Archive for February, 2006
February 26, 2006
During spring break, the Guilford College Choir and Chamber Singers will embark on their first tour since 2001, and the first under the direction of WENDY LOOKER, conductor.
Approximately 40 singers will depart today for Washington, D.C., and return Monday, March 6. The choirs will sing during Sunday services at Foundry United Methodist Church March 5 and will present an a cappella concert at Friends Meeting of Washington at 5:30 p.m. A reception will follow in the Meetinghouse Assembly Room.
On Monday the choirs will give a brief concert for upper school students at Sandy Spring (Md.) Friends School.
All are welcome to attend any of the performances, especially D.C. area students, alumni and friends. For more information, contact WENDY LOOKER at wlooker@guilford.edu or ext. 2423.
February 23, 2006
The Cline Observatory will hold its second open-house event of the spring, entitled “Saturn,” Sunday, Feb. 26, at 8 p.m. in Bryan Auditorium. The event is free and open to all.
Saturn, the gas giant, will be high in the night sky throughout February and March. It is one of the most beautiful objects to observe through a small telescope. A short presentation on the nature of gas giant planets will demonstrate how to find and observe Saturn. The presentation will be followed by a tour of the observatory and viewing through the small telescopes and main telescope if weather permits.
Additional open houses this spring are scheduled for March 25 (“Stardust and the Martian Movers”) and April 22 (to be announced). For more information, contact THOM ESPINOLA, Glaxo Wellcome Professor of Physics, at ext. 2193 or tespinol@guilford.edu.
Additional information can be found at http://www.guilford.edu/observatory.
February 23, 2006
Are you committed to service and service learning? Do you want to develop leadership and program development skills? Consider becoming a project coordinator.
To learn more, click here or call the Volunteer Training Coordinator at ext. 2460. Specialized opportunities are also available in AIDS prevention and fighting hunger.
The application deadline is March 24 at 5 p.m.
February 23, 2006
The campus community is asked to review the submission guidelines for the Beacon. Of particular note are two clarifications of the existing submission policy which have recently been added:
Submissions promoting events held off campus should have an obvious connection to Guilford or be of particular appeal to a significant segment of the campus community.
Classified announcements (i.e. homes or property for sale) offered for submission must be from a member of the college community. Submissions of this description may run at the discretion of the editor for a maximum of three issues.
Questions? Contact LEE OWEN (aowen@guilford.edu, ext. 2335) or VIRGINIA FERGUSON (vferguso@guilford.edu, ext. 2268).
February 22, 2006
If the medication you take is listed in the UnitedHealthCare Half Tablet Program, you’re eligible to save money on your prescription co-pays.
Please read on for full information.
UnitedHealthCare Half Tablet Program
How does the program work?
If you fill a prescription for a medication included in the Half Tablet Program:
• If you regularly take one of the medications available under the program, you should have received a notification letter in the mail late last year informing you of the Half Tablet Program.
• You should discuss the Half Tablet Program with your doctor. You and your doctor decide together if the program is appropriate for you. If yes, your doctor provides a new prescription for the higher-strength dosage with instructions to take one-half tablet.
• You can then fill your prescription at a participating retail pharmacy.
• You will receive an appropriate quantity (15 tablets to meet 30-day supply, 16 tablets to meet 32-day supply, or 17 tablets to meet 34-day supply) with instructions for using half a tablet.
• You can obtain a free tablet splitter by following the instructions in your member notification letter or by purchasing one at a retail pharmacy.
Remember that participation in the Half Tablet Program menas that you will play only half of the normal co-pay when you receive a supply of medication.
What medications are available for tablet splitting in the Half Tablet Program?
The list of medications available for tablet splitting includes:
ACE inhibitors: Aceon 2mg, 4mg; Mavik 1mg, 2mg; Univasc 7.5mg
Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs): Atacand 4mg, 8mg; Avapro , 16mg; Benicar 75mg, 150mg; Cozaar 20mg; Diovan 25mg, 50mg, 40mg, 80mg, 160mg
Antidepressants: Lexapro 5mg, 10mg; Pexeva 10mg, 20mg; Zoloft 25mg, 50mg
Lipid-lowering medications: Crestor 5mg, 10mg: Lipitor 20mg; Pravachol 10mg, 20mg, 40mg; Zocor 5mg, 10mg, 20mg, 40mg
Antivirals: Valtrex: 500mg
• The list of medications available for tablet splitting does not include all medications within a therapeutic class; only those medications determined to be appropriate for splitting are included.
• Some of the tablets included in this program are not scored or designed specifically to be split. However, with the use of a tablet splitter, these medications may be appropriately divided. As is true with all medical decisions, you and your doctor will need to determine if the Half Tablet Program is right for you. Medications in the program will be reviewed periodically; additional medications may be included as appropriate.
What are the criteria for determining which medications are included in the program?
The UnitedHealthcare National Pharmacy and Therapeutic (P&T) Committee approved the following clinical criteria to determine prescription product inclusion in the Half Tablet Program.
• Medications that have a wide margin of safety so that minimal differences in tablet sizes will not result in either underdosing or overdosing
• Tablets that can be split relatively evenly without crumbling
• Medications that will remain stable after splitting
In addition, the medication must be available in “double” dosage strengths that are comparably priced.
The National P&T Committee approved the following criteria for exclusion of medications from the program.
• Certain kinds of coated tablets
• Capsules, liquids, topical medications
• Unscored extended-release tablets
• Combination tablets in which the amount of one active ingredient changes from one tablet to the next, but the amount of the other ingredient does not
How do I get my free tablet splitter?
