Tomorrow's weather
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
FANTASTIC
Kansan
Sunny and calm tomorrow.
Rolling Stone magazine says that KJHK has on of the top six radio stations on the Web.
Inside today
Wednesday
September 29, 1999
Section:
A
Vol. 110 • No. 29
Sports today
SEE PAGE 3A
The Kansas volleyball team will try to do something tonight that it has only done once in team history—beat Nebraska.
SEE PAGE 1B
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Students learn spam's other meaning
Illegal e-mail circles in student accounts
By Nathan Willis
writer@kanson.com
Kansas staff writer
A flood of mass e-mail, claiming to offer people easy money but actually is a scam, has been clogging University of Kansas e-mail accounts for more than a week.
Academic Computing Services has received several complaints in the past week or so and is following up on people who have reportedly been sending the e-mail to hum-
dreds or thousands of people at a time — a practice known as spamming.
Cathy Smith, director of Academic Computing Services, said there was not any way to know how many people at the University had been spammed. But the number is likely in the thousands, she said.
(USPS 650-640)
She also said that she didn't know how it started but that a few individuals probably had started a chain reaction that led to multiple messages in many people's inboxes.
My Truong, Lawrence senior,
said she had received six or seven
copies of the e-mail in the last week.
"Every day I get the same e-mail." Truong said. "When you check your e-mail, you expect to hear from someone you know. But this is someone I don't know, and it makes me feel insecure about my account that people I don't know were able to get ahold of my e-mail address."
The e-mail message claims that computer-industry giants Microsoft Corp. and America Online, Inc., will pay people who forward the e-mail $5 for each person it is sent to plus another $1 for every three people it is sent to.
"Want to make some easy money?" the e-mail asks.
See PHONY on page 3A
COMMON E-MAIL HOAXES
The "free money" hoax. Like the current e-mail circulating campus, this says that someone will pay you money for forwarding e-mail. In reality, the likelihood of someone having an e-mail tracking system is very unlikely. Chances that the company or individual would pay you are more unlikely still
company or individual would pay you are more emblematic than The "poor little Johnny is dying" hoax. These emails play on people's sympathies by saying that someone, often a child, has a life-threatening disease. They then go on to say that some organization, such as the American Red Cross or American Cancer Society, will donate money for each time the email is forwarded.
The "your computer will be destroyed" hoax. A current incarnation of this hoax is an e-mail that warns of severe year 2000 problems in Windows. Other past versions are phony virus alerts. Occasionally, real virus alerts are passed on through e-mail, so you might want to check www.cert.org to see if the virus is real.
Weighing the issue
Dietary supplements don't always win battle of the bulge, some sav
By Amber Stuever writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
In the never-ending quest to loose love handles, saddlebags and beer guts, some students look to dietary supplements for help.
One popular choice, Metabolife 356, promises weight loss, energy gain and customer satisfaction for about $40 a bottle. The product was introduced in 1994, but popularity has skyrocketed since 1997. It is now estimated that 250,000 tablets are taken every hour in the United States.
Metabolife, which contains herbs 50 countries
from 12 countries also promises that it is a safe drug.
"It's an all-natural product," said Julie Fahn, senior associate at Sitrick & Co., Metabolife's public relations firm. "I think that's one of the key reasons why people feel good taking it."
makes it so you can't sleep," she said.
Several members of the KU medical community said students should be careful when looking for easy fixes to weight problems.
"In general, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," said Randall Rock, Watkins Memorial Health Center chief of staff.
Despite Metabolife's safety claims, Watkins medical officials are skeptical of the product.
Cathy Thrasher, Watkins head pharmacist, said that because Metabolife was made of natural herbs, it did not have to undergo the same scrutiny as prescription med
"I might have lost a couple of pounds,but it made me shake,and it makes it so you can't sleep."
Jamie Doerschlag
The company boasted that the herb was shown to be safe in two laboratories and effective with students at two major universities.
Jamie Doerschlag, Ulysses junior took the supplement, but stopped after three weeks. She said that Metabolife was not only expensive but also bothersome to her.
Ulysses juniq
However, some University of Kansas students who took the supplement weren't as convinced.
"I might have lost a couple of pounds, but it made me shake, and**
ICATIONS Metabolife does not have to prove its safety and effectiveness to organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration. The drug does warn those with thyroid problems, high blood pressure, diabetes and
disorders." she said.
Emily Rowe, Scottsdale, Ariz., junior who has used Metabolife for energy, said she was unsure of its safety for the purpose of losing weight.
others at risk, but Thrasher said those warnings could go unnoticed and cause problems. She said they could be dangerous if combined with other over-the-counter drugs.
"I'm not an advocate of it as a weight-loss method, because I know it can develop problems with eating
"I know that when people use products to aid in weight loss at first it seems effective, but then people see they're not losing as much weight, so
Ann Chapman, Watkins dietitian, agreed that although there normally were no physiological addictions to dietary supplements, there could be psychological additions.
they take more," she said. "We don't know."
they take more," said. "I don't know that it's physiologically addictive, but I think there is potential for abusing the product."
Fahn said that users should be aware of their bodies to prevent abuse and decrease risks when taking Metabolife.
However, Chapman said that in addition to health risks, there was no guar
"There's risk in taking anything," she said. "You want to take the amount that's right for your body."
that a product such as Metabolife would help a person shed pounds permanently. People who suppress their appetites with a product such as Metabolife don't learn the correct ways to eat right and keep weight off for life, she said.
