Things to do on campus

help get more students to participate in events. “I know CAPBoard tries really hard to bring events to campus that students would like,” Bride said.

To find out what students are interested in, student activities distributes assessments to students at the beginning of the year and plan to do it again during the spring semester for more feedback.

Campus Activity Programming Board also gives surveys to students on events already planned to happen, hoping to get their input for the event.

JILLIAN MILAM FEATURESEDITOR JGM726@CABRINI EDU

It’s on the faucet you reach for in the morning. It’s on the doorknob you twist as you leave for class. It’s on the computer mouse you use a hundred times a day. That’s right…I’m talking about bacteria. And it’s everywhere you can, or can’t, imagine.

After taking samples from various surfaces around Cabrini’s campus, bacteria grew on nearly every petri dish in the microbiology lab of a local hospital in Lansdale, Pa.

From a bathroom door, to a faucet, to a toilet flusher to a computer mouse in Founder’s Hall, fungus, bacillus, diphtheroids, staphylococcus and streptococcus bacteria grew. Put simply for all of the non-scientists out there, these types of bacteria listed are considered “normal” for everyday surfaces, such as the ones in Founder ’s Hall. Although they might be “normal,” most bacteria have the potential to get any one of us sick from breathing it into our lungs or by touching the bacteria and then touching an open wound or your mouth, creating the possibility of ingesting it into your system.

Sample number one: a toilet flusher in the women’s room in Founder’s Hall. The results, shown in the picture above on the left, revealed a mixture of staphylococcus and streptococcus.

“You could possibly get really sick from the feces particles on the flusher or in the air,” Rebecca Milam, a microbiologist, said.

“You could get E. Coli, which we all know about from raw hamburgers from fast food joints.” That’s right everyone. Feces. Next time you almost fall over from attempting to flush the toilet with your right foot and balancing your book bag on your shoulder, think to yourself, it’s worth it.

“I’ll bet you the inside of a toilet is cleaner than the toilet flusher itself!” Jackie Davis, a microbiologist, said.

Sample number two: the inside of a bathroom door on the second floor of Founder’s Hall. The results? Bacillus. People can breathe this type of bacteria into their lungs, which normally then gets excreted through urine.

H o w t o h e l p c o n t r o o l b a c t e r i a g r o w t h

* Wash your hands in hot soapy water

* Use antibacterial gel/lotion throughout the day

* Wipe down door knobs, phones, remotes and other objects freqently used with alcohol pads

* Flush with your feet, not with your hands!

Fourth and final sample: a mouse from a computer in Founder’s Hall, room 264. Enough fungus grew on this Petri dish to gross out even the toughest of the tough. “This fungus looks like asperagillus, which is airborne and can get into our lungs,” Milam said. “Asperagillus can cause your lungs to shut down and induce a severe cough.”

Whether we let our knowledge of the invisible bacteria get to us or not, it is all around us with inevitable growth. The daily items we use without a second thought, the objects that we share with friends and the others who sit next to us in class and the “I just don’t have time to wash my hands” occurrences might have more gruesome effects than you think.

Although some people might maintain the “ignorance is bliss” theory to avoid any visuals of the invisible bacteria, there are a few things we can do to prevent excess growth. Wash your hands multiple times throughout the day; alcohol swab door knobs, phones, remote controls and things alike; and just plain avoid contact with dirty objects at all costs. Use the paper towel you used to dry your hands off after washing them to open the bathroom door before throwing it out, and there’s always the handdandy leg trick to flushing toilets and holding doors open.

The attack of bacteria growth might be inevitable but we can try to control it as best we can!

NIKKI SABELLA ASST. SPORTS EDITOR NS722@CABRINI EDU

Boredom hits a student midsemester, especially when there is a foot of snow outside and nothing to do. So what is there to do besides sitting inside all day? Student activities has a long list of programs made to keep students entertained and on campus.

Anew addition to activities on campus is more weekend programs as well as programs during the week. Some of these on-campus programs include dances, game shows, bowling nights, comedians, bingo nights and concerts. Offcampus events include trips to New York City, Baltimore Inner Harbor, Washington D.C., Camden Aquarium and the Philadelphia Zoo.

“The dances tend to be our most-highly attended events, but we are getting students at the movie nights and at other events as well,”

Anne Ferry, the director of student activities, said.

“I go to the dances, but I don’t like them because it feels like we are in grade school.” Bridget Kavanagn, a freshman undecided major said. To improve activities, Kavanagn said, “I think they should bring bands, have more open-mic nights and promote the basketball games more.”

“The majority of students on this campus don’t go to these events. I don’t go because a majority of my friends don’t go,” Antho- ny Falcone, a junior human resource management major said. “I think they could have legal parties. Anyone who is 21 could drink. This would get people out more because people think that some of the events aren’t fun because alcohol isn’t there,” Falcone said.

Junior exercise science and health promotion major, Fiona Bride, thought that weekend programming could

“We’re always looking to increase attendance at events, so if students have suggestions, we’d love to hear them,” Ferry said. Ferry also stressed the fact that the department was more than willing to help get any prospective organizations up and running.

For more information on upcoming events go to Cabrini’s homepage at www.cabrini.edu, click on “Student Life”, then “Student Activities” and “Stuff To Do.”

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