February 2014 Washington University Review of Health frontiersmag.wustl.edu
Frontiers Magazine
WE ARE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS FRONTIERSMAG@GMAIL.COM
1
February 2014
LETTER FROM THE FOUNDERS Before Frontiers Magazine came together, we felt a disconnect between the health field and our lives as undergraduates at Washington University in St. Louis. Some of us noticed it in the textbook education we receive here and some through experiences working in hospitals or internships. Through different paths, we came together to create a magazine as a means of communicating such vital information to fill the gap that we all distinctly felt. By our logic, if we felt this disconnect as pre-meds, then undergraduates of other disciplines likely felt it as well. Thus, Frontiers Magazine established itself as a way to bridge the divide between the hard sciences of medicine and the transdisciplinary aspects of health. We want to communicate relevant and accessible information to everyone in the Washington University community by providing an opportunity to explore medicine as it relates to the humanities, arts, and social sciences. As Frontiers continues to ground its roots in the WashU community, we are eager to welcome anyone who aligns with our mission, regardless of major, year, or experience. If you have any ideas for the magazine or would like to contribute as a writer, editor, or executive board member, please feel free to email us at frontiersmag@gmail.com. We hope you will enjoy the articles your fellow students have written for this issue. Happy reading, Amee Azad Rachel Hoffman Olivia Sutton Alex Wess
2
Frontiers Magazine
WHO IS BEHIND
Executive Board:
Writers:
Illustrators:
Executive Director: Amee Azad
Aashka Dalal
Margaret Flately
Co-Editor-in-Chief: Rachel Hoffman
Christina Ge
Sara Wong
Co-Editor-in-Chief: Olivia Sutton
Amrita Hari-Raj
Madeleine Gibson
Director of Finance: Alex Wess
Iqra Khan
Director of Design: Sydney Meyers
Katelyn Petrin
Webmaster: Tony Wang
Sandy Tadros
Public Relations: Mahendra Reddy
Cover design by Margaret Flatley 3
February 2014
CO NT EN TS 5
College Students Don’t Sleep Enough, And That’s Ironic
7
Does Your Doctor Really Care?
8
Science, Not Fiction
9
How ‘Dope’ Is Academic Doping?
11
Survival Of The Compassionate
12
The Realities Of Cancer In College
13
Getting Antibiotics Out Of Our Food
4
Frontiers Magazine
College Students Don’t Sleep Enough, And Thats Ironic Sandy Tadros Illustration by Madeleine Gibson
5
February 2014
YOUNG ADULTS NEED BETWEEN 8.5 AND 9.25 HOURS OF SLEEP ON AN AVERAGE DAY
It may seem that lack of sleep is just another part of college life. According to a University of Cincinnati study, only 24 percent of students said they got at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night, even though the National Sleep Foundation says that young adults need between 8.5 and 9.25 hours of sleep on an average day. This is not to say that college students should not stay up late. There are plenty of night owls who thrive best in the wee hours of the morning. According to sleep experts at Brown University, it’s natural for college-age students to stay up late, though it is important to note that this does not reduce the need for sleep. It is no surprise that lack of sleep has detrimental effects on students’ health, but to change the culture of college sleep–or rather, lack thereof–investigating the real effects of trimming an hour or two off your sleep schedule might be the key to changing students’ minds. At WashU, that’s exactly what several research faculty are trying to do. Sleep loss can cause a bevy of symptoms. Drowsiness and inattentiveness are some of the most immediate, and both contribute to poor academic performance. Further, sleep quantity and quality affect basic neurological performance. A University of Ottawa study shows that students getting more REM sleep performed better on exams and could more efficiently execute language-learning tasks. Safety is a risk, too. A 1996 study reports that chronic sleep reduction weakens the immune response to infection.
But it is not just the present that students should be concerned about. Epigenetic research might give us new insight into even greater dangers of sleep deprivation. Epigenetics is a relatively new field of study, in which researchers look at how other molecules affect the genome without changing the DNA itself. Epigenetic changes are heritable, and affect every day of not only our lives but also our descendants’. For example, early life stress can lead to poor stress adaptation later in life. This poor stress adaptation lends itself to anxiety and other mood disorders, which can make daily life as well as integration into society more difficult. Little research has been conducted on the epigenetics of sleep, but now Dr. Paul Shaw, a neurobiologist at WashU Medical School, poses an interesting thought experiment. He asks, what if stress due to lack of sleep in college induces epigenetic changes on the genome? This means that student may be setting future generations up for negative consequences. If Dr. Shaw’s thought experiment proves to be reality, the success students might gain from staying up another couple hours to study for an exam might ironically ultimately drives not only us, but also our descendants, in the opposite direction. So get those zzz’s now.Your children might thank you.
