Drug using is on the rise in college campuses and the intensity of these is affecting many students badly and it is still an unaddressed problem. Going away from home for the first time, students always misuse they freedom they get from being away from parents and home. They often take this new found freedom far and indulge in partying, drinking and having illegal drugs. The most commonly abused substances in college are alcohol, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, a few prescription medication, and over the counter drugs. It is said that alcohol is the most abused substance among students. Being relatively inexpensive compared to the other drugs, teenagers get into the habit to relax, to have fun, peer pressure, as a stress buster, to become less inhibited, and to reduce their anxiety and depression. The usage of prescription medication is also on the high as they are easy to access and these medications if used beyond the prescribed limit are proven to be dangerous. The internet also lures them into drug usage as there are many sites that encourage them to try drugs. Drug overdoses are lethal and causes death. Many deaths occur due to drug overdoses and the drug problem in campuses is still growing.

It’s easy to find a change in students who are addicted to drugs. There will be warning signs like poor academic performance, skipping classes, weight reduction, agitation, forgetfulness, lack of motivation, and many more which show that they need help. How do we tackle this problem? Colleges have to have relevant policies relating to use of alcohol and other drugs. They should ban smoking on the campus, provide recreational activities that are substance-free, educate them and the staff on the hazards caused by substance abuse, and include topics about addiction and substance abuse so the students are aware. They also need to provide proper assistance to those who are already on drugs.

Parents can also be cooperative by telling the college to inform them if they find anything suspicious. Parents also have to keep the communication lines open, stop putting pressures on them to perform academically, tell them about the problems of substance abuse, and tell them about the importance of healthy behavior in college.  The most important part in preventing this is to educate them about misuse and abuse.

Zhang Zhe Yan

Winter Valley (2015 Korea)

by

K. Song

Jian Zhi

by

Wang S.

The art of Chinese paper cutting (jian zhi) is considered one of the oldest forms of folk art in China. Created in Baoji about 2,000 years ago, the art has gradually become a mixture of Chinese people’s spirit and Chinese culture. Jian zhi is generally created for festivals (especially for the Spring Festival) and is placed on walls, windows, and even lanterns to bring joy and luck.

Jian zhi features a diverse range of exaggerated figures and objects. For example, a fish may be bigger than a boat to make the fish, not the boat, the focus on the piece. A traditional way to make jian zhi is to fold the paper and then draw lines on one side, which are to be used for cutting with a pair of scissors. This means that jian zhi pieces are always symmetrical. However, the artist sometimes places some Chinese characters on their work. Because these characters are not symmetrical, the paper needs to be opened, and a knife is used to carve the required character. In this way, the art consists of different techniques and requires the creator’s ability to both cut and carve. Even a small mistake could ruin the whole work.

(Image source: http://img4.imgtn.bdimg.com/it/u=2725856005,1714543105&fm=21&gp=0.jpg)

In terms of tools, the scissors are most commonly used, but there are many other tools, including pencils, knives, brushes, and synthetic dyes. Jian zhi pieces sometimes need to be colored because of their themes. Here an electric iron may be used to press wet (dyed) paper. In this regard, jian zhi is not as easy as some people think. It requires many techniques and skills that require years of training and practice.

Chinese paper cutting is an important part of Chinese culture, particularly because its themes always derive from Chinese folk stories and show people’s sentiments. Jian zhi is clearly a form of Chinese art worthy of being preserved and promoted.

In the list of the most hazardous global environmental concerns, the problem of ozone layer depletion can be viewed as a worldwide concern since 1970s. It mainly refers to two different kinds of depletions which are correlated with each other. One is a steady decline of about 4% in the total volume of ozone in the Earth’s stratosphere which is also called as the ozone layer and the other is springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone around Earth’s Polar Regions which is of much higher level. The second phenomenon is also called as the ozone hole. Apart from these stratospheric phenomena, there are also various other springtime polar troposphere ozone depletion events.

The ozone layer forms an invisible layer of protection around the planet Earth protecting us from the harmful rays of the Sun. Depletion of the Ozone layer of the atmosphere is mainly caused due to the pollution of Chlorine and Bromide found in Chloro-floro carbons commonly referred as CFC’s. When these toxic gases reach the upper atmosphere, it makes a hole in the ozone layer. The biggest and the most threatening of such holes are above the Antarctic.

So, how to resolve this problem? The best can be done through the government of all the nations who must take strict steps to ban the usage of CFCs in industries and consumer products and protect ozone layer which prevents us from harmful UV radiations.

Alex Tan