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The University Daily Kansan
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Wandering the Web
24.
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Weekend Edition
Check out this site for a humorous look at the world around us
FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2000
www.onion.com
(USPS 650-640) • VOL. 110 NO. 79
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Board of Regents approves proposal for new rec center
By Erinn R. Barbomb
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
A new recreation and athletic center for the University of Kansas was approved unanimously by the Kansas Board of Regents yesterday. The proposal must now go before the Legislature, possibly in March or April.
If approved by the Legislature, the $17 million center would be built on the field south of Watkins Memorial Health Center and north of 18th Street, university architect Warren Corman said.
Corman estimated the building would occupy one-third of that space. He said some additional parking for the center was included in the budget.
The University's goal was to have an architect hired by June, Corman said. Drawings could be finished six months later, and contracting could begin in the spring or summer of 2001.
The building could be built in one year, ready to open by fall 2002. Corman said.
"I think having it be approved is a tremendous victory for students of KU," former student body president Kevin Yoder said.
The center will be paid for with student fees and bonds, said Mike Mattson, who handles external affairs and relations for the Regents.
Yoder said student fees would increase by $28 by the fall of 2000.
By fall of 2001, the fee would increase by $62 and stay at that rate for 15 years, if there is a 15-year bond, said Linda Mullens, assistant vice chancellor.
The fee increase means that some students who pay for the center will not be able to use it.
"That's why the first year is reduced," Yoder said. "All who pay the $49 should be able to use it."
"The referendum passed, and I'm not going to challenge it," she said. "I just hope students get what they pay for. I would onenose at it."
Some students, such as Erin Simpson, Lenexa senior, were in opposition to the new center when a referendum went before the student body in spring of 1999.
Eric King, director of facilities for the Kansas Board of Regents, said although the vote for the recreation center was unanimous, the board was concerned about the expense of professional fees for future projects. These fees pay for architects and engineers, who, although selected by the University and the state architect, are not subject to bidding, as are contractors.
EVENTS CALENDAR
Tonight
Ladies' Night, 10 p.m. at The Granada,
1020 Massachusetts St.
- Band that Saved the World, 10 p.m. at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St.
* Boogie Chyde, 10 p.m. at the Jazzhaus 926 1/2 Massachusetts St.
Saturday:
Ol" Dirty Bastard (O.D.B.), 10 p.m. at:
The Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St.
Band that Saved the World and Square, 10 p.m. at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hamshire St.
Young Blood Brass Band, 10 p.m. at the Jazzhaus, 926 1/2 Massachusetts St.
- Smackdown, 8-10:30 p.m. at the Bottlek, 73 New Hampshire St.
Sundav:
News briefs .2A
News .3A
Nation / World .7A
Feature .8A
Sports .1B
Horoscopes .2B
Baseball .3B
Sports commentary .4B
Scores and statistics .6B
Index
The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is paid through the student activity fee. Additional copies of the Kansan are 25 cents.
Bypassing online shopping
Some students prefer to buy textbooks locally
By BriAnne Hess writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
Smart shopping succumbs to convenience — at least for textbooks, said some University of Kansas students. They also said they don't trust the online buying system.
In the Jayhawk Bookstore, Melissa Nelson, Delphos senior, scanned the shelves before she headed to class.
Kansan photo illustration
Nelson said she had a bad experience ordering online.
"I didn't get my book last semester until the middle of October," she said. "I know I'd already taken the midterm."
She said she complained to the company, but it didn't do anything.
When some online textbook companies claim that shipping takes three to five business days, they said they calculated the time it took to process the order, not the amount of time it took for the books actually to be shipped. The
claim also is only valid for books the company has in stock. Some books not in stock have an expected shipping time of four to six weeks. VarsityBooks.com said it would guarantee the order would be at the purchaser's doorstep in three business days or the shipping would be free. Some restrictions
"I didn't get my book last semester until the middle of October.I know I'd already taken the midterm."
Melissa Nelson Delphos senior
Delphos senior
applv.
"Most people want the book right now," Kielman said. "The only problem is when they buy this book and then order it online and return the other one. We're going to have to react to those in time."
Robbie Harriford, Lansing freshman, said she had been discouraged from buying books online because of experiences her friends had.
"I've heard stories about people who have bought them and they don't get ever get them and they're not cheaper," she said.
Outfitted in a yellow jumpsuit, Biola Adekabi, a BigWords.com representative, said that the response from students on campus always was positive. She said it was cheaper to buy books from BigWords.com because it offered free shipping and orders were received in two to three days.
Keith Kielman, textbook manager at the Jayhawk Bookstore, said he couldn't say whether online sales had diminished business.
See LAWRENCE on page 6A
Brass sound gone hip-hop
The Young Blood Brass Band is performing tomorrow at the Jazzhaus.
See page 6A
---
Kansas vs. Missouri
The 'Hawks travel to
Missouri tomorrow to play a Tiger team without coach Norm Stewart for the first time in 32 years.
See page 1B
A few bones to pick
The Natural History Museum on campus is working on an exhibit of a massive camarasaurs.
See page 3A
...
Malcolm's the man
Fox's Malcolm in the Middle is the best new family comedy on television, a University Daily Kansan reviewer says.
See page 8A