Wednesday, November 17, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 3
Campus projects bask in sun's rays
By Lori O'Toole
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
The unseasonably warm weather and low amount of precipitation this fall has allowed several University of Kansas departments to get ahead on outdoor construction projects.
Doug Riat, design and construction management associate director, said the weather had helped his department move forward on projects at Twente Hall, the new Hilltop Child Development Center and Murrah Hall.
He said many of the projects required brick or masonry work, which usually required special additives to prevent freezing. Riat
said the department frequently built enclosures to help with the work during late fall, which had not yet been necessary.
"We usually lose four to five days a month to weather," he said. "So far we haven't lost any."
Riat said the extra work week had had helped with a smaller project at Watkins Memorial Health Center.
"The weather has been a pleasant surprise with us," he said. "Instead of waiting and hunting for the one or two days to work, we've been able to work continuously. It's more economical."
Dean Mielke, design and construction management project director, said the lack of precipitation also had allowed employees
Mike Richardson, facilities operations director, said he could not remember a time when the fall weather was so mild.
to work on roofing at Murphy.
"It's extremely unusual, but it's been good for us," he said.
He said that would not normally be possible because the ground usually froze by mid-November.
Specifically, Richardson said his department had been able to work on the new band practice field on West campus. Department workers moved dirt from the new parking lot construction site north of the Kansas Union to West campus.
Workers also had built a loading dock on a new warehouse building on West campus, a task that was planned for the spring when
weather permitted concrete work. In addition to construction work, Richardson said the landscaping crew also had been able to do outside tasks, including trimming and planting trees.
"When there's snow on the ground, they can't work on those types of things," he said.
The department had not needed to put salt on the campus sidewalks, saving time for themselves and the employees who clean the salt that students track into buildings.
"It has been nice," Richardson said. "We've never had to have the air conditioning run this late in November."
— Edited by Matt James
Construction on the Murphy Hall addition has progressed rapidly because of unseasonably warm temperatures. Temperatures have been in the 70s despite November's average high being near 55 degrees. Photo by Jay Sheperd/KANSAN
University ranked third among Big 12's safest colleges, a survey says
By Michael Terry
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
A recent survey conducted by a crime news Web site based out of New York ranked the University of Kansas as the third safest college among Big 12 universities.
The 1999 APBNews.com/ Crimes Against Persons Index College Community Crime Risk Assessment survey ranks the safety of the campuses of four-year colleges and universities across the nation. The survey ranked the University of Kansas 785 out of a total of 1,497 universities.
The higher the number of a university's ranking, the safer the campus is supposed to be.
Oklahoma State University was ranked 1,050 and the University of Oklahoma was 995. Baylor was the lowest ranked Big 12 school with 284.
The survey focused on neighborhoods surrounding universities within a two-mile radius and looked into the risk of violent crimes, defined as murder, rape and robbery.
Each university's risk score was estimated from data about family structure, buildings, migration patterns, economic activity and education, which was obtained from a commercial data broker that updates the information annually. The survey used this data while examining past crime reports.
Sgt. Troy Mailen of the KU Public Safety Office said he had seen the crime risk survey and agreed that the University had a relatively safe campus. He said the numbers his office lent showed that.
Mailen said that during the last six years, there had been only 12 reports of sexual battery, 19 of rape, nine of robbery and 37 of agravated assault.
"Even though our numbers are low, there are still crimes, especially
rape and sexual battery that do not get reported," he said.
He said that this happened for a variety of reasons, including situations in which the victim knew his or her assailant, but that his office encouraged individuals to come forward and put the incidents behind them.
"It's important to remember this survey mainly concentrates on the neighborhoods surrounding the University, and not the University itself." Mailen said. "This survey is just a prediction that has a lot of different criteria contained in it to get a general overview of the area."
Sgt. George Wheeler of Lawrence Police Department said he agreed with the general premise of the survey that the University and the surrounding area were safe.
"One of the reasons for KU's safety is the presence of two police jurisdictions in the same area." Wheeler said. "KU has a high police presence that is not present at other universities."
Wheeler said he was not surprised by the University of Oklahoma's safety rating.
KU, the university of Oklahoma doesn't sit next to an urban environment, so that helps give the universities a higher rating."
