MANUAL
Hand
Photo Illustration | Sarah Hockel
Janelle Lira lugs around 23 pounds of her life in her white and turquoise book bag. Daily, she packs her bag full of textbooks, lab manuals, folders, notebooks, pencils and her computer. With all of her supplies, Janelle weighs 118 pounds, 23 of which is her backpack. With that much weight, no wonder her back aches.
Students commonly carry too much weight, avoid the nerdy look of chest and hip straps, or wear their bag with the straps loose. Instead, wearing a bag right, even if it feels geeky, will solve many bodily pains. The symptoms of overweight book bags — back aches, headaches, numbness and posture change
— happen for students carrying more than 15 percent of their body weight, says Scott Bautch, spokesman for the American Chiropractic Association. The 15 percent only includes fully-grown bodies carrying bags with two shoulder straps. By changing the load to only one strap, in the case of shoulder bags and large purses, the weight should only reach 5 to 7 percent of a person's body weight.
Lira's fiancé says she carries too much. "He always tells me I am not wearing it right." This makes Lira, Bonner Springs junior, stop and think, but sometimes she can't find another solution she likes for the pain and weight.
Surpassing the weight limits, Gabrielle Schock, Valley Center junior, still carries her large purse, despite the discomfort. "I have a book bag, but it just feels awkward." Her Italian leather holds her books and lunch in fashion, all 11 pounds resting on one shoulder.
Regardless of the pain her bag can cause, Schock says she likes looking a little nicer with her purse.
This alarms Professor David Pascoe from Auburn University, who started studying backpacks in the 1990s and realized what students do for fashion. "In the 1990s you'd be a nerd if you used two straps," he says.
The one shoulder backpack trend for guys and girls in the 1990s has now become popular with girls carrying large purses. He says this leads to elevating one shoulder while you walk to keep the strap in place, causing more pressure and resulting in uneven shoulders. Hip and chest straps also have been seen as nerd alerts.
Logan Handley, Overland Park freshman, doesn't have the straps and wouldn't buckle them if he did. "That's way too nerdy," he says. Instead, he uses his simple bag with only two straps so he isn't labeled a nerd.
But for the spine, nerdy fashion might feel better. Bautch, who helped North Face with some book bag design, says the straps can make a huge difference because it keeps the load in place, decreasing the pressure. Students misuse book bags by lengthening the straps and letting their books bounce against their butt as they walk. Pascoe says in his studies, students commonly don't have the bags tight enough.
These loose and heavy bags affect the spine and gait of students with every step. And the solution to the problem isn't less walking, Pascoe says. The solution is wearing the bag
in the right place. When all your belongings rest in a backpack, the top should rest at the large knot where the spine neck meets the back. The bottom should be no lower than the top of the belt line. To achieve ideal placement, many of those dangling straps will need cinched up. If not corrected, book bags can lead to posture and gait changes, headaches, vision problems and arm numbness. So take an extra minute or two to think about that large pack before strapping it on your back. These four steps as explained by Karen Jacobs, a researcher of book bags and professor at Boston University, can help.
1. Pack the heaviest items closest to your back.
This will probably be your computer or huge biology book. Continue packing so the heavier items rest nearest to your body. Remember to take out the folders, textbooks and notebooks from yesterday's classes.
2. Only carry what you really need. If you don't need two calculators, a stapler and 50 pencils, take them out.
3. If you use a water bottle on campus, fill it up when you get to class. That way you don't have extra water weight.
4. Clean out your bag every week. By the end of the week, who knows how much weight you collected in fliers, food and newspapers.
Pack it in: Putting the heaviest items closest to your back and only including the necessities are a few simple steps to a better back.
WHAT TO LOCK FOR IN A BACKPACK
Spending the extra money on a quality backpack is worth it, says Scott Bautch, spokesman for the American Chiropractic Association. When dishing out the dough, around 60 to 80 dollars, look for more than the right color. Because backpacks fit people differently, think about these factors:
+ Look for straps with the right length for your body.
