Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / June 25, 1992, edition 1 / Page 16
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6BThe Daily Tar HeelThursday, June 25, 1992 Instead By Jennifer Williamson Staff Writer Unavoidable. Thisone-word descrip tion of Student Health Service depicts a campus service most students use be fore leaving UNC. Because so many students receive medical care from Student Health, un avoidable is to the only adjective used in describing it. Some feel Student Health provides adequate care, while others avoid the facility whenever pos sible. Brent Morris, a recent graduate, said Student Health could help incoming freshmen deal with the rigors of col lege. "I know a lot of people who took advantage of the services," he said. Morris said he relied on the Student Health staff once when he was kicked in the head during a soccer game. Bill Worth, a junior psychology ma jor, said the staff was friendly and com petent. "They were interested in what I had to say," he said. But some students say they would not use Student Health Service for big ger or more private problems. "Forsomethingmorepersonal.Idon't know if I would go to Student Health," said Tiffany Fuller, a senior from Yanceyville. Other students questioned the service's merits. Shea Tisdale, a senior political sci ence major, said, "I just always feel they don't care." Tisdale said he went to Student Health many times and always was forced to wait. "I quit going out of dissatisfac tion," he said. Judith Cowan, director of Student UNC community works to help victims By Dale Castle Staff Writer Recent increases in the number of reports of dating violence on campus have prompted a committee studying the issue to consider implementing ad ditional educational programs. Members of the Orange-Durham Coalition for Battered Women hope that the Interpersonal Dating Violence Project will improve students' aware ness of sexual assault and other type of acquaintance violence. The project will provide educational opportunities for students and local resi dents. "One in five college dating rela tionships is a violent relationship," said Kit Gruelle, director of the coalition. More than 120 fine shops, restaurants, and theaters including Belk-Leggett, Dillard's, JC Penney, Montaldo's South Square Mall- Chapel Hill Boulevard & 15-501 'Exit 270 on 1-40 Durham, North Carolina 493-2451 of chicken soup, Health Service, said students were given manyopportunitiestoexpress their opin ions about the service. A widespread student satisfaction survey about Student Health is given to all students who have used the facility, she said. The survey offers open-ended questions for patients togive their com ments. A Student Health Service advisory board investigates any student or parent complaint by reviewing each case brought to the board, she said. "This is an opportunity to see if you can do things better," Cowan said. Most patients complain about park ing, she said. Cowan described four main services Student Health has to offer. Clinical medicine includes a staff of nine physicians, two nurse practitio ners and one physician assistant. The clinical program handles most health care needs such as the common cold, the flu or other minor illnesses. There are three separateclinics within Student Health. Referrals from any of the clinical physicians can be made to specialty care units such as Dermatology and Ear, Nose and Throat. There is an addi tional fee for these units. To become familiar with the clinical medicine service, students should call and make an appointment, Cowan said. They will then be given a clinic and an individual doctor. If a student dislikes his physician, he can be reassigned, Cowan said. "We make it easy to change providers (doc tors)," she said. New students should notify student health of ongoing health problems, even According to Sabrina Garcia, a crisis workerat the Chapel Hill Police depart ment, there were 446 cases of sexual assault in Chapel Hill in 199 1 involving 630 people. "When you get into the eye of the storm, it's very complex," Garcia said. Kathleen Benzaquin, co-chairwoman of the coalition's rape awareness com mittee and assistant dean of the General College, said that students should need to understand that domestic violence was not limited to dating or to romantic relationships. The rape awareness com mittee, formed in 1986, has a response team with a contact in every relevant school and department on campus. "(Domestic violence) can be between male and female, friends, people in in MALL Class Begins At South Square Mall Ui... "J if the student may not be ill, Cowan said. The sports medicine program is operated by the same people who pro vide care for UNC athletic teams. The athletic department provides financial support for this program, Cowan said. The psychological services pro vide help for students with personal problems related to stress, relationships, depression or loneliness. Cowan said psychological services records were kept separate from stu