Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / April 29, 2009, edition 1 / Page 1
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page 12-13 V and online GO ONLINE TO VIEW DAILY UPDATED VIDEOS AND BLOGS Www.elon.edu/ pendulum EKE PROTEST CELEBRATE} WEEK PODCASTS |»iae2iiEE23!a BgSTiBARBEQUE IN N.C. »«i5^ weeK's oest barbequei Stam©y% Ok* fashioned Barbecue Elon plays its annual spring football ganne THE PENDULU ELON, NORTH CAROLINA j WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009 j VOLUME 35, EDITION 14 www.elon.edu/pendulum University prepares lesponse measures for swine flu threat Rachel Cieri features Editor , Reacting to more than 40 cases appearing across the country, Elon University officials are taking precautionary measures in case the swine flu hits campus. The emergency response team and safety committee met Monday to re\iew plans to deal with the threat of a pandemic. The university prepared pandemic response plans more than three years ago in response to a similar bird flu scare. The R.N. Ellington Health Center is also talcing a few precautions, although staff said the community is not at any immediate risk. Students who «perience flu-like symptoms can come ________ to the health center for evaluation, and they will be asked to wear a surgical mask in the waiting room to prevent the virus from spreading. Flu test results will also be sent to the local and state health departments for monitoring. ARAMARK will also ~~ take extra precautionary in handling food to prevent the 'Ptead of disease in dining halls. According to Assistant Vice President “f Student Life Jana Lynn Patterson, *™'''®''sity has made arrangements • local health authorities to have SYMPTOMS CHECKLIST Symptoms of the swine ti are said to be similar lottie regular human seasonal influenza: fever .ettiargy Jck of appetite Coughing ^unny nose ' Sore throat 'Nausea Vomiting 3ianhea medications delivered to Elon should an outbreak occur. “We don't have to worry about getting 5,000 people to the health department,” Patterson said. If an outbreak of the swine flu does occur on campus, the university will be following direction from the state and local health authorities to take the proper response steps. “If there is a case anywhere in North Carolina, we’ll escalate our surveillance," Patterson said. “(The swine flu) seems to be hopping around the country with no natural progression, which is perplexing. When students come to health services, we'll ask them if they’ve traveled to Mexico or Kansas recently, and if they’ve flown." Elon health services has been a leader in the state in developing precautionary measures and response preparations, Patterson said. The level of threat posed to the campus is still uncertain as officials gauge the disease’s impact and spread. A mutation of an animal influenza strain, swine flu is defined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention as respiratory disease of pigs. Until last month, only 12 cases of the disease had been documented in humans in the United States during the past four years, but a recent lethal outbreak in Mexico is causing international alarm. The World Health Organization said it had “pandemic potential,” and the Department of Homeland Security has declared the outbreak a public health emergency. The swine flu has health experts concerned because it seems to be passed from human to human, as well as pig to human or pig to pig. While the closest infections are still several states away, the CDC recommends taking a few extra precautions to stay healthy. Swine Flu Swine flu is a respiratory disease that infects pigs but also people, typically those who have been in contact with pigs. Runny nose Symptoms in humans People-to-people transmission is through coughing, sneezing Incubation time 5—10 days Soar throat When flu spreads person-to-person, rather than from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it harder to treat or fight off There are no vaccines that contain current swine flu virus causing illness in humans — Fever Lethargy Loss of consciousness, ending in death Coughing Nausea, vomiting Diarrhea INFORMATION COURTESY OF WORUD HEALTH ORGANIZATION Anyone who sneezes or coughs should hold a tissue to his or her mouth and throw the tissue away after using it. Individuals should wash his or her hands frequently and avoid touching one’s eyes, nose or mouth. People are asked to avoid contact with anyone who is sick and to stay home if they become ill. Anyone with flu-like symptoms should report to the health center for an examination. The swine flu is not caught by eating pork, a common misconception. The virus is killed like any other germs when the meat is cooked at 160 degrees or higher. Because the virus can be passed from pigs to humans, areas like pig barns and livestock exhibits with pigs at fairs could be some of the riskiest places in terms of susceptibility. While there have been more than 100 deaths in Mexico, the toll in the United States has not been nearly so severe. No one has died, and the illness is much MARGEAUX CORBY | Qriiphic like a regular flu. The main cause for alarm is the sudden spike in numbers of a disease for which there is no vaccination and about which not much is known. Patterson encourages students to pay attention and not panic. An outbreak of the Spanish influenza swept the Town of Elon in 1918, according to Durward Stoke’s 1982 book, “Elon College: It's History and Traditions.” The book said the sickness hit the university straight on. Around 300 students were affected, a makeshift hospital with cots was constructed in the gym and the extremely sick were taken to and stayed at the president's house, the book said. A student who died from the illness is still buried in Magnolia Cemetary, which is located across from the intramural fields next to the railroad tracks. Budget cuts cost some students jobs DAVID WELLS | Photo Editor a sophomore Elizabeth Dobbins, left, aids a peer library. Instead of cutting jobs, Media Services udents work to fit into the means of their reduced budget. Andie Diemer Editor-in-Chief As university departments across campus attempt to accommodate next year’s 2 percent decrease in operational funds, some programs have scaled back their student work force to meet the tighter university budget requirements. While the department reallocations transverse all budget lines, not just one specific area, each nrosram can choose how to arrange its budget, said Gerald Whittington, vice president for business, finance and technology. He said within every department student workers are hired, so it is up to each department to decide the future of student jobs when adjusting the budget o cut, said Paula Rosinski, Writing Center director Bu^ onfpCgwm'ihat’s been deeply impacted, also“ocated in the library, is the e.I.i.t.e (Emerging Leaders in Technology at Elon) Program, which aZiZ rhe campus with technological and software problems and concerns. Kelly Reimer, coordinator of the e.I.i.t.e Program, said there is a finite amount of resources at Elon and e.I.i.t.e’s current budget is bigger than the budget it will be working with next year so adjustments had to be made. “We had to figure out the best way to provide services within our means,” Reimer said. She said this means reallocating resources in a different way to fit within the budget, which for the e.I.i.t.e Program means cutting back student workeM. Th* e.I.i.t.e Program, which currently has a student force of around 30, staffs the Instructional Technology Services office, the Student Technology Center and the front desk in the library. The group also makes “house calls” to different parts of campus to assist the community with technological needs as part of its “Techies on Tour” program. In light of the declining economy and slimmed down budget, only about a dozen e.I.i.t.e workers will staff the Student Technology Center next fall. See JOBS I PAGE 6 .ELON.ED FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION
Elon University Student Newspaper
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April 29, 2009, edition 1
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