CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, April 13, 1994
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Network to keep blind informed
Martin Aistaedten / KANSAN
Nancy Keith of Topeka reads the Emporia Gazette for a regional news broadcast at KU's Audio Reader Network. The network is a radio reading service, which is broadcast for anyone who has difficulty reading standard-print material. The network is starting a service called Newsline, which allows visually impaired people to listen to recordings of volunteers reading newspapers.
Telephone lines source of news from volunteers
By Susan White
Kansan staff writer
Kim Morrow is excited about being able to roll over in bed in the morning, get up for a cup of coffee — and browse through the newspaper at her leisure.
"I have never had the chance to just browse through the newspaper and read what I wanted to when I wanted to," said Morrow, Overland Park graduate student, who is blind. "I have to schedule time for others to read to me or to listen to the Audio Reader Network. The desire to be informed among the blind is just as important as it is to sighted people. It is almost more important because we have less access to information."
Janet Campbell, director of the network at the Baehr Audio-Reader Center near KIHK studios, said that starting July 5, KU students and Lawrence residents with visual impairments would get the chance to browse through the Kansas City Star by telephone on a new system called Newsline.
Ten to 12 volunteers will work each day from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., making 14 hours of recordings of the entire newspaper for the Newsline.
"To record the newspaper, volunteers will hold a telephone, which is connected to a computer system, and record their voices into it," she said. "The recording is then stored and digitized inside the computer system."
Steve Kincaid, assistant director of the network, said the new system would be separate from the regular programming for the network. The network offers volunteers reading newspapers, books and magazines, which then are broadcast from the University and received by special radios given to customers across the state. With Newsline, customers can dial a number and listen to the newspaper being read whenever they choose.
"Using special access codes, they type into their telephones," he said. "They can fast forward, rewind, speed up the paper or skip over what they don't want to hear. They can also decide which sections to read."
Campbell said that people who used the new system must apply and then get certification that they were visually impaired and needed the service. Also, each person will be given a personal access code that can be entered into the
Kincaid said some people outside of the Lawrence-calling area would be able to use the Newsline system free of charge.
"We are extending our free calling area, but people in a certain area outside of Lawrence will have to pay for the call," he said. "We have not decided how far we will extend the area yet."
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Campbell said the network would need several volunteers to make recordings
for the new system. Also, people can volunteer for the regular audio-reader programs.
The Newsline will be open 365 days a year, Campbell said.
To volunteer for the network, people must contact Mona Lonberger, coordinator of Audio-reader Network volunteers, at 864-4600 for an audition. The audition will be a pronunciation and vocabulary test.
Native Americans in campus group are branching out
By Denise Nell
Kansan staff writer
Two years ago, a tree was planted behind Hoch Auditorium — a tree that symbolizes a goal of the Native American Student Association.
"As it grows, it is supposed to be a symbol for NASA to grow with the tree," said M. C. Baldwin, Lawrence junior and treasurer of the group. "The branches growing out are symbolic of how NASA could grow out and be present on campus."
The organization has grown along with the tree, Baldwin said. The group, which started about
UNITING TO BE HEARD
"A group of Native-American students got together who felt like Native-American issues were not being explored at KU," Baldwin said. "Issues facing Native Americans at KU were not really brought forth by the University."
four years ago, now has about 20 regular members — both Native Americans and non-Native Americans.
One of the issues that concerned the group was the lack of a Native American Studies Program, Baldwin said.
Baldwin said that about two years ago, members of the group had approached the faculty with their concerns and a request for a program. But they have not received a response yet.
Maybe it's time to go knock on the door again," he said. Today, the focus of the group is to educate non-Native Americans about Native-American traditions and lifestyles, Baldwin said. He said that although KU students and faculty generally were accepting of Native Americans, people seemed to be unclear about the significance of certain aspects of Native-American life.
