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KS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
Kansan
Cloudy skies and super-cold night temperatures. Be sure to cover your plants!
Thursday
October 23,1997
Section:
A
Online today
Visit the UDKi's new and improved Backfield Lounge Saturday during the Kansas-Nebraska football game.
Sports today
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Vol.108·No.46
Brooke Reves joins her twin sister, Amanda, as a University of Kansas student-athlete. Brooke plays basketball, and Amanda plays volleyball.
SEE PAGE 1B
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KU student dies of infection
Meningitis-like illness shows flu-like symptoms in afflicted
By Sarah Chadwick schadwick@kanson.com Kanson staff writer
A University of Kansas student died Tuesday night at Lawrence Memorial Hospital of a meningococcal infection.
Robert Brogi, Deerfield, Ill,
sophomore, had complained of flulike symptoms early Tuesday and passed out that afternoon, said Bill Senne, Brogi's roommate and Arlington Heights,Ill, sophomore.
About 4 p.m. Tuesday, Brogi's roommates took him to Lawrence Memorial Hospital, said April Klutman, nursing supervisor at LMH. Brogi died later that evening.
Brogi's family declined to comment.
"It's something that happened so quick," Seen said. "It's a sad thing to happen to a 19-year-old. Rob is the nicest guy to everyone. He was always willing to help."
Meningococcal infections, which are related to meningitis but do not affect the brain and spinal cord, can easily be confused with influenza,
said Randall Rock, chief of staff at Watkins Health Center. Many of the preliminary symptoms, such as body aches, fever, chills, headache
and nausea are similar. Rock said it was not uncommon for an infection such as this to progress rapidly.
Brogi lived off campus with two roommates who were treated with antibiotics after learning of his
Brogi: Complained of flu-like symptoms
condition, Rock said during a press conference last night, where he warned students not to panic.
The infection cannot be transmitted by simply being in the same classroom or riding the same bus as an infected person, Rock said. It is passed on through secretions from the respiratory tract. This could be through sharing food or drinks, coughing, sneezing or intimacies,
Meningococcal infections are spread by direct close contact with the nose or throat discharges of an infected person. This can be through coughing, sneezing, sharing food or drink or intimate contact.
Meningococcal Infections
- Preliminary symptoms are similar to that of influenza and may include common respiratory symptoms, body aches, chills, fever, neck stiffness, bad headaches, confusion, nausea and a rash that looks like little red blood pockets under the skin.
sulfa drugs in most cases.
Death can result from an overwhelming infection even with immediate treatment.
If a student has been in close contact with an infected person, the student should visit a health center to be treated.
- Meningococcal infections spread quickly and it is not uncommon for one to come about in a matter of days.
Treatments include antibiotics and
Source: Watkins Health Center
Rock said.
"We want to inform people, but we don't want to alarm them," Rock said. "There's a potential for this to be a contagious situation. Hopefully, we will prevent additional infections with antibiotics."
Rock said there had been isolated meningococcal infections on campus in the past, but that he had no knowledge of an outbreak at the University.
Many of Brogi's friends gathered last night to share memories of their times with Brogi.
Lindsey Gaston, El Dorado sophomore, met Brogi last year when they both lived at Naismith Hall.
Gaston remembered when Brogi rode his mo-ped 10 miles in the rain just to get to a friend's birthday party.
"He was a dedicated little kid," Gaston said. "Every time you wanted to talk or just do something he was there. I wish I had more time to spend with him."
Josh Scofield, Belleville sophomore, also met Brogi in Naismith Hall.
"He was one of my best friends I've ever had, and I've only known him six or seven months," Scofield said. "It's shocking, it's unbelievable. This whole day has been like a bad dream."
A new item in the Union
Safe Ride revision increases transportation fee
Brad Shopiro, Shawnee freshman, organizes a display case in front of the Joybowl in the Kansas Union. Shapiro was changing the display yesterday for the first time this semester. Photo by Geoff Krieger/KANSAN
tharrington@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
By Tim Harrinaton
A $2 increase to the student transportation fee was approved last night by the Student Senate finance committee in an effort to improve the Safe Ride program.
