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Gov. Malloy visiting troops in Afghanistan HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy continued his surprise overseas mission on Wednesday, visiting service members stationed in Afghanistan as part of a Department of Defense program for governors. The governor’s visit was kept secret until Wednesday for security reasons. He was in Kuwait on Tuesday. In a telephone conference call from Afghanistan, Malloy said he has been able to meet with several Connecticut residents during his trip, including regular service members and members of the Connecticut National Guard. There are about 120 guard members stationed overseas, most of them in Afghanistan. That number is expected to grow to 800 to 1,000 by the end of 2012. “I certainly wanted to understand what our troops are facing when they’re called up and when they’re sent to Kuwait or to Afghanistan, and I think it’s part of a support for them. It’s also part of a learning process for me,” Malloy said. “It’s an important opportunity, I think, which the DOD is making available to governors.”
Thursday, November 17, 2011
News
Group warns against distacted driving By Elizabeth Bowling Campus Correspondent Distracted driving is defined as any non-driving activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and can increase the risk of crashing. It’s a serious problem, and it’s being addressed at UConn. A group of undergraduates, consisting of Kaleigh Ferguson, Emily Pangakis, Abby Brain, Pierre Giroux and Jason Kling, is voicing its fight against distracted driving. Their mission is to stop distracted driving on campus. The group, called “Just Drive,” started spreading its word on social media sites. Their petition on Facebook
states, “I pledge to refrain from behavior that will jeopardize my safety, the safety of my passengers, and those around me. This includes, but is not limited to: cell phone use, eating and drinking, excessive noise, or any behavior that will distract my focus away from the road. In short, ‘Just Drive.’” Anyone can sign this petition by copying and pasting it onto the wall of the group page “Just Drive UConn” or by tweeting it @ justdriveuconn. The group is seeking at least 100 petition “signatures” before it requests that the UConn Police brings more awareness about distracted driving to campus. Each person who signs the petition will be given a green ribbon after returning from Thanksgiving break to tie
Navy investigating Speaker gives mental, cheating on subs physical health advice
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The Navy’s inspector general for the Atlantic submarine force is investigating claims that pervasive cheating has tainted exams administered to enlisted sailors and officers as part of their nuclear training. The official leading the inquiry, Pat Urello, told The Associated Press that it began in August in response to a complaint that originated in Groton, Conn., the home port of an attack submarine that was rocked by an exam-cheating scandal last year. The investigation could lead to changes for the submarine force, said Urello, the force inspector general. “We have powers to take corrective action if corrective action is warranted,” he said. Urello, who works for the submarine force commander in Norfolk, Va., said he could not provide further details.
20 drug suspects arrested in New Haven probe
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Twenty drug suspects have been rounded up federal, state and local officials over the last 48 hours as part of a probe into drug trafficking based on a single street in New Haven. A total of 28 people have been charged with federal offenses related to the trafficking of heroin, cocaine, crack and marijuana throughout Connecticut. Six of them had been arrested previously and were already in custody and two defendants are still at large. The charges resulted from two separate investigations into drug trafficking activity on a street in the Fair Haven section of New Haven. The officers making the arrest were from agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Connecticut state police and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Komisarjevsky’s stint at halfway house recounted
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut halfway house manager has testified that a man convicted in a fatal home invasion did well there after serving prison time for nearly 20 burglaries. Jaclyn Osden took the stand Wednesday in the penalty phase of Joshua Komisarjevsky’s (koh-mih-sar-JEV’-skee’s) trial. A jury that convicted him last month in the 2007 killings of a woman and her two young daughters in Cheshire will decide whether he gets the death penalty or life in prison.
