Multimedia Reporting (Bradford-Noland)

For Rachel Gifford, founder of the Diabetes Freedom Foundation, her daily routine revolves around knowing how her pancreas is working.

Gifford said, “Diabetes is a gift. It requires me to continuously think about my health. I have to know how my pancreas is going to react to certain foods, to certain amounts of exercise. Depending on what I know, that is how I adjust my life and treat my disease.”

For diabetics in the Kansas City area, this better life may be just around the corner. The University of Kansas Medical Center has committed to creating a Diabetes Institute on the KU Medical Center campus

After being hospitalized at the age of 12, Gifford found out that she had type 1 diabetes. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov), Type 1 diabetes, previously called insulin dependent diabetes, develops when the body’s immune system begins to destroy the beta cell produced by the pancreas. For people like Gifford, surviving this disease means taking insulin to control the body’s regulation of blood glucose.

Even at 12-years-old, Gifford said she knew she had a choice: she could either die from this disease or learn how to live with it. She decided to live.With her company DM Strategies, Gifford hopes to change the world of diabetic care. Gifford wants to make sure that diabetics after her have a better life then she did

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The Institute will be a freestanding structure that will become home to both diabetes care, and diabetes research. The new institute will bring state of the art care to the people suffering with diabetes in the surrounding area.

According to Lisa Stehno-Bittle, the head of research for the institute, the creation of the institute will attempt to bring all of the diabetes health professional in the area together for bettering the future of diabetes. During a retreat on December 2, many of these professional came together to brainstorm a plan to create a mission statement, and begin their fundraising.

According to Stehno-Bittle, the building of the institute will require somewhere between 20 and 30 million dollars.

Stehno-Bittle is pairing with Endocrinologist and newcomer to the KU Medical Center Dr. David Robbins. The dream of a new diabetes institute started with Robbin’s thought to begin a fellowship for diabetes care.

After the two discussed the idea of a fellowship for diabetic care, they realized that they could do so much more for the Kansas City area.

The Kansas City area is behind in its treatment of diabetes. The pair will be traveling to other Diabetes Institutes to build a model for the research and care that will be provided in Kansas City.

The care at the new Diabetes Institute will provide service to many people in the area, including University of Kansas Students.

Diabetic Students on the University of Kansas campus can go to Watkins Student Health Center for their medical care. However, the Watkins may not be able to provide them with the extensive care that they need. According to Ann Chapman, Watkins coordinator for nutrition services and registered dietician, students with diabetes are dealt with on a one-on-one basis.

Students can come in a see a physician. The Physician will prescribe them the correct medicine, encourage them to eat correctly, and exercise regularly. The students will then be referred to Chapman to work on their dietary needs.

Chapman said that the new Diabetes Institute might become a new source of referrals for Watkins.

Chapman said, “The percentage of students with diabetes at KU is so mall we may not have the most comprehensive program. But, we have to look at the health risk that are effecting a large part of the community.”

No date has been set for the construction of the institute. Stehno-Bittle said that the main focus right now will be getting funding for the project.

Gifford can not help but express her excitement for the prospect of the new Diabetes Institute. She feels that a cure for diabetes is around the corner. But until the cure is found, Gifford will continue to battle her diabetes one day at a time.

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For seven percent of the United States population, diabetes is not a disease it is the burden of everyday life. During the month of November, The University of Kansas Medical Center, KUMC, will provide a series of speakers to help people learn how to better manage their diabetes.

On Saturday, The Diabetes Freedom Foundation hosted approximately 250 people for a day-long event about how to maintain diabetes. Gina Gowin, executive director of the Diabetes Freedom Foundation, said the conference was the first regional conference to target doctors, health educators, and people living with diabetes.

Gowin said the conference is free to the general public and will include a day of learning sessions and workshops featuring national and regional diabetes experts.

Gowin helped plan the sessions that included cutting-edge technologies, artificial pancreas, islet cell transplants, inhaled insulin, workshops on cardiovascular disease, kidney health, and oral health care, and guidance on stress and motivation to make smart health choices.

Lisa Stehno-Bittle, P.T. and Ph.D., works at the KU department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation. Steno spoke during a session on exercises relationship with diabetes patients.

During Stehno-Bittle’s presentation she stressed the importance of exercise for diabetics. She said that everyone knows it is good to exercise, but each person has to start with a manageable plan for themselves.

Stehno-BIttle spoke about safe ways to begin an exercise routine. For prediabetic patients, losing anywhere from five to seven percent of their body mass can prevent the onset of diabetes for several years. For those individuals with diabetes, Stehno-Bittle stressed checking glucose levels a lot because it is uncertain how different people will react to exercise.

