THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1995
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS 864-4810
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
ADVERTISING 864-4358
SECTION A VOL.102, NO.44
(USPS 650-640)
TODAY KANSAN
SPORTS
Lean, mean scoring machine
A new diet and a stronger workout regimen have helped Kansas junior guard Jacque Vaughn. Page 1B
KJHK radio turns 20
CAMPUS
KU's laboratory radio station remains true to its alternative roots. Page 3A
NATION
US weighs sending troops
President Clinton must convince lawmakers to send peacekeeping troops to Bosnia. Page 5A
WORLD
South Korea hunts infiltrators
A massive manhunt is underway for possible spies from North Korea. Page 5A
WEATHER
PARTLY SUNNY
High 64° Low 52°
PREVENTABLE?
KU Police recommend that people lock their office doors, secure computers with cables and engrave names or other identification on computers. Camera surveillance is also an option.
Weather: Page 2A
INDEX
Scoreboard...2B
Horoscopes ...4B
National News ...5A
World News...5A
The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is free. Additional copies of the Kansan are 25 cents.
Computers and computer equipment valued at more than $20,000 have been reported stolen on campus since last March. The Computer Center has lost hardware valued at about $9,000.
A TREND OF THEFT:
Computer thefts plague campus
By Scott Worthington Kansan staff writer
When Geoff Abers, assistant professor of geology, left his office Oct. 11 to ask a quick question and get a soda, his $2,800 Macintosh Duo laptop computer was resting comfortably in his Lindley Hall office. When he returned in 10 minutes, the computer was gone.
He hasn't seen it since.
Abers, who lived in New York before coming to teach at the University recently, figured it was safe to leave his office door unlocked for 10 minutes. He doesn't make that assumption anymore.
come all the way to Kansas to get my computer stolen," Absed said.
"It is kind of ironic that I had to
Computers and computer equipment valued at more than $20,000 have been reported stolen on campus since March, KU police said. The Computer Center has been victimized the most. It has lost about $9,000 in hardware, much of it RAM memory, during that period. Other spots on campus also have been struck.
On Sept. 23, two 100 megahertz pentium computers and a laser printer were stolen from the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering in Learned Hall. The total loss was more than $6,000, according to the police report.
Other losses on campus have not been as high. A Hewlett Packard desk jet printer valued at $248 was stolen from the Department of Spanish and Portuguese in late September.
The impact has been increased precaution around campus.
"Everyone around here has been locking their door and bolting down their computers," Abers said.
The Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering is considering measures to increase security, such as cable locks and fiber optic cables that sound an alarm if disturbed and video cameras, he said.
KU police recommend that people lock their office doors, secure computers with cables and engrave names or other identification on computers. KU police lend engravers to the public.
"If you engrave them where people can see they're engraved, then I think somebody would be less likely to steal it," said Officer Cindy Alliss of KU police. "They're not going to want to set it up or sell it."
Some departments go a step further.
Nancy Sliker, director of computing services for the School of Engineering, said some of the school's computer labs have 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week camera surveillance. Each machine also has a security identification sticker that is nearly
impossible to remove without destroying the machine.
"I make sure that people understand that they are using a resource in a public area that is monitored," Silikon said.
Many of the people who use the computers become familiar faces, and strangers are sometimes questioned, she said.
Learned Hall has had a security system in place since the late 1980s. The school's current system has become a model for other schools, Sliker said.
The system is not unreasonably priced.
Like sands through the hourglass ...
"It costs about the same as losing one good computer," she said.
Alpha Chi Omega members gathered at noon yesterday to watch the soap opera "Days of Our Lives." About 75 percent of the sorority's 80 members watch the show.
KU tunes in for 'Days' addiction
Students say soap opera is addictive and has cult following of both sexes
By Phillip Brownlee Kansan staff writer
Tony is plotting his own murder, for which he plans to frame John.
Marlena, who was possessed by Satan, threw Stefano out a window, which caused him to go into a coma.
Sami is carrying the baby of her sister's former fiancee.
Across the KU campus, in residence halls, the Kansas Union and Greek houses, students are faithfully following the twists, turns and sordid affairs of the soap opera "Days of Our Lives."
