1994_10 Insight October 1994

              Page 4
IN FOCUS
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY. FRESNO
October 5,1994
INSIGHT
Seniors question wait
Alison Whittaker
INSIGHT
An increasing aspect of "senior
anxiety" is the question many CSUF
students face: "Why do senior evaluations take so long to be processed?"
"I went to the Evaluations Office
in August assuming that I would give
myself enough time to receive an
evaluation back this semester." said
Rachelle Pfeifle, a senior.
"I was told that I would not receive
a response until about April," Pfeifle
said.
April will be too late for Pfeifle
since she graduates in May.
By making requests earlier and
seeing an advisor, students can obtain a more timely evaluation.
To make sure students' course
records are in order and on track, this
may be a last resort without an evalu
ation, said CSUF Evaluator Char
Deaver.
To avoid this dilemma altogether,
any student who has completed, or
is in (he process of completing, 90
units is eligible to have a senior
evaluation done for them.
However, curiosity is increasing in
many students' minds as to why
there is such a lime-delay between
applying for and receiving an evalu-
Dcaver provided answers to this
question.
"Wc have three areas to manage
listed in the order of 'importance':
graduate degrees, new transfers and
senior evaluations." Deaver said.
"At the beginning of the semester,
the evaluations office is finalizing
applicants for ihe past term's graduation and taking in applications for
the current term's graduation,"
Deaver said.
"Our next priority is to handle transfers, and in between this process, wc
must manage to fit in senior evaluations," said Deaver.
"We are always working on one
term while starting another one," concluded Deaver.
A student will then have a copy of
their completed coursework to serve
as a measuring stick to graduation.
"My evaluation saved me a semester when I found out that some classes
I was going to register for wouldn't
have counted towards my graduation," said Danielle Pierano. a recent
CSUF graduate.
Students should apply for a senior
evaluation as soon as they've taken
90 units.
Applications arc available al ihe
Evaluations Office in Joyal Administration Building.
"    Mat! Soby/1NSIGH
Years of practice and competitions will enable Kathy Quan, a U.S. Karate Champion to compete in the
World Karate Championships in Malaysia or the Pan American Games in Argentina. Quan displays the
tool of her defense — the Bo and her proof of world class status: the medal about her neck
Karate stirs Quart's blood
May Xaykaothao
INSIGHT
On August 21, Kathy Quan, a 1991
graduate of CSUF, took gold at the
U.S. Karate Federation National
Championships.
Quan competed in the black bell
women's division in weapons where
she took first at Jacksonville,
Florida.
At the competition in Jacksonville,
she also took third in forms.
Quan made history in 1988 in a
time when men and women competed together without separate divisions.
At the World Championships,
Quan became the first woman to win
in the Katas division.
"I didn't know that I was stepping
on people's toes," said Quan. "I just
did my thing and the judges liked
me."
Since her 1988 achievement, there
now is a separate women's division
to give more opportunity to women.
The championships Quan won last
month makes her eligible for the Pan
Am games in Argentina next year.
Quan, who now is a karate instructor at Stuart Quan's Karate Studio
and who works part-time at Valley
Sports, has won three world Cham
pionships.
Her first experience in martial arts
was at the age of eight when she and
her brother Stuart studied Kung-fu.
Their lessons were taught at a Chinese school downtown as part of a
cultural upbringing.
During high school, Quan studied
Judo for a while and then finally took
up Karate at age 18.
"I was not all lhat athletic when I
was in high school," said Quan. "1
decided I'd iry it out with a friend
and ended up staying with it."
Despite her Chinese heritage, Quan
said she prefers karate instead of
kung-fu because of the easier movc-
"My kung-lu teacher was very
philosophical." said Quan. "For little
kids, it was hard to understand. Karate was easier to understand and
leach. It is earlier to learn."
Quan has also been able to use a
lot of her advertising knowledge in
attracting students.
Wilh a degree in advertising, Quan
does all the layouts and the public
relations for the karate school.
Four established karate schools
exist in Fresno, along with many
other small schools.
Quan said each school has its
strong points. "So you never say that
one school is belter that the oiher."
"The basis of martial arts is to be in
harmony wilh everyone else, rather
that always being at odds, going out
and fighting people," she said.
Born 33 years ago, Quan has never
been lo Asia. "I'd like to go to China
someday and sec how martial arts is
over there," said Quan.
In Japan, one can not walk in to a
karate school as one can in America.
As the birthplace of Karate, it's like
an inviiation. Quan said. One is interviewed, the instructors accept the
individual, then you become a student."
