| Summary: | FEATURES Student breaks barrier The Concordian Jan. 13, 1989 by David Gibbons features editor To find out more about foreign places, Williams writes to govern-ments and private agencies in different countries. He has collected and information from While some collect coins or take pictures, sophomore Derek Williams replies has a somewhat different hobby. He Liechtenstein, Cuba, Iceland, East studies languages. When The Con- Germany, New Guinea, Poland and cordian needed greetings from South Korea among others. His around the world for its Christmas collection also includes what he calls issue, the editors called Williams. Of- his prized possession; a world atlas fhand, he knew greetings in Spanish, from Iceland printed in Icelandic. He French, German, Norwegian, Italian has also had pen pals from Nigeria, and Icelandic. West Germany, and Japan. Williams' fascination with foreign His double major in Spanish and languages and cultures began when he was very young. "I think it started as soon as I was able to pick up a book," he said. He was intrigued by the differences between languages and cultures and has tried to learn as much about them as he could. A geography German fits in well with his love of languages. He said he would like to add more, but "my day is busy enough as it is." Williams has many goals. One of these is to become a pro-about where they're fessor of language irr\m " and c u I t u r e - T r o m " Traveling is "I'd like to show these people that I know something Derek Williams sophomore another of Williams' goals. Rather than visit buff, Williams asserts he knows the places that are familar to the western location of "every country in the world, Williams said he would like to world, no matter how obscure." see more exotic cultures. "I'd like to His knowledge of these countries see North Korea. I think it would be exetends not only to location, but interesting to see such an isolated also to their capitols and national culture." flags. He also prides himself on When he visits other countries, he knowing something of the govern- said he wants to see the real people ment and history of most countries, of those countries, "not tourist side Peking Opera to perform In many cases he can name the official languages as well as the languages spoken by the original inhabitants of countries that have been colonized. His formal training in languages shows." He said that when tourists visit countries or meet foreigners, they don't often know anything about the cultures with which they are dealing. He doesn't want to be that way. began with Spanish classes in the "I'd like to show these people that seventh grade. Since then he has had I know about where they're from," training in German and French, he said, "I don't want to be culturally Along the way, he picked up bits of insensitive to anyone." several languages, including Russian, Norwegian and Icelandic. On Tuesday, Jan. 17, Concordia will host The Peri.ng Opera, direct from the People's Republic of China. The Peking Opera is like no other opera. It is often referred to as "ac-tion opera," with the 60 member company performing acrobatics such as, tumbling, cartwheels, juggling and backflips. The characters also sing, dance, cry, laugh and act out centuries-old classics, historical plays and modern works, sporting brilliantly-colored costumes and face paint. This troupe will perform at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, in the Memorial Auditorium. The perfor-mance is sponsored by Concordia's Cultural Events Series. The Peking Opera is the most influential and most representative of all Chinese opera. Characterized by the near-absence of Western-style stage sets, The Peking Opera con-centrates instead on the symbolism of the acting and the vibrancy of costume and make-up. Colorful masks worn by certain characters represents various moral traits. General admission tickets are free with Concordia ID and are available at the Hvidsten Hall of Music, Campus Information and the Cultural Events Office. Reserved seating tickets are sold out. Fine Art Calendar 13 Faculty Art Show Cyrus M. Running Gallery 12-5 p.m. 13 Faculty Recital David Worth Piano Hvidsten Hall 8:15 p.m. 13 "The Seagull" 14 Theater 15 8 p.m. 16 Mu Phi Epsilon Night at the Opera Hvidsten Hall 8:15 p.m. 17 Peking Opera Memorial Aud. 8 p.m. 20 Faculty Recital June Boyd Voice Hvidsten Hall 8:15 p.m. Students earn money by becoming science experiment by Debra Morrlll staff writer Some Concordia Students have found a unique way to make money. Not all students will want to do it this way — especially not those afraid of needles. These students take part in experiments at the PRACS Institute in Fargo, a medical center that works with the Food and Drug Administra-tion to test drugs. When a patent on a drug runs out it can be produced genetically. First the drug must be retested for generic companies, which is where the PRACS Institute comes in. Chris Opsahl, a Concordia sophomore, has taken part in two experiments. The first study was on a drug to even out the beating of a fluttering heart, and the second study was on an anti-arthritic drug. Both studies measured how fast the drugs go through the body. The participants were given the drugs in the morning, and then monitored with blood samples throughout the day. In all, 17 blood samples were taken, every 15 minutes for a couple of hours and.then gradually tapering off toward the end of the day. Both experiments Opsahl parti-cipated in were two-week studies. The first weekend the regular drug was tested, and in the second weekend the generic drug was compared against the regular drug. Opsahl said there are some restric-tions for subjects. They are usually male, and they have to be in good health. Before taking part in a study, each prospective participant is given a physical, often including an EKG. For each two-week study like the ones Opsahl took part in, participants report to the institute Friday night The study lasts through Sunday morning, when subjects are free to leave. During the weekend, the parti-cipants stay at the PRACS Institute. Opsah! said the participants do have some free time when they're not being tested. "It's sort of fun," he said. "There's usually about 20 guys sitting around. We watch movies and TV. The doctors are funny — they joke a lot" While at the institute, subjects can have no caffeine, no sugar and no alcohol. They are served "hospital food," the same each weekend, according to Opsahl. For each two-week study subjects participate in, they're paid between $220 and $250, Opsahl said. "I do it for the money — that's it," he said. 'The first study I did was last year around Thanksgiving, and the second one I did was right before Christmas. Both times I just did it to help buy Christmas presents because I was broke." Opsahl said his parents were ner-vous about the idea of him testing drugs until he told them he wasn't "testing some new radioactive drug." Things weren't always safe however. "Once in a while someone would be sitting on a chair and all of a sud-den they'd pass out and fall out of their chair. A friend of OpsahPs told him about working for the PRACS , Institute. Opsahl passed along the information, getting two of his friends to work there too. Opsahl said his friends ask him about it because it's good money. Junior Tom Altman learned about the PRACS Institute when he was working out in Concordia's weightroom and saw needle marks on a friend's arm. He asked about. the marks, and as a result started working at the institute. Altman has taken part in four studies — three two-week studies on anti-arthritic drugs and one four-week study on antihistamines. The study on antihistamines involved injecting histamines and salt water into the skin of the subjects eight times a day. Reactions to the injections were then studied. That study was a mid-week study, with the subjects leaving the institute Friday morning. According to Altman, all the subjects got in fights with their girlfriends when they returned to campus. "It happened four weeks straight, so it wasn't just a coincidence," he said. "It must have been mental reactions to the drug."
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