CAMPUS LIFE
She says she has experienced physical and mental side-effects such as stomachaches, lethargy and panic attacks. "I was kind of hyper-focused to a point where I couldn't just do something,” she said. “Movements that used to come naturally — I would start to think about them and be more choppy." Carly stopped taking the drug due to her adverse reactions and was told she was likely allergic to it. Rabinovitz emphasized that dosage is incredibly important, and there are various types of medications that work differently for different people. Joe is a sophomore at AU with ADHD and has been taking Ritalin for the past three years with a prescription. "There are some times when I'll wait to take [the pills] if I need to study during the day," he said. "For me, it basically helps get ideas from my head onto paper." Joe has never sold the drug to another student, but he said, "Plenty of people ask me. They're asking how much. They're assuming I'm selling it." Perhaps this is a testament to the drugs' popularity on campus. He says that the drug doesn't make your brain work any harder while studying, which is a common misconception. "You zone ev-
"Plenty of people ask me. They're asking how much. They're assuming I'm selling it." —Joe erything out,” Joe said. “Sometimes you'll get jittery. Sometimes you don't get hungry." He explained instances in which he forgot to eat or had trouble lowering his heart rate after exercise, due to the medicine — side effects that are fairly common. While the problem is not one that many universities have addressed directly, that doesn’t mean it should be ignored. “Nationally there is a reason to be concerned,” Rabinovitz said. “[Users] don’t necessarily meet the qualifications for addictions, but one issue is that it’s not fair for people who don’t take the drug.”
Lydia Crouthamel is a freshman studying business, language and culture.
NEWSWIRE MUDDIED WATERS
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t may be all down-hill, well down-stream, for the Potomac River. The Potomac Conservancy, an advocacy group for clean drinking water, released its 8th annual “State of the Nation’s River” report. The river is far from directly drinkable, let alone swimmable, because of pollution, according to Hendrick Belin, the conservancy’s president. The George Washington University alum has over 15 years of non-profit experience, including conservation groups like the National Park Foundation. Still, Belin said the river is less polluted than it was 40 years ago, a step in the right direction. He credits this improvement to sewage and pollution control. Despite environmental strides over the last few decades, there is still a long way to go. One threat to the Potomac is population growth, which leads to more garbage in the river. The population of Frederick, Maryland, for example, is expected to increase 40 percent over the coming years.
By the conservancy’s estimates, the region will house 2.3 million new residents by 2040. It’s unclear whether the river can withstand that kind of rapid expansion. How can we clean the river? The Potomac Conservancy suggests more investment in sewage systems. In urban areas, the group urges enforcement of anti- littering laws. More compact cities and suburbs will preserve forests, which is important to the river’s future, since this land naturally filters pollution before it reaches the river. The group also supports DC’s 5-cent disposable bag tax, which reduces plastic waste. The 380-mile river provides over 4.5 million people with drinking water, according to the Potomac Conservancy. The Silver Spring, MD grassroots group started in 1993. You can learn about about its efforts and read the full report at potomac.org. - Alexa Marie Kelly
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