December 2007

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – While classmates were home for the Thanksgiving holiday, enjoying traditional feasting and relaxation with family, Illinois Wesleyan sophomore Sam Katz spent 10 days competing in the North American Bridge Championships (NABC) in San Francisco.

Katz achieved his personal best in “blue ribbon” pairs competition. His father also competed, placing fourth in “open pairs.”

Whether influenced by nature or nurture, Katz stands to inherit impressive skills: Both of his parents and his grandparents are competitive bridge players. His mother won in national competition at a young age. His grandparents compete regionally, and his father, Ralph — the most successful of the Katz clan — placed second in recent World Team Championships, sponsored by the World Bridge Federation.

Last summer, Sam Katz won a NABC Mini-Spingold team event in Nashville, Tenn. Before enrolling at IWU, he competed in World Bridge Federation contests in Thailand and in Verona, Italy.

Katz explains his enjoyment of the card game by quoting his dad, who says, “You never stop learning in bridge, because there are so many hands and so many things you can do.”

A Hinsdale Township Central High School graduate and resident of Burr Ridge, Ill., Katz is majoring in economics at Illinois Wesleyan with a minor in math. The analysis of probabilities that he enjoys in his math studies relates directly to the mental competition of bridge.

“It really uses your mind,” Katz said. “You think and visualize all the cards in everyone’s hands. You can figure out what they have from what they’ve played.”

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill.— The newest edition of the nation’s most popular health assessment textbook is now available from author Carolyn Jarvis of Illinois Wesleyan University.

The book, Physical Examination and Health Assessment helps prepare future nurses to assess patient problems. Now in it’s fifth edition, the text contains new additions, all geared to a generation weaned on the Internet.

“Technology is here, and I want to be on top of it,” said Jarvis. “Students are so savvy that it makes sense to go this route.” Along with expanding the accompanying CD and Web site information that were introduced in the fourth edition, a new companion book is available both in pocket form and for personal digital assistants (PDA). “The pocket companion fits perfectly in a lab coat, and a lot of nurses are now carrying pharmacology information on their BlackBerrys, so the electronic version would give them a reference through examinations,” said Jarvis.

Also new is a series of 13 DVDs that focus on the body systems and head-to-toe examinations of adults and children. Jarvis wrote the script for the video and oversaw production. “I was there to make sure everyone had their examining hands in the right places,” Jarvis said of the video shoots. Just like the video, Jarvis is involved in every aspect of producing and putting together the book including writing most of the nearly 900 pages of the book. She also oversaw the layout and design. “The photos have to appear on the printed page exactly where I say to avoid confusion,” said Jarvis of photography taken by IWU Professor of Art Kevin Strandberg. “If I want students to be able to identify heart sounds, and tell you to put your stethoscope in a certain place, that photo has to be exactly where my words are.”

Jarvis does what she can to keep the book relevant and accessible. “I want students to take the book to class and write in the margins, not keep it in their residence halls,” she said. With each new edition, Jarvis decides what will be updated in the text. For the fifth edition, she added a section on functional assessment of the older adult. “The Baby Boomers are aging now, so it’s a timely chapter on how to do an examination unique to an aging adult,” she said. Jarvis said some older items were excluded from this issue. “There are some examination techniques that fall into disuse,” said Jarvis, noting the use of a flashlight against the skin to detect sinus infection. “Nurses today rarely use that technique, so I removed that from the book.”

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill.— Illinois Wesleyan University students are helping to fight malaria by raising more than $1,200 in a little over a week for the Nothing But Nets campaign.

Students decided to assist the international group after working on a class project for Health 280: Perspective in International Health. “One of our class assignments was to write a research paper recommending a global health issue and international organization that was making a difference.” said Katie Winkler, a senior biology major from Mount Prospect, Ill., and co-coordinator of the student effort. “Three or four of us chose malaria and Nothing But Nets, and the class decided to raise funds for them.”

Nothing But Nets is a grassroots organization, which purchases and distributes mosquito bednets in developing countries, especially Africa. “Malaria is on the rise in certain areas, and more than 408 million people worldwide suffer from malaria,” said Visiting Professor of Environmental Studies and Health Laurine Brown, who teaches the class. UNICEF reports 3,000 people a day die from the disease. “A mosquito net costs about $10, and can reduce transmission of malaria by up to 90 percent in affected areas, but that is out of reach for many people in developing nations.”

