Persevering through tragedy and
taking all life has to offer
by Sarah Orr
staff writer
Many of us have heard stories of
others beating the odds, overcom
ing extreme mental or physical bar
riers to triumph successfully in the
end. They are very inspiring stories,
but even more so when the person
that it happened to is someone that
we know. This is the story of one of
those people. Her name is Raychel
Vendetti, and she overcame daunt
ing odds to beat cancer.
Raychel is a junior Communica
tions and Media Studies major at
Penn State-Behrend. Her story be
gan in 1988; she was in second
grade playing on the playground
when she fell and hurt her knee. For
three years she underwent intense
physical therapy to help the recur
ring pains in her knee. She was sent
to several hospitals in Erie, Pitts
burgh, and Cleveland that diag
nosed her injury from everything
like arthritis to plain old growing
pains.
Still in chronic pain, Raychel
went to Shriner's Hospital in Cleve
land for another opinion. They di
agnosed her with synovial sarcoma,
a cancer that infects the fluid in the
body. The fluid surrounding her
knee contained the cancerous cells.
The doctors are not exactly sure
what caused the cancer, but it is a
rare type. Only one in ten children
are inflicted with it.
Don't for
Where:
Commons
Date: Wednesday,
October 18, 2000
Time: 11-4p.m.
A student gives blood at the last annual blood
drive. It's quick, not terribly painful, and you'll
be helping out people that need it!
On The Lighter Side
Katie Galley
Breathing and flexing to a new mind:
There are many misconceptions
about yoga. It's for those new Age
people, you have to be a
contortionist to do it, that it's not
medically beneficial. All of those
assumptions are incorrect.
There are many people that do not
consider themselves 'New Age' that
participate in yoga. Actors such as
David Duchovny and Madonna
praise yoga and its benefits. There
are even two yoga classes offered
here at Behrend.
While flexibility is something that
yoga will enhance, it is certainly not
something that is crucial to
beginners. There are different levels
of yoga for all stages of learning. A
well known yoga position that
almost everyone has done is sitting
`lndian Style', and while that's not
its technical name in yoga, the
movement behind it is the same.
The practice of yoga can benefit
Some yoga websites to enjoy:
www.yogazone.com
www.yogaeverywhere.corn
. ,
... --....,.
.
. 1,1,4
„024 , .. , ..
. ..,
.
. ...
••• , • ••• i..- . . ..1.; , ;,.... f!,if. ~.:4....,-- - •••,, ,. ~. . ,•,,
,
... • , ..,,, .
~,
~..,.,,.,
1 4
..
. . a®
Raychel faced various treatment
options, but following the advice of
her doctors, she decided the safest
and surest way to prevent the can
cer from spreading was to have her
leg amputated. And that's what she
did: at the end of sth grade, on April
11, 1991, Raychel's leg was ampu
tated about 5 inches above her knee.
The operation was successful. She
underwent a year and a half of che
motherapy in Cleveland and has
been cancer free for nine years.
Raychel feels that the ordeal has
made her a stronger person. She
says that she sees things from a dif
ferent perspective now. She has an
extremely positive attitude, an ap
preciation for friends and family
and a respect for life. Raychel has
become very close with her family,
especially her mother because of the
time that they spent in and out of
hospitals. Faced with the same ob
stacle today, Raychel is unsure of
how she would handle it. Being a
small child at the time that it oc
curred, she felt that it was just some
thing that she had to endure.
Raychel did not begin her college
career at Penn State-Behrend. She
started as a freshman at Edinboro
University. Being more handi
capped accessible than Behrend is,
Edinboro was her school of choice.
But on-campus living was not as
easy as one might imagine. There
are situations such as dormitory liv
ing and trips to the communal bath-
The Reed
PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER
the body in ways probably not
thought of. It does increase
flexibility, and it also helps align the
body. Muscles are not the only
things that will benefit from yoga, it
can make the spine healthier too. All
of these things together changed my
mind about yoga.
Yoga was introduced to me my
first semester here at Behrend. After
a few weeks of discovering how
tight my muscles were and exactly
how inflexible I was, yoga became
easier. I found out that by doing
yoga, I was feeling healthier, I had
more energy and that I was a lot less
stressed out.
Yoga focuses on not only
controlling the movement of the
body, but it focuses on the
movement of the breath through the
body. A simple explanation in
layman's terms is that through the
controlled and focused movements
of the breath and body during the
yoga practice, one can focus the
mind, body and spirit into one, and
live a happier life because of it.
As I mentioned before, there are
in ttirl
4 7 legt,
0 Irk
- - # - "
et to donate blood!
Raychel Vendetti is now a junior at Behrend. Concentrating on
her studies and making the most out of life are two things that
are important to her.
room for a shower that did not prove
conducive to Raychel's living
needs. She decided to move back
home and pursue a degree at Be
hrend. She is very happy with the
strides that Behrend is making with
the addition of many new handicap
accessible features.
