University of Nebraska Kearney - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Kearney, NE)

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Holdreee Citizen S P o R S BICYCLE TREK FOR PRIDE A 47-year-old Holdrege bowl- ing alley owner began exten- sive training for a bicycle trek across America in Janu- ary, 1987 at KSC’s Human Performance lab under the supervision of Dr. Joseph Donnelly. After five months of physical and mental conditioning, Vern Hasty began the 7,717 mile-long trip. According to Hasty, he set his goals to promote patrio- “Ijust want them to yell for the flag .. ” -Hasty tism and to salute America’s true heroes, the veterans. “I wanted to be heard,” Hasty said. “The older I got, the more I saw how peo- ple didn’t respect the national anthem or the flag as much as they did before.” Hasty referred to the Nebraska football games in Memorial Stadium. “People yell and cheer as the football team comes on the field, but not when the flag comes out. I just want them to yell for the flag as much as for the team.” A smaller version of the American flag fluttered behind Hasty as he started his trip on Memorial Day accompanied by his wife driving their white van. The flag followed him through 48 states during the three-month ride. In each state, Hasty presented a miniature flag to various in- dividuals. Of those who re- ceived a flag, many were veterans who had served in the military or families of de- ceased war he- roes. He also gave one to Billy Carter in Georgia and sent on to Sen. Barry Goldwater in Ari- zona. Also a Kansas mechanic and a Mis- sissippi black family received flags as Hasty passed, spreading his message of patriotism throughout America. Hasty rode either his 12-speed or 18- speed bicycle on the trip, “Sometimes, I had to steal parts from one to get me to the next town,” he said. During the trip, Hasty fixed five rear rims and changed Holdrege Citizen The KSC performance Jab helped Hasty prepare for the trek across America. nine tires suffering from blow-outs or flats. He endured other frustrations as 22

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more. Finally Jan admitted herself to the University Medical Center. Jan knew she could get the professional help she needed at the center. Jan’s parents were not supportive of her decision because as she said, ‘‘They just thought all I needed was a swift kick in the butt; not psychiatric help.” “The in-patient treatment was the best thing I’ve done in my life,” said Jan, Even though I went cold turkey.” At the beginning of her stay in the hospital, bathrooms were unlocked. If she needed to use them, however, there was one stipulation — you could not flush until a nurse checked to make sure there was no vomit. The one hour for exercise was not enough for Jan who was used to three hours in the morning and on-and-off ex- ercise during the evening for about two hours. She exercised whenever she could, without permission. Jan said, “I learned to eat three meals per day plus a snack, which was usually an apple, and 1 lost 25 pounds right off the bat.” Therapy consisted of her own doc- tor, who worked with her on a one-on- one basis and in group therapy. In group therapy, there were bulimics, anorectics, and bulimarexics (a combination of the other disorders). Patients shared their stories with each other and offered sup- port while doctors were present. A nutritionist also worked with her. She was taught which foods to eat to lead a healthy life. Jan began to realize that she could overcome her problem and that was what she had wanted all along. Family therapy was another option, but Jan decided against that since her family did not support her choice of treatment, “Those four months at the Medical Center were longer than most stays,” said Jan. She left Omaha in January 1985 to come back to school. “I had promised ray doctors at the Medical Center that I would keep my weight at 120 pounds. That is the ideal weight for someone my size,” Jan said. Therapy continued at KSC, she needed to meet with someone twice a month. She met with a professor of psy- chology until she felt he was no longer helping her. She began to confide and talk to her boyfriend. Jan’s feelings about bulimia have changed her life because she realized she was hurting herself. She now knows what she needs to eat and what to do to stay healthy. “I still have trouble with my weight. 1 always think I’m too fat. My doctors told me that those feelings would never go away,” said Jan, Friends did not seem to support Jan like she needed. She now feels like the anorectic friend and she together was “the worst thing for both of us.” Jan says that she’s never relapsed back into the former binge, purge behav- ior after going to treatment. During her six-to-seven years of bulimic behavior, she remembers some times being worse than others. Jan still worries about her weight and sometimes she panics if she eats too much. She feels like she can overcome her jittery feelings if she doesn’t stuff herself. “Another thing I stay away from is the junk foods like ice cream and pizza. Those were my binge foods and if I eat a little of those foods, I feel guilty. I really try to stay away from them,” said Jan. Jan’s weight has stabilized at 120 pounds and she tries to maintain that by eating healthy foods and doing some ex- ercise. Jan looks back on her “few bad years” as a learning experience that liter- ally saved her life. She puts into practice many of the ideals taught to her at the medical center. She tells herself one pos- itive thing every day. Today, Jan is married and her hus- band is her strongest source of support. He helps Jan through her “bad days” and with her panic attacks. With no binge and purging behavior in three years, Jan said she needed to re- read her journals of her bulimic years to refresh her memory of that time. She said, “As I was looking over my journals that I wrote in every day, I realized just how crazy I really was.” Jan is now a graduate student at KSC, with many memories behind her. Proving to herself that she can do any- thing she puts her mind to, Jan has set her goals for the future. Good Luck Jan!!! Helping those who are willing to help themselves Connie Rol of Counseling and Advising says to help a person with an eating disorder, you need to ask two questions. First, who are you living your life for? Second, what are you feeling right now? “Everyone needs to realize that if you have a problem, any kind, help is only a phone call away. Call someone and talk about it, a counselor, friend or doctor,” said Rol. To help someone with an eating disorder problem, Rol said, “Confront him or her using T feel... ’ or ‘because ... Someone can never deny you of how you feel. No one can help a bulimic or anorectic until he or she admits that he has a problem. Once it’s admitted, be there for him, make yourself available; let your friend or relative lean on you, Rol advised. “If your roommate is bulimic and gets an urge to binge at 2 a.m. make sure the person knows that she can wake you up and either talk about it or go for a walk,” said Rol. If the bulimic is in control of the problem, she could go for treatment on an out-patient basis. If the problem controls her, treatment should be in-house to assure a full recovery. Rol suggests that one never drag a friend or roommate in for help if she hasn’t admitted she has a problem. If she has admitted to it get her medical attention immediately. “Would you rather have a mad friend or a dead friend?” Rol concluded. nrswn Dufeft Dugst-Burkey §23u

