PAGE 8B
and did B way stay so t class arrif Cor. T parti tion Kan Soc gan Par thro and pra on 200 era fans S with out tice mo colb a sigior has re b con get pro a bi saio A bas Stre fan, and the cha Wiz " hav wh soc yea Ola arepus we tog ved, hit yea rem fam Satt aga'oth Red a w C gro app and the sec unt A Pre tea am pas by
THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SOCCER
Sporting KC shows appreciation for young fans
JOEL PETTERSON
jpetterson@kansan.com
Graham Zusi and several partners rode down Jayhawk Boulevard Wednesday afternoon in a large van with decals obscuring the windows, looking for a victim.
They found a student walk ing b.
we want that generation to adopt Sporting as their team"
Martin Ramos, a senior from Chanute, adopted Sporting a year ago and came to see the practice despite having never attended a Sporting game.
"Since the World Cup, I've been attracted to soccer, and I just needed that fix." Ramos said. "Sporting KC kind of gives me that."
Edited by Amanda Gage
CAMPUS & TOWN
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT... Water Fluoridation?
Poisoning the Well? //JOHN GARFIELD
PHOTO BY JOHN GARFIELD
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Douglas County's water supply contains 90mg/L of hydrofluorosilic acid, a byproduct of industrial fertilizer production. The fluoride compound is toxic and illegal to dump, but is added to municipal water supplies throughout the United States as a means of strengthening teeth.
While this number falls well within the 4mg/L figure established as safe by the U.S. National Research Council, international scientific research spanning the last 65 years links fluoride exposure at much lower levels to a variety of adverse effects. To name a few, scientists believe fluoridation to be linked to thyroid disorders, endocrine dysfunction, reproductive harm, skin conditions, brittle bones, immunodeficiency, premature puberty and even a lower IQ.
Fluoridation resistance has a history within Douglas County. With 6,000 members, the Community Mercantile represents about one in 19 Douglas County residents. According to Merc wellness manager Tyra Kalman, it is because of those 6,000 members and their skepticism of water additives that the Merc employs two separate water distillation systems.
Fluoridation is outlawed in the majority of European countries with many international scientists proclaiming that, at best, the verdict is out. Even the winner of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Arvid Carlsson, is an outspoken opponent of the practice, though the United States continues to champion it to be one of the top 10 greatest advances in public health policy since its implementation in the 1950s.
One of the most damning pieces of research occurred at the University of Surrey in 1997 after Jennifer Luke discovered that the pineal glands in some medical cadavers had accumulated fluoride to the point of mineralization.
The pineal gland produces melatonin for the human body. While many know melatonin to be the hormone associated with sleep, KU Professor of Molecular Biosciences Paul Kelly
explains that its function permeates all aspects of life;
"Melatonin is a secreted product of the pineal gland, and as you probably know that is functionally important for circadian rhythms; our ability to have an internal clock and be able to adjust a lot of the physiology and metabolism in our body, our brain and all our organs so that it is optimal for daylight, awakening behavior and also optimal for sleeping at night."
In a study to determine the effects fluoridation has on prepubescent mammals, Luke conducted a study for her doctoral dissertation comparing groups of gerbils with high and low fluoride diets. The results of Luke's study showed female gerbils undergoing puberty significantly earlier and male gerbils exhibiting lower mean teste weight after puberty after being given the high fluoride diet than after being given the low fluoride diet.
Dr. Albert Burgstahler, KU Professor Emeritus of Chemistry has been a lifelong skeptic of water fluoridation and maintains that the studies which led to its original implementation used scientifically-unsound methods. Historically, he has had an accurate track record of criticizing other harmful chemicals such as DDT that have since been repealed.
Burgstahler actually participated as a subject in the landmark 1944-45 study in Grand Rapids and Muskegon, Michigan that paved the way for fluoridation in the United States. However, he says that the sample size was adjusted partway through the study to include fewer schools. The remaining schools, Burgstahler says, happened to be in more affluent districts where subjects had greater access to dental care and quality nutrition, thus compromising the scientific integrity of the study and exaggerating the findings on a national scale.
Even in retirement from the University, Burgstahler presides over and contributes to the Fluoride Journal, a collaborative scientific effort that he has been a part of since its inception. The Fluoride Journal acts as a culmination of over 50 years of research from hundreds of scientists challenging the studies espousing fluoridation and pointing to the health complications it is linked to.
When reached for comment, Jeanette Klamm, Program Manager of the City of Lawrence Utility Department, said that neither her personal opinion nor anyone's opinion mattered in the implementation of water fluoridation. The decision, she said was the result of the ordinance passed in the 1950's, but that they would repeal fluoridation if a contrary ordinance were to pass.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT... Flash mobs?
//KELSEA ECKENROTH
Hyunjin Seo, journalism professor who is studying flash mobs.
In the summer of 2011, a shooting occurred at the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Mo. A group of teenagers gathered and the gathering took a violent turn, injuring three of them. The group was viewed as a flash mob, a public event where people appear together at the same time and perform a predetermined action and disperse.
Missouri and the executive director of the Kansas City Area Education Research Consortium, or KCAERC, are conducting research showing how and why teens organize flash mobs.
Hyunjin Seo, a journalism professor, says flash mobs are a growing cultural phenomenon. She studies the role of social media in different areas of communication and pays attention to flash mobs, which are usually organized by digital or mobile communication. Seo, along with a professor from the University of
The researchers developed a survey questionnaire based on 10 focus groups of teenagers from around the Kansas City area who they contacted through schools, youth centers and youth-oriented radio stations. The data collection began last December and lasted until March. They were able to identify the communication behavior and tools used to get information about flash mobs, which are social networking sites like Facebook and YouTube. Clay Larson, a senior from Lawrence, was part of the KU student section flash mob at the NCAA National Championship game this year. Larson received an e-mail about the flash mob from the company that sold the student tickets. The company also sent a video for students to watch and learn the dance moves.
soccer
The researchers are now analyzing the data that shows reasons why teenagers organize flash mobs. "The research is not to prevent teenagers from participating in flash mobs, because flash mobs are mainly benign, fun activities for them," Seo says. "The idea is how can the city provide a safe environment for teenage gatherings for teenagers to express themselves."
marketed our team to that generation," said Tretiak. "And
PLANING
SADR KU EDU/URBAN-PLANING
Facebook
FACE08KD.COM/KUURBAN-Facebook
NOLAN REAL ESTATE
Orchard Corners
The Lifestyle You Deserve!
- Where it's all about you!
* Individual leases
* All utilities paid
* Furnished apartments
* On KU Bus Route
* Sparkling swimming pool
* YouTube: orchardcornersaps
In-site mgmt 124 hr emergency maintenance | Pet-friendly
- Where it's all about you!
Kasold & Bob Billings Pkwy behind Mr. Goodcents 785 311 9025
Berkeley Flats
- Tailgate like you mean it!
* Only 50 feet from campus
* Between The Oread and Memorial Stadium
* Studio, 1, 2 & 3 BR Apts.
* Walk to classes, Mass Street & more!
* YouTube: berkeleyfli
Right across from
Memorial Stadium
785.260.0901
BRING IN THIS AD FOR NO APPLICATION FEE! Use your smart phone to scan the QR code to visit our website!