• Format
  • Publications (documents)
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• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
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  • HL_WesternCarolinian_2012-09-28_Vol78_No09_CampusLife_B04

B4 September 28, 2012 FEATURES The Western Carolinian How sick is too sick for class? By Sandra Nikula Contributing Writer Despite what people . think sometimes, human beings are not invincible. The idea of going through life totally unscathed and free of damage is prepos- terous. We can become suscep- tible to illness through something as simple as a sneeze or our lifestyle. Everyone has an Achil- les heel that may hinder one from being able to always attend class. What sicknesses should be | deemed excusable from class though? Of course, . it would be insane to tell our professors that a stu- dent was unable to come to class because he or she was at the mall curing Cabin Fever. However, when it comes to being sick to | the point where chicken . noodle soup and an extra blanket might not seem like a bad plan, how ~ sick do you have to be when it is okay to miss class? What happens if a student is diagnosed with a terminal illness or will continually miss class because of health problems? What services does Western Carolina University provide in or- der to help students who miss class due to serious illness? Pam Buchanan, director of WCUs Health and Wellness Center, sat down with The Western Carolinian to answer Meet Lane Perry, WCUs new director of Service By Jessie Swink Contributing Writer Approximately 1,500 students are settling themselves into Western Carolina University this year as freshman. Among all of these students is Lane Perry, the new : director of the Center of Service Learning. T think there is a fine connective line of serendipity in my life, Perry said, referring to the various places he has lived throughout his life. From Oklahoma to Saudi Arabia to New Zealand, it has been a whirlwind of culture that has influ- _ enced his path in service learning. Born in a tiny town called Oolagah in Okla- homa, Perry is familiar with the experience of different cultures. When you have lived in Christ- church, New Zealand for nearly five years, a tran- sition even to a seemingly mild area like Cullowhee can feel like an entirely different life. Though he only be- gan his job at Western Carolina on August 1, Perry involved himself with service learning on acampus before. While living in Christchurch, New Zealand, he finished up his PhD in service Jearning and began some of these questions. We dont, as policy, typically give out notifi- cations to:excuse some- one from class, said Buchanan. Ifa student comes to the Health Cen- ter to be seen, we will, upon the students re- quest provide them with a note that they can give to their professors that says the student has been to Health Services. However, this note only says that the student was at the doctors office and is not liable in excusing - astudent from class. The absentee policy is dictated by the faculty, and may be different for each member..According to Buchanan, it is their policy and how they govern their classes. All the Health and Wellness Center is responsible for doing is validating that a student is not lying when they inform their profes- sor that they were not in class because they were at the Health and Well- ness Center at that time. Communication is an important factor when it comes to the absentee policy. It is the students job to keep their pro- . fessors aware of their: absences, not the Student Health Services. Also, when students let their professors know what is going on, they may be more likely to work things out with them. T find that 97 percent of the time if you just communicate with your professors, they will be very willing to work with you, stated Buchanan. Now, there will be the few who have attendance policies that are stricter ' than others, but I find, in general, if theres no communication it is more difficult to make arrange- ments. When asked what ill - nesses were considered excusable from class, Pam replied that infec- tious illnesses where the student is contagious and is in danger of passing it on to others are excus- able. Also if a'student has an injury like a broken leg and had to have surgery, then they would be excused from class as well. However, with excus- able absences comes the balance between accommodations and the demands of classes. According to Buchanan, there will be instances where students are sick enough for isolation or bed rest. For those oc- casions, they will get a handwritten note from their provider suggest- ing that they should miss class. Although, even with the suggestion from - the students doctor, it is still up to the professor as to whether or not they should excuse the ab- sence. In the case that a student is hospitalized, Student Health Services will work things out with Student Affairs. Accord- ing to Buchanan, they will make sure that the * hospitalized student has a documented medical absence, and they will email the professor that documentation. The student will also be sent a copy that email for further proof if circum- stances call for it. Unfortunately, trag- edies make their appear- ances in our lives, and we are faced with unex- pected afflictions. When asked what happens if a student has a termi- nal illness, Buchanan responded