50 for the summer.lo ;a, MasterCard, Discover, or Amen® 45-2613. The Battalion Rtinning on empty Without adequate rest, students face serious long- and short-term health risks Aggielife Page 3 A* Thursday, February 27, 2003 By Rachel Hollon THE BATTALION Each semester students lose hours of sleep to catch up with their busy schedules. Whether it is studying for tests or writing J a paper, going out with friends or numerous other activities, sleep deprivation is an inevitable part of collegiate careers. College students are not alone, however. According to WebMD.com, approximately 100 million Americans don't get enough sleep, putting their health in danger. The harmful effects of sleep deprivation include heart dis ease, fatigue, depression, stress insomnia and sleep apnea — which can seriously damage the immune system, trigger heart disease and cause respiratory problems. Despite the risks, many students find it necessary to stay awake no matter what the cost. Whether it’s popping caffeine or sleeping pills, downing gallons of coffee and energy drinks or eliminating certain activities from their schedules, students find ways to stay awake. Buck Bamer, a junior nuclear engineer major, gets an average four hours of sleep each night. He said he realizes he’s risking his health, but says he is young and doesn’t have time to think about it while he is doing his homework. Bamer said he doesn’t take caffeine pills because once they wear off, he tends to crash. Because he juggles schoolwork, a new relation ship and many organizations, Bamer said it can be difficult to find time to sleep. “It’s surprising that 1 don’t stress out a lot, but after doing it for a few years, you kind of get used to it,” he said. Bamer said he never really has a free weekend; there is always something he could be doing for his classes. “I study a lot, and I do my homework, but it doesn’t really help me to pull all-nighters,” he said. “I just get so exhausted that I can’t focus.” Bamer isn’t the only student who finds himself constantly try ing to work in an extra hour or two of sleep. Chris Collins, a senior chemical engineering major, has averaged less than eight hours of sleep a night for more than three years. Collins manages his time between class, relationships and his social life, and he is also part of the executive staff for CARPOOL. Ever since I have been part of the exec stalf I haven’t been able to get as much sleep as I used to,” he said. “It’s worth it though, even if it only leaves me with one free night a weekend to go out.” Collins said the kick of sleep doesn’t , bother him anymore, but findsn it difficult to make time to go out with friends. He has limited time to spend on things other than school and CARPOOL. Collins said he spends 30 to 40 hours a week working for the safe ride program. Collins is one of many students who find it is difficult to handle school, work, relationships and sleep. Because he is constantly studying for classes, working on projects and participating in several organizations, Brian Burnett also said he doesn’t get more than five hours of sleep each night. Burnett, a junior management information systems major, con fessed that he has no social life anymore and only sees his friends at the many meetings he attends. “My busy schedule is a complete stress on my social life, or it would be if I actually had one,” he said. Burnett said he has invented unique ways of staying awake. “I try standing up for awhile when I start to get tired,” he said. “It helps me focus a little better.” Not all students can stay awake without the aid of pills. Chris Verry, a senior economics major, admits he takes caffeine pills when the studying gets rough. “My caffeine diet is what got me through four finals,” he said. “When it comes time to cram, caffeine pills are my best friend.” Dr. Linda Lekawski, director of Student Health Services for Beutal Health Center, said sleep deprivation among A&M students is some thing she sees often. Lekawski said it is difficult to estimate how many students suffer from the problem because it is often a contributing cause to a student’s illness. “(Sleep deprivation) is a common issue with college students,” she said. “More often than not, students come in for another problem, but mention that they’re not getting enough sleep.” Because rest allows the body to recover from daily wear and tear, Lekawski said, it is important that students do not go too long without getting an adequate amount of sleep. “Long-term effects such as damage to a student’s general health and immune system can occur if you’re not getting enough sleep,” she said. “Most students can recover from short-term effects; however, accidents are still the number one cause of death and disability, and if a student is tired then they are much more susceptible to falling asleep at the wheel.” Lekawski said students should be especially careful before hitting the highways for spring break vacations. “What frightens me is that students want to get out of here for spring break the minute they’re done with all of their exams, then, they’re driving with the most fatigue,” she said. “That’s really a big hazard, and I would encourage students to wait and get a good night’s sleep before they leave.” The right amount of sleep, however, varies from student to student. “There’s no perfect number for any individual,” she said. “It depends on how many hours they’re carrying, what activities they’re involved in and the number of hours they spend working. On average, seven to eight hours a day is ideal. Do college students achieve that . ideal? I don’t think so.” Liberal Arts Career Week All majors welcome! Tonight: Alumni Forum Panel discussion and reception with former students 6:00p.m. Reed Arena Friday, Feb. 28 th : Liberal Arts Career Fair And Communications Career Fair 10:00a.m.-3:00p.m. Rudder Exhibit Hall For a complete list of companies attending the career fair and other info please check out our website. www.lasctamu.org fiirzce de Cccl 10pm til midnight .jiJfjLk. in the Flagroom l & IN THE BASEMENT Presented by MSC Town Hall as part of the 9p,Vf TILL I AM MSC issie Niehts All That Jazz Series Free Bowling V; VDAY UMTIL THE ViOUNCE STOPS Eve Easier \ “The Vagina Monologues” starting at 8pm in Rudder Theatre MSC Aggie Nights hits teamed with V-Day TAME to provide 500 free tickets. Students can go to the MSC Box office the night of the show, present their Aggie ID and receive their wristband and free ticket. Come Picnic with us to enjoy Fried Chicken & Potato Salad in the 12th Man starting at 9pm ■nSiM! immwmm. mi ist be present to win For more information contact 845-1515 Must Show A&M ID at Check-in locations around the MSC Friday Night February 28 In the MSC