The Brand (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 98, No. 6, Ed. 1 Tuesday, October 27, 2009 Page: 1 of 6
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THE BRAND
B
ISSUE 6, VOLUME 98
HARDIN-SIMMONS UNIVERSITY
OCTOBER 27, 2009
Swine Flu follow-up: how to care for others while protecting yourself
ByHaylevTow
News Editor
Since The Brand last covered the
HiNi virus strain, the disease has now
spread to 46 different states in the U.S.
according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). The
states which have not had widespread
flu activity are Connecticut, Hawaii,
New Jersey, and South Carolina. One
startling figure is the death toll. There
have been 95 deaths with the reported
cause attributed to the Swine Flu. This
statistic, however, only includes people
under the age of 24. The CDC has a
website where everyone can be updated
on the latest swine flu coverage: www.
cdc.gov/hiniflu.
Someone who contracts the H1N1
virus should take necessary precau-
tions, such as proper cough and sneez-
ing etiquette, and frequent washing of
hands. However, if you are taking care
of a sick person, there are proper ways
to help him or her according to the CDC.
You should avoid face-to-face contact
with the patient. There are ways to care
of others and not have to be two inches
away from their face. You should also
seek medical care and ask the doctors if
you should be taking antiviral medica-
tion as well. This is to prevent you from
catching the disease.
When caring for children who are
sick, place their chin on your shoulder
so they do not cough in your face. If you
are at high risk of being infected with the
virus, you should not be the designated
caregiver. Wash your hands frequently
with anti-bacterial soap or gel after hav-
ing any contact with the sick person.
Throw away all tissues that are used
and other disposable products after one
use. Disinfect common surfaces such
as kitchen counters, doorknobs, and
water faucets regularly. Do not share
eating uten-
sils or lin-
ens, though
those used
by the sick
do not need
to be washed
separately.
Even
though the
Swine flu
epidemic
needs to be
taken seri-
ously, it can
be easy to
exaggerate
the threat.
Photo bv: Aubrey Goza
The new
strain of the H1N1 virus is treatable as
long as everyone takes the steps neces-
sary to get better. Medical care, suffi-
cient sleep and rest, and a healthy diet
will have an infected person back on
his or her feet within weeks. While the
virus is very contagious, proper health
care, including good hygiene, sleeping,
and eating habits, will most likely pre-
vent anyone from catching the flu. Have
a safe and healthy winter season!
By Austen Massey
Sports Editor
We are approach-
ing the midway point of
the fall 2009 semester,
and that means mid-
term exams are com-
ing up for students
of Hardin-Simmons
University. Midterms
are designed to deter-
mine whether or not
you have been paying
attention for the last
seven or so weeks, and
professors can gener-
ally get an idea as to
who is most likely to
achieve success in a
particular class, and
who might struggle or
It’s midterm time again
need to put forth a little
extra effort.
The midterm
is often the test that
comprises the largest
amount of notes for any
given subject area, and
sometimes even final
exams cover less mate-
rial because they can
often be non-compre-
hensive, whereas the
midterm may cover as
much as a month and
a half s worth of mate-
rial. For freshmen, this
can be a point of tran-
sition from high school
as one’s performance
on any given test is
worth more towards
one’s semester grade.
Gone are the days
WPssr
iff
Photo by: Stephanie Teoh
where one could make
up averages by getting
a better grade in one six
week period as opposed
to a previous one. The
tests are more spread
out and are designed,
to a certain extent, to
test one’s responsibil-
ity as much as one’s
knowledge.
Some classes
actually use the name
“midterm” and some
do not, but they all
intend the same thing.
I remember being a
freshman and wonder-
ing if I was going to be
able to adequately pre-
pare myself as I was
not sure what to expect.
I learned to trust my
notes and my personal
study strategy, and
have experienced suc-
cess since.
The tests are also
important because
they serve as a founda-
tion for the rest of the
semester. In particular
classes, such as eco-
nomics, the basic infor-
mation or terms that
you will need to know
will be used repeat-
edly throughout the
semester. Knowledge of
these concepts is criti-
cal to long term suc-
cess. The same can be
said for a political sci-
ence class as the work-
ings of our government
are fairly static, but
the basics will be con-
stantly referred back to
throughout the semes-
ter and even beyond.
The thing is, everyone
has to do them in some
form or another. So
good luck Cowboys!
Pumpkin Paiooza
By Bichol Richards
Staff Reporter
It’s here again,
the festive must-go-to
event of the fall semes-
ter - Pumpkin Paiooza!
October 30, 7 p.m. - 9
p.m. at the Intramural
Complex is the date,
time, and place marked
for the merry occasion.
