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
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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
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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