SPORTS: The Kansas men's basketball team will travel to Missouri to take on the Tigers. Page 11.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
VOL.102.NO.99
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1993
ADVERTISING: 864-4358
(USPS 650-640)
NEWS: 864-4810
Source of chemical leak still up in the air
Students blame improper chemical disposal in labs
By Mark Klefer
Kansas staff writer
The source of Wednesday's chemical leak remains in question, but several people say they have a good idea of what happened.
KU police LL. John Mullens said the origin and cause of the leak still was unknown.
Discovery of the odor Wednesday led to the evacuation of Lindley Hall, Marvin Hall, the Art and Design Building, Wescow Hall and Malott Hall.
Mullens said he thought the smell might
have been a form of Mercaptan, a chemical used to give odor to potentially dangerous gases that are odorless, such as natural gas and propane.
Although Mercaptan often accompanies natural gas or propane, tests of the air by Kansas Power and Light confirmed that natural gas was not present.
Remnants of Wednesday's odor remained yesterday in a basement lab in Malott.
Three graduate students working near the nuclear physics laboratory in the basement still were smelling an odor yesterday. They said that they often smell odors there but that this odor was definitely stronger than previous ones.
"Most of the time it's fairly weak, but it lattes for a long time," said Kiley, Farray, one of the
students
They said they thought students in labs on higher floors were improperly disposing of chemicals down sink drains.
"The real problem is that people are dumping stuff they shouldn't be," Farrar said. "We want somebody in the administration to give an order to the department heads that use these chemicals to stop."
Mike Russell, director of environmental health and safety at KU, said some of the chemicals used by the chemistry department could create problems if they were not disposed of properly.
"In my opinion, the majority of the departments do not properly educate students on safety precautions," he said. "Students are
required to be responsible with the chemicals. If they're acting irresponsibly, I have no control over it."
"From there, it's easy access to the steam tunnels that connect the buildings," he said.
Vince Reinert, a computer systems analyst who works in the basement of Malott, said he thought that chemicals were being dumped down lab sinks into leaking pipes below Malott.
But John Landgrebe, a professor in the chemistry department, said he and his col-
"We're thinking now that this was not in the chemistry department." he said.
He said he thought that Wednesday's odor spread across campus after it had concentrated
ed at the top of Malott. The wind then swept the fumes up campus and into the other building's ventilation systems.
As for safety within the chemistry department, Landgrebe said that students were required to pass safety tests before being allowed to enroll in chemistry classes.
A similar incident occurred Oct. 13 when Malott, Haworth Hall and the computer center were evacuated.
Landgrebe said that there was a simple explanation for the Oct. 13 chemical leak and that he thought one existed for Wednesday's.
"We found it the last time, and I think we're getting close this time," he said. "Most of them are unfortunate, accident-types of things. This will probably be the same thing."
Prayerful protest
Ahmad Abdul Hadi,
Janin, West Bank, graduate student, leads prayers in front of Watson Library. The KU General Union of Palestinian Students set up a mock deportation camp yesterday on the library's law to protest an Israeli deportation of 415 Palestinians in December.
Photos by Kansan photographer Rachel G. Thompson
Fans disappoint coach, players
Attendance 300 less than field house holds
By David Dorsey
Kansas sportswriter
Kansan sportswriter
When Greg Ostertag, a sophomore center on the Kansas men's basketball team, ran onto the court for layup drills before Wednesday night's game, he noticed something unfamiliar to him at a Big Eight Conference home game.
What he saw — or rather what he didn't see — were the hundreds of people packed into the far, deen corners of Allen Field House.
The field house, home of the Jayhawks, typically is sold out and packed to the rafters during men's basketball games, especially during the conference season.
For Wednesday night's game against Oklahoma State, attendance was listed at 15,500. The building's capacity is 15,800.
Ostertag said the building seemed emptier than normal even an hour before the game, by when most of the students usually arrive. Once the action started, his thoughts were on beating the Cowboys, but he did express his disappointment after the 84-72 victory.
"We're still going to play well without them, but I think we need the crowd," Ostertag said. "Our crowd really helps us out a lot. They give us that little extra get up and go."
"It was really shocking that it wasn't a typical Allen Field House crowd," Williams said at a news conference yesterday. "That's discouraging because we have to face it when we go on the road, and we like for them to have to face it when they come here.
"It's a fact that every time we've gone on the road it's been a big-time atmosphere and a big-time game. It's been a heckuva challenge for the players to even hear m during time-
Kansas coach Roy Williams said the lack of a fired up crowd bothered him.
Williams speculated that fans might have
stayed home because the Jayhawks recently had lost to Long Beach State and Nebraska. But he said that wasn't a valid reason.
The Jayhawks are 19-3,ranked first in the conference and ranked seventh nationally.
"There might be a lot of legitimate reasons for the students not to come, but there's a lot of people out there that want to get into the games," Kish said. "It should be full for the next game."
