房屋
APARTMENT GUIDE 4
7
COMMENTARY
Easy tips for a cheaper and more economical household
College is no time to be normal. You just have to get by your already hectic life in whatever
o already neat life in whatever weird fashion you can, then move on. People will question your methods and friends will laugh at you, but in the end you will have an effective system of living.
As a college student, you have to capitalize on your resources to make your living space more pleasant. Many times, these "quirks," as people would call them, are efficient, economical and simple.
PEE IN THE SHOWER
Here are some odd actions you can take to have a functional and cheap household.
Use the shower as your toilet to cut down on water expenses. Not just when you are taking a shower, but aim for the drain every time you have to go.
This should go without saying, but don't go "number two" in the shower. That's a mess no one wants to clean up.
BY COREY THIBODEAUX cthibodeaux@kansan.com
This strategy takes the "if it's yellow, leave it mellow" saying to a new level.
Not to mention, it's sanitary and does wonders for the environment.
KEEP DRYER SHEETS IN YOUR DRAWERS
Life is much easier if you can walk around without a really weak force fendling your leg all day.
Sometimes the dryer and dryer sheet combo isn't enough to get the static out of certain fabrics. The easiest way to take care of that problem is just shoving the dryer sheets in with your clothes. It works.
TIP: Certain laundry baskets can attract static as well, so make sure it's not
affecting the clothes you put in. A simple wipe down with a dryer sheet should solve the problem.
DRY ERASE NOTES ON THE MIRROR
You are always going to look at the mirror, so that makes it the perfect place to put notes. Dry erase markers work well, as long as you aren't fogging up that mirror and ruining your memos.
Schedules are scattered and unorganized, so putting them in a place you often look is wise.
Bulletin boards and calendars are suitable alternatives and are usually more organized than scribbling on a mirror, but are more high-maintenance.
CURTAiN SUBSTITUTES
Humans are meant to sleep in the dark. But it's especially difficult to snooze with light seeping into your room.
Apartments that keep lights on at night are safe, but cost you your rest.
If for some reason you can't put a curtain up, whether because of insufficient funds or because the structure of the window sill won't let you, you have a couple of options.
The simplest solution would be to pin up a towel or a light blanket. You'd have to develop a system that could keep the "curtain" open, too, but that shouldn't be too hard.
An alternative could be a board of some sort. It would have to be large enough to cover most of the window to block out incoming light.
MAKE YOUR BED
Nothing will draw a bigger reaction. A tidy bed affects everything in the room. It puts the surroundings in order. When you walk into your room, the last thing you want to do is submerge yourself in clutter.
It's so much more inviting to sleep in and who doesn't want that?
Edited by Helen Mubarak
Why?
Lease a little fuzzy? Have us clear it up before you sign.
There are several common lease provisions that could hurt students:
- automatic renewal clauses
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- security deposits
- move out charges
Call us at 864-5665 for FREE legal advice.
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CONTRIBUTING TO STUDENT SUCCESS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2011
used in a remote control engine the incident illustrates precautions that the University and Lawrence-Douglas County Fire and Medical take when responding to reports of hazardous materials.
Drive, are the hazmat experts. Lawrence-Douglas County Fire and Medical Division Chief Doug Green said these firefighters go through monthly exercises and an 80 hour Hazmat training course. Firefighters take the course through the Kansas State
"Wealwayssay, 'when in doubt, get out, and call for help," said Mike Russell, director of KU Environmental Health and Safety.
"Our number one priority is life safety."
The "call for help," which Russell said can be made either
Jerry Wang/KANSAN FILE PHOTO Hazmat-trained firefighters assess the situation in the Allen Fieldhouse parking garage earlier this month. The suspicious material turned out to be fuel for a remote-controlled engine left by a KU student.
DOUG GREEN Lawrence-Douglas County Fire and Medical Division Chief
to KU EHS or 911, sets off a chain of highly structured responses by emergency crews.
"Ninety-nine percent of any response to a call like that is a law enforcement unit and fire units," Russell said. "They are going to be rolling to the scene just because they've got to get the right people
First dispatchers, who are often trained in identifying hazardous material situations, determine the seriousness of the call. If the caller reports a non-serious situation on campus, such as spilled gasoline, trained KU EHS employees clean it up. If the situation is more serious, dispatch notifies emergency units and sends them to the scene.
