Section A · Page 6 The University Daily Kansan Friday, March 19, 1999 Year 2000 baby timing not feasible By Jennifer Rough jonks@kansan.com Kansan staff writer Bv Jennifer Roush Although millennium fever is sweeping the nation, the race to have the first baby of 2000 may be impractical. March 26 marks the first day in a two-week window of time for conception of babies who could have Jan.1, 2000. birthdays. Web sites, such as www.year2000products.com, are selling clothes and toys to prospective parents of millennium babies. Other Web sites offer high-tech fertility testing devices. However, health care workers at the University of Kansas and in Lawrence say,that conceiving a child and pinpointing its due date is complicated. A typical pregnancy, however, can last from 38 to 42 weeks. Henry W. Buck, head of gynecology at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said that March 26 would be the last day of a menstrual cycle for a woman who wanted to give birth to a millennium baby. He said that most year 2000 babies would be conceived around April 10, when the woman ovulates. Buck said that he thought it was unrealistic to plan on having a year 2002 baby. Babies can be born anytime from two weeks before to two weeks after their due dates. This window of time assumes that the woman has a 28-day cycle, Buck said. It also assumes that she would deliver the baby after exactly 40 weeks. "Anybody trying to have a New Year baby is probably doomed to failure," Buck said. Illustration by Kyle Ramsey increase of women trying to become pregnant just to have a millennium baby. "Most people don't think about it until they're already pregnant," Trees said. "If you've got someone who's at 4 weeks on Dec. 25, then they start to think Trees said that the most common time for babies to be born was between July and October. because people were more homebound during winter months and were more likely to conceive children. She also said couples were more likely to conceive children during the holiday "People are celebrating and snuggling a lot that time of year." Trees said. season. She also said that it was somewhat unreasonable to try to plan to have a year 2000 baby. Some KU students and faculty thought all the excitement about having the first baby of 2000 was a bit overplayed. "That's one of the things you have to put in the Lord's hands," she said. "If it's meant to be, it'll happen. Babies come when they want to come." "I think its significance is purely with the individual," said Kelly Spurgeon, KU support services coordinator. "If a parent thinks it's important, it'll affect the child." She said that the clinic had a policy against inducing labor just so that a woman could have a child on a specified date. Risks to the mother and child, including longer and harder labor or fetal distress, were too great. Katie Harpstrite. Andover freshman, said that she thought it would be interesting to have a Jan. 1, 2000, birthday. "It'd be easy to figure out how old you are." Harpstein said. However, most students weren't worried that the possible computer problems associated with the year 2000 would affect babies with Jan.1 birthdays. "I don't think anything bad's going to happen to the kid," said Charles Melin, a Texas Tech University student who was with a Christian student group in front of Wesco Hall. "It'd be a regular baby; I'd be a regular dad." — Edited by Chris Fickett Oscar to be popular during break Bv Ezra Sykes - Eztro Sykes eskies@enkas.com Kansan staff writer Once again, big screen hype will hit the little screen when Whoopi Goldberg takes the stage as host for the Academy Awards at 7:30 p.m. Sunday on ABC. Although the popular awards show falls onto the first weekend of spring break, some students still will set aside time to watch. Jasen Mangrun, Shawnee sophomore, said that he would meet his girlfriend to watch the Academy Awards show, instead of watching The Practice, as they do every other Sunday. Mangrun said that he went to movies about twice a month and that the Academy Awards were not a very good representation of what the good movies were each year. "The English Patient won about 20 awards and that could have been the worst movies I'd ever seen." he said. Scott Bliss, manager at Liberty Hall Cinema, 642 Massachusetts St., said he watched about 70 films in the theater this year. Bliss, who will watch the Academy Awards in Kansas City with friends, said that, like every other year, there were some nominations that he did not agree with. "They usually aren't good indications of what the best movies and performances are," he said, "For the most part, I haven't been too satisfied with their selections in the past years." Although Bliss said he thought Saving Private Ryan was likely to be the winner of the "Best Picture" category, he said that Life is Beautiful deserved a lot of credit. "It's hard to overlook with all the press it's received," he said. And the movie, which is still playing at Liberty Hall, continues to draw a fair crowd. "It's been really steady," he said. "Last week was just about as busy as the first week it opened." Bliss also said that the fact that *Rushmore* wasn't nominated in any category was a mistake. The Lawrence Film Society is holding its 5th Annual Academy Awards Benefit Party at 7 p.m. at the Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St. Last year, about 240 people attended to watch the Academy Awards on a big screen and enjoy the festivities. Proceeds from the party will be being given to the KU film department, said Mike Gunter, technical and facilities manager at Oldfather Studios. In the past, the money has been used to purchase equipment for making and editing films. Everyone who attends the party will be able to fill out a ballot and choose who they think will win each category. During the contest, an overhead projector will keep track of all contestants scores and the winner will receive a trip for two to Hollywood. Gunter already has begun to make some predictions. "I think that Saving Private Ryan will win 'Best Picture,'" he said. "I think it's probably the biggest achievement of the year." Gunter said he also thought Shakespeare in Love and Life is Beautiful were good candidates. Door prizes will also be given out and hors d'ouvres will be served. Edited by Julie Sachs Financial aid opportunities exist for Asian students Special to the Kansan By Julia Nicholson Special to the Kansan The economic crisis that hit Asia in 1997 left many students from that region wondering whether they would be able to finish their education in the United States. More than a year later, the economic situation has forced students to seek ways to save money. Asian students looking for financial aid can turn to the Association of South East Asian Nations Student Assistance Awards Program (ASAAP), a national grant for students