1994_05 Insight May 1994

              Health on the menu
University Food Services concentrates
on offering nutritious alternatives
to daily dorm food chow.
See Health, pages 8,9
LEGAkJto^ACT
An in-depth look at laws, legislation and recent court rulings.
See Special Section
Wednesday, May 4,1994
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FRESNO
Volume 25, Issue 21
Ann Laiewskl/Special to INSIGHT
Enjoying a view of the sunset, Marci Walley stands on a sand dunes below sea level
near Stovepipe Wells Village in Death Valley. The sand dunes were one stop on a
geography Extended Education field trip in April, led by Bob Hall, geology professor.
IngerSethov	
INSIGHT
Camilla Ccdcrquist was in the shower shaving her
legs one morning when she discovered a dark brown
spot on her right shin.
"I saw this weird-looking mole on my leg that I
hadn't seen before," said Ccdcrquist, a 24-ycar-old
CSUF advertising senior.
Ccdcrquist was later treated for the most serious
form of skin cancer — melanoma.
Every year, an estimated 500,000 Americans are
diagnosed with skin cancer, 3,200 of these with melanoma.
One out of five people inflicted with melanoma will
die, according to a U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services melanoma research report.
But,, if found and removed early, melanoma is
curable.
"All types of skin cancer arc curable," said Joyce
Ayoub, director of public information. The Skin Cancer Foundation.
"It's just a matter of dctccung it early enough," she
said.
Ccdcrquist did, and less than a month after she first
discovered the mole on her leg, she was cured from
melanoma.
But also other less serious forms of skin cancers can
be harmful and even lethal if not discovered at an early
stage.
The three basic types of skin cancer arc basal cell
carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and. the most
serious one, melanoma.
Basal cell carcinoma usually appears as a small,
fleshy bump on the head, neck and hands. If untreated,
the cancer will begin to bleed, crust over, then repeat
the cycle. It rarely spreads.
'" Basal eel I'is a less serious type of skin cancer, but
can still do severe tissue damage," Ayoub said.
"Sometimes portions of ears or nose have to be
removed to get rid of the cancer," she said.
Basal cell carcinpma is the most common skin
cancer found in Caucasians.
"This is the type that both President Bush and
President Reagan had," Ayoub said.
The second most common skin cancer is squamous
cell carcinoma, which is often found on the rim of the
ear, the face, the lips and the mouth.
Unlike basal cell carcinoma, it spreads easily, but is
still not considered to be a serious form of skin cancer.
Deaths from non-melanoma skin cancers in 1993,
are estimated by the American Academy of Dermatology to be 2.300.
The cure rate for both basal cell and squamous cell
is 95 percent if properly treated.
The least com mon and most dangerous form of skin
cancer is melanoma, causing an estimated 6,800 U.S.
deaths a year.
Melanoma, also referred to as malignant melanoma
or cutaneous melanoma, is the most rapidly developing form of skin cancer.
The first sign is a change of the size, shape or color
of a mole.
In women, it's most often found on the arms and
See CANCER, Page 9
Health centers flaunt
dangerous waste law
Adrianne Go
 INSIGHT
Needles, syringes and blood constitute less carli.iec
inCalifomia landfills than the amountof soiled diapers
generated by the state's babies.
Medical waste from health care facilities composes
only lpcrccntof the total waste produced inCalifornia.
said Mike Scholl. associate waste management specialist for the state department of health services.
According to a draft study prepared for the stale
medical waste management program, 50,000 tons of
medical waste was treated in California duringl991-
92 compared to 48,580.000 urns of solid waste generated during the same time penod.
Production of medical waste has not decreased over
die past few years. Instead, implementation of die
Medical Waste Management Act of 1991 gave health
care facilities a guideline to classify what constitutes
medical waste and how to treat and dispose of it.
Government regulations were triggered by public
outcry when, during the summer of I "87, a scourge of
used needles began washing up on East Coast beaches
Health care facilities took a hit as they found
themselves being targeted as waste generators, said
Ken Bamctt, director of environmental services atSL
Agnes Medical Center.
At St. Agnes, Bamctt estimates that one pound of
waste is generated per occupied bed per day. The
waste generated by Si. Agnes at full-bed capacity
equates to 2.282 pounds of waste each week.
"We had lo take a look at ihc way we do business,
bui we have had to also lake a look at our image from
ihc way the community looks at us," Bamctt said. "I
believe we arc a lot more responsible than whai we arc
given credit for. We need to take responsibility for a
healthier community. That is what it is all about,
really."
Prior lo implementation of the Act, there were no
clear-cut definitions as to what was considered medical waste. According to the Act, medical waste can be
broken down into two categories: 1) non-solids, such
as waste generated by research; and 2) biohazardous.
such as used needles or body fluids.
Dan Espar/a, superintendent of waste disposal at
See WASTE, Page 9
Bulldogs
lick last
stamp
Kelley Scott	
INSIGHT
Three Fresno State football players
caught in the food-stamp incident finally received punishment from the
university last week.
"I regret (hat this incident has occurred. The university does not and
will not condone the violation of local,
state or federal laws by members of this
campus community," President John
D. Welty said at a press conference
April 26.
The press conference was called
specifically to announce the results of
the report of the Ad Hoc Review Commission.
The commission was made up of
university staff appointed by President
Welty to review the Fresno County-
Grand Jury findings, conoiusions and
recommendations regarding the abuse
See STAMPS, Page 12
Denise Chavez on stage
Chavez, in accomplished
Chicana author, makes debut
in i one-women ahow at the
Satellite Student Union.
Se« Page 4
Section        Page
EDITORIAL
IN FOCUS
LIFESTYLE
SPECIAL
PHOTO
HEALTH
2
3
4,5,6
-MA
7
8
10
Youth activists take on Clovis dirt, vandalism
John L. Cruz
 INSIGHT
Armed with a handful of paint
brushes, a few rakes and plenty of
elbow grease and sweat, just slightly
more than a dozen CSUF students made
improvement in a small Clovis neighborhood April 30.
Students for Community Service,
HabitatforHumanityandasmallgroup
of students from Lynn Badensher's
Speech 8 class joined forces in a neighborhood restoration project as pan of
National Youth Service Day.
The project, which mainly involved
painting, rubbish removal and some
yard work at Seventh St. and Oxford in
Clovi«, was seen as a success, despite
the low turnout of students.
"We would have liked to sec about
60 students out here, but even with that
many,there would have stillbeen plenty
of things to do." said Chris Fiorcntino,
SCS project coordinator. "Everybody
is working real hard, and they look like
they arc enjoying themselves.
"Sure we don'lhave the man power
to do anything of great significance, Karen Toth/TNSIGHT
but if you Blk to any of the neighbors
Heidi Flortrrtlno, wife of SCS project coordinator Chris FlorentJno, spends a sunny
See CLEAN, Pagei 1   Saturday helping paint a fence at the end of the Seventh St. cul du sac in Clovis.
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