Conn.’s Fairfield Univ. considers layoffs
FAIRFIELD, Conn. (AP) — Fairfield University says it might have to lay off employees for the second time in recent years as it tries to close a $4.3 million budget gap. The Connecticut Post reports (http://bit.ly/sdVH2u ) that Fairfield President Jeffrey von Arx told employees in a recent email that officials are making substantial efforts to minimize the number of layoffs. The university would not confirm the number of potential cuts at the school, which has about 870 employees. Some workers facing potential layoffs have been offered early retirement options and have several more weeks to decide. A university spokeswoman says the cuts would be in addition to cost savings through voluntary retirements and a recent reorganization designed to trim expenses. Fairfield also laid off more than two dozen people in 2009 amid budget cuts.
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from OUT, page 1 “We can’t be what we can’t see,” DiGiovanni said, adding that for LGBTQ people to be happy, it depends on them finding and maintaining holistic health and balance today. DiGiovanni’s solution involves going “back to the basics,” beginning with physical health. While not being specifically a nutritionist, she recommends some easy steps to better physical health. “Greens, I get so excited about greens; they’re just so important,” DiGiovanni said. To begin, she told the group not to eat iceberg lettuce, because it is mostly water and lacks nutrients. The more color, the more nutrients. Instead, she suggests kale, chard, spinach and bok choy. Moving on from greens, DiGiovanni enlightened the group on whole grains vs. “whole grain.” Whole grain bread does not count because the whole grains have been “pulverized into flour and isn’t whole anymore.” In place of bread, DiGiovanni recommends brown rice and oats. Fruits vs. fruit juice is another misconception DiGiovanni brought up. There is no fiber in fruit juice, which the body needs. Instead, eat fruit or drink water, of which people should be drinking all day.
“Your pee should be the color of light straw,” DiGiovanni joked. Beyond simple nutritional habits, she gave advice on other aspects of life as well. “Jobs, career, school should all be fun, feel good and make you financially secure otherwise what’s the point?” she said. Exercise follows the same rules; it should be fun, feel good,and be something one can look forward to. The audience then participated in an activity to see what areas of their lives they were lacking in. People were invited to share where exactly they could improve their lives. Once these areas are brought to light, they begin to be addressable. “I went to a Catholic school… and we used to always begin with a prayer: ‘God, grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference,” DiGiovanni said. “So what can you do right now to change the quality of your life?” DiGiovanni expressed that everybody could shine, and to change your life you have to find what works for you. “Savor your existence,” she said.
Christine.Peterson@UConn.edu
‘Half The Sky’ chosen for UConn Reads from PRESIDENT, page 1 discussions that will bring the UConn campus together as a community, involving everybody including students, faculty, staff, alumni etc. “The campus book project will draw us together more powerfully as the intellectual, diverse community we are,” Reis said. The particular book was chosen in the hopes of connecting the campus community and inspiring conversations of change and growth here and throughout the world. The spring semester will
open with events and discussions surrounding “Half the Sky,” concluding with a visit from the authors WuDunn and Kristof. To find out about constant event updates, go to the UConn Reads website at www.uconnreads.uconn.edu. “Half the Sky” is available at the library as well as available for purchase the UConn Co-op, currently at a discount. Herbst, Reis, as well as the rest of the Steering Committee, look forward to a semester of engaging discussion and events.
Christine.Peterson@UConn.edu
around his or her car keys to serve as a reminder to not drive distractedly. Ferguson, a member of the group “Just Drive,” said, “The age group with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers is the under-20 age group – college students. We need to spread the word on campus because we are the ones who can make a difference.” Statistics from distraction.gov said that in 2009, 20 percent of car accidents that resulted in injury involved reports of distracted driving. That same year, 5,474 people were killed in U.S. roadways, and an estimated additional 448,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes that were reported to have involved distracted driving. Ferguson said, “I don’t think
there is enough awareness about distracted driving. More needs to be done to limit the amount of injuries and deaths there are because of simple distractions. “From personal experience, I know things like texting and driving, and eating and drinking while driving really distract me from the road. I got in a car accident on campus last semester because the other driver was texting. It made me realize how dangerous distracted driving is.” UConn junior Rachel Hipplewitz said, “It’s kind of scary because people drive really fast on campus already without being distracted, and there are so many pedestrians and crosswalks so it’s important to be vigilant.”
