I Hiking and climbing in
the Eugene area
* Oregon is known for the splendor of its
outdoors, and seven local hiking and
climbing spots provide convenient
options to explore and enjoy the beauty
of the greater Eugene area.
By Andy Meakins
Are you tired of doing the same old work out?
Tired of being stuck on the track or the treadmill?
Are you looking for a new place to direct energy,
maybe in a natural setting, but you can’t find a
place to go? If you need some suggestions, here are
several nature nuggets that can brighten up your
workout or your day. Outdoor hikes can also help
you stay motivated to work out.
Hiking
For you who desire to hike on trails other than
the sidewalks of campus, the Eugene area offers
many basic and yet inspirational hikes.
Spencer’s Butte is one of these (it’s the largest
hill in the south hills of Eugene). Almost anyone
can do this hike. It’s very beautiful, allowing the
hiker to see the entirety of Eugene as well as the
Cascades and surrounding regions. The trails,
ranging from about .5 miles to 2 miles, offer the
benefit of exercise to anyone who decides to hike
them no matter if you walk or, for those that really
want to get a hard workout, run. Only about five
minutes south of Eugene on Willamette St., this is
definitely a hike that I would recommend to any
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one.
A similar hike to that of Spencer’s Butte is
Mount Pisgah, about fifteen minutes out of
Eugene (south on 1-5, taking the Highway 58 exit,
and then turning at the next available road to the
left). Mount Pisgah is very beautiful with open
landscapes, and it is the first large hill one sees on
highway 58. Also an easy hike, it is less steep than
Spencer’s, but it is also longer. This hike can also
be more challenging if you run it.
For those of you who want a longer-lasting out
ing, there are many great day hikes, and overnight
hikes in the area. During the autumn months, the
Old-McKenzie pass is open. This old highway
offers many beautiful hikes. Ranging from half-day
to overnight hikes, the McKenzie pass offers a
well-rounded hike for anyone who has the time to
drive between an hour and two hours. There are
several access points into the Three Sisters wilder
ness area from the Old McKenzie highway. Many
of these trails require permits in order to hike
them. Hikers wishing to find out more about these
permits can call the National Forest Service (465
6521).
Climbing
For those of you who wish to hike with your
hands in addition to your feet, there are a few
walls to scale in the Eugene area, both indoor for
those rainy days, and outdoor for the dry days.
First of all, there is a rockwall at the Rec. Center
that is open seven days a week. Classes are also
offered by the U of O; call 346-4183 for more
information. Another great indoor facility, which
offers a bit more challenge, is Crux Rock Gym. It
has more versatile walls. Crux is at 401 West 3rd
Street. Call 484-9535 for more information.
Not far from the Crux is a large basalt cliff wall
on the west side of Skinner’s Butte. It offers a
greater amount of vertical climbing than either of
the indoor gyms. However, it is also more danger
ous because it is so much larger and has the
potential for rock fall.
And finally, for those of you who have the
experience and are looking for more climbing
challenge, I recommend Smith Rock. About a two
hours east of Eugene, this state park is world
renowned for its climbing difficulty and its beau
ty. Smith Rock is a gem for its day hikes, even if
you are not inclined to the vertical adventure.
Technical climbing does have many inherent
dangers, so beginners should seek professional
instruction. Check into the Outdoor Pursuits
Program at 346-4105 or the City of Eugene
Outdoor Program (682-6323) for upcoming class
es.
Although I’m from Eugene, I don’t know all of
the great spots. However, U of O students have
access to the Outdoor Program here at the EMU.
They have great resources, including maps, guide
books, and group trips to beautiful places. For
more information, contact the Outdoor Program
at 346-4365.
We all have stress, but
what can you do about it?
Stress may be a part of
college life, but there are lots
of things students can do to
manage it more effectively.
By Daniel Jeffrey
I remember my first term in
college. It was chock full of
changes. I had moved to a new
city where I didn’t know anyone.
I had a roommate who was loud,
rude, and never slept. And, to top
things off, all of the classes I
thought I would breeze through
ended up being much more work
than I had anticipated. To say the
least, I was stressed out.
As students, we face all types
of stressors, such as balancing
school, family, and relationships.
For non- traditional students, the
scope of stressors may require
even more juggling. Being an
international student, a parent, a
worker, and a spouse can have its
unique challenges. Stress is the
body’s natural response to chang
ing stimuli. We all have stress,
but we can change how we deal
with it.
Take time to breathe: At
times of stress, most of us take
shallow breaths, not allowing
sufficient oxygen to reach our
brains. In fact, sighing or yawn
ing are the body’s way of filling
up with oxygen in response to a
stressor or boredom.
Being aware of your breathing
can help lower stress. One exer
cise that may be helpful involves
breathing in for the count of
four, holding for a count of four,
and releasing for the count of
four, Doing this just a few times
can be provide almost immediate
relief.
Time Management: After the
first week of classes, you should
have a good idea of your course
assignments, tests and activities.
Working with a date book or cal
endar can allow you to better
work with these obligations, as
well as schedule study time and
necessary personal time. This
will ultimately allow you to be
more prepared, and anticipate
busy times in your schedule.
Break big projects and assign
s ments into smaller steps. Antici
pate your possible semester
stressors and you can avoid pro
crastination: a huge component
of stress.