Fire Marshal's Office to become certified as hazmat technicians by Kansas Fire Rescue and Training.
KU EHS and KU public safety will also noti-
fited of the situation through dispatch, and respond. The responding units then set up a command station where the units will formulate a plan.
In the case of last week's hazmat call, the bottle was labeled biodiesel and heptane, a fuel additive and solvent. At the time of the call it was unknown if heptane was dangerous or if that was even what the bottle contained.
"Hazmats are usually one of those things that go real quick. It's hurry up and wait," Green said.
"Our number one priority is life safety."
While the first steps of the hazmat process are fairly consistent, the next steps are full of
variables. Some hazardous materials take days to clean up, while others take a few hours. In the parking garage situation, respondents cleared the area, sealed the bottle in another container and it was taken from the scene within an hour.
AT THE READY
Green said each hazardous material case is unique. The cleanup time and the number of fire trucks, police cars, ambulances or hazardous material trucks dispatched varies on the severity of the case.
What does not vary is who foots the bill. Green said a hazmat call to Lawrence-Douglas County Fire and Medical is treated like any other emergency call. The University does not pay for extra service from the city of Lawrence or Douglas County. It does, however, pay for KU EHS employees
Green said this variability makes it difficult to assign a specific cost to a hazardous material call.
What is a hazardous material?
A hazardous material is anything that can cause physical damage, but usually, in the campus context, it refers to dangerous chemicals.
MIKE RUSSELL Director of KU Environmental Health and Safety
Regardless of costs, the KU EHS and hazmat teams are ready to respond to situations large and small.
"We get a lot of calls and the majority of those calls are not big events or have any severe or negative outcomes," Russell said.
who clean up the materials or assist in the process. Lawrence Douglas County Fire and Medical has an operating budget of $13,422,605 this year.
Russell also said that, although KU EHS does not keep compiled
records of hazmat incidents on campus, they deal with about one large or labor-intensive call a year. Russell said that the incident at the parking garage did not count as such a call.
Russell did not provide the student's name, and no charges were filed. He thought the bottle had been returned to either the student or his professor.
"Between us and the professor," Russell said, "he got raked over the coals."
Edited by Dave Boyd
INDEX
Classifieds ... 6A
Crossword ... 4A
Cryptoquips ... 4A
ar pledge class-
ife."
KU alum-
o, told him
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ding to its
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gay of gay,
live men.
009. Earles
started the OLP to
the later, DLP
registered
bers. After
Opinion ... 5A
Sports ... 8A
Sudoku ... 4A
es as a cotony, DLP will become an official chapter April 30. There are 28 DLP members at the University.
ife."
SIMILARITIES NOT DIFFERENCES
WEATHER
Earles
Earle, who is president of the fraternity, said DLP is no different than other fraternities besides the fact that all the members are gay. He said they host socials, practice philanthropy, and have academic and community service requirements.
"There are way more similarities in our house with other houses than differences," he said.
Earles said some people think members are hooking up or dating each other, but the fraternity has a rule that requires all relationships within the fraternity to be strictly platonic. Godfrey Riddle, a senior from Olathe and social activities coordinator of DLP, said the pledge process members go through creates strong fraternal bonds that are free of sexual tension.
WEDNESDAY
"Would you date your brother?" he said.
Brandon Woodard, a sophomore from Topeka and member of DLP, said the Greek community at the University is very welcoming and supportive toward his fraternity.
s wanted to e in college.
ang at the ming frater- gay man in ess. That is, m an idea.
TODAY
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THURSDAY
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ansan.com
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All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2011 The University Daily Kansas
LOCAL|6A
TRACK AND FIELD | 8A
SEE FRAT ON PAGE 3A
After surveying its customers, the local grocery store decided to eliminate plastic sacks in favor of paper or cloth options. The new effort to be more sustainable coincides with this year's Earth Week.
The Merc does away with plastic for good
From Jamaica to Lawrence
Denesha Morris' decision to come to Kansas from her home country allowed her to experience many shocking firsts, including snow and indoor tracks.
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