from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. ASAAP looks for students who demonstrate financial need, academic excellence, institutional cost sharing, and commitment to return home following graduation, as determined in an essay attached to the application. The grant works on the principle of matching funds, which means that the amount of money granted by ASAAP must be matched by the amount of money a student receives from the institution, in the form of wages from oncampus employment, scholarships or loans. Grants range from $2,000 to $5,000 per student for an academic year. Budi Nata Djaja, Banjarmasin, Indonesia, senior, received an ASAAP grant for the 1998-1999 academic year. He had applied for scholarships from International Student Services several times before and had never gotten one, so he was surprised when they nominated him for the award. Djaja received $6,000 that would be spread over two semesters. "It helps a lot, so that I can finish my studies," he said. Potential applicants should visit the ISS office for further details. The deadline is April 23. Another option for students seeking financial aid is to apply to the Asian Students in America-Higher Education Loan Program (ASIA-HELP), sponsored by the Institute of International Education. The interest free loans, which range from $2,000 to $5,000, can be repaid within three years of receiving a degree in the United States. They are available to students from Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. This year, the national program has expanded to include three selection rounds. For each round, the University can nominate four students, chosen by academic merit as well as leadership potential. If a student does not qualify for one round, he or she automatically will be eligible for the next round. If there are funds left over after the three rounds, there may be a fourth. Nominees from each university will have to complete an online application form, which may include an essay. In Fall 1998,11 KU students applied. tional Student Services about the relatively small number of applicants. "I don't know whether it was that they didn't know about it or had made other arrangements," said Mike Ediger, assistant director of Interna- Four KU students, all of whom were from Malaysia, received funding totaling $14,000. As with the ASAAP grant, students have to demonstrate matching funding. If they are not able to come up with enough money of their own, qualified candidates can take out a special loan of up to $2,000 from the Kansas University Endowment Association. The deadline for consideration for an ASIA-HELP loan is April 2. Applications are available at the ISS office, Room 2 Strong Hall, or at http://www.ukans.edu/~issfacts/asia-help.app.htm. Edited by Julie Sachs Learned Club unites students with alumni, warm meals By Amanda Kaschube Special to the Kansan The Learned Club, a restaurant located inside the Adams Alumni Center gives students the chance to mingle with faculty and administrators, while enjoying food not covered in plastic. Charles Brancaccio, Arlington, Texas, senior, takes advantage of the specials the club has to offer. Kendall Day, St. Francis senior, agrees with Brancaccio. "They have amazing lunch deals including the all-you-can-eat prime rib lunch buffet for $8.95." Day said. To dine at the club, students must pay a $15 for an Alumni Association membership. Included in the membership is a free meal during finals and a T-shirt. Brian Greve, manager of the Learned Club, said the club was more popular with alumni than students because students were unaware that it existed. and be unin formed about the building," he said. "We created the student portion on the Alumni Association so students will have a link to the University and so that they will always have a home on the Hill." Greve said students could afford to eat at the Learned Club even on tighter budgets. "Students will walk by the Alumni building "We created the student portion on the Alumni Association so students will have a link to the University and so that they will always have a home on the Hill." Brian Greve Learned Club manager "We would like to see more students over lunch time," he said. "We have sandwiches and buffers for $6 to 8." The Learned Club offers seafood, pasta, sandwiches and a variety of meat dishes. Similar meals at Wescoe Terrace and at the Prairie Room in the Kansas Union are not much cheaper. "It's one of the nicest restaurants in all of Lawrence, I think." Day said. "It's not just a place to go on a date, but it's a nice place for a meeting with your professor because it's on campus. Plus, they take reservations so you are seated quickly." The club is open Monday through Friday for lunch and Monday through Saturday for dinner. Greve said the main purpose of the club was to increase membership of the Alumni Association and promote the University. "With the Learned Club, members can get more involved in the University and have a fellowship with it as well," Greve said. The restaurant opened in 1983 when the Alumni Center was built. He said the amount of diners had remained constant throughout the years. Day said the business-casual atmosphere and the quality of the staff was a bonus. "Sometimes you can see famous people there too," he said. "Last summer, I sat next to Bob Costas." Edited by Jason Pearce Politically Active Queers Presents: Cultural Fluidity an all night rave to benefit Politically Active Queers Featuring Performances by: Nitro, Kansas City, MO; Matter, Boulder, CO; Kaoss, Ohmha, NB; Chemical, Wichita, KS; Radiopic Manhattan, KS; Coleco and Chris, Lawrence, KS 7 DJ's representing four states with lighting and sound by Orpheus Productions - info line: 843-6454 The Internet Is The Fastest Growing Mass Medium... ...so you know that you really get a deal when you place an ad in the Kansan Classifieds. They go on our website absolutely free! 864-4358,www.kansan.com Ground Service From Topeka & Lawrence To KCI With Style Airport Connection LCL (785) 233-0055 Fax (785) 233-0626 Toll Free 1-888-313-3932 $2.00 OFF One Way $4.00 OFF Round Trip P.O Box 2391 Topeka, KS 66601-2391 Banner Day Camp Now Hiring Summer Staff! June 14-August 13 Excellent Wages • Lake Forest, IL (847) 295-4900 or 1-800-726-4902 A Seminar for Residential Tenants and First Time Home Buyers The Lawrence Human Relations/Human Resources Dept. is pleased to present: Learn from the experts: -- What your landlord's responsibilities are to you. How to resolve conflicts with your landlord. -- How to resolve conflicts with your landlord. -- How to move from renting to home ownership. When: Saturday, April 10, 1999 When: Saturday Where: Community Building 115 West 11th St., Jasper, Kansas Call 832-3310 to register. Advance registration required. Deadline: April 2, 1999 is seminar is free of charge. Lunch will be served This seminar is free of charge. Lunch will be served.