This year’s Pumpkin
Paiooza promises many
activities and games, and
also prizes for kids in
costumes. Special activi-
ties for Hardin-Simmons
University students
include pumpkin con-
tests such as pumpkin
Hayley Tow at Pumpkin Paiooza 2008
Photo by: Nathan Day
chunking, carving, seed
spitting, and pie eat-
ing. The pumpkin hunt
for HSU students will
begin at 10 p.m. out-
side Abilene Hall. This
is a great opportunity to
unwind after midterms
and indulge in a night
of sheer excitement and
spirited competition.
Be there and be sure to
invite friends!
Safety tips
ByElyseHahne
Managing Editor
With Halloween just around the corner and the campus bustling with activi-
ties, it is time to review our safety tips.
Have you ever just sat and watched vehicles zoom by with no regard as to
who is in their path? It is an accident waiting to happen.
Chief Loza, of the Hardin-Simmons University police department, said,
“Watch your speed and follow the speed limit signs.”
If you are parking your car at night, park in a well lit parking lot and be aware
of your surroundings. It is up to you to know what is around you and to make safe
decisions as well. Make sure to lock all of your doors when leaving your car, and
once you get into the car, lock it before you proceed to do anything else. This is an
easy safety precaution to take while being out late at night.
If you are on campus and feel the need for an escort, the police at HSU will
be more than happy to provide an escort for you 24/7. Their extension is 1461 and
they are there for you when you need them. If an incident does occur on campus
be sure to report it to the Campus police. For the police to be able to help you, you
must help them.
Overall, just use your common sense when out after dark. Stop, look, and lis-
ten before crossing roads, know your surroundings, and just be aware of the activ-
ity going on around you. Remember to always follow safety signs posted as well;
whether it is speed, stop, or road signs. Those signs are there to protect everyone!
By Bichol Bichards
Staff Reporter
As time elapses,
the definition of dis-
tracted driving seems to
be centering even more
around the aspect of
using a cell phone while
driving, particularly tex-
ting while driving. This
issue is proving quite
detrimental, as more and
more lives are becom-
ing endangered (and in
some cases lost) due to
simple lapses in concen-
tration brought about by
these devices. Recently,
a conference among
government officials
was held to discuss dis-
tracted driving and pos-
sible ways of eliminating
levels of distraction that
have contributed to sev-
eral thousand accidents
in the past year alone.
Fortunately, many
actions have already been
taken against cell phone
usage while driving, with
some specifically tar-
geted at texting behind
the wheel. Eighteen
states and the District of
Colombia have illegal-
ized texting while driving
for all drivers. The prob-
lem of distracted driving,
however, is not limited to
the United States alone.
Many countries have felt
the disastrous effects of
distracted driving and
have hence put mea-
sures in place to elimi-
nate cell phone usage
on the roads. Countries
such as Australia, Brazil,
China, France, Germany,
Italy, and the UK have
all made laws against
all cell phone activity
while driving. While it is
encouraging to see that
tolerance for distracted
driving is steadily dimin-
ishing over these areas,
the question that now
pushes itself forward is
where does Texas fit in
the mix of things? More
specifically, what is being
done about this serious
issue in the local regions?
The state of Texas
Reactions to distracted driving
has not yet passed any
laws banning drivers
from general cell phone
usage; however, there are
laws that prohibit some
instances of distracted
driving. School bus driv-
ers, for example, are pro-
hibited from texting or
using cell phones while
transporting passengers
under the age of 17, while
texting and cell phone
use by novice drivers in
the intermediate stage
are also banned.
Abilene has also
begun to take action
against distracted driv-
ing, as evidenced by the
recent banning of cell
phone usage by drivers
in school zones. In addi-
tion to listed speed lim-
its, school zone signs will
now be including prohi-
bition of cell phone use
while driving. Hopefully
this auspicious start
will fuel determination
to extend preventa-
tive measures until dis-
tracted driving is no lon-
ger an issue in any area.
States that have
banned texting while
driving
• Alaska
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado (effec-
tive December, 2009)
• Connecticut
• D.C.
• Illinois (effec-
tive January, 2010)
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Minnesota
• New
Hampshire (effec-
tive January, 2010)
• New Jersey
• New York (effec-
tive November, 2009)
• North
Carolina (effective
December, 2009)
• Oregon (effec-
tive January, 2010)
• Tennessee
• Utah
• Virginia
• Washington
Countries that have banned cell phone
use while driving
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Belgium
Brazil
Botswana
Canada
Chile
China
Czech Republic
Denmark
Egypt
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
India-New
Delhi
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Kenya
Malaysia
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Pakistan
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Singapore
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
Turkmenistan
UK
Zimbabwe
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Wong, Adriel. The Brand (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 98, No. 6, Ed. 1 Tuesday, October 27, 2009, newspaper, October 27, 2009; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth896744/m1/1/: accessed June 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Hardin-Simmons University Library.