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The Rocket www.theonlinerocket.com
Friday, September 14, 2012
Marijuana harmful to teens' IQ, study shows By Jason Robinson Rocket Contributor
Marijuana use by teens with stilldeveloping brains may drop their IQ by an average eight points according to a study conducted by Duke University researchers. The study was conducted with 1,037 participants from Dunedin, New Zealand. The researchers tested the IQs of participants five times from the ages of 13 to 38. Researchers compared their IQ scores at the ages of 13 and 38, and found a drop in IQ those who had regularly smoked pot by the age of 18. Marijuana users deemed dependant on the drug lost an average of eight IQ points. Dependent means continual use of the substance even as social and physiological statuses deteriorate. “While eight IQ points may not sound like a lot on a scale where 100 is the mean, a loss from an IQ of 100 to 92 represents a drop from being in the 50th percentile to being in the 29th,” according to Madeline Meier, Duke University postdoctoral researcher. "Somebody who loses eight IQ points as an adolescent may be disadvantaged compared to their sameage peers for years to come." Earlier research has provided information that THC from marijuana has effects on the receptors of the brain causing short-term memory problems, poor motor skills, and a loss of coordination. This research coincides with interviews of family members of the Dunedin study.
“Marijuana impacts every individual in a different way,” said Chris Cubero, SRU counselor and assistant professor. “This is believed to be based on how many receptor sites are in the brain.” According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s website, marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. A Partnership Attitude Tracking (PAT) study reports that heavy marijuana is up 80 percent since 2008. Heavy use was defined by smoking marijuana at least 20 times in the last 30 days. The PAT study also showed that 51 percent of teenagers think regular marijuana use is a risky behavior. This is down from 61 percent from 2005 data. This is the first study to look into brain functions before marijuana use. More studies will have to be performed to find conclusive evidence of long-term adverse effects on the brain from marijuana use. With growing trends of teenagers having a positive attitude towards marijuana use, there is a need for new research. Marijuana doesn’t only affect the brain, but it can also affect lungs and sexual processes. “What we do know is correct is, you’re burning a substance and smoke is entering your lungs and that’s where major damage can occur,” said Cubero. “The new findings aren't definitive, but they underscore the importance of studying how marijuana may harm young people,” Ken Winters, a psychiatry professor at the University of Minnesota and senior scientist at the Treatment Research Institute said.
Slippery Rock University Student Newspaper
Est. 1934
Volume 96, Number 3
Ralphie May returns to the Rock
ALEX MOWREY/THE ROCKET Ralphie May performs before a crowd of 500 people at the new Student Center Monday Night. The event was put together by the University Program Board. See Campus Life, page C-1, for full story.
SRU 'green' ranking rises
Music Therapy Program opens clinic in Swope
By Catie Clark
By Harmony Kasper
Assistant News Editor
Rocket Contributor
Slippery Rock University has recently been named one of the nation’s 286 most Green Colleges, according to the Princeton Review. The colleges on the list must show an above average commitment to sustainability, and very few are recognized nationally for their efforts. SRU has also earned silver STARS status from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. AASHE developed STARS, which stands for Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System. STARS is a self-reporting framework that higher education institutions can utilize to assess their sustainability performance. Currently, SRU’s ranking is 49.81, which is considered Silver status. This is a 5.48 point increase from SRU’s previous Bronze status. 213 colleges and universities throughout the United States participated in this year’s STARS. One hundred institutions received the Silver ranking, and 37 received Gold. Criteria for the STARS rankings include curriculum, operations, buildings, energy consumption, purchasing, transportation and dining services. The ranking system factors in more than one hundred criterion. Part of the increased STARS ranking at SRU relates to President Cheryl J. Norton’s approved Climate Action Plan, which lays out the procedures for reducing greenhouse gases and achieving climate neutrality in 25 years or less. SEE SRU, PAGE A-2
He fathered his siblings and was a leader who was relied upon. Despite the time of mourning, Dils never missed a day of school during that time. Throughout Dils’s childhood, his father, Arthur, raised all three children. Because of this, Dils and his siblings grew closer to their father. Dils’ father is an attorney and wasn’t at home sometimes. Dils would let him know if there was an emergency. Dils’ father would help him find a balance between football and education. “We were just tight, and I’m interested in what he is doing,” Dils said. “I’m extremely proud of
A new music therapy clinic opened at SRU for the Music Therapy Program for current students to work with community members who have special needs. On September 27, the clinic will officially be named the Sue Shuttleworth Music Therapy Clinic, in honor of the retired assistant professor and founder of the Music Therapy Program at Slippery Rock University. Susan Hadley, director of the Music Therapy Program and a board certified music therapist, stated that the clinic would give students a hands-on experience right here on campus. All music therapy students must complete 200 pre-internship clinical hours as part of their degree requirements. Students are able to work with music therapists working in facilities in the surrounding areas, but time constraints and distance necessary to travel sometimes can make this difficult. Now they will also have the chance to complete many of their preinternship hours on campus. “It is a win-win situation,” Hadley said. “The students get hands on experience under our close supervision, and people in the area have the opportunity to engage in music therapy.” "The Music Therapy Program is one of our
SEE RECEPTION, PAGE A-3
SEE NEW, PAGE A-2
ALEX MOWREY/THE ROCKET
New Dean introduced College of Education welcomes Dils By Erica Kurvach Rocket Staff Reporter
Dr. Keith Dils, the new Dean of the College of Education, was 12 years old when his mother died from aplastic anemia, a disease where bone marrow stops making blood cells. “You know?” Dils said. “We have such a short period of time on this earth.” Dils said that the doctors did a lot of experimentation with medication on his mother, Helen Dils. “She was a fighter,” Dils said. “She gave all she had.” Dils was the oldest son and helped the family.