By ZOE RICHARDS
Researchers at Stanford’s School of Medicine have identified a protein that maylead to treatments for cancerous pancreatictumors.Amato Giacci,the lead researcher for theproject,said he is hopeful that treatments willbe found for pancreatic cancer patients whonow face tough odds.“There’s really not a lot of very good treat-ments for [pancreatic cancer],”Giaccia said.“Very few patients really see five years sur-vival,which is different than other solidtumors.It’s very aggressive and very nasty.”Giaccia,a radiation oncology professor andmember of the Stanford Cancer Center,is thesenior author of the research on the new pro-tein,which was published in Cancer Researchon Feb.1.For the past four years,Giaccia researchedthe role that connective growth tissue factor(CTGF) plays in pancreatic tumors.In their most recent study,Giaccia’s teamimplanted human pancreatic tumor cells intomouse pancreases and compared the growth of the control tumor cells with low levels of CTGF to those with high levels of CTGF.They found that those with high levels of the protein grew faster and were more likely tometastasize.CTGF aids tumor growth byamassing extra tissue with the cancer,accord-ing to Giaccia.“It’s like fibrosis—it’s like for somebodyto put a lot of connective tissue intermixedwith the tumor,”he added.Giaccia’s team thought differently thanmost about the origins of this unusual anddeadly characteristic of pancreatic tumors.“We thought that actually there was somefactors that were secreted by this solid tumorthat caused [the connective tissue growth],,”Giaccia said.Giaccia’s analysis of gene expressionchanges led his team to conclude that CTGFcould explain the extreme connective tissuegrowth associated with pancreatic tumors,aswell as its aggressive growth phenotype.It isthis protein that may be at the root of tumors’
By MARISA LANDICHO
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
After two days of meetings,the Board of Trustees announced a 3.5 percent increase intuition and housing fees,bringing totalStanford fees to $48,843—a $1,631 increase—for the 2009-2010 school year.These feesdo not include books,travel or personalexpenses.Though the increase in tuition is the sameas last year’s,the number is actually the low-est in the past decade,which has seenincreases closer to six percent.“The Trustees did this verythoughtfully thinking about the real-ities of the economy and the impactthis was having on our families,”said Board of Trustees Chair LeslieHume.“This will in no way affectthose who are on financial aid.”Hume said that even with the budgetcrisis,the Trustees were committed to thefinancial aid program launched this year.In the current system,families withincomes lower than $100,000 are not askedto pay more than the yearly earnings fromwork-study.Already,the Universityhas received more financialaid requests this year thananticipated.The Universityplans to spend about $110 mil-lion on need-based scholarshipsnext year,up from an estimat-ed $102 million this year.In step with the nation-wide trend of rising tuitioncosts,however,the Trusteesvoted for the increase in tuition,which is the third-largest source of rev-enue after endowment income and spon-sored research.The increase in tuition is 3.75 percent,while housing costs are going up 2.5 percent.Graduate school tuition is also being raisedby 3.5 percent.In an effort to conserve resources,otherareas of the budget have also been pareddown.Notably,the University has halved theconstruction budget.Of the $2.8 billion in planned construc-tion for the next three years,the University
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Recycle Me
Inhibition could create treatment options; early trial underway
STUDENT GOV’T
SenateapprovesWellnessfunding
By MARISA LANDICHO
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
After surviving a final review bythe Undergraduate Senate last night,the Wellness Room is on track to openin Old Union by the end of winterquarter.The good news was tempered,though,by a disagreement that hadSenator Luukas Ilves ‘09 calling for thedismissal of Nominations Commission(NomCom) Chair Eric Osbourne.By a unanimous vote,the Senatepassed a bill to charter the wellnessproject,authorizing $6,000 in fundsfor the first five quarters of the newprogram.Deputy Chair Patrick Cordova ‘09,who has made advocating for mentalhealth services a priority,had a fewlast-minute critiques of the WellnessRoom,though he approved of theplan’s intentions.Specifically,he foundthe three-hour training requirementfor the student wellness coordinatorvastly insufficient.“I don’t feel that if I was a studenton campus who was dealing with sig-nificant emotional problems,I wouldfeel well with going to a room wherethe head student only had three hoursof training,”he said.ASSU Vice President Fagan Harris‘09 promised to include the changesrecommended in the meeting andencourage better communicationbetween the Senators and the Cabinetmembers in charge of the WellnessRoom.But not all disputes were assmoothly mediated,as tensions flaredfollowing the announcement of Osbourne’s absence.The seven-member NomCom istasked with nominating individualsfor ASSU committees and also dis-seminating committee reports.Throughout the quarter,some mem-bers of the Senate have criticized thelack of communication fromNomCom,particularly at the Jan.27Senate meeting that Osbourneattended.Graduate Student Council (GSC)member Ryan Peacock notified thebody of the situation.“Basically,because of a trend of interactions,[Osbourne] and the rest
CAMPUS LIFE
Community Day cut toease budget
Out in the chill
AGUSTIN RAMIREZ/The Stanford Daily
Bikers and pedestrians were up and about on a cold. clear day yesterday, though the wind kept everyone bundled up. The sun was decieving as stu-dents traveled to class, wind in their hair and nip in the air. Forecast says possible rain tomorrow, same cold and less sun.
