UMNews
School of Nursing Dean to speak at federal symposium
Nilda Peragallo, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Studies, is scheduled to speak at a scientific symposium sponsored by the National Institute of Nursing Research/National Institutes of Health. “Nursing Research: Looking to the Future” will be held in conjunction with the 2006 State of the Science Congress and celebrates the 20th anniversary of the NINR. The symposium will focus on rising health issues and challenges and the opportunities for nursing research to respond to these challenges proactively. Dr. Peragallo has been noted as one of the leading researchers in HIV/AIDS risk prevention in Latinas and is internationally recognized for her leadership efforts in areas of health disparities, cultural competency and the recruitment and retention of minorities in the nursing field. Her lecture will focus on “Expanding Opportunities in Health Disparities Research”. The symposium will be held on Oct. 11 the NIH campus in Washington, D.C.
ELSEWhere
Marijuana speaker offers blunt assessment at Georgetown
Ross Eichenholz // The Hoya (Georgetown)
In an on-campus speech Thursday night punctuated by loud bursts of applause, a prominent marijuana legalization advocate said that Americans must be more forthcoming about their smoking habits if the drug is ever to be legalized.
“It’s time for those of us who smoke marijuana to get up, stand up, smoke up and let the world know how we feel,” said Keith Stroup (LAW ’68). He added that marijuana is the third most prevalent recreational drug in the United States and its popularity is growing.
Stroup founded the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in 1970, and served intermittently as the organization’s executive director until his retirement last year. NORML successfully lobbied for the decriminalization of minor marijuana offenses in 11 states during the 1970s.
Stroup, who wore a lapel pin bearing a marijuana leaf, said that smoking marijuana is neither immoral nor very harmful, and that it has fewer negative effects than both tobacco and alcohol.
Stroup said that the government wastes resources enforcing anti-marijuana laws. College students can face additional steep consequences for marijuana use, he said, as they can be denied federal student aid and subsidized housing. He said that students caught drinking alcohol tend to receive significantly milder penalties.
He added that marijuana smokers should not be afraid to reveal themselves, and said that they can shed the stigma attached to the drug by showing that it is used by people “of all shapes and sizes.”
ETC
The Wellness Center staff is offering a free class on how to design a personal exercise plan. The class covers the basics of cardiovascular exercise, weight training and flexibility and will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 6:30 p.m. in classroom 2.