Self Care: Make sure to exer
cise and sleep. One of the biggest
problems in times of stress is that
the “over worked self’ keeps us
racing. This is often at the same
time when we are more seden
tary, such as sitting and hitting
the books. You will be much
more effective at studying if you
release some of that pent up
energy by exercising. Through
physical activity you can release
stress, feel energized, and have
more effective study sessions.
You’ll even be able to sleep better.
Be aware of dietary factors.
Substituting caffeine and sugar
for a pick me up might work for
a short period of time but could
weaken you later. If you take vit
amin supplements, increase your
B and C vitamins as they are
depleted more quickly during
times of stress. And make sure
that you adopt or continue eating
a healthy and balanced diet, espe
cially during times of stress.
Resources: Develop a support
system or learn about communi
ty resources. Asking for help is a
sign of strength, not weakness.
There are many places at UO and
in the community that can help.
The Counseling Center has long
term counseling options to help
or offers short-term crisis
appointments. The Health Edu
cation Office has a resource room
with articles and books on stress
management. Likewise, the pro
gram offers workshops on vari
ous self-care topics. There are
many student support groups.
Take advantage of study groups,
and programs for special popula
tions, such as groups for non-tra
ditional students, and
International students.
Remember that stress is not a
personal failure, it is the body’s
reaction to good and bad situa
tions. Try some of the above
techniques to shift stress into a
more positive light Stress can be
a motivator, or it can tap your
resources and leave you vulnera
ble, and less prepared to deal
with things. Remember at times
of stress to breath, take care of
yourself, and ask for help. And
don’t forget to relax.
Embarrassed to ask your doctor?
Despite having an interest
in learning, many college
students do not ask then
doctors important health
questions because they are
too embarrassed to do so.
Some of the more common
questions, and their
answers, are outlined below
By Amanda Nottke
yn this day of MTV’s Loveline
and super-frank sex talk, it may
JLseem odd that not everyone is
comfortable discussing intimate de
tails with their practitioner. But
something that may seem common
place when talking to your friends
can become ear-redding when
you’re explaining it to your family
practitioner. Cindy Smith, N.P. at
the University Health Center, reas
sures us that “there is no question
that is too silly or embarrassing to
ask and probably very few that
someone hasn’t already asked in
Paid Advertising
the past.” Still, it’s not always easy
to get up the nerve to ask certain
questions, such as these.
AQ Is my ( ? ) supposed to do
• that?
Sexuality is a topic that
• sometimes makes us cringe,
especially when our familiar repro
ductive parts are acting in unfamil
iar ways. Smith explains, “People
often don’t know if what they are
experiencing is normal. It is often a
matter of reassuring, explaining
normal anatomy and physiology,
and doing an appropriate exam or
lab test, if necessaiy. Concerns of
ten vary considerably so people
should realize that we deal with
these questions all the time and not
be afraid to ask.”
AQ What’s the morning-after
• pill? Is it an abortion pill?
The morning-after pill, a.k.a.
• emergency contraception,
prevents the implantation of a fer
tilized egg when taken within 72
hours of unprotected intercourse.
“Depending on the time during the
menstrual cycle that they are taken,
ECPs may inhibit or delay ovula
tion, inhibit tubal transport of the
egg or sperm, interfere with fertil
ization, or alter the endometrium
(the lining of the uterus).” (Office
of Population Research at Prince
ton University). Emergency contra
ception prevents pregnancy. Smith
emphasizes that it is not an abor
tion pill and will not do anything if
taken when someone is already
pregnant. She suggests that all sex
ually active women have it at home
in case of condom failure or unpro
tected intercourse. The morning-af
ter pill is available through pre
scription at the University Health
Center for $8. Call 346-4441 for
more information or to set up an
appointment.
AQ Um, I’m having a bit of a
• problem back there.
It can be a very unfunny situ
• ation when the source of so
many jokes starts causing trouble.
Smith says, “Complaints of the
anal/rectal area often go unevaluat
ed because of embarrassment about
talking to their practitioner. Al
though they are usually the result
of minor conditions, causes can
range from trivial to inflammatory
bowel disease, infection, and can
cer. In addition, anal/rectal com
plaints generate a substantial
amount of worry and discomfort.
These concerns deserve careful and
thorough evaluation by a practi
tioner.”
AQ Which is worse for me, alco
• hoi or pot?
Generally speaking, the
• health effects of both drugs
are highly dependent on the
amount of use. Heavy, long-term
use of alcohol can lead to and/or ex
acerbate liver and heart disease,
peptic ulcers, hepatitis, cancers,
and physical dependence, among
other ailments. Heavy, long-term
use of marijuana may lead to smok
ing-related mouth, throat, and lung
cancers; decreased sperm count
(but still within normal limits);
short-term memory loss; and,
chronic, decreased motivation
(amotivational syndrome for some
people). Both drugs can alter rela
tionships with friends, relatives,
and roommates, while exacerbating
existing mental depression, anxi
ety, and paranoia.” (Go Ask Alice,
Columbia University)
For further information:
Dr. Drew (from MTV’s Loveline)
health info, Q & A.:
http://www.drdrew.com
Go Ask Alice: Q & A on a wide
range of health topics
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu
Health Education Program:
workshops, health resources
346-4456
http://healthed.uoregon.edu
University Health Center:
services, hours, etc. 346-4441
http://healthcenter.uoregon.edu