TODAY'S WEATHER: Rainy with a high of 71. SPORTS: Kansas football team to face tough Homecoming foe.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
TALK TO US: Contact
Kursten Phelps or Leita
Schuttes at (785) 864-4810
or editor@kansan.com
KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
FRIDAY
OCTOBER12,2001
WWW.KANSAN.COM
ISSUE 35 VOLUME 112
Students turn homecoming into a week of festivities
By Michelle Burhenn Kansan staff writer
What was once a simple weekend event has transformed into a weeklong celebration of KU spirit.
For the first time in recent years, weekend homecoming festivities took place all week, pumping up students for the homecoming game against the Oklahoma Sooners, said Leslie Heusted,homecoming chairwoman.
Heusted, said that about 15 students began meeting in February to plan the week. About eight to 10 student organizations were involved in the week's festivities.
"The enthusiasm and the interest has come from the students who wanted to make homecoming a longer and bigger event," she said.
Student Union Activities will sponsor SUA Tunes at Noon from noon to 1 p.m. today at the Kansas Union Plaza with a pre-parade pep rally following. A mural-painting contest will take place all day at the Kansas Union Plaza. The rally will feature KU jazz and spirit bands.
bands.
This afternoon all floats will be on display on the Allen Fieldhouse lawn from 4 to 7 p.m. The Jayhawk Spirit Sing, sponsored by the dean of students' office, will be before Late Nite with Roy Williams at Allen Fieldhouse. Entrants will sing original spirit songs. The winner will receive $1,000.
Winning parade entries will be on display tomorrow at Memorial Stadium before and during the football game. Murals will also be judged around 4 p.m.
Bill Heinen, Warner Robins, Ga. freshman, is experiencing his first KU homecoming as events chairman for the Association of University Residents Hall.
He said he became involved in homecoming because of the other students' enthusiasm.
and good luck." "When we were throwing cookies around on Wescoe Beach, everyone was really excited," he said. "It was just cool to see the spirit."
students celebrate Heinen helped coordinate floor spirit events in the residence halls and the good luck card.
Freshmen as well as alumni will be involved in this weekend's festivities. The Class of 1961 and past Jayhawk mascots will meet for their reunions, said Donna Neuner, director of membership services for the Kansas University Alumni Association.
Association. With alumni and fans flocking to the University for homecoming, both Lawrence businesses and local hotels will benefit from the increased revenue, said Judy Billings, director of Lawrence Convention and Visitor's Bureau.
The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce refers to football weekends as "million dollar weekends," Billings said.
said.
"The game itself, especially homecoming, causes local spending," she said. "It's a big weekend for this community; there's no doubt about that."
Contact Burhenn at 864-481D
Parade to take on a new direction
By Jeremy Clarkson Kansan staff writer
When the homecoming parade begins today, it will run in the opposite direction from previous years
The homecoming parade, which begins at 2:30 p.m., usually goes down Jayhawk Boulevard toward the Kansas Union. However this year, the parade will begin at the Union and end at Allen Fieldhouse.
After the parade, the floats will be left on display in the front lawn of the fieldhouse where people may view them on their way to Late Nite with Roy Williams.
Kelly McNearney, homecoming committee chairwoman, said the change in direction would allow people to view the floats after the parade
For related stories see section B
"It was a way to incorporate the
homecoming football game, the parade and Late Nite with Roy Williams," the St. Louis junior said.
McNearney said 29 entries were in the parade this year from different student organizations, community groups and local businesses. McNearney said the groups entered banners, floats and decorated vehicles.
She said people discussed having the parade in downtown Lawrence. However, it wasn't feasible to close down roads during the day, McNearney said.
said the sorority was entering the float independently, not in a partnership with a fraternity.
Morgan Langstaff, St. Louis sophomore, said her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi, had worked on a float for four days. Unlike other entries, Langstaff
"I think it will add to the spirit of homecoming where we can leave them around for people to see," Langstaff said.
"Now we can have people walk out of class to stop by the parade rather than get in their cars and drive downtown," she said.
McNearney said she hoped people would watch the parade today and look at the floats on display tonight.
