CAMPUS/AREA UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, March 18, 1994
3
Tanners beware: Skin remembers abuse
Bv Ashlev Schultz
Kansanstaffwriter
Skin has a memory, especially when people forget sunscreen.
"Every time that your skin has to darken itself, your chances of skin cancer are increased," said Janice Clark Young, a Health, Physical Education and Recreation graduate teaching assistant who is doing her dissertation on tanning.
A tan is the body's crude defense against ultraviolet radiation, she said at a presentation Tuesday on behalf of the Wellness Center, a program within 'HPER. One common misperception is that a tan protects the skin from the sun. In fact, she said, it only offers the equivalent of a Skin Protection Factor of two or three.
When it comes to sunscreen, people often use too little, too late, Clark Young said. It takes 20 minutes for chemicals in the sunscreen to create an effective barrier. Most people fail to use enough sunscreen and fail to reapply it often enough.
Excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation can cause "leathery" skin and wrinkles. Clark Young said.
Cases of skin cancer have been on the rise for two decades, said Jane Levings, director of the American Cancer Society for Eastern Kansas. Some dermatologists have begun calling it an epidemic.
Students probably won't see the negative effects of radiation for several years, Levings said.
"It takes a while," she said. "People get a bad sunburn when they're in
their teens or early 20's and maybe the skin cancer won't show up until they're in their 50's or 60's."
One in seven people will have a form of skin cancer in their lifetime, Clark Young said.
Within the last 10 years, malignant melanoma, which accounts for about 5 percent of skin cancer cases and 75 percent of skin cancer deaths, became the most common cancer among women 25 to 29 years old, she said.
People exposed to intermittent, intense, short-term doses of radiation are candidates for melanoma, she said. In 1993, 32,000 new cases of the mole cancer were reported in the United States and 6,800 people died from the cancer.
Two other forms of skin cancer,
Here are some tips on how to prevent skin cancer:
Sunsafety
Avoid the sun, especially from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. when rays are strongest.
Source: American Cancer Society KANSAN
basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, have about a 95 percent cure rate and usually are preventable. Clark Young said.
- Cover up. Wear wide-brimmed hats, long sleeves and pants.
- Use a sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor of 15. Apply it at least 15 to 30 minutes before going into the sun. Reapply after swimming or perspiring.
Martin Altstaedten / KANSAN
Kimberley Russo, Chicago sophomore, studies for her communication class while catching some sun at Naismith Hall's pool. The temperature reached a high of 80 degrees yesterday afternoon.
Photo Illustration by Martin Altstaedt / KANSAN
Despite the fact that handguns are dangerous, they are still being used for fun and for protection. In Kansas, a customer must be 21 years old to purchase a handgun and 18 to buy a rifle. A five-day waiting period applies to handguns, but there is no license requirement.
A WORLD WITH GUNS
Decreased production has not slowed usage
By Roberta Johnson Kansan staff writer.
The idea of John Mitsdarter's loaded gun lying next to his bed does not even faze him.
Mitsdarter said that he owned a shotgun and a rifle, which he had for several years, and two handguns, which he had purchased recently.
"I've grown up with them," the Leavenworth senior said. "My father had one."
"Self defense plays into it," he said. "But I also enjoy target shooting."
Despite the decrease in handgun production in recent years, handguns still are being used for fun and for protection.
In Kansas, a customer must be 21 years old to purchase a handgun and 18 to buy a rifle, said David Strotheide, an inspector for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in Kansas City, Mo. He said that the five-day waiting period only applied to handguns and that Kansas had no license requirement for purchases of firearms.
Lt. Mark Brothers of the Lawrence Police Department said that guns were rarely used in cases of domestic violence or other crimes at home.
"In my experience, there are very small numbers, if any at all, of instances where firearms in the home are misused or used against the victim," said Brothers, who has worked for the department for 23 years.
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, more than 1.5 million handguns were produced in 1992.
"The instances are so infrequent that, when they do occur, they are big news," he said.
About four guns are sold weekly at Jayhawk Pawn & Jewelry alone, said Jeff Lummis, manager of the pawn shop, 1804 W. Sixth St.
Brothers said that no collection of statistics exist because of its rare occurrence.
"A lot of people buy them to shoot targets, but quite a few say it's for self-defense," Lumnis said.
Ken Patterson, manager of Lunker Bait Tackle & Hunting Supplies, 947 E.23rd St., agreed with Lummis that customers often had more than one purpose for a gun.
Domestic Manufacturing of Firearms
These are the number of handguns — pistols and
rifles — produced in the United States from 1986 to
1992.
Source: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Will Gunderman/KANBAN
"Most people have more than one use in mind," he said. "Most guns people buy are for general purpose."
Patterson said that most customers purchased a gun and used it for target shooting.
"You can use whatever you have for self-defense," he said. "But it's no good putting away a gun and not knowing how to use it in an emergency situation."
Students say risk of STDs is a high price for passion
By Roberta Johnson Kansan staff writer
When passions are running high, two people often concentrate on what's happening at the moment.
Do you have a passion?
But is safety on their minds?
