LA
Friday, April 16, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section A·Page 3
I
Delta Force loses Senate majority
By Heather Woodward
hwoodward@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Delta Force coalition members tasted to the Senate winners and a cheered for a presidential campaign they had worked hard on, lightening the mood in a house of disappointment shortly after the Student Senate results were announced.
Last night, YOU coalition won the presidential and vice presidential race with 2,341 votes, defeating Delta Force, which came away with 1,505 votes.
Seth Hoffman, Delta Force presidential candidate, said he was proud of the campaign that he and vice president candidate Mary Liu had run.
"Mary and I made a decision right from the beginning to run a clean campaign," Hoffman said. "Something that's more important than winning is running a campaign by the rules. And hopefully that will be the legacy for the two of us."
Hoffman said he was disappointed that Delta Force lost the majority it had previously held in the Senate.
"I think our candidates would have done a better job," Hoffman said. "I'm concerned that this election will create a stagnancy in the Senate next year. And that could have been solved tonight."
J. D. Jenkins, Delta Force candidate for a Nunemaker seat, lowers his head after learning he lost his bid. The Delta Force coalition won 23 seats but fell short of YOU, which won 39. Photo by Matt J. Daugherty/KANSAN
Hoffman said that he would continue to work on the issues he addressed in the campaign.
"I imagine that a lot of these issues that I've worked so hard for I won't be able to just abandon," Hoffman said.
Liu said that she was surprised that she and Hoffman lost but thought the 18 percent voter turnout may have influenced the results. Last year, turnout was 19 percent.
"I thought we fought a good race, and there's always next year," Liu said. "I think the weather may have been a factor, but I'm really clueless about why we didn't win."
The referendum on the recreation center divisively split the presidential race, with Delta Force strongly against increasing the student activity fee. Students voted in favor of the recreation center. 2.817 to 1.238.
Eric Rush, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences senator-elect, said he thought the recreation center referendum was a big part of why Delta Force did not win the presidential race.
"We lost because we took a stand against the recreation center, and students didn't like that," he said. "Even though it's not well planned out, the students said that was good enough for them."
YOU coilment swept all 14 Nunemaker Senate seats, which did not surprise Katie Harpstite, who ran for a Nunemaker seat for Delta Force. She said that she would continue to stay involved on Senate committees.
"I still plan to stay active in Senate," Harpstrite said. "It will depend on what else I get involved in.
Delta Force won seven of the 12 CLAS seats. Nicole Skalla, CLAS senator-elect, said she was happy about the coalition's
goodshowing in CLAS.
"I think people know we keep our promises," Skalla said. "I want to focus on public transportation and campus safety. I really want to get the administration behind all of those issues."
— Edited by Kelli Raybern
Safety board mulls Saferide expansion
By Katie Burford kbfurdor@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
When it comes to student safety, Saferide has been Student Senate's most resounding success, said John Mullens, assistant director of security for the KU Public Safety Office.
Mullens is a member of the Student Senate's Campus Safety Advisory Board and has acted as an adviser on projects under consideration by the board. Among these are improving campus lighting, expanding Saferide and creating a Safewalk program.
Safewalk would provide escorts for students walking from one campus location to another.
Mullens said that escort programs had been attempted in the past, but with limited success. Saferide, he
said, already had proven its feasibility.
"All the escort programs I've ever been involved with over the years never handled half of what Saferide does in a month," he said.
He said that, on average, Saferide
He said that, on a provided about 1,000 rides a month.
Nonetheless,
Safewalk, which
students supported
3 to 1 in a referendum
1998, will stay on the board's plate this term.
Scott Kaiser, student body vice president and advisory board member, said that the Safewalk initiative stalled because the committee chairperson working on the proposal had unexpectedly left the University.
"Safewalk has been left dead in the water," he said.
"We'll be working with the Public Safety Office to try to avoid the pitfalls of past," he said.
Another focus will be expanding Saferide, he said. Saferide, which officially started in 1992, is operated by the Lawrence Bus Co. and provides safe transportation for students between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.
"We're trying to find alternative sources of funding to increase hours of operation," he said. "We don't want to increase student fees."
The board has been in contact with anheuser-Busch about contributing money, but no specific amount as
been decided on yet, he said.
Another alternative was applying for funds through the city's alcohol task force.
Safereid costs about $110,000 annually and comes out of students' $16 transportation fees. The fee also pays for KU on Wheels.
In the past, Senate addressed safety issues by forming ad hoc committees. Mullens said that this approach often meant covering ground that had been studied in the past.
Kevin Yoder, student body president, said that the advisory board, which was formed in January, was intended to curb this phenomena. He said that the creation of the advisory board was evidence that Senate had done a good job on student safety.
Mullens agreed that it would help.
Edited by Kelli Raybern
= 39 YOU
$ \triangle = 23 $ Delta Force $ = 2 $ Independent Jason Williams, T.J. Johnson, Angle Kuhn/KANSA
Inspirational Gospel Voices presents "Give It Up!"
at Liberty Hall on 7th & Mass. and the Play starts at 4:30pm
Sunday, April 18, 1999
"An emotional, humoraous bittersweet, gospel musical that everyone can relate to and that no one should miss!" So come and feel the hope, patience, kindness conviction, faith, and most of all the unconditional love of God.
Admission fee: FREEEEEE!!!!!!!
"Starts before Desmond TuTu and will end before he starts, so come out and get inspired twice in one day!"
Get some
CAR WASH BENEFITING KU HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Start off spring right -- with a clean car!
Let our helping hands wash your car
When we're finished your car will shine like new
COST: Suggested donation of $4 WHEN: April 17th, 10am - 4 pm WHERE: Checkers' Parking Lot @23rd and Louisiana
Come and support KUHFH!
STUDENT
SENATE
Check Us Out! www.kansan.com