Tuesday, March 14, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 3
Fraternity's founders make rules
Fraternity's Kansans can vote in online primary
By Jessie Meyer
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
A month ago, Larry Dohl was looking to be part of an organization he could be proud of.
Today, as the president of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, which is new to the University of Kansas this month, the Sylvan Grove junior said he was taking matters into his own hands.
"One of the things that drew me to this fraternity was the opportunity to be a part of something new and to start something different," Dohl said. "Now we can put the emphasis where we want to and decide for ourselves what we want our fraternity to be."
"The opportunity to keep up with what has been established before us and to also have our own influence in Pi Kappa Phi history at KU was very attractive." Krops said.
Pi Kappa Phi is a nationally recognized fraternity. The recruitment coordinators from the national office had been in Lawrence for the past month but left the fraternity in the hands of its 45 to 50 founders last week.
Dohl said that from now on, the decisions and choices for the fraternity would be made solely by its new members — an opportunity that attracted Josh Krops, Pi Kappa Phi chaplain and Overland Park freshman.
Chad Hladik, Pi Kappa Phi historian and Wichita sophomore, said the chance to change things drew him to a new, rather than an established, fraternity.
"A lot of us saw things we didn't like about other fraternities." Hladik said. "The new members aren't treated as kindly as the old members, and with some fraternities there was a lot of emphasis on social standing — who was popular and who wasn't."
Although solidarity is an important factor in many fraternities, Hladik said a goal of Pi Kappa Phi was to set a precedence for future members so popularity was not a factor.
During the next year, the members will need to meet specific qualifications to obtain a charter and become an official fraternity.
One important aspect to the issuance of a charter is community service work. Hladik said Pi Kappa Phi prided itself on its philanthropy, Push America, which involved working with disabled persons, and its emphasis on community service.
Dohl said he hoped to have the charter by the end of this semester, at which time he wanted to have about 95 members in the fraternity.
"It's really going to take off here pretty soon," Dohl said. "I think we will develop some traditions that people will want to be a part of."
The fraternity does not yet have a house, but Dohl said his goal was to have one by January. It plans to move into an empty house if one becomes available, he said.
"It's an ambitious goal," Dohl said. "But a very do-able one."
Web elections could be future for U.S. voters
By Katrina Hull
writer @ kansas staff
Kansas staff worker
Two Kansas legislators are experimenting with the future of voting by holding a mock presidential primary via the Internet.
Votes can be cast at www.kansasvote2000.com through 7 p.m. April 4, the time polls were scheduled to close for the Kansas primary.
Web sponsors and State Reps. Henry Helgerson, D-Wichita, and Lisa Benlon, R-Shawnee, said the canceled presidential primary provided the perfect opportunity to test Web voting.
"In 10 years, everything will be on the Internet," Helgerson said. "Internet voting is only a small step."
This year's online primary is not a binding vote, but Helgerson said neither was the canceled primary.
Mark Joslyn, assistant professor of political science, said Internet voting could be the future of elections nationwide and a trend that the younger generation would embrace.
Last week, the Arizona Democratic Party gave voters the option of casting ballots online in its presidential primary, doubling its voter turnout.
"I think the other states were watching Arizona," Joslyn said. "They're ahead of the curve."
California, Washington and Florida are considering Internet voting as well.
could harm ballot box integrity.
But one voting rights watchdog group warns that Internet voting
Although e-voting may have doubled voter turnout in Arizona, Deborah Phillips, president of the Voting Integrity Project in Arlington, Va., said voting online could dilute the minority vote.
Internet voting exposes a digital divide between those online and the Internet less, she said.
"The digital divide makes voting so convenient that those hooked to the Internet vote at an increased rate," Phillips said. "It's not just economic, but appears to be racial."
Phillips said white families that made less than $20,000 a year were five times more likely to have Internet access in their homes than minority families in the same economic bracket.
"The principle and most important concern is equity of access," she said. Helgerson said that disparity at the polls always was an issue and that
Instead, Helgerson said e-voting provided convenience and a cost-effective alternative to traditional voting.
The Web site paid for by Helgerson cost about $1,000, while the canceled primary would have cost about $1.5 million.
Internet voting would not replace the traditional community polls.
The Voting Integrity Project still is reviewing the statistics from the Arizona Democratic primary to determine if they point toward racial disparity.
But Phillips said placing a price on voter inequality could set a dangerous precedent.
Although Phillips said she hoped disparity would not exist, she was skeptical.
However, she still has an optimistic outlook in regards to online voting.
"We think there could be a bright future for Internet voting and a chance to draw the youth of America to the
polls," Phillips said. "Because all rights and freedoms are based on the fundamental right to vote, we need to proceed with caution."
WWW.KANSASVOTE2000.COM
The Kansas primary online is open to all ages, and voter registration is not required. All voters need is a Kansas zip code and an e-mail address. Up to four votes can be cast from the same e-mail address.
Visitors to the site also can brush up on the candidates before voting for a Democrat, Republican or Reform party candidate — or one from each party. The site also includes each party's history and Kansas facts, including how Kansans voted in the last three presidential elections.
'Friendly competition'
Sam MacRoberts and Carrie Depenbusch, presidential and vice-presidential candidates for Students First, pledge to conduct a clean campaign yesterday in front of Strong Hall. Justin Marz, a Jefferson City, Mo., junior who is running for an engineering seat with the coalition, said he saw the campaign as a friendly competition.
"Most people after campaign season can't look at each other in the face again," Marz said. "This is our promise first, to students, and second, to other coalitions, that we're going to run a clean campaign." Photo by J.M.Dailey/KANSAN
New tutoring program to debut during the fall
By Karen Lucas
Special to the Kansan
Conjugating Spanish verbs or working with math formulas can be baffling for some students.
But starting next fall, University of Kansas students can get more help with these and other challenges in their course work. The Student Development Center plans to offer low-priced tutoring in Spanish, math, chemistry, biology and economics, said the center's director, Mary Ann Rasnak.
"It will be a way for students to persist in entry-level courses that are difficult." she said.
Rasnak said that the center had received the most requests for tutoring help in the five subjects it chose. Also, a review of course grade distributions showed that many students had trouble with those subjects.
For $85 per subject per semester, a student in the program will receive three hours of small-group tutoring per week. Student Senate money will help those students demonstrating financial need. Rasnak said.
A private tutor would charge
between $12 and $15 per hour, she said.
"It's going to be like a small tutorial class," she said.
Rasnak said each group, consisting of no more than four students enrolled in the same course, will meet each time with the same tutor in the Multicultural Resource Center or at one of the residence halls or libraries.
Sellards Pearson-Corbin Hall, McColum Hall and Oliver Hall. Math tutors also will be available after spring break at two greek houses, which have yet to be named. Anyone can receive the tutoring, Rasnak said.
This semester, with money from the Senate and the Office of Student Affairs, the center has been offering free math tutoring at Gertrude
At a recent tutoring session in GSP-Corbin, Nan Zhao, math tutor and Wichita sophomore, expressed mixed views about next year's program.
"The good thing about it is that there's more subjects that are offered," she said. "The bad thing is the fee, and you get less one-on-one
attention."
But Jeremiah Johnson, Hugoton senior, said the new program was a good idea for several reasons.
Tiffanie Schneider, Antioch, Ill., freshman, has been getting tutoring in college algebra. She said that if the tutorial did not work out for her next fall, when she would be enrolled in a calculus class, she would find her own tutor.
"It's a lot less expensive, and you're covering more subjects," he said. "It will help the graduation rate a little bit if it works."