CAMPUS / AREA
University Daily Kansan/Tuesday, January 28,1992
3
Environmental activists
KU law students try to get UN to accept resolution
Kansan staff report
ABIGAILE is not a woman.
It is an acronym for a resolution that three KU environmental law students will present Thursday in Austin, Texas at the National Association of Environmental Law Societies conference.
ABIGAILE, which stands for American Bar Intergenerational Accords on the International Law of the Environment, is a resolution developed by scientists and representatives of the American Bar Association. The resolution asks the United Nations to implement measures to ensure respect for nature and survival of future generations.
Randall Patterson, Shelley Wells and Don Francis, who are members of the KU Environmental Law Society. The University's universities to support the resolution.
Patterson, Wichita second-year law student, said they hoped to gain signifi-
said.
The importance of the resolution is its reference to futre generations. he
Shelley Wells, Poncia City, Okla,
first-year law student, said it was
important to take a legal stand on environmental issues because society had not been responsible about the environment.
Shelley Wells and Randall Patterson will go to Texas to present their plan.
Wells said they planned to attend the entire conference, which includes discussions on criminal enforcement of environmental laws and workshops on careers in the field of environmental law.
"It's my goal as an environmental lawyer to fulfill those duties and obligations," she said.
C. J. Poirier, a KU graduate and an attorney at the Shugart Thomson & Kilroy law firm in Kansas City, Mo., is trying to get an invitation to present the resolution in June at a U.N. environmental conference in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
"I want the American lawyers to be pro-active in expressing concern and seeking answers to the international environmental problem," Poirier said.
New board to rule on election violations
Kansan staff writer
Bv Jav Williams
The Student Senate Elections Commission will have a new procedure for hearing election complaints during the nomination period.
The commission proposed that the hearing board include a chairperson who was not be a member of the commission. The chairperson would preside at hearings but vote only in case of a tie.
A hearing board made up of four commission members will rule on alleged violations.
Chris Thomas, elections commissioner, said formation of the hearing board was the biggest proposed change.
The proposed code became available to students yesterday.
"The changes are to make the process run a little
smoother "Thomas said
The hearing officers would decide whether violations of the code warranted penalties.
The other members of the commission would gather information about complaints but would not decide PCE.
Ruth Stoner, student affairs representative for the commission, said the entire commission fulfilled both functions last year.
"Last year, a number of violations were appealed to the Judicial Board. "she said
The decisions of the commission were upheld, but the Judicial Board recommended separating the powers of the commission, Stoner said.
Last year, both the Facts and Impact! coalitions were charged with nine major and more than 85 minor campaign violations.
In other changes, the commission proposed moving the location of some polling places for the April 8-elec-
Thomas said proposed polling places at Murphy and Strong halls would replace those at Summerfield, Learned and Lindley halls.
"We based our decision on the places that did not get a large turnout last year," he said. "We moved the polling to places with more traffic and a potential for getting more votes."
Thomas said interested persons could express their opinions about the new code at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the International Room in the Kansas Union. The deadline for filing formal complaints is Friday.
Copies of the new code are available in the Office of Student Life, 300强 Hall, and the Student Senate
Third-class mail replaces classroom
By Kris Belden
Kansan staff writer
About 2,700 students take classes at the University of Kansas without setting foot in a classroom. They take classes by mail through the department of student independent study.
Sandra Hick, coordinator of continuing education, said college students accounted for most of the enrollment in correspondence courses.
Many students take the courses because they need classes that do not fit into their schedules, she said.
Hick said the three most popular correspondence courses were Math 101, English 101 and English 102.
Tutition for the classes is $62 for each credit hour, not including books or fees, Hick said. The general fee includes study guide material. Additional audio or visual materials are not included in the general fee.
Enrollment in correspondence courses has been fairly steady in the past four years, she said.
Students who need more time to complete the nine-month courses may get a three-month extension for $25. In special situations, other fees, such as a quick-grading fee, a test-retaking fee and a fee for exam rescheduling may be applied.
Most of the contact with students is made by telephone. Hick said. When students have problems with assignments, they may call continuing education. When the department cannot assist the student, he or she is referred to the instructor.
