Glimpse into the world of do-it-yourself music in Lawrence. Under the radar of most students, these underground venues rally against the corporate sound by hosting their own shows. Playing everything from punk to alternative, these venues are crowded, chaotic and completely homemade.
THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOL.115 ISSUE 122
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2005
WWW.KANSAN.COM
LEGISLATURE
Regents bill hits a snag
Interest from student tuition and fees could fall under control of six Kansas schools
BY DANI LITT
dlltit@kansan.com
KANSAN WORK WRITE
A bill that would allow the University of Kansas to gain control of interest earnings on student tuition and fees has stalled in two legislative committees.
If the bill were approved, about $1.8 million would be split among the six regent schools.
The Board of Regents proposed the bill in the House Appropriations and the Senate Ways and Means Committees.
"There has not been much progress because the legislation has been hit with other budgetary issues like appropriating funding for K through 12," said Katie Wolff, student senate legislative director.
Wolff said this was the first year the Board of Regents had made action to change the ownership of interest earnings.
Several committees need to approve the bill and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius needs to sign it before it can be put into effect.
Steve Munch, student body president, said he would like to
see the bill pass, but he understood the holdup.
"There are a lot of other issues and concerns that need to be addressed so I imagine it's easy for some
Hemenway
thing like this to get overlooked," Munch, Bellevue, Neb. junior said.
He said the state kept the interest earned on students' tuition and fees and allocated it
Munch
"If we are paying tens of thousands of dollars for education, that's what the money should go to benefit."
he said.
to to various state agencies, such as road repairs.
The money received from the interest would be applied to student fees such as those for the Kansas Memorial Unions, Student Recreation Fitness
Munch and Chancellor Robert Hemenway testified before the House Appropriations Committee on March 9 in favor of the bill.
Center, and transportation.
The University and the other five Board of Regents universities are the only higher education institutions in Kansas that do not keep interest money generated from student tuition and fees.
"I hope that if it doesn't happen this year, it will have been discussed enough to have a future," Munch said.
“T
- Edited by Ross Fitch
"There are a lot of other issues and concerns that need to be addressed so I imagine it's easy for something like this to get overlooked."
Steve Munch
Student body president
MULTICULTURALISM
Center site celebrated
BY ESTUARDO GARCIA
egarcia@hansan.com
KANSAN WORK WRITER
Since 1995 the Multicultural Resource Center has operated out of a building commonly known as "The Shack." The deteriorating white building gets lost between Summerfield Hall and the Military Science Building, leading some to remark that it reflects poorly on the University's objective to create a more diverse campus.
But by Fall 2006, the center will have a prominent new home. Students and
"I It's not to celebrate the building.It's to recognize the MRC's vision."
Jonathan Ng
Leawood first-year law
student
Steven Bartkoski/KANSAN
and other supporters of the MRC came together yesterday to dedicate the site of that new home. The MRC will move into an addition to the Kansas Union, which will be built on on the north side by the parking garage.
weather prevented the ceremony from taking place outside, supporters filled the Malott Room on the sixth floor of the Union.
Provost David Shulenburger said the location for the new center was appropriate.
"The Union is the heart of the University," he said.
"It's not to celebrate the building," said Jonathan Ng, first-year law student from Leawood. "It's to recognize the MRC's vision."
The ceremony was used as a way to recognize the dedication put in by faculty and staff. But the students involved in the creation of the new MRC received special recognition.
Ng was student body president in 2002 and 2003 and helped approve the referendum to fund the new building without raising student fees.
Constructing the new MRC will cost about $2.5 million. Construction is being financed through donations.
Provost David Shulenburger delivers a speech with Santos Nunez, program director for the Multicultural Resource Center, yesterday afternoon in the Kansas Union at the dedication of the new Multicultural Resource Center. They spoke at the dedication about securing the center's new location.
Catherine Bell supported the referendum while she was a student senator at the University. Now Bell, a Coffeyville first-year law student, is helping the building come together as a member of the building committee.
Santos Nunez has wanted since she became the director in 2000.
She fought back tears as she began the "calling the circle" ceremony. Creating a circle were members of the Black Student Union, Asian Student Union, Hispanic American Leadership Organization, First Nations Student Association and Student Senate. The students held objects symbolizing earth, wind, water and fire.
"We have the resources, we have the knowledge and we have the goals," she said. "Now we need the new structure to increase student involvement."
Some features to be included in the new MRC include a bigger lounge area, two general purpose rooms, a kitchen and a large multipurpose room that will face the Spencer Art Museum and Memorial Stadium.
Nunez told about the creation and history of the MRC during the ceremony and officially dedicated the site by saying, "Now the MRC will begin again."
The official ground-breaking will take place this fall.
Construction is scheduled to be completed in September 2006.
— Edited by Kim Sweet Rubenstein
Steven Bartkoski/KANSAN
Olivia StandingBear, Pawhuska, Okla., senior, holds up a bowl of dirt during a ceremony to dedicate the new Multicultural Resource Center yesterday afternoon in the Kansas Union. The new center will be a 7,000-square foot facility that will be located on the north end of the Kansas Union. Construction crews will break ground in September.
SCIENCE
Center envisioned to be 'hub' for field
Bioinformatics work to raise University's research status
BY TY BEAVER
tbeaver@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Though the Center for Bioinformatics is still awaiting a permanent home and faculty, Ilya Vakser, director of the center, said developments were going smoothly.
A new research center integrating life sciences and computer science at the University of Kansas is getting closer to reality.
"We want the center to be an international hub for this field," Vakser said.
Bioinformatics is an area of research that uses
Vakser
ces is an area of research that uses biological data to create computer-modeled experiments.
There are theoretical and practical applications for bioinformatics, Vakser said. Researchers use experiments to learn more about processes at the molecular level while pharmaceutical companies use the data to develop better drugs and treatments.
Having a bioinformatics program is crucial to the University's goal of being a top-25 research institution, Rob Weaver, associate dean of liberal arts and sciences, said.
"This is a field that has blossomed in the last few years and it is absolutely necessary if the University wants to be a leader in the biosciences," he said.
Finding top faculty has been easier than expected. Weaver said.
A graduate program in bioinformatics will be offered beginning in Fall 2006. While no students have expressed formal interest in the program, Weaver doesn't think it will be hard attracting students.
At the moment, Vakser is the only faculty member for the center. More are expected to be hired within the next few months.
"Knowing how hot this area is, I can't imagine there being any problems." he said.
The center will move to the Multidisciplinary Research Building on West Campus before Jan. 1. The facility will be completed this fall. The pur-
Today's weather
SEE RESEARCH ON PAGE 2A
All contents, unless stated otherwise,
© 2005 The University Daily Kansan
Softball defeat
Trembling Kansas
Softball defeat Despite a spirited sixth and seventh inning per-formance, the Jayhwakks fell to the Cornhuskers 7-3 yesterday. Next, Kansas goes on the road to face Wichita State today in a double-header contest in Wichita.PAGE 12A
The Humboldt Fault Zone northeast of Manhattan could produce a magnitude 2 to magnitude 3 earthquake. PAGE 2A
责
Famous Runners to Come to Relays Several prominent track stars have been scheduled to race against each other in the Kansas Relays. Coach Stanley Redwine thinks their visit will attract even more people to the race.PAGE 12A
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