1998_02 Insight February 1998

              Feb, 25.1998
InSide
friM^gflf
Private companies take new role as drug pushers
OPINION
by
Edrtona/ Staff
Yet another miracle diet
drug. Mendia. is being
dispensed by pharmacies
After the last two frightening recalls, you'd think
someone would be more
suspicious and ease the
push. The market is too big
and has too much momentum to be slowed now.
People are willing to look
leaner at just about any
cost. Experts expect the
new drug's global sales to
reach possibly a half
million dollars a year,
maybe more despite the
market's troubled history.
Sure, the drug has to be
prescribed by doctors, but
prescribing the drug to
demanding patients is easy
money. Some doctors were
even prescribing Redux and
fen-phen ffenfluramine)
over the telephone. Don't
doctors take an oath to provide for the wellbeing of their
patients ^Ihey do. How can
they do that over the phone'1
They can t.
For those who see only
images of a leaner body and
have forgotten about the
ordeal. Redux and fen-phen.
drugs that increased production of serotonin, the brain
chemical that tells people
they're full, were recalled in
August after being linked to
potentially fatal heart valve
damage
However. Meridia
i sibutramine) has a different
effect on the brain. It slows
the body's dissipation of the
serotonin it naturally produces, making one feel full
more often instead of faster
The company producing
and marketing this diet
wonder pill. Knowll Pharmaceutical, is trying to lull
potential buyers' concerns by
targeting doctors-who pre
scribe Meridia to keep casual
dieters from using it for
cosmetic slimming and
praising it as different
Ok. it fr* different—
technically. But it still raises
safety concerns regarding side
effects that are just as dangerous. It can increase Mood
pressure and pulse rate that
may endanger patients with
hypertension or certain heart
conditions. And, when you
think of the medically obese
patients targeted who are
likety to have these disorders,
the side effects seem quite
nsky.
On a related note..
Besides, the company
itself called the drag only
■moderately effective."
backing it up with information that patients who
lost 5 to 10 percent of their
body weight kept if off for
a year But who wants to
gamble with those kinds of
risks'Being 10 to N
pounds leaner for a year or
so' Is it worth hospitalization^ Developing a serious
disorder? Dying0
It's amazing how much
society is willing to pay,
both m monetary and
personal health values, to
feel thin
This is Eating Disorder Awareness Week (February 23 -
271 University Health and Psychological Sen ices is offering
a free and anonymous screening about eating disorders to
Fresno State students in the Health Center today and torrtorrow
from 8 30- 10:30 a.m. and 1:30-3:30 pm both days. For
more iriTormation call 278-6754 for recorded message or
Cynthia Osborne, RD at 278-67XtY
Asian economic crisis hits students
by Daniel Dallas
Staff Writer
Yuko Funakoshi. like many other
Southeast Asian students attending
Fresno State, is extremely worried about
the financial crisis affecting her country.
"If it continues much further, it will
come to the stage where 1 just won't be
able to survive here." she said.
Funakoshi, 2°. is majoring in hnguis
tics She is from Hamamatsu. an industrial city near Tokyo which is home to the
likes of Yamaha. Su/uki and Honda
She worked as a hanker in Japan,
saving as much money as possible for her
two year stay at Fresno, which began last
month Her 4.5 million yen savings was
worth approximately $56.01)0 in 1996,
$45,000 last year and now $16,000, a 36
percent decline. Funakoshi said
"I worked a lot and saved to come
and study here," Funakoshi said "But
because of the severe devaluation of the
yen, my mone/jusi isn't worth what is
was. I check the exchange rate every day
on the Internet"
In addition with Korea, Thailand and
Malaysia. Japan has seen a continued
devaluation of its currency over the last
two years In 1996. Funakoshi said that
80 yen equaled $ I That figure currently
stands at 126 yen which is a 37 percent
decline
The Malaysian nnggit was 2 5 to the
dolUr - year ago. 3 8 to the dollar today, a
1 percent decline The Thai baht was
2.t 3 to the dollar a year ago and now
trades at 45 8. an 44 percent decline The
South Korean won. which traded at 804 to
the dollar a year ago, now trades at 1.711
to the dollar, a 53 percent slip
Alex l.obkowski of White Thomas F
K ("o stock and bond brokers, attributed
the currency slippage to simple bad man
agement.
The Japanese financial crisis came to a
head last December when several city
banks went bankrupt, such as Hokkaido
Takushoku Funakoshi said this left many
people unsure of their savings.
A serious problem exists for Indonesian students it hi
Political and social unrest means the
ruptah. Indonesian currency, fluctuates
wildly With elections to he held late
February, the currency has recently been
extremely haphazard.
One Indonesian student said. 'Two
weeks ago it was 17,000 ruptah to $ 1   Two
days ago it was 7,000 ruptah. and today it
is back up to 9.100 ruptah "
Lobkowski was very forthcoming in
his explanation of Indonesia's plight
"Indonesia is run bv a corrupt and
irresponsible socialistic government where
Suharto (the leader of the country, and
favorite to win the upcoming election) has
millions in his bank account and the so
called "little people" pay the price."
I.obkowski said
I'-resno State and the other universities in the California State Universiiv
system have a "hardship fee" waiver
committee to aid students in difficulty.
