THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
BY CARNEZ WILLIAMS editor@kansan.com
Matt Shoreman steers his electric-powered wheelchair through the front doors of his dorm and past the corner of 15th Street and Engel Road as he races down the hill toward his 8 a.m. philosophy class in Wescoe 3140. It starts in 10 minutes.
As he crosses the intersection at 15th and Naismith, Matt, a sophomore from Hays, pushes full speed toward the paved stretch between Budig and Marvin Halls — only five minutes away from Wescoe.
Matt motors up Wescoe's wheelchair ramp, only to be foiled by a set of heavy glass doors he can't open. This entrance has no handicap-accessible buttons or automatic door openers, so he patiently waits outside, knowing he will be late unless someone sees him and opens the door.
Although Matt has learned to cope with frustration, these moments remind him of the price he pays to be a lavihawk.
Matt became a partial quadriplegic after an accident on a playground damaged his spine when he was 6 months old. Like Matt, students with physical disabilities at the University face challenges in navigating hills and old buildings and getting to class on time. The three students who have self-identified with KU Disability Resources as having mobility problems don't reflect the total number of students who encounter these barriers on campus.
For Carmen Thomas, who was born without arms, getting to class means having to rely on a bus service that often makes her late to class. For Shannon Curry, who is legally blind, that means getting lost on campus or being unable to find buildings, offices and classrooms. For Brian Smith, who has cerebral palsy, it means attending rigorous physical therapy twice a week just to cope with the physical strain of walking to and from class.
Overcoming these problems seems as simple as providing more automatic door openers, wheelchair entrances and a more efficient para transit service, but it's complicated by the state's shrinking budget and the high cost of retrofitting buildings protected by historic preservation, backlogged renovations and construction and the steep topography of the campus.
SEE ABLEHAWKS ON PAGE 4A
ENVIRONMENT
Tanner Grubbs/KANSAN
Anna Archer, a sophomore from McPheson, center, directs an activity for grade school students during a tour of the Baker Wetlands in Lawrence. Archer is a member of Environs, a student-led environmental advocacy group at KU.
Students lead nature tours
Wetlands walks give kids new ways to learn
Followed by a line of bubbling second graders, Anna
BY BRENNA LONG blong@kansan.com
This season's pollen count is 100 times more than its level last year, a record 8,000 particles per cubic meter. As the season progresses and temperatures rise, allergens will continue to emerge.
Photo illustration by Jerry Wang/KANSAN
Archer paused and pointed to a turtle sunbathing in the Baker Wetlands. Setting aside two hours of the day, Archer and other KU students will lead more groups just like this one on a nature walk through the nature area today.
students have volunteered with Wetland Learners, a program at Lawrence elementary schools that introduces kids to the wetlands south of Lawrence. The program approached environmental groups on campus such as Environs, asking for their assistance in leading the tours.
Students have led five teaching sessions and plan to do four more
"Our goal is to show them how to interact with nature," Archer, a sophomore from McPherson, said. "We want to get them excited about it."
This is the first semester KU
SEE WETLANDS ON PAGE 3A
HEALTH
Pollen count reaches record high severe allergies intrude on daily life
ebrown@kansan.com
BY ERIN BROWN
It's midafternoon and Jessie Damman's head is throbbing as she struggles to see through her itchy, watery eyes. Her blurred vision, sneezing and headache make concentrating on school difficult.
"The last couple weeks I've been miserable," said Damman, a junior from Topeka.
Damman usually manages her spring allergies with over-the-counter medications. But this spring, her symptoms have been much worse.
"Usually Benadryl works, but it hasn't recently." Damman said. "I've been taking 12-hour Claritin and it works for maybe four hours."
Damman said she's allergic to pollen and blooming trees.
Allergies are common in springtime when flowers bloom and fill the air with pollen. This spring, however, pollen counts are at record levels and causing more severe symptoms, said Dr. Warren Frick of Asthma, Allergy and Rheumatology Associates in Lawrence.
Typical pollen counts for this time of year are between 80 and 100 particles per cubic meter. Since the emergence of warm
weather, pollen counts have hit a near historic high of 8,000 about 100 times higher than has ever been recorded. Frick said. Increased pollen particles cause worse symptoms for those already struggling with allergies. Others have experienced symptoms for the first time this spring.
"It's higher right now than it has been in a long time," Frick said. "Some patients feel like they've never had allergies before, and bam! they just have it this year."
This is the worst allergy season Frick has seen during his 20 years of practice in Lawrence. He said
no one can predict the severity of allergens in a given season, and the drastic increase of pollen this spring is relatively unknown.
Debbie Bolden, a nurse at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said one reason for the increase could be the sudden change from a really cold winter to temperatures in the 70s and 80s.
"Everything is flourishing," Bolden said. "The trees and plants are all blooming at once and producing pollen."
SEE ALLERGIES ON PAGE 3A
index
Classifieds. ... 8A Opinion. ... 7A
Crossword. ... 6A Sports. ... 1B
Horoscopes. ... 6A Sudoku. ... 6A
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2010 The University Daily Kansan
Editorial: Loss of faculty members will be felt
As staff leave for new jobs, students should wish them luck. OPINION | 7A
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