Malloy: Binge Drinking a Campus Problem

.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Wednesday, September 13, 1995• Vol. XXVII No. 18 TilE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME AND SAINT MARY'S Holtz in stable condition following procedure bone graft. Coach spends night in "The procedure took over four hours to com plete, which is the normal length of time for a procedure of this sort," O'Hara continued. "Two intensive care; doctors neurosurgeons from the Mayo Clinic performed the operation. It went without complications." report no complications The condition was discovered when Holtz By MIKE NORBUT experienced weakness in his legs and hands. He Spom Editor was unable run out on the field with the team for the Northwestern game on Sept. 2, nor was Notre Dame head football coach Lou Holtz he able to climb the stairs into the locker room. successfully underwent major surgery Tuesday He was advised by physicians to have the morning and is in stable condition at the Mayo surgery done immediately because the situation Clinic in Hochester, Minn .. was determined to be "imminently dangerous," The operation was performed at Saint Mary's according to Dr. James Moriarity, university llospital, which is closely affiliated with the physician. Mayo Clinic. The Irish coach will be hospitalized through "Coach Holtz will spend the night in intensive the weekend, and will be restricted to a neck care," Mayo Clinic spokesman Michael O'Hara collar for at least six weeks. He should, howev said Tuesday. "lie should be moved to a regular er, be able to move around starting Wednesday room Wednesday, and hopefully he'll recover afternoon. well." And that will most likely mean some contact Holtz w.as suffering from a compression of the with the team and interim coach, Bob Davie. spinal cord in his neck. A disc was bulging into "As soon as Coach Holtz is out of recovery long his spinal cord in the middle of his neck, enough to communicate, there will be constant The Observer/Dave Murphy communication," Davie said. "As long as the Irish football coach Lou Holtz begins the road to recovery after the btltween the C-5 and C-6 vertebrae. spinal cord surgery that he underwent yesterday at the Mayo Clinic The dise was removed and replaced with a neck brace doesn't cover up his ears and his mouth, we'll be talking constantly." in Rochester, MN. SMC second home to Ireland native • HALl PRESIDENTS COUNCIL By JENNIFER LEWIS Ireland, to enroll in a year-long As part of a program that roommate, Mary Kane, was in Council Assistant Saint Mary's Editor program at Saint Mary's, has sent approximately 25 stu Ireland the following year. Al O'Shea says she reels at home dents to Saint Patrick's for the though the two were not very Saint Mary's and Notre Dame on the two campuses. past 18 years, O'Shea says she close friends, they met prior to fixes dance ean be considered the second "It has been much easier on is proud to be the first student O'Shea's arrival. home for Katherine O'Shea. me eoming from Ireland than from Ireland at Saint Mary's. "It was brilliant having the The first student from Saint any other country," O'Shea ''I'm like a guinea pig," O'Shea Ireland students," O'Shea said. Patrick's College in nooth, said. "I feel at home here." said. "They are hoping to send "It's like I had a ready made schedule one student from Ireland for group of friends. They experi By BILL CONNOLLY the next four years." enced my life back home, and News Writer O'Shea, a native from New they know what I'm talking market County Court, is the about." In a surprising turn of events, youngest of three children, but Enrolled as a sophomore and members of the Hall Presi she is not the first person in her double-majoring in history and dents' Council learned last family to spend time in sociology, O'Shea is currently night that many hall dance America. With a brother in taking fifteen credit hours, plus schedules are in conflict with Boston and an aunt in New Jer working fifteen hours at the li each other. sey, she is fortunate enough to brary. According to O'Shea, Eleven hall dances are cur have family with which. to Ireland would not provide on rently scheduled to be held on spend the Christmas holidays. campus work for students. October 6, and eight dances "Not many people in Ireland "So many people either have are scheduled to be held on have heard of Notre Dame," she been in Ireland or want to go. December 8. said. "And if they have, they do It's kind of funny that everyone After the dates to the halls' The Observer/Cynthia Exconde not know the Ireland keeps asking me if I know their respective dances were called Katherine