MONDAY, DECEMBER 4,1995
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS 864-4810
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
ADVERTISING 864-4358
SECTION A VOL.102.NO.71
Kansas brewin up No.1 spot
With a 85-70 victory against UCLA, the Jayhawks top the USA Today/CNN poll. Page 1B,2B
Learning with mentors
The University Scholars program gives students a chance to work closely with faculty. Page 6A
(USPS 650-640)
U. S. Troops on the way
President Clinton has ordered the first deployment of American soldiers to Bosnia. Page 9A
Strikes cripple French economy
The government will hire 1,000 private buses to serve commuters stranded by public transportation strikes. Page 8A
WEATHER PARTLY CLOUDY
High 58° Low 31°
INDEX
Weather: Page 2A
Opinion...4A
World News...8A
National News...9A
Scoreboard...2B
The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is free. Additional copies of the Kansan are 25 cents.
Story by Jake Arnold
Illustration by Ed Kowalski
The American Red Cross, the Topeka Blood Bank and North American Biologicals Inc. want your blood. They harvest blood, refine it and sell it.
In the blood market, the University of Kansas is coveted as one of the prime sources of blood in the state. Nationwide, students make up the bulk of donors. Young people generally are healthier and easier to reach because they are concentrated In one area. Plus, in the case of plasma, students usually are more willing to trade blood for money. All of this means
When it comes time for blood donors to choose sides, the American Red Cross is the big kid on the block, controlling roughly half of all U.S. blood banks.
Each organization has a different strategy to try to lay claim to its share. The American Red Cross has nama recognition and tradition on its side. The Topokia Blood Bank, as sole supplier for Lawrence Memorial Hospital, plays up the keep-the-local blood-local angle. NABI, unlike the other two not for profit organi
the other two not of profit origi-
zations, offered cold, hard cash.
See DONATIONS, Page 5A
Group healing insurance plan's ills
A committee may add dental and optical care to the basic student plans. One-fifth of students at KU have no insurance.
By Phillip Brownlee Kansan staff writer
The insurance committee of the Student Health Advisory Board is finalizing today its recommendation for next year's student health-insurance policy specifications.
"We are reviewing specific issues so that we can get exactly what we want," said Art Yudelson, Los Angeles graduate student and committee member.
The 23-member committee is examining the current policy specifications with GM Underwriters Agency, Inc. and may consider additional coverage, such as possible addenda for optical and dental coverage, Yudelson said.
The policy now combines basic benefits with additional comprehensive benefits. Most services at Watkins Memorial Health Center — such as general medicine and prescriptions — are covered by the policy.
An open meeting will be held in January to allow students to review the committee's recommendation and make suggestions. The Student Health Advisory Board then will vote on the recommendation and seek bids from insurance carriers.
"Our concern is to incorporate the things that GM does into the specs so that the quality of the insurance doesn't deteriorate," Yudelson said.
However, the committee
also is concerned about keeping insurance premiums as low as possible.
According to Watkins' surveys, 20 percent of KU students don't have health insurance. Nationally, 11 percent of all college students are uninsured, and about 34 percent are either uninsured or underinsured.
"For every dollar the costs increase, some people are not going to be able to afford it, and that's not what we want," Yudelson said.
Udelson said that at this point, the committee couldn't estimate what next year's premiums might be.
ago. Although steep, this increase reflects increases in health-care costs, which doubled nationally between 1984 and 1991.
Jim Strobi, director of student health services, said that he has been pleased with the student insurance policy, despite the premiums' increases.
The premiums for a student policy now are $815, a 44-percent increase from four years
"This is, hands down, the finest insurance plan we could have," he said. "It's a third the cost of the faculty plan."
But Strobi admitted that no matter the policy, it was hard to please everyone.
"People think that every nickel they have in health-insurance expenses should be covered," he said.
Haskell, KU hold trafficway hearing
Proponents choose not to attend forum
By Joann Birk
Kansan staff writer
Unlike past hearings on the South Lawrence Trafficway, yesterday's forum only included opponents of the trafficway. But the proponents were invited and chose not to attend.
Haskell Student Senate, Haskell Alumni Association, Haskell Wetlands Preservation Committee and KU Environs sponsored the hearing at Haskell Indian Nations University to encourage public comment before a final decision on the trafficway was made.
About 40 members of the Lawrence community, the Univer-
city of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University gathered to speak about the cultural, environmental and spiritual issues related to the construction of the trafficway.
"This is about religious freedom, about natural resources and about the future of this institution," said Dan Wildcat, chairman of the division of natural resources at Haskell.
"This is about religious freedom,about natural resources and about the future of this institution."
N an c y
Williams, president of the preservation
Dan Wildcat chairman of the division of natural resources at Haskell
committee and a Haskell student, said the importance of the public hearing was educating each other.
"What we are trying to do is to break that cultural barrier so we can all understand how important the wetlands are." she said.
Williams said the Environmental Protection Agency, the Kansas Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration and Douglas County Public Works were invited to the hearing but declined or did not respond.
A public hearing was held on Nov. 8, in which these agencies answered questions. Haskell Student Senate decided to hold another forum because it was unhappy with the format of the November hearing.
Bill Welton, instructor at Haskell, said that there seemed to be more community opposition to the trafficway than there had been in the past and that proponents of the trafficway might be overwhelmed. He said he was unsure of how much the public comments and Haskell's opposition would affect the future of the trafficway.
In November, John Pasley, project manager of the trafficway, said all comments given before the deadline would be considered in the final decision.
Thomasine Ross, national president of the Haskell Alumni Association, said yesterday the public comment period had been extended from today until Jan. 4 because of a request from the EPA. Trafficway planners have not set a date for a final decision on the alignment of the highway that would connect U.S. Highway 59 to Kansas Highway 10 east of Lawrence.
Dan Wildcat said he hoped people would continue to comment on the trafficway and educate the rest of the community.
"I don't know where the trafficway is going to end up, but it gives me hope that people are concerned enough to be here," he said.
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