Students join Syrian activist in calling for action

University of Kansas — Syrian human rights activist Radwan Ziadeh said the international community needs to get involved in the civil strife and conflict in his country.

Ziadeh, a senior fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace, spoke at the Dole Institute of Politics Tuesday afternoon.

“This has become a tragedy not only for Syrians who are living inside Syria, but also for us,” Ziadeh said. “Syrians living outside who cannot do anything to help our brothers, mothers and sisters living in Syria.”

Ziadeh said the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad has imprisoned more than 50,000 people, killed 12,000, and displaced more than a million of its citizens in the course of the conflict, which began in March 2011.

Hanny Sawaf, a senior from Damascus, Syria, attended the lecture to answer questions about KU students from Syria.

“I understand that there’s going to be some questions about how the opposition would handle governing if they were put in power,” Sawaf said. “I just believe that any solution is better than what they have now.”

—The Daily Kansan
By Marshall Schmidt

Man’s best friend can help relieve stress on students

University of Oklahoma — The American Centers for Disease Control credits a variety of health benefits to animal companionship.

These benefits include decreases in blood pressure, cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels, as well as an increased likelihood of socialization and exercise. Other organizations, such as the American Veterinary Medical Association, support these claims.

In March, the “International Journal of Workplace Health Management” published “Preliminary investigation of employee’s dog presence on stress and organizational perceptions.”

Principal author on the study, Randolph Barker said, “pet presence may serve as a low-cost, wellness intervention readily available to many organizations.”

—The Oklahoma Daily
By Mariah Webb

Study shows $75,000 a year may lead to ultimate level of happiness

Kansas State University — When it comes to finances, more is not necessarily better.

Time Magazine cited a study conducted by Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School in a Sept. 6, 2010, article, which found that the magic number when it comes to income is about $75,000 per year.

“Money is good,” said James Roberts, professor of marketing at Baylor University. “It’s not bad in any way, but it’s only good in increasing our happiness up to a point. We need to reach a level where our basic needs are met, and everyone has different ideas of what that level is, but once you reach it, then money has done about all the good it’s going to do.”

Roberts cited similar studies in his book, “Shiny Objects: Why We Spend Money We Don’t Have in Search of Happiness We Can’t Buy.” According to Roberts, studies have found that people who make more than $75,000 a year do tend to have more satisfaction in their life as a whole, but it does not make them happier on a daily basis.

—Kansas State Collegian
By Karen Ingram