Section A · Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Thursday, February 11, 1999
Face-lifts planned for sorority, fraternity houses
Sigma Chi being redone; others to follow
By Jamie Knodel
Kansan staff writer
Within the next year, millions of dollars in renovations will change the way several fraternity and sorority houses look.
The Sigma Chi fraternity house,
1439 Tennessee St., is undergoing
a $3.5 million overhaul, which
began this semester.
"We are completely renovating the inside structure of the house," said Mike Unruh, Junction City junior and Sigma Chi president. "All rooms will be rebuilt with totally different setups."
The project includes a redesign of the upper two floors of study suites. Unruh said improvements would include adding private bathrooms to third-floor rooms. The house's third floor has primarily been reserved for upper-classmen.
"This will make it more appealing for seniors to stay in the house," Unruh said. "It'll be more like living in an apartment with
the benefits of a fraternity house."
the benefits of a fraternity house." The basement, which had been used for bedroom space, will serve as a study area, including meeting rooms, six separate study rooms and a computer room.
Unruh said that the renovation would update the house and make it more appealing to students.
Technological improvements, including the installation of an Ethernet system, would allow fraternity members more computer and Internet access.
Although the number of members the house can accommodate would decrease, Unruh said that the living space would be more comfortable. The house's capacity will decrease by about 10 residents after renovations.Before the renovations,the house could accommodate 92 people.
Sigma Chi fraternity alumni have donated more than half the renovation costs. A Lawrence fund-raising company, Pennington and Company, was responsible for gathering about $2.5 million in donations.
Grant Kaufman, Pennington and Company vice-president, who oversaw the campaign, said that alumni across the nation were supportive of the renovation.
"The alumni were loyal, interested and very excited to help
out," Kaufman said. "They feel greek living is important to university life and they were very receptive to improving it."
Sigma Chi fraternity members are living in the former Alpha Omicron Pi house, 1510 Sigma Nu Place, while the Sigma Chi house is being renovated.
"The house isn't what we are used to do, but we've adapted the living quarters to make it comfortable." Uruh said.
Unruh said he expected members would be able to return their house in mid-August.
In addition to Sigma Chi, four other KU greek houses also have planned renovations.
Meg Godderz, graduate advisor for greek programs, said that Chi Omega and Alpha Chi Omega sororities were in the planning stages and that Deita Chi fraternity and Pi Beta Phi sorority had already done renovation fund raising.
John Garner, Delta Chi fraternity president, said that house renovations would start next fall semester and cost $1.75 million.
"We are going to add a new wing on the back, including a library, and add air conditioning and Internet access in every room," said Garner, Cape Gerard, Mo., junior.
The Sigma Chi house's front lawn is strewed with signs of reconstruction. The fraternity 1439 Tennessee St., is one among five houses that have beamed renovations in order to better accommodate the live-in members. Photo by Ruben Nugoro/KANSAN
KU students named as scholarship finalists
By Chris Hopkins
Kansan staff writer
The University of Kansas has finalists for the Truman Scholarships for the first time since 1995.
The Truman Scholarships, which were first awarded in 1977, are national awards based on public service and the desire to go into the help the community.
Buddy Lloyd, Tulsa, Okla., junior; Melinda Carden, Lenexa senior, and Jane Stoever, Overland Park junior, will compete for the scholarship, which will be awarded March 26.
Lloyd said that he was amazed he was selected because more than 800 students apply for the scholarship each year and only 200 become finalists. Only 85 scholarships will be awarded.
Lloyd said that his proposal focused on consumer protection from insurance groups. He said that consumer advocacy was something he wanted to focus on in his career.
The applicants had to include a public policy solution proposal in their applications for the scholarships, which pay $3,000 for senior year tuition and $27,000 for three years of graduate school.
Louis Blair, executive secretary for the Harry Truman Scholarship Foundation, said that the foundation looked for students who sought careers helping their communities.
Lloyd restarted the KU chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, and is now president. He said that his involvement in the group was part of the reason he was picked.
"They're looking for people who like to cause problems, and here at the ACLU, we love to cause problems," Lloyd said. "In a good way, of course."
Mary Klayer, assistant director of the University honors program, said that the
University had a good crop of candidates.
"They're all very passionate about what they're doing," Klayder said. "I have no doubt they will have successful careers in public service."
Carden started the Intergenerational Program at KU a year ago. The group links college students with senior citizens who live in retirement communities or cannot leave home often.
She also argued that long-term care reform should be a priority in Kansas.
Stoever, who has volunteered for eight years with her church, said that her English major might have been the reason that she stood out from the rest of the applicants. She said that she thought most of the applicants had majors that involved politics.
Kansas State University also fared well in the competition, with three of its applicants making the finals. Oklahoma State University and the University of Texas each had two finalists, and the remainder of the Big 12 Conference universities had four in all.
Barbara Schowen, director of the honors program, said that the state's success in this competition could be caused by an increased focus on the Truman Scholarships by KU and K-State.
KU hasn't had a Truman Scholar since 1995.
Klayder said that KU had a lot of good candidates this year because the mindset at the University was different.
Ann Phelps, senior reader for the finalist selection committee, said that the entire applicant class had been good this year.
"I think that there's a great interest in public service on this campus right now," she said.
"It was everybody's consensus when we got together at the end of the reading that this was a very strong group," she said.
