College Clips

By James Patrick Schmidt

Published Oct. 6, 2006

Web site allows for STD alerts

The absence of cartoon bunnies wishing recipients a happy birthday isn't the only unconventional thing about the e-cards on inSPOT's Web site, www.inspot.org.

Far from yielding good tidings, the cards contain a message alerting the viewer that he or she might have contracted a sexually transmitted disease and should get tested.

"Partner notification is a tried-and-true method of reducing STDs," said Deb Levine, executive director of Internet Sexuality Information Services Inc. "It's much better to tell people using e-cards than to not tell them at all."

Levine said the site was launched in October 2004 in San Francisco with funding from the San Francisco Department of Public Health following focus group discussions and community advisory boards comprised mostly of gay men.

The tones of the e-cards available in each section also vary according to the preferences of the local community.

— The Post (Ohio University)

ACT becoming outdated in college

The American College Testing Program, now known as the ACT, was established in 1959. Before 1959, there was only one standardized test for college admissions. This test focused only on finding the most academic students for select universities.

The ACT, though beneficial, has also become a burden to many students. According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel Online, some psychologists believe that standardized tests undermine a child's ability to learn.

The ACT has been a part of college admissions for more than 30 years, but, in September 2006, many colleges, including the University of Mississippi, the University of Texas and Ohio State University, stopped requiring any form of standardized test for admission.

— Daily Mississippian (University of Mississippi)

Illegal Adderall use a problem on campuses

There is a little orange pill falling into the hands of students without prescriptions. It is called Adderall, and students are using it to get better grades.

Adderall, known to some as "smart pills," is an amphetamine doctors prescribe to children and adults who suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Most students interviewed said the drug gives them the feeling of being very alert and focused, with little or no lasting side effects. The drug has often been compared to drinking a Red Bull energy drink or 10 cups of coffee but more effective. Some students said they find it makes them feel very uncomfortable.

Alan Hawk, a psychiatrist for the University Health Services at the University of Hawaii, said he thinks the medication is very safe and effective for th;ose who need it, but warned: "It can be very dangerous if you have any structural heart damage, like a heart murmur or high blood pressure. People have actually died from taking it."

— Ka Leo O Hawaii (University of Hawaii)