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Reveille The Daily
Wednesday, November 30, 2011 • Volume 116, Issue 67
www.lsureveille.com
Tips for studying and sleeping:
Up All Night
Avoid caffeine Choose healthy snacks such as fruit instead of junk food Don’t drink alcohol before going to sleep Follow a daily routine
CRIME
Recent attack, rape may be related Staff Reports
Use exercise to reduce stress Break large chunks of information into manageable pieces Don’t study and sleep in the same place Tips courtesy of Kathy Saichuk and Diane Mohler photo illustration by BLAIR LOCKHART / The Daily Reveille
As final exams approach, all-nighters prove beneficial to grades and detrimental to health One energy drink, two energy drinks, three energy drinks, floor. Many University students are familiar with the all-nighter cycle, a common consequence of procrastination and last-minute cramming, but experts advise at least eight hours of sleep each night. The reasons may vary, but students report the effects of a sleepless night are similar. Kathy Saichuk, Wellness Education coordinator at the Student Health Center, said a person’s brain and body work best when following a standard routine, which can be interrupted by an occasional all-nighter.
Holiday: See pictures from Tuesday night’s Candlelight Celebration, p. 4 Football: Is Miles the best couch in school history?, p. 5
“The biggest negative effect is not as good.” what it does to brain function or cogSaichuk said even one allnition,” she said. “The only time the nighter is unhealthy to a degree, and brain gets to rest or consecutive days Morgan Searles recover is when we without sleep could get into deep sleep. be detrimental to a Staff Writer Not sleeping has person’s health. an affect on the brain, which has a “There’s a reason why they use domino effect on the body.” sleep deprivation as a form of torJoe Wempe, architecture fresh- ture,” she said. “Thinking ability man, said he has pulled two all- is reduced drastically, and a person nighters this semester to finish class might say or do things that are not projects. real.” “It’s beneficial because I can A study conducted on rats get stuff done, but it’s also bad be- shows that sleep deprivation causes cause I fall asleep in my classes the neurons in the brain to take brief next day,” Wempe said. “I try to rush naps, affecting task performance, through too much, and the work is even though the rats were awake and
active, according to research funded by the National Institutes of Health. Zachary Saxton, international studies senior, said the day after an all-nighter is miserable. “Where I am in my college career, I’ve learned to allot my time so I’m not in the position to need an all-nighter,” he said. “I just don’t function well the next day, and the grades are not as good, so I try to stay away from them.” Diane Mohler, assistant director for the Center for Academic Success, said information often connects from working memory ALL-NIGHTERS, see page 11
The Baton Rouge Police Department is investigating an attack and a rape in areas near campus. Officers believe the incidents may be related, according to a news release from Sgt. Don Kelly, media relations director for the Office of the Chief of Police. The first incident occurred on Nov. 22 at about 2:45 a.m. outside of an apartment building on Lee Drive. A woman was attacked from behind and choked by a man she believed was the same person she had let borrow her cellphone minutes before. She described the man as Hispanic, in his mid-20s and 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall with short, dark hair. The second incident occurred Tuesday morning at about 3:15 a.m. at an apartment on Stanford Avenue. A man matching the description of the suspect in the previous incident asked a woman for a glass of water and to use the phone inside her apartment. She refused, but the man forced his way into the apartment and raped her. Kelly said the two incidents are similar, but it is not yet known whether they are related. Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at news@lsureveille.com
HOLIDAYS
Students gather for Pre-Kwanzaa event Seven principles of holiday discussed Claire Caillier Contributing Writer
As the campus community gathered Tuesday night at Memorial Tower to illuminate the University’s Christmas tree, another wintry holiday was also being celebrated. Students and faculty partook in a cultural experience via the Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration hosted by the University’s African-American Cultural Center. LaKeitha Poole, graduate assistant of African-American student affairs,
said the event serves to provide an opportunity for minority students to participate in a campus celebration. The program consisted of an inA seven day vocation, the hiscelebration tory of Kwanzaa, of Africana guest speaker, a American history presentation of the and culture, seven principles placing a strong of Kwanzaa and emphasis on a performance by family and the University’s community. gospel choir. Cassandra Chaney, assistant professor of the School of Human Ecology and keynote speaker, said the seven principles
What is Kwanzaa?
of Kwanzaa — unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith — are “a recipe for better relationships.” Chaney said the annual occasion is important to the University’s community. “It encourages African-American students to reconnect with their families on a deeper level,” said Chaney. “[Kwanzaa] encourages you to think of someone else besides yourself.” Kinesiology sophomore Stephanie Obilom said the celebration was MARIAH POSTLETHWAITE / The Daily Reveille informative. “I learned more about Kwanzaa, Markita Lewis, nutrition sophomore, and Janae David, textiles, apparel design and merchandising junior welcome people Tuesday to the Pre-
KWANZAA, see page 11 Kwanazaa Celebration.