Wearing the right bra?
Do your bra straps dig into your skin, leaving ugly and painful indentations? Is your cup a little too big? Does your bra band inch up your back?
If you wear a bra that is the wrong chest size, the bra’s band will either feel tight and uncomfortable around your rib cage or it will be too loose and ride up your breasts. Bras that are too small in the cup will compress your breasts and force them to bulge out the sides (think armpit boobs). And cups that are too big can wrinkle and pucker, which won’t look good under your clothes. In fact, nearly 85% of women are wearing the wrong bra size! Most women have had experience with annoying, imperfect bras, but there are also potential health issues associated with wearing the wrong bra size.
Women who do not wear the right bra often complain of pain in the upper neck and back, neck, shoulders or arms. They may have a pinched nerve in the neck and recurrent headaches. Full breasted women can get skin abrasions or infections underneath their breasts and many women often end up with sagging breasts. A well-fitting bra should provide the necessary support to take tension off the breasts, and should alleviate and prevent these potential problems. A good bra is also important for a woman’s posture, particularly if she has large breasts. It’s important to get both the chest and cup sizes right to ensure a proper fit. Some bra manufacturers are now starting to offer cup options in half sizes in addition to regular cups to help girls get a better fit.
On Tuesday, February 20 at 7 p.m., a group of experts from the Night and Day Boutique will be coming to UMass Dartmouth to do a proper bra fitting, as seen on Oprah. You may think that you are wearing the right bra size, but come to the Women’s Resource Center that night to find out! Bras will be available for purchase, too!
For more information, contact Kim Sylvia at ksylvia@umassd.edu or call 508-910-4584.
Res holds Rockstar Pong Tournament
Students gathered in the resident dining hall last Wednesday to partake in the popular game of beirut. The games weren't played with beer, for obvious reasons, rather the cups were filled with a variety of Rockstar energy drinks. Above: This team was on their way to the semi finals thanks to their practiced pong skills. Below: Student Neil Eriksen practices his shot in hopes to become the Rockstar Pong champion.
MassPIRG report reveals textbook pricing scam
Dartmouth, Ma — Students are still paying too much for their textbooks, as book prices skyrocket at four times the rate of inflation, according to the new report from the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MassPIRG).
“Many students are already really struggling to pay their way through college,” said Mary Hathaway, Campus Organizer, with MassPIRG. “The last thing they need is to shell out hundreds of dollars more each year to buy textbooks. The numbers are really shocking – the average student spends $900 on books each year – that’s 20% of the tuition and fees at a four year public university. We need to let the publishers know that students won’t continue to pay for their unfair business practices.”
The new report from MassPIRG highlights one cause for the artificially high prices – publishers don’t provide clear information about their prices to faculty. 94% of the faculty MassPIRG surveyed reported that they would take cost into consideration when choosing their textbooks, but many of them do not know how much the books they assign actually cost. “These questionable practices by publishing companies place an undue economic burden on students who are already paying the increasingly high
costs of a college education. I am meeting more students each semester who tell me that they cannot afford the books for their courses. It is despicable! “ said Professor Colleen Avidikian.
“We need to make sure that students stop getting ripped off” said Senator Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford) a co-sponsor of the Affordable Textbooks bill. “It’s outrageous that legislative action is required before publishers can be up front about the pricing and packaging of the products they are selling.”
The common practice of bundling textbooks was also found to drive up the cost of textbooks. ‘Bundling’ refers to the practice of shrink-wrapping additional materials such as a CDROM or workbook to the text, and currently effects about half the textbooks on shelves. MassPIRG found that many professors are not able to order the book they want without the additional materials, even when they don’t intend to use them in class. “It’s extremely frustrating and costly for students when textbook companies bundle CD-ROMs, workbooks, and magazines with required textbooks. Students end up having to spend even more money that they don’t have on materials that are hardly ever used” said UMass Dartmouth student, Brandon Lozeau.
“Obviously the solutions to this problem are long term” concluded Hathaway. “Alternative methods for the supply, purchase and publication of textbooks are the long term solution. However, the proposed legislation requiring publishers to disclose clearly the price of their books, and give faculty proper options and information about bundled books, is a very important step forward. These measures will be beneficial to faculty and students immediately and let the publishers know that they need to rethink the way they do business.”
Saving the planet starts here
Dartmouth, Ma. — Unsung environmental heroes are leading the way to a greener Massachusetts on campuses all around the state, according to the public interest organization MassPIRG. The group this week announced their 2007 Green Campus Champion Award would be given to Professor Susan Jennings at UMass Dartmouth.
“The Award recognizes the tireless work of many faculty members and administrators to make their campuses more environmentally friendly” said Mary Hathaway, MassPIRG campus organizer . “Professor Jennings has shown significant leadership on sustainability issues at UMass Dartmouth, and inspired students, faculty and administrators to feel that they can make a difference.”