Furniture store moves downtown
By Kelly Clasen Special to the Kansan
Before a new upscale furniture store could open in Lawrence's 93-year-old former post office, Michael Violante had to rip up the orange shag carpet and update the building.
Violante, the managing partner of Interiors, 6245 New Hampshire St., said that he was glad the building was available for his store.
He said that before the opening on Nov. 27, the building underwent major renovations to achieve its new look, which needed to match his furniture collection that he described as eclectic.
Orange shag carpeting was
removed from the lobby of the building, and glue was sanded off to reveal the building's original marble-floor lobby.
Other parts of the building also were restored, including the hardwood floors and the large panes of glass overlooking the furniture showroom.
"The building complements the business, and the business complements the building," Violante said. "People come in here to see the building and the store both."
The historical building that stands on the northwest corner of Seventh and New Hampshire Streets has been home to a variety of businesses since the building's completion in 1906.
The building originally was
home to the first federal building in Lawrence and then to KU Continuing Education. It is now Interiors furniture store.
Continuing Education operated its fire service training, public service mail room and academic outreach program production out of the building. The orange carpeting belonged to KU.
"We wanted to consolidate our locations," said Bob Senecal, dean of Continuing Education. "The old post office was one of five buildings we moved out of."
Senecal said that with the help of the University, Continuing Education was able to sell the building and use the profits to purchase a new building, located at 1515 St. DrensDr.
Violante said he wanted to sell user-friendly furniture at Interiors.
He said that there is a mixture of new and antique European and American furniture pieces for sale, as well as imported accessories, such as rugs from Turkey.
"We find that we're getting business from Kansas City and Topea, as well as Lawrence," he said.
Violante said that although he did a lot of remodeling to update the building, that he was glad that the Continuing Education had occupied it before Interiors.
"It was good that the college got this building. They kept it alive," he said. "It's just a wonderful old building."
Talk to focus on plantation architecture
By Jeremy Johnson Special to the Kansan
Magnetic speaker. Creative thinker. Well-known writer. Excellent scholar. This is how some University of Kansas faculty describe the George Washington University professor speaking on campus tonight.
city professor speaking on campus tonight.
John Vlach, professor of American studies and of anthropology at GWU, will give a lecture title, "The Strength of These Arms: Endurance, Creativity, and Authority in the Plantation Landscape," at 8 p.m. in the Spencer Museum of Art Auditorium.
The focus of the lecture will be Vlach's research on plantation architecture and how enslaved African-Americans used plantation landscape as a tool of resistance against slave owners.
Patrick Frank, assistant professor of art history, worked with Vlach while a student at GWU. He said that Vlach was an expert in vernacular architecture — the culture of non-elite people.
"They would learn about one of the most significant and destructive institutions of our history."
Dennis Domer Associate dean of architecture and urban design
"His research is on the cutting edge," Frank said. "He has new ground he's exploring with his research."
Vlach was considered one of the country's leading authorities on African-American buildings and material culture, said Dennis Domer, associate dean of architecture and urban design. He also said that students would find Vlach's message valuable.
"They would learn about one of the most significant and destructive institutions of
our history." Domer says.
Vlach also is the director of the folklore program at GWU. He has written a number of books and has spoken frequently throughout the country.
His books include "The Afro-American Tradition in Decorative Arts" and "Back of the Big House: The Architecture of Plantation Slavery."
Charles Eldredge, professor of art history, said that he was familiar with Vlach's work and was pleased that the speaker is coming to KU.
"He will give a stimulating approach to material that has been undervalued and underappreciated." Eldredge says.
Vlach is this year's third Humanities Lecture Series speaker sponsored by the Hall Center for the Humanities at KU. The final speaker in the series will be Patricia Williams, professor of law at Columbia Schoolof Law, New York City. She will speak on March 15 in Woodruff Auditorium at the Kansas Union.
HAVE YOU HAD A BAD DATE?
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WILD AT HEART
VALENTINE'S DAY OPEN HOUSE
KANSAS UNION LOBBY · FRIDAY, FEB. 12, 1999
10 AM - 2PM
Grad Fest 99
Place Orders Now for the Lowest Prices on Graduation Needs :
- Custom Printed Announcement Special
- 99¢ each minimum 10
- 72 hr turn-a-round
- Printed KU notes and Thank You cards
- Caps, Gown & Tassle $16^95 (for pick-up after March 1, '99)
- Order any HERFF JONES Class Rings
and receive a $20^{00} Gift Certificate
Only available at the
layhawk Bookstore
"The graduation professionals at the top of the bill." 1420 Crescent Rd. • 843-3826 www.jayhawkbookstore.com
1998-99 Humanities Lecture Series
John Vlach
Professor American Studies and Anthropology George Washington University Washington, DC
"The Strength of These Arms: Endurance, Creativity, and Authority in the Plantation Landscape"
February 11, 8:00 p.m.
Spencer Museum of Art Auditorium
Later this season...
Patricia Williams, Professor, Columbia School of Law, "Toward a Theory of Grace," March 15, 1999-8:00 pm, Woodruff Auditorium, Kansas Union
Humanities Lecture Series is hosted by the Hall Center for the Humanities at the University of Kansas. For further information, visit our homepage at http:// www.ukans.edu/~balcntr or call (785) 864-4798.
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