TODAY'S WEATHER: Sunny with highs in the low 60s SPORTS: Sound system detracts from Late Nite fun
KANSAN
TALK TO US: Contact Kursten Phelps or Leita Schuites at (785) 864-4810 or editor@kansan.com
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
TUESDAY
OCTOBER 16,2001
WWW.KANSAN.COM
ISSUE 37 VOLUME 112
Anthrax fear keeps local newspapers ready to react
By Luke Daley Kansan staff writer
The fear of anthrax reached The Kansas City Star last Friday, and the U.S. Senate received a letter containing the potentially lethal substance yesterday, causing newspapers throughout Kansas to take extra precautions handling their mail.
Dennis Richards, mid-shift foreman at The Star mail room, said the bioterrorism scare occurred Friday afternoon, but there turned out to be no anthrax in the "suspicious envelope."
Regardless, the newspaper is making sure that safety precautions are being taken.
"We're trained on what to look for," Richards said. "I'm going to be cautious, but I'm not going to let it ruin my day."
run my day.
Ram Stoeckwell, vice president of Human Resources at The Star, said that measures had been taken to protect against suspicious mail that could contain anthrax, but that business would go on as usual.
ness would go on. "We've retrained all of our mail room staff new ways on how to handle the mail." Stowell said.
He said no one without the proper identification would be allowed in the mail room.
The Wichita Eagle has not received any mail containing anthrax, but that doesn't mean that precautions aren't being taken.
Rick Thames, editor of The Eagle, said that latex gloves were being used by mailroom staff members who handled the mail.
He said that he didn't sense any anxiety among reporters or newsroom staff members because of the recent anthrax mail scares in Florida, New York, Nevada and the U.S. Capitol.
"I don't get any sense that anyone is on edge about it," Thames said. "It probably bothers some people more than others."
Thames said it was probably wise for all news organizations to be on alert.
Jeff Burkhead, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, said that he had visited The Eagle last Friday and suggested what precautions should be taken by the media.
"I think that with the anthrax scare and the other alerts that have been made, Kansas newspapers should take any precautions necessary to protect their employees," Burkhead said. "I don't think we're immune in the Midwest."
He said that the national media had not blown the anthrax scares out of proportion.
"I think the coverage is certainly warranted," Burkhead said. "I don't think it's an overreaction, but it's just people being careful."
people being careful Leita Schultes, managing editor for The University Daily Kansan, said that students at the University were aware of what was going on with the anthrax threats in the United States, but the Kansan would not become too worried about receiving anthrax via mail.
via mail. "I think people in the Kansan are aware that media houses are being targeted,but as a campus newspaper, we're not very concerned," Schultes said.
Contact Daley at 864-4810
Co-op resident found dead
24-year-old tenant found by friends at Sunflower House
By Courtney Craigmile Kansan staff writer
A 24-year-old Lawrence resident died early Sunday morning in his bed at the Sunflower House co-op, 1406 Tennessee St., said Sgt. Mark Warren of the Lawrence Police Department.
Lawrence Police Saturday night, Nicholas Bowen went to a party with some of his friends from the house. The group returned home around 11:30 p.m. and everyone went to
bed. said Tosha Green, Lane junior.
beed, said Tosha Green. The Green, a friend of Bowen's, said he often partied with her and other members of the house, even though he'd lived at the house for only about a month.
She said nothing strange happened at the party Saturday night.
"He was drinking a lot and just having fun," she said.
When 6 p.m. Sunday rolled around and Bowen hadn't come out of his room, Green, Celeste Peterson and Damon Lane, other house members and Bowen's friends, began to worry about him.
"He was usually up about two," she said. "Celeste and Damon went and
knocked on his door. When he didn't answer, they opened it and found him."
answer, they opened "Celeste screamed and ran down the stairs to call 911." Green said. "I went up and saw him there. He wasn't breathing. Someone checked for a pulse, but there wasn't one."
Warren said police were waiting for autopsy results to determine a cause of death, but foul play was not suspected.
Green said that the mood around the house was somber yesterday.
use was simpler yet less important. "It's pretty devastating here," she said. "It's pretty traumatic."
It's pretty traumatic. She said Bowen would be missed mostly because he was crazy.
"He knew how to have fun," she said,
remembering the time he had his friends stop traffic on Tennessee Street so he could ride down the 14th Street hill in a Dillons shopping cart.