that most likely the student would withdraw from school. In the circumstance that a student has a life-altering illness that may require hospitalization at times, Health Services would provide support for them. If you need ongoing lab work, you need a re- check or you just need to talk to someone frequent- ly, were here to do that, Buchanan declared. Most likely the student will have a specialist . somewhere who we'll partner with. Hypothetically, a stu- dent is diagnosed with an illness during their stay at WCU. If this were to happen, the Student Health Services would work with the student and help them figure out what their diagnosis is. _ When addressing this Perry began work as the new WCU director for the Center Photo by Jamie North/Staff of Service Learning on Aug. 1. working on the campus, studying the impact of, service learning in the classroom. Living ina different culture meant having to adjust to different ways of life. One difficulty he found himself faced with was a difference in accents, such as when a friend he had made in New Zealand seemed to be sending him toa porn shop to buy anew record player. She was talking about a pawn shop, but with the accent, it sounded like she was saying porn shop, which was quite silly in the moment: We all had a good laugh about it, said Perry. Or, perhaps, the dif- ficulties that came with learning a whole new: countrys sport teams. He shared a mistake he | made in telling some friends that their son, being such a healthy, growing boy, would end up playing for the Silver Ferns a womans net- ball team. Thankfully, his company laughed it off. You realize very quickly that people from. different cultures, in dif- ferent parts of the world, laugh at similar things, said Perry. We all want someone to like us. We want to feel appreciated. We want to be respected. Life in New Zealand, however, was not all jokes. In September of 2010, Christchurch, New Zealand, was hit witha 7.1 earthquake. Although there were no deaths, there was extensive recovery that needed to take place to make areas livable again. Just afew months later, in February of 2011, a 6.3 earthquake would strike, leaving approximately 200 people dead. Nine thousand stu- dents from the University of Canterbury banded together under the leadership of Sam John- subject, Buchanan gave the disease Ulerative Col- lides as an example. College age is a com- mon age for a student to develop Ulcerative Coli- tis, said Buchanan. It is a condition where all the foods you have eaten before probably make you sick to your stomach. This is going to become a life-long problem for you. Your diet completely changes, your habit completely change, you have a flare-up of illness that usually lands you in the hospital, and you may go on supportive medica- tion where you have IV infusions every three to four weeks to keep you okay. This illness is hard to cope with because of frequent waves of nausea and sickness, and you are forced to adapt to a new diet. Those students will most likely miss class quite a bit. In that case, we may help them figure out what the problem is and suggest a special- ist appropriate for their diagnosis. _ Students had mixed emotions about whether or not they believed the: attendance policy is fair. One of my professors was pretty strict with attendance, said sopho- more Sammie Watson. _T was gone one Monday and came back Wednes- day with a doctors note. We had a quiz the day I came back. I was expect- ing to be able to postpone son, a-personal student of Perrys, in order to help bring Christchurch back into livable condi- tions. There were many issues to deal with, such as the liquefaction that . busted through the newly formed cracks in the ground or rebuilding electric and water sys- tems. Even today, there are places in Christ- church that still do not have access to running water. ' Through this effort, Perry shared that he was able to create a new cur- riculum at the University _ of Canterbury. It was called CHCH 101, short for Caring Helping Col- lecting Healing, and it required the prerequisite of documentation proving the student had assisted in the community in the wake of the earthquakes. It was the third service learning course to be es- tablished at the universi- ty, and over 300 students have already enrolled. Furthermore, research has been gathered from it to prove that service learning is hugely benefi- cial to everyone involved, an ideal that is close to Lane Perrys heart. Paul Loeb, author of Soul of a Citizen and _asoon-to-be-visitor of Western Carolina Univer- sitys campus, wrote, A taking the quiz, but he still made me take it. T think its pretty fair . because as long as you get your work done you dont get in trouble, replied freshman Stepha- nie Branch when asked about the policy. I mean JI dont skip out of class and havent been sick yet so I wouldnt really know, but I do sympathize with the people who are sick or have to miss class because of activities with organizations theyre involved in, because they have to have a form to prove that they were sick or that they were ona trip with their club. And, it costs money to go to the doctor and get proof, added freshman Taylor Hunter. I dont see why someone should have to do that if they have something as small as a stomach bug. No matter what the case is, it is important to be judicious when it * comes to absences from class. Only miss if you are