Some of the projects which Professor Jennings is most excited about include the Post Oil Conference at UMass Dartmouth this spring, expanding recycling in the dorms, and students and facilities working together to create a green purchasing program. Professor Jennings sees the screening last semester of the Al Gore movie, An Inconvenient Truth, as a turning point: “Since An Inconvenient Truth people are really waking up to where they are environmentally” she said. “They want their work and their studies to make a difference.” The screening was organized by MassPIRG and sponsored by Chancellor McCormick.
Also acknowledged for their work by Honorable Mentions were Professor Robert Rak at Bristol Community College, Tom Osborne at Salem State College, Professor John Gerber at UMass Amherst, Professor Brian Adams at Greenfield Community College, Professor Rudnick at UMass Boston, and Aaron Hayden from Amherst College, Gary Hartwell and Todd Holland from Smith College.
THIS WEEK IN UMASSD HISTORY
Age increase passed
Original Article by: Jim Durning
February 16, 1979
The Massachusetts House of Representatives played toss with the drinking age law this week and finally passed a bill raising the drinking age to 21 in bars and liquor stores. The bill now goes to the State Senate for debate and a vote.
The House passed a bill Tuesday, while students from across the state cheered from the house gallery, that would have raised the age limit in bars to 19, while the age limit in liquor stores would rise to 21 progressively over two years.
Later that day, the House reversed that vote, changing the age to 21 over two years in establishments serving alcohol. This vote took place after most of the students had left the house gallery.
Members of the Massachusetts independent Student Congress and the UMass Amherst Student Government Association attended the meeting. The UMass contingent’s transportation was paid for by local Amherst merchants.
The House vote on the second bill was 90-64.
The ball now goes to the Senate’s court for debate and vote next week.
Governor Edward J. King, who campaigned for the 21 year old drinking age in his run for Governor said Tuesday he would sign the 19 in bars and 21 in liquor store bill. It is safe to say he will surely sign the amended bill.
Tenth anniversary celebration planned for Campus Center
Original Article by: Penny Chase
February 12, 1982
Para mounting the discussions at the Tuesday’s BOG, a motion was made by the Facilities Committee to celebrate the Campus Center’s tenth anniversary gift and set up a time capsule to be dug up in fifteen years at the Center’s 25th anniversary. The motion was approved.
Director of Housing, Kevin Hill, suggested that a $2500 limit be set on the price of the 10th Anniversary gift. This motion was also approved.
Waring noted that several suggestions had been given to him regarding the gift to be given to the school; as of yet no decision has been made.
Waring also commented that the Campus Center’s 10th anniversary budget should be presented at next week’s BOG meeting, to be held on Wednesday instead of Tuesday.
To promote the campaign and increase community awareness in the event, ads will appear in local newspapers, as well as the Torch, Waring continued. People are needed to hand out buttons, literature, etc.
The purpose of the celebration is three-fold: “to celebrate the anniversary, to involve SMU in a good time, and to aid the university in getting the surrounding communities of Fall River, New Bedford, and Taunton in a support SMU campaign,” said Waring.
He continued that to start off the celebration , which will begin March 21, there will be an Open House Community Day. Other events to take place during the week-long celebration will consist of a cult film night, and a “roll-back” day, with reduced rates on selected items in the Book Store and in the Rat. Efforts were also discussed to get a major guest speaker such as Gerald Ford or Henry Kissinger to appear at the celebration.
Cable comes to SMU
Original Article by: Dana Fullen
February 13, 1984
Who would have thought that black and white portable televisions from home could actually cause excitement in the SMU dorms? Well it has happened. Screens once viewed exclusively for “General Hospital” and “Knots Landing” have been entertaining resident students with MTV and HBO as well since February 1.
In November of 1983 a $5,000.00 ‘dish’ paid for with Resident Hall Student fees, was purchased and installed on the roof of the SMU library. but can send out only one channel at a time. Channel 13 is the cable channel for the dorms.
Each satellite is given a particular place in orbit. Because a satellite orbits earth at the exact same speed the earth is moving, it appears stationary. Moving the dish a mere millimeter causes it to move a mile off the satellite and consequently lose reception. Therefore the trick is in placing the dish in perfect line with the satellite.
According to David Shea, the A.V. Department Representative, daytime programs will be academically based. French and Spanish channels are available. Upon request professors will be able to view special field-related programs in their classrooms. Entertainment programs will be shown in the evening.
A program committee headed by Shea is being formed. It will consist of two resident hall students and a member of the program council. The responsibility of the committee to find out what class of programs, ranging from sports to Playboy, that the dorms students want aired. They may also produce a cable guide. The committee will take the requests of professors. Because a lot of requested programs may run at the same time, the service will run on a first come first serve basis. Many programs are duplicated though and they can be taped. The program council feels that the University will gain from the service the students put into it.
Currently, students are not being charged for the cable service, which is being distributed to 1200 residents.
The legalities concerning the use of satellite signals are being researched by an A.V. Representative.
