ALETHEIA
Volume XXVn, Number 15
Montreat-Anderson College
Febmary 25,1994
OfF-Campus
Students: Pros
and Cons
By Joyce Downs
Off-campus students lead a
different type of college life than
on-campus students. Some feel
that living off campus is more
beneficial to them, where as some
feel it is not.
Off-campus students speak out
about what it is like to be one of them.
"It takes a little more time manage
ment as far as fitting in everything
that I have to do on campus, so that
maybe 1 won’t have to come back
later in the day," explained upper
classman Julie Paikenson.
Parkenson who lives three
miles away from the college fur
ther added that it makes it harder
for her to have to come back in the
evenings for mandatory functions,
such as evening chapels.
Though junior Mark Pardue
lives right in the Montreat commu
nity, he agreed that the worse thing
about being a off-campus student is
the commuting he has to do every
day.
As far as academic perfor
mance, off-campus students are
capable of handling the work load.
Junior Alpha Chi student Marcie
Bivens who lives an hour away in
Hendersonville, commented that liv
ing on campus would be more of a
Third in our Religious Issues Series...
By Kerle Peterson
Inhabitants of M-AC ex
pressed that there is a self-esteem
crisis on campus.
But M-AC is not alone, stud
ies have shown that the problem is
everywhere. Last August's issue
of Teen Magazine stated that sui
cide is the second leading cause of
death for people ages 10 to 24.
Teen Magazine also reported that
the causes of these deaths can oc
cur because of low self-concepts,
alcohol and drug abuse, and tragic
loss.
According to Dee Dasburg,
Assistant in the Counseling Cen
ter, the four characteristics of a
good self-image are: a strong feel
ing of belonging, a person's ability
Are You Lonely Tohight?
to accept their uniqueness, the feel
ing of personal power or assertive
ness, and the availability of good
role models.
Without these characteristics,
people can develop low self-es
teem. Those with a low self-image
tend to act over-confident, and do
things solely to gain peer approval.
Scott Ward expressed, "There
is a huge problem of low self-es
teem on campus and everyone has
some degree of loneliness."
Chaplain Ed Bonner com
mented that the problem may de
rive from a "crisis in the family"
and if there is not a good basis for
support then that is where the root
of the problem could lie.
Environmental Studies Major
Misty Varuolo commented, "As
Christians, we are responsible for
building others up. How can we
build others up, if we don't feel
good about ourselves?" Varulo
further added, "When you don't feel
good about yourself than you tend
to bring others that are around,
down with you."
Bonner concurred, and added
that through Chapel, he will help
build up the image of oneself on a
daily basis, by using the awaken
ing of "God's love for the indi
vidual." Bonner explained that if
one’s "value and worth are well
grounded in God's love" than one’s
self confidence will improve.
distraction from herstudies. Parkenson
however, stated that at times it is a
hassle because of the need to use the
library.
Financially, off-campus students
have handled things well. Parkenson
expressed that everybody has their
hardships but that personally, she is
happy with herfmancial arrangements.
Others, however, expressed that it is
more difficult financially to live off
campus.
Some off-campus students ex
pressed tliat they feel excluded. Oth
ers, however, claimed that tliey are
happy, while yet others, who do not
feel excluded, believe that the school
could do more to make tliem feel like
they fit in.
Parkenson, who has attended
M-AC before, believes that the ex
clusion of off-campus students is
not as bad as it was. She expressed
that the Belk Campus Center is a
social link between both on and
off-campus students. She also ex
pressed that there is room for im
provement.
Parkenson suggested that at
least once a month, the cafeteria
should offer off-campus students a
meal for a very low price. She
explained that an offer like that
would not only promote interac
tion between all students, but it
may also boost business for Caf
eteria Manager Jack Spencer.
Jefferey Garret, President of
the Business Club, agreed that the
school needs to do more to cater to
off-campus students. He further
emphasized that activities should
also be geared more towards mar
ried off-campus students like him
self, as well as the single ones.
Robitussin Replacing Wine Coolers?
Eyewitnesses Claim Alcohol Users Abuse Leading Cough Syrup
By Chad Smith
Local pharmacists and con
cerned students agreed that there is
substantial evidence of upperclass
men abusing cough syrup on campus.
Davis Hall resident Ben
Spearman admitted, "1 know people
who buy Robitussin for the sole rea
son of using it for other ways than
what it is prescribed. I think it's
stupid."
Spearman is not alone in his
awareness that students here are re
placing wine coolers with Robitussin.
Other students shared that they know
people here who prefer Robitussin
over wine coolers.
Concerned off-campus student
Maura Buus remarked, "I know a
couple people over 21 who are buy
ing Robitussin to get high off of it."
Buus added, "The ones who are abus
ing this drug are influencing the fresh
men. Is it going to take something
serious to happen before they realize
they have an addiction or a prob
lem?"
Kim Freirich, an employee
at the Eckerd pharmacy in Black
Mountain, stated that they sell
about ten bottles a day of
Robitussin, and that most of the
buyers are teenagers. She also
stated that Robitussin DM is their
best selling brand of cough syrup.
Robitussin DM has 4.75 percent
alcohol, the same percentage found in
a wine cooler.
Eckerd Pharmacist Patricia
Ethridge stated that since February of
1992, reports of the use of DM prod
ucts have increased-especially among
teenagers. The FDA Drug Abuse Ad
visory Committee has stated that addi
tional data is needed before the abuse
and dependency potential of DM can
be determined.
However, Susan Ledbetter, Phar-
macist D Candidate, along with
Ethridge, stated that abuse of this drug
can result in symptoms of altered sen
sory perception, slurred speech, and a
depressed mental attitude.
They also noted that the other
active drugs found in Robitussin DM,
Guaifenesin and Dextrometliorphan
Hydobromide, are non-narcotic deriva
tives of codeine, a common dependent
drug. But along with any abuse of any
drug, they added that fatalities are not
an impossibility.
American Red Cross Needs Donors
By Danlell Hartness
The American Red Cross will
be accepting donors in the Fellow
ship Hall on Monday, February 28,
from 11am to 3:30pm.
The association needs blood
continuously to save the lives of
premature infants, patients who are
ill or undergoing surgery, and ac
cident victims.
Blood is always needed be
cause it can only be stored for 35 to
42 days following the donation.
The association will perform a
mini-physical on the donors before
taking any blood. They will check the
pulse, temperature, weight, blood pres
sure, iron count, and hemoglobin count
of the donor. If any of these are abnor
mal, one will not be pcrmiticd to do-
Blood Supply Desperately Low
nate.
In order to give blood one must
be seventeen years of age or older,
weigh at least 110 pound, and be in
good health.
A unit of blood, which is a
little less than a pint, will be taken.
The actual donation of blood only
takes about ten minutes, followed
by 20 minutes of rest and refresh
ments.
Associate for Student Activi
ties Cary Willcox learned from
watching the news that blood is
desperately needed by the Red
Cross because of all of the natural
disasters that have occurred re
cently. This gave Willcox the idea
for inviting them here.
Students, faculty, and staff
may sign up for appointments to
give blood on sign-up sheets, which
will be in the cafeteria during lunch
and dinner throughout next week.
Last year, during the drive
held here, the goal to receive 40
pints of blood was not achieved.
Willcox urges Montreat-
Anderson College to meet or go
beyond the goal of 80 pints this
year. He stated, "We would like
everybody's participation, includ
ing staff and faculty."
The American Red Cross ex
pounded, "You would want blood
to be available if you needed it, so
why not donate for someone who
needs it now?"