Presentations by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Muscular Dystrophy Association

                  On March 20, 2012, Honors College students, as well as members of Lambda Sigma Honors Society, gathered together in Butcher Suite with an exciting buzz in the air.  They had come to hear a representative from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society discuss this disease.  The room was nearly full as the presentation began. 

                  Multiple Sclerosis is a neurological disorder that affects approximately  350,000 people in the United States alone. It usually begins around the age of twenty, just when a person is entering their physical prime.  This disorder takes on a variety of manifestations and is not simple to diagnose.  Cases range from mild to severe, and there is a genetic component to the condition.  However, its symptoms are often complicated and difficult to pinpoint, making diagnosis difficult. 

                  The Multiple Sclerosis Society has been working hard to make advancements and with the help of this organization, many new methods of detection have been developed.  Through their research, they have developed many new drugs which not only treat the symptoms of MS, but also slow the disease’s progression.  This kind of discovery is a promising development in the fight against MS.  Systems have been put together to help provide support for people who may be suffering from this disorder and help ease their burden however possible.  MS can is a life-altering condition that can disrupt the patient’s daily routine dramatically. 

                   Every person in the room was silent and attentive to the presentationby Ms Andrea Arzt, the Associate Vice President for Clinical Programs and Direct Services at the National MS Society, New York City’s Southern New York Chapter.  Ms Arzt engaged the Honors College student audience with a vivid, visual PowerPoint presentation and her words also resonated with each person in the room.  She portrayed a complex, medical condition in terms that helped the Honors College students to understand it. 

                   Each member of the audience was intrigued by the information she presented and left the event better educated about the disease.