really sick and are in danger of passing it on to others, you have been hurt badly or you are in need of hospitalization. Do not skip because your hair appointment falls around the same time as your English class. The student body here at WCU is expected to take their academics seriously and be in class so they may better their college: education. [ a mind that admits no new light eventually withers. Sometimes those who op- pose us have the most to teach us. Perry believes . this is an important part of service learning on any campus, and that his - past experiences with culture have only proven this to him. At the end of the day, it is all about getting out there and getting in- volved in the community. Perry insists that his most rewarding opportu- nities have been when he has been able to apply his own personal skills to a situation and, as a result, help the community be- | cause of it. Opportunities are easier to take advantage of than they are to ignore at this institution, said Perry. The opera- tive word there is take advantage of. Thats you having to do something. Whether you're at the University of Canter- bury, Oxford University, Harvard, Piedmont Com- munity College, Stanford, the University of Central Oklahoma, it doesnt matter. If you sit in your room and go through the motions, youd have the exact same experiences anywhere. Its what you | do that will separate your experience from anyone elses. Explore the outdoors with help from Base Camp Cullowhee By Laura Odom Staff Writer Are you looking for something fun and excit-_. ing to do on campus? Do you want to meet people who enjoy the things you like to do? Base Camp Cullowhee is the place to be. Base Camp offers a diverse range of engag- Ing events throughout the academic and calendar year for students, faculty and friends. Andrew Blease, a parks and recreation major, stated that he gained several important skills while working with Base Camp. He stated, Through Base Camp, I have had the opportunity to gain practical experience in my field. I have been able to gain leadership skills in addition to honing my personal skills in moun- tain biking, climbing and the outdoors in general. Blease discussed the var- ious activities and events that Base Camp hosts. These events include roll clinics, belay clin- ics, hiking trips, rafting trips and an assortment of other excursions and events. For a complete list of the activities planned for this year, go to www. wcu.edu/8986.asp. Base Camp is also the host of the First Ascent, a Freshman Wilderness Orientation program, which gives ineoming freshmen the opportu- nity to meet new people while having a wonderful hiking or rafting experi- ence. The students who go on this trip have the opportunity to make connections with other people they will encoun- ter around campus. In addition to offer- ing discounts for stu- dents and faculty, Base Camp has an exclusive club called the Wild Cat Club. The club is for the people who are invested in outdoor activities and enjoy daily or weekly excursions. As Wild Cats, students and faculty have the opportunity to go on exclusive trips and also receive discounts on an unlimited amount of excursions, keep your paperwork on file anda $10 credit for equipment rental. Also, a Wild Cat member can receive the monthly newsletter that highlights events coupled with photos. A student or faculty member can enjoy the above listed perks for only $35 per semester or $60 per year. Blease stated, [It] re- ally does pay offinthe , end, especially if you are someone who is inter- ested in going on multiple trips. The Wild Cat Club furthers the affordability of the events that Base ~ Camp Cullowhee offers. It is a wise investment for those who want to take full advantage of the ad- ventures that the Appala- chian Mountains have to offer, In addition to offering specific events for stu- dents to broaden their skills in the outdoors, Base Camp also works on preserving the outdoors by abiding by the hik- ing/camping rules such as leave no trace and work to keep trails clean and clear for use. They are currently working to produce a 6.1 mile moun- tain bike loop across from the main campus. This trail is slated to open in mid-October. Together with the Uni- versity Center and other recognized organizations on campus, Base Camp Cullowhee also hosts | the single largest river clean-up in the nation. The Tuck River Clean-Up - is compiled of anywhere from 500-1,000 people who clean 27 miles of the Tuckasegee River. This event is held every spring. For more information, contact Base Camp Cullo- whee at 828-227-3633. Base Camp Cullo- whee offers the students and faculty of WCU the chance to step out of their comfort zone to learn new skills. It also allows the opportunity to hone and build upon skills that people have already ac- quired. It is a wonderful alternative to the many negative activities that permeate the university life.

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University's student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 2012-09-28
• Extent
  • Dimension: 22.50" x 11.5"
  • Pages: 12
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
  • Western Carolina University -- Periodicals
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Cullowhee (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_2012-09-28_Vol78_No09
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library