Call 1-877-471-1860 or visit www.halftablet.com to order your free tablet splitter and to view frequently asked questions regarding the Half Tablet Program. Notification letters that were sent included a Participant Code which is required when ordering the tablet splitter.
How long does it take for my tablet splitter to arrive?
Your tablet splitter should arrive within 10 business days. Please do not call to check on the status of your tablet splitter until at least 10 business days have passed. Call 1-877-471-1860 for more information.
Can I still get a free tablet splitter if I don’t have a Participant Code?
If you haven’t received a letter, lost your letter, or do not have a Participant Code you can still receive a free tablet splitter by calling 1-877-471-1860. You will be asked to provide your UnitedHealthcare member number and your eligibility in the program will be verified. Not having a Participant Code may cause a delay in receiving your free tablet splitter.
What if I lose my tablet splitter? What if it breaks or wears out?
Tablet splitters are available for purchase at most pharmacies. UnitedHealthcare will provide you with one free tablet splitter.
How does the Half Tablet Program work through mail order?
You will receive 45 tablets to meet a 90-day supply through mail order. Because prescriptions are dispensed as written through mail order, you must obtain an appropriately written prescription for participation. The mail-order pharmacy will not make outbound patient or doctor calls to initiate program participation.
What if I don’t want to participate in the program?
Participation in the program is entirely voluntary. If you do not wish to participate in the program, you may simply continue to fill your prescription as usual, taking the same strength dosage. No action is required if you choose not to participate. If you try the Half Tablet Program and decide that it is not right for you, you may have your doctor write a new prescription for the old dosage level and go back to your usual co-pay.
Have any studies been done on the safety and effectiveness of tablet splitting?
A number of clinical studies have been conducted on the safety and effectiveness of tablet splitting. These studies, published in peer-reviewed medical literature, conclude that when appropriate medications are selected, tablet splitting delivers a safe and effective dose of medication.
February 22, 2006
Friends Center’s spring offering in the Quaker Renewal Program series will be a study of Huston Smith’s latest book, The Soul of Christianity, Tuesdays from March 14-April 18 from 7-9 p.m. at New Garden Friends Meeting (no class April 11).
Smith will lead the first session; MAX CARTER will facilitate the subsequent four meetings. The study will explore themes in Smith’s exploration of the world’s religions and how they relate to the essence of the Christian faith.
Smith will give a public talk Wednesday, March 15, at 6:30 p.m. in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church as part of the Year of Spirit and Spirituality.
The series is free and open to the public. Please RSVP to Friends Center at ext. 2445 or mcarter@guilford.edu. Copies of The Soul of Christianity are available at area bookstores.
February 22, 2006
Arthur Larrabee, a popular workshop leader on the art of clerking and Quaker decision-making, will lead a workshop on those topics Tuesday, Feb. 28, from 7-9:30 p.m. in Founders Gallery. His visit is made possible by a grant from the Chace Fund of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, and is part of the college’s Year of Spirit and Spirituality.
An attorney and former clerk of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and the Committee in Charge of Westtown School, Larrabee leads workshops around the nation for schools, meetings, organizations, and boards. He is married to NANCY VAN ARKEL ’77, head librarian at Westtown School.
Earlier that day, Larrabee will present a brief overview of Quaker process for the Quakerism 101 series at 11:55 a.m. in Founders Gallery, and will be present for a tea and discussion at 4 p.m. in the Hut.
To RSVP for the workshop, contact Friends Center at ext. 2445 or mcarter@guilford.edu.
February 22, 2006
The International Studies Film Series, “Confronting History and the Legacy of War,” continues Monday, Feb. 27, with guest speaker Anna Rosmus. Her public talk will be at 7:30 pm in Bryan Auditorium, and is free and open to all.
Rosmus is the real-life heroine of the German film The Nasty Girl, which was shown as part of the series on Feb. 20. As a high school student in Passau, Germany, Rosmus was encouraged to research the history of her hometown for an essay contest. But as she began to uncover the town’s hidden Nazi past, her school turned against her, the mayor tried to block her access to town archives and she became a pariah in her community.
Since then, Rosmus has committed her life to fighting anti-Semitism and the extreme right in Germany and has continued her work for social justice and human rights. She has been honored with many awards for her work, including the Galinski Prize, given to her by the German Jewish community in 1996, and the Holocaust Survivors’ and Friends’ Holocaust Memorial Award.
The event is sponsored by Richard and Barbara Jennings and the Initiative on Faith and Practice. Admission is free and refreshments will be served. For more information, contact DAVE LIMBURG at ext. 2204.
February 22, 2006
MAX CARTER led a six-week series on the world’s religions Jan. 19-Feb. 23 for the Shepherd’s Center of Greensboro. Assisting him for various sessions were ERIC MORTENSEN, HATICE DOGAN ’06, Catholic campus minister PENNY DELOCA and Year of Spirit and Spirituality campus visitors Arthur Magida and Tova Hartman.
Max also spoke to the High Point chapter of the American Association of University Women on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict Feb. 18.
February 22, 2006
Campus free-ticket distribution for the Monday, March 13, Bryan Series talk featuring Bill Moyers is now complete.
Subject to ticket availability, students and employees may present a valid Guilford College ID at the Greensboro Coliseum box office beginning at 7 p.m. the night of the event in order to receive a free ticket. Availability will be publicized in the March 10 Beacon.
Moyers will speak at 8 p.m. in War Memorial Auditorium. Following his talk, Moyers will participate in a question-and-answer session. Questions may be submitted by e-mailing thebryanseries@guilford.edu. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, March 8.
For more information on the event, visit www.guilford.edu/bryanseries.
