TODAY'S WEATHER: Nice day with highs near 60. SPORTS: The KU women's basketball team lost to Nebraska.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
TALK TO US: Contact Leita Walker, Jay Krail or Kyle Ramsey at (785) 864-4810 or editor@kansan.com
KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 14,2002
WWW.KANSAN.COM
ISSUE 93 VOLUME 112
Student has meningitis, being treated
BySummer Lewis Kansan staff writer
A first-year law student at the University of Kansas is being treated for viral meningitis at Shawnee Mission Medical Center, KU health officials said.
Myra Strother, chief of staff at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said that the 20-year-old married man became ill on Sunday night.
"When he came in on Monday morning it looked like flu," she said. "He became worse and went in for a spinal tap in Kansas City on Tuesday."
She said that his wife was fine and that he should be discharged from the hospital in the next few days.
Strother said that viral meningitis could be caused by any virus, such as the flu.
"Two thousand people could have the flu, but only one rare person will get viral meningitis," Strother said.
Steven McAllister, dean of the law school, said the faculty couldn't do much.
"We are not panicking because there is nothing for us to do," he said. "We have distributed meningitis facts sheet to all of the first years."
Strothersaid that she met with all first- year law students.
"I told them the facts and symptoms and that we don't expect any of them to get sick," she said. "It is highly unlikely that they could contract the disease. The main thing with viral meningitis is to look for the flu and symptoms such as strong fever, a severe headache and throwing up."
According to the Center for Disease Control, www.cdc.gov, meningitis is an illness that causes an inflammation of the tissues that cover the brain or the spinal cord. Viral meningitis is different from bacterial
The symptoms of viral meningitis are:
■ fever
■ severe headache
■ stiff neck
■ bright lights hurting the eyes
■ drowsiness or confusion
■ nausea or vomiting
■ severe flu
Source: Center for Disease Control www.cdc.gov
meningitis, which last week struck Steven White, associate professor of teaching and leadership.
Viral meningitis is more common that the bacterial form, and is generally less serious. In mild cases of viral meningitis, people would not even go to their doctor. However, someone with a severe case would need to be admitted to the hospital.
Viral meningitis is serious but rarely fatal in people with normal immune systems. Usually, the symptoms last from seven to 10 days and the person recovers completely.
Strother said that viral meningitis is not treated with medications.
"It is treated with fluids and rest," Strother said. "Pain medication for the severe headaches and medicine for the fever are also given."
Bacterial meningitis can be very serious and result in disability or death if not treated promptly. Often, the symptoms of viral meningitis and bacterial meningitis are the same.\Call Watkins for any questions or concerns at (785) 864-8000.
Contact Lewis at slewis@kansan.com.
This story was edited by Editin Guenley.
ASH WEDNESDAY
The Rev. Vince Krische places ashes on churchgoers' foreheads yesterday at St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center's Ash Wednesday service. There was standing room only at the center's mass.
Students celebrate day
Ash Wednesday marks start of Lenten season, choices of what to give up
By Maggie Koerth Kansan staff writer
Ash Wednesday, the day Christians mark their heads with ashes and the beginning of Lent, was celebrated yesterday at several services throughout the city.
each of its three afternoon services.
The St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center averaged about 200 people at each of its three daytime masses. The ecumenical service, sponsored by Canterbury House, Ecumenical Christian Ministries, the Lutheran Campus Ministry and the United Methodist Campus Ministry, took place at Danforth Chapel and drew about 25 people to
Joe Alford, Episcopal chaplain to Canterbury House, said Ash Wednesday celebrations dated back to the third century.
"Notorious sinners did acts of penance before they were accepted back into the church," he said. "The ashes were a sign of mourning. It showed people that you felt bad about your sins."
Ash Wednesday is also known as the day people decide what they will give up for Lent.
Lent lasts from Ash Wednesday to Easter. During that time, Christians give up something to learn self-control and identify with the poor and needy, said Rev. Charles Poliska of St. John's Catholic Church.
Lindsey Rippel, Topeka freshman,
decided she would give up her time.
Rippel stopped going to church when she came to college and recently began going again.
"I knew a lot of people who came," she said. "I realized it was really fulfilling to be here."
As part of that return, Rippel said she had decided to use her free time to start going to catechism classes and daily mass.
But some students had trouble coming up with an idea.
"I thought about it in the shower and I realized I can't give up drinking, and I can't give up smoking," said Sarah Jantz, Tulsa, Okla., junior. "So, I decided I would just do something nice for somebody everyday."
■ Contact Koerth at mkorke@kansan.com.
