THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Receiver returns to the field
Dezmon Briscoe makes a comeback during fall practice. BRISCOE I 1B
Jayplay
Learn how to exercise with Wii Fit. INSIDE
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2009
WWW.KANSAN.COM
VOLUME 121 ISSUE 2
HEALTH
Sneezes & stomachs, sore muscles & scrapes
Autumnal ailments send KU students to Watkins Memorial Heath Center for health tips and meds
BY ALY VAN DYKE avandyke@kansan.com
For Vanessa Green, Fredonia senior, the start of school wouldn't be the same without her bottle of Zyrtec and eye drops.
"In the fall, I feel horrible," she said. "I can't breathe through my nose, but the worst part is my eyes. They won't stop itching. I can't even wear my contacts."
Because of the high humidity in the state and the variety of plants and trees on campus, seasonal allergies are one of the most common reasons for visits to Watkins Memorial Health Center at the start of the fall semester, said Patty Quinlan, nursing supervisor at Watkins. In addition to allergies, she said intestinal problems, such as constipation and bloating, muscular and skeletal injuries and moderate to severe cuts combine to make up the top four reasons for visits to Watkins early in the school year.
Green is allergic to raagweed, dust, milo and seven different trees, among other things, and she's certainly not alone.
ALLERGIES
Quinlan said ragweed was the most prevalent allergen during the fall. However, the season is riddled with several other allergens that can be a shock to the senses, especially for students who aren't from around Lawrence.
Allergens can be difficult to avoid, especially given the University's green campus, but there are a few tricks, such as keeping the home clean and dry.
For those suffering from allergies this time of year, the pharmacy at Watkins offers several antihistamines, decongestants and saline nasal sprays to make the fall easier on the eyes and noses of students.
Cathy Thrasher, chief pharmacist at Watkins, said the pharmacy carried several over-the-counter antihistamines, including the generics for Claritin and Zyrtec. She said the Claritin generic was the top seller. A month's supply costs $1.70 plus tax.
GASTROINTESTINAL
Coming to campus doesn't only mean a change in climate. It also means a change in diet, which Quinlan said could lead to a number of stomach problems, including abdominal pain, diarrhea and constipation.
When experiencing these gastrointestinal problems, Quinlan advised students to consume only clear liquids for 24 hours, then slowly introduce what is known as the "BRAT diet" — bananas, rice, apples and toast.
Quinlan emphasized slowly intro-
SEE HEALTH ON PAGE 4A
fig.2
fig.1
Cuts
Allergies
Cuts should be cleaned with running water, soap and antibiotics but kept out of stagnante water.
Allergen counts can be found on weather.com. Suffering students can buy over-the-counter antihis tamines from the Student Health Services Pharmacy.
Quinn Reilly, Overland Park junior, gets ready to take a walk with Annie, a seven-year-old lab, at the Lawrence Humane Society last fall. The Humane Society was overcrowded with animals this past summer so it waived its $50 adoption fee for August.
LAWRENCE
Humane Society waives fee
Overflow of animals prompted shelter to forego $50 fee
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN
The Lawrence Humane Society is overflowing with animals from the summer season and is desperate for relief, according to shelter staff.
The shelter has approximately 800 animals, including cats, dogs and guinea pigs. As a response, the shelter has waived the $50 adoption fee for August in hopes of attracting potential owners.
BY MEGAN HEACOCK mheacock@kansan.com
"I think some of it is seasonal," he said. "Traditionally, it spikes this time of year."
Kraig Johnson, Lawrence Humane Society employee, said the surge in animals was usual during the summer months.
Johnson said although it was common to have more homeless animals during the summer, other factors have worsened the situation. In particular, an increase in people returning their animals to the Humane Society contributed greatly to the overload. He said the recession made animal care too expensive.
By waiving the $50 adoption fee, buyers would only have to pay to spay and neuter the animals, which would cost $60 for a dog and $40 for a cat, according to the Society's Web site.
Stacy Rachow, Phillipsburg senior, said she wanted to adopt someday, but that her schedule and living situation wouldn't allow for it now.
"The economy is certainly a paying factor," he said. "People simply can't afford to keep their animals, so I think that's had an impact on us."
it during college because I don't want it to be in a cage all the time. I don't think I'd be doing it a favor."
Johnson said he recognized that college students were not always in good financial or living situations to adopt, but that helping in other ways was just as important.
"I want to get a dog eventually," she said. "But I wouldn't consider
"You can always volunteer," he said. "We always need people to socialize the animals, exercise them."
Ashley Wills, Overland Park senior and volunteer, said the Humane Society was flexible with anyone who could help.
"You can come and go whenever you want," she said. "I can't have a dog, so this is how I get my dog fix."
CAMPUS
The Lawrence Humane Society also accepts donations from the community, such as towels, detergent and blankets, among other things. A full list of needed items can be found on the shelter's Web site, www.lawrencehumane.org.
— Edited by Anna Kathagnarath
New alcohol course required
BY JESSE RANGEL jrangel@kansan.com
New students under the age of 22 will soon be on the clock to take an online alcohol education course.
Marlesa Roney, vice provost for student success, said the University would e-mail a link to an online test to incoming freshmen and transfer students under the age of 22 Aug. 31. The online test is part of a course AlcoholEdu. The University sent e-mails on Monday to those students who have to take the test.
Affected students will have a deadline of Sept. 24 to take the first assessment, Roney said. Students can complete the second part of the assessment 30 days after the first part, but must have the second part finished by Nov. 2. Roney said those who did not finish the tests would have a holds placed on their enrollment for Spring classes.
AlcoholEdu is a Web-based product by Outside the Classroom, Inc. of Needham, Mass. Brandon Busteed, CEO of Outside the Classroom, said the company wanted to provide basic knowledge about alcohol to students before they came to college so that other on-campus alcohol education programs wouldn't have to repeat facts. He said the program was important at the college level because, at the start of college, both the number of drinking occasions per month and drinks per occasion increased.
"As an aggregate, more than 50 percent of college students, before they arrive in college, are nondrinkers," Busteed said.
Mai Hester, marketing coordinator for the Wellness Resource Center, said the program would complement the center's education efforts. But she said it was still important for educators to reach out to upperclassmen.
"We really want to include the entire KU community on the alcohol initiatives the University has taken," Hester said. "Our health educators target more than new students."
As for the students who have to take the test, Busteed said the program was not just for high-risk drinkers, but also for students who didn't drink, and moderate drinkers, whom he said made up 60 percent of students.
"Some of the riskiest behaviors come from those who consider themselves moderate drinkers," Busteed said. "The idea is that there is risk across any level of alcohol consumption."
Bridgette Heine, St. Louis, Mo. senior and peer health educator in the Wellness Resource Center said the University was being proactive in starting an online education course.
"I think it's good that they're doing it when students start," Heine said. "We do have programs,
index
SEE ALCOHOL ON PAGE 4A
Classifieds...5B Opinion...7A
Crossword...6A Sports...1B
Horoscopes...6A Sudoku...6A
All contents, unless stated otherwise © 2009 The University Daily Kansan
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pirate cannons raised from surf
Pirate booty first spotted by JFK, Jr., sees first light in almost 300 years NATIONAL I 5A
weather
TODAY 79 56
Mostly sunny
FRIDAY 79 54
SATURDAY
Sunny
81 57
Mostly sunny
weather.com