Tuesday, November 30. 1999 The University Daily Kansan Section A · Page 5 New Year's fireworks considered Millennium might begin with a bang By Derek Prater By Derek Prater writer@kansan.com Kansas staff writer It's beginning to look inevitable that the next millennium will begin with a bang in Lawrence. At the Lawrence City Commission meeting last Tuesday, commissioners directed staff to draft an ordinance that would allow residents to shoot off fireworks on New Year's weekend. The commission will vote on the ordinance at tonight's meeting. City Manager Mike Wilden said the city had to address the issue because the Douglas County Commission was considering a resolution that would allow the sale and use of fireworks in the county outside city limits. "I expect the county resolution will pass, so we have to look at this issue as well." Wilden said. The city's proposed policy on fireworks, however, differs from the one the county is considering. The county commission will vote this week on a resolution that would allow the sale and use of fireworks Dec. 30 and 31 and Jan. 1. City commissioners said they saw no need to shoot off fireworks Dec. 30. They said they would urge the county to amend its resolution. city from 9 a.m. Dec. 31 to 1 a.m. Jan. 1 and again from 9 a.m. to 10 n.m. Jan. 1. The city's ordinance would allow fireworks to be used in the The ordinance only would apply to those days. to those days. Five Chief Jim McSwain said In other city commission news: Commissioners voted 4-0 last Tuesday to pass an ordinance that will allow for the demolition of houses at 920, 924, 926 and 932 New Hampshire St. to clear space for a new Lawrence Arts Center. Commissioner David Dunfield abstained from the vote because he is employed by the architectural firm working on the Downtown 2000 project, which includes the arts center. The decision came despite a finding by the Historic Resources Commission that the proposed project would encroach upon the environs of the Shalor Eldridge Residence at 945 Rhode Island St., which is on both the national and local registers of historic places. The ordinance passed by the city commission stated that, "no feasible or prudent alternative exists to the proposed project." Edited by Jessie Meyer Mono: a student's nightmare during all seasons By Becky Lake Special to the Kansan Swollen glands and a sore throat could be a mere cold, or they could be symptoms of a much more serious illness — mononucleosis, a student's worst nightmare. No stranger to the college campus, mono puts numerous students out of commission for months at a time. Some students believe their chances of contracting the mono virus are greater during midterms or finals time, but Randall Rock, Watkins Health Center chief of staff, said that is not the case. "Mono is in the community during all seasons," Rock said. Rock said mono was common not just among college students, but among everyone. recuperate. "Statistically, at some point in your life, you're going to have mononucleosis," he said. Rock said although about 50 percent of incoming college students had already had mono before coming to college, the greatest risk period for contracting it is in adolescence or young adulthood. Shannon O'Neill, St. Louis sophomore, had mono during the spring of her freshman year. After experiencing weeks of fatigue, O'Neill eventually went home to "At the beginning, I was real tired and had no energy," she said. "I had an enlarged spleen, enlarged lymph nodes, extremely high fever and white dots on the inside of my throat. I felt sick for a good four weeks." Kate Turnbull, Lawrence senior, also had mono. In the spring of her junior year, she said she felt sick for about two months. "The thing about mono is the complete frustration of not being able to do anything." Turnbull said. "I just got really sick of being really tired. The smallest things would become completely exhausted." Heather Neuburger, Kansas City, Mo., sophomore, recalled the intense exhaustion. "I couldn't go out at all, even for an hour," she said. "It felt like I was just hit by a truck. I was so physically exhausted I couldn't stand." Both O'Neill and Turnbull both missed class. The time the sickness takes away from schoolwork was a drawback O'Neill said. She said she found it difficult to catch up in her classes. O'Neill said she contacted the Student Development Center to have letters sent out to her professors regarding her illness. SYMPTOMS OF MONONUCLEOSIS: Enlarged lymph nodes Fangue Fever How to avoid mono: Keep regular sleep patterns Do not exchange bodily fluids with others Mary Ann Rasnak. Student Development Center director, said sending out a letter was an option. "If the student is going to miss three or more days of class, we will notify the professors," Rasnak said. "We strongly encourage students to do their own notification. When students find themselves in positions where they can't make contacts, we will do so." Jeanne Klein, associate professor of theater, said she had several students miss class because of long-term illnesses. She said she dealt with those students on a case-by-case basis. "I leave it up to the student if he or she feels they can catch up," Klein said. "Sometimes the students decide themselves to go ahead and withdraw." Rock said mono could lead to numerous absences. "It is not uncommon for students to miss several days of class, and some students do need to drop out for the semester," he said. The lack of aggressive treatment is particularly frustrating. Rock said mono could not be attacked in the same way as strep throat or another virus. "Antibiotics used for a bacterial infection are no use for mononucleosis itself," Rock said. "There is no specific antibiotic that is used to treat mononucleosis, and there is no anti-viral drug used to treat mononucleosis. Most cases of mono are self-limited, meaning the body has the ability to overcome the mono." Rock said mono could be contracted by the sharing of body fluids, as in sharing food, drink or cigarettes. He said that mono also could be passed by kissing, hence its name "the kissing disease." To avoid contracting mono, Rock suggested keeping the immune system strong by doing things such as having regular sleep patterns, eating regular meals and not sharing bodily fluids. Rock said 50 percent of mononucleosis cases went undiagnosed. 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