TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4. 2005
NEWS
Study abroad
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SA
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One option for KU students wanting to study abroad in Israel is to drop from the University, study in an Israeli school, then re-apply to the University.
"If a student wanted to study abroad in Israel and went through the process of dropping out of KU, they could possibly lose their scholarships, if they had any." Johnson said.
Tanya Johnson, Dallas junior, has been to Israel many times, and she said she wished to return some day to study.
She said the guidelines of the ban were unfair to her and other students.
Satchell echoed this. She said if a student wanted to study in any of the nations with a travel warning, they would have to drop out of the University and then enroll in the foreign college themselves.
Lauren Rabinowitz, Minnetonka, Minn., sophomore, said she thought the University's ban was unnecessary.
She said students do risk losing financial aid if they choose this route.
"I don't think it's fair. If students want to go they should be allowed to." Rabinowitz said. "Other schools are letting their students go. They're also afraid that another incident like the Shannon Martin murder will happen, but that was a different situation."
Martin was murdered in May 2001 while studying abroad in Costa Rica.
if they went to a country on the state department's list of travel warnings.
Satchell said the Martin incident was different from the situations students would face
"There was no travel warning on Costa Rica when Shannon went," Satchell said. "The policy was around before Shannon. It was not created as a result of her."
Jay Lewis, executive director of Hillel, an organization that often sends students to Israel, said the places where students would study are not the same places that make headlines in international news.
"I have full confidence in their (the students') safety. They are not going to places you see on CNN," Lewis said. "They're not studying in Gaza or the West Bank.
"They need to take their own stance," Johnson said. "If they see their students wanting to be there, they need to make it happen. It's the student's right and choice."
Satchell also said the dangers in Israel and other countries with travel warnings were different from Martin's experience. Many of the warnings are in place because of terrorism or in the case of Uzbekistan, a political coup.
Johnson also said that because other schools let their students go, it was only fair for the University to do the same.
Johnson and students interested in studying in Israel are working on a proposal to the study abroad program.
The proposal is a waiver for students to sign that would allow them to study in Israel on the grounds that if something happened to the student, the University would not be held
Other attempts to lift the ban have been unsuccessful thus far. Students attempted lifting the ban by creating a petition.
According to Satchell and Study Abroad Director Susan Gronbeck-Tedesco, a few years ago a student had contacted Congressman Dennis Moore (D-Kan.), who later agreed with the University's stance. Satchell said the University policy was unlikely to alter.
responsible.
"I doubt the policy will change. It's been that way for years." Satchell said.
Lewis said he thought that the situation in Israel was improving, and that the University would recognize the demand to study abroad in Israel was too great to continue barring students from attending college in the Middle East nation.
"We're optimistic they'll allow study abroad in Israel," Lewis said.
With the removal of Israeli residents from the West Bank and Gaza during the past few weeks, these students hope tensions will decrease in the area, thus allowing travel restrictions and warnings in the area to be removed and removing the ban on study abroad in Israel.
"I hope it (Israeli removal) will decrease attacks in the area," Rabinowitz said. "Most of Israel is already very safe. Most the attacks were in the West Bank or Gaza, so hopefully the security risk will go down."
— Edited by Theresa Montaño
The state legislature gave the University $140 million this fiscal year.
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Utilities
Last year, state funding for the University was $136.6 million. In 2003-04, it was $132 million. In 2002-03, it was $131 million.
Chevron, the natural gas company the University uses, guarantees a discount on natural gas prices because the University did a study three years ago to make campus more energy-efficient.
Other Kansas universities asked the state for more funding to help pay increasing energy costs, said Kip Peterson, director of government relations and communications for the Kansas Board of Regents, which approves the universities' budgets.
The University spent $18 million dollars on upgrading buildings
The state legislature gave the University $140 million this fiscal year. Last year, state funding for the University was $136.6 million. In 2003-04, it was $132 million. In 2002-03, it was $131 million.
by installing lower-wattage bulbs and putting solar film on windows. Solar film decreases sunlight while still letting enough in to have natural light in the room. The film also reduces the amount of energy that gets into the room, keeping it much cooler.
Still, the improvements did not lower energy costs enough to cover the University's utility budget.
uities, but the University spent $2.8 million when the cost for natural gas was $5.25 per 1,000 cubic feet.
For the 2003-04 school year,
$1.9 million was set aside for
In 2004-05, utility costs continued to exceed the budget. The price per 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas went from $5.25 to $7.10, a 40 percent increase. The University budgeted $2 million, but spent $3.1 million.
In the same e-mail, from the office of the provost, the provost asked faculty and staff to start conserving energy. Some of the conservation alternatives for this winter include maintaining occupied rooms at 69 degrees, turning off equipment that does not automatically shut off and cutting hot water from some buildings.
- Gaby Souza contributed to this article. Edited by Kellis Robinett
Israel
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All of the other formulas, he said, were just nonsensical fragments.
Marie Hampton, Lawrence junior, saw the drawings Saturday evening. She was the first to report the matter to the Black Student Union at the group's meeting Sunday.
Hampton said she was upset about the repeated use of the word "nigger" in the phrases.
Page said he could not comment on whether he thought the
"This raises awareness that racism still exists," Hampton said. "It hits close to home."
It reminds us that we cannot become too comfortable on our campus when it comes to issues of oppression because interpretation is diverse."
Robert Page
Director of Multicultural Affairs
graffiti was negative without further information. Nonetheless, he said the incident provided an educational opportunity for the entire campus community.
"It reminds us that we cannot become too comfortable on our campus when it comes to issues of oppression because interpretation is diverse," Page said
Kasey Cullors, Wichita sophomore and vice president of public relations for BSU, said the group would discuss the issue at its meeting tonight and how it shows racism is still evident.
— Edited by Ty Beaver