WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1995
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS 864-4810
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
SECTION A VOL. 102, NO. 61
ADVERTISING 864-4358
(USPS 650-640)
TODAY KANSAN
SPORTS
Jayhawks lead and read
Some Kansas women's basketball players spent part of yesterday at a local elementary school. Page 1B
CAMPUS
Figure out the rest of your life
The University Placement Center and Career Counseling and Planning Services can help students find a career. Page 8A
Firefighters accused of arson
NATION
Five firefighters in South Carolina have been accused of setting fires for practice, illegally. Page 11A
WORLD
Bomb shatters sense of security
Three groups claim responsibility for blast in Saudi Arabia which killed seven. Page 11A
WEATHER PARTLY SUNNY
Weather: Page 2A
INDEX
Horoscopes ... 4A
National News ... 11A
World News ... 11A
Features ... 12A
Sports ... 1B
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.
Vandalism invades student housing
Campus housing vandalism
Number of incidents and cost of vandalism billed to residents during 1994-95:
Campus housing No. Cost
Jayhawker Towers 377 $1,163.00
McCollum Hall 262 8,847
Oliver Hall 343 8,354
Ellsworth Hall 211 7,187
Gerthue Sellards
Pearson-Corbin Hall 285 4,131
Hashinger Hall 145 3,445
Lewis Hall 82 1,699
Templin Hall 103 1,860
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Totals include vandalism from summer camps and conferences that are held in the residence halls. Totals do not include undocumented vandalism or damage not attributable to a particular student.
By Phillip Brownlee Kansan staff writer
Towers residents take hardest hit
Source: Department of Housing
Brendan O'Grady and Chris Lee were embarrassed on Parents' Day to show their families where they lived.
But it wasn't a messy apartment that the Cape Girardeau, Mo., freshmen were ashamed of — it was the obscene graffiti on the elevator doors.
"We both had younger sisters who were here," Lee said. "They shouldn't be exposed to that."
Lee and O'Grady live in Tower D of Jayhawk Towers and said they were tired of the vandalism that occurred almost every week in their housing complex.
"I'm paying good money to stay here, and I don't want to
see it get torn up," Lee said.
Besides the graffiti, Tower D frequently has fluorescent lights smashed, fire extinguishers discharged, apartment doors damaged and food plastered on hallway walls.
Last year, Jayhawker Towers had 377 incidents of vandalism that were billed to students.
This damage cost students $11,630, which was more than Gertrude Sellards Pearson-Corbin Hall, Hashinger Hall,
Corbin Hall, Lewis Hall and Templin Hall combined.
But in addition to what was charged to students, Jayhawker Towers had numerous cases that weren't documented or that couldn't be attributed to individual students, said Mel Sandfort, Jayhawker Towers complex director.
"We know we have thousands of incidents," she said. "The problem is out of control. I spend the majority of my day
dealing with vandalism."
"The time we spend on vandalism could be used to improve or repair housing," he said.
But unless perpetrators are caught, which is rare in the minor cases of vandalism, there is no accountability. In most of these cases, the complex — via its residents' rent — pays the bills.
Garito said the staff had tried to repair vandalism the same day because they didn't want to give the impression that they didn't care. However, they do wish that they could direct their resources elsewhere.
"It impacts the morale of the workers who have to go back and continually repair things," he said.
Phil Garito, associate director of student housing, said vandalism in Tower D, where most incidents occurred, was worse than the residence halls and definitely was up from last year.
Staff may have a good idea who did the vandalism but often can't prove it, Sandfort said. And fellow residents usually are hesitant to file complaints for fear of retaliation.
Jonathan Long, assistant director of student housing, said vandalism in all University housing, not just Tower D, was a high concern. As a result, student housing increased the number of resident assistants in the last five years and developed ways for students to report vandalism anonymously.
"The best defense is when residents set their own community standards," he said. "We need residents to take pride in their community."
Long admitted, however, that his staff could only do so much.
So far, that's not happening in Tower D.
James Grau / KANSAN
Kyle Duffins, Englewood, Colo., senior, concentrates on her studies late Monday night at Village Inn restaurant. Villa inn has no policy to limit study time, but customers must purchase at least one beverage to stay.
Semester's end causes stress
Joann Birk
Kansan staff writer
KU students who were waiting eagerly for Watson Library to open Sunday morning said they were overwhelmed by tests, papers and pending finals.
Joel Pantos, Topeka sophomore, said it seemed something was due in all of his classes.
"It is hard to get things done and still live." Pantos said.
And Pantos is not alone. Frank DeSalvo, director of Counseling and Psychological Services, said a fairly steady stream of students were seeking help for school-related stress.
Pantos said he just wanted the semester to end so he could stop worrying about deadlines for a while.
He said that stress from classes, when coupled with other stresses
of student life, caused problems for students. Inability to pay attention in class, loss of appetite or consistently having trouble sleeping are signs that stress is affecting students' performance in school.
