TODAY'S WEATHER: Clear and cool with a high,of 59. SPORTS: A Kansan columnist goes head-to-head with his K-State counterpart.
KANSAN
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Kursten Phelps or Leita
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
FRIDAY
OCTOBER26,2001
WWW.KANSAN.COM
ISSUE 43 VOLUME 112
Professor's database could help in attack
By Sarah Finks Special to the Kansan
New York City officials needed to know where victims were when the World Trade Center collapsed on Sept. 11.
The Geographical Information System software made this possible, and is now getting more attention for its potential to respond to domestic terrorism
The software is a database management system for analyzing and displaying spatial or geographic information
When disasters occur, GIS combines entries such as census figures, wind patterns and patterns of disease spread to produce the best plan of action.
produce the best application For the past three years, Jerry Dobson University of Kansas adjunct professor of geography and researcher in the Kansas Applied Remote Sensing Program, has led a project to develop LandScan2000, a global population database driven by GIS software.
LandScan2000 estimates populations for 900 million locations on earth. Dobson said GIS was the only software that could handle that kind of data.
"GIS is a way of representing how geographic features exist in the real world, how they interact with one another, and how they reveal processes," Dobson said.
Since the terrorist attacks, many people are aware of the need for the Land-Scan2000 program.
Scanf2000 program.
"What you're looking at is 6 billion people. Where are the world's 6 billion people and how precisely can we locate where they are?" Dobson said. "The reason we need to know that is because of threats like terrorism, but also regional conflicts; the prospect of war; all of the chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons; accidents, natural hazards, floods and earthquakes.
"When those things happen, it's absolutely imperative to know how many people are involved. That determines how many blankets and bandages you send."
The LandScan database also determines where to distribute supplies most efficiently. It would be used anytime there's a likelihood that a terrorist attack would release biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons, Dobson said.
Dobson said he came to the University this year because many on campus understood and appreciated GIS.
"The top of the administration on down is committed to GIS as an organizing theme for many of the interdisciplinary initiatives or activities on campus." Dobson said. He said he hoped to see an effort across campus to equip students in all disciplines with the ability to use GIS.
GIS can combine biological, geological, social, economic and political processes and determine how they interact with one another.
with one another.
Johannes Feddema, professor of biogeography, teaches undergraduate and graduate students working with GIS. An example of applying GIS is a study students are doing on how safe people feel on campus compared to where crime occurs. They enter all the places crime occurs and then compare it to a map of where people feel safe.
Jason Robertson, Westport, Mo., senior in environmental science, has had few chances to use GIS in the classroom.
"GIS has been introduced as an option brought to student's attention, but really hasn't gone past the surface." Robertson said. "Hopefully, in the coming years, it will become more visible in the classroom."
Dobson said if the University instituted campuswide teaching of GIS, it would increase job opportunities for graduates.
"Masters students with GJS command salaries of $20,000 more than students without it," he said.
Enrollment fraud detected
Students caught forging enrollment permits pay high price
By Paul Smith Kansan staff writer
The Registrar's Office caught six students who forged their permits to enroll during the first three days of main enrollment this week while using a new verification system.
Cindy Derritt, assistant registrar for enrollment services, said that four students had erased fines placed on their enrollment accounts and two had altered their enrollment times.
ten. University regisstr A 1-year-old paper reporting system makes it easy to catch altered enrollment times, Morrell said, though he wouldn't provide details on the system implemented this semester to discover hold discrepencies.
Holds might be altered because students lack funds or want to avoid the inconvenience of paying, Morrell said. But altering enrollment times is just as serious, Morrell said, as it's done to gain "an unfair advantage over other students" when choosing available courses.
Derritt said that last year, six forgers
cents cycles.
"We're either setting a new record this year or we're getting it all over with at the beginning." Derritt said.
"We're finding out that people are forging the documents," said Rich Morrell, University registrar.
were caught by the end of the enrollment cycle.
Morrell said that every forger would be caught.
Contact Finks at 864-4810
"I think it would save students a lot of heartache if they knew they're not going to get away with it," Morrell said.
Students submitting altered permits will have their classes canceled, and the next eligible time for them to enroll is at the end of main enrollment in mid-November.
"They go to the last of the line," Morrell said.
formal complaints against every offending student, resulting in a hearing convened by the Dean of Students' Office.
