CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, July 24, 1996
3A
Back to nature
Edmée Rodriguez/KANSAN
Chris Parish, 10, looks at a small crayfish he caught in Potter Lake. Parish took part in an aquatic biology workshop conducted by the Natural History Museum on Monday.
GTA salary complaint remains unresolved
Hearing officer dismisses union grievance; union members want review of decision
Kansan staff report
Graduate teaching assistants don't seem to be making much progress in their efforts to obtain a 3.5-percent salary increase that other KU employees received in 1995.
A hearing officer last Wednesday dismissed the GTA union's complaint against the University of Kansas. The union charged that the University failed to bargain in good faith during negotiations last year.
"We're disappointed in the decision," said Karen Hellekson, GTA coalition president. ("The hearing officer) did not address the substance of our complaints — KU's failure to bargain in good faith. He based his decision on what seems to me like a technicality."
George Wolf, the hearing officer, dismissed the complaints against the University because the Department of Administration was not made part of the original negotiations, as required by law. This failure to comply with Kansas state law renders void any attempt to meet as contemplated by the statute, Wolf said in a public statement.
The burden of including the Department of Administration was the University's responsibility. Wolf stated that failure of the University to act appropriately placed GTAs and the Kansas Association of Public Employees in a position of either assuming that the University had followed protocol or contacting the department themselves
Hellekson said she hoped the union and the University could sit down again with all the proper procedures and give negotiations another try.
Short classes help and hinder
By Andrea Albright Kansan staff writer
Students and instructors about to finish shortened, intensive summer classes have mixed feelings about the University's accelerated curriculum program.
Many KU departments offer two-three- and four-week classes to summer school students instead of the regular eight-week schedule.
Normal summer courses cover 16 weeks of material in eight weeks. Accelerated classes cover the same material in fewer than eight weeks by increasing the length and number of meetings each week.
assistant in political science,
taught an accelerated course
because he needed the money but
said the shortened schedule
caused an overload of information.
"I found it more difficult to cover the same amount of material that would normally have been covered in 16 weeks," he said.
Phil Huxtable, graduate teaching
Murray Levin, associate professor of business, said in an eight-week class an instructor could convey a basic understanding of the subject before assigning projects and moving on to more complex material.
Levin said it was difficult to have the normal progression of events in a four-week class.
Classes that met for three or four weeks do not afford instructors that luxury.
"I think it's a struggle," he said. "The problem is not how much material I can cover but how much I can ask the students to do outside of class."
Some students like the compressed classes because they can finish quickly. However, some said the quality of the classes suffered because of the fast pace.
Robin Daniel, Topeka senior, said she was given new material in her introductory political science course. She ended up cramming for the tests and didn't have enough time to learn the information.
"It flew by," Daniel said, "but I wouldn't take core curriculum classes in my major that way."
Some instructors said the accelerated classes are a good idea for non-traditional and working students even though the sixteenweek pace is more conducive to learning.
Huxtable's students earned higher grades than average this summer, but he said they were exceptionally motivated.
"I was very pleased with the results, but it's a lot of work," Huxtable said. "It's the only thing going on in your life."
When dog bites, its owner pays
Vicious four-legged friends may cut your budget, bring other troubles
By Emily Redmond Kansan staff writer
KU police have a simple message for students who bring their dogs to campus and either tie them up or let them run free: don't do it.
"We try to push students not to bring dogs to campus," said Officer Gail Reece of the University of Kansas police department. "Even well-behaved dogs will get upset. Sometimes trouble results."
Some dog owners are convinced that their dogs will not attack people.
"I know he won't bite anyone because his disposition is incredibly friendly," said Dan Kohanzo, Palatine, Ill., senior. "But if it did happen, I'd apologize to the person and then tell them he has all his shots."
Like many students, Kohanzo was unaware of what could happen if his animal bites someone while on campus.
"I take him to campus to break the monotony of him sitting in the house." Kohanzo said.
When a person reports that a dog has bitten someone, the bite is examined by certified medical personnel. If the bite results in a puncture wound or is serious enough, the owner is advised to place the dog in quarantine at a veterinarian's office. The dog owner must pay for all fees incurred during the period of quarantine, usually a minimum of 10 days. Some dogs are kept for a longer period of time at the discretion of the veterinarian.
The veterinarian keeps an eye on the dog to see if it gets sick and administers proper vaccinations.
"If it develops rabies then we know for sure if the dog is ill," Reece said.
When a dog bites someone, fines
"We try to push students not to bring dogs to campus. Even well-behaved dogs will get upset."
Gall Reece KU police officer
can be levied against its owner for letting the dog run loose or knowingly owning a vicious dog, even if it is on a leash when it bites someone.
"A lot depends on how a bite occurs," Reece said. "Especially if the person is antagonizing the dog."
KU police closely examine the circumstances surrounding an incident. They look at whether the dog was on a leash. If it were on a leash and it bit someone, then police have to consider if the dog is viscous and the attack was unprovoked. They also have to determine whether the attack was provoked by the individual that was bitten.
"There are lots of things to consider," Reece said.
Although there are only two or three reports of dog bites a year, some of the dogs reported are not registered to an owner and are roaming free.
Police distribute flyers or search for the dog. Most of the time the search is in vain, but if they do find the dog, the dog it is quarantined.
Internet site blends music and AIDS info
By Gwen Olson
Kansan staff writer
Two KU graduates recently created a Web site on the Internet that shows the alleged government cover-up of research on AIDS and related syndromes.
Charles Ortleb, a 1971 KU graduate, developed the site and its new "documusical" called Refuse and Resist, which features 10 songs explaining the links between AIDS and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
"Right now the site has just the first songs, but we are trying to enlist help to stretch out one song and add the dialogue of scientists," Ortleb said. "It's a musical for the cutting edge of technology."
The site soon will include articles written during the last nine years by Neenyah Ostrom, a 1974 KU graduate.
Ostrom began her work with Ortleb in 1987 and started researching Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which at that time had not been named.
"Chuck (Orleb) began seeing parallels between AIDS and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome," Ostrom said. "What I have done through my research is create the story line for the musical."
Ostrom's research shows many links of the two syndromes, something she said makes her work controversial.
Ostrom's research details the problems with many of the drug treatments on which AIDS patients rely, showing that some of these drugs are toxic and contain carcinogens.
"The least resistance has come from the patients," she said. "Patients have been giving me great support."
The music can be heard on the
Internet using RealAudio software that can be downloaded at no charge.
"Within a week or two, we also will have the lyrics up, so that they can be read on the site as well as listened to." Orteb said. "That should cause the use of the site to grow dramatically for people who are not as computer literate."
Ortleb has many ideas to help the musical reach as many people as possible.
"This is going to take a while to do," he said. "We are looking into working with an Internet company to make it more available and to work with a record company to enlist the help of musicians who could offer their versions of the songs, making them available to everyone."
The musical and the site are still in progress, and new elements will be added until the entire musical can be viewed with music, dialogue and video scenes.
Another feature, which can be viewed for $30, is the book Ostler's Web, written by another researcher, Hilary Johnson.
Johnson's book alleges that government scientists are keeping details of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome hidden from the public.
The site also includes an interview with Johnson detailing the major focus of the book.
Ortleb said the site would continue to grow as new information became available. He hopes the project will lead other groups to make similar information available to the public and follow the innovative ideas of the site.
"We decided to present this in an entertaining and humorous way," Ostrom said. "I think of it as a big mystery story, and there are still clues to follow."
The Internet address for Ostrom and Ortleb's musical web site is http://www.tsradio.com.
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