Exorcise Your Stress Demons Trudging through the remaining days of the fall semester, I feel like a teaspoon of icing spread on a giant sheet cake there just isn't enough of me to go around. Balancing a full course load, a job and a relationship is difficult. You probably have similar feelings. We all experience stress at some time, but we don't always recognize the true source of it. So, before throwing your books against the wall or lighting up a smoke while the pres sure is on, stop to consider the epicenter Capital Union of your stress: your "IF 1 raiNK 1 Apf Building to lift mind. weights. The physi- According to GOING 7 - 0 FAiL cal demand of the Beth Sonnenburg, a repetitions forces me writer for Joe A r 6 -5 7 -, 1 to simply concentrate Weiders' Muscle and on my breathing and Fitness Magazine, p72013A5Ly WILL . " my form instead of stress is a mental atti- dwelling on the Mad tude that perceives equacies in my head. dangers or threats in If I am at home, situations or events. away from the con- Some of you may remember Tarnhelm's "Submit" advertisement last semester that showed a woman from the waist down, wearing a short skirt and holding a coiled bullwhip. I thought the ad was ingenious and humorous. Other stu dents, however, found it so appalling they scribbled all over it and shouted at the edi tors in the hallways. The different reac tions Penn State students had to the ad was all in the way they looked at it. There is an old saying that asserts, "so you think, so shall you be." This is also known in modern psychology as self-ful filling prophecy. Thoughts affect our men tal viewpoint on situations and how we deal with them. If I think I am going to fail a test, I probably will. I'll convince myself that studying isn't worth my time since I'm going to fail anyway. Have you noticed this kind of thought pattern in your head? Negative thoughts are most dangerous when they are unconscious, precisely because if we are unaware of them, we can't challenge them. When I notice I am experiencing debilitating thoughts, I ask myself, "Why am I avoiding this?" and "What's the worst thing that can happen?" Changing my perception of a situation frequently reduces the amount of stress I experience. A simple formula for how this works might be [an event + my reaction = the outcome]. Wayne Dixon, a researcher who By Jena Laske For The Capital Times revealed the results of a case study on col lege students and stress in the Journal of Counseling and Development, says that on a mental level, prolonged stress can manifest as depression, irritability and a negative outlook on life. Therefore, it's essential to confront stress and try to cope with it. Besides changing your attitude, which may not be easy, another way to deal with stress is to distract yourself by doing something physical. If I am at venience of the gym, I'll put on some of my favorite music, turn up the volume and dance. According to Sonnenburg, exercise burns off adrenaline released by stress and results in a better night's sleep and additional ability to concentrate. Also, exercise may alleviate physical ail ments resulting from stress, including shallow breathing, backaches or migraines. For those of you who don't like to work out, there are other ways to relieve stress. Playtime is my preferred way to relieve pressure. I consider playtime any activity that takes my mind off what's bothering me and focuses it on something constructive. Any number of possibilities exist here, from cooking or reading juicy books, to playing cards or musical instru ments. I have several African drums in my home that I bang on with utter abandon. During the evening hours, when my neighbors are sleeping, I choose a gentle sounding wooden flute to play. After hav ing a bit of fun, I can usually return to my tasks feeling confident rather than daunt ed. Stress is unavoidable, but to manage it effectively it's critical to notice the men tal mind-set that is causing it and try to change your thoughts to positive ones. Think about ways you can effectively manage stress, such as planning your time wisely, working out and most importantly . . . having a little fun! school, I'll go over to the gym in the Marilyn Demey, Ruth Miller, Marianne Dimatteo, Valerie Duhig, Sharon Slouch and Kim Jorich walk on Nov. 14 as a way to draw attention to breast cancer. Two New Groups Focus on Women's Issues Two new campus organizations are focusing attention on women's issues. The Capital College Liaison Committee to the University Commision for Women is an arm of the larger PSU organization func tioning at University Park since 1981. The fledgling student club, Penn State Organization for Women's Equality and Rights, just received authorization from the SGA. The Capital College Liaison Committee represents both PSH and Schuylkill campuses with two officers from each location. According to CCLC/CFW Chair, Marylou Martz, coor dinator of student health services, initial funding to support the committee came from University Park and PSH Provost Dr. Madlyn Hanes' discretionary funds. As its initial kickoff program, CCLC/CFW sponsored a Breast Cancer Awareness Walk on Nov. 14. According to Martz, the then unofficial group POWER, as well as the SGA, helped sup port the breast cancer walk. Both new groups focus on women's issues and, according to POWER co-chair Amanda Parsons, will work together whenever possible. In fact, POWER lists "promoting our affiliation with the Commission for Women" as one of the Shave-Off Ends Peacefully By Kerry Monaco Capital Times Staff Writer The shave-off is finally over. Matt easy task, but he did it. "Lapinski" Williams, one of five members Corey "Coach" Metz claimed victory of Club 831 A who stopped shaving in Tuesday afternoon and said there would early October, broke down on Nov. 28 be a symposium some time in the next after almost two months of hairiness. It week discussing the entire competition. seemed as though he was never going to Congratulations are extended to all partic shave, but Lapinski could not take it any- ipants for their dedication and determina more. He claimed the reason he shaved tion. was that when he ate, he got hair in his OPINION & NEWS By Cathie McCormick Musser Capital limes Editor In Chief group's objectives. CCLC/CFW began meeting monthly early in the semester. POWER held an ini tial meeting last week. Parsons expressed disappointment at the meeting's turn out, but acknowledged the difficulty of orga nizing at the end of the semester. The group will renew their efforts during the spring semester. women's group wasn't active at PSH. "There's normally some type of organiza tion like this on a campus," Parsons said. Parson's co-chair is Jennifer Boger, public policy graduate student, 'who worked with several other students over the summer to form the club's concept. The group's faculty advisor is Dr. Carol Nechemias. According to Parsons, besides promot ing the group's affiliation with CCLC/CFW, POWER plans to support "action-oriented research and programs, promote awareness on campus of women's issues and history." According to Martz, CCLC/CFW's second event, a Holiday Basket Bonanza scheduled for Dec. 4 to 8, will raise funds to support future programs, including Bring Your Daughter to Work Day sched uled for April 26. mouth, but the hair was still attached to his face. So he shaved, which was not an Parsons recalls being surprised a