Thursday, March 9, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 3
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an animal rights organization, is promoting beer as an alternative to milk. The organization wants people to stop drinking milk because it believes that cows are mis-treated by dairy farmers. Photo illustration by Jamie Roper/KANSAN
Animal activists claim milk does a student body no good
By Mindie Miller
By Mindie Miller
writer@kanson.com
Kanson staff writer
A national animal rights organization wants college students to trade their milk moostaches for beer foam brewstaches.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, based in Norfolk, Va., is staging a national campaign to convince college students that beer is healthier than milk. The organization backs up its claims with nutritional statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which show that milk contains more cholesterol, fat, calories and sodium than beer.
In support of popping a top instead of opening a carton of milk, PETA is giving away bottle openers that say, "Drinking responsibly means not drinking milk — save a cow's life," to college students who visit www.MilkSucks.com.
Morgan Leyh, PETA's college action campaign coordinator, said the Web site had received about 15,000 hits per week since its inception a few weeks ago.
But Ann Chapman, nutritionist at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said she thought it was dangerous to encourage college students to drink beer instead of milk.
"Binge drinking is on the increase," she said. "And dairy product intake is low as it is. College women are not getting near the calcium they need, and
their bone health is at risk."
Sarah Roads, Moberly, Mo,
senior, drinks skim milk. She
said this campaign wouldn't
make her stop.
"I find it hard to believe that they think people will actually believe them," she said.
Leyh said PETA's ultimate goal was to prevent cruelty to dairy cows.
"They're claiming beer doesn't have any bad things," she said. "You could counteract that by saying, 'What does it have that is any good?'"
"The milk industry today is really feeding students a lot of lies," she said. "We want to educate students that today's dairy cows are treated like nothing more than milk machines."
Leyh said dairy cows were chained by their necks in concrete stalls and kept pregnant year-round to keep their milk production high. Their male calves are taken from them at one to two days old and chained inside cramped dark crates to be killed for veal, she said.
Leyh said PETA wanted to let students know that dairy products were unhealthy for humans.
"Products like cheese, ice cream and yogurt are high in saturated fat and cholesterol."
Morgan Leyh PETA coordinator
"The milk industry today is really feeding students a lot of lies."
However, Chapman noted that low-fat alternatives were available, which could provide essential nutrients with little risk of obesity or heart disease.
she said. "It sets people up for obesity and heart disease."
PETA's campaign also stresses to students that dairy products are often contaminated with pesticides and drugs and that they may even cause osteoporosis because the excess protein in dairy products leaches calcium from the bones.
However, Chapman said the hormones and antibiotics used in dairy products were present only in trace amounts to achieve the results of getting rid of contamination in the product. She also said that a person would have to consume an excessive amount of dairy products before the protein would pull calcium from bones. She said high-protein fad diets put people at risk for this problem.
Senate rejects elimination of nonrevenue sports fee
Leyh said that although PETA wants students to know that beer is healthier than milk, the organization recommends fresh juices, soy milk and mineral water — even soda — instead of milk or beer.
By Erinn R. Barcomb writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
Women and men in nonrevenue sports don't have to worry about potential budget cuts anymore.
A resolution to phase out the student fee for women's and nonrevenue sports that was drafted by Korb Maxwell, student body president, failed in two Student Senate committees last night.
Maxwell argued the $20 per semester fee paid to the University of Kansas Athletic Corporation was unnecessary when KUAC had surpluses in its budget.
"Any other department in the University would kill for that kind of increase," Maxwell said. "We wouldn't have a faculty salary problem. We wouldn't have a tuition increase."
Pat Warren, assistant director for KUAC, said that the revenue numbers did not represent all costs the corporation had.
"We would do everything possible not to harm women's and non-
Some Finance Committee members argued that Senate should respect the decision made by the student-fee review subcommittee
revenue sports, but the surplus would not be enough to compensate." Warren said.
The subcommittee voted against a phasing out of the fee.
Risa Petty, social welfare senator and women's rowing team captain, said sports were invaluable to the athletes who participate.
Maxwell: Proposed phasing out the $20 per semester fee
"From being on the inside, I'm extremely grateful it's been added." Petty said.
Michael Henry, nontraditional senator, said it was important to remember the fee affected 587 student athletes.
"My concern is we are offering to cut $20, but not a $17 activity fee," Henry said.
Partha Mazumdar, graduate senator, defended Maxwell's plan. He said the beauty of the bill was that
the fee would decrease slowly and that it would be reviewed by the subcommittee in three years.
he had no plans to pursue the issue further.
In other Senate news:
University Affairs passed a bill that would allow Legal Services for Students to represent students against the University in administrative hearings. Students pay $6 per semester for the service.
University Affairs voted to allot $9,000 to the Student Lecture Series board to bring Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to campus.
Students take Western Civ elsewhere
By Meghann Haven Special to the Kansan
Before World War II, a course in western civilization was unheard of. Today, it's widely regarded as one of the most challenging classes a college student faces.
The same holds true at the University of Kansas, where many students travel considerable distances looking for alternatives to taking Western Civilization at the university level.
Jim Leiker, lecturer in humanities and western civilization, said that he was aware of KU students taking Western Civilization at community colleges and elsewhere but that the courses may not be the same.
"Most universities offer something along the lines of Western Civ," he said. "But many are basic history courses, whereas KU's is a great books program that combines history with literature and philosophy."