The committee assesses all applica
tions for aid and awards units relatively For example, if a request for 3
units was granted, the student would
not have to pay a fee far each of theae
units In return, the student must work
on campus for 30 hours per unit In this
theoretical case, the student would
work for 90 hours in total
Manuel Nunez, of the International
Student Services and Programs depart
ment, organized the committee He
said that this semester there had been
40 applications for assistance, double
last semester's total
Some students have already had to
leave Fresno State this year due lo
financial problems
"Remember, the students must still
p.i\ lor tuition and housing and living
costs." Nunez said "With one parttcu
lar case, a student became ill due to
problems relating to a family crisis and
homesKkness "
Nunez said there was a review of
the committee which helps interna
tional students planned in order to look
at additional ways the university can
help international students in financial
ilitlu nits
U.S. vs. Britain:
different cultures
OPINION
Havel Landed On The
ay Jean SMmM
Staff Writer
I was going about my studies, public relations M the University of Central Lancashire.
England, when it occurred to
me that study abroad might put
some kick in my curriculum
Fresno, I discovered, was
on the list of American universities participating in an exchange program for mass communications students
The price was right
The Lancashire Count>
Council would cover tuition
and hooks 1 only had to pay air
fare to the Colonies, food and
shelter. f
I stepped off Sky west Los
Angeles Right 020 at 8 pm on
Thursday. Jan. 15
No smoking in bars? Are
sou joking ^ No smoking anywhere'
I'm a mature student who
enjoys a smoke and the odd alcoholic drink or two, so I was
amazed when arriving in LtM
Angeles to find that there was
some kind of prohibition going
on
Well. I thought OK I m
wait until I get to my room at
Aspen Hall and relax with a
ujrareneandacoupMoftinnics
(Buds) No was'
No smoking or alcoholic
drink in my room' I have to be
15 feet away from the building
I've tried leaning out. hanging
onto the balcony, blowing my
smoke as hard as I can. but I'm
still under five yards
The campus bar closes at 8
p m weekdays and it's not open
(at weekend* What ran I going
to do tn order to keep my san
When 1 want a cigarette. I
go(ajtanJe and sit in the nun and
smoke about four of them, one
after the other When I get to
bed. I'm cold, wet and can't go
to sleep because of my cough-
ing
If I want a beer. I'll walk to
the nearest bar and sit there,
alone, dreaming of an English
pub I n>ll out after six thinks
and make my way to the *uh
a ntat I call home
Golden opportunities at fingertips
for students, employers at Jobs Fair
bytshnAiroso
Staff Writer
Summer jobs and intern
ship interviews will be offered
on the Fresno State campus
The Fresno State Jobs Fair is
being sponsored by Career
Development and FJnpkry-
ment Services and is being
held in the Satellite Student
Union from 10 a m until 2
p.m today
I tnployers have
gigged ap to anend the event,
which would make it one of
the largest fam ever
"It's a good year for
aaadanU to find employ ment.
satd Aleta Wolfe, sohdrvrl
various summer camps will
be on hand to talk with
students on summer employment and internship posi
lions
Kings River Expeditions,
a river rafting company, has
attended the event since it
started 16 yean ago.
'The fair is a good one-
day event that attracts t lot of
students," said Justin
Butchert, owner of Kings
River Expeditions "It's the
only cotrat^ntrated site that
draws strM-fcttts "
Laat year more than 850
st udent s attended the fair and
M6 wm eshnMted to have
beealtarad
It is hard to get the word
.rut.  satd Wolfe   Were
pleased that e-mail has
heefmrn advertise the event
nrtore effectively "
Some students who have
received jobs and internships
from the fair say that sometimes they can turn into more
after graduation
"I walked into the jobs
fair and got my first summer
job at the YMCA camp." said
Lee Ann Jansen. a Preano
State graduate currently
employed by the Central
Valley YMCA "After gradua
tton I got offered a full-time
job, and I keep moving up "
"I would encourage all
Irvrlsof si
norsit is»
good way to rtetwork and ask
about full time opportunities
I-or more informatKin
i'on* tact Carreer I Vs*alof*aTaMM
and EnrMteynatat %erhcemm
271- 2MI
Rains advance deterioration
STOMtt, continued from page 1
ground and expose tree
Itoaflaasutlam
1     roots which lift concrete
heconse a jrttrhkrnt as
1     and create uneven walk
well In sotne instance* it's
ways where puddles
neceaaary to get up on the
nourish
naif and patch tap a leak
Besides the founds
right away tn <*hers, it M
1     tton being unstable.
nearly impossible to patch
1     several trees on campus
leaks with the extreme
are already dead and
wrathet ctwtdtttons
•   perhaps just watting to
"I've been tap "there
fall
before," r*alac»os satd
"1 was cutting a tree
Tv* bad to get up and
branch anil the entire tree
patch a whole roof "
fell over." Palactoa tatd
Mwiwenance men
There have nana
have to work arouad the
1    prohawn* with sewers tn
clock and work vmmmm
the dorms as well Tree
tJtafta An avMrage work
tisvts ri.»v r grimn into
cMy crmatats of a ItVhnur
some of the sewers .no
rat* hi wkach two or tetore
canned oval flow and
peopM trrarkap for four
asaeaas rain watar
hours
Tomorrow. Ill go to thevtaiops
and stock up
Where are the shop*' No
newsstand or drag store on
ceanrpres'WTaeretsti
net store that sells e
I have to catch a No 9 bras to
do the shopping No car tn
Fresno is death
umc I get to the
shoos I have lo convert every.
thing into British pounds in or
der to work oat prices I'm becoming mentally unstable On
top of all this, my tutors are gis
ing me hotrnework Homework
at my age"*
Mind >ou. I have been
pleasantly surprised with some
things Pncesof moM things ate
twice as much in Britain A paar
of jeans, for instance, would
knock me back about $50 in
England
I have become accusuxned
to most things now except taw
Every time I cross the road will
you please stop trying to knock
•me down Drive on the right
side of the road
The left hand side, that is
Ta aatsMrtJee ant
278
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