Wednesday, January 19, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section A • Page 3
Proposal to strengthen seat belt laws
Police may soon stop any driver not wearing belt
Police may soon be allowed to ticket drivers for not wearing seat belts, even if they have not violated any other law if Governor Graves' proposal passes the Legislature. Photo by Melissa Thornton/KANSAN
By Katina Hull
Kansan staff writer
write@kansan.com
Not buckling up may affect more than the safety of Kansas motorists if legislators take Gov. Bill Graves' proposal to strengthen seat belt laws seriously.
Not wearing a seat belt could be grounds for police to stop and ticket motorists, even if they were violating no other law. The current law allows ticketing only if police stop an individual for speeding or another violation.
In 1998, about 55 percent of the 2,200 drivers and front-seat passengers killed or seriously injured in Kansas accidents either were not wearing seat belts or were wearing them improperly, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.
During his weekly news conference Friday, Graves said strengthening seat belt laws was something he was serious about — even if it meant government crossing the personal privacy line.
"I think a lot of people try to characterize the requirement to wear a set belt as an invasion on their privacy." Graves said. "I realize that there's certainly a value on our personal privacy. But I place a higher value on a child having a mother and a father come through the door every night capable of being a parent to a child."
Those opposed, including House Speaker Robin Jennison, R-Healy, say the government has better things to do than bust violators of seat belt laws.
"I happen to think that goes to the basics of conventional freedom and responsibility," Jennison said.
instead, Jennison said seat belts could be dealt with in the private sector by increasing insurance rates or differentiating awards for those who forgot to make seat belts click.
Although the American Civil Liberties Union has no official position on Graves' proposal, KU ACLU member Buddy Lloyd said that he was skeptical and that the proposal could increase racial profiling, the practice of police
stopping minorities for race instead of violations.
"I see potential for a lot of abuse." Llovd said.
Lawrence Police Sgt. George Wheeler said that he would not comment on pending legislation but that police supported any measure that increased public safety.
Graves' emphasis on tightening seat belt laws may stem from what he refers
to as the "Katie factor" — his daughter, whom he has a framed picture of behind his desk.
"Unfortunately, for a lot of people who are in accidents who aren't wearing seat belts, there's no repercussions for them because they're usually dead," Graves said. "The person who is negatively impacted is the surviving family member, the loved ones who have to go on with their lives without that person."
Arts groups plan to lure tourists
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
By John Audlehelm
Lawrence wants cultural tourists. The Lawrence Roundtable for the Arts and Culture, an informal group of local arts organizations, presented its cultural tourism plan to the City Commission last night. The plan outlines how the Lawrence community wants to attract tourists — and their dollars — to local art galleries, museums and performance centers.
Ann Evans, executive director of the Lawrence Arts Center, said Lawrence had a strong arts community.
That includes the University Theatre, the Lied Center, the Spencer Museum of Art, the Natural History Museum, the Art and Design Building and any other arts organization KU students are involved in.
"Lawrence has a lot of high-quality art in all disciplines," she said. "We all want to expand to larger audiences."
The plan has three key approaches: themed-product development, educational-product development and marketing and communication development.
Evans said a themed product
might be the Lawrence Indian Art Show.
Kathy Pryor, associate director of the University Theatre, said KU group and the Lawrence Arts Center did a joint production of the play Mirror, Mirror during summer 1998.
The art center exhibited the art, she said, and the University Theatre did the play.
"They're doing their thing and we're doing our thing, but its tied together by some theme," Pryor said.
Karin Christilles, director of public relations for the Lied Center, said an educational product might be a weeklong drawing seminar taught by local artists.
Marketing and communication, she said, would be getting people to stay in local hotels and dine in local restaurants.
Pryor said the University Theatre had been working for the past two years to expand into the community.
"This is a wonderful way to formalize that," she said. "If we bring more tourists to town, hopefully they will become audience members of the Theatre."
The roundtable received a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in January
1999. Tourism consultant Greg Gilstrap, of the Phoenix-based Nichols Gilstrap, Inc., was hired to help prepare the plan.
Christilles said the plan was in the final stage of the planning phase, and the roundtable would have specific steps and a time line by summer.
She said the roundtable did not want to make Lawrence a Disneyland-type tourist attraction.
"We want to maintain the really rich, authentic character that Lawrence has," Christilles said.
Evans said the roundtable wanted what was best for the arts community, not tourists.
"We don't want to just bring tourists here to bring tourists here," she said. "We want to bring the kind of tourists here that appreciate what we already do."
The commission also declared this week City of the Arts Week. In other action, the City Commission:
- said the start date for the bus system probably would be July 1 because of a protest filed by Chance Coach, Inc., a Wichita manufacturer that did not get the contract to make the buses.
