The Collegian Grove City College Newspaper Sept. 11, 1998 Vol. 59 No. 2 INSIDE The newest face on campus A QUICK LOOK AT THIS WEEK'S EDITION OF THE COLLEGIAN By Colleen Keating She emphasizes that it is an "issue of danger" will immediately use a leash correction. Collegian News Editor for anyone to attempt to address the dog or to "This does not harm the dog in any way, Pa- pet her. However, she reminds students that tricia explains. Born with cataracts Patricia Weder devel- simply because she has a dog with her oped glaucoma at age four, and has since does not mean they cannot speak to her. Travel Talk been battling degenerating eyesight. A junior She is "just like everyone else except that history major minoring in communications, Over May Intersession, [she] has a dog with her all the time." she recently received a guide dog which pro- But Patricia has not always had Bear. one group of Grovers vides her with more mobility on campus. Al- Since she was four, she's had though Patricia has vision only in her left toured the British Isles. 18 eye surgeries. When she was 16, she eye, which is hindered by astigmatism, she developed blisters on the cornea of her Under the leadership of puts a positive spin on her condition: "If it right eye, which hurt every time she Dr. Janice Brown and weren't for my eye problems, I would have blinked. She was homeschooled for four totally ignored gifts from the Lord." Maybe years because of the amount of pain she former GCC professor one of these gifts is "Bear," an alias for Patri- endured. Recalls Patricia, "It was sheer cia's new guide dog. Bear is a donation from Dr. Peter Fraser, stu- will that I got through high school.". In the Guide Dog Foundation in Smithtown, February of 1994, the eye was removed, dents experienced life Long Island. After a long series of applica- and she has been free from pain ever tions which began in September of last year, since. in England and Scot- the foundation paid for her flight fare to Long It was last year, her sophomore year at land while visiting fa- Island, room and board, and Bear's training. Grove City, that Patricia found out about An important aspect of Bear's training is mous sites from literary the Guide Dog Foundation. The founda. tion, which is not affiliated with the gov- works. ernment, exists solely on donations. The story p. 4 "If it weren't for cost of obtaining and training a guide dog Tricia sits on the patio in front of South MAP is $20, 000, all of which the foundation with her new guide dog "Bear." my eye problems, I covered for Patricia, in addition to her pet Super Prof would have totally supplies for the beginning of the year. Above all else, Patricia Weder is fellow stu- Many students on campus have been curi- Once of Grove City's dent at Grove City College. "Don't be afraid new arrivals brings ignored gifts from ous about Patricia's situation, inexperienced to talk to me," she says. She may always as most of the campus is with guide dogs. have a dog with her, but just like everyone the Lord. Patricia wants to emphasize the importance more than just writing else, she enjoys a friendly "hello." of not talking to the dog. "Bear" is a name experience to the Com- useful for talking about the dog, but not to Guidelines for Bear her. Also, students may occasionally see Pa- munication Depart- tricia giving corrections to Bear. This is an ment. Dr. Hamilton's that he become completely focused on his Don't touch, talk to, feed, or otherwise important part of the training process. The master's safety. This is the reason why distract the dog while she is wearing her first six months of their time together re- previous employment "Bear" is an alias: if people were to use the harness. Do allow the dog to concentrate quires that Bear understand how to obey her and perform for the safety of her owner. includes filming from a dog's real name he could become distracted, master. If it is necessary, Patricia will use causing harm to Patricia. A labrador re- helicopter. voice corrections. But if Bear does not obey, triever, Bear is naturally friendly, but when Don't treat the dog as a pet. Do give him she will use the harness. Then, if Bear still see story p. 5 she is with Patricia (either walking on cam- the respect of a working dog. does not respond, she will use the leash. pus or sitting in a classroom) she is working. However, if Patricia's safety is at issue, she (Continued on page 2) Teetotalers All The latest Princeton Business professor saw illness as test of faith Review ratings again show GCC at the top by Nick Adams the cause of his illness, Ketler said, and he when it comes to sobri- Collegian Staff Writer Finally, one of the tests worked. A CAT was transferred to Allegheny General Hospi- scan showed what seemed to be a blockage in bty, prayer, and good tal in Pittsburgh. He was then subjected to ex- "I feel great." his descending colon, ploratory surgery and 23 days of tests for par- town-gown relations. It has been a long time since Dr. Bruce Ketler said. Biopsies on his colon showed asites. Ketler has been able to say those words. that scar tissue was causing the blockage, he see story p. 5 "They literally pulled out my intestines and said. However, after battling a mystery illness for couldn't find anything wrong," Ketler said. five months and enduring four surgeries, the This Weekend Ketier said he was finally diagnosed with a The blockage prevented him from digesting 46 year old Grove City College business pro- food properly, but it also stopped him from "pseudo obstruction" in his intestines in fessor is starting to feel like himself again. going to the bathroom, which is how this kind Art, Music, Movies. which the body acts like it has an obstruction "This has been a pretty good test of my be- of problem is generally diagnosed, Ketler that it really does not. "Allegheny sent me Try something new. ing," said Ketler, "but it's turned out as well said. It was a medical problem that Johns home to get better on my own," Ketler said, as I could have hoped." Hopkins had never seen before, he added. see Entertainment p. 6,7 "but I got worse." Ketler said that he first began feeling ill af- Although it was good news to finally know After two weeks at home, Ketler was back ter a trip to the Middle East last spring with the problem, Ketler said, hostill had to solve Writers Wanted in United Community Hospital. When his the U.S. National Guard. Ketler said that he it. He was forced to wait six weeks before an problem could still not be diagnosed, he was had been to the Persian Gulf area twice be- operation because he had already endured Anyone interested in sent to Johns Hopkins University in Balti- fore : he was a pilot in operations Desert two in the last six months, he said. more. Shield and Desert Storm - but he had never His third operation was at Johns Hopkins writing for After 23 more days of tests for parasites, gotten sick from the trips. on June 2, Ketler said. "The original plan was The Collegian, contact Ketler said he seemed to be recovering and After the symptoms continued, Ketler to cut out the blockage and reconnect the was sent home. Once again, he took a turn for Kim Stetson: checked into Grove City's United Commu- colon, and I could get on with the rest of my the worse and was back at Johns Hopkins in life." nity Hospital. "The theory is that I picked up a week. a toxic infection or some kind of parasite," However, the incision became infected be- Box # 563 For another 23 days, Ketler was hospital- Ketler said. cause of impacted matter, and he was forced ized. "They ran every test on me that you can X. 2414 However, the local hospital could not find to remain at the hospital for another 28 days. imagine," he said. (Continued on page 2)