Vol. 61 NO. 51
ubspectrum.com
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
A Woelfel Ballad
Modern-Day Mass Hysteria UB doctors treated patient in Le Roy outbreak ERIN MAYNARD Special to The Spectrum A mysterious illness has brought the small Genesee County town of Le Roy, NY into the national spotlight, and two UB-affiliated doctors have joined the medical debate on what might be causing it. In September, several teen girls in Le Roy spontaneously developed tics and twitches, which media outlets initially reported as resembling Tourette’s syndrome. Concern in the school district grew as the number of teens exhibiting the symptoms increased from three to eight to upwards of fifteen. Rumors flew through the community, blaming everything from a 1970 train derailment that spilled two toxic chemicals to a combination of vaccinations for human papilloma virus and meningitis (Gardasil and Menactra). But Dr. Laszlo Mechtler of Buffalo’s Dent Neurologic Institute examined 12 of the Le Roy patients and diagnosed them with a little-known condition called conversion disorder, which has also been referred to as a type of “mass hysteria.” And Dr. David Lichter – a children’s neurology specialist at Buffalo General Hospital who examined one of the patients – agrees. Both Mechtler and Lichter are professors of neurology at UB. Mechtler’s diagnosis of conversion disorder is controversial. It is a psychological diagnosis; one in which mental stress “converts” into physiological manifestations. Not all of the families have accepted the diagnosis, but Mechtler did not arrive at his conclusion lightly. While Mechtler and his associate Dr. Jennifer McVige were examining patients and running a large battery of tests on their patients, school district officials were examining air quality to test for mold, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. All testing done by the district came back negative. Genesee County Public Health Director David Whitcroft called in the state Department of Health. Consultations were conducted with the state Office of Mental Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and researchers from Columbia University. In an interview with The Buffalo News, Mechtler stated that not only is conversion disorder common, but that it is especially common in close-knit, rural communities. He further stated that there may be an “index” case – a patient with a physiological condition whose behavior then effects those around her. Lichter concurs with Mechtler’s diagnosis. The Le Roy patient he met with already had a pre-existing history of tics – as do two other girls with the cluster of symptoms.
JOE KONZE JR. Staff Writer
Dr. Joseph Woelfel writes two questions on the board for his midterm. He wants his students to first tell him what they’ve learned in lecture and discussion, and then tell him what they have learned from readings posted online. His midterms do not have a grade distinction. The first well-done paper that Woelfel reads receives 100 points and is used as a comparison for the papers that follow. Any paper written better following this is given higher than 100 points. “I personally prefer no grading system at all,” Woelfel said. “I would prefer a European grading system where people other than the teacher grade your work. I feel that the teacher should be on the students’ side.” The catch is this: students are not exactly getting 100 points or 1,000 points – it is just a scale to measure if they get the material or not. The person with the most points gets a pink bag filled with two old chapter books. “I love to teach, but I don’t like to be in the classroom,” Woelfel said. “Giving out prizes is a tradition; it keeps the students interested in the course.” Woelfel, a professor in the communication department with his own Wikipedia page, has dedicated his life to the study of human behavior and interactions. He has participated in numerous projects that help measure the media’s effect on human behavior.
Courtesy of Joe Woelfel
Dr. Joseph Woelfel, a professor in the communication department, boasts a teaching style unlike a traditional lecturer – he has no curriculum and doesn’t give out grades.
ence and mathematics. He had uncles who shared the same interest, and they helped point Woelfel in the direction he wanted to go.
Through teaching and research, Woelfel has found a way to help students gain knowledge and remember what that they have learned.
“I was always interested in science and electronics,” Woelfel said. “Two of my uncles, after World War II on the GI Bill, had both taken correspondence courses in electronics and they gave me all of their textbooks and things like that. I worked my way through them and found them interesting.”