"I think 29 entries is a lot, and I think it's going to be better than years past," she said.
McNearney said if it rained tonight, the floats would be moved to the parking lot in front of Robinson Center.
Center. Amy Rachman, the original Baby Jay, will be the grand marshal for the parade.
Contact Clarkson at 864-4810
Poli Reyes dances for the New Genre Performance in a piece called "La Carta." The piece was written and directed by Roger Shumomura, distinguished professor of art. "La Carta" celebrates the last letter Shimomura's grandmother wrote to her relatives in Japan before her death. Reyes' performance last night at the Lied Center was part of the Second Annual Collage Concert sponsored by the Fine Arts Advisory Board. Proceeds from the concert and a pre-event auction are reserved for a scholarship fund for student travel.
Kansas ready for bio-terrorism doctors say
By Matt Norton Kansan staff writer
Watkins Memorial Health Center has a weapon in the fight against bio-terrorism.
Strother said the risk of an outbreak of the deadly disease at the University of Kansas was unlikely, despite reports that three people in Florida had been exposed to the anthrax bacterium.
Cheryl Hickert, nurse practitioner at Watkins is a member of the Army National Guard and served in the Gulf War. Hickert has received extensive training in treating victims of bio-terrorism and has shared that knowledge with everyone at Watkins, said Myra Strother, assistant director at Watkins.
been exposed to the animals used However, Watkins is ready to handle biological attacks. Strother said.
Strother said several students had expressed concern about anthrax and had asked about the availability of antibiotics. She said that all doctors at Watkins had received training in bio-terrorism in medical school and had been studying the topic more since the attacks on Sept. 11.
the topic of Rich Federico, Hagerstown, Ind., law student, has family members who live on the Gulf Coast of Florida, directly west of the southeast Florida area where the anthrax outbreak occurred. He said news of the anthrax infections had not been cause for great concern to his family.
someone who had been trawled "It all becomes relevant now, doesn't it?" he asked.
cause for great concern. Federico said he felt safe in Kansas but thought it was interesting that Watkins had someone who had been trained in bio-terrorism.
The case has prompted fear in south Florida and raised concerns across the country about a biological attack using anthrax. Health officials say the contamination is limited to the American Media building in Boca Raton, Fla., and the three-story, 66,000-square-foot building has
SEE TERRORISM PAGE 5A
Water plant ups security in wake of Sept.11
By Meredith Carr and Grahm Winch Special to the Kansan
The day after last month's terrorist attacks, Andrea Buch's father told her to drink as little tap water as possible.
The Lyme, Conn., senior father was concerned about the safety of the drinking water, and his concerns are legitimate according to the FBI, the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies and local water officials.
The association warned cities of possible terrorist attacks on water systems on Sept. 17 and asked those in charge of water and sewage plants to increase security measures.
"The only security we have are the operators locking the gates at night," said Charlie Gray, Clinton Water Treatment Plant manager. "We have started to close the gates at 4:30 p.m. instead of at 8 p.m., and we do random tests every two hours."
The plant pumps water two miles from Clinton Lake to West Lawrence, including to the University of Kansas campus. This provides on average nine million gallons of water in the summer and seven million gallons of water the rest of the year to residents every day.
year to At the plant, 2101 Wakarusa Drive, the gates typically remain open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. without a guard. The plant is undergoing expansion.
A portion of the chain-link fence that surrounds the building was torn down and replaced with bright orange plastic construction fencing. Atop the fence were three rows of barbed wire. Gray said it would be difficult to detect many of the possible chemicals or pathogens terrorists could use at his plant.
"Some chemicals, like arsenic, don't have a smell or taste, and I have 80,000 people counting on me every day." he said. "My kids and grandkids drink the water so I want it to be the best."
Gray said Lawrence water treatment plants
COMING IN MONDAY'S KANSAN
INSIDETODAY
SEE WATER PAGE 5A
WORLD NEWS...13B
HILLTOPICS...7A
WEATHER...8A
CROSSWORD...8A
HILLTOPICS: Students train for grueling triathlons.
SPORTS: Find out how Kansas fared against defending national football champion Oklahoma.
The University Daily Kansas 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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