"I think that I've talked to every one of the 2,700 students." He bleak. "We know they don't like it."
All classwork is sent to the continuing education office and is given to the instructors. Students may see their instructors' comments but cannot
Correspondence
Correspondence courses give 2,700 students an alternative to classroom learning.
remove the work from the office, Hick said.
She said about 71 percent of the students who enrolled in the courses completed them.
Marica Piskurk, Kansas City, Kan,
senior, who is enrolled in two correspondence classes this semester, said
that she was the challenge in taking
the classes.
"I's fairly expensive, and it'a a procrastinator's nightmare," she said.
Piskuric said students who took correspondence courses had to make sure all assignments were mailed in time to make the deadline. She said she mailed some of her classwork from Kansas City during breaks so that she could meet her deadlines.
Lisa Saibury, Auburn senior, said she took correspondence courses because she needed two classes to graduate on schedule. She said one of the greatest problems she had was making time for the homework.
"I don't lilt it, "she said. "I have trouble motivating myself to get it done."
Amanda Stanton-Geddes, Prairie Village senior, said getting assistance was difficult. She took Math 101 by correspondence.
"They make it sound so easy, but you've got no help," she said. "It's your fault."
Logging long computer hours may be a hazard to hands, wrists
By Katherine Manweiler
Kansan staff writer
Computer keyboards may not seem dangerous, but people who spend long hours in front of them are more likely to die.
The stress can cause connective tissue around the tendons to build up and pinch the nerve at the base of the palm.
Extended stress on the wrist from repetitive limited motions, such as typing on a word processor, can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).
Symptoms include burning pain or a tingling sensation in the fingers. The pain sometimes extends to the forearm and shoulder joint.
Repetitive motion injuries such as CTS have been called the injuries of the '90s, because of extensive and widespread computer use.
"If students have tingling in their thumbs or first fingers, they should have a finger ring."
Chief physical therapist for Watkins Memorial Health Center, Mike Chapman, said that although CTS was most common among 30 to 40 students, the several KU students for the syndrome.
He said that if CTS was caught early, treatment usually was successful.
Effective treatments include wrist splints, ultrasound therapy, anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen or pressure on the wrist, Chamapsaid.
He said computer wrist rests could hinder treatment.
"The constant pressure on the wrist might cause it to get worse," he said.
of Kansas Medical Center, said he treated about 60 patients with CTS in the past year.
Richard Dubinsky, assistant professor of neurology at the University
About half the people who have CTS eventually must have surgery, Dubinsky said.
He said it was important to acknowledge symptoms to avoid irreparable damage.
"It can be said that there is little to no sensation in the hand," he said. "The muscles in the base of the thumb are very firm." Surgery may not help at that point."
Dubinsky said that to prevent CTS,
he would take five minutes; replay every hour.
Computer keyboards and chair armrests should be at about the same level so that wrists can be kept straight, he said.
How to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome
- Make yourself comfortable at the computer. Adjust the display screen so it's about two feet away and just below your line of sight.
- At the keyboard, keep your wrists straight, forearms parallel to the floor. And don't reach out-your elbows should bend at right angles. Consider movable forearm rests that attach to the chair and effortlessly keep your wrists in place.
- Raise or lower your chair so that your knees are bent at a right angle and your feet are flat on the floor.
* If possible, take a break from keystroking by writing with a pen; fat, round implements are easier on the wrist.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful disorder caused by stressful, repetitive hand motions. These stretching exercises, done before a typing job and during breaks, can reduce the threat:
Carpal tunnel syndrome: Exercises to help avoid it
- Take breaks. Several brief respites are better than a single long one.
- If you make a lot of phone calls, get a headset to spare your neck muscles
For five seconds at a time, make a loose fist and gently press down against clenched hand, keeping the wrist straight, with:
Source. American Health, July/August 1991
1 Palm up
2 Palm down
3 Thumb side of fist
Repeat these three positions with the unclenched hand pressing *up* on the elencled hand.
SOURCE: Chicago Tribune American Physical Therapy Association
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