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Show Page 4 StatesmanCampus News Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010 Bylaws: Council debates shifts in 2011 election requirements I continuedfrom page 1 changes to the executive council for a vote. The changes discussed included an increase of candidates' grade point average to a 3.0, ethical concerns, laptop and wireless-capable device usage, and residence hall calls during elections. The council decided to keep the current grade point average, a cumulative 2.5. The council voted to move the information on the ethics portion of elections to the beginning of election information packets. Also, ASUSU and student services employees will not be allowed to publicly endorse any candidate while on the job. It was said that employees should encourage students to make an informed vote. The council also passed a rule against slandering or bribing other candidates. Policy regarding the visiting of student residences or "residence hall calls" was changed so candidates may no longer enter the homes of students unless invited in. Students who do not want candidates entering their residence will be able to download a "stop" sign that will inform the candidate they have already voted or wish to not be bothered. If any student is alone, a candidate may not enter the residence. Also, candidates may now request an escort while campaigning. The usage of laptops and other wireless Internet-capable devices by a candidate's "A"-frame, or on-campus display, was heavily debated, and votes by the council regarding this manner were not unanimous. Some council members felt that voting at a candidate's station is unethical and led to students being bullied and pressured. "It's better to have quality votes than a quantity of votes," Nagao said. Concerns about voter turnout took precedence over the idea of eliminating "A"-frame voting and implementing voting booths across campus instead. Some council members said having people vote, at "A"-frames or elsewhere, was better than not having them vote at all. The meeting also saw the beginning of discussion for a possible reconstruction of corn- SAD: Seasonal depression affects more women than men I continued from page 1 person has to have recurring episodes for two years and it is directly related to weather change, not other outside sources. "Depression often occurs in episodes but this pattern is predominant during a seasonal change," Stein said. Joey McKnight, a public relations major, believes he suffers from SAD to some extent because of how different winters are in Cache Valley compared to his home town in North Carolina. "We never got snow," McKnight said, "schools would close down at the threat of snow. It never got nearly as cold as it does here." It is his third winter here in Utah and McKnight said as far as snow is concerned he has gotten use to it, but still has problem with the dreariness of the valley. "When there is no sun for so long it is depressing. It is very doom and gloom," McKnight said. "Whenever we go through cloudy weather it feels like the world is closing in on you." Nafziger said it is all about the source of where the depression comes from that sets it apart from regular depression. There are environmental sources like stress, doing poorly in school or difficulties in relationships, and there are biological sources that can come from having family members who have depression. Nafziger said usually what affects most people are the environmental sources. He said something relatively small can happen but because it isn't dealt with, it can grow into something more serious. He said the problem with SAD is that is can cause a "snowballing effect". "Sometimes what I see here is people become unmotivated to get out of bed or do any work in the winter time and after a few weeks of that they are now behind on school and are possibly facing failing or having to drop the class. This then leads to even more stress which can increase depressive symptoms," Nafziger said. McKnight said he notices a change in his demeanor as a student during spring semester when the weather outside is still cloudy and dark. "I definitely notice a change, going to classes is a lot harder and I have a hard time focusing. I take between two and four hot showers a day to stay warm and go tanning a lot just to get some light, I have noticed that helps," McKnight said. Nafziger said whatever the causes of depression, after a month or longer it starts to change brain chemicals. "Biologically based depression isn't the only form that can change brain chemicals. If you have something really difficult or painful that happens to you, that sadness is coming from the social environment but it effects your brain chemicals if it goes untreated," Nafziger said. He said the minority of people are depressed biologically. People who have more vulnerability are more likely to become depressed. Nafziger said to "look in your family and see if there are people who suffer from depression, treated or not, and if so, you may be more vulnerable to stress than the average person." pensation for