4A
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2006
ALARMS (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
On Aug. 16, a leak in an air line going to an air dryer in a lab was detected by custodians cleaning the building.
Capt. James King, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire and Medical, responded to the custodians' call to 911. King said the employees initially feared it was a gas leak and thanks to their attentiveness, the fire department was at the building quickly.
Rich Barr, Lawrence fire marshal, said professors and students working in the lab classrooms typically went through safety lectures and training courses to be attentive to workspace dangers.
He said that safe practices were the first and best prevention of any fire or emergency in the building.
"If something does occur in those labs, it occurs because someone took a shortcut," Barr said. "The labs in Malott house a wide array of chemicals that constantly move around. For the fire department, it is important for users to follow the rules and safety precautions so we don't have to come up there."
Because many of the chemicals housed in Malott are flammable, toxic or corrosive, Barr said his department takes extra precautions when answering calls in the building.
A Hazardous Materials center was included in the Fire Station No. 5,1911 Stewart Ave., to address concerns that might come from lab classes at the University.
"We upgrade our level of response and protection in dealing with chemical materials from laboratories," Barr said.
Even with all the precautions, Welch said he still used extra care when working with chemicals in the labs.
Rombach said all chemicals in Malott are tracked through Environmental Health and Safety, and that his department inspected the labs annually to determine levels of safety.
"All who work in the lab are jointly responsible for the proper disposal of all chemicals and waste," Welch said. "I am usually not as concerned, as long as those around me are exercising safe laboratory practices."
Kansan staff writer Courtney Hagen can be contacted at chagen@kansan.com.
SUMMER (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
- Edited by Erin Wiley
Despite the minor slump in enrollment, summer courses appeal to students for many reasons. Some students take summer courses to fulfill requirements, raise GPAs or make up dropped or uncompleted courses.
Bethany Taylor, Olathe sophomore, finished summer classes three weeks before her fall semester began.
"I enjoyed the summer school a lot," she said. "Everyone seemed to have a sort of 'summer attitude' in the class, including the professor."
Taylor said she took difficult classes during the summer in order to make this fall semester more manageable.
The summer semester's shorter length makes classes easier to endure, she said.
"The paper deadlines are harsh and the reading workload can be downright painful, but you can eliminate a whole three, or in my case, nine, junior-level credit hours in just two months." she said.
Juliana Whisman, Augusta senior, squeezed in some required classes before her May 2007 graduation.
"I would definitely recommend summer courses to other students," Whisman said. "Even though they can be a lot of work, they're over so quickly."
Kansan staff writer Ben Smith can be contacted at bsmith@ kansan.com.
Edited by Elyse Weidner
"A lot of people at KU are making a big deal because he [Tombaugh] went to KU, but in science, things are always changing." Liebsd said. "I don't see the big deal."
PLUTO (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
Anthony-Twarog said the University's astronomy and physics department won't be affected by the decision. "He still discovered Pluto and it's still an impressive achievement," Anthony-Twarog said. "What people call it doesn't change that."
If nothing else, Pluto has achieved more than its 15 minutes of fame.
"What's great about the Pluto debate is it brings public interest into astronomy," said Brent Hartley, Olathe junior and physics and astronomy major.
Pluto will now be considered a "dwarf planet," a new category of minor planets. The asteroid Ceres and 2003 UB313, also known as "Xena," will join Pluto as new "dwarf planets."
Kansan staff writer Anna Faltermier can be contacted at afaltermier@kansan.com. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Edited by Elyse Weidner
SCIENCE
NASA helps professor study global warming
BY KIM LYNCH
A professor at the University of Kansas has received a grant from NASA that will allow him to develop smart sensors, which could be used to study global warming.
NASA has awarded Costas Tsatsoulis, professor and chair of electrical engineering and computer science, a $638,000 three-year grant for the project.
One function of the sensors will be to measure the melting of ice sheets, allowing scientists to get data faster.
Laird said the technology could help them zero in on thinning areas in the ice sheet, which would lead to additional studies.
"It would speed up the entire process of studying the ice sheets," said Claude Laird, a research associate at the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets.
Tatsoulis said the project would be done mostly on computers. He said the project was in its preliminary stages and would not be producing sensors until later on.
Putting the sensors in satellites is a long-term goal. It will take 20 to 30 years for NASA to do that, Tsatsouis said.
When the project is completed.
there will several types of sensors. Some will be space-based, others sea-based such as buoys and some land-based.
"An Inconvenient Truth," a documentary on global warming narrated by former Vice-President Al Gore, was released earlier this year and has been raising awareness of the issue ever since.
Briana Saunders, British Columbia sophomore, said she thought it was a great movie and if people would watch it with an open mind, they would feel compelled to do something about global warming.
Saunders said until the consequences of the global warming problem were staring people in the face, most of the population wouldn't act on it.
Betsy Copeland, Leonardville senior, said she also thought global warming was a growing issue but had faith that the population would be able to adapt to the changing environment.
Kansan staff writer Kim Lynch can be contacted at klynch@ kansan.com.
Edited by Elyse Weidner
ONLY AT THE HAWK
4-7 P.M. FRIDAYS: FREE HOT DOGS AND HAMBURGERS
BOULEVARD & CORONA NIGHT
THIS WEEKEND
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25
COME EARLY AND MEET
STAY LATE AND MEET
THE CORONA GIRLS
Coronas Boulevard Draws Double Bacardi Drinks
$2.50
$2.00
$3.50
THE BOULEVARD REP
"You have to know your limits." Hannah said. "Sometimes you just find them in crappy ways."