By Cara Harvey Campus Correspondent
refraining from smoking and keeping low cholesterol are all important when it comes to preventing Alzheimer’s, there is no real prevention. The Alzheimer’s Awareness Night also featured student researchers like Kevin Mastro, a 7th-semester biology and psychology major and photographer for The Daily Campus, whose grandfather had Alzheimer’s. Mastro now researches the disease at UConn, focusing on the hippocampus, the center of the brain that controls memory. Mastro described how caffeine was one of the earliest drugs given to Alzheimer’s patients. Mastro has now begun studying the use of caffeine and its potential to help Alzheimer’s patients by using animal models. As an involved member of the UConn community, Mastro encouraged attendees to get active in the fight against Alzheimer’s. Aside from contributing as neural science researchers, Mastro described other ways students can help, like fundraising and contributing to awareness efforts. “It’s easy to talk about brains, molecules and cells, but if you’ve experienced Alzheimer’s, you see it differently,” said Walikonis. This sentiment was echoed by Michelle Mellina, a member of the UConn Alzheimer’s Association and a 3rd-semester Allied Health Sciences major. Mellina, who aspires to be a physician’s assistant, first joined the Alzheimer’s Association after receiving an email from them. After having recently lost her grandmother to Alzheimer’s, Mellina decided to join the association. “Alzheimer’s is a very under reasearched disease. It’s the second-most feared disease in the United States, but it receives so little attention,” Mellina said.
Elizabeth.Bowling@UConn.edu
Alzheimer’s Association holds Awareness Night
In honor of November being Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, UConn’s Alzheimer’s Awareness Association shed light yesterday on the devastation of the disease, the factors that contribute to its onset and current research. Alzheimer’s Awareness Night opened with a short video about the prevalence and effects of the disease and helped attendees to better understand the effects Alzheimer’s disease has on patients’ personal relationships. Following the short film, the Alzheimer’s Awareness Night featured Dr. Randall Walikonis of UConn’s Physiology and Neurobiology Department. Walikonis first told attendees the story of Auguste Deter, the first patient observed to have Alzheimer’s. Today, Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, according to Walikonis, with 60 to 80 percent of all dementia cases being Alzheimer’s cases. It is the sixth-leading cause of death, with 30 million deaths from Alzheimer’s worldwide. Walikonis described that the percentage of most major diseases as a course of death have decreased. For instance, breast cancer as a cause of death has decreased 3 percent since last year. However, Alzheimer’s has increased 66 percent as a cause of death, while HIV, breast cancer and heart disease have decreased as a cause of death. Walikonis discussed the stages of Alzheimer’s and the causes of the disease, including an in-depth discussion of Beta Amyloid, which studies have shown is linked to every case of Alzheimer’s disease. Walikonis then explained the genetic risk factors that lead to Alzheimer’s disease, like apolipoprotein E4. Although staying active,
Cara.Harvey@UConn.edu
USG Senate supports marijuana bill
from POLICE, page 1
signatures in support of the bill. The authors collaborated with the UConn branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, Launching Activism Via Art, Idealists United and Students for a Sensible Drug Policy. The meeting let out before
they could vote on an act about freedom of speech for members of USG, an act about the Student Affairs Committee and its subcommittees and before members could be nominated for a funding task force.
Elizabeth Crowley@UConn.edu
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Thursday, November 17, 2011 Copy Editors: Nicholas Rondinone, Matt McDonough, Ryan Tepperman, Ariel Brand News Designer: Kim Wilson Focus Designer: Lily Feroce Sports Designer: Andrew Callahan Digital Production: Kevin Scheller The Daily Campus 11 Dog Lane Storrs, CT 06268 Box U-4189