Know News

Feature

2006-05-05T19:32:51Z

Cassi O’Meara rummages through her closets, searching for anything that may fit. A gigantic heap of clothes takes up her entire side of the dorm room.
O’Meara throws her clothes around in a frantic rush. Nothing seems to fit like it used to. She fills the room with her curse words, and runs to her desk to grab a scissors.
She grabs an old pair of jeans from the overload of clothes on the ground and cuts two slits up the sides of them. She quickly throws them on and sighs with relief.
Finally.. Something to wear.
O’Meara is one of the hundreds of students at UMD who has gained weight during the first year of college. Freshman weight gain is a very common addition to the college experience.
According to a study by Cornell University, college students gain an average of four pounds during their first 12 weeks on campus.
The freshman fifteen sneaks up on most students. Weight gain goes from a variety of reasons.
“I know that a lot of the weight I’ve gained is from the DC (Dining Center),�? says freshman Nicole Mertz. “They don’t have very many healthy options, and the ones that they do have usually suck.�?
The Dining Center contributes to weight gain because it’s all-you-can-eat, and they serve lots of fried, energy dense food. The healthy choices are usually untouched.
“The DC is the only source of food that I have to eat most days,�? says Freshman Caitlin Perry, “It’s like you’re forced to eat it because if you don’t, than you’ll be hungry for the rest of the day.�?
Besides the DC, there are plenty of other reasons students are stacking on the pounds.
“I tend to eat a lot whenever I’m up at school,�? says freshman Melissa O’Brien, “I think I eat a lot here for comfort because when I’m back at home my appetite changes drastically.�?
The majority of comfort foods such as chips, ice cream, and pizza, are unhealthy. They are widely used by college students in the dorms because they are generally cheap, and easily accessible.
The frequent use of alcohol for most students is another huge factor contributing to the freshman fifteen.
“When I first came up to school in the fall, my drinking habits took a toll on me,�? says Mertz, “I’m not gonna lie, I drank for eleven straight nights in a row. Something I’ve never done before.�?
Alcohol causes you to gain so much weight because it’s high in calories. There are seven calories per gram of alcohol.
“I never used to be much of a partier before I came up to Duluth,�? says O’Meara. “But drinking is such a social part of college life. It almost feels wrong not to drink. And I know that’s where a lot of my freshman fifteen has come from.�?
The freshman fifteen is a common fear for many new coming students, but there are things that you can do to avoid weight gain.
Stephanie Barton, Registered Dietician at UMD Health Services, counsels many students at UMD. She helps people with eating disorders, diabetes, high cholesterol, and weight gain. She says that over 90% of students see her because of weight gain.
The freshman fifteen is a common fear for many new coming students, but there are things you can do to avoid it.
Instead of the elevator, take the stairs. Try to limit your portion sizes, and eat more whole grains. Move around as much as possible.
“I’m a big believer in eating a variety of foods,�? says Barton. “Pizza’s great, fast food’s great. It just depends on how frequently you eat it.�?

Profile

2006-04-21T02:22:24Z

It’s a quarter to six in the morning. The sun hasn’t come up yet. Most UMD students are still in bed, but Meghan Roth is running sprints and lifting weights.
Meghan Roth, a freshman at UMD, is the sweeper for UMD’s varsity girl’s soccer team. She is one of the hundreds of students who struggle with maintaining a balance between sports and academics.
Roth has to wake up at 5:45 in the morning three days a week, and has practice in the afternoon the other two days of the week.
“All I wanna do is sleep all day after practice, but I know that I have to go to class,�? Roth says.
Roth says that she would probably go to class more if she wasn’t so worn out all the time. She misses class at least once a week, if not more than that.
“I always try to at least make it to class, but sometimes the lack of energy takes over me,�? says Roth’s teammate Stacey Prodaniuk, “It would be nice to go out more on the week days, but 5:45 rolls around pretty fast.�?
Roth says that besides waking up early for soccer, there are many positive aspects of being on the team.
“Soccer is my top reason for coming here,�? Roth says, “And I’m getting my entire tuition paid for.�?
Roth has struggled with maintaining her grades in high school, and she believes that being in soccer has helped improve them.
“It motivates me to keep my GPA up so that I can play soccer,�? Roth says, “I believe that soccer gives me a lot of opportunities to succeed.�?
The love of the game is what keeps Roth sane through strenuous exercises, early morning practices, and time commitment.
“All I know about soccer is that I love it. L-O-V-E it,�? says Roth with a smile.

meeting

2006-04-07T20:07:33Z

Andie Carlson
Meeting/April 7, 2006

As many as six council members from the Desegregation/Integration committee of Duluth Public School’s, simply do not show up to any meetings.
During the Desegregation/Integration meeting held this Wednesday, their absence was discussed among the members of the council.
The members who do not attend these weekly meetings do not show up because they are supposedly too busy with their personal lives.
Since three out of the six non-attendees happen to be Native American, this greatly affects the councils need for diversity.
The whole purpose of Duluth’s Public School’s Desegregation/Integration program is to maintain the compliance with Minnesota’s Rule 3535, which governs desegregation.
Diverse members of the committee are especially needed to represent desegregation in the community. Their attendance is crucial.
“The desegregation council has worked long and hard to insure that the District hires people of color for programs that are funded with desegregation dollars,�? says Secretary Diana Stratioti. “Unfortunately it doesn’t always happen and they are disappointed.�?
On Wednesday, the present members of the council discussed their fellow absent community members, and would like for them to still be a part of the council. They are planning to write them letters of encouragement to stay in the council.
If these members don’t respond to the letters and repeat their record of attendance, they will be replaced. Not kicked out, just replaced.
If replacements are necessary, they too will be Native American’s from the Native American community.

Event story

2006-03-08T05:49:13Z

“In order to be one [lesbian], I should be white,�? Joan Varney said about a common misconception towards homosexuals.
“Where the norms are usually white,�? Varney said, “you feel this internal conflict.�?
The GLBT, Gay-Lesbain-Bisexual-Trangender-Group, holds many events around the University to help educate students about the GLBT culture. On Wednesday, Mar. 1, a teach-in called Queer Asians in Bay Area was hosted by Joan Varney.
Varney is a member of the QSU, Queer Student Union, and a professor here at UMD. She has done research for many years on queer Asians and their position in society.
Before Varney came out to her family and friends, she struggled with being an Asian. It was hard for her to come out of the closet.
Homosexual students of color do not seem to get the support that is needed from other people. This lack of support makes them feel like “They don’t fit in,�? said Varney.
Angie Nichols, GLBT office director shared her two cents about the outcome of people who have showed up at this event.
“No one from the QSU is here tonight,�? said Nichols, “and that’s really sad to me.�?
Only nine people showed up to this event on Wednesday. Varney said, “everyone who showed up is either a friend of mine or someone that I know.�?
On behalf of the QSU Nichols asked, “are we really a community if we are so divided?�?
A member of the audience and a student at UMD spoke up and said, “I think that people in this school need to speak in a language of popular culture. I think you have to bait the kids to get them to come.�?
In other words most students won’t come to an event if they don’t see how they will be affected from it. They need to be given a reason to want to come.
Angie Nichols has high hopes for the future of our community, and the rest of society.
“It’s changing already and maybe it hasn’t affected the college yet,�? said Nichols, “it’s like you can only build up from here.�?

greetings

2006-02-13T04:23:13Z

Either you know the news or you have no news