Group aims to educate about depression, bipolar
disorder
“Depression Unplugged,” the first event of a group
formed in honor of Amanda Hafleigh, will take place tonight on
campus in an effort to inform students about the effects of
depression and bipolar disorder.
The event, organized by “Mandy’s Team,” will
feature two psychiatrists from the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute
speaking about the two afflictions in a forum where students can
ask questions.
Hafleigh took her own life in her dorm room in November.
Ronni Sanlo, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender Resource Center, said “Mandy’s Team”
continues to grow, and that the group hopes to inform students and
residential staff about the signs and symptoms for bipolar disorder
and depression. Hafleigh was active in the LGBT community.
“I’m amazed at the number of students that almost on
a weekly basis say, “˜I want to participate too,'”
Sanlo said.
The group will be working over the summer to plan other events
related to depression and bipolar disorder for fall quarter next
year, Sanlo said.
“We’re really going to focus on students in the
residence halls … and we want to be able to provide info for them
while they’re new students so if they are suffering from
depression or bipolar … they can receive help or help somebody
else before it gets too bad,” she said.
The forum will be followed by a screening of the film “The
Hours” ““ picked because of its depiction of depression,
Sanlo said.
The event will be held from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Northwest Campus
Auditorium.
LAX prepares for new jumbo jet
About $20 million in short-term improvements will be made at Los
Angeles International Airport to prepare for the double-deck,
555-passenger Airbus A380.
The jetliner makes its first test flight later this month, but
an airport official told the Board of Airport Commissioners on
Monday that it wasn’t clear whether the work would be
completed in time because of uncertain construction schedules.
Commissioners approved spending up to $8.3 million to rebuild
five intersections on the south airfield so that they can handle
the enormous wheelbase of the plane, which dwarfs the Boeing
747.
Eleven more intersections will be reconfigured in a second
project phase.
LAX is expected to serve the most A380 flights of any airport
when the plane begins commercial operations in late 2006.
With reports from Bruin senior staff and wire
reports.