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THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14,2008
WWW.KANSAN.COM
VOLUME 120 ISSUE 62
FETCHING FUNDS
Pet shelter stays hopeful
Shaymarie Genoskv/KANSAN
The Lawrence Humane Society, 1805 E. 19th Street, could win a $25,000 grant to supply amilis with food and better care. People can vote for their favorite humane society every day on the Animal Rescue Site through 14.
BY JESSE TRIMBLE itrimble@kansan.com
The Lawrence Humane Society needs money and now an opportunity is available. The Animal Rescue Site is offering a grand prize of $25,000 to the humane society that is voted the best on its Web site. Voting began at the beginning of this month and ends Dec. 14. Participants can visit the site every day and type in which humane society they think is the best.
Midge Grinstead, Lawrence Humane Society executive director, said the money could be put to good use, especially at this time.
"We are going to be out of money by the end of this month," she said. "I don't know what we're going to do. We'll have to try and get through it."
Grinstead said money was always needed because it was a nonprofit organization and the budget had been cut for the last two years.
"It's a 25,000 square-foot facility," Grinstead said. "Our bills have always been high, but they've doubled this year compared to last year."
Jackie Bunnell, president of the Lawrence Humane Society Board of Directors, said the humane society was always struggling to make ends meet.
A lot of money goes to water bills, not only to provide the 650 animals currently there with water, but also for cleaning several times a day, everyday.
"The shelter gets only minimal support from the county and must constantly look for ways to cut costs, in a time when costs keep going up," she said.
Bunnell said employees at the humane society went far to cut costs.
"We go to the extent of heating the shelter only to a temperature that will ensure the health of the pets. The staff often wear coats and gloves inside the shelter, rather than turn up the heat."
She said if the Lawrence Humane Society won the money, it would go to paying off the loan it had to take out to make statementd repairs to the old building.
Aside from the money for the shelter, Bunnell said it was important to adopt pets. She has four pets — two dogs, Oscar and Asha, and two cats named Calvin and Hobbs.
Becca Sparling, Burnsville, Minn
Senior, has volunteered at the humane society for one year and adopted her first pet from there two weeks ago.
Sparling said she had visited the humane society every Friday for a month in her search for a dog. She found, Tucker, a two-year-old terrier mix after he became available for adoption.
"If it weren't for the humane society, I wouldn't have been able to have adopted my best friend," Sparling said. "That's why raising money for the humane society is a must."
She said volunteering and applying for a pet at the humane society is a simple process.
"Raising money is just as important," Sparling said. She also said students spending time with the animals also helped student morals.
Grinstead said as long as students don't lie on their applications for adopting a pet, it's easy.
"We encourage students to come and volunteer, too," she said. "We are very fortunate to have the University here to help support us."
Edited by Brieun Scott
Shaymarie Genosky/KANSAN
A puppy named Savanna stands up in her cage at The Lawrence Humane Society. Lawrence Humane Society executive director Midge Grinstead said the center could use the money because it may run out of operational funds at the end of the month.
ENVIRONMENT
University awards 'green' employees and students
BY SACHIKO MIYAKAWA smiyakawa@kansan.com
Taking a green initiative has paid off some at the University of Kansas.
This year's Sustainability Leadership Awards recognized people who were involved in a variety of places on campus.
From left, Stephen Goddard, senior curator of Spencer Museum, Anna Hoard, Topeka senior, and Sara Vancil, assistant director of the Office of Student Financial Aid, display their Sustainability Leadership Award certificates. The Center for Sustainability sponsored the awards which were given to those who displayed environmentally friendly
Anna Hoard lobbied Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) to reform the farm bill in Washington D.C. last year. Hoard, along with Oxfam America members, appealed to the senators to make the bill friendlier for sustainable farming and to reduce overproduction.
Hoard, Topeka senior, was among KU recipients of the second annual Sustainability Leadership Awards on Tuesday, Steve Goddard, senior curator of Spencer Museum, Sara Vancil, assistant director of the Office of Student Financial Aid, members of the KU Dining Services staff and the Student Rain Garden project were other winners of the award, sponsored by the KU Center for Sustainability.
Jeff Severin, director of the Center for Sustainability, said that he had worked with many groups and individuals who promoted sustainability on campus since the center opened in 2007. Hoard has been involved in several groups on campus, including KU Students for Fair Trade.