ASUSU positions for next year. Executive Vice President Brent Crosby said ASUSU is dealing with an $80,000 deficit, roughly the same size as this year's arts and lectures budget. The council discussed ways of cutting costs and eliminating overspending, such as capping the amount of tuition paid to each ASUSU position, eliminating the Graduate Studies Senator from the Executive Council and the benefits of scholarships versus stipends. — jessie.a.sweat@aggiemail.usu.edu Locks: Students keep their bikes on campus overnight I continuedfrom page 1 Nafziger said talking to someone can be very beneficial because many times, there are underlying causes of depression that intensify during the winter months. "It is more common that there is a vulnerability that is there and then the seasonal component makes it worse," Nafziger said. "If a person feels like it is really serious they should come in and talk to someone, we sometimes prescribe them medication that can help." Stein said as soon as someone experiences a "loss of pleasure" and once that mood starts to take over school or "when you isolate yourself from your friends and regular activities or turn to alcohol or prescription medication, that is the time when you should seek help." Nafziger said depression is one of the more common categories he deals with in the student counseling services and a lot of different situations can cause symptoms of depression, but "once it starts having a negative impact on your life then it is identified as an actual disorder." Nafziger said all the symptoms of SAD are the same as depression. "Feelings of fatigue, difficult concentrating, difficulties with sleep — either insomnia or sleeping too much — are all symptoms," Nafziger said. "The more severe the depression, the more symptoms can arise, such as losing appetite or having an increase in appetite which could then lead to either weight gain or weight loss." The methods of treating SAD are also similar to those used for other forms of depression. Nafziger said any kind of physical activity, aerobic exercises and "doing all the things you normally like to do and what you find enjoyable," are all effective and useful. Another treatment doctors and psychologists recommend is light therapy. "Exposing yourself to light is one of the main things you can do if you feel like you suffer from seasonal depression," Nafziger said. "There are full-spectrum lights you can buy that they say is equivalent to what you would get through a good-sized window on a spring day." He also said just going outside for a few hours and "exposing your eyes to sunshine can be very beneficial." He said to make sure to not wear sunglasses because the eyes are how the effects of light get through to your brain. Nafziger found that SAD is two to three times more likely in women than in men, which he said makes sense because regular depression is two times more likely to affect women than men. Stein added that young adults have more of a significant problem with SAD than adults do. in the campus racks for an extended period of time was tagged, Dunn said. The tags said the bike locks would be cut and the bikes would be impounded after seven days if they weren't removed or registered. Dunn said he allowed the bikes to be there for two weeks instead of one in order to give the students the time they needed. Of the 100 bikes tagged, only five were left in the racks at the end of the 14 days, Dunn said.The fee to retrieve a bike that has been impounded is $25 for the first time and $50 for the second time. Dunn is in charge of handling student bike registrations and said he wouldn't charge students who come to pick up one of these bikes if they register the bicycle. Milne said he wants students to know they shouldn't be leaving their bicycles in the racks for storage purposes. "Don't use the bike racks as a storage," Milne said. "Use them if you're up there for the day. That's what they're there for." Dunn said he'd rather people throw their bikes in a dumpster or give them to Aggie Blue Bikes if they don't want their bikes anymore. "Just don't leave them abandoned for us to deal with," Dunn said. "We deal with hundreds of abandoned bicycles every year." Milne and Dunn said in order to avoid impounding a lot of bikes, they're encouraging students to register their bikes. Students can register their bikes at the USUPD for free. Students that live in campus housing are now required to register their bikes when they move in, Milne said. Students who register their bikes will be given a sticker to put on their bikes. Milne said registered bikes that are left in the racks on campus won't be impounded like unregistered bikes. Instead, the owner of the bicycle will be called and asked to remove the bike at no expense. Dunn said if bikes are found blocking the sidewalks, the USUPD will cut the locks and impound the bikes. "They're breaking policy that way and it's endangering people's lives," Dunn said. "If there's a fire and we evacuate the building and there's a bike in the way, it's not a good thing." — megan.b@aggiemail.usu.edu — blaze.bullock@aggiemail.usu.edu |