The number of AIDS cases in heterosexuals has increased 130 percent within the last year, said Janine Demo, health educator at Watkins Memorial Health Center. Women, both heterosexual and homosexual, accounted for more than 6,000 of those new cases.
Many KU students say they use contraception because the chances of contracting a disease are so high in their age group.
"For every individual person who is having sex, it's his or her responsibility to protect him- or herself and carry a condom," said Dana Carlisle. Olathe junior.
Carlisle said if she were not in a monogamous relationship she would follow her own advice.
Demo said women purchase about half of condoms, which are the best protection against sexually transmitted diseases.
Condoms made of latex or polyurethane are most effective against sexually transmitted diseases, she said. The use of spermicide with the condom can prevent
Women's History Month
disease and pregnancy by as much as 98 percent.
Some types of birth control are not effective against STDs, Demo said.
"We need to reiterate the fact that if you're on the pill you're not protected from STDs," she said. "And lambskin condoms don't protect against anything but pregnancy."
The Watkins pharmacy offers birth control for students and recently introduced the female condom, Demo said. The price at Watkins is $1.80 for one female condom or three for $5.
"It's made of a different material, so some people think you can wash it out and use it again," Deno said. "But you can't. It's a one-time thing."
Many students said they did not believe that contraception was the responsibility of just one partner.
the relationship should be equal," said Denise Davis, Mountain Home, Ark, junior. "It should give-and-take, and they should
care what happens to the other one."
Jimmy Nicholson, Overland Park
senior, agreed with Davis.
"If you're old enough to have sex, you're old enough to take responsibility for what you're doing," he said. "It's both people's responsibility."
Because of the fear of STDs and pregnancy, some students said they would not have unprotected sex.
"I'm more scared of disease than getting pregnant," said Taryn Giroux, Overland Park freshman.
These potential consequences also are a concern for male students.
"None of us wants a kid at this age," said Eric Schneider, Basehor freshman. "And the idea of getting AIDS is scary."
Some students said they would have unprotected sex in a monogamous relationship, such as marriage.
Others said it was possible they might have unprotected sex sooner.
"I can understand it if there's a commitment, they've both been tested and it's been a number of years," said Bill Haley, Kansas City, Mo., senior. "I can see a time when it's O.K."
Regents Center tackles 'long-distance' challenge
Phone system improves access between campuses
By Gennifer Trail
Kansan staff writer
OVERLAND PARK — Communication between professors and students at the Regents Center often can be difficult since 90 percent of the Regents Center professors have offices on the Lawrence campus.
Professors and students said that one-on-one communication happened least often when students wanted to reach a professor. According to a survey done by the center, the typical student at the center is 33 years old, works full time and has at least one child.
Professors and students agreed that their time was limited. As a result, communication often occurs over the phone, they said.
Recognizing this fact, the University installed a phone system that allows students to call Lawrence campus numbers toll-free through the Regents Center switchboard.
Bruce Lindvall, assistant dean of the center, said that 80 percent of all calls each day to the center were transferred to the Lawrence campus.
Howard Ebmeire, associate professor of educational policy and leadership, said that he encouraged students to call him and that he received about 70 calls per week from Regents Center students.
Renate Mai-Dalton, associate professor of business, said that being available in person was not the solution for students at the center.
"It is access that is important to the students," she said. "I encourage students to call me at home on the weekends and at night, especially during test times and term papers."
Laura Shipman, Olathe graduate student, said that many of her professors had jobs at engineering firms
Samuel Green, associate professor of educational psychology and research, teaches "Statistical Methods I" at the center. Green's teaching assistant, Jeff Townsend, holds an hour-and-a-half session once a week to answer the many questions students have. Green is the only professor who holds a help session once a week at the center. Other professors sometimes hold sessions before class and during test times.
Max Uttsler, associate professor of journalism, teaches "Radio-Television Seminar" at the center. He said that out-of-class communication was not essential in his class.
Trent Boher, Liberty, Mo., graduate student, said he had experienced difficulties in contacting a professor.
"If I taught more of a hands-on class, communication would be more of an issue, but because this is a seminar class, it hasn't been a problem," he said.
Telephone communication to professors with Lawrence offices is sometimes a problem when they do not return their calls, students said.
"I haven't needed to meet one-on-one with my professors," said Becky Brown, Fairway graduate student. "I usually just call them. I would have a hard time getting away from my job anyway to meet one-on-one with a professor."
However, some professors said they went out of their way to meet the needs of their students.
"They said that we could call them at their work, as long as it wasn't too often," she said.
during the day and that they would tell the students to call them there.
Graduation Announcements & Caps and Gowns
"Once I took a business class and I needed to speak to the professor, but when I left a message on his voice mail, he never returned my call," he said.
layhawk Bookstore
While students feel differently about the availability of professors outside of class, Robert Stark, dean of the center, said that he was not aware of a problem existing in communication between students and professors.
"Your Book Professionals"
"At the top of Naismith Hill"
Hrs: 8-7 M-Th.,
8-5 Fri.
9-5 Sat.
12-4 Sun.
843,3826
now offering & beers on draft
THE HARBOUR LIGHTS
843-3826
1031 Massachusettts
Downtown