"I think products like this are a crush," she said. "What a product like this does is take away your
antee
appetite so that you don't have to make decisions on
what to eat." Chapman said the only tried-and-true method to weight loss was cutting back on calories and increasing exercise. Thrasher agreed. "To lose weight and keep it off, you have to do behavior modification." Thrasher said. "You can assist that process, but you can't do that relying totally on medicine."
Edited by Matt James
Photo Illustration by Christina Neff/KANSAN
TA posts bond; alleged battery charges pending
By Katie Hollar and Michael Terry
Kansan staff writers
A University of Kansas teaching assistant faces two misdemeanor charges for allegedly sexually battering one of his female students.
Lavanya Malhotra, Shinla, India, graduate student and teaching assistant in mathematics, allegedly sexually battered the victim in his apartment at Jayhawker Towers the afternoon of Aug. 23, the KU Public Safety Office said
The alleged victim contacted the KU Public Safety Office with a complaint a few hours after the incident. A report was filed, and both the suspect and the victim were interviewed, said Sgt. Troy Mallen.
After a month-long investigation, Malhotra,
43. was formally charged Monday.
He was arrested Monday night by a KU Public Safety officer. According to jail records, he was booked at the Douglas County Jail at 8:05 p.m. and released at 9:47 p.m. after paying his $3,000 bond in cash. Malhotra's first court appearance is scheduled for 3 p.m. October 12.
Jack Porter, chairman of the mathematics department, declined to comment about whether Malhotra was still teaching mathematics classes.
Angela Wilson, the assistant district attorney charging the case, said a resident of Jayhawker Towers had contacted her office yesterday saying Malhotra was planning to flee to India.
Malhotra is charged with sexual battery and criminal restraint. Both offenses are misdemeanors, each punishable with up to one year in the county jail.
Despite the concern, the suspect cannot be held. Wilson said.
"He hasn't violated a condition of his bond until he fails to show up in court," she said. Malhotra denied the rumor that he was
leaving the country. "I cannot yet go," he said.
I cannot yet go, he said.
District Attorney Christine K. Tonkovich said if Malhotra were to leave the country, no legal action could be taken until he came back. Then if he returned to the United States, she said, checks would be made and the arrest should show up if he tried to go through U.S. customs.
Wilson said the victim was credible and cooperative.
"If we were to take it to trial,we'd have a good chance." she said.
Kim Grassmeyer, assistant director at the department of student housing, said that the department was informed by the KU Public Safety Office that Malhotra had been arrested for sexual battery but that to her knowledge, no action had been taken yet.
According to the student housing policy, students' housing contracts may be suspended if they are either arrested for alleged criminal acts or have criminal charges pending against them.
Malhotra said he had not decided whether to seek alternative housing. He has withdrawn from the University. He was an architectural engineering major.
- Edited by Julia Nicholson
Lazer format changes ignite Templin Revolution to take action
By Emily Hughey
By Emily Hughey writer@kanson.com Kansan staff writer
Templin Revolution hopes to sprinkle Lawrence with white cotton jerseys. The message? "The New Lazer Sucks."
J. D. Jenkins, revolution organizer and Shawnee junior, said the group created the T-shirts to express displeasure with 105.9 KLZR's new format and to influence businesses to pull advertising from the station.
Photo illustration by Christina Neff/KANSAN
On Wescoe Beach yesterday afternoon, members of the Templin Revolution sold "The New Lazer Sucks" T-shirts for $8 to about 30 students.
advertising from the station. "We want to see a lot of people wearing them," Jenkins said. "We thought it'd be really cool to seem them walking down Mass. and walking into businesses that support the Lazer."
able for commen Grant Butler, Olathe freshman, said that he bought the T-shirt to show the Lazer that neither he, his friends nor the community appreciated the format change.
Representatives from the Lazer were unavailable for comment.
n't suck," Butler said, referring to last year's commendation of KLZR by Rolling Stone."And now they do."
climated the format change.
"They were one of the top 10 stations that did
how they do
But for Templin Revolution, T-shirts aren't enough. Organizers for the crusade to save the Lazer aim to go nationwide.
Plans for a Save the Lazer benefit concert are in the works, said Brian Bartelt, Templin
Revolution organizer and Des Moines, Iowa junior. He said the revolution hoped to book at least three national acts. Jenkins said the five acts the group was pursuing were Ben Folds Five, 311, Everclear, Frogpond and The Urge. Senate result
"It's all pretty tentative," Bartelt said. "We're definitely planning to have one local show with a few national acts."
He said the revolution considered booking an all-local show but decided
See page 3A
against it for fear of providing fuel for the Lazer's anti-local music programming.
A resolution condemning the Lazer's change in format could be passed by Student Senate tonight if the Student Senate Executive Committee puts it on the agenda.
See STUDENTS on page 5A
"We've decided to stay away from local bands," Bartelt said. "If we got a bunch of local bands together to rally against the Lazer, that would give the Lazer reason not to play them."
Window broken at KLZR; motive remains mystery
Lawrence police said an unidentified suspect damaged a window at 2:22 a.m. The window was valued at $125.
Early yesterday morning, Lawrence police were dispatched to the KLZR station, 3125 W. Sixth St., after a plate-glass window was broken.
Sgt. Rick Nickell said no weapon had been recovered inside or outside the building.
Bob Newton, KLZR station manager, said that this was the first act of vandalism at
Newton said he did not know whether the broken window was a statement against the station's controversial new format.
"Whoever broke the window didn't leave a note saying why did it," he said.
Newton said the incident could have been an accident or lust mischief.
"Maybe someone was just playing catch," he said. "But we didn't find any softballs."
1
— Katie Hollar