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Thursday, April 3, 2012
Student Body President Marcus Tetwiler walks behind Student Senators during last night's senate meeting. It was Senate's last full senate meeting of the semester
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
Coalition referendum will not be included on this year's ballot
AMELIA ARVESEN
news@kansan.com
After much debate, the full Student Senate voted against the petition to include the student body in deciding whether coalitions should or should not be eliminated. The members voted at 11:45 p.m. on Wednesday during the final weekly meeting of the semester.
The referendum will not be included on the ballot next week, limiting students' chance to provide input about the current coalition system.
"I academically understand why people did that because, politically, people will never give anyone else the opportunity to eliminate that, which preserves their power," said Emma Halling, student body vice president.
She said she supported the
referendum to give students a chance to voice their opinions and found it "cowardly" that senators voted to prevent a popular vote.
Law senator Mark Savoy said he observed a split between coalitions represented in the room. Based on the raised hands, he said Grow KU members seemed to be in favor of the petition while Jayhawkers members opposed it.
"In no way was this something we coordinated," said MacKenzie Oatman, Jayhawkers' presidential candidate. "There were Jayhawkers that voted for and against it, as well as the other coalitions."
Oatman, who was not in the full meeting but who had previously attended meetings where this referendum was introduced, said she welcomes
the opportunity to present the student body with a choice, as long as they are properly informed about coalitions.
Many student senators against the petition thought the student body should be better educated about the role of coalitions. Other dissenters questioned whether the referendum was binding in addition to its restrictions on the right to assembly.
Savoy responded that restricting freedom of assembly was his greatest concern when the resolution was first introduced. In previous meetings, he has
"Can you speak on the implication of a possible no vote to this question and its conflict with a freedom to assemble or associate in this country?" said Ryan Moulder, a graduate student from Liberty, Mo.
mentioned he voted in favor of keeping coalitions at that time for the freedom of assembly.
Voting for student body president and vice president takes place on April 9 and 10.
"That being said, I think that student's speech is curtailed very narrowly by not allowing their opinions to be heard about coalitions," Savoy said.
Halling said if the petition had passed, the constitutionality questions could be directed to a legal department before introducing the referendum on the ballot. Students will not have the opportunity to choose whether or not to keep coalitions, or leave the option blank on the ballot.
Edited by Blair Sheade and Paige Lytie
The Student Senate spring elections debate will take place tonight from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Kansas Union's Alderson Auditorium. Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates from the three contesting coalitions — Grow KU, Jayhawkers and Crimson & True — will give statements and answer questions.
What to expect from tonight's Student Senate debate
A panel of student journalists from KHK, KUJH and the University Daily Kansan will ask questions along with moderator and Chair of the Elections Commission Jake Rapp. For the first 30 minutes, after opening statements, VP candidates will address platform-specific questions prepared by student journalists. Presidential candidates will then respond to general panel questions and topics gathered from social media via "#KUSenateDebate" before and
during the debate for the final hour. Attendees may also submit a question as they arrive.
According to the Elections Commission's debate rules, coalition members will generally have two minutes to answer direct questions and one minute to respond to or rebut an opponent's remarks. The moderator will enforce this time limit by showing a "stop card," indicating the speaker must end his/her remarks within 10 seconds, which will ensure all candidates have equal speaking opportunities.
KUJH live event coverage will begin streaming online 15 minutes prior to the start and will continue throughout the event. Commission debate rules also prohibit campaign banners, signs, handouts or other such items in the debate hall. The audience is asked not to applaud or vocally show support or opposition for a candidate.
Duncan McHenry
VISIT KANSAN.COM FOR DIGITAL COVERAGE OF THE SENATE DEBATE TONIGHT
ENVIRONMENT
Campus sustainability to be enforced with 'green grades'
MADDIE FARBER
news@kansan.com
The University and Energy Solutions Professionals have developed a grading system for sustainability on campus in an attempt to "go green." Fume hoods, such as this one, that are left open will result in deducted points.
