SPARTAN ECHO STAFF SAYS GOODBYE TO "THE KING OF POP" MICHAEL JOSEPH JACKSON
Swine flu remains a threat to campus community by Lauren Lea
Swine flu, also called the H1N1 virus, first appeared in the news at the time of its first U.S. out-break in April. The media frenzy over the disease may have died down since, but the rate of infection has remained steady. Unfortunately, many people are still unaware of the causes and symptoms of the illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), swine flu is spread through person-to-person contact
via coughing and sneezing. The illness can also be contracted through contact with infected pigs; although, people don’t need to worry about eating or preparing pork. Swine influenza viruses are not spread by food. Symptoms of swine flu are the same as seasonal flu, including: body aches, chills, cough, fatigue, fever, headache, runny nose and sore throat. Diarrhea and vomiting may occur as well. Though the symptoms between the two
types of influenza are the same, the viruses that cause them are different. “The only way to distinguish which flu you have is by taking a blood test,” says Dr. John Anderson, medical director of the Spartan Health Center. “The seasonal flu usually affects older people and babies. As far as swine flu, young people don’t have the antibodies to protect them against it,” said Anderson. Children and adults under the age of 24 are especially susceptible to the H1N1 virus. Older persons are more resilient to this particular strain of influenza because they have been exposed to similar viruses in the past. As of Sept. 3, the CDC documented 593 deaths and 9,079 hospitalized cases in the U.S. In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include: difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion, and severe or persistent vomiting. Emergency warning signs for children that need urgent medical attention include: fast breathing or trouble breathing, bluish skin color, not drinking enough fluids, not waking up or not interacting, being so irritable that the child does not want to be held, fever with a rash, or flu-like
Increase in enrollment causes problems in housing by Latiece Brown Swinefluremainsasathreattocampuscommunity
The student population at Norfolk State University has continued to grow over the past few years. In the spring, Office of Residence Life and Housing received far more applications for oncampus housing than it could fulfill. RLH at NSU was unable to place a large number of students in residence halls this semester. With 6,325 students enrolled this semester, 1,636 were new students, not including graduate students. On-campus housing can only
accommodate 2,400 spaces in the dormitories; therefore, not everyone who applies for housing can be accommodated. This year 1,209 freshmen enrolled, compared to 1,188 in 2008 and 995 students in 2007. The hotel accommodations are used for those students who paid the $300 deposit close, on, or after the application deadline. Because these students paid the deposit, they had to be placed somewhere. Those that didn't pay were placed on a waiting
SPARTAN ECHO
list. Currently there are about 530 names on the waiting list for housing. Various student and faculty accomplishments have garnered the school much attention. Prospective students coming to First View and events such as Homecoming have helped spark growth. “The web is our number one recruiter, that and college fairs,” said Terricita Sass, interim executive Director of Enrollment EMail:
Sen. Creigh Deeds makes appearance during Labor Day Classic by Jevonya Hughes
With the gubernatorial election less than three months away, Sen. Creigh Deeds, the Democratic candidate for governor, took the opportunity to introduce himself to the Norfolk State community. During the annual Labor Day Classic, Deeds shook hands and greeted the public in hopes to inform potential voters about key points of his platform. The stop was the last of several including Old Dominion University's home opener football game and Afr'Am Festival during the Senator’s two day visit to the Hampton Roads Area. During Deed's visit, he addressed his plan on education with much emphasis on higher education and job training. “Students shouldn't be blocked from college because of money,” said Deeds who has implemented a higher education plan, a 'four year plan' that will allow any student who completes four years of high school the opportunity to go to college. Since 2000, state funding per student at Virginia colleges and universities has declined $4,000 per student. Deeds has established several ways in which students will be able to afford college, some of these include