"It is common for students to be overwhelmed with school while struggling with a relationship, choosing a major and worrying about finances," he said.
"There is no standard recipe," he said. "But getting a clearer picture of what the issues are typically makes students feel relieved."
DeSalvo said that just recognizing why they were stressed and understanding that stress was a common problem could help some students relax.
Not all students who are overwhelmed with school need counseling, but DeSalvo said that counseling and psychological services could help students identify their
problems and help them relax.
"Right before the end of the semester, it seems like all my teachers want to cram in a last test," he said.
Terrance Lockett, Kansas City, Kan., junior, said that he had noticed slight losses of appetite and sleep as the end of the semester approached.
Lockett said he was trying to find time for all his studying between work and watching football games. "I try to fit a life in there somewhere," he said.
If students feel that they need assistance in managing stress, they can contact Counseling and Psychological Services at 864-2277.
Services are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Thursday and Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday. The first session is free, and each additional session costs $7.
STRESSFUL late night STUDYING
Students discover restaurants good for midnight studies
By Craig Lang
Kansan staff writer
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Gloria Sturm remembers nights she arrived to work the graveyard shift as a waitress at Perkins at the same time students arrived to study.
"I would work from 10 p.m. to
6 a.m., and those same students
would leave at the same time I
did," said Sturm, night manager
of Perkins Restaurant, 1711 W.
23rd St.
Sturm said most of Perkins' business Sunday through Wednesday nights comes from students who study there. Many students find family restaurants such as Perkins and Village Inn Pancake House Restaurant, 821 Iowa St., desirable places to study.
Some students like the restaurant environment because it's less distracting than studying at home. Others prefer to study at restaurants because they are open later than the libraries on campus
Stephanie Richards, Des Moines, Iowa, junior, said studying in her room with her stereo and telephone nearby made it difficult to keep her mind on her books.
"I think I study more effectively any place other than my house." she said.
Becky Simons, Leavenworth senior, said she studied studying at restaurants more than studying at the library because she did not feel guilty when she talked with her study buddies.
Simons said she liked being
"They don't nag," she said.
"They realize we're students."
served food and drinks while studying. The servers at Perkins provide her with whatever she needs, but they don't check up on her constantly, she said.
Sturm said that Perkins welcomed students' business, but students must realize that they are at a place of business. If students want to study there, she said, they have to order something. Sturm said sometimes students had a hard time understanding that.
"Some bring in their own tea," she said. "They just want hot water."
Greg Spencer, night manager of Village Inn, said his restaurant was open for students who wanted to study, even if they just wanted to order water. The only time students pose a problem is when there is a lot of business, he said. In this case, students might be asked to order something if they want to stay.
"If we're full, and they're not going to order food, we'll probably ask them to leave," he said. "Otherwise, if we have the space, they're welcome to stay as long as they want."
Sturm said Perkins had a sign posted in the restaurant which asked students to limit their study time to two hours. However, that rule is enforced only when Perkins is extremely busy, she said.
Ivory Wallace, Kansas City, Kan., senior, said that he and his friends preferred studying at Perkins to studying at the library because the libraries closed at midnight, and they usually didn't start studying until 11 p.m.
"We'll leave here at 3 a.m.," he said.
It's still business as usual for Lawrence federal workers
By Novelada Sommers
Kansan staff writer .
Teresa Rasmussen, park manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Clinton Lake, went to work yesterday morning expecting to be sent home.
Rasmussen was one of the few people in Lawrence affected by a partial government shutdown that began yesterday.
The shutdown occurred because President Clinton and Senate Republicans failed to reach a budget compromise Monday night.
All government operations deemed essential continued yesterday. The mail was delivered, Veterans Affairs hospitals stayed open and safety personnel reported to work. But 800,000 federal workers were told to stay home. IRS and Social Security hot lines were not being answered.
The appropriations act financing the Corps of Engineers had been passed the night before, so Rasmussen and her six colleagues did not get the day off.
"It was a surprise," Rasmussen said. "When you anticipate a day off, you tend to plan accordingly."
I
Employees at the University of Kansas, felt little, if any, impact.
Diane Del Buono, director of student financial aid, said the office of student financial aid had prepared for the government shutdown in October, when U.S. legislators began talking about the measure.
The office draws finances periodically from the federal government for the campus-based and Pell grant programs. Del Buono said.
"We made sure we did the draw down before they shut down," she said.
The cessation would have to last for months before financial aid would see a major impact, Del Buono said.
It was business as usual at the ROTC office yesterday. Col.Rick Hunter, commander of KU Air Force ROTC, said that his office had been asked to limit its use of government vehicles and to spend less money. But the impact on individuals was negligible.
"We're still coming to work every day," he said.
治
Hunter said cadets' stipend checks could be delayed if the shutdown lasted until the end of the month.
"That is over two weeks away, and I would be surprised if it lasted that long." Hunter said.
Passport offices were closed, but the main Lawrence post office still was taking passport applications yesterday.
The Associated Press contributed information to this story.
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