Fungus foundby contactlens wearers

NIKKI SABELLA A&EEDITOR

Ns722@CABRINI.EOU cool to learn or show interest in learning. But at Bodine everyone shared that interest. The teachers actually cared about teaching; it showed in the way they paced back and forth from the chalkboards to their podium. Teachers at Germantown usually taught from their desks."

Bausch & Lomb Inc., United States soft-contact-product maker, is in the line of fire of a potential class-action lawsuit from probable correlation between their contact solution and serious eye infections.

According to information cited by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Bodine High School had one of the highest percentages of students taking the SATs in the city. In regards to the number of ~igible students who were preparing to take the SAT in 2005, Bodine showed a percentile of 98.

Eric said, "While I was at Germantown, I always felt like a high school diploma was the end. But, at Bodine I felt like I bad to go to college. We were always in the auditorium for some sort of SAT course. When the time came, the guidance counselor would make her rounds from classroom to classroom handing out fee waivers for the SAT."

As the statistics imply, Bodine High School for International Affairs and the other high-ranking schools have a curriculum that is geared towards educational advancement. The percentages of students taking the SAT are greater because the notion of higher education is being enforced, whether it may be at a vocational institute, a small liberal arts college or a state funded university.

The academic rankings of Philadelphia's most esteemed public high schools appear to be, according to Philadelphia Inquirer, only in competition with those of private high schools. Like residents in other cities and townships, adolescents are not resigned to attending public schools, whether they may be the typical neighborhood high school or one of the more academically distinguished magnet schools. There are options.

In fact, there are a number of privately funded , institutions throughout the city. These private schools are just as exclusive as the magnet schools of the Philadelphia School District. Though there is no application process, for most of these private schools, there is a fee.

Jessica Carrion, a sophomore nursing major at Temple University, spent 13 years of her academic career as a student of private Catholic institutions, eventually graduating from South Philadelphia's St. Maria Goretti High School for Girls; she believes that the differences between public high schools and private high schools is generally a result of the tuition fees.

Another graduate from a private high schools agrees.

Gabrielle Salas, a graduate from West Philadlephfa Catholic High School, said, "When considering the differences between private and public schools, you really have to consider that students at a private school have parents who are paying for their education. Therefore, there's a sort of obligation to learn and behave properly. Sadly, students at most public high schools are there because they have to be, not because they want to be there. I guess that's why kids at these magnet schools do so well. They want to learn. They want be at school."

As of March, 2005, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that 83 percent of the applicable student population of St. Maria Goretti were planning on taking the SAT.It also stated that 80 percent of West Philadelphia Catholic High School's eligible students were going to take the SAT.

Carrion said, "St. Maria Goretti really stressed college a lot. I remember everyone had to meet with an adviser. In addition to offering SAT prep courses, there were days when class sessions were dedicated to SAT preparation."

Though private schooling does not guarantee a better education than public schools, the facts illustrated by the Philadelphia Inquirer certainly favor private institutions. For example, the lowest percentile of students preparing to take the SAT for private schools was 73 in sharp contrast to 15 percent at a public high school. With the few exceptional public high schools aside, Philadelphia public high schools are desperately in need of an awakening.

Pendleton said, "From my experience, neighborhood high schools are sad places to learn and it's not always clear cut. There are not a few students who want to learn and a majority who don't. There are many who are just lost in the middle how I was. All they need is the right type of environment, but unfortunately most of them aren't as lucky as I was to have gotten that second chance. I probably wouldn't be at Cabrini College had I not switched high schools."

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The company halted shipments of their newest contact solution ReNu with MoistureLoc on April 10 after the Food and Drug Administration and Center for Disease Control began investigations. According to www.renulawsuit.com, there were 109 cases of fungal keratitis infections from June 2005 to March 2006. Twenty-six out of the 28 cases who wore contacts used ReNu with MoistureLoc. On the website hosted by Parker & Waichman, LLP, a New Yort law firm specializing in lawsuits to do with defected medical products, offer free case evaluations and invite I those with infections to speak up.

"It makes me feel wary, but I try to take care of my contacts by disinfecting them to prevent this fungus," Erik Parrillo, a junior marketing major, said.

Fusarium keratitis is the infection or inflammation of the cornea from the entrance of fusarium, a fungus found in everyday environment. The infection could lead to blindness. According to Bausch & Lomb's website symptoms of fusarium keratitis include redness, pain, increased light sensitivity, blurry vision, discharge and swelling. It also says to immediately consult a professional in case any symptoms occur.

The infection has been found in 17 states around the U.S. It has also been recognized in Singapore and Hong Kong. According to YahooNews, ReNu multi-purpose solutions sales have stopped in those areas.

"Your eyes are one of the most important parts of your body; if someone ends up going blind because of this solution then l hope they'd take action," Lauren Edwards, a junior marketing major, said.

On Bausch & Lomb's site they stated that when reports of infection surfaced, they instantly inspected their plant for problems and found that therebas not been word yet on whether or not the case will be a class action or numerous individualcases, according to YabooNews.