Volume 126 Issue 116
kansan.com
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
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STUDENT SENATE
AMELIA ARVESEN news@kansan.com
The Elections Commission certified the 2014 Student Senate elections Tuesday night. The Commission heard two complaints regarding results from Jayhawkers and two past complaints against Jayhawkers. The Grow KU executive staff will take office next Wednesday.
The Commission also released results of the election which included voting numbers for individual candidates of Crimson and True, Grow KU and Jayhawkers.
"The Elections Commission sees no reason not to certify the election results and fully believes now is the time to
conclude the election and allow the winning candidates to transition into their offices in Student Senate," Angela Murphy, a member of the Commission, said. "The unofficial results released to the public on Saturday are valid and free from material distortion as outlined in the elections code. No compelling argument has been made to the contrary. This certification preserves the integrity of the elections process and of the Student Senate."
Before the full results were released, the Commission heard two complaints from Jayhawkers that contested whether the election results were valid and free from material distortion. The pair of complaints was submitted in
Cody Christensen argued that regardless of the Jayhawkers' disqualification, the re-
the 24-hour window after the first set of results became public.
Christensen argued for the Commission to provide another 48-hour period for more complaints. He said releasing the full results would not make the jayhawkers legitimate can-
"The Elections Commission sees no reason not to certify the election results and fully believes now is the time to conclude the election..."
sults must be released in full according to the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA). Jake Rapp, chair of the Commission, agreed the Commission is subject to KORA.
ANGELA MURPHY Elections Commission member
didates, but it would benefit the election process.
"Releasing the results is a benefit to the students and to the legitimacy of the incoming student senators so they can
not only see what platforms the students voted for and their results reflected," Christensen said.
The second complaint came from Cal Bayer of Jayhawkers. He contested the results were not valid.
Christensen and Bayer urged the Commission to maintain the precedent, that all results should be made available to reflect a transparent process.
"In the results I do not see a single representation of my vote other than a total number which does not indicate for whom I voted or for what I voted for," Bayer said.
Rapp then presented the spreadsheet that included the total votes, votes for Grow KU and votes for Crimson and
True. After quick subtraction, the Jayhawkers votes could be concluded. At the end of the hearing, Rapp made copies of the full results available.
The Commission found Jayhawkers in violation of 7.4.9.2.1 which outlines the $1,000 spending cap for each coalition.
The Commission also heard two complaints that they postponed on April 11 against Jayhawkers from the Commission and Grow KU.
Will Admussen of Grow KU said the inclusion of the burrito purchase was at least $200 which put the Jayhawkers over the spending cap. Cody
SEE SENATE PAGE 6
LOCAL
Documentary to highlight suicide hotline volunteers
KATE MILLER news@kansan.com
It was just another day at Kortney Rist's volunteer position. The phone rang, which it had been doing throughout her shift, but this time when she answered, it was different.
"There was one call that . . . moved me," Rist said. "It was a younger teenager and she was having a really hard time and felt like she had nobody. By just talking to her and letting her know that somebody was there for her and that somebody cared, it just made me feel really grateful for all the people in my life that I do have to turn to when things get bad. I've been where she was, and it was great to have that experience to help her through."
Rist, a sophomore from Basehor, is a suicide hotline
volunteer—one of the unsung heroes behind suicide treatment and prevention. Robert Hurst, associate professor at the Department of Film and Studies, wants to give her, and all other suicide hotline volunteers, the recognition and respect that she so rightfully deserves.
Hurst is working on a documentary that aims to increase suicide awareness. In the film, he focuses on these volunteers who work suicide hotlines across the nation, telling their stories and sharing their experiences.
THE MAKING OF "THE LISTENERS"
For his film, "The Listeners," Hurst followed 13 volunteers through 11 weeks and 100 hours of training in the fall at Lawrence's Headquarters
Counseling Center. After the volunteers' work concludes this spring, he will conduct interviews regarding their time at the hotline. His film will focus on the personal stories and experiences of five volunteers, some of which are University students.
In addition to filming the volunteers in their training, Hurst and his partner participated in the initial stages of training with the volunteers, called Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, or ASIST. This training is a two-day workshop offered at Headquarters designed to help identify and assist those who may be considering suicide.
Hurst explained that most of the workshop consisted of
SEE FILM PAGE 6
FRANK WEIRICH/KANSAN
Professor Robert Hurst is creating a documentary that focuses on local and University suicide hotline volunteers.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Headquarters Counseling Center in Lawrence (785) 841-2345
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, available 24/7 (800) 273-8255
CAMPUS
JAMES HOYT/KANSAN
Potter Lake is currently on a 2014 draft list of polluted or impaired bodies of water. Campus professionals have submitted a report requesting its removal after research proved the lake is within acceptable nutrient ranges.
Experts work to remove Potter Lake from dirty list
A variety of pollutants have been found in Potter Lake throughout the past century: tires, car bodies, trash cans, beer cans, methane, oil and recently goalposts. Algae have also been a problem at the lake harming animals and fish. In 2000, Potter Lake
CASSIDY RITTER news@kansan.com
made a list of 120 polluted or impaired bodies of water. This list, called the 303(d) list under the Clean Water Act, is compiled by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).
As of now, Potter Lake is on the 2014 303(d) draft list. However, Stan Loeb, environmental programs specialist at the Department of Environ-
years of research in the market. The drafted list states "eutrophication," or too many nutrients, as the impairment and has priority listed as low. Loeb said Potter Lake is on
mental Health and Safety (DEHS), and many others in the department submitted a report earlier this spring to remove it from the list. The report is a collection of three years of research at the lake.
CLASSIFIEDS 7
CROSSWORD 5
CRYPTOQUIPS 5
OPINION 4
SPORTS 8
SUDOKU 5
Don't Forget
the 303(d) list for two reasons: one is its chlorophyll — its algae growth and two is its pH levels — or its acidity.
"At this point, after three years of monitoring, we are well within the acceptable limits for those parameters and therefore there's no reason for us to still be on the impaired water body list," Loeb said.
To be removed from the
All contents, unless stated otherwise. © 2014 The University Daily Kansan
It's gonna be May.
303(d) list, Potter Lake must have a TSI (trophic state index) below 70 for chlorophyll. For pH, the lake must be between 6.5 and 8.5 units.
Ryan Thompson, a hazardous materials technician for the DEHS, is one of the technicians testing Potter Lake. Thompson said they test for pH levels, oxygen content, conductivity and clarity once
a month.
After three years of testing, 2011-2013,the highest pH level at the lake was 8.56 units taken at the surface level, in August of 2013.
"The overall mean per all depths for the summer months, which is really the
Today's Weather
SEE LAKE PAGE 2
Cloudy with a few showers. High 54F, Winds NW at 20 to 30 mph. Of rain 30%.
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