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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 1981)
Older students face ‘different’ difficulties By CHARLENE BELL Of Iha Emerald The University's “older student" population faces dif ficulties not widely encountered by the “average" student For example, most students don’t have to worry about find ing a babysitter nor are they fazed by a class full of acne blessed 18 year-olds However, as the University's population of older students continues to swell, these prob lems undoubtedly will become more prevalent Staff at the University's Lifelong Learning Center, an organization designed to advise "older than-average" students, have noted a steady increase in enrollment of older students at the University since the center opened in 1973 Currently, there are 5,839 students over the age of 25 enrolled in the University The largest group is made up of 898 students between 35-44 years of age “We are just beginning to really define the function of the center," says Tom Nelson, center coordinator "Right now we offer peer advising, and ad vocate personal problems like difficulties " Nelson has learned that the greatest need older students have in adjusting to college life lies in finding opportunities to share similar problems and ex periences with students of the same age In answer to this need, the center has started a support group to aid older students in establishing social contacts A typical group session provides an older student with the chance to relate personal ex periences and problems or simply to let off some steam In some of these bull sessions a number of older students point out that they resent being treated like teen-agers by professors who are used to handling classes dominated by those under the age of 25 "I was in a large class and I came down with the flu and the professor wanted a signed note from my doctor I resented be ing treated like a kid I mean, my God, I'm 31 years old." says Jean Schauerman, a staff member at the center Although the average student s social life may center around the University, for older students the campus is just a ' stop'' along the way home to their families What do families of returning students make of the situation? Mark Albrecht, returning to school after teaching high school English for 13 years, says "My family is very suppor tive, as a matter of fact, I spend more time with my family than I did when I taught I liked teach ing but I grew frustrated with administrative pressure to do "busywork" like monitoring the halls tt was no fun for my family to deal with a bear around the house "Now I'm doing something I feel happy doing " Dentistry defeats decay By BRENDA THORNTON Of Vm EmaraM For some people, a trip to the dentist is as enjoyable as well, an impacted wis dom tooth They dread dental check ups and put them off year after year, believing that they are saving themselves a lot of pain, anxiety and money However, according to Dr Tom Westfall, 509 E 13th, these misguided folks usual ly end up requiring major dental work, which translates into tension, trauma and high bills "Decay spreads as rapidly as one millimeter every three months," says Westfall "We recall our patients every six months in an effort to prevent complications, which could result in nerve involvement, root canal work or even tooth extractions " Westfall stresses that preventive dentistry is pain less "Routine check-ups are stress-free," says Westfall "And preventive dentistry will save patients money in the long run. Fees are scaled by procedure "Preventive dentistry is more than a check-up twice a year,” adds Westfall "The patient must develop his or her own daily dental rou tine " ‘ Brushing well — com pletely cleaning every once a day is better than brushing sloppily numerous times a day,” says Westfall. "It's a good idea to use a fluoride toothpaste and fol low brushing with flossing.” A good diet also com pliments conscientious den tal care. ‘Students especially should be aware that nutri tion plays an essential part in maintaining healthy teeth,” says Westfall. "They tend to be more into junk food than a balanced diet." If the ballpark figure of $20 per visit sounds too high for your pocketbook. Lane Community College offers an alternative to private check ups Sharon Hagan, coordina tor of dental hygiene at Lane Community College’s Dental Clinic, points out that the clinic does not advertise its prices, "but ours are less ” "Although we aren’t as ex pensive, our patients may pay with their time,” says Hagan "Because we are a learning institution, patients may wait longer for our ser vices than they would in a dentist’s office." Dental hygiene students, supervised by a trained den tal hygenist and a staff den tist, clean teeth, take x-rays and instruct patients in home dental care. "Our services are open to anyone,” says Hagan Graphic by Max DeRungs "However, patients are evaluated in order to expose our students to a broad range of dental needs Anyone who is willing to be placed on a short call list is welcome to make an ap pointment.” Hagan also welcomes any one interested in dental hygiene as a profession. 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