4
Volume 126 Issue 76
Wednesday. February 12, 2014
kansan.com
+
ANelf
COMMON CENTS
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BRENT BURFORD/KANSAN
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BRENI BURFORD/KANSAS A bill proposed to Kansas legislature yesterday would decrease students' spending on textbooks. Eliminating taxes on textbooks would result in the state losing $10.5 million.
Wichita State student Marines Figueroa Arrivillaga, Emporia State student Kate Churchil, Kan. State Rep. Mario Goico and University student Morgan Said travelled to the Statehouse for a textbook tax hearing.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Proposed bill would eliminate textbook tax
AMELIA ARVESEN
news@kansan.com
Legislation that would eliminate sales tax on textbooks for Kansas university students received support from the Kansas Tax Committee Tuesday during Higher Education Day.
Student Senate and other Kansas university leaders spent the day meeting with legislators in the Topeka Statehouse to advocate for the tax elimination and present the importance of higher education funding. Of the 100 legislators students met with, many supported the statewide student initiative that originated on campus last semester during the Student Senate campaign season.
The proposal was generated by Student Body Vice President Emma Halling in a Taxation Committee meeting. Representative Mario Goico signed as a sponsor, and House Majority Whip representative Ron Ryckan Jr.
agreed that education is vital to the economy.
we shared some of the same concerns about higher education costs and we're looking for some ways to solve that," Ryckman said in a conversation with a student reporter. "It's how we work together to provide quality education at a quality price, not just for our students but for the health of our state."
Student senators formed groups with peers from Emporia State, Fort Hays State Kansas State, Pittsburg State, Wichita State and Washburn University to represent the diverse college population affected by the $37 million funding cut during the 2013 legislative session.
The proposed elimination of the nearly nine percent sales tax will cost the state an estimated $10.5 million, as quoted by The Kansas Department of Revenue in a Student Advisory Committee report. The figure is derived from an annual textbook cost average
of $1,100 nearly 40 percent higher than the national average.
According to the National Association of College Stores, textbook prices have increased 82 percent over the past decade. Other data indicated that students spent an average of $662 each year on new and used textbooks in 2012, seven more dollars than in 2011.
Not only would the elimination of textbook sales tax save students up to $40 in bookstores, a calculated savings based on the $662 figure, it would also entice them to make other purchases so those dollars could cycle back into the economy.
Garrett Farlow, a student senator and freshman from Tecumseh, attended the hearing as one example of many other first generation students on financial aid. He said he purchased his textbooks from Amazon and Half.com to save money and even then,
SEE TAXES PAGE 3
HEALTH
Campus promotes safer sex
LOGAN SCHLOSSBERG news@kansan.com
The University is celebrating National Condom Day today, but more than half of the college student population in America isn't using condoms, according to the Sex Information and Education Council of Canada. But, according to Health Educator Jenny McKee, the University has increased their usage in condoms by about five percent since 2009.
In 2012, Watkins Memorial Health Center ran 1,062 chlamydia tests, 1,065 gonorrhea tests, 491 tests for syphilis and many more for genital herpes, which was the biggest increase Watkins has seen, according to Health Gynecologist Dr. Carolyn DeSalvo.
"I feel like we don't do a good job of educating people about the risk," DeSalvo said. "It is safest to use condoms or dental dams to avoid these
problems."
According to Planned Parenthood, a condom prevents pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. They are made of latex or plastic and cost about $1 each. A dental
rate of the general population
The University's student health website says that one in two sexually active young people will get an STI by 25 and not even know they have it. Birth control like pills, the
"I feel like we don't do a good job of educating people about the risk. It is safest to use condoms or dental dams to avoid these problems."
dam is a female condom that prevents pregnancy and reduces the risk of sexually transmitted infections. These cost about $4 each and are not as popular as the male condom. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates half of new sexually transmitted infections occur in Americans ages 15 to 24. They can get chlamydia or gonorrhea at four times the
DR. CAROLYN DESALVO Watkins Health Gynecologist
Depo Provera shot, Mirena and NuvaRing do not protect against STD's, only pregnancy. Still, students are using condoms less.
Students can get tested for HIV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea without an appointment. The walk-in lab at Watkins will perform a blood
"Only a barrier method can protect against STI," McKee said.
At Watkins pharmacy, students can purchase three condoms for only 50 cents, which is inexpensive compared to prices in local stores. Many RAs in student dorm halls get Watkins' sex kits and condoms to hand out to their students.
"We know that 50 percent of sexually active individuals, ages, 18 to 24 on a college campus, will be infected with at least one STI before they graduate." McKee said. "There's quite a bit of stigma attached to having and contracting an STI. A lot of people don't talk about it."
Health educators will be at Anschutz Library from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to hand out free sex kits, concooms and information on how to have safer sex.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
test for HIV for $25 and syphilis for $15 and a combined chlamydia and gonorrhea urine test for $60.
Edited by Jack Feigh
Educators will be handing out condoms at Anschutz Library from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today. Sex kits and other information will be available as well.
QUICK HITS
CRYPTOQUIPS 5
CPINION 4
Jenny McKee, Health Educator, says the University has increased its usage in condoms by five percent since 2009.
Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) testing is easy to get at Watkins and affordable.
CLASSIFIEDS 7
CROSSWORD 5
Students can get condoms easily and cheaply at Watkins Memorial Health Center.
SPORTS 8
SUDOKU 5
Don't Forget
One in two people will get an STI and might not even know it.
— KU Student Health Service
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2014 The University Daily Kansan
KU Student Health Services
The career fair is today in the Kansas Union.
Today's Weather
Scattered snow flurries and snow showers.
Winds W at 5 to 10 mph
---
HI: 37
L0: 22
Better days ahead.
+