New study shows binge drinking a widespread problem on campuses by Alexis Strizziere, Cheryl Wagstaff and Paul Williams sports editor, sports editor and web editor
Binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks in a row for men, and four or more drinks in a row for women. A drink is defined as a 12-ounce can or bottle of beer, a four-ounce glass of wine or a shot of liquor either taken straight or in a mixed drink. Director of Public Safety Charles Schaffner said, "What do you call a sitting? Five drinks in a couple of hours, that's a different story." Now lets tell a different story. According to a college alcohol study b) the Harvard School of Public Health, over two million of the eight million college students in the United States drove under the influence in 1999 and on an average day in the U.S. four college students die in an accident mvoh·ing dcohul. Two uul , ,f five college students 1s a binge drinker. Eight million college students is a lot of kids, so where does Cabrini stand in regard to other colleges and universities? "Cabrini falls in with the average college campus as far as drinking rates arc concerned. We are no better and no worse," David Cai:penter, director of residence life, said. "I do not feel as though Cabrini's rates for binge drinkers are as high as the national average. We are a positive community
member here and we are proud to represent that image," Carpenter said .. Resident Director Trish Arnold feels that drinking is a widespread problem on campus. She has noticed that the problems that exist on campus that are drinking related usually can be attributed to the same group of students. "There definitely is a certain group of students on campus that drinks together. We spend 90 percent ofourtime on 10 percent of the students," Carpenter said. "When students travel together in packs of 50-60 students drinking all over campus, something needs to be done to protect the welfare of the students:• Arnold wants to make sure that the students here realize that they do not have it so bad. She recalled a time when she nnticed a couple of Eastern srudents on Cabrin:"s campus. One Ol the Eastern students told her that he received a $300 fine for smoking on campus. ··People seem to think that \\e don't want the students to drink here. Our drinking regulations fall in line with Pennsylvania state law. This is not a free alcohol zone; there must be safe drinking here on campus," Carpenter said. photo by Katie Reing
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Empty beer bottles and cans surround the aftermath of a drunken rampage in House Six.
3 students awarded for research papers by Catharine Hernson perspectives editor
The Eastern Psychological Association accepted five Cabrini students' research papers, and three were presented for regional research awards. The five students represented the school well at the Psi Chi awards. Kristin Zilienslci, Terry Murry, Lauren Donati, Lauren Kitchen and Maria Ludlow went to Boston to present their research papers. The three that won received $300 checks and all the participants are now looking at great graduate
school opportunities. Zilienski was accepted into the doctoral program at Temple University for psychology, Donati is currently being accepted to law school and Kitchen, Ludlow and Murry plan to work for a year before attending graduate school. • Cabrini received the most awards of all the schools that entered the competition. "We had students do very well," Dr. M.L. Sicoli said. She was very proud of the group and how they presented their work to the association. Kitchen, a double major in psychology and special education,
will enter her research paper into the national journal, Psi Chi. Each of the students presented very different research. Kitchen's research was on how children with handicapped siblings view themselves versus the way children without handicapped siblings view themselves. Sicoli was pleased with the results of the research. Kitchen found that both groups have similar self concepts. Murry researched the effects of anxiety and how it helps or hinders academic acpievement.
Loquitur would like to congratulate the following students accepted Into Psi
Chi: • Kristin Zilienski • Terry Murry • Lauren Donati • Lauren Kitchen • Maria Ludlow