Day in the Life of President Shonrock Page 5 The students’ voice since 1901 • Vol. 113 • No. 7 • Thursday, October 24, 2013 • Check us out online
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Highs and lows Kan. legislators talk higher ed of hookah budget on
K ati S trickland strickland@esubulletin.com
Hookah, also known as shisha, goza, or chica in other countries, has recently spiked in popularity, along with being more socially accepted around the nation, according to Mochi magazine. But what effects does it actually have on the body? Is hookah “safe?” Hookah can be used as an alternative to smoking cigarettes, while others enjoy it and see it as a fun, exotic experience. Teenagers and college age students use hookah to socialize, a habit that started in other cultures that Americans have picked it up from, said Mary McDaniel, assistant director of Student Wellness. “I’ve only been one time to a hookah bar for my friend’s 18th birthday party, and I could see why some people would see it entertaining,” said Nicole Henderson, sophomore prepharmacy major. In moderation, hookah does not cause many effects on the body, but one way it differs from other tobacco products is its ability to be used for a longer period of time. A misconception of it is that may be a safer activity compared to the use of other tobacco or alcohol products but that is not always the case. “Some studies actually show that it may even be worse because a lot of the hookah sessions last an hour or more, with smoke being drawn deeper into the lungs than a typical cigarette smoker,” McDaniel said. Kenton Hallowell, sophomore business major, said he tried smoking hookah with some of his friends a little after his 18th birthday.
“It does give you a little head high in a way, and I like it because it relaxes me,” Kenton said. Kenton said he smokes it a couple times a month with a group of friends. He also has an electronic hoo-
Photo illustration by Jon Coffey
’3+2’ program opens up opportunities in engineering E mma D e P riest depriest@esubulletin.com On Oct. 15, the Presidents of Emporia State and Wichita State signed an agreement that allows students to attend both schools for a grand total of five years, and in that time receive two degrees. The dual degree program, sometimes referred to as a ‘three-two’ program, will allow students studying for a mathematics or physics degree at ESU to transfer after three years to WSU, where they will then continue their education for two more years in engineering. “I did a lot of the leg work,” said DeWayne Backhus, executive director of strategic planning in the President’s Office. Backhus worked with ESU and WSU’s administration and mathematics and physics departments to create a strictly organized curriculum that would allow students to quickly enter and finish both degrees with little hassle. “It has to be worked out very
carefully, because in order for the student to get the degree through ESU we have to accept some of the work the student does there,” said David Cordle, provost and vice president of academic affairs. “And the reverse is also true. For the engineering degree there in Wichita State to be awarded, they have to count some of the work that is done here at Emporia State.” Although the idea for the program may seem new, ESU already has a few standing dual-degree arrangements with the University of Kansas and Kansas State, as well as Cleveland Chiropractic College and a few pharmacy schools. These programs, which were also made possible through key work from Backhus, have been in place since the 1970s, Cordle and Backhus said this particular program will be useful for students interested in careers in aeroengineering, mechanical engineering, or engineering technology in renewable energy. Cordle pointed out two advan-
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kah stick that he uses – sometimes by himself. According to the Center for Disease Control, these battery-powered devices turn liquid containing nicotine, flavorings and other chemicals into a vapor, which is then inhaled. “I have a lot of friends that do use tobacco products and have never tried hookah before, so I don’t think it is addictive for me in any way,” Kenton said. “I’ve done it a handful of times but I don’t have a desire to do it. I just think it’s fun to do some times.” McDaniel said people are able to casually smoke hookah, but it is not something tobacco users should turn to because they think it is safer. In hookah, the water pipe indirectly heats the tobacco. Then, the resulting smoke passes through a column of water before being inhaled through the mouthpiece. These two unique features of hookah are assumed to minimize its tobacco-related health hazards. Also, water pipe smoke is made at a lower temperature than cigarette smoking, which suggests the toxins through hookah are different than other tobacco prices, according to Oxford Journals International Journal of Epidemiology. One of the more short term issues that can be followed from hookah is sickness McDaniel has seen these cases come from the usage of hookah. “Anything that can be spread through be either respiratory or oral discretions can be transmitted that way from minor to very serious,” McDaniel said.
college tour
S usan W elte editor@esubulletin.com On Wednesday, Oct. 22 Kansas state legislators and university officials gathered at Emporia State to discuss budgets for higher education institutions. The legislators will visit all of the regent universities within the next two weeks. The legislators and officials gathered in the Skyline Dining Room for a meal, followed by a questionand-answer session with President Michael Shonrock. Here, legislators
were able to direct their questions to Shonrock based on ESU’s answers to questions they were given in September. In this first session, Rep. Jerry Henry said three questions are going to have to be posed – do they replace the 3 percent cut the state imposed this year, make level funding for regent universities or impose another three percent budget cut? “I think there is a real possibility that another cut may be discussed,”
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Kameron Neal, senior computer science major, tells legislators about the ways Emporia State has helped him as a student and a former Hornet athlete Tuesday afternoon in the Skyline Dining Room of the Memorial Union. Three other students shared their own stories during the closing session of the legislative visit. Will Austin/The Bulletin