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well. In New Mexico, he contracted a virus that slowed him down for three days. In northern California on Highway 395, fast moving traffic forced him off the road five or six times. “That was the most danger- ous part of the trip,” he said. High wind in Oklahoma and rain in Kansas made riding miserable. Hasty re- lied upon the military discipline instilled in him during a two-year Army stint in Ger- many to keep him go- ing. Also, a photo perched on his han- dlebars of his Marine son reminded him of the servicemen in the armed forces. Hasty believes that every young per- son should enlist in the service to learn discipline and patriotism, “Having to lis- Sometimes, I had to steal parts from one to get me to the next town, ■Hasty ten to taps, and to salute the flag would make America 100 percent better,” he said. As he traveled through America, he felt that the only people who really un- derstood his message of patriotism were the veterans. Everyone cheered him on, but the vets really supported his mission, he said. Hasty and his wife met many help- ful Americans. Farmers and truck driv- ers stopped to ask Mrs. Hasty if she needed any help as she waited along the road three to five miles ahead. During the trip, Mrs. Hasty recorded statistics in a diary. She wrote down everything that Hasty ate, measured amounts of wa- ter, miles ridden each day, and names and places. ---------- The Hastys borrowed between Hasty certainly proved his dedication. $12,000 and $15,000 for the adventure. They returned to Holdrege with only $30 in their pockets and their two credit cards charged to the limit. “I’ll be paying for the trip for a long time,” Hasty said. “But, the trip was a success. I’m more confident of myself be- cause of it. And, I spread my message throughout the country.” Hasty continues to spread his message. He speaks to school children at assemblies about his trip and the reasons be- hind it. He encourages young people to consider the armed forces to learn discipline before attend- ing college. He is planning yet an- other bike ride to Wash- ington to present a flag to President Reagan as soon as he gets through “the bureaucratic red tape.” He wasn’t al- lowed to give the Presi- dent a flag when he fin- ished his trip this past summer on August 30 in Washington, D.C. “But, I won’t give up,” he said, “This is something I want to do. People need to know about patrio- tism.” While Hasty plans his next ride and rounds up financial assistance through sponsors, his bike waits in its promi- nent place by the front entrance to “Hasty Lanes.” The tattered photo of the Hasty’s son remains on the handle- bars and the faded flag hangs limply on its rod waiting for the breezes of America to flow through it once more. Pam Wood BE36 “Having to listen to taps, and salute the flag would make America 100 percent better. ” -Hasty The KSC human performance lab helped Hasty prepare for the trek.