The bill to raise the $14 transportation fee to $16 was intended to allow the transportation board
“It’s costing more and more each year to run Safe Ride,” said Nicole Skalla, campus fee review subcommittee chair. “That’s why we need to increase to maintain services.”
The campus fee review subcommittee, which introduced the feeincrease bill, hopes that the $90,000 dollars raised from the
to make improvements to Safe Ride such as added hours or more cars.
Scott Kaiser, transportation board director, said that Safe Ride needed improvement and that the rest of the board members were aware of this.
See JUMP on page 3A
"The attitude of the transportation board now and what it will be next year is that Safe Ride is in a world of hurt." he said.
increase will heal the alling program.
Kaiser said that the increased
price of Safe Ride's contract with the Lawrence bus company had caused the hours of Safe Ride service provided to drop from 4,000 hours per semester to 3,500 hours.
Skalla said that current safe rides hours were insufficient to provide service for students during the week and that service on the weekend often took too long to arrive.
People gather at the South Park rally to increase awareness of police brutality. The National Day Against Police Brutality was yesterday. Photo by Tara Bradley/KANSAN
South Park rally raises awareness of police brutality
ACLU chapter sponsors event
By Mary Corcoran
mcorcoran@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The rally, a part of the National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, began with protest speeches in the park, Dinner provided by Food Not Bombs and music from local bands.
More than 60 people attended a rally against police brutality last night in South Park, located across the street from the Lawrence police department.
"We are raising awareness and addressing the fact that police brutality does occur," said Breeze Leutke-Stahlman, executive director of the KU chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and Olathe sophomore. "We are also remembering the victims that have died from police brutality."
Lawrence police said there were no problems with the protesters and that police brutality was not a problem in Lawrence. No police officers attended the rally.
The rally began about 5:15 p.m. and lasted more than an hour. As the bands set up, protest leaders passed out cards containing what they called, "I was killed, I was brutalized" statements. Everyone attending the protest received a card and then was asked to read it in front of the group.
Each card personalized an experience of police brutality. The reader introduced themselves as the person killed or brutalized and shared his or her experiences.
"We're kind of going on the theory of speaking on brutal-
Stop the violence
Who: More than 60 students, Lawrence residents and members of the University's chapter of the ACLU
National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality
What: Protest against police brutality
Where: South Park When: 5 p.m.
Mission Statement: "We are a diverse coalition of organizations and individuals. We came together out of our concern that the people's resistance to police brutality needed to be taken to a higher level nationwide." For more information call the ACU of KU at 331-3303
tly," Leutek-Stahman said. "So often these incidents are ignored, but tonight they will be conveyed by statements."
Matt Bachand, Yorktown, Va., senior, said, "It is important for this to happen, especially right in front of their station, to let show them we are watching and that we do care."
Others voiced concerns that police mistreated groups of Lawrence citizens.
More information
On-campus forum addresses
brutality issues.
See page 3A
Speakers and spectators at the rally expressed a variety of opinions about the Lawrence police department. Some spoke about their own experiences with Lawrence police.
See ACLU on page 3A
KU student reports rape in fraternity
Kansan staff report
The student told police that she had attended a dance on Sept. 20 held by the fraternity at Dos Hombres, 815 New Hampshire. Following the dance, the student returned to the fraternity house.
A 22-year-old KU student has filed a police report claiming that she was raped Sept. 21 at the Skila Clam fraternity house.
She had attended the party with a male friend. When she
got back to the house, the student told police that her friend invited her up to his room.
The student said that what started as consensual kissing moved to nonconsentual intercourse. The student reported the rape Oct 11 but total police she did not wish to prosecute the man.
Lawrence police said that the decision to prosecute was ultimately up to the district attorney.