Local tradition too expensive in tough times Squabbles emerge over NomCom chair’s absence
By JENNY REMPEL
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Stanford recently cancelledCommunity Day as part of ongoingbudget cuts to handle the recentdecline in the value of theUniversity’s endowment.The bi-annual event invites communitymembers to the campus for family-oriented activities and performances,and had grown quite popular.When it was last held in 2007,Community Day attracted 8,000 visi-tors to campus for performances andactivities hosted by 40 studentgroups.Presentations ranged fromscience demonstrations to martialarts performances to dance produc-tions.Academic departments oncampus also opened their doors tohost tours and highlight theirresearch.“I really enjoyed it,”said Pin-yiKo ‘09,who volunteered with thecommunity service group Tzu Chi atthe 2007 event.“It was really good tohave the members of the outer com-munity interacting with Stanford stu-dents.”However,since the base cost of holding Community Day is around$250,000,the University decided tocancel this year’s event,according toElaine Enos,executive director of Stanford Events.Enos emphasizedthat this initial amount does notinclude the individual departmentand student group expendituresmade across campus.“I don’t see this as the end of Community Day itself as the campushas,and always will be,looking forways to reach out and invite the sur-rounding communities to visit andparticipate in our campus communi-ty,”Enos said.Although Enos had alreadybegun initial planning for the event,she said that the University made thedecision to cancel it before any fundshad been spent.She expects that res-idents of the neighboring communi-ties who had attended the event inthe past will respect the University’sdecision.“I believe that there is an under-standing and sensitivity by Palo Altoresidents toward saving money andemployees’ jobs wherever possible,”Enos said.“Considering these diffi-cult economic times,to postpone agathering until a later date would
Trustees announce annual tuition hike,students pay another $1,631
DAILY POLL
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52 votes takenfrom stanforddaily.com at 11:19 p.m. 02/10/09
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21%
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D
Do you think that Community Day is asignificant loss?
traditionb)No, the Palo Alto community
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Who are the execs?
SCIENCE & TECH
Protein linked to pancreatic cancer growth
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COMMUNITY
,page 2Please see
CANCER
,page 5
BECCA DEL MONTE/The Stanford Daily
Tuition rises 3.5% for next year
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TUITION
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WEDNESDAY Volume 235
February 11, 2009Issue 8
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MOTHERHOOD
Think classes take up too much time?Try raising a child as well
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seem prudent and thoughtful.”Stanford students echoed Enos’opinion,but urged a continued focuson keeping Stanford events open tothe public.“I think the president is facing alot of really tough decisions andthey have to look really critically atthe budget,”said Allison Fink ‘12.“They should try to make sure thatmaintaining good relationships withthe community is still a priority,though.”For the most part,Fink thinksservice organizations that have last-ing relationships with neighboringcommunities are more meaningfulthan one day of activities on campus.Ko was also sympathetic toStanford’s reasons for calling off thisyear’s Community Day.“I’m disappointed that it’s nothappening this year,but I don’t feelincredibly upset about it,”she said.“I’m not devastated.I understandwith budget cuts and whatnot thatsome things have to go.”Stanford has hosted fiveCommunity Day events,beginning in2002.Enos hopes that Stanford willconsider holding another event inthe same style at some point in thefuture.For the time being,though,she is satisfied that Stanford’s manylectures,sporting events,concertsand art performances provide a goodroute for including the University’sneighbors in campus life.“There continues to be events oncampus where the surrounding com-munity is regularly encouraged andinvited to participate,”she said.
Contact Jenny Rempel at jrempel@ stanford.edu.