Students say "Days of Our Lives," which runs
"The cafeteria at GSP clears out at 12 o'clock, "said Amie Kruse, Sterling freshman.
weekdays at noon on Channel 41 and at 2 p.m. on Channel 27, is the most popular daytime soap. In fact, students say the show has a cult following.
Phoebe Louis, Kansas City, Kan., senior and confessed "Days of Our
Alpha Chi Omega estimated that 75 percent of its members watched the soap, which follows the lives, loves, obsessions, and indiscretions of a collection of police officers, doctors and journalists in the fictional town of Salem.
TO CATCH "DAYS":
■ Noon, Channel 41
■ Noon, GSP
■ 2 p.m., Channel 27
Lives" junkie, said that of the 92 women in Delta Delta Delta sorority, about 60 watch the show every day.
"I tape it every day in case I get home late from class," she said. "My mother thinks I'm an idiot."
Teri Browning, Overland Parkjunior, said the show was popular because it was a shared experience.
One character that many students relate to is Sami — they said they despise her.
"I hate her the most," Louis said. "She is manipulative, evil and very annoying."
"It's one of those things we have all watched for a long time, so we can all relate to the characters," she said.
Although most of the shows viewers are women, the show also has a strong male following.
Mike Enenbach, Prairie Village senior, started watching the show last summer when friends told him that Marlena's eyes turned green when she was possessed. Now he's hooked.
"It's really addicting," he said. "Once I start getting too emotionally involved, I have to stop watching for a while."
John Wright, professor of communication studies, said soap operas were popular with college students because they provided hypothetical stories to talk about. They also offer a needed escape from the anxieties associated with school life, he said.
Allyson Keaton, Overland Park senior, agreed.
"It's nice to see people who have more stress in their lives than we do," she said. "We've been watching it so long now that we can't stop."
KU on Wheels to test biodiesel for one week
By Joann Birk
Kansan staff writer
The Lawrence Bus Co. and KU on Wheels aren't usually considered to be on the cutting edge of environmental efficiency, but in the next few weeks they may be changing their images.
At the urging of KU Environs, the KU transportation board and Chris Ogle, owner of the Lawrence Bus Company, 837 Pennsylvania St., agreed Tuesday night to use an alternative fuel for at least one week in two of the buses used by KU on Wheels.
Two 55-gallon barrels of biodiesel fuel, a biodegradable fuel made from renewable oils and fats, were donated to the University last month by the National SoyDiesel Development Board, a company based in Jefferson City, Mo. The biodiesel, which is blended into a mixture of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent
See FUEL, Page 3A
Richard Devinki / KANSAN
The KU transportation board has agreed to use an alternative fuel for at least one week in two of the buses used by KU on Wheels.
Surprise Students don't like advising
By Novelda Sommers
Kansan staff writer
Like enrollment and parking advising is one of KU students' perennial complaints.
A report released by the Freshman Sophomore Experience Committee in September addressed problems with advising and made recommendations, but changes are not likely to be made soon, said Kathy Hall, director of the advising support center for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
A report released by the Freshman- Sophomore Experience Committee showed that only 30 percent of 1,570 freshmen and sophomores surveyed were positive about their advising experience.
"If the University wants to move toward retaining students, there has to be an improvement in advising," said Dan Hare, student body vice president.
Hall is chairwoman of the Advising Committee. She said the committee will discuss the report this
semester and consider recommendations.
The report showed that only 30 percent of 1,570 freshmen and sophomores surveyed were positive about their advising experiences.
Dan Hare, Advising Committee member and student body vice president, said 30 percent was not good enough.
"If the University wants to move toward retaining students, there has to be an improvement in advising." Hare said.
"A lot of times, there is no continuity from year to year. You should be able to map out about two years with your advisor and keep going back from time to time," he said.
Last fall, the Advising Committee established a program for 430 freshmen with undeclared majors. The group attended advising sessions at the advising support center.
Hall said the program was somewhat successful. This year, the program included 500 new freshmen and 240 sophomores who participated last year as freshmen.
Students are not the only members of the University community who complain about advising. Of the more than 60 faculty the Freshman Sophomore Experience Committee surveyed, more than half said they thought there were problems with the advising process. Two said they thought advising was "lousy" and "total chaos."
Students, however, did not hold back. They report says typical responses were "horrible," "worless" and "aht-or-miss situation."
A few, especially those in the honors program, said they had good advising experiences.