For the past seven years, Stehno-Bittle has been working on diabetes research at the University of Kansas Medical Center. The focus of Stehno-Bittle’s research is exercises effect on the cardiovascular complications with diabetes.

To test her research, Stehno-Bittle has been studying rats that have diabetes. Stehno has found that protein output can be increased, heart function can be reversed, but vessel damage cannot be reversed as well.

Rosemary Masters, a Shawnee, KS., woman, was diagnosed with diabetes in August. Masters, who found out about the conference from the paper, said she wanted to learn more about her recent condition.

“The conferences reinforced the fact that a healthy diet and exercise are the key component to handling your diabetes,” Masters said.

Dale Grube, associate dean of KU Continuing Education, said the series would show that the KU medical center is still committed to finding a cure for diabetes. Grube said the point of the series is to help better educate the public about diabetes.

Ku Medical Center will host the continuation of the series on November 18 with a free public forum. The event is a part of KU Med’s Saturday morning series. The event will begin at 7:30 a.m. and will end at noon. People can attend the program at the KU Medical Center Student Center in Kansas City, Kan.

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For this New London Conn. native, being a part of the Army was a life-long dream, and a part of his family background. However, being a homosexual man in the Army requires the solider to keep their sexuality a secret. The “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that the Army currently operates under requires homosexual soldiers to keep their sexuality hidden, and no one will ask them to reveal themselves.

After telling his commanding officer that he was a homosexual, Smith left the Army. Now, Smith can be found behind his desk at Watkin's Student Health Center.

Smith is now the public health educator at the University of Kansas. Smith believes that students need to focus on their over all health and wellness in order to be as successful as they can be. Smith believes that staying health is a big key to doing well in school.

As a public health educator, Smith educates University of Kansas students about complicated issues like alcohol awareness and sexual health. Last week Smith was involved with Check Yourself before You Wreck Yourself, a drunk driving awareness program.

The program, often called Check Yourself, was offered to the entire campus community with the hope of educating them about the cost of drinking and driving.

Smith said that he was glad to help bring the program to the entire KU community. He thanks that this program in innovative, and that the whole campus can benefit from it.

Smith said, “Most students come to college with their drinking behaviors already established. They have already heard the talk about drinking and driving. This program is different.”

Check Yourself before You Wreck Yourself is not described as a typical lecture about drinking and driving. Instead, the program strives to hold the audiences attention. The program demonstrates the effects of alcohol by having 6 individual drink different amount of alcohol over a period of three hours, and then having them perform field sobriety tests.

Katie Roesslein, Panhellenic vice-president of risk management, with Smith on the Check Yourself project. Roesslein knows that Smith works very hard to reach the student population.

Roesslein said, “Bill was willing to help with the Check Yourself program. He had ideas and resources that really helped make the program a possibility for the whole campus to enjoy.”

This year’s Check Yourself Program was a collaboration between Panhellenic, the Interfraternity Council, Rock Chalk for Responsible choices, Greek Advocating Mature Management of Alcohol, Student Senate, and Peer Health Educators.

Brad Cardonell Greek Advocating Mature Management of Alcohol chair for Interfraternal Council also worked with Smith during the Check Yourself program. Cardonell was impressed with the passion that Smith has for affecting the student body.

In the Wellness and Resource Center, Smith is involved in educating the KU community about many potential dangerous behaviors; however, sexual health is one of Smith’s passions. Smith wants to stress that sexual health is not just about having sex. Smith wants to help students in whatever decisions they decide to make.

“When I talk to students I have to consider where everybody is coming from”, Smith said about speaking to students about sex. Smith said that all students come from a different place. Some want to remain abstinent, others are postponing sex, and some are ready to deal with sex.

Smith is now looking toward the future, and possibly a doctorate degree in health education. With his degree he plans on becoming a professor at a University. Smith said that he would like to teach a class about human sexuality.

Smith says that students needed to understand that sexual health is a more complex issue than the act of having sex. Instead, students need to know that sexual health is about intimacy, communication, and knowing yourself.

These days Smith is all about telling. He is no longer keeping anything secret. Smith spends his days talking to students, and making sure that they know the weight of their decisions.

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Professor Schrodt, political science professor at the University of Kansas, said that North Korea has been known to do rash things. Schrodt, like many other people, is uncertain what North Korea will do with nuclear weapons.

On October 9, 2006 North Korea reported that they had successfully conducted an underground test of nuclear weapons.

Professor Schrodt said that this upset many people. Not only has the United States been at war with North Korea since the 1950s, but also China, which borders North Korea, also has reason to show concern.

Schrodt said, “I think it worries a lot of people because North Korea has been know to do a lot of rash things. I think the concern is that they will not just have a nuclear weapon but use it possibly on South Korea, because they have a long history of sort of militant actions.”

