UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, October 4, 1996
5A
National group to sponsor mental health awareness
Center will give free evaluations
By Ian Ritter Kansan staff writer
Next week will be a time for people to think about mental illnesses.
The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill will sponsor Mental Illness Awareness Week, Oct. 6-12 at Bert Nash Community Health Center. 336 Missouri St.
"It is just a public awareness week, and there is a theme for each day," said Suzie Taylor, communication relations coordinator for the center.
The week is an opportunity for people to reflect on different aspects of mental illness. Schizophrenia is the topic of the day on Tuesday, and panic disorders are on the menu for Friday. But on Thursday, people can be mentally evaluated for free.
"They'll have time with a qualified mental health professional," Tavlor said.
Starting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, participants will view videos, fill out forms and then meet with a mental health professional to see if they need to be referred for further
treatment.
Taylor said that the week would be important in educating people about mental illnesses. She said that many people who lived normal daily lives experienced mental disorders but that society tended to stigmatize disorders and attach them to notorious criminals such as Jeffrey Dahmer and John DuPont.
"I think there's a lot of fear," she said of the public's lack of knowledge about the subject. "It's a constant battle and struggle."
Taylor also said the evaluations on Thursday could help prevent mental disorders.
"The earlier any illness is caught, the better the prognosis," she said.
Taylor, who suffers from depression, said her disorder was easy to control because she detected it early. She said she started noticing signs of depression after treating sex offenders in a maximum security prison four years ago.
"I suffer from depression, and I take my Prozac and I'm fine," she said. "I've never been really debilitated."
Linda Keeler, psychiatrist at Counseling and Psychological Services at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said the week was an important event.
"I think it can be extremely helpful for people who are wondering about depression symptoms," she said. "There are a lot of people who at some point of their lives experience depression, and it can be treated."
Mental Illness Awareness Week
The following are topics for the week, Oct. 6-12, sponsored by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill:
Sunday-Monday Illnesses
Brain Disorders
Tuesday: Schizophrenia
Monday: Manic Depressive III-2008
Wednesday; Latest Research on Brain Disorders
Disorders and Panic Disorders
Saturday; Children's Disorders
Brain Disorders
■ Thursday; Clinical Depression*
■ Friday; Obsessive-Compulsive
*The Bent Nash Community Health Center,
336 Mosquito SL, will give free evaluations for mental disorders for the public on this day.
They will start at 6:30 p.m.
Keeler also supported the evaluations at the Bert Nash center.
"I would really encourage any student who is experiencing these symptoms to contact Bert Nash for a screening," she said.
Chicano literature featured in marathon reading at Wescoe
HALO event is part of heritage month
By Raquel Avila Special to the Kansan
Members of the Hispanic American Leadership Organization and students from Chicano literature classes gathered at Wescoe Beach yesterday as participants of the Chicano Literature Marathon Reading.
From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., students and faculty rotated reading everything from poetry to short stories to excerpts from classic novels in English and Spanish. The event was part of the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.
Nicholas Shump, HALO education chairman, started the event to help students become involved.
But those participating also wanted to send a positive message
"I wanted to give people a chance to do something for Heritage Month that is fun — to come out and just read," Shump said.
to KU students.
"I'd like to show that it's possible to be successful in this culture. Hopefully people won't look at us as foreign, but as people," said Norm Sedillo, HALO social chairman.
Jesse Aleman, graduate teaching assistant in English, agreed that Chicano literature was essential in understanding Hispanic culture.
"I think that it's good to make our literature public and announce its presence on the campus," said Alemán, who teaches Mexican-American literature. "It's one thing to read it in the classroom than to read it publicly, and I want to do both."
HALO also wanted to express the popularity of Chicano literature among all students.
"In the past the English department did a marathon reading of Moby Dick, and the classics department did a reading of Homer, so we also needed to have our literature read," Shump said. "It's a way to celebrate the culture. This is the literature that people need to read,
"This is literature that
people need to read,
learn and teach
about."
Nicholas Shump HALO education chairman
learn and teach about."
Shump said many students passing by also unexpectedly joined in.
"I've had about half a dozen people come up and say they wanted to read," he said. "I wasn't expecting them to do that."
The marathon reading was only one activity in HALO's Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. Today, members will bring The Mariachi Express, a traditional Mexican music group, to the Kansas Union plaza. The band will perform at noon.
Hetherington estimated 100,000 books would be available at the sale, all of which will be categorized inside a tent next to the library's
Library sale offers cheap reads
Books, equipment records available
By Kimberly Crabtree
Kansan staff writer
"It's getting bigger every year," said Jeanne Hetherington, sale chairwoman. Hetherington said the sale brought in $40,000 last year, and even more items would be available this year.
The Lawrence Public Library is putting some of its books up for sale this weekend.
The books, along with LP records, old art prints, audio books, some old computer equipment and other items will be sold as part of the Friends of the Library used book sale. The materials come from the library's collection and from donations to the library.
garage at Seventh and Kentucky streets.
"They come in all shapes, sizes and forms," she said. Paperback books start at 35 cents, and hardback books start at 50 cents.
Sandra Wiechert, community relations coordinator for the library, said proceeds from the sale went directly to the library but were not part of the library's budget. Sometimes the money has been used to buy equipment such as special computers for the children's section or supplementary CDs, audio books and magazines the library couldn't afford to keep regularly.
"We also have nearly new books for half of the new price," Hetherington said.
The sale is the only fund-raiser the Friends of the Library organization sponsors each year, Hetherington said. It is held annually during the first weekend in October.
The library director and staff members decide for the most part how they would like the money from the sale to be used. Wiechert said.
"We carried boxes and organized books for the sale," Moore said. "We enjoyed it, and you feel good about helping them out."
Several KU students have been volunteers.
Scott Moore, Tulsa, Okla., freshman, volunteered with about 13 other members of Sigma Nu fraternity to get the sale started.
It's a major undertaking. "Heterosexuals" add "civilly."
The sale began last night with a members-only presale and silent auction. Hours for the event are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday; and 5 to 9 p.m. Monday. Sunday is half-price day for all remaining items, and Monday evening is bag night, which means that all the items that can be stuffed into a bag will be sold for $3.
"Even the last night, people can go through and find hidden treasures," Hetherington said. "We also have so many items, we can't get them all out on the first night, so we'll constantly be adding new things."
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