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KS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
TOPEKA, KS 66612
VOL.104,NO.97
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
ADVERTISING: 864-4358
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1995
(USPS 650-640)
NEWS: 864 4810
Recruiting important tool at KU
Chancellor sends out 5,000 letters to sway high school students
By Virginia Marghelm
Kansan staff writer
When Jessica McNickle and three of her classmates decided to come to the University of Kansas it created quite a stir in the small western Kansas town of Ashland.
The four students, who were part of a graduating class of 13, were the first Ashland students to come to KU in 10 years.
"I received so much personal attention," McNickle said. "It was wonderful."
Recruitment made all the difference, she said.
Wes Williams, dean of educational services, said KU's recruitment efforts were never-ending. Recruiters visit every high school in Kansas and some in border states. Other recruiting efforts include contacting prospective students by telephone, campus tours and letters from the chancellor.
In December, Chancellor Del Shankel sent letters to 5,000 Kansas high school students encouraging them to come to KU.
Only 71 of the students have responded, which means the return rate for the project so far is only 1.4 percent.
He sent letters to students who had ACT scores of 22 and higher and had not yet applied to KU. An application for KU was included with the letter.
But the low response is not discouraging, Williams said. The 1.4 percent response is enough to cover the $8,600 budget for the project, he said. The students have until April 1 to apply.
Administrators hope that KU's recruitment efforts will stop the enrollment decline at KU. Enrollment at KU this semester dropped by 839 students from last spring.
Michael Cappo, assistant director of admissions, said freshman classes in the late 1980s had been unusually large. Now that freshman class sizes are returning to normal, it appears as if enrollment is dropping, he said. Also, the number of high-school seniors in Kansas is dropping, he said.
"We're trying to make sure there are no more enrollment drops," Shankel said. "We're hopeful that we can turn the enrollment decline around."
But the drop in freshman enrollment may be turning around.
The number of Kansas freshmen accepted for 1995-96 is 8 percent higher than last year. Williams said.
McNickle said that before her freshman year, she had been afraid that she would be lost at KU, but recruiters' efforts convinced her that personal attention was available.
"They did a really good job with the visitations," McNickle said. "I realized that I could get just as good an education here as anywhere else and at a better price."
Graves appoints four to Regents seats
By Matt Hood Kansan staff writer
Politicians in Topeka are playing musical chairs with the Board of Regents.
Gov. Bill Graves has reappointed Regent Sidney Warner to replace Gene Bicknell. Warner's term officially expired last year.
The Senate on Thursday rejected the appointment of Bicknell, who was chosen for the board in October 1994 by former Gov. Joan Finney.
Members of the nine-member board, which oversees Kansas' six public universities, are appointed by the governor and must be confirmed by the Senate.
Graves also has appointed three new members. One of the new members will fill the vacant seat, and the other two will replace Regents John Montgomery and Robert Caldwell, whose terms expire this year.
The three are Robert Talkington, former Senate president; William Docking, son of the late Gov. Robert Docking; and Kenneth Havner, former mayor of Hays.
Talkington and Havner are Republicans.
Docking and Warner are Democrats.
All of the appointees except Warner would serve terms that expire Dec. 31, 1998. Bicknell began serving as a regent upon appointment.
Warner would replace Bicknell, and his term would expire Dec. 31, 1996.
Sen. Dave Kerr, R-Hutchinson, is chairman of the Education Committee, which presents the appointees to the Senate.
Kerr's committee recommended Bicknell to the Senate, but partisan bickering may have kept him from being confirmed, some legislators said.
"It's because the Republicans opted for political revenge instead of what was best for the Regents," said Sen. Doug Walker, D-Osawatomie.
Regent Tom Hammond of Wichita agreed that politics probably pre-empted Bicknell's reign as a regent. But none of the new appointees will face the same political battle, he said.
In 1886 and 1994, Bicknell ran unsuccessfully for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.
"I hope the people who are appointed get confirmed, and we can carry on with our responsibilities," he said. "It's important to get on with our business as soon as they're confirmed and get out of the political business."
Hammond said that he was pleased with Bicknell's performance as a regent appointee and that none of the positions he took were politically motivated.
After losing in the 1994 primary, Bicknell signed a statement saying he would support the Republican nominee but later endorsed
Democratic nominee Jim Slattery.
The Associated Press contributed information to this story.
'Generation Check'cast
The following are brief descriptions of the seven students who expect to have cameras in tow March 1-3. The students have been selected to be part of a television pilot called "Generation Check," which will be presented to networks upon its completion.
Jeff Carver
Residence: Lives in "The Pod," a house at 13th and Ohio streets From: Edina, Minn. Age: 20 Grade: junior Major: education Future: He hopes to teach middle school, high school or youth ministry
Jennifer Graham
Residence: Hashinger Hall
From: Misawa, Japan Age: 18
Age 10
Grade: freshman
Major: English
Future: She hopes to earn a doctorate in English and write poetry
Kym Henry
Residence: Colony Woods apartments From: Hearst, Texas Age: 20 Grade: junior Major: Film studies Future: She hopes to move to Los Angeles and work on a TV or film crew.
Edmee Rodriguez / KANSAN
Jeff Carver, Edina, Minn., junior; Jennifer Graham, Mitsawa, Japan, freshman; Cary Taves, Hutchinson freshman; Amy Lasky, Oklahoma City senior and Heidi Sidney, Tulsa, KSA, senior, meet to discuss their roles in "Generation Check."