Raychel would someday like to
have a career in broadcast journal
ism, as well as become a motiva
tional speaker for children with can-
different levels of yoga, and there
are also several types of yoga. Here
are four basic yoga positions and
explanations of how to do them.
Downward Facing Dog
Starting with hands and knees on
the floor, position hands directly
rectly
under
the
hips. Taking several breaths through
the nose, on an exhale push the hips
backward and up into the air. Start
with the knees bent and arms
straight. Continuing to breathe
through the nose, lengthen through
the spine and push heels toward the
floor. Stop when the position
becomes uncomfortable. Benefits of
this position include
flexibility of the back
and strengthening of
the abdomen muscles
Corpse
While this pose looks
easy, some people say
that it is difficult due
.s. , :': , ,•• ii 7. ~ ..4 "'P ,
.
F: 4N ' {.
ht:
s
• r-
cer and cancer survivors. For those
suffering a similar ordeal, Raychel
offers these words: "Don't think
about it. Stay strong and be posi
tive." She commented that if there
is a struggle that you must go
through, you cannot dwell on the
fact that you have cancer. You have
to focus on the positive to overcome
it. And she is living proof that this
motto works.
to the fact that you have to totally
relax your body to achieve the full
effects of it. The best way to start
this pose is to lower yourself slowly
to the floor, one vertebrae at a time.
Once you feel your body com
pletely on the floor, try to find the
correct spacing of the legs and
arms. This is achieved by bringing
the feet together and gradually
moving them apart, pausing along
the way to see if you can feel
tension anywhere in the body,
especially the back. Select the
position with the least amount of
tension. The same is done with the
arms, noting the tension in the
shoulders and upper back. To
position your head correctly,
without raising your head, move the
chin toward and away from the
chest. Slowly roll it from side to
side. Find the place with the least
tension. Benefits of corpse pose
include all the muscles in the body
under
shoul
ders
and
relax, and it
«~~ :;~..
~r•~ '}"~
F, ','
: y
,'<
PHOTO BY JASON SNYDER
October is National Vegetarian
Awareness Month. Here is a recipe
that veggie and meat eaters alike will
enjoy/
Red Pepper Hummus
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 15 1/2-ounce can chickpeas,
rinsed and drained
1/4 tahini (sesame
smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup chopped (jarred) roasted
red peppers or pimento
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive
oil
1 / 4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 / 4 teaspoon paprika
1/3 cup fresh copped
parsley
Mince the garlic by dropping it
through the feed tube of a food
processor or blender while the mo
tor is running. Stop the motor and
add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon
juice, olive oil, salt, cumin, pep
pers and paprika. Process until
smooth. Add the parsley and pulse
just until blended. Makes 2 cups.
Nutrients per 1/4 cup: 115 calories,
4 grams protein, 11 grams carbohy
drate, 3 grams fiber, 7 grams fat,
0.5 grams saturated fat, 0 milligrams
cholesterol, 155 milligrams sodium.
Want to advertise your
q-Cealthy 6uisness?
'Fie -{eat - t{ - 1y Living page is a monthly supplement andis
read 6y over 3,700 students:it will run again in 'November
Send in your ads now! Carr 898-6488.
Do you have a human interest story? Or
know of one thatyou would like to share?
Email or call us here at the Beacon.
beh.rcoll2@aoCcom
or
allows energy to flow freely
throughout the body. I feel the best
time to do this pose is at the end of a
yoga workout or when you are
stressed, because it lets your mind
clear and focus on the tasks at hand.
Cobra
Start by laying on your stomach.
Place the hands on the floor beside
your chest, fingertips at the top of
the shoulders. Make sure that feet
are on the
floor with toes outstretched. Slowly
lengthen the neck on the first inhale
Elongate the spine starting at the
base of the skull all the way to the
lower back. It may appear that you
are using your hands to hold your
upper body up, however, that is
achieved through the elongation
Keep your elbows tucked in and
your shoulders down. Make sure
that legs and buttocks are relaxed
and heels remain together. Come
down in the reverse order, slowly,
the chin touching the ground last.
Benefits of this pose are that it
seed paste) or
flat
898-6488
is yoga for you.
makes minor adjustments in the
vertebrae. Relieves back fatigue.
Strengthens ab muscles. Promotes
elasticity of the spine.
Mountain
This is a standing
pose. Stand with
big toes touching,
heels one inch
apart. Knees are
straight, but not
locked, and the
hips are in line
with the ankles.
Move the shoul
ders up, back and
then down. Spread
the chest and bring
shoulders over the
hips. Either keep
arms at the sides lengthening down
or in a prayer position in front of
your heart. Benefits include balance
and steadiness of the mind.
Remember that yoga is not for
everybody. If you have a neck or
back condition or are pregnant,
check with your doctor first before
beginning yoga or any other
exercise routine. And 'no pain no
gain' does not apply here. If
something hurts, then stop, you are
moving too fast.
leave