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Independent Collegian IC The
www.IndependentCollegian.com 92nd year Issue 33
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Serving the University of Toledo since 1919
Fake masturbation poster sweeps college campuses By Danielle Gamble Copy Chief
Posters asking male students to stop masturbating in residence hall showers have sparked the interest of students campus wide. Director of Residence Life Jo Campbell said though the posters had UT’s seal on them, they were merely a hoax and were not endorsed by the university. The signs, which appeared in Academic House as early as late November and as recent as last week, asked male residents to “masturbate in [their] own room” since the pipe systems are damaged by excess semen every year. When asked if “semen-related costs run into the thousands,” Campbell denied the claim. This sign has been posted at other universities including Bowling Green State University and the University of Michigan for several years, according to Campbell. Kevin Blanch, A-House hall director, has also seen these
Poster recreation
Fake posters asking male students to stop masturbating in residence hall showers have been posted in Academic House.
posters on Facebook in dif- they could face repercusferent forms for about five sions from the university. “You can’t use UT’s logo for years. “Students take it upon something that’s not authothemselves to change the let- rized by the university, so it terhead to their correspond- would be a conduct charge ing school and I’ve seen it … through our office of Student at least 10 different times Conduct,” Campbell said. “It would be a viowith differof the ent school A good punish- lation Student Code information ment for [whoever of Conduct.” on it,” Natasha FishBlanch said. put up the posters] er, a freshman Blanch would be for them to majoring in enand Camphave to clean the v i r o n m e n t a l bell said the showers. science who prank is diflives at Aficult to House, said she trace and Natasha Fisher didn’t like the they have Freshman, posters bebeen unable Environmental Science cause they to find the could make male students culprit. “People who place those feel self-conscious. “A good punishment for things in residence halls are prosecuted frequently, so it’s [whoever put up the posters] not something we condone,” would be for them to have to Blanch said. “But again, it’s clean the showers,” she said. Corey Povenmire, a freshhard to police because anybody with a computer can man majoring in chemical engineering who also lives at make those changes.” To students who are con- A-House, initially believed sidering repeating this practi- the posters were real but cal joke, Campbell warns now sees them as a “good
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Professor discusses broken heart syndrome By Megan M. Vollmer IC Staff Writer
Megan Payne, a senior majoring in physical therapy, was involved in an unhealthy relationship where her partner often cheated and lied about it. “Going through a heartache, especially at such a young age, emotionally and mentally drained me,” she said. “He gave me trust issues and completely changed my outlook on relationships for a long time.” While many people may suffer from heartache at some point in their life, they may not realize severe heartache can cause a condition known as “broken heart syndrome.” Patients suffering from broken heart syndrome will come to the emergency room because they think they are having a heart attack, according to William Colyer, assistant professor of medicine on the Health Science Campus. The patient’s blood work will be similar to that of a
heart attack patient and the patient also experiences chest discomfort, heavy breathing and weak heart muscle pumping. “Broken heart syndrome is a condition similar to a heart attack, but there is no blockage within the arteries,” Colyer, the director of cardiology research, said. He said broken heart syndrome is also known as a stress-induced cardiomyopathy, a condition in which stress causes the heart muscle to weaken. Liza Halloran, clinic director for the Department of Psychology, said negative relationships can cause physical and mental problems. “Those without supportive relationships have more physical indicators of poorer immune functioning,” she said. “Increased stress and reduced social support are associated with more rapid physical deterioration and increased rates of recurrence in cancer patients.” Some UT students admitted to having their heart broken or having experienced
stressful situations that negatively affected their lives. “Going through heartache is both physically and emotionally exhausting,” said Katie Krock, a senior majoring in bioengineering. “Initially, it didn’t even feel real. When it finally hit, it was overwhelming. It felt like there was literally something heavy and dead to my heart that fell down into my stomach.” Krock said experienced lose sleep, lose her appetite and suffer in her school work. “I wasn’t sleeping, and I felt so sick to my stomach that I couldn’t eat either,” she said. “I didn’t want to focus on the present − I wanted to live in the good times of the past, so I kind of shut off from reality.” The stress from heartache like this is not only mentally exhausting but it affects much deeper aspects of the anatomy, according to Halloran. “When people are under — Broken heart, Page A2
Ryan Clair / IC
‘Abolish Coroporate Parenthood’
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Broken heart syndrome is a condition similar to a heart attack, but there is no blockage within the arteries.
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William Colyer Assistant professor of medicine on UT’s Health Science Campus
The Citizens United Supreme Court case was debated last night at the Law Center Auditorium by Bradley A. Smith, a professor of law at Capital University, and Greg Coleridge, director of the Northeast Ohio American Friends Service Committee. Their debate was on the 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission Supreme Court case in which the Supreme Court, by a 5 to 4 decision, determined it was unconstitutional to prohibit the government from placing limits on independent corporate spending for political purposes by corporations and unions.
joke.” “I figured the janitors or the maintenance people were having trouble, so they decided to put the posters up,” he said. “I laughed, sent some pictures back home to my friends, and they laughed too.” Povenmire believes whoever is responsible should be left alone and face minimal consequences because it wasn’t too serious of a crime. While students have shared many a joke over the antimasturbation posters, staff members such as Blanch are not laughing. “I think anytime you’ve got a student who believes that something comes from the university, it could be a problem, and we’re taking every step we can to remedy that,” Blanch said. “My [Resident Advisers] have let me know about it and I’ve let them know if they see the poster in physical form to take it down and to try and ascertain who’s responsible.”
UT community donates 240 pints of blood
File photo by Nick Kneer / IC
Blood collected during the blood drive will be shipped to 23 area hospitals after being tested and cleared for disease. By Vincent D. Scebbi Managing Editor
Mark Silver’s fear of needles doesn’t stop him from donating a pint of blood when he can. “I’ve donated eight to 10 times and I’m very afraid of needles,” the junior chemistry major said. “It still doesn’t stop me. I hope I can give enough blood to get to a point where I can overcome that fear.” Silver was one of many donors who attended the UTsponsored Red Cross blood drive this week in the Student Union Building Ingman Room. Kerri Rochelle, senior recruitment representative for the American Red Cross Western Lake Erie Blood Services Region, said approximately 69 pints were donated Monday, 75 pints were given Tuesday and 96 were donated yesterday, making the total 240 pints over the three days. She believes more people heard about the drive throughout the week and that caused the increase in donors. Rochelle said yesterday was exceptionally busy with some students waiting approximately two hours to donate. Rochelle said the numbers are lower than their goal, which was 90 pints each day. She thinks a few different
factors, such as the colder weather and less activity in Student Union, contributed to the low donation count. Mike Rogers, a sophomore majoring in nursing, said less people donate blood in general because they do not see where their blood goes. “It’s like a drop in the bucket,” Rogers said. “If they saw the final result, it might change their mind. Unless you work in a hospital, you don’t see how much blood a person goes through. It’s odd more people don’t donate. The idea [of donating blood] is abstract and people don’t see the immediate benefit.” Rochelle said the donated blood is taken from UT to the Red Cross’ regional laboratory, located at 1111 Research Dr., where it is tested for diseases and, once cleared, is shipped to 23 area hospitals. “Just think — the blood you donated yesterday could possibly go into a patient tomorrow,” Rochelle said. Donated blood can be separated and given to patients as platelets, red blood cells or plasma, which is why Rochelle said one pint of blood has the ability to save three lives. Although the drive yielded — Blood, Page A2