Volume 126 Issue 71
kansan.com
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
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New program opportunities in Israel and Brazil
STUDY ABROAD
DALTON KINGERY news@kansan.com
Beginning in the fall of 2014, University of Kansas students will have the opportunity to study abroad in Israel. Students in the program can now travel and visit locations of historical and cultural importance in addition to studying at universities located in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa.
In the past, students interested in studying abroad in Israel were prohibited from doing so because of a U.S. Department of State travel warning designation; however, the University of Kansas Office of Study Abroad and KU Hillel have worked to put a system in place that puts safety first.
"I had some of the best experiences of my life in Israel," said Eli Finkelstein, an intern for KU Hillel and an experienced traveler of Israel. "The nightlife, traveling, just seeing all of the historical sites. Israel is the location and root of so many religions; when you go there, the vibe is just different."
Although the focus of the program is Jewish roots and heritage, KU Hillel encourages interested students of all backgrounds to apply. Students interested in studying abroad in Israel can attend an information session hosted by KU Hillel and KU Chabad on February 13. The session will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on the fourth floor atrium in the Kansas Union.
the local community by teaching local schoolchildren about the nature and the abundance of biodiversity that surrounds them. These new opportunities stem from a partnership between the University of Kansas and Instituto Sustenar, an organization led by KU alumnus Douglas Trent.
"I'm most excited about how, with this particular type of
"There are so many parts to the program that it's easy for students and professors from different areas to plug themselves in and contribute."
DR. J. CHRISTOPHER BROWN head of environmental studies program
A separate project in Brazil will provide a less traditional study abroad experience. Lined up to begin in the summer of 2014, small groups of students and faculty will travel to Caceres, Mato Grosso, Brazil to perform ecological research and data collection near the Paraguay River.
In addition to their research, students will engage
program, it's so multifaceted" said Dr.J. Christopher Brown, head of KU's Environmental Studies Program. "There are so many parts to the program that it's easy for students and professors from different areas to plug themselves in and contribute."
Dr. Brown says that the short-term goal of the project is to send a small group of students to Brazil this
summer; however, with the 2014 World Cup being held in Brazil, the cost of traveling to the country in that time period could rise too high to be reasonably affordable. With that in mind, Dr. Brown eyes a long-term goal of developing agreements with Brazilian universities to facilitate further opportunities for KU students to travel and study in Brazil.
"One of the focuses of the program from a student standpoint is widening and strengthening our understanding of biodiversity and nature," said Kyle Lockhause, a senior from Gardner, Kan. who is closely involved with the project. "One day you might be in a boat along the river, taking pictures of jaguars, and the next day you're outside with kids teaching them about the environment."
The deadline to apply for fall and winter study abroad is March 1, while the deadline for spring and summer applications is October 1.
Edited by Emily Hines
CAMPUS
MCKENNA HARFORD/KANSAN
Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little speaks on topics of local, state and national concern.
Chancellor addresses campus policies
MCKENNA HARFORD news@kansan.com
Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little addressed several national and state topics that affect the University on Monday, including the Kansas Board of Regents' social media policy, university accessibility to low-income students and Governor Brownback's proposed budget.
One of the University's priorities is making college more accessible to low-income students. The focus will be on accessibility, affordability and
Low income students
"Through our recruitment efforts, through our scholarship efforts and through the kind of programs that we want to focus on courses that present challenges to students to look at how we can better redesign those courses to increase success of them," Gray-Little said.
The University joins the national effort after President Barack Obama called on schools, as well as the government and the private sector, to increase college access for low-income students.
"Our society needs more
retention of students.
highly educated people and to address that need we can't afford to have large groups of people who end their education earlier than their ability would suggest," she said. "It's important to provide more opportunities and support for more students to go to college and graduate."
The budget
Governor Brownback's recently proposed amendments to the two-year budget passed in 2013 include restoring some of the cuts made to salary lines and funding for a chemical biology research program.
"We will continue to focus on that in conversations with the Governor and the legislature. There have been conversations with the governor about that
The amendments also include a small amount of funding for the Rural Bridging program.
Unfortunately, the proposed amendments do not restore the 1.5 percent reduction in state funding or the funding for the Health Education Initiative, which would allow for a $75 million dollar education facility at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
SEE CHANCELLOR PAGE 2
CAMPUS
Student group representatives meet, swap advice
AMELIA ARVESEN
news@kansan.com
Representatives of student organizations gathered last night for the first Leadership Roundtable hosted by the Student Senate in the Alderson Auditorium.
Sixteen student organizations were represented, including Team Lead of Jayhawk Motorsports, The Big Event, and the Blood Drive. The organizations gathered to network and swap advice.
Student leaders had a chance to bring other groups up to speed about their role on campus, areas in which they hope to grow, and upcoming events.
"We're all coming from different places so I think the biggest thing is bringing a lot of campus organizations together that otherwise wouldn't be together," said Michael Garrett, a junior from Lenexa and executive director of The Big Event, an organization dedicated to community service.
The leadership summit enabled the Student Senate to hear from each group and better address their needs for funding, access to administrators, and support. Marcus Tetwiler said his objective as the student body president has been to be an accessible ally for every
MARCUS TETWILER student body president
Jill Langlas, president of Team Lead of Jayhawk Motorsports
Role on campus: Jayhawk Motorsports is part of the School of Engineering. Members, not limited to engineering students, design and build two racecars as their annual project to compete nationally and internationally against other universities.
"The goal is to improve organizations on campus for students."
Potential growth. Team Lead is searching for students to participate in their marketing and finance division. Students in this position would help plan and
"Any opportunity to put all those minds in one room and cross-pollinate experiences is invaluable," said Tetwiler. "The goal is to improve organizations on campus for students."
CLASSIFIEDS 9 CRYPTOQUIPS 5 SPORTS 10
CROSSWORD 5 OPINION 4 SUDOKU 5
organization on campus.
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Today's Weather
Snow. 100 percent chance of snow. Wind ENE at 15 mph.
If you're on campus, leave.
46
HI: 26
LO: 15
turn the hill
Go sledding down the hill!
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