"In America, you look in the yellow pages. In Japan, ii's a way of
life," said Quan. "It has to be more
of a business here. You have to keep
it light, more recreational."
What school you want to attend depends on your criteria: location, cost,
and instructor.
"The most important thing in Uncling a school is finding an instructor
you are comfortable with," said Quan.
As a teacher, Quan loves teaching
her 8-to 11-year-olds.
"Kids don't have any preconceived
ideas of what you can or cannot do,"
said Quan."They don't have any fecl-
See KARATE, Page 11
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M«tt Soby/INSIGHT
Lugging around a heavy backpack all day can lead to more than just back pain.
'Oh, my aching back'
INSIGHT
College students arc walking
around campus like the hunchback
of Notre Dame because they arc
burdened by spine-wrecking backpacks.
"You need to be conscious of
what you're doing with your posture." said chiropractor Michael
Bohigian.
"More younger people arc coming in now with back problems
lhan they did 15 lo 20 years ago.
When college students carry a
heavy backpack on one shoulder,
ihey change the mechanics of what
their spine is doing," he said.
With the added weight of a backpack, the muscles of the neck, back
and ligaments arc affected. The
spine and ribs are twisted, creating abnormal curvatures, he said.
With scoliosis, a lateral curvature
occurs and the spine becomes S-
shaped, lending to lean to the left
or right.
"Nerve damage can also occur
when backpacks present too much
weight. If you don't have strong
muscles, you'll strain the thoracic
spine in the upper back. The
brachioplcxis of nerves in the neck.
which services the functions of the
arms and shoulders, can suffer micro depression," he said.
Common symptoms include neck,
shoulder and back pain, numbness in
the arms and legs, lack of motion,
problems wilh the lungs and digestion, stiffness and inability to grip.
Bohigian suggested thai students
change habits in walking and sitting.
Stretching exercises, relaxation
techniques, visiting a chiropractor
and physical therapy arc possible
means to correct back problems.
"The easiest thing to do is jusi to
switch sides thai you carry your pack
on. If you have spare lime, then drop
the extra books that present unnecessary weight off at a locker or your
car," he said.
Bohigian said the average student
should carry no more lhan 25-50
pounds on his back.
"If you lift more lhan 50 pounds,
you will cause damage to your back.
You would be OK if you're in shape
for it, like if you're a bodybuilder
with good muscle tone," he said.'
Chiroparctor Rick Radlkc said he
has seen many patients with posture
problems resulting from bad study
posture.
"Some of my younger patients
come in with stiff necks and, with
help, it eventually goes away. But
wait until you get into your 30s
and the stress in the muscles becomes worse. The stress becomes
more severe ihc older you get,"
he said.
Bohigian said that the posture
used while studying affects the
lumbar spine in the lower back.
"Lying on your stomach and
back to study is bad for you because your neck muscles will lire
out loo quickly.
"You will subject yourself lo fatigue too easily, therefore creating stress in your muscles," he
said.
Good lumbar positions for
studying arc silting at a desk with
a pillow propped behind the back.
The student should have the book
directly in front so that the neck
is not straining to look down. An
alternative would be to sit in a
comfortable chair, propping the
legs up. This will alleviate stress
to the lower spine, he said.
"Your boily is telling you something if it hurts, that it doesn't
want lo do something.
"If you arc suffering discomfort,
then something is wrong. If the
pain continues, then, in time, it
will take its toll." he said.
Stress crazes, sickens students
Maria Machuca
INSIGHT
Stress is a part of life lhat no one
can escape. It is not in our hands to
control, bui there arc stress-related illnesses that can be controlled.
According to CSUF health educator
Sam Gitchel, when people arc constantly feeling stress, they are more
api to develop stress-related illnesses.
"Gelling enough sleep and eating a
healthy diet arc part of maintaining
ind our strength, which
helps us to resist when stress builds
up," he said.
Some people do not worry about
their health until Ihey feel really sick.
Some of the usual things that people
do include.working or studying for
long hours without eating and sleeping.
"Wc know that it is an issue, but it's
hard to reach each individual case,"
Gitchel said.
Gitchel urged people to be kind to
themselves; otherwise they will not
perform at the top of their capacity.
Marie Fisk, 37, an English graduate, is an example of stress-related
problems.
She is taking nine graduate units at
CSUF, working 20 hours for the
McNair/HUSE program and 10 hours
in the registration officeand is teaching two classes, which takes about 15
hours a week.
Fisk said, as she was getting prepared to rush over to class, "I usually feel very tired."
See STRESS, Page 12
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