The world as we know it may end Dec. 31, but most students aren't worried.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
See page 12B
Kansan The Millennium
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Wednesday December 1, 1999 Section: B
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
(USPS 650-640)
Preparing for the unknown
Tracy Koons, Emergency Services Coordinator, points out some of the relief supplies that the Ameri- Cross will set up relief sites at area schools in case Y2K emergencies arise. Photo Jamie Roper can Red Cross has stocked in the event of a catastrophe when the millennium rolls over. The Red /KANASN
Red Cross urges preparation, not fear for millennium
Special to the Kansan
Bv Glen Thurman
We've all heard the stories by now about how the Y2K problem will bring life as we know it to a screeching halt as the clock rolls over from Dec. 31, 1999, to Jan. 1, 2000. Doomsayers predict that utilities and banks will fail, food and water will be in short supply and that provisions and cash should be stockfilled in anticipation of problems lasting weeks or even months.
A different story is told by local emergency preparedness and relief officials on what students can expect and prepare for as we approach the end of the millennium. Minor problems may occur the night of Dec 31, officials say, but they won't be directly related to any Y2K computer problems. Instead, other factors, including human behavior or weather, will be the likely culprits. Officials also encourage people to prepare but only for short-term problems.
"We're really anticipating that the rollover date will occur very smoothly," said Paula Phillips, director of Douglas County Emergency Management.
Even with this optimistic picture, Phillips still strongly encouraged students to prepare just in case there are any short-term problems. She emphasized that emergency preparedness was something people should do on an ongoing basis. Phillips specifically recommended that students put together and have available an emergency preparedness kit.
"The recommendation is that every citizen, it doesn't matter how old they are, should have a preparedness kit that contains three day's worth of supplies." Phillips said.
The supplies include non-perishable food, water, some cash, toiletries and clothing, Phillips said. There should be one gallon of water per person per day in the kit for drinking and personal hygiene. If a person takes prescription medications, a fresh three-day supply should be in the kit. In addition, each kit should have a battery-operated radio and a flashlight.
Phillips said that this kit wasn't only for the night of Dec. 31 but also for other potential emergencies that could displace a person.
"That is what people should have available to them year-round, and what we recommend is that you change it out seasonally."
Phillips also emphasized that a preparedness kit was something everyone should have, including students in any housing environment.
Every six months, the food and water should be replaced and cold-weather clothes should be rotated with warm-weather clothes, Phillips said.
"That's what every single person in our community should have anyway, at all times," Phillips said, "It doesn't matter where you live.
"You can still keep a backpack of those items, because if a residence hall burns and you've got one thing to grab as you go out the door, and you grayd that, you've got
"The recommendation is that every citizen,it doesn't matter how old they are,should have a preparedness kit that contains three days'worth of supplies."
Paula Phillips
director of Douglas County Emergency Management
Management
food, you've got water, you've got cash you've got a change of clothes — and they're yours." Phillips said.
Tracy Koons, emergency services coordinator with the Douglas County chapter of the American Red Cross, recommended its brochure "Y2K: What You Should Know" for specific information on preparing for the rollover.
Another source of preparedness information for students is the Lawrence-Douglas County Y2K Community Information Task Force. Gayle Martin, communications coordinator for the city and contact person for the task force, explained that the group was constituted 18 months ago to work on this issue. Martin said the task force was formed of members from city and county government, law enforcement, emergency services, utilities providers, banking, private industry, non-profit organizations, the media, the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University.
Martin said the task force had worked on a number of projects, including giving presentations to community organizations, sponsoring several public forums on Y2K issues and preparedness and publishing its own Y2K preparedness brochure.
Copies of the task force's brochure "Your Personal Guide to Y2K" are available by calling Martin at 832-3406. The brochure is similar to the American Red Cross's and includes a checklist on what specific steps a person can take in order to prepare for the Dec. 31 rollover.
The task force also plans a final open microphone public forum at 7 p.m. on Dec. 13 at the Lawrence Public Library, Martin said. People from the community will be able talk directly with task force members about any concerns surrounding the Y2K problem and local preparedness efforts.
Martin said the task force had its own Web site (www.cllawrence.ks.us/y2k) that included information and links on the problem, a list of task force members and information on the task force's presentations and public forums. Martin said she often referred Y2K inquiries to the site because it usually had the specific information a person wanted.
See MAJOR on page 2B
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW'
Tracy Koons, emergency services coordinator with the Douglas County chapter of the American Red Cross, recommended their brochure "Y2K: What You Should Know" for specific information on preparing for the rollover.
Some preparedness tips from the brochure include:
Have a few days' worth of supplies on hand
Have a small amount of extra cash on hand in case ATMs don't function. Plan on having no more than you would usually need for a long weekend.
- Keep your car's gas tank above half full in case gas pumps are temporarily out of service.
Have extra blankets, coats, hats and alcoves to keep warm.
Have flashlights and extra batteries on hand for emergency lighting.
Make sure to have fresh batteries in smoke alarms
Be prepared to go to a shelter if the situation warrants.
Copies of the brochure are available from the Douglas County chapter of the American Red Cross at 843-3550. An online version is also available at the American Red Cross's Web site (www.redcross.org).
Students prepare for potential disaster of the new millennium
Special to the Kansan
By Brittany Landes
For some University of Kansas students, preparing for the upcoming millennium is more important than making plans for New Year's Eve.
Shannon Hodges, Lawrence junior, said that she would spend New Year's Eve with her boyfriend's family, who had gone to extreme measures preparing for possible social disasters.
Hodges said that her boyfriend's parents had built a special room for food, and they had been saving beans and rice for at least two years. They also have a wood burning stove to heat their house in case the electricity goes out.
"I've read a lot about it." Hodges said. "Some of the stuff on the Internet is pretty scary."
Most students were making less drastic preparations. Gerald Hawthorne, Chicago senior, said he was concerned with his loan information.
"But if it helps me and things mess up," he said. "I am not going to show my records."
Meredith Carr, Topea sophomore, and her parents have switched to a more Y2K compliant bank. She also said that keeping financial statements was a good idea. Jamie Oberg, Basehor freshman, and her family have canned vegetables and were prepared for a problem with the water sunsyl.
"We stored two-liter bottles with water and a drop of Clorox." she said.
Amanda Moorhouse, Overland Park senior, said that she was not planning on being home for New Year's Eve. But she will take the same precautions if there was a major storm.
There also are students who don't think there will be any problems at all.
"As far as computers exploding and water not functioning, I don't think anything life-threatening will occur," Lisa Sperry, Beloit senior said. "People are acting like it is going to be the scariest part."
Tad Meglemre, Overland Park senior, said the concept was a joke and did not think there was a need to prepare.
Other students and their families thought the threat was insignificant compared to other concerns.
"I don't think my parents even know what Y2K is," Anne Savage, St. Louis senior, said. "They are more concerned I'm going to graduate to worry about it."
Savage said she had not prepared for the millennium primarily because of her parents' lack of concern.
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