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26 MEET THE BACARDI GIRLS
Hannah worries that relatives in Wichita or Lawrence will hear about the misadventure. She said The Crossing patrons recognized her out on the street after her highly visible dance session. They called her the dancing girl an hour before. Now she was the puking girl.
$3.50 Double Bacardi Drinks $2 16oz Bud Light Cans
"I almost wore my hospital wristband to class the next day," Hannah said.
DRINKING (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
She said she couldn't remember where her friend Victor went. She worried about him being caught by the police — like Hannah, Victor was also under 21.
THE BOOM-BOOM ROOM.
THE MARTINI ROOM.
THE PATIO.
THE PINE ROOM.
In Hannah's case, the ambulance ride and hospital admission alone will ratchet up the amount on the insurance bill her parents will receive. Since her hospital visit on Aug. 17, she's been trying to figure out a good excuse for the inevitable questions.
Doctors and nurses assessed Hannah's condition, checked her airway for vomit or pieces of food and asked if she was alone.
She arrived at the hospital and was admitted. Often multiple cases of potential alcohol overdose occur late at night, Drees said, and hospital rooms can be filled with the noise of partially or totally inebriated patients' friends.
87 YEARS OF TRADITION ONLY AT THE HAWK.
Treatments and costs can vary dramatically, said Belinda Rehmer, hospital spokeswoman. It's difficult to pin down exactly how much an alcohol-related emergency room visit could cost.
It happens all the time, said John Drees, a nurse who's worked at the hospital for years. Students get together with friends and drink until their bodies reach deadly levels of intoxication, he said.
Her cup of beer seemed to be full all the time. She started her night of drinking on an empty stomach, and she guessed that she might have consumed as much as 80 oz. of beer — almost the size of two Route 44 cups from Sonic.
Kansan staff writer David Linhardt can be contacted at dlinhardt@ kansan.com.
Public Safety officers evaluated Hannah's condition and called an ambulance. Hannah and her friends had hoped to use SafeRide to get back to Hashinger Hall, but the officers stayed with her until the ambulance arrived.
Hospital staff hooked Hannah to
Outside in the muggy night air with many pints of beer sloshing inside her 5-foot frame, Hannah vomited and collapsed near the street, according to KU Public Safety Office reports and her own recollection.
Hannah, whose last name is being withheld because family members are not aware of her situation, jumped onto a bench and started dancing to the pounding club music spun by the DJ. Other girls joined her.
"If I were at a house party, I probably would have passed out in the corner." Hannah said.
"They wake up and realize the night wasn't nearly as fun as they thought." Dress said.
By 10:45 p.m., she and her friend Victor decided to leave.
Hannah felt relieved.
The nurse told her no. If her stomach had needed to be pumped to halt absorption of the alcohol, then she already would have a tube down her throat, the nurse said.
an IV and kept track of her heart rate and breathing. The worry, Drees said, is when a patient's central nervous system partially or completely shuts down.
A person can drink too much, pass out and simply stop breathing, he said.
A nurse took a blood sample from Hannah. She tried to focus on the person standing beside her bed.
"Will I have to get my stomach pumped?" she asked.
Edited by Shanxi Upsdell
BY DARLA SLIPKE
ENTERTAINMENT
Matthew Reiss, a founding member of the Hypothetical Seven comedy group, compared the act of performing comedy to playing a game of cops and robbers.
The group has eight active members, four of whom are University of Kansas students, who meet weekly to practice. The group alternates each week between meeting in Kansas City and Lawrence. Reiss started the group 13 years ago when he was a law student at the University.
Comedy group shares laughs, friendship
Even though he knew the game was pretend when he played it as a child, he said he still felt emotionally involved. He feels the same energy and enthusiasm when performing comedy, Reiss said.
"I want to translate that childlike play onto the stage," Reiss said, a KU alumnus, at a recent meeting of the improvisational and sketch comedy troupe.
At their meeting Wednesday night, a few members of the group re-enacted comedic versions of situations from their lives. They did a few routine warm-up exercises before they played games for the remainder of their two-hour session.
"It's just like 'Whose Line is it Anyway', but we play different games," said Bryan Reynolds, Hays senior and president of the group.
It may sound like all play, but the group is very dedicated to their work. Dan Spurgin, group adviser, said they learn from practicing together. When a member worried that she wouldn't be able to keep a
straight face for one of the games,
Reiss gave her a helpful tip.
"This is your sacred quest," he said. "Do not laugh during this game."
The group members were modest when describing their talent and critical of their performances. They perform in shows and make videos together several times a year, but also support one another in individual pursuits.
Members have their own theatrical and comedic strengths. Reynolds does stand-up comedy, Spurgin is a writer, another member is a filmmaker, and so on. Reynolds compared them to an athletic team with each member having his or her own talent. Like they had done the entire evening, members chimed in with their own quips.
"I'm the guy that wipes the floor with the towel," Reis said.
"I'm the assistant coach," said another.
"You're the person who looks like Roy Williams," Reiss said.
The jibes continued between the members, their witticism gaining momentum with each new retort. The remarks did stop until the group broke up to go home.
Prospective members must audition to join the group. The group is kept small to give each member individual attention, Spurgin said.
Kansan staff writer Darla Slipke can be contacted at dslipke@kansan.com.
— Edited by Brett Bolton