monday. november 17, 2003
news
the university daily kansar
5A
Students raise money for children
Yinka Ajibola, Nigeria senior, and Anil Mmiggadma, Vijayawada, India, recommended a dessert to Dayo Ajavi, Nigeria senior at Saturday's KI1-NJICEF International Dinner at Ecumenical Christian Ministries.
By Steve Schmidt
sschmidt@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
While kheer, a sweet milk pudding from India, may not be on everyone's dessert list, it was by far the most popular treat at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries building on Saturday night, as people dined on international food for a global cause.
The group is largely made up of international students, all looking to help out their overseas brethren.
Patrons could eat all they wanted for $7. All the proceeds went to United Nation's Children Fund, a program seeking to care for third world children. KUUNICEF organized the event.
KU-UNICEF secretary Anil Nimmagadda, a graduate student from Vijayawada, India, said that his group's primary goal was to raise funds and its second goal was to create awareness. He estimated 80 people attended the dinner.
"Many people don't know what UNICEF really does, so we try to create an awareness so people can help," Nimmagadda said. "We are from different parts of the globe and we want to help kids from all over parts of the globe."
Ravi DeSilva, a Topeka graduate student who attended the dinner, said that he had studied the demographics of third world countries and said he wished more
programs like UNICEF existed.
"It's an organization that's there to help the marginalized people of the world," DeSilva said. "Small steps can make a big difference where the economic culture is not as entrenched."
Desilva said hundreds of thousands of people died every year because of diseases and infections that were easily treatable with vaccinations and modern antibiotics.
"Things that we take forgranted, other people are cherished to have," said Zeinab Othman, group president from Kano, Nigeria.
Signs with facts — such as "$1 protects a child from polio for life" and "Three cents provides Vitamin A for a child for one year" — were posted.
"Even a dollar or 50 cents can make a big difference," said member Rashida Bahnnerjee, a gradu
ate student from Calcutta, India.
Othman said that last year her group raised about $1,400 through the dinner and various other fundraising activities.
She said those interested in donating to UNICEF or joining the group, should visit its Web site, www.ku.edu/~kuunicef/about kuunicef.
— Edited by Michael Owells
HOUSING: Increases the lowest among state of Kansas' universities
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
Overall, the increase is the lowest among the state's universities. The next lowest increase will be at Pittsburgh State University, which will raise rates by four percent.
The highest increase will be at Kansas State University, where students will pay seven percent more next year.
The University had a slightly higher rate this year than Kansas State, $4,822 per year compared to $4.800.
Both include the largest possible meal plan.
Meal plans will be different
next year at the University. Rather than receive a certain number of meals a week, meals will be measured per year and will include money for regular meals at dining facilities and money for meals purchased at various campus cateries.
The cheapest plan will be $1,852 and include 220 meals per year. That would mean seven meals and $24 in a la carte money a week.
Plans range up to $3,050 a year, which includes 15 meals and $6 in à la carte purchases a week.
— Edited by Shane Mettlen
HOUSING COSTS RISE IN KANSAS
Living area Percentage increase Dollar increase
Double-occupancy room 3.1% $78
Quad room 3% $100
Jayhawker Towers 2.9% $64
Most scholarship halls 6% $190
Miller and Watkins
scholarship halls 32.7% $300
Stouffer Place*
•one-bedroom apartment 2.7% $7
•two-bedroom apartment 3% $9
- Stouffier Place rates are monthly. All others are yearly.
Source: University Relations
SNAKES: KU professor continues to teach, research after retirement
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
When Echelle was young, she was riding on a county road on a rainy day with her father. Fitch saw a copperhead snake in the road and decided to pick it up. He was in a hurry because of oncoming traffic. To catch a snake, especially a poisonous one, Fitch usually would use a stick that is longer than the snake can strike, about a foot and a half for a copperhead. Fitch would then pin the snake's head down by using the stick to lightly apply pressure just behind the animal's head. He would then pick the snake up and place it in a bag.
However, to catch this snake, Fitch only had a foot-long ruler. Because the snake was longer than the ruler, it struck the knuckle on his middle finger. Echelle watched from inside the car.
"I was horrified," Echelle said.
"I was sure he was going to die."
After being bitten Fitch returned home where he and his wife monitored the bite most of the night. Echelle said.
Because it was recommended at the time, the couple made cuts to the area of the bite and tried to suck the venom out, while taking notes about Fitch's reactions to the bite.
"They actually published a little paper on the effects and how long it took." Echelle said.
Fitch said the bite was the most poisonous copperhead bite he has received because the snake was large, and therefore more poisonous than smaller snakes.
Fitch said the reason he survived was because the snake bit his knuckle and one of the fangs went into Fitch's bone.
- Because the bone stopped the fang, the snake wasn't able to inject all of its venom into Fitch's hand. The bite did, however, cause Fitch's arm to swell to about the size of his leg.
Being bitten has not kept Fitch from working with snakes and ecology. In addition to researching, Fitch is still teaching University students.
Stan Loeb has taken his field ecology classes to the reservation every fall semester since 1990 to visit Fitch.
While there, the students study the succession, or change, of the land. The students also meet Fitch who gives them information about the land's history.
"Where we study the forest, he provides background to other areas that are affected by succession," said Loeb, assistant professor in environmental studies.
Fitch talks to the students about the shrubs, mammals and snakes that live in the area.
"Henry is just a wealth of information," Loeb said, "He's still doing research; his mind's sharper than a tack."
Erin Mink, who went to the reserve for Loeb's class on Oct. 1, agreed that Fitch had great knowledge of ecology and the area. His knowledge and the amount of time he has studied the area have made Fitch an icon in the ecology field said Mink, Fayetteville, Ark., senior.
"We weren't quite gaping in awe, but it was that kind of a feeling." Mink said.
When teaching students, such as those in Loeb's class, Fitch will show the students rattlesnakes.
Fitch will put a rattlesnake on the ground so students can see how it moves. He will also let it bite his shoe, though he holds it down with his foot so it cannot bite him above the shoe top, he said.
Though Fitch is recuperating from Oct. 21 hip replacement surgery, he said he planned to continue teaching as well as work on his research on the reserve and in Kansas.
"I certainly hope in the 2004 season I can effectively hunt snakes like I have in the past," Fitch said.
The snakes won't be out again until warmer weather, and Fitch said he hoped to be ready when they are.
Edited by Erin Riffey