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DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911
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SEPTEMBER 5, 2007
Student exemplifies
war-time bravery Kristen Williams News Reporter
Graduate student Randall D. Watkins had more than just a brush with death while serving in Iraq. Watkins was with his platoon one day when he was suddenly hit with shrapnel all over his body after an attack from a suicide bomber. Several of his fellow Marines were killed. Watkins survived the bombing, but was then shot four times in the chest by an insurgent, and he still survived. To honor Marine Corps Sgt. Watkins, a Sept. 11 memorial luncheon will be held Thursday at the Price Seniors Center. Watkins, a criminal justice graduate student, said being a witness to the Sept. 11 Pentagon attack gave him a reason to fight for America overseas. After his tour of duty, he came back to Texas to start his education, but soon felt called to fight again in Iraq, so he dropped out of school. Watkins said American patriotism is at an all-time low, and he hopes to open the eyes of those who have forgotten about the war. “I’ve been going to school for eight years and one of the biggest things that people forget is that there is still a war in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Watkins said. “They decide to turn a blind eye to it. Unless they personally know someone, they don’t really care.” Regardless of whether people support the war or not, Watkins
said people serving the country deserve a lot of respect. “It is our job, not as students, but as Americans to show support for the sacrifices people are making,” Watkins said. “It shouldn’t take another terrorist attack to open people’s eyes again. A lot of my buddies died in my arms. These are guys who want to serve and believe they are fighting for a noble cause.” Lisa Adams, public relations coordinator for the Central Texas Medical Center Hospice Care, said she wants the event to show students people their age are fighting for the freedom they have everyday. “I would like to encourage students to come so they can hear Sgt. Watkins’ personal story,” Adams said. “He is a true hero. While one student is 18 and walking to class, another 18 year old is holding a gun.” Just like Watkins, Adams said she hopes to show how important it is to stand behind the U.S. military. “This is our way of showing that we care not only about our hospice patients but about our community,” Adams said. “We are in a crisis of war; so, it is important to show we support our troops so that another 9-11 doesn’t happen.” At the event, music department students will perform the National Anthem. The Price Seniors Center is located at 222 W. San Antonio St., near Dunbar Park. The event is set to begin at 11:30 a.m.
WEDNESDAY
VOLUME 97, ISSUE 6
SHALL NOT PASS
Monty Marion/Star photo A padlock restrains a gate to the pool area of the University Heights Apartments, forcing residents to seek another way in. Apartment living can turn sour when living conditions don’t live up to renters’ expectations. For complete story, SEE TRENDS PAGE 6.
Wet summer weather result of global warming By Jeff Turner News Reporter Texas’ wet summer stood in stark contrast to the triple-digit temperatures of the summer of 2006. Scientists are now saying both summers of unusual weather are products of global warming. A report released during the summer by an Austin-based non-profit ecological protection group, Environment Texas, said the warmer-than-normal temperatures of 2006, and this year’s wetter-thannormal weather, indicates global warming. The report found in 2006, Austin experienced 147 days where the temperature hit 90 degrees or more, 38 days more than the historical average. 2006 was the second warmest year on record for the lower 48 states. This year, the southwestern U.S. is experiencing more precipitation and less severe storms than the summer of 2006. The National Hurricane Center listed five hurricanes and four tropical storms in the Atlantic last year, while 2007 has experienced two hurricanes and three tropical storms. Does this data indicate continued global warming? Pieter Tans, chief scientist of Climate Moni-
“E
vidence of climate change caused by mankind, not as part of natural cycles, is accumulating globally.”
—Pieter Tans, chief scientist of climate monitoring NOAA
toring at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, does not think this is necessarily the case. “One of the expectations is more extreme events,” Tans said. “But I don’t think that extreme events by themselves are the best indicator of global warming.” Tans said the climatic differences between 2006 and 2007 are not concrete proof global warming is destabilizing weather patterns, but he does consider the warming a major concern. “Evidence of climate change caused by man-
kind, not as part of natural cycles, is accumulating globally,” Tans said. He said much of the documentation of this can be found in the Fourth Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released earlier this year. The panel found the rate of increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide, a major culprit in global warming, has accelerated. The report states the cause is almost 100 percent the burning of coal, oil and natural gas, which is increasing. The report described strong indications of climate change: global loss of mountain glaciers and shrinkage of outlet glaciers of ice sheets, less Arctic sea ice, more warming in the Arctic than elsewhere, ocean warming, sea level rise and much more. The U.S. Congress will consider global legislation this fall. Two bills that would attempt to reduce pollution to levels scientists say are needed to prevent the negative impacts of global warming are the Safe Climate Act, introduced in the House, and the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act, introSee GLOBAL, page 4
LEADING
CARBON EMISSIONS COUNTRIES
College-aged women unaware of high cholesterol threat By Jackie Baylon Special to The University Star A spoon full of Cheerios is good news for the heart, especially in September, which is National Cholesterol Awareness Month. Cholesterol problems are well known and often discussed in the media, but according to a recent survey, it is neither watched nor well controlled by women who are between their college years and mid-40s. “Heart disease is a serious threat to women, and that the fact that only one in five women surveyed knew their current cholesterol level shows how much work remains to be done in educating women about cholesterol,” said Phyllis Greenberger, president and CEO of the Society for Women’s Health Research. “Knowing one’s cholesterol number is the
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Two-day Forecast Thursday Isolated Storms Temp: 90°/ 73° Precip: 30%
Friday Isolated Storms Temp: 91°/ 73° Precip: 30%
first step in managing cholesterol, and that number is certainly more important than knowing what one’s body weight was in high school.” Richard Schmits, the society’s directorofcommunication,agrees. “It is very important for women to know that cholesterol is needed for good health, but too much of it in the blood can raise the risk of having a heart attack or stroke,” Schmits said. “The survey’s key point was to remind women, starting at age 20, to get their cholesterol numbers checked at least once every five years.” The survey showed that 21 percent of respondents were surprised cholesterol can harden the arteries and lead to a heart attack or stroke while more than 44 percent did not even know high cholesterol had no symptoms.
For a quick look back at biology 101, cholesterol is a soft, fat-like, waxy substance found in the bloodstream and in all the body’s cells. Cholesterol is normal and an important part of a healthy body because it is used for producing cell membranes and some hormones, and serves other necessary bodily functions. However, too much cholesterol in the blood is a major risk for coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attacks and strokes. Cholesterol cannot dissolve in the blood. It has to be transported to and from the cells by carriers called lipoproteins. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is known as “bad” cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is known as “good” cholesterol. These two types of lipids contribute to the total cholesterol count, which can
be determined through a blood test. High cholesterol can be hereditary or linked to a person’s weight or their consumption of fatty foods. “It is very important to have a level of total cholesterol less than 200,” Schmits said. “A desirable level of LDL (bad cholesterol) is less than 100 and essentially for women, an HDL (good cholesterol) of 50 or higher is considered to be in good shape and have a low risk of a cardiovascular disease.” Further demonstrating the lack of cholesterol knowledge, half of the women surveyed incorrectly identified HDL as “bad” cholesterol. And approximately 35 percent were surprised to learn dangerous cholesterol levels can still affect
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