BRENT BURFORD/KANSAN
Starting this month, the University and Energy Solutions Professionals (ESP), whose goal according to its site is to provide "exceptional energy-efficiency and facilityimprovement solutions", are pushing the University to "go green" with a new energy policy and a little help from a group of University engineering students.
The ESP and the University have worked together since 2008 to implement energy policies on campus. Previously, ESP worked with the University to hold energy conservation competitions between the 39 main buildings on campus. The competition lasted a couple of months, and the purpose was to make certain buildings more energy efficient.
After deciding the competition wasn't as effective as they had hoped, a "grading system" to promote energy efficiency is being put into place this month.
"We feel that this is a more effective way to encourage behavioral changes when it comes to energy conservation," said Kristina Beverlin, a former KU student and Energy Auditor for ESP.
The grading system is separated into lab areas and individual temperature
controls. Each is based off 100 points.
Fume hoods are one of the main focuses of the grading of buildings with a lab setting. When experimenting with chemicals that are dangerous to breathe, researchers use fume hoods. The experimenter stands at the hood and mixes chemicals inside, allowing the vapors to be released outside.
"I believe everyone on campus would like to see a more efficient and environmentally friendly way of operating our campus."
GEORGE WERTH Campus energy engineer
"Because fume hoods are always running, they are very energy intensive. In order to be efficient they need to remain closed. When left open, the average fume hood costs $2,600 per year to run," Beverlin explained. "There are 422 fume hoods in the 39 core buildings that are audited. If they were all left open, it would cost $1,097,200 in energy costs."
For example, in lab areas, fume hoods should not be open more than four inches, according to Beverlin. For every 1 percent of the total fume hood sashes that are left
open in a given building, one point will be deducted. Other points will be deducted for lights left on, number of total coffee machines, projectors that are left running, windows and doors that are left open, computers left in "sleep" mode, just to name a few.
"Since each department is different, there is not a set of rules," Beverlin said. "Instead, we're grading on how energy efficient each building is. It will encourage different departments within each building to work together."
The grades for each building will be made public on the KU Sustainability website, which Beverlin hopes will be an incentive for the 39 core buildings to remain energy conscious.
Emily Cook, a junior from Olathe, decided she wanted to help the University be more energy efficient after going on a trip to Costa Rica with the GREEN program (Global Renewable Energy Education
"I believe everyone on campus would like to see a more efficient and environmentally friendly way of operating our campus," Werth said. "The new grading system is the way to start."
George Werth, campus energy engineer, thinks a greener campus can be realistically achieved through this grading system.
Networking Program) over this past winter break.
"Costa Rica is run 99 percent off of renewable energy. When I returned to America and to the new semester, I started asking questions about how KU uses energy and how KU wastes energy," Cook said. "I wanted to find out if there was a way for me, an environmental engineering student, to help KU be more energy efficient."
After meeting with Werth and Jeff Severin, director of the Center of Sustainability. Cook gathered a group of 13 engineering students to
perform energy audits.
"We just got started and I'm excited to see where this group goes and what information we gather," Cook said.
Cook said that she and the other 13 students will determine more of the behavioral side of energy waste — if lights were left on, windows open, projectors on, etc. Their goal is to help educate students and faculty on campus about simply turning off lights and electronics to save money.
"I've also been talking to some other administrators about the possibility of
renewable energy on campus. Energy waste is an issue that students and professors can directly change," she said. "This is an exciting time for KU in regards to sustainability; there seems to be a greater push from students to make KU more 'green'. I want to help make it happen."
CLASSIFIEDS 2B
CROSSWORD 5A
Severin says that with the money saved through a greener campus, the campus could cut costs on utilities as well as help purchase more energy-efficient equipment.
CRYPTOQUIPS 5A OPINION 4A
SPORTS 1B
SUDOKU 5A
All contents, unless stated otherwise, $ \circ $ 2014 The University Daily Kansun.
Don't Forget
To watch the Student Senate debate tonight.
Edited by Alec Weaver
Today's Weather
Cloudy, 20 percent chance of rain. Wind SSW at 20 mph.
HI: 70
L0: 36
April is the cruelest month.
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