Tuesday inside
Alleged armed robbery A University of Kansas student reports he was robbed at gunpoint by two men. The robbery occurred in Lawrence late Saturday night. PAGE 3A
One step at a time
Pedometers give people an idea of just how active their daily routine is
by recording the number of steps the wearer takes. PAGE3A
All set for victory
The volleyball team looked shaky in two early games but went on to defeat the UMKC Kangaroos in three
straight games. PAGE10A
Golf team leads atourney
The golf team is swinging for its first win since 2002 at the Kansas Invitational today. The team is in first place as the final 18 holes tee off this morning. PAGE 10A
Gamecock attacked
The Jacksonville State football team was not the only one to get roughed up on Saturday. An unidentified KU student attacked the mascot during the game.PAGE7A
Weather Today
Vol.114 Issue No.24
8348
Warmer and Clear
Two-day forecast
7657
Thursday
Scattered Cool and Clouds Comfortable Matt Laubhan, KUJH-TV
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Briefs 2A
Opinion 4A
Sports 10A
Sports briefs 7A
Horoscopes 8A
Comics 8A
KANSAN
Up to 20 people were on the porch at 925 Arkansas St., when it collapsed about 1 a.m.
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
The Student Newspaper of the University of Kansas
By Joe Hartigan
jhartigan@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The second-story porch of University of Kansas student Kevin Long collapsed early Sunday.
Porch collapse injures two
Lawrence resident Lindsey Weinstein, 21, refused transport from Lawrence-Douglas County Fire and Medical, but did go to Lawrence Memorial Hospital for treatment.
Hospital officials were unable to comment on her condition yesterday.
Victor Torres, director of Neighborhood Resources for the city of Lawrence, said the porch fell because it was overloaded.
A 22-year-old female University student was also treated for minor injuries and released at the scene by Lawrence-Douglas County Fire and Medical.
"You don't want to congregate on those types of decks, because it's not safe." Torres said.
The porch was 10 to 12 feet off the ground, and was 6-feet wide and 12-feet long. Along with the 20 people, there was also a keg and a cooler on the porch.
ventable. He said there should have been joist hangers installed during construction although they were not required by law.
Joist hangers are metal straps that support the porch by attaching it to the wall.
Michele Kessler, attorney and associate director of the University's Legal Services for Students, said it was possible that either the landlord or tenants could be sued.
Kessler said the tenants could be held liable if they had deliberately overloaded the porch.
She said the landlord could be held liable if the porch did not meet building code requirements. The landlord and tenants would be more likely to face legal action if someone had been seriously hurt, she said.
Robin Krug, the landlord, was not available for comment yesterday. Long declined to comment on the incident.
On June 29 in Chicago, a porch crowded with up to 50 people collapsed onto a second porch beneath it containing others. Twelve people died and 57 were injured. According to CNN.com, most of the students on the porch in Chicago were college-aged.
The porch at 925 Arkansas St. lay in ruins after it collapsed early Sunday morning. The porch, belonging to University of Kansas student Kevin Long, was 10 to 12 feet off the ground. Up to 20 people were on the deck when it broke apart.
Torres also said the collapse was pre- Edited by Ehren Meditz
Kara Hansen/Kansan
Unclean hands can promote sickness
Mom always said to wash your hands, but some people just didn't listen.
A study released last week showed that only 78 percent of North American travelers washed their hands after using the restroom.
The importance of handwashing is even more pronounced on college campuses, where many students live in close quarters. In residence halls and Greek houses, items as common as doorknobs become vessels for disease.
"Right now, we have a stomach flu spreading on campus," said Myra Strother, chief of staff at Watkins Health Center. "And it's all because people aren't washing their hands."
Strother said a little soap and water went a long way in slowing down everything from e. coli to upper-respiratory infections.
Kayla Dudley, Topeka freshman, said she worried about getting germs from other people.
"When you're around so many people all the time, it's so easy to spread stuff," Dudley说. "It's scary."
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But they're not, according to the study. Researchers with the American Society of Microbiology conducted the survey by observing restrooms in five major airports throughout North America. They also surveyed 1,000 adults by telephone.
Researchers found that, while 95 percent of people said they always washed their hands, only 78 percent of people actually did. The study also showed that, on average, women washed their hands more than men.
Dudley said. It is very Strother said sickness often spread among people who live together.
"We'll see one member of sorority in for the flu, and a week later we have 20 girls come in to see us," Strother said. "Everybody needs to be washing."
But Strother cautioned that how often you washed your hands wouldn't matter unless you washed them properly.
"Most people leave a lot of germs on their hands." Strother said.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment lists the steps to proper handwashing on its Web site at http://www.kdhe.state.ks.us/wash_e_m/howtowish.htm.
The Web site said hands should be scrubbed with soap and warm, running water for at least 20 seconds to eliminate germs. All surfaces of the hands should be washed and then dried completely with a paper towel.
- Edited by Joey Berlin
Center opening rescheduled
By Danielle Hillix
dhillix@kansan.com
kansan staff writer
Weight lifters and basketball players will have to wait a while longer. The opening of the new Student Fitness Recreation Center has been pushed back yet again.
This is the fourth time officials have delayed the recreation center's opening, much to students' dismay. The latest plan now calls for the center to open its doors Friday.
"Hopefully we'll get students in here this week," said Mary Chappell, director of Recreation Services. "That is, if everything goes as planned."
Not much has gone as planned with the construction of the recreation center. Contractors originally slated the building for a July 31, 2003 completion date. That was moved back to Sept.4., then Sept.15 and then Sept.23. Now officials are crossing their fingers for Friday.
Chappell said one problem led to another, causing all the delays.
"When one thing doesn't happen, it's a domino effect," Chappell said. "Everything piles up and pushes back the progress."
progress:
Supplies are on back order and Hurricane Isabel has slowed shipping from East Coast suppliers, Chappell said.
Materials are coming from as far away as England and Malaysia.
The University is also still waiting to receive the hardwood flooring for the basketball courts, which could take weeks.
"These aren't excuses." Chappell said. "They're just real things that happen."
That isn't much consolation to students wanting to use the recreation center that their student fees have been paying for since 1999.
Keyarash janianian, Kansas City, Kan. freshman, said he wanted to lift weights, but had a hard time getting to Robinson
"I hear it's opening and I get all jittery inside."
Keyarash Jananian Kansas City, Kan., freshmen
En garde
Center when it was open to students.
"I'm getting really irritated," Jananian said. "All this creatine is going to waste."
Janian said he was starting to doubt if the recreation center would be worth the wait. He said his on-again-off-again relationship with the recreation center was starting to wear on him.
"I hear it's opening and I get all jittery inside," he said. "Then I find out it's not and it pisses me off. I'm sick of it."
Students will get their first look at the recreation center during the ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
Edited by Nikki Overfelt
Chris Haakenson, Sterling sophomore, and Jessica McDow, Lawrence sophomore, fenced on Wescoe Beach yesterday. The KU fencing club promoted Le Bessau, a foreign film being shown tonight in Woodruff Auditorium at 8. The screening is part of Student Union Activities' Spectrum film line-up.
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