University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, January 23, 1991
Campus/Area
3
Message use increases as conflict rages
By Katie Chipman
Kansan staff writer
MAPATTACK KU flunks gulf geography
Since Operation Desert Storm began, the Lawrence chapter of the Red Cross has seen an increase in the number of people sending emergency messages to relatives in Saudi Arabia, said Jo Byers, chaperanger.
Byers said about 15 people a week used the Red Cross' emergency communication link, a network that connects hospitals and send messages to soldiers overseas.
"The message service is a charter responsibility of the Red Cross," she said. "We can only send messages that inform a service person of critical illness, the birth of a child or a death."
Byers said there was a 20 percent increase in the use of the message
Byers said anyone was welcome at the meeting, which will be informational
The local Red Cross chapter also has overseas shipping boxes available for no charge to anyone who is in Saudi Arabia to package to someone in Saudi Arabia.
The communication link is similar to a telegraph, she said. The family gives the message to the Red Cross, which calls Washington, D.C. From there, the message goes to a Red Cross in Arabia, and then on to the soldier.
The greater Kansas City chapter has launched a letter-writing campaign for people to write any service person. Students or community members who want to get involved in KC Cross at 211 W. Armour, Kansas City, Mo., 6411, or call 816-931-8400 ext. 221.
In Lawrence, the first support group meeting will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 31 at the Senior Services Center, 745 Vermont St.
Lynn Lanning, representative of the larger Kansas City Red Cross chapter, said most chapters were offering a support group for people who have friends or relatives in the gulf.
1. Egypt 5. Jordan 9. Turkey 13. Lebanon 16. Yemen
2. Iran 6. Iraq 10. Israel 14. Oman 17. U.S.S.R.
3. Ethiopia 7. Sudan 11. Saudi Arabia 15. Afghanistan
4. Kuwait 8. Syria 12. United Arab Emirates
KANSAN
U. S. military troops are fighting a war, but where exactly are they?
By Nedra Beth Randolph Kansan staff writer
Apparently, most University of Kansas students and faculty can pinpoint Iraq and the surrounding countries when given a blank map of the Persian Gulf. It's the areas of the Middle East that are not being shown in the news that give students the most trouble.
"I had a basic knowledge of the area before the conflict, but now I know exactly where our troops are located," said Jerry Kenefake, Overland Park junior. "I've done a lot of CNN-watching."
He correctly named most of the countries in the gulf. The countries he could not name were located outside the war zone.
Most students said they were not familiar with the region before the conflict began in August. News broadcasts and newspapers with maps have helped many students learn the geography of the gulf.
"I just got an assignment to do this in one of my classes," said Elizabeth Breithaupt, Overland Park junior. "I should know it."
She knew six of the 17 countries on the map: Iran, Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia.
"I thought I knew this stuff until today," she said.
Amine Bentobji, Algeria senior, said he was familiar with most of the gulf region before the war because he had a friend from Iran.
"But I didn't know where Kuwait was until now." he said.
Bentobji missed three of the 17 countries.
Many KU faculty members seemed to know where the warring countries were located as well as the surrounding countries in the area.
Thomas Tuozzo, assistant profes-
out of philosophy, knew where almost all of the countries were. The only mistake he made was mixing up Oman and the United Arab Emirates. He said he already knew the area before the conflict.
"I would have known the map even before the war because I don't really read the paper and I don't have a television to show me the map," he said. "Radio doesn't really help you visualize a map."
James Brundage, professor of history, easily named all the countries on the map. The only trouble he had was thinking of the name of Oman.
Brundage said he had taught the history of the Crusades.
"I've had many chances to look at maps of this part of the world," he said.
Donald Warders, assistant professor of English, said he knew he was in trouble when he looked at the blank. He did not even get Iraq correct.
"I really should know this," he said. "It's shameful and certainly revealing."
He said he had not been watching the news, so he had not had any reason to see a map of the region.
Sherry Hawkins, Watson Library assistant, did not get many of the countries correct, but she said she planned to know the region soon.