Most forgery attempts are not immediately apparent. Morrell said, so his office relies on paper reports to pick up any discrepencies after the permits have been accepted.
The Registrar's Office also will file
The office is developing another system to detect forged permits at the time the offending students sit down with enrollment clerks. Morrell said the system was planned to be up-and-running by Fall 2003.
Contact Smith at 864-4810
JOHN NOWAK/KANSAN
Female silhouettes stand against the old locomotive in Watson Park. Monica Latton, Lawrence resident, reads the notes attached, which tell stories of violence against women. The "Silent Witness Wall" was part of Wormyn Take Back the Night, an event featuring visual displays, performances by local artists and an evening march.
Group discusses women's plight in central Asia
By J. R. Mendoza Kansan staff writer
Arienne Dwyer brought attention yesterday to the oppression of women in central Asian countries, such as Afghanistan.
"The enemy is not Islam, but the way a country or people apply Islam," said Dwyer, assistant professor of linguistic anthropology. "There's a direct connection between extremism and the oppression of women."
opPRESSION She was one of 50 people who attended the 14th annual Womyn Take Back the Night event last night at Buford M. Watson Park, 7th and Kentucky streets. The event's purpose was to promote the awareness of violence against women and children.
women and children Dwyer said several central Asian countries, some of which the United States supported, oppressed women. She said Afghanistan women were victims of a female apartheid.
or a remote apartment.
"It's not just an Afghan problem," Dwyer said. "Emancipation of women is key to overcoming oppression."
opPRESSION. She said people had a responsibility to learn more about central Asian countries and let their representatives know the United
States shouldn't support countries that oppressed women.
tries that oppressed singers and dancers entertained the crowd before it broke into male and female speak-out circles, which allowed both sexes to share their experiences with violence. Afterward, the crowd marched down Massachusetts Street and made demands about safe streets, safe homes and safe bodies.
In connection with Sexual Violence Awareness Week, the silent victims' and clothesline projects were also on display at Watson Park.
Justin Yurkovich, Shawnee senior, said he attended the event because he supported its cause.
"I felt it was very positive." he said. "I am also here to give male support to a cause that doesn't see a whole lot of it."
"It helps people gain knowledge and teach others about the cause." Pass said.
Catherine Pass, Leawood freshman, said the event had a unique and casual environment that allowed students to get involved.
Womyn's Empowerment Action Coalition, Rape Victim's Survivor Services and Women's Transitional Care Services sponsored the event.
Contact Mendoza at 864-4810
Stalking victims advised to seek help of police
By Courtney Craigmile Kansan staff writer
Stalking: The intentional, malicious and repeated following or harassment of another person, and making a credible threat with the intent to place such person in reasonable fear for such person's safety. (Kansas Statute 21-3438)
Emma, a University of Kansas junior who asked that her real name not be used, is the victim of a stalker, or a "secret admirer" as he calls himself.
Her stalker was sending her notes through e-mail, but things got out of hand when he sent her a death threat Sept. 12.
"When I got that e-mail, a friend and I went to the KU Public Safety Office and filed a report," she said.
Sgt. Mike Patrick of the Lawrence Police Department said anyone who thought they were being stalked should go to the police to file a standard report.
He said if victims could identify the person stalking them, the report would be forwarded to the district attorney's office.
Emma said she thought her stalker was in one of her classes from the clues he would leave in his e-mails. She said after the police had interviewed the suspected stalker, the e-mails stopped. She still sees the individual three times a week in class.
week in school. Dolores Moseley, victim/witness coordinator for the district attorney's office, said most cases of stalking stopped after police confronted the suspected stalker.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS BURKETT/KANSAN
Moseley also said stalking was a difficult charge to prosecute because of the wording of the statute.
The statute requires that the stalker present a credible threat to the victim's safety, but a credible threat is hard to define.
SEE STALKING PAGE 3A
INSIDETODAY
The Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center provides stalking kits free on campus and in Lawrence. Documentation of stalking incidents is key in pressi ng charges against suspects.
NATION NEWS ...2A
HOROSCOPES ...5A
WEATHER ...8A
CROSSWORD ...8A
COMING IN MONDAY'S KANSAN
"What's scary to you and poses a
NEWS: Members of Student Senate will gather Sunday to discuss minority recruitment and retention.
SPORTS: The outcome of Saturday's Sunflower Showdown.
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.
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