University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, November 29, 1988
Campus/Area
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Prof studies AIDS volunteers
Motivations for working with terminally ill examined at KU
Allen Omoto, assistant professor of psychology, reads through a book on AIDS. Omoto is doing research on people who volunteer to work with AIDS patients.
By Grace Hobson Kansan staff writer
A KU professor has added a new twist to AIDS research by studying something less talked about — AIDS volunteers.
Alen Omito, assistant professor of psychology, is working with the University of Minnesota to discover what motivates a person to study. He asked his background in social psychology helped spur the research.
"AIDS is clearly a very important issue," he said. "People would like to think about it, but an attempt in any way to ameliorate the epidemic."
Oromo and a group of KU undergraduate and graduate students have been testing students and AIDS volunteers to learn why people are at risk and people attitudes are concerning volunteering and AIDS victims.
This is Omoto's first semester doing the research at the University of Kansas. He started it when he was a doctoral candidate in Minnesota. A one-year, $50,000 grant from the American Foundation for AIDS Research financed Omoto's research.
Omoto's research involves three stages: the motivations for volunteering, the experience of volunteering and the personal consequences of volunteering. The group is currently completing the first stage and is gearing up to
research actual volunteers.
David E. Peterson, Arkansas City junior, a member of Omoto's research team, said that the research had long-lasting implications.
Omoto said there were many applicable implications of their research. For example, by tracking the motivations of volunteers, organizations can use the information to appeal to potential volunteers.
"It's very important to study volunteers who work with AIDS." Peterson said. "We must study the effects of volunteering with particular attention to how to get more people involved."
One study the group did to understand the attitudes and motivations of the volunteers involved giving students a profile of a terminally ill patient. Half of the group was told the patient had cancer, and the other half was told the patient had AIDS.
The researchers then monitored the study's participants' responses to the patient. Whether the patient had cancer or AIDS did make a difference in students' attitudes about volunteering with the patient, Omoa said.
The study dealt with a common problem facing AIDS victims as well as AIDS volunteers. The study also found that hurdle society must overcome in battling the epidemic and caring for its victims, Omoata said.
Donating blood to yourself reduces risks
By Terry Buroth Kansan staff writer
Although the nation's blood supply is becoming increasingly free from the AIDS virus and other infectious diseases, blood bank officials still recommend precautions for people planning to have surgery.
whenever you have known or elective surgery, you should donate your own blood if blood is going to be needed in surgery; "I want to see who chair medical officer at the American Red Cross in Wichita.
Peggy Brown, supervisor of the blood bank at University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., said there was an increased
interest in self-donation all over the region.
"There should be more interest in self-donation because it is the safest way to go." Brown said.
Self-donations have to be approved by the physician, but that is usually not a problem, she said. Patients have an input and should discuss how they feel about a transfusion with their physician.
Palko said, "Transfusions will never be 100 percent safe. But the safest blood is that donated by oneself for oneself."
In the United States, the chance of being infected with AIDS through the transfusion of a single unit of blood, Palko said, ranges from one in 40,000 to one in a
million, depending on the region.
He said that the Midwest region fell into the one in a million category because AIDS was not as severe there as on the East and West coasts.
"The first thing you have to remember is that a transfusion has a lot of risks involved with it, but AIDS is not one of them," Palko said. "The risk is with non A-non B hepatitis."
The chance of contracting non A-non B hepatitis through the transfusion of a single unit of blood is not said, and that risk is nationwide.
Kalen Larson, assistant director at the American Red Cross in
Wichita, said that it was almost impossible to get AIDS from a transfusion because blood banks had been screening blood donations for AIDS antibodies.
"Douglas County has been testing for AIDS antibody since March 1985. We have tested more than 300,000 pints of blood and we have had fewer than 20 confirmed positive with AIDS antibody results," Larson said.
Palko said that blood donations were down at blood banks in the Midwest because of the losses from testing and because people thought incorrectly that AIDS can be contracted by donating blood.
Couples trying marraige on for size Poll indicates most people under 30 approve of cohabitation
By Craig Welch Kansan staff writer
Most college-age people approve on living with a person of the opposite sex, according to a poll released last week.
In fact, the Gallup poll said that about 62 percent of people between the ages of 18-29 approved of cohabitation.
Dennis Dailey, professor of social welfare, said the poll was probably an accurate reflection of the opinions students at the University of Kansas.
However, he said the effectiveness of combustion could not easily be detected.
"It depends on the reasons the people got together," he said. "Some get together for sex, some get together for convenience and some
get together to try out marriage. Some times it works, some times it doesn't.
"However, when half of all marriages go down the toilet, it should be no surprise that some of these relationships don't work."
Dailey said one of the problems often involved in cohabitation was a lack of commitment. People who get together experimentally, with no future commitment, tend to run into problems.
Tony Younger and Stacy Whitaker, both Overland Park seniors, have been sharing a one-bedroom apartMENT beginning of the 1988-89 school year.
"It was basically for convenience," Younger said. "We could spend more quality time together without having to arrange our sched-
utes around roommates. Now, we are free to do whatever we want, whenever we want.