Bernie Kish, director of ticket operations and sales, said he thought the slump in attendance would be a one-time affair. Since 1986, the Athletic Department has allocated 45 percent of the field house's seats to students. Students usually have filled that amount.
Despite Williams' recent disappointment, he hasn't changed his opinion about Kansas
The Jayhawks return to the field house Feb. 17 against Oklahoma.
"We still have the most knowledgeable and best fans in college basketball," Williams said.
Attendance leaders
Attendance at 1991.92 men's basketball games averaged just less than Allen Field House's capacity of 15,800.
Source: Kansas Basketball Media Guide
Students raise complaints about poor ventilation Art and Design Building's system is unsatisfactory, report says
By Vicki Bode
Kansan staff write
Cindy Sakmar, Overland Park junior, says some of the paints used in the Art and Design Building make her nauseated and dizzy.
"When the smell gets too bad I just have to leave the painting room for a while." Sakmar said.
But the problem may not solely be the paints. Sakmar is one of many students who says the ventilation system in the building is unsatisfactory.
A February 1992 report by the state fire marshal concurs with the students' opinion, said Mike Russell, environmental health and safety officer for the University.
"The problem is not a severe safety and health problem, but it could cause acute short-term health problems," Russell said. "There are several areas in the building that I don't feel have sufficient ventilation."
The problem of ventilation is the most severe in the fourth floor painting rooms.
Moore said several factors contributed to the building's poor ventilation, such as an air-conditioning system that
Jerry Moore, associate dean of fine arts, said that the students' complaints were legitimate but that the potential health risks had been exaggerated by students and faculty.
The University facilities planning department plans to replace the old air system this spring.
"There are a number of factors in the building that have been problems," Moore said. "But I think it has gotten somewhat blown out of proportion."
The new system will be a more reliable, quieter cooling system, said Myron Reed, assistant director of facilities planning.
"What needs to be put in the building is a better exhaust system." Reed said.
He said facilities planning had started working on a new ventilation system project but did not know when it would be completed.
Peter Thompson, dean of fine arts, said the air flow in the building needed to be improved.
"I'm working with a student who can't go in the building." Thompson said. "She is an unusual case. She even has to use alternative art supplies.
"There are a whole range of levels of sensitivity. Some people say the problem is awful, and others say it is not a
Bob Brawley, head of the art department, agreed that a problem existed but said it was something artists had dealt with for centuries.
"Artists have been working with these materials for over 500 years," Brawley said. "Yet there are no records of artists dying from it or having extensive health problems."
The biggest complaint was the aroma created from turpentine used with oil paints. The solution may be to use different cleaning chemicals, Brawley said.
that the neath risk is understood by the students. Angus Holbrook, Cardiff, England, graduate student, says it is quite often suffer from the funnes. The ventilation system does not work right, but it is more of a discomfort than a danger.
A gunman yesterday hijacked a jetliner with 104 people aboard and forced it to fly to New York.
Midnight movie madness strikes Union
Hiiacking ends in NYC
See story. Page 9.
From Monty Python to horror films, big crowds see SUA's late-night shows
By Frank McCleary Kansan staff writer
The freaks come out at midnight at the Kansas Union.
A mad writer stalks his family in an isolated hotel. Moronic knights search for the Holy Grail. A mutant plant craves human blood.
These freaks don't rom the Union's halls. They live on the screen in Woodruff Auditorium after the midnight hour every Friday and Saturday night.
"The Shining." "Mommy Python and the Holy Grail" and the original "Little Shop of Horrors" are just three of the midnight movies shown by Student Union Activities.
Ted Trost, Spectrum Films coordinator.
said the movies selected for midnight showing this semester are successful midnight selections of the past.
Attendance for the late-night shows has been good this semester, Trost said. "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" had an audience of 272; "The Shining" drew 281; and "Blue Velvet" had 211. The figures are for both the Friday and Saturday showings.
The offbeat plots of the movies sometimes prompt crowd participation, such as clapping and talking to the characters on the screen.
"We expect crowd participation," Trost said. "Midnight movies are geared toward the participation crowd."
Becky Traina, Cherry Hill, N.J., freshman, is one midnight movie goer who admitted to participating. She said that she and her friends would shout out the lines during "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."
"Almost everyone in the audience was
either saying the lines or making up their own dialogue," she said.
Matt Ferrigio, a former KU student, is the projectionist for the midnight movies.
"It's a lot of fun," he said. "People are come from parties. They're'reayday."
Ferrigno said the midnight crowd appreciated it when he turned up the music over the sound system before the movies began.
"They're relatively cheap," she said.
The 83 tickets attract Ann Shelton, Lea-
wood. senior.
Patrick DeMoss, Wichita freshman, said the movie selection was a reason why he came to the midnight movies.
"I like the choices," he said before the showing of "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls." "The choices are really liberal."
The frailness continues tonight and tomorrow with Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange."
Ten Years / Special for the KARA
Mint Ferrey Prize - the film for the
Midlux midnight movie.