Softball earns six seed in tournament The softball team won 3-0 against Iowa State on Sunday, which was Senior Day. By beating the Cyclones, the Jayhawks earned a six seed in the upcoming Big 12 tournament. PAGE 1B
Javhawks swept by Longhorns
Jayhawks swept by Longhorns Texas defeated Kansas in all three games of the weekend series in Austin. Kansas will go to Springfield, Mo. to play Missouri State Wednesday at 7 p.m. PAGE 1B
THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOL.116 ISSUE 148
▼ ACTIVISM
MONDAY, MAY 8, 2006
KU students and Lawrence resident protestors march down Massachusetts Street Friday night for "Womyn Take Back The Night." "Womyn Take Back the Night" is an event when both men and women come together to discuss and protest violence against women. The protestors want a safe non-violent community in Lawrence for both genders.
Marchers take back the night
Mangan True/KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM
BY MIKE MOSTAFFA
mmostaffa@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
A group of KU students and Lawrence residents spent Friday discussing and protesting violence against women. A crowd gathered at Buford M. Watson Train Park, between Sixth and Eighth streets and Kentucky Street, for "Womyn Take Back the Night," an event sponsored by Women's Transitional Care Services and the GaDuGi SafeCenter.
Jes Cook, Topeka senior, has been involved with the event since her freshman year. Cook said the event was a way for people to get together to create a forum for both men and women to speak about violence against women.
"Our main focus is to break the silence." Cook said.
One way participants spoke out was in the form of creating T-shirts for the event. Hundreds of homemade T-shirts filled with symbolic and inspirational messages were hung from a clothesline.
Some T-shirts were made by survivors of domestic abuse while others were in memory of deceased friends and family.
"The shirts make a visual statement that Lawrence as a community does not support violence against anybody, particularly women," Cook said.
The Lawrence New World Order
way to South Park with men and women participants chanting. "We are women, we are men, together we fight to take back the night."
poetry from domestic violence survivors. One woman was moved to tears when she recalled her past with an abusive boyfriend.
The event ended with a march down Massachusetts Street on the
Peace Choir opened the event with a set of inspirational music. The event also included poetry, an open-mic session and a candlelight vigil.
The erowd enthusiastically responded to the fiery and emotional
- Edited by Janiece Gatson
ACTIVISM
Event raises money for cancer cure
DEJIAN ATWAY
datway@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
While others may have been bar hopping on Friday night, some KU students and Lawrence residents walked on the track inside Memorial Stadium from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. to raise money for cancer research
for cancer research during the Relay for Life event.
Stacie Schroeder, who helped coordinate the event for the American Cancer Society, said the ultimate for the night
Relay For Life is an American Cancer Society fundraiser that raises awareness and money for cancer research.
It's better than just donating money because everyone is out here having a good time with all the events and everyone gets involved to help out."
Bill Bourgeois KU student
was to raise money for four general areas of cancer research: advocacy, research, education and patient services.
Schroeder said the 12-hour event was a metaphor for fighting against cancer. People would experience dark moments in their fight, but they also would see the light if they continued to fight.
SEE RELAY ON PAGE 6A
HEALTH
FLY HIGH SWING LOW
Bipolar disorder triggers life-threatening behaviors
BY RACHEL PARKER
rparker@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Kindra Hanke's heart rate shot up as the doors opened to the elevator in Fraser Hall. She rushed in and anxiously jabbed the button for the 8th floor. A spurt of excitement pulsed through her veins as she thought to herself, "What a rush it will be to soar off the building and glide through the air!"
When she reached the door to the roof, it was locked, and her excitement turned to deep disappointment. By that time, her roommate had raced up and found her, dampening any chances for a flight that day.
Hanke's failed attempt at a fatal flight is congruent with bipolar disorder, a psychiatric disorder of which an estimated 300 KU students suffer. Once known as manic-depressive, bipolar disorder is most commonly diagnosed in college-aged people. Those who have it experience drastic mood swings that can make them think they can fly sky-high and then sink them into dark depressions, putting them at a higher risk of committing suicide than any other psychiatric disorder. Those who have it often struggle to maintain relationships, perform well at work and in school and they often use effective mood-stabilizing drugs to control their roller coaster of emotions.
Hanke's best friends these days are her two roommates at home in Overland Park: her mother and her French bulldog. Monty. She understands why her friends have tapered off.
Human Impact
"Dealing with someone that's not the same everyday is probably difficult," she said, pointing out that her irritability makes most of her relationships fall apart.
Linda Keeler, psychiatrist at Watkins Student Health Center, said that the frencial level of ac-
Niswonger recalled going through the grocery store line during one manic episode, when she knew she couldn't afford to buy something for $80, but she contemplated the decision over and over until she ultimately bought it.
Leslie Niswonger, Leoti graduate student, said the disorder had caused her trouble with setting long-term goals and following through with them.
"The tiny decisions are agonizing." she said.
"Untreated,it can be a devastating illness."
"Untreated, it can be a devastating illness," she said.
Linda Keeler Psychiatrist at Watkins Student Health Center
Keeler said the switches in mood states could lead to poor judgment and increased promiscuous behaviors and could be detrimental to a person's life.
Hanke, 22, enrolled in 12 credit hours this semester, but that number quickly dropped to six. She has tried a Western Civilization course three times, but ended up dropping it each time, as she does with other classes. She blamed the disorder and her medications for her trouble reading, retaining information and staying enrolled in classes.
Niswonger has a husband and a son who suffer with her through the disorder. She said when her son was a baby, she sometimes forgot to feed him.
She said she was lucky her husband could pick up the pieces when things got crazy or when she withdrew from family and friends.
John Niswonger, her hus band of 11 years, said he had learned to carry all the weight and not depend on his wife when she was in her manic and depressive states. He has even made a list of the specific characteristics that she has when swinging into either mood and posted it on their file cabinet.
SEE BIPOLAR ON PAGE 3A
Photo illustrations by Rachel Seymour KANEK
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