O'Shea, pictured here with roommates, is the first student Connection." relatives." out, many members of the HPC enrolled at Saint Mary's from Saint Patrick's of Ireland. She feels that O'Shea has her own Ireland coming to the predominantly-Irish community has eased her transition. connection at Saint Mary's. Her see IRElAND I page 6 see HPC I page 6 Malloy: Binge drinking a campus problem Editor's note: This is the ing is based on a June 1994 dents who do not drink, includ (of the consequences of binge third of a five-part series exam study by the Commission on Part 3 of 5 ing physical assault, sexual drinking) available, it could cre ining the use of alcohol on our Substance Abuse at Colleges harrassment, and impaired ate a better environment for campuses. and Universities, a commission sleep and study time for stu the students," Malloy said. chaired by Malloy and orga Under the Dome dents who have to care for "There is no replacement for By BRAD PRENDERGAST nized under the direction of the roommates and friends who peer efforts to make a smarter, Associate News Editor Center on Addiction and &Under the Influence have over-indulged. healthier environment." Substance Abuse (CASA) at "These problems threaten the The CASA report provides a It 's an all too familiar scene Columbia University. drinking are well-documented. quality and safety of the college list of recommendations that at the end of an SYR: men and · The study also revealed that According to the CASA report experience for millions of non students should consider when women returning home after an one in three of all college stu headed by Malloy, 60% of col hinging students," Henry tackling the problem of alcohol evening or dancing and drink dents drinks to get drunk. At lege women nationwide who Wechsler, of Harvard, wrote for abuse. Among the recommen ing, many inebriated, some of Notre Dame, 58% drink to get were diagnosed with a sexually the report. dations are: legal age, most not. For many drunk, according to an informal transmitted disease were drunk Such a sentiment is echoed • Challenging existing norms it's a good time, but the ques poll of 200 students recently at the time of infection. Across more closely to home. that push alcohol as the only tion must be asked: Does Notre conducted by The Observer. the country, 95% of violent "If we're worried about the way to have fun and question D.ame haye a problem with . While a significant percent crime on campuses and 40% of quality of life for our students ing authorities like the alcohol alcohol? age of students - including all academic problems are al here at Notre Dame, then our industry that try to sell the idea According to University those underage - at Notre cohol-related. tolerance for alcohol abuse that alcohol is the only way to President Father Edward Dame drink in moderation, the Understanding the depth· of must be lowered," Malloy said. be social. Malloy, when it comes to binge University chooses to focus the problem may be difficult So how should Notre Dame go • Taking responsibility for drinking, the answer is yes. more on those who abuse alco when relying solely on the pic about reducing the reliance on one's behavior and really think "The abuse of alcohol is irre hol by binge drinking, accord ture painted by statistics, but a alcohol and the prevalence of ing about why one drinks. sponsible," Malloy said. "It's ing to Malloy. report released last month by binge drinking on campus? • Getting involved in peer simply unacceptable. We have ''I'm not a prohibitionist. The the Harvard School of Public According to Malloy, the solu counseling and support groups, to be concerned about the stu issue is whether you drink to Health reveals a new look on tion should start with the stu and taking part in voluntary dents' health and well-being." get drunk," he said. "A peer binge drinking. dents, and specifically with stu programs like AIDS or rape cri Nationally, 42% of all college culture exists that promotes too The phenomenon, known as dent government and campus sis centers, Big Brothers/Big students engage in binge drink much abuse of alcohol, and that "secondhand binge effects," media. Sisters programs, political ing- defined as five or more needs to be corrected." refers to the problems that "If student government took binge drinkers create for stu- drinks in one sitting. This find- The consequences of binge on the issue and made evidence see BINGE/ page 6 page 2 The Observer • INSIDE Wednesday, September 13, 1995 • INSIDE COLUMN • WORLD AT A GLANCE Credit Card Man blows up car in mall parking lot, killing his family ESSEX, Md.

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