J Page 4 The tseiies November 1988 Dear Ellie By Elizabeth Evans Dear Ellie, What are the effects of caffeine? Should I take it to help me study? Sleep, Saint Mary’s College Dear Sleepy, Caffeine is a stimulant drug found in most soft drinks, coffee, and tea. Drinking one or two cups of these beverages will have no major side effects. However, caffeine and other stimulants can prove to be harm ful. Taken in large amounts, caffeine can cause one to be hyper and very nervous. Caffeine also strains the nerves, causing some people to shake. Caffine may help you stay awake, but it will not help you study. When a person gets tired, no matter how "awake” he is, his tem porary alertness does not help him retain any information. — Ellie Dear Ellie, How much should a person exercise dur ing a week? Couch Potato SMC Dear Couch Potato, Most doctors suggest that everybody get at least forty minutes of exercise three times a week. This forty-minute period in cludes a ten-minute warm-up. Warm-ups are a must to prevent strains and other injuries caused by using cold muscles. After this warm-up, it is suggested that the person keep his heart rate at an aerobic level for at least twenty minutes. The last ten minutes are set aside for cool-down. Cool-downs are just as important as warm ups. It can be very dangerous to just stop immediately after a big workout. Without allowing the body time to bring the heart rate down, a sudden stop can cause the blood to rush to the extremities of the body. Abrupt stops may cause a person to be come lightheaded and faint. Exercise is very important and more people should be concerned with it. How ever, don't just jump in, because improper exercise can be just as dangerous, even more to one’s health than not exercising at all. — Ellie If there are any questions for Ellie, please send them to “Dear Ellie,” care of Dr. Schroeder. Censorship about puberty or explanations of the human anatomy. Why would any sensible person ban books that concern the process of growing up? Does someone think that ig norance is going to solve any problems? Freedom of the mind is considered basic to the functioning and maintenance of democracy. A democracy is supposed to assume that educated, free people are to be trusted to determine their own actions. And if the people are thoroughly informed, then they are capable of making their own choices. If the freedom of choice is denied, because of fear it is being used unwisely, then the basis of freedom is being de stroyed. Censorship denies us the ability to choose from all possible alternatives, which violates our intellectual freedom. The library is trying to ensure every individual’s freedom of the mind, so that everybody be nefits. Even while libraries try to preserve freedom of the mind, censorship occurs. The Library Bill of Rights are guidelines for libraries to follow, so that the services of all libraries are fair and treat all people equally. They are: 1. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, informa tion and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the ori gin, background, or views of those con tributing to their creation. 2. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed be cause of partisan or doctrinal disapproval. (Continued from page 2) 3. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment. 4. Libraries should cooperate with all per sons and groups concerned with resisting abridgement of free expression and free access to ideas. 5. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied because of origin, age or views. 6. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities av ailable on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups, requesting their use. Despite these guides that rule out cen sorship of any kind, people still challenge libraries. “We are not afraid to entrust the Amer ican people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people. ” These words of John F. Kennedy express his opinion of intellectual freedom. I just wanted to bring to your attention the challenges to the freedom of our minds. To me censorship is an early form of to talitarianism. It’s extremely scary, to me, to think that the government of the country 1 live in might be leaning towards total con trol. Our country’s democracy is something we should all be proud of. I want to be able to have the intellectual freedom I have today forever, so let’s all fight to keep ex treme censorship out of our country. How Well Do You Know Your Roommate? By Cathy Thompson 1. What college does your roommate frequently go to on the weekends to party? a. UNC-ChapelHill c.ECU b. N.C. State d.SaintMary’s e. None—she goes out with her boyfriend 2. What is your roommate’s favorite junk food? a. candy bars b. pizza c. subs 3. What’s your roommate’s favorite clothing store? a. The Limited d. Benetton b. Belk e. Laura Ashley c. Thalheimers Goodwill 4. What’s the first thing your roommate looks for in a guy? a. smile c. personality e. eyes b. body d. intelligence f. height 5. How long does it take your roommate to get ready for a date? a. 5 minutes c. 1-2 hours b. 30-60 minutes d.over2 hours 6. What’s your roommate’s favorite type of music? a. hard rock c. beach b. punk rock d. top 40 e. country f. Lawrence Welk 7. How old was your roommate when she had her first real kiss? a. 10 or under b. 15 or over b. 11-15 d. not yet had a real kiss 8. How many guys has your roommate kissed? a. 10 or under c. 20-30 b. 10-20 d. too high to count! 9. What’s your roommate’s grossest habit? a. smelly feet b. loud, obnoxious burps c. not taking a bath for a couple of days d. letting food mold before throwing it away e. forgetting to change her clothes 10. What’s your roommate’s biggest worry? a. grades b. parents c. boyfriend(s) d. weight 11. What’s the first thing your roommate does when she gets up in the morning? a. stretch b. cuss at the alarm c. roll over and go back to sleep d. crawl to the bathroom e. panic because it’s two minutes before class 12. What’s your roommate’s favorite way to get attention? a. being sick c. dressing sexy b. getting hurt d. being obnoxious College Room Inspection By Atta Raoufian When Fall Break started everybody left Saint Mary’s College with smiling faces ex cept Dean Hack. After the students left the campus she had checked almost all rooms to see whether or not the rooms were left in a clean condition. Cruickshank Dorm did not pass the test. “Maybe I have to use high-school rules for the college students and let them have room-inspection every week,” said the Dean. She surely did not waste any time letting the students know how disappointed she was by writing a letter to the girls in Cruickshank, putting this notice on everyone's dorm, and commenting on each room’s condition. The typical student reponse, "I am in col lege and if I want to live like a pig they should let me do that,” stood against Dean Hack’s opinion that if you act like unrespon- sible students you will be treated accord ingly. During the week of October 17, the stu dents in Cruick were supposed to face the dreaded room-inspection. The Saint Mary's girls rebelled and wrote a petition. At first, the petition was turned down by the Dean ; but later on she was willing to negotiate. As a result, a compromise was reached. | The Dean agreed not to follow through with | the room-inspection and in return she ex- | pects "spotless ” rooms when the girls leave campus for Thanksgiving break. ,