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Volume 126 Issue 108
kansan.com
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
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GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
Athletes from around the country will compete in the Kansas Relays at Rock Chalk Park, the new home of Kansas track and field, this week. The Relays will be the park's first event, despite its unfinished soccer, softball and recreation facilities. The new track is made with higher quality material and has a ninth lane.
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
Construction vehicles and an unfinished landscape surround Rock Chalk Park, the new sports complex that will host the Kansas Relays. Despite the unfinished softball, softball and recreation facilities, city commissioners granted the Kansas Relays permission one week ago to be held at Rock Chalk Park.
KAYLA SOPER news@kansan.com
rock Chalk Park will host the Kansas Relays, which runs Wednesday through Saturday, for the first time, despite the unfinished complex.
One week ago, city commissioners granted permission for the Kansas Relays to be held at Rock Chalk Park, instead of its regular location at Memorial Stadium.
"We had to do a walkthrough and make sure structures are sound and just that it is safe for the public to be there," said Jeremy Farmer, vice mayor of Lawrence.
Walk-throughs are routine, and every new building in Lawrence is required to have one, Farmer said. It was obvious the track part of the complex was safe and ready to use.
The track and the 7,000 bleacher seats are ready to go,
along with locker rooms for the athletes. However, the rest of the park, including softball and soccer facilities and a public recreation center, is still very much under construction. KU Associate Athletic Director Jim Marchiony said visitors will notice the construction, but it won't affect the competition.
"We are calling this a soft opening," Marchiony said. "There is still work to be done, but what people will be able to see and sense is how beautiful of a place it is when it is all done."
The facility isn't the only thing different about the relays this year — the track is different as well. The material put into the track is of better quality, there is a ninth lane added and each lane is six inches wider.
Olympian Bruce Jenner who won the decathlon in 1971 and 1974. This year, more than 300 high schools and 250 colleges and universities will be participating in the four-day event.
"It's an event that has a lot of history, and we want to make sure that history continues."
Marchiony said. "We build on that tradition and make it a top notch collegiate meet. It is worth it just to see what a venue like that can be."
The Kansas Relays is known for its elite athletes, such as
The City of Lawrence contributed $22.5 million for the recreation center inside the park that will include 8 basketball courts, 16 volleyball courts, in addition to gymnastic and aerobic areas. The whole park is expected to be finished in September.
- Edited by Cara Winkley
Kansas Relays details
TICKETS
Wednesday and Thursday admission is free. Friday and Saturday tickets are $5 for all spectators and can be purchased online. Tickets are good for Friday and Saturday.
PARKING Free
LOCATION Sixth Street and George Wil- iliams Way
TIMES
Events take place all day,
beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday,
9 a.m. Thursday and 8 a.m.
Friday and Saturday. For specific
event times, visit kuathletics.
com.
TECHNOLOGY Heartbleed reported to not be a threat to University
The University's Information Technology department said students' accounts are safe from the massive software bug called Heartbleed that recently came to light last week.
Security experts made the public aware of the bug last Monday, revealing it as an error in a piece of free software called OpenSSL, which is used by two-thirds of all websites. Heartbleed has been making headlines recently for its potential to put usernames and passwords for many websites at risk. And the possibility for serious consumer data theft is troubling. Experts have also expressed fear that the flaw could allow hackers to copy website security certificates, which would allow them to lure users to fake websites to steal personal information.
According to the post on the University's IT website, students do not need to be concerned with the safety of their University online accounts. The post says the "vast majority of servers at KU are not vulnerable to the Heartbleed bug," and they are not requiring students to change their passwords.
After the issue came to light, the IT staff began making the appropriate fixes to a "small number of vulnerable systems," and are monitoring the systems for potential problems.
Cody Kuiper
KU Law partners with Indian law schools
INTERNATIONAL
In addition to job opportunities, this partnership will also encourage the flow of ideas between universities, allowing collaboration on research projects, scholarship opportunities for students, and international exchanges
KATE MILLER news@kansan.com
The University's Law School recently revealed its new partnerships with four of India's top law schools, which will encourage collaboration between students and faculty of the universities. In addition, the program aims to increase the University of Kansas's visibility in India, enhancing job opportunities for law students from all universities involved.
Bhala solidified the partnership, which were his idea, during his March-February
"There's a great demand for lawyers in many other countries," said Raj Bhala, associate dean for international and comparative law and Rice Distinguished Professor at the University. "Many transactions are across borders, especially when you look at the potential with India. We want our students to have opportunities not only in Western regions, but also in these important emerging markets."
lecture tour of India. After negotiations with the Indian universities, Bhala was able to sign agreements on behalf of Law School Dean Stephen Mazza with the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research in Hyderabad,
MADELINE HEEREN
Law student from Lenexa
"India is a flourishing market and so the opportunities there are so much greater than even the opportunities here ... Our education and our experience are assets for them over there."
"The Dean [Stephen Mazza] was wonderfully supportive of me trying this out on behalf of the Law School," Bhala said. "At every university, I have friends there. I have family in India, and many family members have connections at the law schools or legal employers there."
"If you think in terms of imports and exports of students, faculty and ideas, it enhances our cross-border trade in all three respects," Bhala said. "It increases our bringing in students and faculty from India. It increases our going to India, and it increases the flow of ideas. In order for a law school to enhance its international visibility, it needs to think about how it can import
the Government Law College in Mumbai, the Findal Global Law School near New Delhi and the Indian Law Institute in New Delhi.
CLASSIFIEDS 7
CROSSWORD 5
between students and faculty of all universities involved.
"We're both very interested in international trade," Heeren said. "India is a flourishing market and so the opportunities there are so much greater than even the opportunities here because we have a different set of legal knowledge than they have there. Our education and our experience are assets for them over there."
University law students have been involved with India prior to this partnership as well. Second-year law students Madeline Heeren from Lenexa and Aqmar Rahman from Lawrence will be interning at J. Sagar Associates, a commercial litigation law firm in India, this summer.
Index
CRYPTOQUIPS 5
OPINION 4
Rahman said connections with India will be crucial in upcoming years.
SPORTS 8
SUDOKU 5
and export more in terms of what we deal in — and we deal in people and ideas."
"The legal market and job market in general, whether you're a law major or a business major, is becoming more global, and the University of
Don't Forget
"I think in the future students will have a variety of options to go study in India, to learn about the legal system, to be able to interact with Indian attorneys and professors and gain a wealth of information and knowledge." Rahman said. "I think it's a door that's been opened and will greatly help students for years and years to come."
He said the new partnerships with the law schools in India will offer many similar opportunities to students at the University.
Bhala explained that due to India's growing legal market, the partnerships were natural for the University to take. To reach out to India and create partnerships among the universities led Bhala and the University to take a step "outside of our comfort zone."
Kansas partnering with these institutions in India is a huge step in the right direction," Rahman said.
To support the track and field team at the Kansas Relays.
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2014 The University Daily Kansan
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