"The news was talking about Riyadh, and I wanted to know where that was, so I bought a man," she said.
Many people are buying maps, said Jackie McClenny, a clerk in the Oread Bookstore at the Kansas Union
"We are all sold out of the Middle East maps." she said.
People who cannot buy the maps have been wanting to look at them, said Ann Locascio, who works at the Maui Library and maps and library in Mallett Hall.
Kansas' Hispanic students increase
KU statistics differ from national trend Bu Lora Gold
By Lara Gold
Kansan staff write
Five-Year Growth and Change in Hispanic Enrollment
Fall 1986 Fall 1987 Fall 1988 Fall 1989 Fall 1990
312 338 359 368 424
KU's His-
panic-American enrollment has increased during the last five years despite statistics from a
Melissa Unterberg/KANSAI
recent national survey that say the number of Hispanic-American high school dropouts are soaring and graduate are not going to college.
According to University of Kansas enrollment figures, 56 more Hispanic-American students were in fall 1989 than in fall 1960 semesters in Fall 1989.
The American Council of Education study, based on population data from the Census Bureau, detailed high school graduation rates, college attendance and degree attainment for Hispanic African American American Indians and Asian-American Indians and
According to the study, high
Carl Flory gives blood at the American Red Cross Blood Center, 329 Carl St. Twelve to 15 people give blood there each day.
school completion rates for Hispanic-Americans ages 18 to 24 dropped from 62.9 percent in 1985 to 55.9 percent in 1989.
However, KU's Hispanic-American Leadership Organization is doing everything possible to increase and maintain Hispanic enrollment numbers by visiting high schools in Kansas.
He said he tried to find where the problem was if a student was
Louie Lopez, HALO president,
said organization members told
high school students about KU and
discussions of getting a college
education.
Blood centers increase donations
See KU, Page 9
Persian Gulf War sends 50 percent more area donors to centers to help By Amy Francis
Kansan staff writer
Officials from local blood donor centers have reported increases in donations since Operation Desert Storm began Jan. 16.
"I think a lot of people really feel like they're helping out," said Steve Hawkins, manager of the Lawrence Donor Center. 816 W. 24th St.
The center has experienced a 50-percent increase in donations of blood, Hawkins said, and much of the increase is due to new donors. Regular donors still make up most of the donors.
Both blood and plasma are accepted by the center, which offers a special incentive to new donors. A person is paid $10 to donate blood or plasma but not both donors who bring in the center's coupon will receive an additional $5.
But blood banks that do not offer monetary incentives also have reported increases in donations since Operation Desert Storm began.
Jill Hummels, donor recruitment for Toopea Blood Bank Inc..
'Everybody knows someone that could be affected by this. People are looking for ways to show their support, and this is one of them. They have been flocking in here to donate. The response has been overwhelming. The phones were ringing off the hook for appointments.'
Jill Hummels
Donor recruitment director for Topeka Blood Bank Inc
said, "Everybody knows someone that could be affected by this. People are looking for ways to show their support, and this is one of them.
"They have been flocking in here to
donate. The response has been overwhelming. The phones were ringing off the hook for appointments."
The Topeka blood bank, which does not pay for donations, has been asked
The Topeka center should not have any problems meeting the request for blood, Hummels said, because it was receiving 265 units of blood a week.
to donate 25 units of red blood cells per week to the military. Hummels said this was the first time the military had made the request.
The military is asking for blood and not plasma because blood lasts for only 35 days when refrigerated and six hours if kept at room temperature. Plasma is usable for more than a year if kept frozen, so the military should have plenty of plasma in supply. Hummels said.
Hummels said she thought the size of future requests by the military might fluctuate.
"There will be times when they will call and ask for additional blood that week, and another week they will call and say hold off on the blood," she said. "We'll just have to take it week by week."
Joan Cook, head nurse at the American Red Cross Blood Center in Lawrence, 329 Missouri St., said the center also was ready if the military needed blood.
"Whatever the government asks for, we'll give," she said.