6
Frontiers Magazine
Does Your Doctor Really Care? Christina Ge
Building and maintaining the workforce in healthcare has become an area of concern in recent decades. Medical schools put students through a rigorous course load combined with hands-on experiences that are both physically and emotionally draining. Students are required to serve long hours in the clinic to gain exposure to a variety of cases. Some believe this style of education negatively impacts students’ perceptions of medicine, inevitably resulting in burnout. The question is whether or not the current, increasingly competitive, education system in place is producing adequate physicians with the traits essential for providing quality care. The problem lies in the emphasis of medical education: are students being taught to live out their passions and provide services to others out of genuine compassion, or are they becoming jaded by the constant exposure to highly stressful situations, causing them to burn out before they even become a licensed physician? Unfortunately, as the interest in the profession and number of competent applicants increase, so does the level of competition. At this point, an easy and clean-cut solution to this problem is not so readily available. Top-notch doctors have certain characteristics in common, including compelling personal motivation, excellent academic ability, an above-average MCAT score, and strong test-taking skills, which is what initially qualifies them to take on this demanding occupation. In that sense, who would not want the cream of the crop? Medical schools aim to select students that demonstrate outstanding performance in the sciences because a strong knowledge base is integral to becoming a good physician.This mindset, however, has garnered a culture in which applicants must make increasingly greater efforts to stand out
7
from their peers.The positive feedback loop is put on a never-ending cycle, resulting in 36-hour shifts with as many as 40 patients to tend to. Interesting cases are valued over common health problems, and treatment has become merely a tool for teaching. Proponents of education that is more focused on quality of patient care have taken steps to implement changes in the education system. Schools that focus on service and interactions with the surrounding community work towards engendering qualities of compassion and empathy within their students. St. Louis University is a leader in this regard. Its mission statement emphasizes the “provision of patient-centered, compassionate, culturally competent health care, and involvement with the community through public service.” Joe Shi, a recent alum of WashU and a second-year medical student at SLU, says he believes his school’s curriculum truly stresses “the concept of service to the community as part of the responsibility of a true physician.” Along with a pass/fail curriculum and fostering close working relationships with the deans, SLU offers a variety of service opportunities, and is open to creating more. Joe has worked with the Health Resource Center (HRC), a free student-run clinic in one of the city’s underprivileged neighborhoods.The patient histories and physical examinations are all performed by medical students, with an attending physician and pharmacist present at each session. Regarding his experience there, he says, “It’s a great opportunity for students to learn basic clinical skills while giving back to the community.” This testifies to the primary motivation of the school in developing an environment where the focus is on the importance of giving, not simply achieving. A shift like this may effectively reshape students’ perceptions of patients as individuals that they are in charge of bettering the lives of. Although there is no easy solution to the issue of education reform, medical education can be guided in a direction targeted towards kindling solicitous qualities in students. A genuine willingness to serve is essential, especially at a time when primary care physicians who do not solely have their eyes on the money are needed. Instilling a sense of responsibility for the quality of healthcare in our future doctors is achievable. However, this ultimately relies on shifting the focus of medical education towards fostering a heart for service and an attentiveness to the needs of the community. After all, we would all hope our own doctors truly care for our well-being.
February 2014
Science, Not Fiction Olivia Sutton
Students coming into WashU know that our faculty is studded with world-renowned researchers. Once attending the school, however, so many students become engulfed by their classes that these researchers become no more than professors. Behind the syllabi they hand out in prerequisite classes, our professors are truly pushing the frontier of medical research.
That’s right. On our campus, in our labs, there are monkeys who can play video games on computers using only their minds
Daniel Moran,Ph.D.teaches biomechanics,a sophomore-level course required for all biomedical engineering students. Yet when this professor is back in his lab, Moran develops technology surrounding a topic that may seem straight out of a science fiction movie: mind control.
This is a much greater endeavor. Moving a cursor in a 2D plane on a computer screen involves two degrees of freedom. Moving a robotic arm? Seven.The arm is a complex piece of equipment, after all, and the signals that go into controlling it are even more difficult to decode.