She and other students started an Oxfam America chapter at the University this year. The group, which advocates famine relief, held a hunger banquet in October.
Steve Goddard, senior curator of Spencer Museum and professor of art history, said childhood memories from Altadena, Calif., inspired his sustainability work on campus. "Starting when I was about 8 years old, I witnessed people living in a sustainable life style," said Goddard, who received the faculty award.
As a curator for the museum, he will organize three environmentally themed exhibitions next semester featuring artists, scientists and sociologists. He said one of the exhibitions, "Trees & Other Ramifications", explored,the relationship between trees and people.
"I hope these exhibitions will encourage us to reflect a bit about our actual situation on the planet in a very literal sense," Goddard said.
He also promotes recycling in the museum and will install a bike rack for students and its visitors.
Sara Vencil, assistant director of the Office of Student Financial Aid, showed sustainability leadership by making her office more green.
"Any change, even a little one that someone is willing to make, will make a difference," said
Vencil, who received the staff award.
Vencil started by adding recycling bins at the office, which allowed staff to recycle a variety of materials. One of her biggest achievements was a "Green Day," which she organized in May to raise awareness of sustainability in her office. On that day, she encouraged all staff in the office to carpool
or walk, not to print appointment schedules and to turn off lights whenever the staff left the office.
"My main piece of advice for anyone wanting to get more involved in recycling or energy conservation or in starting a program in their own home or workspace is to just start small." Vencil said.
HEALTH
KU Dining addresses students' allergies
BY JOE PREINER jpreiner@kansan.com
Minutes after taking a bite of her dinner at Mrs. E's dining hall, Heather Himmelwright knew something was wrong.
Her face turned red and she could barely breathe. The peanuts in her food had caused a severe allergic reaction. She knew if she didn't get to a hospital fast, she could die.
Himmelwright, Pratt freshman, is one of only two or three KU students who suffer from anaphylaxis, or severe allergic reactions on campus each year.
The National Institutes of Health said food allergies were among the most common allergies in the country. The severity of allergies differs from person to person, but each can become severe.
Himmelwright said she was thankful her friends had acted quickly, driving her to Lawrence Memorial Hospital as soon as they realized what was happening. While in the car, Himmelwright had to give herself a shot of epinephrine, or manufactured adrenaline. Patty Quinlan, nurse supervisor for Watkins Memorial Health Services, said the epinephrine helped open airways, allowing people to breathe easier.
Sheryl Lykidwell, assistant director for KU Dining Services, said food allergies were something Dining Services took seriously. Kidwell said Dining Services worked to address allergy issues with freshman students each year during orientation.
Kidwell said in addition to one-on-one meetings with the dining hall managers, students with food allergies were also made aware of the signs in residential dining halls that noted the allergens contained in each meal.
"We take it very seriously every year," Kidwell said, "This is a rare case."
The NIH Web site said allergic reactions, though rare, could occur at any time It also said people were more susceptible to severe reactions if they had a history of previous allergies, but that reactions could happen to anyone.
Himmelwright has known of her allergy, which last occurred when she was 11 years old, since childhood. Himmelwright said she had eaten the dish that caused the reaction at Mrs. E's before without incident. She said she assumed the food was the same, and failed to notice the peanuts sitting on top of the dish. Himmelwright said she didn't remember seeing an "N" denoting nuts on the ingredient sign.
"I will just have to keep a better lookout for signs and information," Himmelwright said.
Kidwell said along with posted signs in the dining halls, students with food allergies were also given copies of the menu, complete with ingredient information. She said open communication between students and Dining Services staff was important to avoid incidents like Himmelwright's. She said students could also use Dining Services' new Nutritension program online to avoid problem foods.
Himmelwright said she had made a habit of only bringing epinephrine with her every few days since arriving on campus. Himmelwright, who finished her medication for the reaction last weekend, said she would be more cautious in future trips to the dining hall.
"Luckily I had that with me," Himmelwright said. "I'll never leave it at home again."
Edited by Kelsey Hayes
index
Classifieds. ...3B Opinion...7A
Crossword. ...6A Sports...1B
Horoscopes. ...6A Sudoku...6A
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2008 The University Daily Kansan
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