THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14,2010
WWW.KANSAN.COM
ACHOO!
VOLUME 123 ISSUE 19
More pollen this fall, more allergies for you
Abundant rainfall this year leads to higher pollen counts
BY KELLY STRODA kstroda@kansan.com
Microscopic pollen particles are swirling through the air, triggering a wave of problems for autumn allergy sufferers — and this year might be worse than others.
"It's ridiculous," said Lindyn Roush, a junior from Pleasanton, Calif. "I sneeze about six times an hour."
"It's been a double-whammy this year," Frick said.
Weed pollen counts have the potential to be record-breaking this year, and tree pollen counts were 1,000 times above average this spring, said Dr. Warren Frick of Asthma, Allergy & Rheumatology Associates in Lawrence.
Those who suffer from allergies might have:
- Itchy, watery eyes
Runny nose Headache
Dallas Peterson, weed control specialist at the K-State Research and Extension office, said ragweed counts are higher this year
- Headache
- Snoring
- Sneezing
- Asthma
because of abundant rainfall Kansas received during the spring and summer.
- Asthma
Ragweed pollen counts reached 1,893 particles per cubic meter yesterday, according to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. Weed pollen
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath
counts above 500 particles per cubic meter are registered as very high pollen counts according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
The pollen from these weeds might be microscopic,but the consequences for allergy sufferers aren't.
"It's ridiculous. I sneeze about six times an hour."
Chase Bray, a senior from Kansas City, Kan., said this fall allergy season has been hitting him pretty hard.
Frick said ragweed gets all the attention, but weeds like English plantain, Russian thistle (tumbleweed), pigweed, lambsquarters and sage also influence allergies this time of year.
LINDYN ROUSH
Pleasanton, Calif., junior
"It drives you crazy," Bray said.
Ragweed
"It drives you crazy," Bray said. Sometimes Bray feels like he can't go outside without dealing with itchy eyes or an annoying tickle in his nose.
Chris Reynolds,
a senior from
Topeka, said he's
most allergic to
ragweed. He said
his hay fever really
kicked in about
two weeks ago.
"It's probably the strongest since I can remember," Reynolds said.
He said when he is in an area with a lot of pollen he is
hit with itchy eyes, a runny nose and an itchy nose and face.
Frick said pollen can blow in from hundreds of miles away and affect people in Kansas, and it could cause problems for allergy sufferers until the first hard freeze.
Edited by Alex Tretbar
"It could be three weeks from now or it could be three months from now," Frick said.
TIPS FOR AVOIDING POLLEN
- Stay inside,when possible.
- Keep your house windows closed and the air conditioning on.
- Vacuum frequently, including furniture.
- Wash pets that are outside and come inside.
rial Health Center
- Wash your hair nightly to remove any pollen.
Patty Quinlan. nurse supervisor at Watkins Memo
WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Avoiding pollen is the best way to evade allergy symptoms, said Dr. Warren Frick of Asthma, Allergy & Rheumatology Associates in Lawrence. But that's not always the easiest thing to do. Frick said there are three treatment options for allergy sufferers.
Sage
1. Over-the-counter medicines Claritin, Zyrtec or generic brands are non-drowty or anti-histamines that
will help reduce the severity of the symptoms for most allergy sufferers. Allergy eye drops can help itchy and watery eyes.
2. Nasal Sprays
If over-the-counter medicines don't help, the next step is a nasal spray.
3. Allergy shots
If medication isn't making a person feel better or if they have side effects from medication, allergy shots are a treatment option.
WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT?
Graphic By Kelly Stroda/KANSAN
CAMPUS
Evan Palmer/KANSAN
Megan Do, a senior from Wichita works on the third floor of Anschutz Library at the newest KI Info Location.
KU Info increases use options and services
BY STEPHEN GRAY sgray@kansan.com
Even though search engines play a large role in providing quick answers, there are always those times when the answer to a nagging question can prove difficult to find.
Fortunately for students at the University, there is an informational service on campus that continues to serve that exact need.
KU Info, which began as a rumor control hotline in 1970, has established itself under director Curtis Marsh as a reliable question-and-answer service at the University with threekiosks and a growing online database. Since 2005, when Marsh took the reins of KU Info, the service has gone from answering 100 questions a day to 300 a day in 2010.
"We just want students to know there is a place to go when they don't know where else to go." Marsh said.
Kelly Unger, a senior from Overland Park and KU Info employee, said that the free service's reach extends much further than just current students.
"More than anything, I'm surprised when alumni call and
they still know the telephone number and use our service," Unger said.
KU Info's current stability didn't come easy, however. Throughout the 1990s, KU Info struggled to maintain adequate funding as the Internet took on a greater role in student life. The service required significant student salary dollars in order to maintain it, and with major statewide budget cuts after 9/11, KU Info eventually lost its financial support in 2002.
After being moved to the reference desk of Anschutz Library, KU Info redefined itself to remain a valid program. With the strength of several petitions and online protests by students, a new funding structure was established by University leadership and Marsh was chosen as the fifth director of KU Info.
"We brought the program back to the Union and hired students to devote full attention to KU Info users," Marsh said.
The new KU Info provided a three-pronged approach to service: phone, online and in-person. The main transformation was the creation of a searchable
SEE INFO ON PAGE 3A
STUDENT SUCCESS
New position creates hope for higher retention rates
BY ANGELIQUE
MCNAUGHTON
amcnaughton.kansan.com
As part of the reorganization of Student Success, Marlesa Roney created a new position to
Roney
Melvin
focus on Chancellor Bernadette
Gray-Little's initiative. Roney said part of improved retention and graduation rates is making sure that the University recruits students who can be successful in the first place.
improve the University's retention and graduation rates through enrollment and recruitment.
Roney based the hiring of Matt Melvin, who currently serves as the associate provost for enrollment management at the University of Central Missouri, on his track record and experience.
"This position applies to that overall theme and it begins with effective recruitment," Roney said.
For Roney, the new position is merely a part of the overall reorganization of Student Success.
Melvin said his job would be to work within Student Success and across campus to create a set of enrollment strategies. These strategies, he said, would be designed to help achieve and maintain ideal recruitment, retention and graduation rates.
"This is about really moving us forward as a University and developing a true enrollment plan to understand what our capacities are in different academic areas," Roney said. "Then we will be able to build a plan that effectively delivers the numbers of students to meet their capacity."
No mechanical changes will take place during the enrollment process for future students because of Melvin's new position, Roney said, but changes will take place in terms of communicating with prospective students about opportunities.
"We are thinking about how we can personalize a student's experience from the first contact by the University to graduation and beyond," Roney said.
Melvin said during his time at Central Missouri, the university witnessed significant increases
SEE SUCCESS ON PAGE 3A
CLOUD|6A
Jamming for world peace
An unoffical campus group watches clouds and plays music every Thursday outside the ECM building.
TOUR|2A
Tour simulates drunken driving experiences
INDEX
Classifieds...5B
Crossword...4A
Cryptoquips...4A
Opinion...5A
Sports...1B
Sudoku...4A
Save A Life Tour visits campus to educate students on drunk driving.
WEATHER
TODAY
87 65
Scattered T-Storms
Scattered T-Storms
8766
THURSDAY
73 53
Partly cloudy
All contents, unless stated otherwise. © 2010 The University Daily Kansan