That’s right. On our campus, in our labs, there are monkeys who can play video games on computers using only their minds, thanks to Moran. If you are not convinced his that this research is sci-fi come to life, when approached about his research, the first thing Moran says is,“Have you ever watched The Six Million Dollar Man or The Bionic Woman?”
“Eventually, we want to basically reanimate their arms, their own arms, through technology,” he said.
“Our goal in the lab is to help paralyzed people,” Moran said. “For them, the problem is the wiring.” Signals in the brain can’t reach the limb due to spinal cord injury, and that disconnect is enough to render their limbs useless. “So we want to develop technology that we can implant in the human brain to figure out what they want to do.” Moran currently does this using epidural electrocorticography, or EECoG, a new brain-computer interface technique. A grid of disk-like electrodes, surgically placed inside the skull, records electrical signals coming from the brain. Then, the brain’s signals are translated into directions that the computer can understand and execute. There are challenges associated with the technique. Surgery is invasive, and it can be difficult to get FDA permission to use human patients to develop this technology, even though volunteers are out there. However, in 2006, Moran showed that a young patient, hospitalized for intractable epilepsy and implanted with an electrode array, could be trained to play “Space Invaders” just by thinking about moving the spaceship. The practical application of this technology is even more “Star Wars”-like. Remember Luke Skywalker’s mind-controlled prosthetic limb? Technologies like Moran’s EECoG will soon be ready for implantation in humans to help them control prosthetic limbs with the dexterity and precision of the real thing.
Once brain signals are harnessed, they have to be translated into a signal sent to a peripheral nerve in the paralyzed limb. “For example, how do you think about going up-and-to-theleft, then convert that into muscle movement?” Moran said. Studies working to translate this signal to a physical motion are further behind, but Moran’s lab conducted a study in rats, and they are preparing to do non-human primate implant studies too. Once finished, these two technologies can work together to heal paralyzed individuals. Moran has personal ties to his research as well. “I had a good friend I played baseball with,” he said. “Both sophomores together, both made varsity together. Then, he slid headfirst into home plate and broke his neck. He’s been in a wheelchair since he was sixteen. So when I walked into my first BME class and they asked us what we were there for, I knew to say: ‘I’m here to make neuroprosthetics for spinal cord injured patients.’” WashU professors’ lives go beyond the classroom: they are fascinating people. If not research, there is certainly something else they do that is worth asking about. If you haven’t yet, it is time to do a little research of your own and learn more about that professor behind the podium.
8
Frontiers Magazine
How
‘dope’ is academic
doping? Iqra Khan
It’s the night before a huge exam. You have just gotten back from a day of classes interlaced with meetings, office hours, short conversations with friends, Facebook, and more meetings. As you open your textbook for the first time all semester, you question if—even with an allnighter—you have enough time to possibly learn everything you need to know. After checking Facebook one last time, you down a 5-Hour Energy, start studying, and hope for the best. We have all been there. But for some students, coffee and energy drinks just won’t cut it. Instead, they turn to unprescribed stimulant drugs, such as Adderall and Ritalin, to improve their concentration and enhance their cognitive performance—a practice now known as “academic doping.”
These stimulant drugs work on the brain’s pleasure circuit by releasing and preventing the uptake of the hormones dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, affecting impulse control. Normally prescribed for those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD),the unprescribed use of these drugs has increased massively among college students nationwide. A 2012 study by Desantis and Hane reports that by their senior year, two-thirds of college students have been offered these drugs with nearly half accepting the offer. Dr. Thomas Brounk, Director of Mental Health Services at Habif Health and Wellness Center, said that, despite not having any WashU-specific survey data about the usage of these drugs, it is safe to say that our campus mirrors the same trend. “SHS started seeing increased requests to be evaluated for ADHD [in the past few years to the point that] it became necessary to limit the assessments,” Brounk said.
9
School officials nationwide are working with psychiatrists, research professors, and law enforcement to devise effective strategies to combat these new statistics. New York Daily News reports that senators are asking some universities, including many in New York, to make changes. Others have already edited their honor codes, declaring the use of these drugs without a prescription as an academic violation of integrity. However, as schools begin to implement changes in an effort to reduce this drug culture, they are forgetting to assess the problem at its roots. Nonprescription use of ADHD medication has increased more than ever due to culture surrounding today’s college students. With the need to beat the curve, the desire to get into the best graduate school, the harsh employment market, and the immense pressure to succeed in an increasingly competitive society, college students are willing to improve their performance in any way possible.Academic doping is different than any other kind of drug use as the motivation for it lies behind the success the drug promises rather than the sensation from using it.
