Volume 54, Issue 27
Thursday, January 28, 2010
STAYING HEALTHY IS A POSSIBLITY ON CAMPUS By Ivanna Avalos
Arts and Entertainment Editor
KENNETH HO / THE STATESMAN
Although some students might not think so, the Roth food court is one of many campus locations that offer healthy alternate choices.
In the Quest for Marriage Couples Face Long Path By Frank Posillico News Editor
ISSUE
IN THIS
All Daniel R. Pinello and Lee Nissensohn wanted was to get married. In protest, they walked through the doors of Oyster Bay Town Hall two summers ago asking for a marriage license. They were denied, and all they could do was stand there in civil disobedience and be issued summonses for trespassing. “On that day, everything kind of changed dramatically for us,” said
Pinello, a non-practicing attorney, who before that day never broke a law in his life. Pinello and Nissenshon are just two of the thousands who are unable to say ‘I do’ to the one they love. Across the country, marriage equality has become a heated issue. In the last year alone, Iowa and Vermont have legalized same-sex marriage, while in New York the bill was defeated 38 to 24 in the senate, ending the debate until the next election. In New Jersey a bill was also
recently defeated in January. Marriage, or the ‘M word,’ as Pinello puts it, has a religious meaning to people. According to a May 2009 Gallop poll,, 47 percent of people in the United States believe that marriage between couples of the same sex should be legal. But when the question is reworded and the word marriage is taken out, 56 percent said gay and lesbian couples should be legally recognized. Marriage has a rich religious history and a more modern legal definition.
The debate that many hear is about religious issues rather then legal rights. They want the ability to care for their dying spouse and not worry about medical insurance coverage. “Marriage is complicated,” said Michael Kimmel, a professor of sociology at Stony Brook University who studies gender. “It’s two things at once and we have a hard time disentangling them.” The reasons for marriage See MARRIAGE on 3
The line for the salad station at Roth Food Court, one of Stony Brook University’s dining halls, has grown longer each day throughout the semester, as students try to eat healthily on campus. Freshman Denise Conejo, from Manhattan, said maintaining a healthy lifestyle during college is important to her. “I have an under-active thyroid; it affects my weight gain,” Conejo said. “I have to be careful what I eat. I gain weight rapidly because of my thyroid.” According to a recent study, conducted by four researchers in collaboration with The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, there is more to the notorious “Freshman 15” than most students are aware of. Despite the common weight gain among college students, especially among freshmen, the university provides students with the tools to maintain a healthy lifestyle during college. The research was based on two studies, which focused on the weight gained during students’ freshman and sophomore years. In the first study, the researchers used a group of 382 students from an unnamed public university in Indiana, from 2002 to 2003. The second used a group of 382 students from an unnamed private Northeastern college, during the 2005 to 2006 school year. Their study found that students gained weight during
their freshman year, but not necessarily 15 pounds. A student is more likely to gain five to seven pounds his or her freshman year, but will continue to gain more weight the following year—two to three pounds more. Students at the public university gained more weight than those at the private college, though the study does not suggest why. “Students complain about weight gain every year, it’s not limited to first year,” said Stony Brook Campus Nutritionist Leah Holbrook. She works as a part of Student Health Services. “I’ve gained 20 pounds since high school,” said senior Alex De Leon. “I’m just trying to watch what I eat now,” he added. Holbrook helps students with various health issues and personal diets. She sees students in a one-on-one session and assesses how much help they need, whether they need quick tips on how to eat healthily on campus or long term help, such as those who are excessively overweight or obese. “I’ll generally see a patient two or three times depending on their case,” said Holbrook. Holbrook’s sessions are a free service provided by the university for undergraduate students. Students can meet with her for 12 sessions a semester. Exercise was a big factor in weight gain among college students. Holbrook said many students tend to become less active during college than they were in high school. She said See HEALTHY on 6
Chilling Out When the Heat Is On
La Roux Emerges From Mainstream
INDEX
Academics are the reason that all of us came to college. Sometimes though, the work gets so intense and prolonged that our grades actually begin to suffer. A student
Having dominated the British airwaves with infectious electro pop beats and ethereal, yet aggressive vocals for the past year, La Roux is set to break the American Top 40 this
News...............3 Opinion...............5 Arts.....................7 Sports ................11
today faces so much stress and pressure that it begins to take a serious toll on their attitude and day to day well being... See HEAT on 5
year, if her rise from the underground keeps up. The 21-year-old London native Elly Jackson, known for her androgynous looks... See LA ROUX on 7