Ashley Rogers, Topeka senior, said she felt safe on campus and was not surprised by the University's safety ranking.
The campus is well-lit, and I don't think there has been a day I've been on campus that I haven't seen a police presence, whether it be a patrol car driving by or an officer on foot," Rogers said.
Evolution debate continues
The complete survey results can be viewed at www.apnnews.com.
Edited by Jamie Knodel
Continued from page 1A
Pastor Glenn Kailer said that by removing evolution from science standards, science was being preserved.
"What we were doing is trying to preserve science as pure, what we can touch, see, feel," he said. "That is what science is made of. To deny evolution is only to uphold science."
But Jack Krebs of Kansas Citizens for Science defined science in more abstract terms, comparing it to a courtroom.
"Sometimes something happens, and no one sees it," he said. "Theories and evidence can be presented, and a conclusion can be reached."
Jack Krebs,
Oskaloosa High
School math teacher and representative of Kansas Citizens for science, recites a speech in the Kansas Union Ballroom.
Photo by Matt J.
Daugherty/KAN
SAN
Ellen Barber, a representative for Parents for Objective Science and History, said she believed in introducing all of the facts surrounding Earth's origins — evolution and creationism.
"Controversy in science is a good thing," she said. "Let them hear all of the information. Don't censor it."
David Mitchell, member of Students For Inclusive Responsible
Science Testing, said evolution could not be dismissed with the argument that it was just a theory because that argument would exclude most scientific ideas.
Mitchell was convinced the Board would face consequences for the decision.
Student Union Activities organized and sponsor the free debate.
Forums Coordinator Nicole Skalla said evolution was a current issue with University of Kansas
students and the Lawrence community. Skalla said she recruited local speakers instead of national experts to address the questions of the Lawrence community.
Andrew Bruning, Shawnee senior, said the discussion was very thought-provoking.
"It made me realize the importance of an education," he said. "It was very entertaining to watch them go at it."
—Edited by Julia Nicholson
By Todd Halstead
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Academic Web site promotion cut short
The "Beast" was lurking on campus yesterday waiting to pounce on unsuspecting students — with prizes and gifts.
Parked outside Green Hall, the "Beast" was a 34-foot recreation vehicle with a sunset paint job. It was named by four employees of a new Internet site, www.college411.com, in a cross-country promotional campaign.
From his office in San Francisco, co-founder Dylan Vaughn said the Web site, launched in June, was a one-stop destination for students' needs.
"Our motivation was to create a Web site that would help students in their daily lives," he said.
Travis Bowie, Vaughn's partner, said the purpose of the Web site was to cater to the needs and wants of students — whether it's research for a paper or searching for plane tickets.
The promotion was in its western leg of the tour of college campuses and will soon begin the eastern campaign ending with Ohio State University. The promotion at the University of Kansas was cut short when an officer from the KU Public Safety Office said the company did not have the proper permits.
Sgt. Troy Mailen, of the KU Public Safety Office, could not be reached for comment yesterday afternoon.
Dallas Pulliam, who was hired by College411 to help with the campaign, has worked with several other companies in such endeavors. He said it was unfortunate that they had to quit.
"It's unfair because we have a lot of free stuff that students would enjoy," he said. "After all, it's their loss. I'm impressed with this company because they are better organized than the last one I was hired by. They have everything a student is looking for."
Andreas Romero, one of the
four traveling promoters, graduated from Stanford University last May with Bowie and Vaughn. The company has two other recent Stanford graduates and three others from various universities.
"It has the best academic links on the web and puts them in a comprehensive guide that students can access." Romero said
In addition to the academic resources, the site also has a movie review section and a shopping market for food and other items.
Students who visited the promotion received items such as boomerangs, condoms, suckers and CDs. College411 also was distributing posters for the upcoming movie *Man on the Moon* as part of a promotional deal with Universal Studios. Students also could enter to win a snow board or a trip to Hollywood to meet Warren Zide, producer of the movie *American Pie*, plus a $1,000 cash.
Edited by Brad Hallier
23rd ANNUAL HOLIDAY BAZAAR
Saturday, November 20 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Lawrence Community Building 11th & Vermont Street
Shop for everyone on your Christmas list!
*Free Admission*