THE UNIVERSITY OF DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008
NEWS
3A
Faculty members join new environmental task force
BY ANDY GREENHAW
agreenhaw@kansan.com
Editor's Note: This article features Simran Sethi, who is one of the two KU faculty members chosen to serve on the Lawrence City Commission's Climate Protection Task Force. A profile on Sethi will be in an upcoming issue of the University Daily Kansan.
Two faculty members at the University of Kansas have found themselves in a position to make a positive environmental effect on Lawrence.
One of whom is jeff Severin, director of the Environmental Sustainability Center, who Mayor Sue Hack appointed to work on the city's new Climate Protection Task Force. Lawrence city commissioners officially approved the task force Tuesday night.
According to Cynthia Boecker, assistant city manager, the task force consists of people from various parts of the community who are interested in climate protection and improving the overall environment.
"I think I was appointed because I do work with a variety of organizations on campus, and I have a pretty good feel for how our campus views environmental issues." Severin said.
Severin is no stranger to environmental issues. After he graduated from the University of Kansas in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in environmental studies, Severin got a job working for the Caw Valley Heritage Alliance where he coordinated a state-wide watershed education program.
The organization's goal was to educate students about the natural and human influences on water quality and how people can moderate their effects, Severin said.
After three years of working for the Alliance, he got a position at the University of Kansas where he managed a recycling program.
He soon worked his way up to becoming the director of the Environmental Sustainability Center, where he's now worked for four years.
"It was great to get a job at the same university I graduated from," said Severin. "It's a great community and we've got a lot of opportunity here as far as the campus' impact on the community."
Now that he's a member of the city's Climate Protection Task Force, he's ready to start working with nine other appointees to put together a plan to lower greenhouse gas emissions in Lawrence by 7 percent while preserving economic development in the city.
"Some people see reducing greenhouse gas emissions as halting or impeding growth and development, but I think we need to keep in mind that we can have a strong economy that limits our impact on the environment," Severin said.
Severin said he wasn't sure when the Climate Protection Task Force will have its first meeting, but he said he expected the committee's first priority to be to compile a greenhouse gas inventory to get a base line measurement of the current level of carbon emissions in Lawrence.
Edited by Jared Duncan
Jeff Severin, director of the Environmental Sustainability, was recently appointed by the mayor to work on the city's Climate Protection Task Force. The task force works to control the climate through various measures such as recycling.
Lisa Lipovac/KANSAN
Student Senate notebook
Selective student groups allowed to advertise
allowed to advertise Student Senate passed the bill to allow student groups with selective membership to advertise with the Student Advertising Program in The University Daily Kansan.
Previously, only groups open to all students could advertise in the space, but now groups like Greek organizations, scholarship halls, performing arts groups, residence halls and sports clubs can advertise events open to all students. Many of these events are charity fundraisers, which will
benefit from free advertising in The Kansan.
Senators amended the bill twice. The first amendment gave advertising preference to groups open to all students if more ads are submitted than there is room. There are 16 spaces in the advertisement. Roderick Patton, the deputy communications director who helped put together the ad, said he had never seen all 16 ad spaces filled.
The second amendment said the groups with selective membership could not use their ads to recruit members.
Michael Gillaspie, Interfrater-
nity Council senator and writer of the bill, said by excluding groups with selective membership from the program, the Senate was excluding students who help pay fees.
"Whether or not a group is open to all students has nothing to do with the event they're holding," Gillaspie said.
Senate replacement committee members chosen
Five senators became members of a replacement committee that will fill vacant seats on Senate. They were chosen randomly and there could not be more
than one of each type of senator on the committee.
The five committee members are:
Chair Mitch Knopn freshman/sophomore CLAS senator
Jeremy Antley Graduate and Professional Association senator
David Le junior/senior CLAS senator
Jordan Williams Queers and Allies senator
Libby Johnson freshman senator
The committee will be responsible for filling positions that are vacant because the senators graduated or quit. There are two business senator positions open, two freshman/sophomore CLAS positions, two junior/senior CLAS positions and one off-campus senator position open.
Stop day still intact
Student Senate approved legislation presented at the meeting to oppose the elimination of sten-
calendar. Mark Pacey, graduate student senator, is a member of the calendar committee and wrote the resolution.
Pacey said that in his experience as a Resident Assistant, students used stop days to finish projects, study for tests, and visit office hours for professors. He said eliminating this day would make it more difficult for students to do all of these things.
Last semester, the calendar committee voted by e-mail to remove stop day from the academic
The calendar committee is meeting on Monday, where the resolution will be presented.
Brenna Hawley
PAID FOR BY KU
Lutheran Campus Ministry
Cone join us for worship on Sundays @ 5 And Spaghetti for the Soul on Wednesdays @ 6
Got Grace?
No ID required
We are celebrating our 45th year at KU! For more info contact lutherans@ku.edu or www.kulutherans.org
We are a Reconciling in Christ Community, All are welcome!
Asian New Year (TET) Saturday, February 16, 2008
Explore Asian-American culture's official 2008 Lunar New Year's festivity.
7:00pm • Kansas Union Ballroom
Traditional performances, skits, and fashion trends will be introduced. Lucky money will be passed to audience members.
All you can eat Vietnamese food served for FREE before the show at the ECM (Ecumenical Christian Ministries--across the street from Vello Sub) from 5:30pm-7:00pm
FREE Admission, so invite all your family and friends If you have any questions, please contact our Facebook organization: KU VSA 2007-2008 or duytbui@ku.edu
Looking to volunteer? Center for Community Outreach can help!
Center for Community Outreach challenge educating engineers
We have 15 volunteer programs working throughout Lawrence and can connect you to many local programs.
Contact us!
405 Kansas Union (in the SILC office)
864-4073 • cco@ku.edu
www.ku.edu/-cco
Pre-Physical Therapy Club
Watkins Health Center
Crimson and Blue Room
Upcoming Meetings:
February 16
March 11 & 25
At 6:30 p.m.
E-mail: prepthawks@ hotmail.com
African Club
A forum to promote educated discussions on topics related to Africa and the African Diaspora.
Soapbox Series
February 7th @ 7-9 pm
A KU professor or student will guide improtnptu discussion about issues relating to our mission. We will meet at Aimee's Cafe on Mass St. at the following times:
February 7th at 7-9 pm
March 6th @ 7-9 pm
March 6th @7-9 pm April 3rd @ 7-9 pm
April 3rd @ 7-9 pm
May 1st @7-9 pm
From more information contact us at Africana@ku.edu or Sarah Madden at Smadden@ku.edu
Blueprints Leadership
Conference
Construct. Create. Communicate.
2. 23.08
www.ku.edu/~bprints
Registration deadline 2.15.08