According to the Kansas Department of Commerce Website, Kansas has an international representative in Korea. This representative serves as a connection between the business world in Kansas and the business world in Korea.

Schrodt said that there is a fair amount of trade between Kansas and Korea. Schrodt said that the nuclear testing would affect the economic well being of Kansas and Korea.

According to an article in the Lawrence Journal World by Ron Know the Kansas Department of Commerce reported about $173 million exported trade to the Korean peninsula. It was also reported that Kansas provides a large amount of wheat to North Korea.

The effect that the nuclear testing will have on University of Kansas Students was not as definable for Schrodt. However, he said that there are a fair amount of Korean students of the university. He also feels that the students on campus should be involved.

Schrodt said, “I think students should be concerned about it. Just like they should be concerned about anything that affects the international community.”

The North Korean's announcements of nuclear testing will not only affect the international community, but it will also affect the University of Kansas. Our Students, and our commerce will be tested.

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Premium denim is the way to buy jeans these days, and many people are. Or are they?

According to Carrie Mandigo, employee of Ginger and Maryanne, premium denim is the trend now. For the past three years, designer jeans have been “flying out of the door”

At Epic Apparel, a new trend boutique off Massachusetts street, store manager Kate Turner said that premium denim fits better, and that each pair of jeans is handmade.

Turner said, “we felt Lawrence could use a brand and trend boutique, we believe the population of Lawrence can carry our type of boutique.”

Premium denim at Epic Apparel costs between 120 dollars and 255 dollars. According to Turner they sell about 15 to 20 pairs a month.

However at American Eagle a few blocks down, employees Tiffany Mitchell and Megan Cooper said that they sell about 15 to 20 pairs of jeans a day.

Mitchell and Cooper, both wearing American Eagle jeans, said that people buy at American Eagle because they have a good variety at a low price. A pair of jeans at American Eagle can cost between 39.95 and 49 dollars.

At Old Navy jeans can cost anywhere from 24.50 to 32,50. Aaron Lucero, store manager, said, “Although it varies, a couple hundred fly out every month. I guess it is because they are very cheap.”

Gap employee Spencer Holderen said that it is a policy at The Gap to have 25 percent of their yearly revenue come from denim.

Holdern said, “Gap jeans have become a part of American culture. It is a common experience.”

According to an article written in The New York Times in 2005 by Guy Trebay, the premium denim market is a 14.2 billion dollar market.

Trebay said, “blue jeans have suddenly shed their proud proletarian roots and turned into what retailers call a status buy.”

According to Marshall Cohen, a source in the 2005 article and the chief industry analyst at the NPD Group in Port Washington which tracks clothing sales, “for four years running luxury denim has been the fastest growing category at the bottom part of the apparel business.”

Premium denim is becoming a must have. But, is the raise in designer jeans causing a decline in other stores’ revenue?

According to the Gap inc. financial report it seems that it has not.

Gap Inc, is the over arching body that includes The Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic.

Net Sales at Old Navy have increased in both the first and second quarter since 2003. In the first quarter of 2003 Old Navy’s Net Sales were 1,375 million dollars. In the first quarter of 2006 Old Navy’s Net Sales were 1, 503 million dollars. Over the past three years Old Navy has seen a 272 million dollar increase.

However, Net Sales at The Gap has not seen an increase in the first or second quarter between 2003 and 2006. In the first quarter of 2003 The Gap’s Net Sales were 1, 238 million. In the first quarter of 2006 for The Gap, Net Sales were 1, 121. That is a 117 million dollar decrease over the past 3 years.

Gap Inc. has seen an increase in store openings over the past three years.

In 2003, Gap Inc. opened seven stores in the first quarter and 10 stores in the second quarter. In 2006, Gap Inc. opened 38 stores in the first quarter and 37 in the second quarter.

According to the statistics given in the Gap Inc. financial report, neither The Gap nor Old Navy are suffering greatly on account of premium denim. Instead, both stores have soon growth since the beginning of the designer denim craze.

While Premium Denim may be the new craze according to many people in the fashion industry, it cannot be denied that they still do not out sell cheaper jeans.

People will still buy from places like Old Navy, The Gap, and American Eagle before spending over 100 dollars on a single pair of jeans.

Robert Burke, fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman and a source in the 2005 New York Times article, said that premium denim has become the fashion staple.

Well, if it is the fashion staple not everyone is wearing them.

Dana Amitin, Dallas sophomore, does not own a single pair of designer jeans. Amitin said that she does not think the jeans fit any better than regular jeans.

Amitin said, “ I am not going to pay that much money just so I can say that I own a pair of sevens. It just does not make any sense.”

Gap Inc. is not backing down to the threat of premium denim. There are customers that are continuing to buy from places like The Gap and Old Navy. Amitin does not plan on changing her habits anytime soon.

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