- approved the contract with MV Transportation, Inc. to run the city's new bus system.
Benefit concert
Andy Fisher, vocalist for the rock band Esoteric, performs at The Bottlekne on Monday night to raise money for breast cancer awareness. Local rock bands Warmwood, Truth, Slurry and Derailer joined Esoteric to donate their musical talents to raise money for Breast Cancer Action, Inc., a local organization that promotes breast cancer awareness.
Holiday season typically leads to increase in depression
By Warisa Chulindra writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
The holiday season is not the happiest time of the year for everyone.
The Lawrence Police Department received 25 percent more calls concerning suicide from Thanksgiving to New Year's than the rest of the year, Sgt. George Wheeler said.
The highest number of suicides historically occurs during the holiday season, said John Wade, staff psychologist and outreach coordinator for Counseling and Psychological Services at Watkins Memorial Health Center. This year during that season, two University of Kansas students committed suicide.
He said Lawrence Police received 12 telephone calls in October concerning suicide, 20 telephone calls in November and 15 in December.
"We typically see an increase in suicides and deaths in that nature during that time," Wheeler said. "Unfortunately, something happens to them during that period."
Exactly what happens can vary from individual to individual, but extra stress and pressure often experienced during the holidays can be dif-
RESOURCES
AVAILABLE
Counseling and Psychological Services at Watkins Memorial Health Center. 864-2277
Headquarters, 1419
Massachusetts St.
841-230-7655
Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, 200 Maine St. 843-919-921
KU Psychological Clinic, 315 Fraser Hall, 864-4121
ticult for students, Wade said.
"There's a surreal expectation that the holidays will be so wonderful," he said. "With all this hype and pressure, students can feel like they failed if their experience has not met their expectations."
Being home for the holidays can leave some students without their main sources of support — their friends — and without a schedule. The absence of these two factors can contribute to depression, which can lead to suicidal thoughts, he said.
When people have unstructured time, they can feel bored or unproductive, Wade said. Without a schedule to occupy
their time, they have more time to dwell on problems.
He said that spending time in a tense family situations, not meeting family's expectations and struggling academically also
"There's a surreal expectation that the holidays will be so wonderful."
John Wade Watkins psychologist
could be difficult for students.
Wade said it was important to keep stress and pressure in perspective.
"It helps to have balance in life," he said. "It's also important to have a social support system, meaningful contact with people."
Another cause of depression during the holidays is seasonal affective disorder. The effect of the cold and shorter days varies from mild to incapacitating.
Wade said that because weather in Kansas changed frequently, so did people's moods.
SUA WEEKLY CALENDAR OF EVENTS
SUA HAS A GREAT SPRING BREAK TRIP FOR YOU!
Sign-up information is available at the SUA Box Office,
fourth floor, Kansas Union
SPRING BREAK IN NEW YORK CITY
March 18-29
Prices are: $539 for students
$559 for non-students
Price includes airfare, airport transfers,
hotel and bus tour of NYC
STUDENT UNION ACTIVITIES
SUA MOVIES
Our Films series starts Tuesday, January 25 Come by the SUA Office today to pick up a Films Poster / Calendar!
7 p.m., Tuesday, February 8, Kansas Union Lobby Show off your musical, artistic or written talent Sign up by 5 p.m. February 8 in the SUA Office
10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday, January 29, Jaybowl Students compete in Bowling, 9 Ball Billards & Air Hockey Sign up by 3 p.m. January 28 in the SUA Office
ACID REC TURNAMENT
864-3477 · www.ukans.edu/~sua
COFFEE HOUSE / POETRY SLAM
THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
RICYCLE WILD TOURNAMENT
7 - 10 p.m. Monday, January 31, Kansas Union Students compete in Spades, Euchre and Hearts Sign up by 4:30 p.m. January 28 in the SUA Office $2 entry fee
UNION WEEKLY SPECIALS
WWW.WWW
864-4596 * www.jayhawks.com
as and Burge Uniona + 864-4640
www.Jayhawks.com
TIP OFF TUESDAY
BOWLING LEAGUES
For every KU Men's Basketball win for the previous Saturday or Sunday game, use the margin of victory for discounts on Tip Off Tuesday. Look for more details in Fridays UDK.
Sign up for a League today, in the Jaybowl, Level 1, Kansas Union, 864-3545. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights, $4 per person/per night. Co-Ed leagues start January 24.
Hawk's Nest Level 3, Kansas Union
STARBUCKS COFFEE IS HERE!
The Hawk's Nest is now serving Starbucks Coffee. Start your day off with a hot cup of Starbucks Coffee, available exclusively in Lawrence at the Hawk's Nest, Level 3, Kansas Union. Now opening at 7:00 a.m. Monday - Friday.