WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 2007 | NEWS | WWW.KANSAN.COM THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
CAMPUS
Study shows no link to brain tumors
Investigation finds airflow problems KU to change air systems in building
People sit on Wescoe Beach, a popular campus hangout. A researcher at the KU Medical Center determined that there was no link between Wescoe Hall and a string of brain tumors found in employees of the building during the past 10 years.
By Susan Schwarz
sschwarz@kansan.com
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
After a year of investigation, it has been determined that there is no link between Wescoe Hall and brain tumors.
A report done by epidemiologist John Neuberger concluded that the proximity of the tumors was likely due to chance and unrelated to occupancy in the building.
Previously, it had been believed that there could have been a link between the building and the tumors.
Jason Oruch, Plano, Texas junior said he was relieved to hear Wescoe did not have any link to brain tumors. However, he also said that it would have made for a good reason to stay out of classes there.
"I mean, I am happy that going to class isn't going to cause me harm," Oruch said. "But that would have been a valid reason not to show up for a discussion or two."
Neuberger works at the University
Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan.
The investigation began when five people with offices in Wescoe were diagnosed with brain tumors during the past 10 years. Three of those tumors turned out to be benign.
According to a University press release, Neuberger conducted an air quality investigation. He concluded that the building is environmentally safe. The investigation did find that the building had some airflow problems.
The University has decided to change the air systems in the first three levels of Wescoe Hall. The project is scheduled to last two years and cost $3 million.
Todd Cohen, director of University Relations, said the construction would cause professor and graduate teaching assistants to move their offices over the course of months.
Cohen said the biggest effect on students would be meeting with teachers.
space around to move people.
He added that the movements of offices have not been planned out yet because there is not a lot of empty
Cohen said that moving offices is likely to happen during breaks. He said that moving during breaks would keep
the disruption of classes to a minimum and students would not have to locate a new office mid-semester.
He said the classrooms in Wescoe
would not be affected by the construction being done to the office space.
Edited by Joe Caponio
ORGANIZATIONS
Greensburg relief mission canceled
By Alaide Vilchis Ibarra avilchis@kansan.com
A trip that would have taken student volunteers to Greensburg to aid in the disaster relief efforts was canceled because students weren't volunteering.
The Student Involvement and Leadership Center organized a trip to volunteer in Greensburg after a tornado in early May left 95 percent of the town destroyed.
Although the center sent an e-mail last week, no student organizations signed up to go on the volunteering trip.
Quisenberry said he had no idea and did not want to guess as to why only one organization and two individuals showed any interest in the trip but didn't confirmed.
Aaron Quisenberry, associate director of the SILC, said he thought that because of students having more free time during the summer, more people would be able to volunteer.
"If we don't get anybody, I might still go out all by myself." Quisenberry said. "There will be more trips organized I'm sure because there still is a lot of
work to do."
While in Greensburg, they would have done different tasks including cleaning up debris and picking up trees.
Quisenberry is from a town 15 minutes away from Greensburg.
Students who registestered would have left today and come back Sunday. Matthew Podszus, Coordinator of Greensburg Relief, said that every volunteer makes a difference in Greensburg.
To organize the trip, the SILC paired up with Greensburg Relief, an organization that provides volunteers and monetary aid to Greensburg disaster relief.
"If you help one family it may not seem that much, but there really is a domino effect that happens," Podszus said. "If two or three homes start going up it starts making people say 'Maybe I want to come back to the town'."
To sign up for another trip, students need to contact Aaron Quisenberry at aquisenberry@ku.edu.
Edited by Ben Smith