This story was edited by Brooke Hesler.
Students, employers attend job fair
Companies seek to fill internships, part-time positions at job fair
UNDSEY KILLIANY/KANSAN
Sam Bruner, director of air vehicle analysis with the defense contractor Raytheon, looks over the resume of Enid, Okla., junior Casey Pursell at the Spring Career & Employment Fair. The fair features employers from across the board and runs through 3 p.m. yesterday.
By Mike Gilligan Kansan staff writer
KU students were given the chance to meet with representatives from about 95 different companies at the Career & Employment Fair yesterday.
"We're looking to recruit as many people as we can," said Ruth Mounkes, resource management specialist from the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Safety Inspection Service, one of several agencies and companies attending the two-day event.
About 750 students attended the fair, located on the fifth floor in the Kansas Union. Eighty-three companies are expected to attend the fair, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today.
Lynn Peterson, personnel management specialist from the Bureau of Reclamation, is recruiting students interested in water conservation and environmental issues.
"We want to recruit more young people to get experience from the older people before they retire," Peterson said.
GailRooney, director of the Career and Employment Services, said the federal government was in need of employees.
She said 30 percent of government employees were eligible for retirement
Deonna Sharp, human resources employee for Sprint, said she wasn't looking to fill as many positions as she had in the past.
by 2001, with some agencies in the government putting the number as high as 50 percent.
Not every company is looking to fill several positions, though.
"The government is actively recruiting new college graduates for these positions."Rooney said.
"With Sprint restructuring and hav-
something think there are plenty of jobs," Avelichev said. "You just have to dig deeper than you did before."
ing to lay off over 6,000 people, the number of people we are looking to recruit is down significantly," she said.
mgilligan@kansan.com. This story was edited by Andy Gassaway.
Alex Avelichev, Overland Park senior, said he was not as pessimistic as some of his friends about finding a job.
Contact Gilligan at
By Sarah Hill
Kansan staff writer
The University of Kansas Athletics Corporation made the decision after the guard failed to follow a pregame timing sheet that outlined when it should be on and off the court, said Richard Konzem assistant athletics director.
The University of Kansas ROTC color guard has been temporarily suspended from presenting the American and Kansas flags before men's basketball games.
The color guard delayed tipoff by 45 to 90 seconds — crucial moments in televised broadcasts such as the Jan. 28 Missouri game on ESPN's Big Monday show, Konzem said.
He and the KU coaching staff repeatedly asked color guard members to change procedures, but the color guard did not comply.
"We were struggling with the colorguard, because they would wait until we lined up on the free-throw line, and they were marching through our team," Konzem said.
The Athletics Department notified the Army, Navy and Air Force branches of ROTC that they could not participate until changes were made.
Doug Vance, assistant athletics director in charge of media relations, said the color guard would be welcomed back if the necessary changes were made.
"I think everybody's goal is to cooperate and do it right the next time," he said.
Col. Kevin McNellis, Air Force ROTC, agreed and said the color guard planned to fix the problems before its next scheduled appearance at the Iowa State game on Feb. 18.
The issue gained wider attention Tuesday when The University Daily Kansan published a column by Robert Chamberlain that addressed the new policy and criticized men's basketball coach Roy Williams, asking fans to refrain from cheering for a "man who won't go to bat for the flag."
But Williams said he was not trying to cut the color guard, he only wanted them to follow the time schedules.
"I if we can't get them to cooperate for our event, why should we continue to have them here?" he said.
Williams said he was hurt by the accusation in the column that he was unpatriotic, citing his team policy to stand on the floor during the national anthem.
Leita Walker, Kansan editor, said the Kansan published a clarification yesterday because Chamberlain's column failed to present a balanced view.
"The Kansan acknowledges that the column was poorly reported, and regrets that Roy Williams and the Athletics Department were not given a chance to tell their side of the story in the original column," she said.
INSIDETODAY
Contact Hill at shill@kansan.com. This story was edited by Laurie Harrison.
COMING IN TOMORROW'S KANSAN
LOCAL NEWS ...2A
HOROSCOPES ...2B
WEATHER ...8B
CROSSWORD ...8B
SPORTS: READ A PREVIEW OF SATURDAY'S MEN'S GAME AGAINST BAYLOR.
DEBATE: KU'S MOCK TRIAL TEAM IS DOING EXCEPTIONALLY WELL THIS YEAR.
The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is paid through the student activity fee. Additional copies of the Kansan are 25 cents. Subscriptions can be purchased at 119 Stauffer-Flint Hall.