Students often delay the inevitable until their senior year, or take Western Civilization during summer school. Some even drive to schools a half hour or more away two to three times a week, just to avoid taking the course at the University.
"Johnson County Community College attracts lots of KU students about the second week of class each semester as KU students realize how strenuous the work load is," Leiker said. "But JuCo's program is modeled on KU's. In fact, I know most schools in this area hire KU GTAs to teach their Western Civ classes. So my perception is that shopping around doesn't lighten the work load or grading that much."
If a student does have time to commute to another university to take a similar course, another obstacle must be overcome.
According to Lisa Beck, transfer credit coordinator, the University must review the outside class to make sure it meets the standards and requirements set for that course before credit can be given.
Cara Schwegler, Overland Park junior, is enrolled in the World Civilizations I and II class at Neohsow County Community College in Ottawa. The class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays for two hours and 45 minutes.
World Civilizations I and II is worth six credit hours and replaces Western Civilization I and II at the University — in one semester's time. Neosho County Community College has an open admission policy and tuition is $42 per credit hour — $252 for this course, which is offered every semester because of its popularity.
"I do have to drive a total of about an hour and a half every week just to get to the class, but I think it is totally worth它." Schwegler said. "My roommate is taking Western Civ here right now, and while she reads entire books, we read only a paragraph excerpt in class. We don't even have any books besides the textbook, and we hardly ever have homework."
Despite the lighter work load in her course, Schwegler doesn't feel as though she is really missing out on anything.
"We are learning the same stuff. Our classes are just more fun and laid-back," she said.
Wayne Walden, director of degree and career counsel in the Athletics Department, agrees.
"I have a low regard for students who shirk from difficult classes because of an extensive work load."
Jim Leiker
Lecturer in western civilization
"Certain courses I would prefer students take here, especially those relating to their major and that would help them down the road," he said. "However, Western Civ is not a course I feel is of huge importance if you are a liberal arts and sciences major."
Leiker disagreed.
"I have a low regard for students who shirk from difficult classes because of an extensive work load," he said. "Nothing is learned without hard work and experience."
Benton Kelly. St. Louis senior, doesn't understand the practice of searching elsewhere for an easy way out.
"You know, it's not a death class," she said. "I don't understand why people take the time to drive so far. As long as you take it as an upper-classman, you should do fine."
For some students, the long-standing rumor that Western Civilization is the hardest course at the University will always be true, and they are bound and determined to find an easier way out.
Leiker offered this admonition for these students.
"If higher education was supposed to be easy, we would sell diplomas in the Union," he said. "Ultimately, it's not about the grade or the certificate with your name on it but about what students learn."
KU senior wins valid scholarship; 39 students falsely informed of honor
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Thirty-nine students were told last month they had won prestigious government scholarships for graduate study, only to find out later that it was all a big mistake and they were only runners-up.
Lawrence senior Brian Tongier's Javits scholarship, though, was not one of the mistakes. The University of Kansas student was notified last month that he had won a Javits scholarship. Tongier said he was one of the real winners. Others were not so lucky.
"I think my heart snapped in half," a California doctoral candidate wrote her congressional delegation in a plea for help.
Help came yesterday when the Education Department called the runners-up and said they would get the fellowships after all, as would the rightful winners.
"We were working at first to find out what happened and why an error occurred," said Erica Lepping, Education Department representative. "After reviewing that, we came to the conclusion this was the right thing to do."
At stake were the prestigious Jacob K. Javits Fellowships, which have been awarded since 1986. Named for the late liberal Republican senator from New York, the fellowships pay tuition and fees plus a stipend for doctoral and masters candidates in the arts, humanities and social sciences. Current stipends are $15,000 a year.
Lepping said the mistake was discovered when a runner-up, officially called an alternate, called the agency with a question.
It will cost taxpayers close to $1 million to fix the error, which the government is blaming on a private contractor that sent the wrong letters.
Tongier said he planned to use the scholarship to pursue a doctorate in sociology at Indiana. Princeton or UCLA.
The winners are selected on merit and financial need and get up to four years of financial support. Some 1,100 to 1,300 students apply each year. This year there were 138 winners, in addition to 39 alternates.
Among those who got the good news and then the bad news was the California student, who found a message on her answering machine telling her she wasn't really a winner.
The way she found out was "devastating" and "very flaky," said Nancy Coolidge, coordinator for government relations and student financial support at the University of California system.
Under privacy rules, the names of scholarship winners are confidential.
Coolidge shared the student's e-mail but said the woman didn't want to be named. It was one of many such pleas to Congress.
"We were working at first to find out what happened and why an error occurred.After reviewing that, we came to the conclusion this was the right thing to do."
The government is considering legal
Erica Lepping
Education Department representative
action against the contractor, DTI Associates of Arlington, Va. The company has a one-year, $190,000 contract to handle applications.
Bruce Rankin, director of government services at DTI, said yesterday. "We physically mailed letters that were developed by the Department of Education."
Later he issued a statement saying, "An unfortunate miscommunication between both parties led to a clerical error. We are actively working with the department to resolve this issue. Our sincere concern is with the scholars, and that is that they're treated with respect throughout this process."
The 39 students had the law on their side, though Lepping said no lawsuits were threatened. An amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1992 bars the department from retracting Javits fellowships after they are awarded, unless the student lied on the application.
Normally, alternates get fellowships only when winners decline the fellowship because they have gotten money elsewhere.
The government estimates the mistake could cost up to $975,000,depending on how many winners take the fellowships.
— Jim O'Malley contributed to this story
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