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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 3, 1982)
Pregnant women are mixing well with water By Sandy Johnstone Ot the Emerald She's one of the fastest swimmers in the masters swim class, as she flip-turns skillfully and easily outdistances the others in the class It isn't until Susan Risebor ough pulls herself out of the water that the casual observer realizes she is about eight months pregnant Pregnant women swimmers are more common these days as women begin to assert their in dependence from the myth that pregnancy undermines their ability to do perform normal ac tivities Two pregnant women are enrolled in swim classes — and aquatics director Don Van Rossen is learning to deal with conflicting emotions. "Women can't just be isolated for nine months," he says. At the same time he admits he was hesitant at first in dealing with the pregnant women Van Rossen says he was taking on the role of society" by being overly concerned that the women might push their bodies too far He says he kept wanting to tell the women to take it easy, but now he sees that they are capable of pushing themselves without hurting the babies He is quickly catching the enthusiasm of the women "I tell them to take it easy and am amazed at the energy they have — how hard they can work," he says "My eyes are opening at 53 " Riseborough, 23, a competi tive swimmer since she was seven and a member of the r University swim team for two years in 1977-78, bubbles over with enthusiasm for swimming while pregnant She credits her daily swim with sparing her from some of the more unpleasant symptoms of pregnancy — excessive weight gain, constipation, and backache For a month when her swimming was interrupted because of summer break, Riseborough found out just how uncomfortable pregnancy can be "You could open up any book on pregnancy and read about my complications," she says. About two weeks after she started swimming again her symptoms disappeared Riseborough also says swim ming allows her to do more than land exercises She is enrolled in an aerobics class where her extra weight can be like a "bowling ball,” forcing her to modify her activity. She does not have to change her swim ming routine Doctors generally recom mend swimming as the best sport for pregnant women because the water provides support for the baby Swimming also builds up the abdominal muscles making delivery easier and backache less likely But, Riseborough and Van Rossen caution women to check with their doctors and gradually build up a routine if they are not in shape before they start swimming. Van Rossen also is interested in the effects of swimming on the child after birth Van Rossen says there is no conclusive Being eight months pregnant doesn’t Riseborough’s exercise regimen. Photos by Dave Ka interfere with Susan evidence of the effect of swim ming on the newborn, but he believes it can result in stronger babies Van Rossen’s and Risebor ough's enthusiam is manifested in a SHAPE course winter term that will encourage pregnant women to swim The course is not strictly for pregnant women, but it will encourage their par ticipation, says instructor Tina Lee “The class will stress in dividual fitness goals,” says Lee. "Women who have been swimming (before pregnancy) will be in better condition. Swimming up to the day of birth will give less trauma to the body." Riseborough says she is rounder and fuller from the front and looks much smaller than other women at the same stage of pregnancy. Other women who swim gain their normal shape back quicker than women who don't swim, she says. Riseborough encourages pregnant women to consider swimming, both to keep fit and to keep a positive attitude. "It is a mental boost," says Riseborough "The only time I get frustrated is when I find I'm limited Then I know I can get out and do what I used to do in the pool. I feel a lot better " KMTR gives Interns’ hands-on experience By Lisa Irving Of the Emerald If you re a journalism or telecommunications major looking for some hands-on experience, an internship at Eugene’s newest television station may be just what you 're looking for Despite being only a few months old, KMTR already has about nine interns working in various capacities The intern ship program is a mutually beneficial arrangement between the station and students who want to get ex ‘You learn a lot, and it looks good on a resume’ penence ana earn college credits at the same time At KMTR, an individual may learn as much as he or she desires — there are no specific requirements There are no monetary incentives either, but the experience is invalu able, according to Kristin Keyes, program coordinator "At the universities and col leges, you get good informa tion — your classes are impor tant But when it comes down to brass tacks, the person with the most experience will get nirea, Keyes says The station has three pre requisites tor internships Candidates must be coliege students, have a college faculty member sponsor them and have some previous jour nalism experience Classes are counted as experience, which allows students an entry-level position in a professional atmosphere "We like to train people," says Keyes "It’s always nice to have some extra bodies around to help " Students choose a work area that matches their inter ests, whether it be in writing, reporting, photography or production An intern must learn more than one aspect of broadcasting — how much more is a matter ot choice "I think KMTR is unique in that the student can learn as much as he wants There are no restrictions, ' Keyes says Students from any field are accepted in the KMTR pro gram As long as the University will approve the credit ar rangements, history, philo sophy or mathematics students can be interns Students can remain in the program indefinitely and work as many or as few hours per week as they want "It’s up to the students.' says Keyes "They design their own programs KMTR has no formal ar rangement with the University for the internship program, says Keyes But Keyes plans to work more closely with the University in the future ICC students currently hold a majority of the internships because they seem to have more technical background, says Keyes Despite the apparent edge in technical knowledge that LCC telecommunications students have. John Shep phard. head of telecommun icatlons at the University, says he's satisfied with the present situation "Internships should not be offered to every student who comes down the line Every one does not have the capacity to benefit from an internship The people we have out there are the people we felt would get the most from a learning experience," says Sheppard Shepphard says he is selec tive about the places he sends students to serve internships "We want a genuine learn ing experience A student should not be used for substi tute labor," says Shepphard Contrary to Keyes viewpoint, Shepphard says close super vision and instruction are im portant Working at KMTR will im prove the student's market ability when looking for a job, says Keyes "This industry is difficult to break into — you need more than just studies," says Keyes Shepphard does not disa gree entirely with Keyes but adds that "the University is preparing people to go beyond the entry-level position, to be leaders You can learn to be a working person anywhere ' Steve Ducich, a University senior in telecommunications, currently is working in the KMTR newsroom editing, writ ing and performing standard "gofer" work For Ducich at least, the time invested is worth the reward "It's interesting — you learn a lot," says Ducich “And it looks really good on a re sume "