As a child, Woelfel had an interest in learning sci-
He started to wonder how science and mathematics
could be applied to the study of human behavior. Woelfel graduated from Buffalo’s Canisius College in 1962 and went on to the University of Wisconsin, whose scientifically oriented approach he described as the right fit for him. He received a Ph.D. in sociology and a minor in philosophy. From there, Woelfel went on to teach at UB’s fellow SUNY university center, the University of Albany, where he founded an institute for studying information science with colleagues who also had Continued on page 2
Skiing Back into the Spotlight: Schussmeisters Responds AARON MANSFIELD
Club says article ‘spreads negativity’
Senior Life Editor
Kathy Witt, office manager of Schussmeisters for 25 years, said the club would love to travel to Holiday Valley on the weekends, but it’s just too expensive; the club would need to increase prices by at least 200 to 300 percent.
On Monday, The Spectrum published an article entitled “Thanks, But No Thanks, Schussmeisters.” Schussmeisters responded only a few hours later, full of rage and frustration. The organization – a ski club founded by UB students in 1960 – said the article paints what the club stands for in a negative light. Schussmeisters is a not-for-profit club that is “dedicated to providing inexpensive skiing to the University at Buffalo community,” according to its website. Monday’s article suggested that buying a membership directly from a ski resort would be more accommodating and, effectively, more affordable. Several leaders of the organization spoke with The Spectrum and said these claims couldn’t be further from the truth. According to the club’s mission
like she did.
“In years past, the club operated with a higher cost, albeit more popular schedule, and it forced the club into bankruptcy when our more expensive passes wouldn’t sell,” said Alex Goodnough, Vice Chairman. Courtesy of that Trist guy
Schussmeisters, the UB ski club, responds to the article, “Thanks But No Thanks Schussmeisters,” published in Monday’s edition of The Spectrum.
statement: “We negotiate with the mountains every year and try and get the lowest prices to pass along to our members. Also, we negotiate with the bus companies.” Monday’s article mentions that Holiday Valley is a favorite destina-
tion for many members and Schussmeisters only travels to this resort on Mondays and Tuesdays, which is inconvenient to many students. While this is true, Shelley Visone, the club’s social director, said students could easily form their academic schedules around Schussmeisters’ travel times,
The article also points out that SUNY Fredonia students can buy a season pass to Holiday Valley for just $395, allowing them to go to Holiday Valley at any time of any day. The article also suggests that, “UB certainly has the ability to negotiate a deal with Holiday Valley similar to that mentioned from Fredonia State, if not better.” However, Witt said that statement is just untrue. Continued on page 2
Continued on page 2
Buffalo Welcomes New Defensive Coordinator Lou Tepper TYLER CADY Senior Sports Editor Former defensive coordinator William Inge may have left the university for the larger market of the NFL, but he made sure to have a hand in who would be the man to replace him. That’s where Lou Tepper comes in. Inge and Tepper have had a long relationship. Tepper attempted to recruit Inge to come play for him at Illinois, and although Tepper was unsuccessful, the two had remained in touch ever since and always made a point to meet at conventions within the coaching industry. Their paths crossed once again this winter, meeting to discuss “X’s and O’s” for a few hours before Inge stood up, grabbed his phone and told Tepper to sit still. As a diabetic, Tepper was concerned about his blood sugar, but decided to wait it out. It turned out to be a pretty good decision for him.
The man on the other end of the Inge’s phone was head coach Jeff Quinn. Quinn was still searching for a man to replace Inge, and Inge insisted that he had just found his replacement in Tepper. Weeks later after successfully making it through Quinn’s interviewing process, Tepper is now the man at the helm of the Bulls’ defense, anxiously trying to get a feel for the team, and prepare for next season, after just arriving in the city of good neighbors on Monday. “We’ve got 17 things on our agenda, and right now we’re on number two,” Tepper said. Tepper comes to Buffalo attempting to finish off that agenda with his wife of 44 years, and his high school sweetheart Karen, who he jokes has been in football longer than he has, as the daughter of his high school football coach. Continued on page 8
Weather for the Week:
Wednesday: Party Cloudy- H: 33, L: 28 Thursday: Sunny/Wind- H: 35, L: 30 Friday: Snow Showers- H: 32, L: 14
ddd
Meg Kinsley /// The Spectrum New defensive coordinator Lou Tepper stands next to the 2008 Mid-American Conference championship trophy – a trophy he hopes to lead his defense to in his tenure at Buffalo.
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