COMMUNITY
Continued from front page
2
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Wednesday,February 11,2009
The Stanford Daily
By LEAH KARLINS
M
ost Stanford undergrads haveto deal with roommates.Onlya few have to change theirroommates’ diapers.Among those few is Maria Contreras ‘10,who lives on campus with her 18-month-olddaughter,Claire.When Contreras returnedto Stanford this fall after taking a year off,worries about classes and homework took abackseat to more pressing concerns,likeapplying to daycare and finding a nanny.Contreras recalls the first week of thatquarter being “crazy.”She decided to enrollin the Human Biology core because the lec-tures were posted online,enabling her toleave in the middle of class if her daughterhad an emergency.“I wasn’t thinking about myself,”saidContreras,who fell behind on homeworkuntil she found a kind neighbor who couldlook after her daughter during the day.There are nine undergraduates with chil-dren living in Student Housing this year,anumber which is “fairly typical,”according toRodger Whitney,executive director of Student Housing.For some of those students,the challengesof juggling problem sets with bedtime storiescame as no surprise.Kimberly Washington‘11 was expecting a child before she set footon the Stanford campus.“I knew I wasn’t passing up the opportu-nity to be a student there,and I also knewthat I was going to have a child,”she wrote inan email to The Daily from her family home,where she is taking a year off.“It’s as simpleas that.”Washington spent her freshman year inEscondido Village with her son and hisfather.“It is very nice there,”she said.“The babyhas his own room,and his father and I have aspace to ourselves as well.”Although she appreciated her apartmentand found Stanford students and faculty tobe very supportive of her situation,thechange of setting was tough.“There were a lot of people who wantedto help me and make sure that I was notstruggling to be a parent and a student,”shesaid.“Although,I think having the dorm expe-rience would have allowed me an easier tran-sition into college life,”Washington added.According to Whitney,all Stanford stu-dents with children,including graduate andundergraduate students,live in EscondidoVillage.They can apply for apartment hous-ing starting in the second trimester of preg-nancy.But housing situation aside,becoming amother has given Washington some perspec-tive,and led her to reevaluate her academicgoals.“I am thinking about changing my majorand my career plans,”she said.“So,I am notquite sure what is in store for me afterStanford.”For some students,a new baby comes as asurprise.Contreras learned she was pregnantduring winter quarter of her freshman year,shortly after she had broken up with thebaby’s father—a student at another univer-sity whom she had dated for two years.Somepeople suggested that she have an abortionor give her baby up for adoption,but neitherof these options felt right to her.“I had never anticipated the type of bondI would have with her,even before she wasborn,”Contreras said of the relationship withher daughter.“She felt like such a part of methe instant I knew she was there.”The other students in Contreras’ fresh-man dorm were supportive,but being preg-nant while attending school was still chal-lenging.“There was a lot emotionally I was goingthrough,”she said.She also noted many physical changes shehadn’t anticipated,such as sleeping for longhours.“Pulling all-nighters during finals was justnot going to happen,”Contreras said.Contreras was five months pregnant whenshe finished freshman year.She took a yearoff to live with her family in Sacramento andthen returned to classes this fall with Clairein tow.On a recent weekday evening,enchiladassimmered on the stove while Contrerasplayed with Claire in the living room of theirEscondido Village apartment.“Apple!”Claire yelled happily,pointing toa green vase.“Apple! Apple!”Needless to say,Claire’s arrival hasbrought a lot of changes.Contreras spendsher time very differently now—doing laun-dry,shopping for groceries and,of course,playing with Claire.She wakes up at 7:30 a.m.to changeClaire’s diaper,dress her and feed her.In theevenings,she runs errands before putting herdaughter to bed.She does homework afterClaire falls asleep,or crams it in on the week-ends,when her parents drive down fromSacramento to stay with her.Contreras’ social life has taken a backseatto her maternal responsibilities,and herduties now take priority when consideringfuture academic and career choices.“But it’s okay,”she said.“It’s something Iwas prepared to do.”After all,a midterm is nothing comparedto a daughter.“People don’t tell you how much it’s goingto change when you have a child,”she added.“But they also don’t tell you that she’s goingto be the only thing you care about,so allthose sacrifices don’t seem like sacrificesanymore.”
Contact Leah Karlins at lkarlins@stanford.edu.
F
EATURES
than
P
-sets
C
uter
T
wo undergraduates balance life as both students and mothers
Photo courtesy Leah Karlins
Maria Contreras ‘10 took the Human Biology core while raising her daughter, Claire.
Photo courtesy Kimberly Washington
Kimberly Washington ‘11 lives in Escondido Village with her son, Diante Jr., and his father, Diante.
The Stanford Daily
Wednesday,February 11,2009
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