"Right now, if I took a survey at KU and said, 'Why do you think Native Americans feel bad about the Kansas City Chiefs doing what they do with the chants?' most of the answers I would get would be based upon what they feel," Baldwin said. "They don't know enough about the Native American culture. There's always that ignorance there."
The group attempts to educate by sponsoring Native- American speakers, some of whom visited the University in the beginning of April as part of Native American Heritage Month.
Teresa Hedges, Iowa graduate student, joined the group last year after becoming angry about a column that appeared in the Kansan that criticized Native-American protests of Columbus Day.
Hedges said that although events such as powwows helped educate people, Native Americans still were misunderstood sometimes.
"I think people are very uneducated," she said. "They just see the trappings without seeing the people. They see them almost as museum pieces."
Brian Vandervliet/ KANSAN
Mike Holdren, Omaha, Neb., senior, displays an array of safety gear for bicycling, including his helmet, headlight and taillight. He said that his helmet had prevented a serious injury when he had been hit by a car a few years ago.
Spring rides in with added risk for bicyclists on busy campus
By Angelina Lopez Kansan staff writer
Through rain, sleet or snow. Liz Welsch rides her bicycle to campus every day.
In fact, she said, riding on campus during the winter months almost is preferable to riding during the free-for-all that is created by pedestrians, mopeds, cars and buses in the spring and fall.
"Sometimes, pedestrians think I'm going to hit them," said Welsch, St. Louis junior.
"The they think I'm closer than I really am. But I've never hit anyone."
Now that spring has sprung, more people will be bicycling on campus. However, bicyclists will have to avoid the increased number of pedestrians and compete for the road space already occupied by buses and cars. Safety will not be easy for springtime bicyclists.
The biggest obstacles of riding on campus, Welsh said, are the buses.
"You're not supposed to pass to the right
because you might hit someone walking," Welsch said. "You can't pass to the left because you can't see around them."
She said that when she was stuck behind a bus, she was disgusted by the smell of fumes.
While she tries to avoid pedestrians and buses in the streets during the day, Welsch said, she rides on the sidewalk at night to avoid the police officers riding bicycles.
She said she had been pulled over several times for not having a headlight.
According to the Standard Traffic Ordinance for Kansas' Cities, all bicycles ridden at night must have a headlight visible from a distance of at least 500 feet. Without it, a bicyclist can be fined $15.
The University follows the same bicycle laws as Lawrence, said KU police officer Cindy Alliss. In general, the rules say that a bicyclist is entitled to follow the same traffic rules that motorists must follow.
Adam Seitz, Topeka sophomore, said the campus' potholes and twisted street system made riding through campus a hectic trip
Seitz has had two accidents while on or near campus. He said they had not been caused by outside forces such as cars or buses.
Once, while riding down Campanile hill, he hit a jump wrong and landed in the grass. Another time, while riding down Emery Road toward Ninth Street, his tire went flat. This skid out, however, landed him on concrete and in the way of traffic. Before he was hurt, he maneuvered himself out of the road and into a ditch.
Jef Frush, Lawrence junior, said the best way to avoid accidents while riding on campus was to be aware of what was going on around you.
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"The buses won't stop, and the cars don't care," he said. "So you have to know what's happening behind you and in front of you. Know where you're riding."
even without cars, buses and pedestrians.
"Everything offers a challenge," Seitz said. "It's kind of fun."
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GIST '94 McDANIEL STUDENTPRESIDENT INDEPENDENTS FOR A CHANGE
PAID FOR BY GIST-McDANIEL
THE STUDENT SENATE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
will conduct route hearings for the KU on Wheels bus routes Tues. April 19th. Possible topics to be discussed include WEST LAWRENCE and EAST LAWRENCE ROUTES.
ANY IDEAS, COMMENTS, or Complaints for the Transportation Board should be written and sent to KU on WHEELS 410 KS UNION or call 864-4644 for questions. STUDENT
STUDENT SENATE