GLIMPSE OF A GENERATION
Seven KU students' lives to be filmed for TV pilot
By Paul Todd
Kansan staff writer
If you see a bunch of students being chased around by people with video cameras next month, don't get excited. It's not the prize patrol.
Seven KU students have been chosen to appear on the upcoming TV plot "Generation Check," which will be filmed in Lawrence next month. The show will follow the students around for three days to offer a glimpse of everyday college life, both on campus and off.
Chris Lazzarino, a producer for the show, said the students who were chosen stood out because they had a lot going on in their lives.
"So much was happening with them," he said. "They had a lot of people intersecting with them each day."
"They spoke out about their generation getting a bum wrap," he said. "They are tired of being grouped in one lump of people who don't care about their lives."
Lazzarino said the seven students were chosen from a pool of 15 applicants. During half-hour interviews, applicants were asked about their lives, relationships, classes and their generation.
Lazzarino, a former KU student who lives in Lawrence, said the students wanted to dispel myths about their generation.
Kym Henry, Hurst, Texas, junior, said producers asked whether she felt stereotyped by older generations.
"They asked if we thought the older generation understood us," said the film studies major.
Cory Taves, Hutchinson freshman, said he was nervous about having his life taped by a video camera.
"It will make me accept a lot of things about myself that I wouldn't if the camera were not around," said Taves, a theater and voice major who would like to perform on Broadway. "It makes you notice yourself a lot more."
Jennifer Graham, Misawa, Japan, freshman and Taves' best friend, said she didn't take the interviews seriously at first.
"I wasn't being ambitious or anything," she said. "I gave them like five seconds of rambling."
Graham, an English major who writes poetry, said she and Tavies probably got on the show because they were a package deal.
"They liked how we interacted together, so they picked us both," she said.
Lazzerino said that the bulk of the show would be filmed March 1-3 and that the opening and closing segments also would be filmed at the University and around Lawrence.
Once filming is finished, the producers will try to find a distribution company to buy the show and put it on the air. Lazzarino said they would pitch the show to networks such as ABC, CBS, and Fox, as well as smaller cable networks.
Amy Lasky
Residence: Orchard Corners apartments From: Oklahoma City Age: 21 Grade: senior Major: Psychology Future: She hopes to attend graduate school at Arizona State University.
Heidi Snyder
Residence: Delta
Delta Delta sorority
From: Tulsa, OKa.
Age: 21
Grade: senior
Major: Broadcast management with an emphasis in Spanish
Future: She hopes to graduate in May and work in the broadcasting field.
Cory Taves
Residence:
Hashinger Hall
From: Hutchinson
Age: 18
Grade: freshman
Major: Theater and
voice
Future: He hopes to
perform on Broadway
or in the movies.
Stacy Young
Residence: Colony Woods apartments From: Lee's Summit, Mo.
Age: 22
Grade: senior
Major: Biology
Future: She has applied to the University of Kansas Medical Center's occupational therapy program.
Future: She hopes to attend the Med Center or finish her biology degree.
The No. 2 Kansas men's basketball team finished off the Oklahoma Sooners 93-76 Saturday at Allen Field House. The Sooners received three technical fouls during the game.
Outbreak of flu plagues student body
By Robert Alleri
Kansan staff writer
At least 50 people treated at Watkins since Thursday
A sudden increase in influenza cases at Watkins Memorial Health Center last week could indicate an outbreak on campus.
Charles Voyckey, chief of staff at Watkins, said that since Thursday, about 50 people had been told they had true influenza — better known as the flu.
The extent of the outbreak is unknown.
"It could be small and sporadic, or it could blossom into infecting everyone," Yockey said.
The extent of the outbreak is unknown.
Similar outbreaks are appearing at universities in New York, Vermont and Kentucky, he said.
The flu is caused by a virus and is easily distinguishable from ordinary upper-respiratory infections. Symptoms include an abrupt onset of fever, headaches, a sore throat and intense muscle aches.
The onset of flu is so abrupt, Yockey said, that it is possible to pinpoint the exact time a patient got sick — for example, 2:30 p.m. in Spanish class.
"All of a sudden, you feel like you've been run over by a truck," he said.
Watkins dispenses a flu shot that is designed to prevent infection. Cathy Thrasher, chief pharmacist at Watkins, said that every year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta anticipated the three most prominent flu strains for the coming season.
The flu shot prevents infection by the three strains.
About 500 doses of the shot are available, Thrasher said. However, it takes about two weeks for the body to build up resistance. The body remains susceptible to the flu during those two weeks.
Yockey said that the shot lasted through the flu season, which started around October.
"The idea is to get it in October, but it's still not too late," he said. "Flu season lasts at least through Spring Break."
"Otherwise, we won't have anything to offer excent Tylenol." he said.
There also are medications for those who develop the flu. Amantadine and rimidine are two generic flu medications available at Watkins. If taken within 24 to 48 hours of onset, symptoms will decrease in severity and duration by about 50 percent, Yockey said.
Yockey said that medications were more effective the earlier the symptoms were spotted, so people who believe they have the flu should get treatment promptly.
"Last year was an exception," Yockey said.
Seasonal flu outbreaks are common at the University, but last year's flu season was mild.
Dr. Yockey says:
Cases of influenza are on the rise, according to Charles Yockey, chief of staff at Watkins Memorial Health Center. Some common symptoms include:
abrupt onset of fever
headaches core threat
muscle aches
"All of a sudden, you feel like you've been run over by a truck," Yockney said.
In order for medications to work, they must be taken in the early stages of the flu, "Otherwise, we won't have anything to offer except Tylenol."
Kelly Cannon/KANSAN
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