North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 95, No. 14, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 10, 2010 Page: 3 of 8
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Wednesday, February 10,2010
Arts & Life
Page 3
Amber Arnold, Arts & Life Editor
amberm.arnold@yahoo.com
roup aims to educate about sickle cell disease
By Katie Grivna
Senior Staff Writer
When biology sophomore
Lovett Uduebor's older brother
died in 2007 from sickle cell
anemia, Uduebor said he wanted
students to know about the
disease.
With the help of his friends,
Uduebor created Students for
Sickle Cell Awareness last year,
an organization that aims to
spread awareness of sickle cell
anemia and other genetic or
blood-related diseases.
"I wanted to make sure there
was something about my brother
that lasts after I graduate," he
said. "With this organization,
when I graduate in the next two
or three years, I can at least have
a good feeling that the talk about
sickle cell on the University of
North Texas campus won't
stop."
Sickle cell anemia is a disease
in which red blood cells are cres-
cent* or sickle-shaped.
According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention,
more than 70,000 people in the
U.S. have sickle cell disease.
Uduebor's brother,
Otis Uduebor, was UNT's
Homecoming king in 2005 and
graduated from UNT in August
2006 with a degree in radio, tele-
vision and film. He died from
sickle cell anemia in January
2007.
The 20 active members of
Students for Sickle Cell Awareness
meet every other week to plan
events such as blood drives and
watch short videos about sickle
cell anemia and other diseases so
students know and understand
who the diseases can effect.
Many people consider sickle
cell anemia to be a disease that
only affects black people, which
isn't the case, Uduebor said.
"It's actually much more
diverse than what people think.
It's very common in Latin coun-
tries, and it's also common in
Greece, Turkey and India,"
he said. "I just want people to
understand that sickle cell is
not just a black disease. It affects
J
Photo Illustration by Ingrid Laubach/Photographer
Substance abuse has been on the rise on the UNT campus with 27 arrests in the past three years.
N Police see a rise in
prescription drug abuse
By Nicole Landry
Staff Writer
The misuse of prescrip-
tion drugs has proven to be
a frequent trend among young
adults. On the home front,
UNT has had its share of
substance abuse problems.
In the past three fiscal
years, the UNT Police
Department has made 27
arrests for charges related to
illegal substances, Deputy
Chief of Police Ed Reynolds
said.
"The statistics we have [are
of] students, or non-students,
that we've arrested for illegal
possession of prescription
drugs," he said.
Students caught with
prescription drugs that do not
belong to them face charges
ranging from misdemeanor
to felony, depending on what
drug they are caught with and
how much they have in their
possession.
Most of those who the
police department arrested
were charged with misde-
meanor offenses.
The abuse of prescription
painkillers ranks second
to marijuana usage as the
nation's most prevalent illegal
drug problem, according to
the Office of National Drug
Control Policy's Web site. A
2006 Columbia University
study shows that teens abuse
the drugs — OxyContin and
Vicodin especially — because
they believe the drugs don't
have the stigma that mari-
juana or street drugs have.
The results of a 2006
Partnership Attitude Tracking
Study show that four out of 10
young adults said they believe
prescription drugs are safer
than street drugs, while one-
third of teens believe there
is nothing wrong with using
drugs not prescribed to them
every once in a while.
UNT has seen a rise in
prescription drug abuse, said
Maureen McGuiness, assis-
tant vice president of student
development.
"I don't have any knowledge
of anybody selling them or
purchasing them, but use of
prescription drugs that are not
prescribed to others is some-
thing we do see," McGuiness
said.
Misuse of prescription
drugs is a violation of UNT's
Student Code of Conduct and
could result in suspension.
"It's something that people
don't think is a violation of the
law or of the code," she said.
"Our job is to educate people
that this stuff is a violation
and that this behavior is
unacceptable."
Teens believe that they have
the ability to self-medicate, or
prescribe their own medica-
tions to friends with similar
symptoms, without any real
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several people of several differ-
ence races."
When people with sickle cell
anemia go to the hospital, one
of the best ways to treat them
is to have a blood transfusion,
Uduebor said.
The organization hosts several
blood drives each year to help
meet this demand.
The organization encourages
people to get tested to see if they
have the sickle cell trait, said
Courtney Smith, a journalism
sophomore and public relations
director for the group.
Smith's cousin has sickle cell
anemia, and she said her cous-
in's go-get-it personality has
inspired her.
"I feel like if you have the
opportunity to better yourself
and take steps in making your-
self healthy and know the risk
... why not learn about it?" she
said.
