Student Senate nothing more than social club with backstabbing

To the Editors:

It seems clear to me that, given the events surrounding this semester's Student Senate elections, what we have here is not a student senate at all, but nothing more than a social club, complete with favors and back-stabs. It is extremely disconcerting to see that a candidate for Student Senate can break so many codes of confidentiality and professionalism and still be up for consideration. In his letter to the editor last week, Chris Anton said that he has "worked hard over the last year to earn a reputation as a hardworking, trustworthy student leader," but his actions are so blatantly out of line, his "hard work" so obviously geared toward deception and unfair to every other candidate, that his credibility in the eyes of any moral person has gone completely out the window. Accordingly, so does too the credibility of Student Senate as a whole, who has not only failed to act on Mr. Anton's behavior, but has instead decided to support him.

Not that we should expect anything less from our lovely senators. The only thing more upsetting than Chris Anton's letter last week was Erika Hansen's, who begins her letter with "As a current member of Student Senate," goes on to "clarify" for us that she is writing the letter only as an individual "involved," yet continues to apologize profusely on behalf of Student Senate as a whole. And if this display of incompetence were not enough, Ms. Hansen, in what seems to me to be nothing more than "tattling," informs us that, despite her efforts to talk to other senators about the situation, hardly any have responded. And why should they? They've already decided what they want: they want Chris Anton. And because they have failed to present themselves as a decent, trustworthy Senate interested in serving the student body, they absolutely deserve him.

--David Tamarkin, College Senior

Ragweed wreaks havoc on Oberlin

September and October are prime allergy months at Oberlin College. If you are have a drippy nose, sinus congestion, itching of the nose and face, raw throat, or persistant cough you could be experiencing allergy symptoms. All of the beautiful yellow flowers that you see in our Ohio fields are ragweed and you could be an innocent victim. Ohio is in the heart of the allergy belt with an abundance of ragweed, which starts blooming in mid July and lasts until the first frost. For Oberlin college students who are from out of state, especially the Far West, the South and the Northeast, the change in climate and high pollen counts can trigger allergy symptoms. Another strike against OC students is that often times early adulthood is when allergies first show their signs.

Allergies are caused by an inappropriate response by the body to harmless substances. When the body is exposed to ragweed (there are many other causes of allergies) pollen antibody molecules attach to cells in the respiratory tract. When reexposure occurs the respiratory tract cells release histamine. Histamine causes swelling drainage and itching. Those who are most at risk for developing allergies are those with a family history of "hayfever," diagnose allergies, and asthma. SMOKING is also an aggravating factor. Tree pollen, grass pollen, dust mites and mold spores can also trigger allergy symptoms.

There are many ways to keep allergic symptoms at bay. Alternative remedies for the most part provide minimal relief at best. Research has shown that acupuncture may help asthma symptoms, but traditional remedies work better. There are also claims that megadoses of some vitamins may help, but I have not seen this in my clinical practice. If you would like to avoid traditional medicine, your best strategies are avoidance of the allergen (the substance that is making you have symptoms). During the seasons that you are allergic you should try to spend less time outdoors and more time in air conditioned environments. Keep your bedroom clean and door closed. A window air conditioner with a filter can go a long way in providing relief. Avoid lawn chores (mowing, raking etc). Take a shower and wash you hair daily. Plan your outdoor activities (running, athletic) for later in the day, when pollen counts are lower. All of these strategies can significantly reduce your need for medication. Those having moderate to severe symptoms to several allergens may want to consider desensitization (allergy shots) which can reduce or eliminate the need for medications.

Allergy symptoms can be as mild as sinus headache and fatigue, or severe as persistent sinus congestion, constant sneezing, running nose and asthma. If mild, allergies can be easily taken care of with over the counter remedies. Moderate to severe symptoms left untreated can lead to sinus infection, ear infection, and bronchitis. Allergies sometimes require prescription remedies and occasional referral to an allergist.

If you are having mild to moderate symptoms you may be able to treat yourself with the many remedies that can be purchased without a prescription. Tavist, Drixoral, Chlor-Trimeton or Benadryl will oftentimes provide good relief. A saline nasal spray can be used to clean the pollen out of the sinuses. Opcon A is an eye drop that will provide relief if you experience itching of the eyes.

If your symptoms are not relieved with avoidance strategies or by using over-the-counter remedies,we may be able to provide relief at Student Health Services. We can prescribe medication such as Claritin, Allegra and nasal inhalers, which provide excellent relief with few side effects.

One thing to keep in mind, if you are experiencing allergy symptoms this year, they WILL very likely recur at the same time next year. Try to plan ahead. Develop awareness of the time of the year that you have symptoms. Plan to start avoidance and/or medication early in your allergy season. You will get better relief if you start some type of treatment early. Don't wait until you are miserable to start taking care of yourself.

If you have questions about allergy care we have several resources available to you. THE ALLERGY SOURCEBOOK by Merla Zellerbach is an excellent guide and is in our Wellness Center (Wilder 316).

If you have questions about allergy care feel free to contact me at Lhieronymus@collegiate.com.

--Laura Hieronymus, Health Service Director