TUESDAY
DAILY EGYPTIAN MARCH 5, 2013
DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
SINCE 1916
VOLUME 98, ISSUE 106
Musicians unite under one organization ELIZABETH ZINCHUK Daily Egyptian A Registered Student Organization that had no members before the fall 2012 semester now plays musical gigs around town. The RSO, Musicians United, provides playing opportunities as well as a place to practice for nonprofessional students who enjoy playing music but don’t necessarily have the equipment to jam, said copresident Torin Hopkins, a senior from Highland Park studying physiology. The organization has played at parties and events such as the Student Center’s Coffee House Series, the Feb. 9 Saluki Thon event and breast cancer awareness walks. Hopkins said Musicians United has been an group for two years, but he didn’t join until last year, when it became an official RSO. The group has about 20 students who volunteer their talents, he said. Hopkins said Musicians United is not limited to a specific music style, and set lists differ at each show. “We all have different types of music we like to play, and we create set lists based on who wants to play what song,” Hopkins said. “Our set lists are very diverse and we end up playing a lot depending on what venue.” So far, Musicians United has offered its services for free around Carbondale, he said. “There are plenty of opportunities to play music around Carbondale, and there are plenty of people who want musicians but don’t know exactly how to find them, or can’t
SARAH GARDNER | DAILY EGYPTIAN
Members of the Musicians United Southern Illinois Carbondale Registered Student Organization huddle Thursday after their sound check at the Crown Jewel Lounge in Carbondale. Group member Torin Hopkins, a senior from Highland Park studying physiology, said it was a long process to gather equipment and secure a place to play. The group plans to perform at the Crown Jewel Lounge every Thursday, Hopkins said. pay them,” Hopkins said. Hopkins said many venues are simply looking for people who can play music on short notice. Musicians United allows members who may not be as popular to perform where they otherwise
would not be able to, he said. “It’s really nice because it’s reformulating the way musicians interact with a city such as Carbondale, because there is so much (opportunity) for musicians to play there, and a lot of people
like to have their own bands,” Hopkins said. Hopkins said Musicians United usually gets together once or twice a week to practice a future venue’s set list, or just have a free-formed jam session. He said members can
choose the songs and venues they would like to perform, but most members generally attend shows and take turns playing the songs they want. Please see MUSIC | 3
Disorder’s unclear cause renders dissenting discussion JESSICA WETTIG MILES Daily Egyptian A recent news article has targeted the way people look at eating disorders. ABC News issued an article describing 6-year-old “Sophie,” a first-grader who was diagnosed with anorexia, an eating disorder characterized by starvation and overexercising. The article stated parents, media and social factors do not cause eating disorders, and there is no reasoning behind the disorder’s causes. However, the article portrayed eating disorders as more of a mystery than many campus officials agree with. Emeritus sociology professor Kathy Ward said the media should be careful when reporting stories such as these because one article can make an audience believe something that is not a trend. The story deals with one case, she said, and more research should be
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here is a strong prevalence rate for college students, ages 18-24, for eating disorders, although what is not common is seeking treatment. — Abby Bilderback Eating Disorder Outpatient Program
conducted because eating disorders are complicated. “I wouldn’t touch (the article) with a 10-foot pole,” she said. Ward said part of the 6-yearold’s case most likely deals with images exposed to young girls. Eating disorders are also based on control, she said, and sometimes when a person feels like their life is out of control, they feel the only thing they can control is what they eat, something especially true for women. However, Ward said enough information isn’t provided about the family to analyze how this child developed anorexia so young.
Abby Bilderback, Eating Disorder Outpatient Program staff counselor, said she believes the article is misleading. Bilderback said eating disorders most commonly start in adolescence or early adulthood. Multiple traumas such as divorce or sexual issues can cause an eating disorder, she said, and there is no single cause, cure or warning sign to define them. Culture sends messages about how one’s body should look, she said “If we’re exposed to (messages) through TV, through magazines, things like that, a lot of times that’s glamorized — to look a certain way or to be a certain way,” she
said. “That can have an impact on individuals, on their own view of their body and the way that they feel about their body.” Bilderback said just because a person is picked on as a child or has one kind of traumatic experience, does not mean they will develop a problem. However, she said, it usually does not result in anything positive, and each message and experience has its own unique impact on a person. “There is a strong prevalence rate for college students, ages 18-24, for eating disorders, although what is not common is seeking treatment,” she said. Bilderback said her perspective as a counselor is limited because people do not seek treatment until their illness’ later stages. Treatment is a process, and she is a small piece of that process, she said. Students said the media, as well as parents, could be anorexia risk factors. One student experienced
the issue firsthand. Charlotte Key, a sophomore from Mt. Vernon studying zoology, said she was treated for anorexia when she was 15 years old. Key said she was teased as a teenager and sought anorexia treatment when her parents and school officials noticed her problem. “Now I think I’m too thin,” she said, as she described herself as someone with a high metabolism. Key said she is shocked a 6-yearold would have such a problem. “It has to be the parents,” she said. “What (images) are they allowing her to see?” Amber Blackert, a sophomore from Mineral studying zoology, said part of the problem is today’s Disney Channel programming. Girls idolize the characters on today’s TV shows, she said. "(Little girls) don’t want to be princesses anymore," she said. "They want to be teens."