Oklahoma State University - Redskin Yearbook (Stillwater, OK)

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,.-- ' I L I lA k '

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AIDS CRISIS He was one of Hollywood's most popular actors. His illness drew world- wide attention to an incurable disease. He was the catalyst for research. Rock Hudson died at 59. The killer was Acquired Immune Defi- ciency Syndrome (AIDS). AIDS was first identified in 1981. Some 3,572 cases have been reported since then in which 70 to 1 00 percent of the patients die. AIDS is a virus which attacks the body s immune system, rendering it unable to resist disease. The condition most often affect male homosexuals, in- traveneous drug abusers and hemophilacs. Many doctors say symptoms include night sweats, swollen lymph glands and severe weight loss. The disease can even lead to inflammation of the brain in some cases. Research suggests the probability of contagious transmission exchange of body fluids such as blood, urine, semen, saliva and perspiration. AIDS victims have low or totally absent helper T- lymphocytes levels. Patients also have a reduced level of natural killer cells, recently associated with effective resistance to cancer. You can carry the virus around and not necessarily have AIDS, says Dr IVliller of the Oklahoma State University Hospital. Miller says at present no students she knows of are reported as having the disease. Five students at the most have ex- pressed a concern in knowing about the disease, says Miller. Many people, for fear of catching AIDS, refuse to donate blood. In March the Red Cross began screening donated blood using the HTLV-III method. This test measures whether a person has built an antibody to the disease. The test is not designed to diagnose people who may be suffering from AIDS. The testing for AIDS is done on a blood sample at the AIDS Task Force, Tulsa or Oklahoma City Health Depart- ment. The public has several concerns about the risk of donating blood, says Tulsa Red Cross representative Duke Kastrisin. There are no risks in donating blood. The equipment is sterilized and once it is used it is then destroyed, says Kastrisin. Hemophilacs have a higher risk level, Kastrisin says . 22«campuslife AIDS can spread quickly if certain measures are not taken. Some problems that exist have become very controver- sial, for instance: •School officials are trying to decide how to deal with 183 people under 18 known to have the disease. No children have been found to have acquired AIDS in school, day care, foster care or other casual contact. No United States public school system has admitted a child known to be infected with AIDS. •The Defense Department will soon be requiring military recruits to submit to blood testing in order to expose the disease. •Officials across the country are trying to close gay bath houses in order to help stop the spread of AIDS. As of yet, there is no cure. Many AIDS patients seek solace in psychological counseling. The counseling depends on the indi- vidual more than anything else, says Miller. Hudson made his illness public in July. Hollywood celebrities joined together in raising benefits to help other victims. Even though Hudson died, he created an awareness of the deadly disease.

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FIT OR PHFT? Exercising the option to exercise The so-called fitness craze of the eighties has forced OSU faculty and students to take a second look at themselves. These days, the emphasis is on physical fitness; looking and feeling good. Thin isn't in anymore. Key phrases are get a shape, while getting in shape and build it up, while taking it off. I lift to improve my image and to make me feel better about myself. Besides I have to carry my girlfriend's luggage, said James Richardson, junior. Richardson gained 65 pounds in slightly over a year by following a strict weight- lifting program. Webster's Riverside Dictionary defines 'fit in two ways. The first and most well-known definition is to be physical- ly fit However the second definition, adapted to an end, aim or design, also pertains to the current emphasis on fitness. Exercise helps individuals adapt, mentally and physically, to everyday life. For me, running is a stress relaxant, said OSU vice-president of research Bill Sibley. Sibley runs about two miles every day, sometimes with several of his colleagues. It's like a modern form of the business lunch, Sibley said. A lot of us run together and informally exchange ideas on how to do things and make improvements in various programs. I used to play handball, but running is quicker and less involving. Fitness comes in many shapes and sizes. The smooth, elongated muscles of the swimmer or dancer are as carefully cultivated as the bulging biceps and rounded calves of the weight lifter. It is a matter of personal preference and in- clination. I enjoy swimming because its good exercise, and it's fun, said Renee Kolar, OSU sophomore, in fact, it's the best sport around for toning your whole body. It's not as strenuous on the indi- vidual muscles as jogging and running. Besides, it burns three times as many calories per mile. 24 •campus life Other fitness options include tennis, aerobics, bicycling, dancing and stair- running. Often choices are limited by busy time schedules and varying weather. Running stairs is a convenient way to exercise, said Staci Robertson, soph- omore. I don't have to go out of my way or spend a lot of time. It doesn't matter what time of day it is or what the weather is like, and it keeps me from gaining weight. Commitment and perseverance are essential to the success of an exercise program. Finding the time to exercise regularly is one of the most difficult steps in starting and maintaining an ex- ercise routine. I need to exercise, but I just don't seem to have the time. When I do, 1 always feel better about myself after- ward. I need to start finding the time, said Laurie Steel, freshman. Another student had a different view- point. I just don't have the time, and I hate to sweat, said Kelly Reed. If you want to exercise — okay. If not, that's okay, too. The current exercise trend is doing more than revitalizing the average American's image; it is boosting the American economy. Exercise books, tapes, records and videos have become a national obsession. Many stars are creating and marketing exercise pro- grams that race up the best-seller lists as soon as they appear. Clothes designers devote a great deal of time and effort to designing comfortable and stylish clothes to work out in. Fitness clubs enroll entire families and expand at a phenomenal rate. Stores stock greater amounts of health foods to meet the growing demand, while natural food stores specialize in providing healthy alternatives to junk food. It remains to be seen whether this emphasis on physical fitness is a passing fad or a new way of life. Time will un- doubtedly tell. f