Olympic Medal Count
U.S. Germany Norway
GOLD
7 7 6
TOTAL
28 24 18
CROSSWORD Play with puzzles, page 6.
FINALLY!
Tigers win first SEC game of season, top Arkansas 65-54, page 7.
THE DAILY REVEILLE WWW.LSUREVEILLE.COM
Joule of the School
Volume 114, Issue 96
O’Connell has taught physics since 1964
“Physics is my thing.”
By Sarah Eddington Staff Writer
The University has endured many changes during the past 45 years — four tigers have earned the moniker “Mike,” and eight chancellors, including the University’s first, have lead the school. But during this nearly half century, Robert O’Connell has remained a constant fixture. O’Connell, the University’s longest-serving tenured professor, first came to the University in January 1964 and has been teaching theoretical physics ever since. “Physics is my thing,” O’Connell said. “I always knew I wanted a career in physics.” Irish-born O’Connell received his bachelor’s degree at the National University of Ireland in 1953. After completing college and working as a telecommunications engineer for four years, O’Connell said he decided to come to the U.S. for opportunities in scientific fields. “It was at a time when the U.S. was really getting into science in a big way,” O’Connell said. “That’s the main reason I came.” After getting his Ph.D, at the University of Notre Dame in 1962, O’Connell returned to Ireland to marry his fiance, Josephine, who was living there at the time. O’Connell worked at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies for a year, but said conditions in Ireland weren’t favorable for theoretical physics. He then started looking for positions in the
Thursday, February 25, 2010
FINANCES
Undergrad credit card usage, debt increasing CARD Act to protect consumers By Mary Walker Baus Contributing Writer
ERIN ARLEDGE and J.J. ALCANTARA /
The Daily Reveille
Robert O’Connell is the longest serving tenured professor at the University. First working at LSU in 1964. O’Connell teaches theoretical physics.
southern U.S., and he received an offer from LSU in January of 1964. O’Connell said he came at a fortunate time for science because the University had just received the National Science Foundation’s Centers of Excellence grant.
“This was at a time when a lot of money was being put into science,” he said. O’Connell said he was never interested in administration. TENURE, see page 19
Increasing education on and limiting the use of credit cards among young people is a key aspect of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act. Jared Bernstein, senior economic adviser to the vice president of the U.S., discussed in a conference call Tuesday the importance of including young people in consumer protection reforms within the CARD Act with college media. “The CARD Act is a key part of a number of administrative initiatives to increase the protection of consumers,” Bernstein said. “Our economy was in a recession ... because consumers as well as businesses often took on far more debt than they could viably service.” According to statistics compiled by CreditCards.com, 309 million Visa credit cards and 352 CREDIT, see page19
HEALTH
Research suggests chocolate decreases risk of stroke Antioxidants in candy promote heath
By Sarah Eddington Staff Writer
A February analysis shows chocolate isn’t only good for a sweet tooth, but may also help prevent strokes. Researchers at the St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto analyzed three prior chocolate studies and found chocolate consumption can help eliminate the risk of stroke and lower the risk of death after a stroke. Two of the three studies supported the hypothesis. In the first study, 44,489 people who
ate one serving of chocolate per week were 22 percent less likely to have a stroke than people who didn’t eat chocolate. In another study, 1,169 people who ate 50 grams of chocolate a week were 46 percent less likely to die following a stroke than people who didn’t eat chocolate. The analysis will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto in April. Heli Roy, associate nutrition professor, said the findings didn’t surprise her. “It makes perfect sense,” Roy said. “Previous research has shown chocolate prevents heart disease.” Chocolate contains flavonoids — compounds found in fruits, vegetables and certain beverages that have diverse antioxidant effects to promote health. “The ones in chocolate are stronger
than in some vegetables and tea,” Roy said. “They have a greater capacity to rid the body of oxidative free radicals.” Radicals are fast-reacting compounds that cause havoc on the body, Roy said. When low-density lipoproteins are oxidized, it can lead to the build up of fatty plaques in the arteries. Antioxidants prevent LDLs from being oxidized, which could prevent heart problems. But not all chocolate has the same effects. “The darker, the better,” Roy said. “Lighter chocolates have less cocoa and more fat.” Chocolate with a higher percentage of cocoa have more antioxidants, Roy said. CHOCOLATE, see page 19
NICOLE KARAMICHAEL / The Daily Reveille
Baum’s Fine Pastries & Chocolates displays their lemon meringue truffles Tuesday. A recent study found that chocolate could help prevent strokes.