February 2014
The effects of the drug can convince students that they are doing what they need to build their future. This creates greater issues: students are less likely to correlate negative effects to Adderall because of its potential positive impacts. A nationwide study published in the Journal of American College Health found that only 2 percent of students found Adderall to be “very dangerous” with 81 percent thinking nonmedical use is “not dangerous at all” or only “slightly dangerous”. The effects of Adderall, however, are worse than students may suspect. The DAWN Report says that hospitals saw a tripling of ER visits between 2005 and 2010 related to the non-medical use of ADHD stimulant medications. While the effects seem undetectable, Dr. Karen Boesch, psychiatrist at the Habif Health and Wellness Center said “the potential for misuse and abuse is quite real and dangerous,” listing side effects that include severe addiction, high blood pressure, and death.
So what will it take to change the academic culture which pressures students to turn to other avenues to achieve success? “There are no quick and easy answers,” Dr. Brounk said, emphasizing the need to increase awareness and provide education about the use of stimulant drugs. One WashU student, who chose to remain anonymous, agreed. “When performance is no longer valued as much as it is at this point of my life, I won’t need to take Adderall,” he said. The student suggested a “culture overhaul” on how people view stimulant drugs.“The ideal situation is one in which you can just do your work at your own pace and not have to constantly stress about it,” he said. However, the student added that he recognized the difficulty of changing the basis of an entire culture. As more research continues to be done, for now, it is best to suppress the urge to reach for study drugs, get that questionable cappuccino from the Whispers vending machine, and try to ignore its unique aftertaste
the potential for misuse and abuse is quite real and dangerous
10
Frontiers Magazine
survival of the compassionate Aashka Dalal Building and maintaining the workforce in healthcare has become an area of concern in recent years. Medical schools put students through a rigorous course load combined with hands-on experiences that are both physically and emotionally draining. Students must serve long hours in the clinic to gain exposure to a variety of cases. Some believe this style of education negatively impacts their perceptions of medicine, inevitably resulting in burnout, while others question whether this increasingly competitive education system produces adequate physicians.
University, a leader in this regard, emphasizes in its mission statement the “provision of patient-centered, compassionate, culturally competent health care, and involvement with the community through public service.” Joe Shi, a recent alumnus of WashU and a second-year medical student at SLU, said he believes his school’s curriculum truly stresses “the concept of service to the community as part of the responsibility of a true physician.” Along with a pass/fail curriculum and fostering close, working relationships with their deans, SLU offers a variety of service opportunities and is open to creating more.
The problem lies in the emphasis of medical education: are students being taught to live out their passions and provide Shi has worked with the Health Resource Center (HRC), a services to others out of genuine compassion, or are they free, student-run clinic in one of the city’s underprivileged becoming jaded by constant exposure to highly stressful sitneighborhoods. The patient histories and physical examinauations? As interest in the profession and number of competions are performed entirely by medical students with an tent applicants increase, so does the level of competition. At attending physician and pharmacist present at each session. this rate, an easy and clean-cut solu“It’s a great opportunity for students to tion is not so readily available. are students being taught to learn basic clinical skills while giving Top-notch applicants have certain live out their passions and back to the community,” he said in characteristics in common, includ- provide services to others regards to his experience there. ing compelling personal motiva- out of genuine compassion, Shi’s statement testifies to the primary tion, excellent academic ability, an motivation of the school in developing or are they becoming jaded by above-average MCAT score, and an environment in which the imporconstant exposure to highly strong test-taking skills, which initially tance of giving overshadows the satqualify them to take on this demand- stressful situations? isfaction of achieving. A shift like this ing occupation. Medical schools aim may effectively reshape students’ perto select students that demonstrate outstanding performance ceptions of patients as individuals that they are in charge of in the sciences because a strong knowledge base is integral to bettering the lives of. becoming a good physician. This mindset, however, has garnered a culture in which applicants must make an increas- Although there is no easy solution to the issue of education reform, medical education can be guided in a direction taringly greater effort to stand out from their peers. geted towards ingraining solicitous qualities in students. A This trend continues in medical school.The positive feedback genuine willingness to serve is essential, especially at a time loop is put on a never-ending cycle, resulting in 16-hour shifts, when the trend is to specialize despite the disconcerting lack 80 hours per week, and with as many as 40 patients to tend of primary care physicians. Instilling a sense of responsibility to. Interesting cases are valued over common health probfor the quality of healthcare in our future doctors is achievlems, and treatment has become merely a tool for teaching. able. However, this relies on shifting the focus of medical eduProponents of an education system more focused on quality cation towards fostering a heart for service and an attentiveof patient care have taken steps to implement changes. Some ness to the needs of the community. After all, we would hope schools focus on service and interaction with the surround- our own doctors truly do care for our well-being. ing community and work toward engendering qualities of compassion and empathy within their students. St. Louis