Dinlons shopping career He was always involved in music, mixing beats on his computer or rapping for house members, she said.
house members, she said. "I tased him because I'm Black, and he's the only White boy I know that can rap." Green said.
tap. Greenland She said he produced sounds for several groups and would often hang out with the Kansas City group, Tech 9.
"Everybody loved him," Green said "He was just so fun."
Contact Craigmile at 864-4810
Dennis Dailey, professor of social welfare, talks to his sexuality class about male states of arousal yesterday. Dailey will teach the class next spring to allow more students to take it before he retires.
Popular sex class added to spring schedule
Students have chance to take campus favorite until professor retires
By Eve Lamborn
Kansan staff writer
Dennis Dailey will teach his popular "Human Sexuality in Everyday Life" class this spring, instead of teaching it only in the fall as he usually does.
Dailey said he was in the middle of a phased retirement program and would retire altogether within three years. So he wanted to make sure as many students as possible had the chance to take his class before he leaves the University.
'The issue for me was, 'How do I want
to spend my last couple of years, how do I want to spend my energies?" Dailey said. "The more I thought about it, what gave me the greatest pleasure was to provide that academic opportunity for as many undergraduate students as possible."
Matt Dykstra, who is taking Dailey's class this semester, said he was pleased with the class.
the Leawood senior sales Dailey said 500 students usually enroll in the class, which deals frankly with issues involving relationships and sexuality. He used to teach it every semester until 1994, when the School of Social Welfare required that he teach graduate courses in the spring instead.
"It could be useful for all students,' the Leawood senior said.
Since that time, because of continued interest in the class, he has taught a nocredit version every spring through the Ecumenical Christian Ministries. Dailey said he would continue to teach the nocredit course this spring.
Dailey, who has a doctorate in social work, said he had extensive speciality training in human sexuality. He also has his own clinical practice as a marital and sex therapist.
He said his class was extremely relevant to every student.
vant to ever state, "I think it is a damn important class," he said. "If good sex was guaranteed, wouldn't be in this business." Dailey said he did not think the University would hire another faculty member with the same background and credentials who
"I think it's a damn important class.If good sex was guaranteed,I wouldn't be in this business."
Dennis Dailey Professor of social work
would be able to continue teaching the class once he retired.
Contact Lamborn at 864-4810
New bill could make animal abuse a felony
By Leah Shaffer and Amber
Special to the Kansan
Haley drafted a bill for the Legislature that would move animal cruelty crimes from a misdemeanor to a level nine non-person felony, meaning that in most cases, the offender would get probation.
Democratic Sen. David Haley of Wyandotte County is hoping to find a way to give prosecutors more leverage in animal cruelty cases.
Haley said he didn't want to fill up the beds in overcrowded Kansas prisons and thought that psychological counseling might be a more effective means of dealing with those who are violent toward animals.
"It is directly tied to domestic abuse and with those with extremely violent tendencies." Haley said. "It's a cry for help."
Haley said he wanted the classification of a felony because it would pack more of a punch in the eyes of the public.
Judy Carman, Lawrence resident and member of Animal Outreach of Kansas, agreed that violence toward animals led to violence against humans.
vocabulary "When kids do cruel things to animals, don't ignore it because they may be imitating adults or getting abused themselves," Carman said.
Carman also said that 71 percent of women abused by male partners reported that these men have hurt or killed companion animals in the home. The statistic came from the Dor-
ris Duy Animal Foundation, she said.
Haley said the bill was in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and he put in a request for a hearing. However, Haley said that for the law to be taken seriously, there must be public demand.
"I'd be willing to start a petition drive," said Aaron Jacobs, president of KU's Proponents of Animal Liberation.
Jacobs, Leawood sophomore, said he supported the idea of making animal abuse a felon
"I don't understand how a small, minor possession in drugs could carry a tougher sentence than mutilating an animal." Jacobs said.
Carman and Midge Grinstead, director of the Lawrence Humane Society, said they were ready to begin petitioning the people of the state of Kansas for support. Carman also stressed that education would be important.
"By teaching kids to be kind to animals we're teaching them
INSIDETODAY
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NEWS: Students gear up for University's first fall break
SPORTS: Volleyball prepares to take on Texas A&M
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 Staffer-Flint Hall.
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