dents' regular medical records. Records can only be released to anothertherapist only after the student has signed a re lease, she said. "Parents could call, and we still wouldn't release the records," she said. Gynecology is the fourth service offered by Student Health. Appoint ments may be made for routine care, morning-after pills and contraception. Student health also cares for victims of rape. Cowan said Student Health was sup ported by student dollars. "We don't get any state funding, by law," she said. Because alcohol is such a pervasive problem, Student Health also provides services for students with drinking prob lems. "Alcohol really is our biggest problem," Cowan said. When students come in with alcohol related problems, they are evaluated and treated, she said. Professionals talk to them about substance abuse and their family backgrounds to determine whether there are any signs of abuse. Cowan said student health would not notify parents or the police if a student is found to have a drinking problem. "It's our business to take care of the timate relationships, male on male, fe male on female," she said. "We see it all." Gruelle said that although the spon sors of the project would work to edu cate students about roommate violence, violence between friends and violence among family members, the main focus still would be dating violence. Project members plan to approach the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication in the fall about sur veying students todetermine what types of violence are present on campus, said Elaine Barney, vice chairwoman of the board for the Coalition for Battered Women. Barney is a clinical social worker at Student Health Service. Although the coalition has seen many check out Student Health : v I l 'lit -iji 9 . ' -w ICftfiSHWI TV 3ftf : - : iiia - m l Chris Bock, a registered medical problem," she said. Another issue faced by UNC stu dents is AIDS testing. Student Health Service provides AIDS testing for stu reports of dating violence, members say it is important to consider the individual needs of each case, Barney said. "Any incident is serious enough," she said. Gruelle, a former chairwoman of the Interpersonal Dating Violence project, said it would be more appropriate for a student or faculty member to head the project. Students can be more creative in developing timely, efficient programs, she said. "(Domestic violence) is the number one cause of injury to women in this country, and yet, it's sort of the big secret that nobody talks about," Gruelle said. Gruelle said the cycle of violence includes three phases: The first phase begins as tension RESERVE OFFICERS' TRAINING CORPS Wwe worK EPer ence STiTiT f!TJ nurse at SHS, wraps UNC student Alexandra dents but does report the name of the patient to the state if the results are positive. Cowan said Student Health should of dating builds. Often the man will slam the door or throw objects at the woman. The second phase includes actual violence, ranging from throwing the woman against a wall to stabbing her, Gruelle said. The so-called "honeymoon phase" makes it difficult for the woman to decide what to do because the man typically returns to treating her nicely, bringing her flowers and taking her on dates, Gruelle said. "What separates this kind of vio lence from other kinds of violence is that these two people started out saying, 'I love you,' to each other," Gruelle said. Because many children are spanked by their parents, batterers often justify Resume o EEISgil BESS0E3EE Scholarships Available. For more information, call collect 919-684-5895 Take an introductory course from Army ROTC. With no obligation. You'll begin to acquire the confidence, self-discipline, decisiveness, and leadership skills sought by employers of col lege graduates. And you'll learn how you can place "Army Officer" on your resume when you graduate. Set a course for success this term. Register now for an Army ROTC elective. ARMY ROTC THE SMARTEST COLLEGE COURSE YOU CAN DTMErin Randall Randall's injured ankle be a place where students feel free to' ask questions. "We are a medical unit, but a medical unit in a special setting," she said. violence; their actions by saying they were pun-; ishing their wives or girlfriends. "Nine; times out of 10, the man will come up; with some way to blame the woman for; his violence," Gruelle said. J The woman ends up believing the; man and blaming herself for his vio-; lence, Gruelle said. ; Gruelle said victims should not just; assume their batterers are violent be-; cause of substance-abuse problems such; as alcoholism. "If that's the case, then every man; who ever got drunk would beat up his; girlfriend," she said. The goal of the Interpersonal Dating; Violence Project is to teach people to think about the issue of domestic vio-" lence differently, Gruelle said. -J TAKE.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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June 25, 1992, edition 1
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