Students decided to raise $1,000 for Nothing But Nets under the team name IWU 4 Nets. “We thought $10 a net was an attainable amount for college students,” said Sara Koller, a senior biology major from Apple Valley, Minn., who also helped coordinate raising funds, and noted one net can help as many as four people.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — As finals week descends upon Illinois Wesleyan University, students may find themselves struggling with stress. IWU Staff Counselor Bob Rogers offers students some tips on getting through the week.

Set goals and reward yourself:

With projects coming due and multiple tests looming, students can easily lose sight of what is important, said Rogers, who works with the University’s Counseling and Consultation Services. “The best thing a student can do is to plan and organize,” he said, noting students should think about the “the Ps”: prioritize, plan and protect. “Students need to identify what their top priorities are, understand how much each project or test is worth, and make sure they understand what needs to be studied or done,” said Rogers. Creating a plan of attack when it comes to finals can help. “Decide the best time to focus on each topic, and then stick to it and protect that plan,” he said.

When students do meet goals in their plan, Rogers advises them to reward themselves. “If you’ve set a goal of studying for two hours, or finishing typing several pages, then reward yourself,” said Rogers. “Just make sure the goal precedes the reward. Goals should be realistic and achievable and can often give people a much-needed sense of direction.”

Take care of yourself:

It sounds like an easy idea, but during finals week, health is an early casualty, said Rogers. “Sleep is usually one of the first things students sacrifice, which makes studying tougher because it is difficult to function or retain information on limited sleep,” he said.

Though finals week may make the sales of Red Bull rise over the nation, Rogers advises students to watch what they eat and drink. “When students get stressed out, they may find themselves drinking a lot of caffeine to stay awake and study, or skipping meals and then eating a greasy snack late at night,” he said. “Students may think this helps in the short term, but although caffeine and carbs give a quick boost, it is followed by a big crash, which means students will not be feeling their best when they wake up the next morning. Take care of your body – eat well, sleep enough and exercise to burn off excess stress and energy”.

Give yourself space:

When it comes to studying, Rogers suggests a quiet space where students can focus. “Think about where you are studying. Will there be distractions like phone calls or friends stopping by? Or would you be better off in a quiet nook of the library?” he asked.

Cramming for finals may be a time-honored tradition for college students, but Rogers said it may actually cost students valuable study time. “Students who try to cram in a semester’s worth of knowledge in five hours will probably find they have only been able to truly focus for an hour and a half,” said Rogers. “The rest of the time will have been wasted.” Instead, he suggests an hour of studying with short breaks in between. “Give your mind time to process everything, and give your body time to relax,” he said, even if it is just a quick trip for a healthy snack.

Face reality:

One of the toughest things for students to see during finals week is the big picture. “Students are not going to be successful if they exaggerate the situation. You can’t do well if you look at a test and say, ‘If I fail this test, I will not get into graduate school.’ That’s too much pressure for anyone,” said Rogers, who said if students have done well in a class throughout the semester, they will most likely do well on the final. “Worrying and panicking is not helpful, and will only hinder students in their overall goals. Practicing techniques that help you relax is also very important.”

The best defense against panic during finals week is to locate a middle ground. “The key is finding a balance of work, rest and play,” said Rogers. “Try to be happy with a less than perfect performance from yourself. All you can do is your best.”

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The American Political Science Association has awarded Illinois Wesleyan University’s Meg Rincker a $3,500 grant to continue her research on women’s organizations in developing democracies. Rincker, a visiting assistant professor of political science at IWU, will use the funds to conduct surveys in Pakistan.

“In new and emerging democracies, political decisions are often made by local governments,” said Rincker, who has also conducted a similar survey in Poland. “The goal of the surveys is to discover if these local governments are more accessible to women’s groups than the national government.”

Rincker, who has been with IWU since 2005, will carry out the surveys through connections with two scholars at the University of Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan. “Scholars there will assist in carrying out the surveys in Pakistan’s four provincial capitals and the national capital of Islamabad,” said Rincker.

The surveys will assess the priorities of women’s groups across Pakistan, and whether recently empowered provincial governments are responding effectively, said Rincker. “We want to know what issues are most important to women,” she said, noting the surveys will ask about healthcare, female literacy and the practice of “honour killings,” where women are killed, often by male relatives, for bringing shame upon their families through perceived sexual immodesty.

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