11
February 2014
The Realities of
Cancer in College Amrita Hari-Raj
Ziebarth ultimately declined an offer to have a Retropariteneal Lymph Node Dissection (RPLND), a procedure where the abdomiAccording to the American Cancer Society, nal lymph nodes would be surgically removed six percent of the new cases of cancer in 2013 through an incision from the sternum to the occurred in people under the age of 45. With groin. “The procedure was a nearly sure bet philanthropic endeavors such as Relay for Life to catch any escaped cancer cells…I knew and the cutting edge research at the medical the surgery was a major operation with its school, our institution does not claim igno- own risks…but the most motivating reason I rance to these statistics. Yet, it is difficult to bring these numbers to life as college students. It is all too easy to live It is all too easy to live under the mantra “this under the mantra “this could never happen to me;” but this invincibility complex is not in anyone’s best interest. could never happen to
power of self-checking and being aware of one’s body. Although only 6 percent of the United States’ new cases of cancer occurred in those under the age of 45, this 6 percent feels enormous when it encompasses someone you know personally, especially when he or she is of college age.According to the National Cancer Institute, survival rates of cancers in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) have not improved over the last 30 years. Factors that may contribute to this trend include delayed diagnoses and the unique psychological and social needs of this age group.
Most importantly, though, Ziebarth’s experience calls us to become more aware of our own bodies and to be unafraid to speak up. It can be difficult to speak up about potential medical problems or to feel ashamed, especially during adolescence.“Those feelings of fear and shame opted not to have the RPLND was a suspicion are especially true in young adult bodies that that no one was talking about the inevitable are already undergoing significant changes and after effects of the damaged nerves and tissue.” developments,” said Ziebarth. Ziebarth’s cancer ended up returning in fall 2012, but fortunately, “…my oncologist [was] It is for this reason that Ziebarth said he is so one of the foremost experts on genitourinary open and detailed in recounting his expericancers, and had participated on the team that ence. Ziebarth said his aunt, who is a nurse, cured Lance Armstrong.” Ziebarth underwent once saw a fifteen-year-old boy with a tesSure enough, the urologist diagnosed him a twelve-week chemo regimen, after which he ticle the size of a grapefruit. “I had already passed the first hurdle and conquered the with cancer immediately. Ziebarth believes was deemed cured of testicular cancer. fear of telling my parents and sought medical the “atypical presentation of [his] symptoms” This is not to say students should live in fear of advice.” It is imperative that we not only reconattributed to the initial ignorance of his cancer the impending doom that is cancer.According cile any shame or embarrassment felt regardsigns. He had surgery to remove the cancerto Dr. Thomas Heck, co-medical director of ing health problems, but we must also foster ous testicle as well as to repair a hernia he Samaritan Breast Center and a surgeon at Gem open dialogues that destigmatize illness and had since the age of 12. “I had caught it very City Surgical Breast Care Center in Dayton, instead offer support to those that need it, he early, around Stage 1a. However, [the oncolOH, “Generally, patients we see are fifty years said. Most importantly, we must take ownerogist] warned that it was hard to know if it and older. As for screening, I recommend a ship of our health and dutifully listen to our was actually Stage 1s, in which some cancer baseline mammogram at 40 and yearly therebodies. “It was because of my insistent advocells escape into the lymphatic system and can after.” However, as the intellectual, global citicacy for my own health and my trust in my come back.” zens that we strive to be with our coursework instinct and self-knowledge of my body that and endeavors at WashU, it is a disservice to I secured a referral to another professional,” ourselves to neglect personal care. Ziebarth said. Ziebarth’s experience is exemplary of the Brendan Ziebarth, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in June 2012. Ziebarth eventually had a CT with contrast and an X-ray to confirm, but “I actually self-diagnosed based on a lump I felt,” he said. He initially saw a medical professional at urgent care; “The doctor who saw me performed a tactile exam of the testicle and concluded in her opinion there was nothing of concern. I insisted on getting a referral to a urologist anyway. I was sure about what I had felt.”
me;” but this invincibility complex is not in anyone’s best interest.