Younger's schooling is being paid for through a trust fund and Whitaker's parents help her financially. The parents found the arrangement acceptable.
"Her parents actually encouraged it," Younger said. "They felt she'd be safer with me than with three other girls."
"It was also the only opportunity we'd have to live together while someone else was footing the bill."
However, Younger said the two didn't move in together for a trial run at matrimony.
But Whitaker said moving in together had strengthened rather than strained their relationship. They are both more confident about
Whitaker said the only thing she missed was being able to talk regularly with her best friend.
"We've been very fortunate"
Witkeraid said. "We don't have many
problems."
"My best girl friend is married now," she said. "But that's okay because Tony is my best friend now. I like to be comfortable and be myself with him."
the prospect of marriage because o. the past few months.
But Whitaker said she would not necessarily recommend this type of living arrangement for other couples.
"It depends on the couple," she said. "If you fight often, living together could make it 10 times worse."
University hires athletic auditor
By Arvin Donley Kansan sportswriter
The University of Kansas has hired a 1984 KU graduate, effective Dec. 1, as an administrative assistant and in the Kansas athletic department.
Janiele Martin, the new auditor, and Richard Konzem, athletic director, will work together to NCAA and Big Eight rules.
In addition, Konzerm said Martin's responsibilities would include administering financial aid to student creditors in the security and filling out compliance forms.
"She will audit travel reports to make sure that we are in compliance with NCAA rules in recruiting." Konzem said. "She will talk to our coaches and make sure they know how long a recruit can visit the University and during what time periods of the year and also what recruiting expenses can or cannot be paid."
Martin has worked for the past three years as an assistant sports information director at Northern Illinois University.
Konzem said Martin was hired because she was familiar with the University's athletic department, having worked as a student assistant in the sports information department at Williams Fund as an undergraduate.
"One of the things we were looking for was somebody who was familiar with NCAA and Big Eight rules and with the history of the University," Konzem said. "Janelle
Konzem said the University had always had a strong compliance program from a financial standpoint, but when Pat Collinson retired in June after 15 years of service, the university decided to expand the duties of the auditor.
qualifies in all areas."
He also said that the NCAA investigation of the men's basketball program prompted the University to improve the auditor position.
Konzem said the ever-growing complexity of the NCAA rule book was one reason that a rules auditor was needed.
"We got word of the inquiry and during our part of the investigation we cited that this area could be improved," Konzem said. "We decided to redefine the position and get the best use out of it as possible."
"You have some rules that are excellent in intent and are worded clearly. Others are excellent in intent, but it is difficult to understand," he said.
Konzem said the new NCAA rule book, which will be voted on in January, appears easier to read and better organized than past rule
Konzem said he was confident that Martin would help to reduce the chance of future NCAA rules violations.
"I think it will help us to do a better job in educating the coaches about the rules," Konzem said. "It will also help us in the enforcement part of the program. This coach has broken a rule, we should be able to catch it immediately."
KU student raped
Schuyler Bailey, KU police community services sergeant, said the victim was riding a moped eastbound on Sunnyside Avenue at about 11:15 p.m. when she heard the suspect calling for help. She parked the moped and walked down the steps east of Robinson, approached the suspect, whose back was turned to her, and asked what was wrong.
By Jay A. Cohen Kansan staff writer
The suspect said he hurt his ankle. When the victim came closer, the suspect, who was wearing a ski mask, turned and grabbed her by the throat and dragged the victim into some bushes. Bailey said.
foot, walking south.
Bailey said the suspect raped the woman and made small cuts on her chest and face with an unidentified sharp object. The suspect then left on
A 21-year-old female KU student was raped late Wednesday near the east side of Robinson Center. KU police said.
The victim then went to a friend's house and contacted the police. She then went to Lawrence Memorial Hospital where she was treated and released, Bailey said.
The suspect was described as a white male, about 5-foot-7, of medium build, about "college age." He was wearing blue jeans, a blue denim jacket and tennis shoes and a dark colored ski mask.
Bailey said no arrest had been made in the incident was still under investigation.
He said police had no reason to believe this incident was connected with other sexual assaults on campus.
According to KU police statistics, there were no rapes reported in 1987, three in 1986, one in 1985 and two in 1984.
This was the third rape reported on campus in 1988. One of those reports was later determined not to have been a rape, Bailey said.
Lawrence man charged with biting woman during church
During the week 82.3% of KU students read The Kansan
By a Kansan reporter
A 29-year-old Lawrence man accused of biting a woman during services at a Lawrence church Friday night pleaded not guilty to misdemeaneur counts of battery and criminal damage to property in Douglas County District Court yesterday.
Larry E. Tubbs, 1318 E. 25th Terrace, was arrested Sunday morning, according to jail records.
Chris Mulvenon, Lawrence police spokesman, said that the incident occurred Friday evening at the second Christian Church, 1245 Connecticut St.
Mulvenon said that Tubbs apparently became unruly during services and when the 45-year-old victim attempted to intervene, Tubbs allegedly tore her dress and bit her on the abdomen and the left leg.
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