Newspapers / North Carolina School of … / Feb. 1, 2013, edition 1 / Page 2
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february 2013 news the stentorian | ncssm Gun control attempts prompt debate By Adam Beyer In the months following the Sandy Hook School Shootings, gun control is likely to be one of the most widely debated issues as Congress starts its new term. In recent days, protestors from both sides have been gathering in major cities, pressing for their policies. Just days before his second inauguration. President Obama announced twenty-three new executive actions he says will reduce gun violence. They include strengthening the background check system for gun ownership, strengthening safety requirements for gun storage, providing more resources for schools and mental health, as well as nominating a director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, which has been without a leader since 2006. These actions have already provoked the strong reaction of critics from organizations such as the NRA, whose executive vice-president Wayne LaPierre pledged “the fight of the century.” Different interpretations of the Government’s power to regulate guns imder the 2"^ Amendment are the source of most disagreement. One major piece of legislation being pushed is the renewal and expansion of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban which expired in 2004. The ban prohibits the sale and manufacture of specific brands of military-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. Many criticize the previous ban as ineffective because of its numerous loopholes, which allowed gun manufacturers to make small cosmetic changes to the guns and let them be sold again. In mid-January, New York was the first state to update and strengthen its laws dealing with guns since the Sandy Hook School Shootings. “We just cannot continue to have 33 people a day killed in the United States with guns, and over 40 people commit suicide with guns every single day,” said New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a staunch supporter of gun regulations and chair of Mayors Against Illegal Guns. “More people were killed last year with hammers than rifles. If people want to kill other people with guns, making them illegal won’t stop them,” said senior Nathan Sanders. “I think we need tighter control of gun ownership,” said junior Hannah McShea, “Imagine if a kid was throwing rocks at another kid on the playground. You don’t go and give all the other kids rocks to throw too. That won’t stop the rock throwing. They’ll all end up bruised.” Both President Obama and Vice President Biden, who chaired the president’s task force on gun violence, plan to travel over the next several weeks promoting their agenda on gun control. Adderall suicide raises questions By: Sarah Colbert Richard Lee committed suicide while suffering from withdrawal from the medication Adderall on Nov. 7, 2011. Lee was a popular, athletic, 24-year old college student at Greensboro College who aspired to become a medical student. He was also was extremely addicted to Adderall and hanged himself in his bedroom two weeks after his prescription expired. Adderall, like cocaine, is Schedule II drug, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is an amphetamine-based drug prescribed to treat the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is known for providing the user with an acute ability to focus and for being highly addictive. Adderall is abused by an estimated 8-25% percent of college students who use the medication to enhance their academic performances. Students feign the symptoms of ADHD or obtain it from others in order to access the drug. Giving or aecepting even a single pill of Adderall from someone with a prescription is a federal crime. Lee was prescribed Adderall by his physician to help him concentrate in school, despite the absence of any previous symptoms of A.D.H.D. His prescription was based , solely on his answers to a questionnaire. Lee quickly developed a dangerous addiction to the drug. He became dependent on the Adderall to do his school work. He became delusional, paranoid, and violent. Lee’s parents pleaded that his doctor stop administering Adderall to him. Lee’s doctor stopped his prescription, and Lee became enraged and disappeared for a few weeks. When he returned, he lied to his doctor, claiming that he had gotten his life together and really needed the Adderall in order to obtain a job he was applying for. His doctor gave him a new prescription for Adderall. Lee’s violent behavior continued. His parents were once forced to call the police and have him arrested for domestic violence. He suffered from anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Yet, he did not seem like a drug addict to his doctor and was able to convince him to continue prescribing Adderall for him. His doctor believed his assertions over those of his parents. Lee’s doctor met with him for the last time in October. Lee’s father made directives to bring up charges if Lee was given more Adderall. His doctor prescribed him a different medication for ADHD that did not contain amphetamines on Oct. 3. Lee did not fill this preseription and returned two weeks later to ask for more Adderall. His doctor refused, and Lee never returned to him. Lee abruptly stopped taking the medication and experienced severe withdrawal. His parents returned from a weekend away on Nov. 7 and went looking for Lee at his apartment. They found him in his closet where he had hanged himself Lee’s parents attended a documentary screening and panel discussion on ADHD called “ADD and Loving it?” on Oct. 10, 2012. The nation’s primary advocacy group for A.D.H.D. patients. Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (Chadd), sponsored the event. The film that was shown elaimed that stimulant medications were “safer than aspirin.” In the question-and-answer session following the event, Lee’s father asked, “What are some of the drawbacks or some of the dangers of a misdiagnosis in somebody, and then the subsequent medication that goes along with that?” “Not much,” replied Jeffrey Katz, a local clinical psychologist and board member of Chadd. “The medication itself is pretty innocuous.” “If you misdiagnose it and you give somebody medication, it’s not going to do anything for them, why would they continue to take it?” he concluded. This article is adapted from "Drowned in a Stream of Prescriptions" by Alan Schwarz, printed in The New York Times, Feb. 2, 2013. Obama sworn in for second time By Hannah Walrath On Jan. 21 2013, President Barack Obama was sworn in for the second time. A crowd of about one million people gathered onto the National Mall to witness his oath of office, compared to an estimated 1.8 million in 2009 when he became the nation’s first black president. Amongst the one million in attendance were former presidents, congressmen, governors, and Cabinet members. A New York elementary school chorus and a U.S. Marine Band provided entertainment before the seating of First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President, Joe Biden, and President Obama. Myrlie Evers-Williams, The widow of civil-rights leader Medgar Evers, delivered the invocation. Her message emphasized inclusion and the inalienable rights of every individual, as well as the importance of unity throughout the nation. A choir from Brooklyn, New York, sang “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” before Biden took the vice presidential oath of office, administered by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Obama was sworn into office at 11:55 a.m. by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, which was shortly followed by the U.S. Marine Band’s performance of “Hail to the Chief’ and a 21- gun salute. Obama began his inaugural address by discussing the importance of Americans gathering for the inauguration of a president, the ideals set forth by our Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence and the importance of implementing those ideals. Obama emphasized the importance of working together. He said, “For progress, we must work together as a nation... For the Ameriean people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias. No single person can train all of the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the fiiture, or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores. Now, more than ever we must do these things together, as one nation and one people.” Obama continued by discussing the promise of change in the fiiture, the economic recovery, and a rising middle class- all themes he emphasized throughout his campaign. Obama showed his continued support for marriage equality, a highly debated topic amongst political parties and individuals, by saying, “That is our generations task. To make these words, these rights, these values, of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness real for every American. Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life.” Following the inaugural address, Richard Blanco took the stage to deliver a poem. Reverend Luis Leon delivered the benediction, and Beyonce sang the national anthem. After Obama signed official documents and the inauguration commenced with the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. Common apps for leadership positions (Continued from page I) those application processes.” Many students and adults share fears that the transparency of the application will enable selection teams to choose students who appear most dedicated to single applications. “I really encourage advisers to go with what students want,” said Cromwell. “This is to save the students and coordinators time. Each position can still add a supplement to the application’s eight to ten questions, if they wish. We aren’t trying to limit students’ options.” Interest meetings for all the leadership positions will take place in the transition from the second to the third trimester. Selection for the positions of Student Body President and Treasurer, Sustainability Project Leader, and others, will nm parallel to the common application positions but will be handled separately. Orientation Committee and other positions will be decided by early May, after leadership positions and housing situations (dependent on the Residential Life Assistant candidates) have been set. Students with questions about any of the available opportunities are encouraged to contact those positions’ coordinators or seniors currently serving in them.
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