thebattalion ● tuesday,
april 29, 2014
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2014 student media
emergency response
TX-TF1 deploys to Arkansas in wake of tornadoes Aimee Breaux
A M M E L I D G U R D Y D THE STU Students, officials weigh in on ramifications of Adderall use
Alexander Nelowet The Battalion
T
he idea can be tempting — faced with mounting assignments and fast-approaching tests, students on campuses across the nation turn to pharmaceutical stimulants to stay ahead of the curve. But while students are using, officials at Texas A&M and elsewhere remain opposed to drug usage without a prescription, pointing to the host of medical side effects that may arise. “If they take too much, which we see kids here doing, like taking double the dose during exam times, then they start to have some kinds of problems — mostly anxiety, nervousness and being jittery,” said Dr. David Teller, associate director
of Texas A&M Medical Services. Such information may go unheeded, however, by students facing a deadline. One junior chemical engineering major, who uses Adderall without a prescription, started using the drug as a freshman. He now uses it almost every day, and will use it to prepare for upcoming finals. “Students in my classes acted like it would solve all your problems,” he said. “Problems like not being able to focus, being too tired, not being able to stay up late to finish your assignments.” The junior said he has no problems accessing Adderall. It costs him $3 per pill, and he spends anywhere from $21 to $30 per week to maintain a supply. “This drug is passed around like it’s gum on campus like during finals week,” he said. “I was just in Evans last night
when I saw two girls split an Adderall right out on the table for anyone to see.” One freshman business major, who also uses Adderall without a prescription, started using the drug in high school. Her roommate has an Adderall prescription, which makes obtaining it easy and free. “Of course I will use this for finals, just like half of our campus,” she said. “It will not only help me stay awake and focused to study, but while everyone else is stress eating I’ll probably lose five pounds this week with the amount of Adderall I’ll be taking.” A year ago, Teller said Beutel Student Health Center stopped renewing prescriptions for Adderall and other prescription ADHD medications because of
See TX-TF1 on page 2
See Adderall on page 3
Tanner Garza — THE BATTALION
AN ARTFUL CELEBRATION
The Battalion Only minutes after putting away the equipment from an annual multiple-day training session, Texas Task Force One was called early Monday morning to aid disaster relief efforts in the wake of deadly Arkansas tornadoes. The tornado that ripped through Arkansas and Oklahoma Sunday killed at least 15 people, with the death toll expected to rise, according to the office of Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe. The National Weather Service is still analyzing data to determine the tornado’s ranking, but stated that it is likely an F3 or greater. TX-TF1 responds at the request of state and federal officials to urban disaster sites like the one caused by Sunday’s tornadoes. Stephen Bjune, Class of 2009 and Emergency Support Function 9 project coordinator, said the group of 70 TX-TF1 responders sent to Arkansas was trained at Disaster City through the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Services. Bjune said the group, divided by skill training, is sent to areas of disaster to aid government officials, including governors, county judges and police
15 William Guerra — THE BATTALION
DO YOGA, BEAT FINALS Allison Rubenak: Your body and mind will thank you later
I
can stand on my head. In Sanskrit, a headstand is known as Sirsasana.
Sometimes I start in Dolphin Pose — a variation of Downward-Facing Dog. My body will make a “V” shape, toes tucked under, hips back. I then inch my feet up to my elbows, one foot coming off the ground, then the other. And then I’m up, upside down and back perpendicular to the floor. The world looks wonderful upside down. My favorite yoga posture however, is a variation of child’s pose — it’s a hipopener. A lot of people carry tension in their hips. This is a pose that embod-
The Eckleburg Project, student literary magazine, hosted The SpeakEasy on Monday in the Urban Gardens behind the Village Cafe in Downtown Bryan, intended to provide a safe place for students to relax from finals stress and enjoy performances of art, poetry, dance, prose, music and more.
ies complete surrender for me and it isn’t necessarily “easier” than a headstand, for that reason. Wherever you are, at whatever moment, yoga practice can meet you halfway, which is why I have made it a lifestyle. The ability to practice yoga is not bound by body frame, gender, class, race, religion or physical state. The practice can be energizing or restorative. It’s all about how you feel and what your body needs. Now that finals are rolling around, students are likely to be consuming endless amounts of caffeine and sugar, walking in an unhygienic shame out of the Annex. Their sleep-deprived bodies will be in a state of panic. See Yoga on page 4
David Cohen — THE BATTALION
Jenna Rabel — THE BATTALION
Russian, A&M students swap Ukraine opinions Conference call to Moscow offers inside perspective on conflict
BAT_04-29-14_A1.indd 1
Annabelle Hutchinson
The Battalion With the mayor of Kharkiv, an eastern Ukrainian city, shot in the back Monday and Vitaly Churkin, Russian representative to the U.N., stating that another Cold War will not result from the current chill between the West and Russia, the Ukrainian conflict is making international headlines. As an educational opportunity, Larry Napper, former U.S. ambas-
sador and senior lecturer at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, arranged for his students to hold a video teleconference with the Russian Diplomatic Academy in Moscow. Seated in a hall of impressive columns and large Russian flags, Russian students in Moscow shared their perspectives on Ukraine-U.S. relations with the Aggies who were seated in a much simpler conference room in College Station.
Claire Berger, international affairs graduate student, said all of the Russian students voiced their support for the official Russian position. “It was interesting to see that they very much all did support the official Russian position,” Berger said. “Whereas our class, not really being affiliated with the U.S. government, had varying degrees of support for the official U.S. position. We were able to kind of speak more from personal opinion when they had prepared
statements. But it was still a very productive discussion.” Unlike the Bush School, the Russian Diplomatic Academy in Moscow is affiliated with the Russian government. Patrick Hogan, international affairs graduate student, said he believes the Russian students did not stray from the official Russian position because of their affiliation with the Russian government. See Ukraine on page 2
4/28/14 10:27 PM