12
Frontiers Magazine
Getting Antibiotics
Out of Our Food Alex Wess Illustration by Sara Wong Antibiotics are the most important medical advancement of the last hundred years.That’s my opinion.This is a fact: every year, our antibiotics become less effective, and there are fewer new drugs developed to replace the ones that resistant bacteria have bested. Over 2 million people are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria each year, and those infections kill 23,000 patients. In December 2013, The Food and Drug Administration issued voluntary rules to phase out the use of antibiotics in animals for any purpose other than treating and preventing infection, referred to as non-therapeutic use.The rules include asking pharmaceutical companies to alter labels so that antibiotics cannot be used to promote animal growth, as well as requiring farmers to obtain veterinarian approval before administering the drugs to animals for any reason. The purpose of this move is to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics in farm animals, which decreases the effectiveness of the antibiotics and increases the danger of bacteria becoming resistant to the medications. When antibiotics start to kill bacteria, they leave only the strongest, most resistant organisms, which in turn reproduce to create a population of drug-resistant bacteria. Overuse of antibiotics gives bacteria a better chance at evolving, eventually rendering certain drugs useless against them. The biggest overuse of antibiotics comes from livestock. 80 percent of all antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used for meat and poultry production. Although much of this is for treating and preventing infections in livestock, a significant part of the usage is purely for increasing the size of the animals. For decades, farmers have added small, frequent doses of antibiotics to livestock to promote growth and increase feed conversion ratio, how much feed is needed to achieve a certain weight. 13
This irresponsible use of drugs has public health consequences. A 2008 Pew Charitable Trust commission argues that industrial food animal production has contributed to the “major threat of antimicrobial resistance.” The report also details the way these superbugs (bacteria with antibiotic resistance) were spreading off the farm and concluded that non-therapeutic antibiotic use in animals should eventually be banned, a sentiment that both academics and legislators have echoed. Such a ban would likely increase the price of food; farms would need to use more feed to achieve the same weight in animals or would have to cover the same profit margins with smaller animals. However, a National Academies Press study from 1999 estimates it would cost an average of only $5 to $10 extra per person per year. Even if there were steadfast opposition to any price increase, when compared to the potential savings found in a 2009 Tufts University study, the argument would end quickly.They estimated that antibiotic-resistant infections already cost between $16.6 and $26 billion in medical bills every year, averaging about $60 per individual. Remember, that range doesn’t include societal costs that come from sources like lost productivity in the workforce. By reducing the use of antibiotics, we can start to alleviate the costs incurred by antibiotic-resistant infections. On the whole, food prices may rise, but compared to the disastrous possibility of living in what CDC Director Thomas Friedan calls a “post-antibiotic era,” the smart money says that the new FDA rules are sound economic policy.
Bon Appétit Management Company, the onsite restaurant company that buys, prepares and sells most of the food onWashU’s Danforth Campus, have gone beyond the standards set by the FDA for all of their chicken, turkey, and ground beef over the last ten years. In fact, Fedele and Michael Bauccio, the brothers who founded Bon Appétit in 1987, have worked in Washington D.C. to create this sort of policy change. Though most of the country will see the FDA rules increase food prices, Bon Appétit representatives confirmed that WashU should be exempt from this bump. Since the company has already made the necessary changes, there will not be a significant, if any, price increase to campus food. The company has outpaced its industry by asking themselves a question posed by BA Director of Marketing and Communications April Powell. “Am I going to jeopardize the health of people? Or am I going to do what’s right and support health and well-being?” Powell said. “And that’s what the company was founded on.” WashU is a leader when it comes to the changes presented by the FDA, with the rest of the country left to catch up. Even though our campus may not see the impact, food prices across the country will soon rise. However, the benefits from phasing out non-therapeutic antibiotics are incredible. These rules will help control the effectiveness of our antibiotics and reduce the public health risk posed by superbugs, and that potential makes it easy to look past the immediate strain to preserve our future.
February 2014
15
WE ARE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS FRONTIERSMAG@GMAIL.COM