Jazzarie Fejeran, a busi-
ness sophomore and presi-
dent of Students for Sickle Cell
Awareness, said she didn't know
much about the disease until she
became friends with Uduebor
and learned about how his
brother died from the disease.
"I felt bad that I didn't know
anything about sickle cell, so I
joined this organization to learn
more and to educate others who
didn't know anything about it,"
she said.
Because people who have
sickle cell anemia don't live long,
Fejeran said, the organization
encourages people to live life to
the fullest and live positively.
On Feb. 15, the Students for
Sickle Cell Awareness will hold
their annual Kisses for Sickle
Cell event in the One O'clock
Lounge in the University Union
where guest speakers will talk
about different types of diseases
and, people will read poetry
about being in a relationship
with someone with any type of
disease.
For more information about
the organization, search for the
group Students for Sickle Cell
Awareness on Facebook.
fallout, McGuiness said.
"It's not worth it," said Carl
Mosier, the hall director for
Legends Hall. "Awareness is
the best in that, ultimately, if
they're feeling bad, go to the
doctor. You guys have already
paid for the Student Health
[and Wellness] Center."
New student orientations
feature programs provided by
the UNT Police Department
that educate incoming
students about the dangers
of misusing prescription
drugs.
"I think that prescription
drug abuse is horrible because
it takes away medicine from
those who really need it," said
Joanna Pirtle, an elementary
education junior.
Students suffering from
substance abuse problems can
make confidential appoint-
ments with the Substance
Abuse Services in Chestnut
Hall on the third floor by
calling 940-565-2787 or by
visiting its office.
Anthropology organization
encourages life discussions
By Stephanie Daniels
Staff Writer
A group based out of the
UNT anthropology depart-
ment is giving students the
opportunity to discuss classes,
event ideas and life.
The Anthropology Students
Association invites students of
all majors to discuss whatever
may be on their minds.
"We went back and saw the
files, and we found stuff from
the early '90s," said Jordan
McIIveen, vice president of the
association and anthropology
senio. "It's definitely a long-
standing organization."
McIIveen said mainly
anthropology students attend
the weekly meetings, but
sometimes students interested
in the subject stop by and join
the discussions.
"Basically, we have discus-
sions about our classes," she
said. "Anthropology kind of
covers everything, so we can
talk about everything."
About seven people meet
every week for general
discussions, movies and
guest speakers. The group
members also travel to the
Dallas Museum of Art's Late
Nights and dinners at each
other's houses.
The group is preparing to
host International Week in
April, bringing in represen-
tatives from the Peace Corps
and raising money for Yaxuná,
one of Mexico's ancient Mayan
villages.
"This year we're selling
some Mayan handmade gifts
that are made in this Yucatán
village," McIIveen said. "One
of our professors works out
there."
She said the group will
set up another fundraiser at
the end of the spring for the
Yucatán village.
Ted Good, an anthropology
senior, has been a part of the
association for three semes-
*§ A
Photo Courtesy of Jordan Mcllveen
Jordan McIIveen, an anthropology senior and vice president of the Anthropol-
ogy Student Association, and Amanda Harrison, an anthropology senior, par-
ticipate in events such as Zen in the City.
ters and is the
group's treasurer
this semester.
"We've been
fundraising for
the Mayan group
since Christmas
last year," Good
said.
The gro up sets
up the Mayan
booths inside
the University Union with hand-
made gifts including jewelry.
"We can give them all of the
proceeds and help them build
schools and whatnot," Good
said.
International Week
Another event keeping the
group busy will last for one week
in April.
International Week will
present a weeklong cultural
experience, including an
international flag day, food
fair, fashion parade and dance
party
Students will have the oppor-
tunity to meet new people and
learn about other cultures. If
they're interested in volun-
teering, students can also earn
volunteer hours.
Between fundraising, discus-
sions and events, the group is
For More information:
orgs.unt.edu/ANTH
Jordan McIIveen, Vice president
(210)391-5817
Ted Good, Treasurer
(817) 455-5996
dedicated to helping students
and the UNT community.
Good said the group meet-
ings provide a place for students
to come together and get help
with classes.
According to the group's Web
site, students are offered a lively,
intellectual, culturally diverse
and friendly atmosphere to
pursue their interests in anthro-
pology.
"Hopefully [the attendees]
just feel like it's a fun, cool spot
to come meet with people and
hang out. We share a lot of the
same interests, and everyone
is really welcoming. It's a fun,
casual spot to come hang out
and do some cool, cultural
things," Good said.
The Anthropology Student
Association meets at 5 p.m.
every Tuesday in Chilton Hall
126.
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North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 95, No. 14, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 10, 2010, newspaper, February 10, 2010; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth145768/m1/3/: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.