Volume 124 Issue 113
kansan.com
Thursday, March 8, 2012
the student voice since 1904
SIT UP STRAIGHT
HEADS UP ON POSTURE
Sitting straight could alleviate neck and shoulder stress
RACHEL SALYER
rsalyer@kansan.com
Stress is no stranger to the college lifestyle and as students prepare for midterms, there may be a way to keep stress from affecting your muscles.
University students and staff members learned how to treat and prevent muscle stress Wednesday afternoon during a Lunch 'N Learn Series; Reducing neck, shoulder and back stress at the Ambler Student Recreation Center.
Trisha Brabender, a physical therapist and University alumna, told audience of about 25 people the main cause of spine stress she sees is caused by poor posture during computer use.
"The stress and pain can happen to all of us." Brabender said. "Anyone at a computer for any length of time can experience it."
The easiest way to prevent stress is to make sure the natural curve of your spine remains in its natural position. Brabender said the more the position changes from its natural place, the more the spine curves and becomes easier to feel through our skin.
The body often tries to balance problems, so if one part or side of your spine begins to change, another change will occur to offset it.
"Because the body does that, it's like dominoes," Brabender said. "If there is one area that is
affected, your whole position can change."
An audience member said she regularly rolls her neck in a circle to loosen muscles, but Brabender recommended leaning your head against a wall and rotating it from side to side.
Positional reaseale is another method Brabender demonstrated to alleviate and prevent pain. You use your fingers to find a sore spot in your neck, shoulder or back and apply even pressure to that spot. Keeping the pressure contant, move your neck, back or shoulders until you find a position that alleviates the pain
and hold it for 90 seconds.
Brabender said the biggest factor in preventing stress from recurring is consistently using these methods.
Ashleigh Cantrell, a senior from Olathe, said it will be difficult to remember the methods when she is distracted.
"When I am on Pinterest or watching TV, it is so easy to forget," Cantrell said. "I am going to try really hard to implement it at home though and when I'm at school."
- Edited by Max Rothman
SIMPLE STRETCHES
BRABENDER GAVE THESE TIPS TO PREVENT AND TREAT NECK, SHOULDER AND BACK PAIN:
- Do not sit on your tailbone
- Adjust your chair or position so the majority of your back lines up with the chair, but your tailbone should not rest against the back of your chair, alleviating strain on your spine.
- Keep feet flat on the floor.
- Do not bring your head forward or droop your neck when focused on a computer screen. Placing a sticky note on your screen can serve as a reminder, but move it around periodically so it doesn't blend in.
- When using a laptop, elevate it so it is not lower than your eyesight. Place a pillow on your lap to elevate it if you are not a desk or table.
- Break up the amount of time you sit, either by changing your position or standing up.
STUDENT SENATE
TYLER BIERWIRTH/KANSAN
Josh Dean, the Finance Committee Chair, takes a vote count at a finance meeting in Alderson Auditorium in the Kansas Union on Wednesday afternoon.
Financial committee passes $15 increase in student fees
VIKAAS SHANKER
vshanker@kansan.com
ELISE REUTER
ereuter@kansan.com
STUDENT SENATE COMMITTEE MEETINGS
The Student Senate's finance committee approved a bill to increase student fees by $15 for the 2012-2013 academic year during its meeting Wednesday night.
The bill will go to the full Senate meeting next Wednesday for approval. If approved, students with at least five credit hours will pay $443.95 in student fees. That's an increase of 3.5 percent from this
year's fees of $428.95.
Finance committee passed production costs for the annual "People of KU" magazine — a publication primarily for international students. It also passed a bill to fund renovations to Wescoe Beach, which includes addition of trees and improved lighting.
RIGHTS COMMITTEE
There will be no change to students' privacy rights in University housing after rights committee voted to remove an amendment from a bill that could change the Student Code of Rights and Responsibilities.
During full senate last week,
the bill was up for approval, but Student Body President Libby Johnson expressed concern about the amendment to Article 19, stating she felt the clarification of the code could be restrictive to students.
Now the bill going to full Senate next week will contain three amendments that would clarify language in the code and extends students' rights to online speech.
Members of the committee also discussed the viability of turning some appointed senate seats representing student housing into elected positions.
Edited by Bre Roach
TRANSIT
Students push for bus route to Med Center
REBEKKA SCHLICHTING
rschlichting@kansan.com
The lack of a bus route between campus and the University Of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City has caused problems for many KU students.
Bioengineering students are trying to set up a meeting with Student Body President Libby Johnson and with the parking and transit department. Students plan to ask for funding from the University to go to a bus, which would travel between the two campuses.
Aly Boyer, a graduate student studying bioengineering, said she spends about $500 a month on gas to commute from Lawrence to the med center, where she researches and works in a lab. She makes the commute three or four days a week.
"The challenge for us is that our program, like a number of programs, such as nursing and neuroscience, is bi-campus. Students do research on one campus but take classes on other campus," said bioengineering director Sara Wilson.
"If students don't have a car, it is prohibitive for them to do anything at the other campus. A lot of opportunities are lost for students who don't own a car," Wilson said.
"It's about two hours of my time, that I spend driving every day. That's time I don't have to study," Bover said.
Danny Kaiser, assistant director of KU parking and transit, said the department's mission is to provide service for the campus within the Lawrence community and that running a bus to the medical center does not fit their operational scheme.
The bioengineering center had two trial buses in 2008 to transport students between the Lawrence campus and the med center. The purpose of the trial buses was to show the demand for the route. Beth Wehner, business manager at the school of engineering, said the first trial ran for three days, but the results were inconclusive. In September of 2008, the bioengineering center did a second trial. It
Parking and transit is funded by student fees at the Lawrence campus and by parking funds that are generated on the Lawrence campus, Kaiser said.
Google maps shows that the distance between the Lawrence campus and the med center is 42.8 miles on I-35 or I-70. On K-10 the trip is 52.5 miles.
The current buses are made for in-city use. Kaiser said that a route to Kansas City would require a purchase of a new over-the-road coach, which would cost upwards of $400,000, along with the operational cost, fuel and driver wages.
"There have been a number of conversations over the years about a desire to have this, but no one has been able to get a good handle on how many people would use it and when they would use it," Kaiser said. "Certainly no one has ever been able to come up with a source of funds to pay for it."
was a four week trial. Wilson said that the bioengineering center did not have enough funding to keep the route.
Edited by Jeff Karr
index CLASSIFIEDS 11 CRYPTOQUIPS 4 SPORTS 12
CROSSWORD 4 OPINION 5 SUDOKU 4
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2012 The University Daily Kansan
Don't Go to the University Grad Fair today and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Kansas room at the Kansas Union.
Today's Weather Forecast provided by University students. For a more detailed forecast, see page 2A Mostly cloudy. HI:48 LO:27