+ Find bags with added cushion in straps and back panel.
+ Don't avoid the nerd straps. Hip and chest straps help the bag stay snug on your body, decreasing the movement and putting the weight closer to your center of gravity. Ensure the size. It needs to fit between.
- Measure the size of the knee in its entirety,
the bottom of your neck and your belt line.
the bottom of your neck and your belt line.
+ Consider the size. Don't buy the largest one because you think you might need it.
The smaller the bag, the less likely you will he to carry extraneous school supplies.
+ Keep organized. Look for a bag with organization pockets inside. This helps you keep all your supplies in the right place and carry fewer supplies. Book bag makers put thought into where pockets are located.
- Don't walk out the door with the bag unless you try it on in the store.
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BY JUSTINE PATTON
jpatton@kansan.com
Many college students think they are too young to worry about breast cancer. But Jenny McKee, a health educator at the Wellness Resource Center in Watkins Memorial Health Center, said breast cancer doesn't only affect moms, aunts and grandmas — college students are at risk too.
"One in four women are affected by breast cancer at some point in their lives," McKee said. "When we look at that depiction and how many females are on campus, it's quite alarming how many students are going to be affected by breast cancer."
continue to take control of their breast health.
But there is good news as well. According to the American Cancer Society, death rates from breast cancer have declined significantly among women younger than 50 since 1990.
In order to continue this trend, Patty Quinlan, the nursing supervisor at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said women needed to
by Davenport
Quinlan said one of the main steps young women can take is to pencil a breast self-exam into their schedules once a month. Quinlan said women should have started doing monthly breast self-exams when their breasts started to develop, which is about age 13. Exams need to be done on a regular basis to be effective.
Heather Steinle, a senior from Olathe, said although she knows how to do a breast self-exam, she has never done them on a regular basis.
"Things get busy, and it just doesn't happen." Steinle said.
Quinlan said while women are doing breast self-exams, there are a few red flags they should be on the lookout for, such as lumps.
Breast self-exams are easy to learn how to do, and only take about five minutes to complete.
"It's so easy to do preventative measures that you would have to ask yourself, 'Why not?' Quinlan said.
These tumps will not be visibly noticeable, which is why it's important to do monthly breast exams so women know what their normal tissue feels like, Quinlan said.
Discharge from the nipple or any discolorations on the breast are two other signs that something could be wrong. While these symptoms do not always mean breast cancer, Quinlan said students should still check in with their doctors to make sure everything is OK.
"If anything has appeared that wasn't there before, it needs to be checked out by your physician right away," Quinlan said. "Then, if the physicians tell them that it's normal, then they've learned something."
Quinlan said the rest of the steps college-aged women could take to protect themselves from breast cancer included the basics: a good night's sleep, less stress, regular exercise and good nutrition.
— Edited by Lisa Curran
Proceeds from the match against Iowa State will go to breast cancer research. The match is part of jayhawks for a Cure,a series of Kansas sporting events that aims to raise money and awareness.
A sign marking the annual fundraising event "Greek in Pink" hangs on a tree outside Wescoe Hall. The event is organized by all 45 chapters in all four greek councils. They participate by donating a ribbon. This ribbon represents Sigma Kappa sorority. Proceeds from the event benefit Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
Ben Pirotte/KANSAN
VOLLEYBALL | 10A
Saturday's game about more than volleyball
Listening to the bells toll on campus
ARTS | 3A
Elizabeth Berghout, resident carillonneur, has decided to play at the Campanile twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, instead of once on Sundays, as she did last year.
PARKING | 3A
Parking permit rules frustrate some faculty
Switching near-campus lots from yellow to blue leaves students with fewer options. But it also closes parking lots to certain faculty and staff.
INDEX
Classifieds...8B
Crossword...4A
Cryptoquips...4A
Opinion...5A
Sports...10A
Sudoku...4A
WEATHER
TODAY 89 50
SATURDAY
8651
SUNDAY
Sunny
82 51
Thunderstorms
Thunderstorms
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2010 The University Daily Kansan
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