Tuesday, January 18, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 15
Lawrence avoids mayhem as partygoers ring in 2000
By BriAnne Hess
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
With almost every officer on duty, the Lawrence Police Department prepared for the worst on New Year's Eve, said Sgt. George Wheeler, of the Lawrence Police Department.
But the worst didn't occur.
Wheeler said the department arrested a slightly larger number of people than on a typical New Year's Eve, but University of Kansas students were not a major problem because of the winter break.
"What we expected to happen happened," Wheeler said. "We planned for a worst-case scenario, and what we got was a continuation of problems we see normally
people drinking and driving, and fights."
"Basically, that's not even a good Friday night," Lewis said. "If the guys are really busy, they don't even have time to look for an OUL."
Most of the population didn't venture out, said Rick McNeely, owner of the Jazzhaus, 926 $^{1/2}$ Massachusetts St.
"A lot of people had to work, and the core Jazzhaus crowd went out
of town." McNeely said.
He said he was pleased that his club was at 80 percent capacity because of the horror stories he had heard of 600-person nightclubs with only 50 people in them.
Other clubs took reservations to secure a set attendance.
The Sandbar, 117 E. Eighth St.,
reserved spaces and sold out two
weeks before New Year's Eve, said
owner Rita Madl.
Free State Brewery, 636 Massachusetts St. closed its doors on New Year's Eve to give workers the night off, employee Brad Scott said.
Scott avoided any possible New Year's chaos by heading to Douglas County State Fishing Lake.
"I went camping because I like the outdoors, and it was peaceful and away from bars," he said.
Economy thrives in new year
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — So much for dire predictions that the Y2K bug would throw the U.S. economy into a tailspin. Instead, a subtle economic boost may be the result of the jump into the new century.
Companies having outstanding sales
Following a lack of major computer problems from the date change to 2000, many U.S. businesses are lifting freezes on buying new technology — some earlier than planned — to install computers and software key to building Web sites and speeding communication with suppliers and customers.
Other companies are reaping an unexpected benefit of scouring for Y2K glitches — the elimination of outdated technology that had bogged down networks with a hedgepodge of software applications and machines.
That's welcome news for tech companies, that have faced a harrowing
plunge in shares this week as investors cash in on the industry's remarkable rally during 1999. The selloff has sent the technology leader Nasdaq composite index down almost 10 percent.
Predictions now being made of a tech-related boost to the economy contrast with those of last year, when many economists warned computer disruptions because of Y2K would curb growth.
"The warnings were very widespread," said First Union Corp. economist Mark Vitner. He predicts 3.4 percent economic growth this year, down slightly from 4.2 percent growth in 1999 because of higher interest rates crimping new home sales.
The downside of Y2K was scarcely noticeable — some hotels and other travel-related industries reported weak bookings as fears of disruptions kept people close to home.
engine.
But the emerging upside — a burst of tech spending — could help turn around prospects for sellers ranging from IBM to PC maker Gateway, invigorating a key U.S. economic
"A lot of people were holding back," said John Gantz, an analyst with researcher International Data Corp. IDC found that 37 percent of the 2,100 North American companies it surveyed deferred spending last year on nonessential technology projects that were unrelated to the Y2K glitch.
"We're talking about billions of dollars of spending that was withheld," Gantz said.
Overall, U.S. technology spending is expected to increase by a robust 8.3 percent to $417 billion this year, IDC says, slightly lower than last year's 9.5 percent growth, largely because of price drops in computers.
Other factors will aid technology spending this year. Many companies are expected to buy Microsoft's newest operating system software, the Windows 2000 program for business computers, which comes out in February. But a lot of money will shift from fixing Y2K bugs to buying computers and software key to running Web sites and online connections with customers and suppliers.
Y2K causes no bugs on campus
By Ryan Devlin
writer@kansan.com
Kansas Staff Writer
Students who feared that they would return to the University of Kansas to find their academic records or enrollments wiped out by the Y2K bug can breathe a sigh of relief.
No incidents of systemic failure were reported on New Year's Day, said John Mullens, assistant director at the KU Public Safety Office. Mullens oversees security and emergency planning at the University.
The University had about 120 staff members on duty New Year's Eve, 20 of whom manned the Emergency Preparedness Command Center,
based at Memorial Stadium. The other 100 monitored events at various sites on campus, Mullens said.
"Any problems that we discovered were preexisting ones," Mullens said.
Beth Warner, assistant to the vice chancellor for the Office of Information Services, said the command center collected information from five units: Academic Computing Services, Administrative Computing Services, Printing Services, Networking and Telecommunications Services and the libraries.
"Nothing significant—or nothing insignificant, for that matter—happened," Warner said.
Mullens agreed.
"It was a pretty boring evening," he said.
Mullens said that the Public Safety Office also had been prepared to assist the Lawrence Police Department had anything cata strophic occurred after the clock struck midnight.
Warner said those on staff had beer on duty from about 9:30 p.m. New Year's Eve to 1:30 a.m. New Year's Day. They were dismissed after they completed a final check. She said the highlight of the evening was watching the New Year's celebration across the world on television.
"We took things pretty seriously,' Mullens said. "Fortunately, we weren't needed.
Journalism school changes curriculum to give students an employment edge
By Mike Hoffman
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The University of Kansas School of Journalism has adopted a new curriculum starting Fall 2000.
The changes will not delay the graduation of students currently enrolled in the school. Instead, only students entering the school in the fall will be required to follow the new curriculum.
The curriculum emphasizes the convergence of print, broadcast and Internet news. Instead of dividing into different categories
such as Advertising, Broadcast, Broadcast Management, Business Communications, Magazine and News/Editorial all journalism students will take a total of four required core courses: Media and Society, Research and Writing, First Amendment and Society and Ethics and the Media.
After taking the first two required courses, students will choose one of two tracks: multimedia news and information, which covers sequences such as broadcast news and print journalism; or strategic communications, which covers sequences such as business communications and advertising.
"We want to provide students with a convergent education that gives students more of a choice to expand themselves," said Linda Davis, associate professor of journalism. "No longer do students have to categorize themselves into specific sequences such as broadcasting where they get little or no experience with print journalism and vice versa."
James K. Gentry, dean of journalism, agreed.
"In this day and age it seems that all kinds of media are converging, and we need to get our students more prepared for that," Gentry said.
He said that the new curriculum would increase students' chances of getting higher paying jobs because they would know more about things such as the Internet.
Doug Anderson, professor of journalism at Penn State University and a member of a site team that observed the School of Journalism, said the new curriculum was a bold move because the journalism industry would want people who could effortlessly move between media outlets.
CHANGED LEARNING
Students in the School of Journalism formerly had six areas of emphasis to choose from:
- Advertising
- Broadcast
- Broadcast Management
- Business Communications
- Magazine
- News/Editorial
Beginning Fall 2000, students will have two choices:
■ multimedia news and information
■ strategic communications
Source: School of Journalism
However, not everyone was happy with the changes.
"I don't like it much," said Matt Cox, Lensing junior and journalism student. "If someone were to apply for a job at a radio station, I feel that the employer would be more impressed with a specialized degree in broadcasting. If you want to learn more about other areas of journalism, take some classes on the side. I think the whole change is unfortunate."
Most KU students drink moderately
*Based on survey responses from 1,600 KU students. Survey administered by the KU Office of Institutional Research & Planning (1999).
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