TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 1, 2005
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
3A
Peace Corps volunteers increase; program in top 25
BY NATE KARLIN
nkcarlin@kansan.com
KANSAI STAFF WRITE
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Most world travelers come back with souvenirs and great experiences that last a lifetime.
After traveling to the Republic of Guinea with the Peace Corps from 1998 to 2000, Danielle Monty-Mara came back with more than the great experiences and the souvenirs. She came back with a husband.
While many Peace Corps volunteers do not come back with a spouse, they do come back to Lawrence with an appreciation for different cultures and satisfaction that they made a difference in the world.
For the second year in a row, the University of Kansas has ranked among the top 25 schools for graduates serving in the Peace Corps.
University 23rd - up from 25th last year - among more than 200 universities with an enrollment of more than 15,000 undergraduate students.
The Peace Corps ranked the
Monty-Mara, lecturer in French and Italian, said meeting her future husband was part of the best thing about her two-year experience. Her husband's family still resides in Guinea.
"Unlike a lot of volunteers' experience that ends when you come back, I have a permanent connection through my husband," she said.
The University currently has 47 graduates serving in 24 countries, which is an increase of six graduates from last year, said Betty Baron, Peace Corps coordinator for the University and the Lawrence community.
"I have been really impressed by the commitment and caliber of the KU students, as well as the community," Baron said.
have been really impressed I
"
impressed by
the commitment and caliber of the KU students, as well as the community."
Betty Baron Peace Corps coordinator
The Peace Corps has been on the KU campus since 2001.
Alden Kline, a 2002 University of Virginia graduate from Hutchinson, wanted to see the world and meet new people. She volunteered in the west African country of Mauritania.
"I wanted to see what it was like to live outside of the U.S. and to see what people thought of us," said Kline, who returned this September.
Kline taught English as a for-
Volunteers had a variety of motives to join the Peace Corps, Baron said.
egn language to high school students.
Those motives varied from seeing the world, helping and meeting other people or even just to take time off before getting a real-world job, she said. Kline was sent to Mauritania because she was open to going to anywhere, she said.
Baron, who served the Peace Corps from 1966 to 1968 in Ethiopia, said volunteers often continue traveling after completing their service.
Monty-Mara has not been back Guinea since she left in 2000, but she said she hoped to go there soon. She said she would like to take her her two-year-old son there who has yet to visit the country where his parents met.
— Edited by Lisa Coble-Krings
NEWS TO KNOW ABOUT THE PEACE CORPS
All Peace Corps volunteers serve 27 months.
Age Restrictions
Each volunteer lives with a native family for three months to learn the country's language, culture and develop the technical skills needed for the following 24-month job.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old to volunteer, but there is no age limit. Currently, the oldest volunteer is 78.
"All expenses paid, international adventure"
Passport
Travel arrangements to and from the designated country Training
- Two vacation days per month, in addition to weekends off
- Reach and complete assignments as required to what their
Two vacancies
Volunteers receive a stipend comparable to what their
own active counterpart would earn.
Volunteers also receive a lump sum of $6,075 at the end of two-year job
Peace Corps coordinator for the University and the Lawrence community
Source: Betty Baron.
STATE
Legislation aimsto keep tablets behind counter
TOPEKA — Work on antimethamphetamine legislation stalled yesterday because senators disagreed about how much the state should restrict consumer access to some common medicines.
The measure before the Senate Judiciary Committee would permit only pharmacies to sell tablets of cold, flu and allergy remedies containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, common meth ingredients.
The bill is patterned after an Oklahoma law credited with reducing meth lab seizures there by 80 percent.
Also, consumers would have to show photo identification and sign a log,and they could not buy more than 9 grams typically three packages, within 30 days.
Club celebrations relocated
The Associated Press
BY MIKE BARRY editor@kansan.com KANSAN CORRESPONDENT
Two campus clubs will celebrate the Chinese New Year this month but neither will be able to enjoy their native cuisines on campus. Because specialty ethnic dishes are a staple of the celebrations, the Taiwanese Student Association and the Chinese Student Scholars Friendship Association each spent hundreds of dollars to hold parties off campus to avoid catering restrictions at the Kansas Union.
"We would prefer to have the feast in the Union but there are so many amenities," Xiaosen Zhou, Cheng-du, China sophomore said.
Events held in the Union must be catered by Memorial Union Catering. Its policy does not permit food made outside of the Union. Cultural groups can bypass this rule if they hire a
specialized caterer.
Whitney Fox, Memorial Union Catering coordinator, thinks this restriction is necessary to avoid potentially expensive problems concerning the University's liability. It is the only catering company on campus, Fox said. "If something does go wrong or something does get poisoned, and it's on campus, it would be the University that gets in trouble."
Both clubs have decided to serve traditional Chinese food in the Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread Ave. Reserving the main room costs $400.
The Taiwanese Student Association used a local caterer last year but decided to make more authentic dishes for this year's celebration. It will celebrate the new year on Feb. 12, and has opted to prepare its own food because the celebrations bring a sense of community.
"In past years we just booked
Chinese restaurants but most of the Chinese food is Americanized," Mao-Sheng Hung, Taiwan graduate student and president of the Taiwanese Student Association said. "We would like to do something different and special this year." Hung said he assigned students to bring back special materials from Taiwan to make traditional Chinese food.
The Chinese Student and Scholars Friendship Association will celebrate the Chinese New Year Feb. 4. It will begin the evening performing traditional Chinese games and dances in the Memorial Union. It will then take the activities to the ECM to eat traditional Chinese desserts.
"This event is not only for fun, it is for connection." Zhou said. "Hopefully the event will bring Chinese students some warmth so far from home."
- Edited by Megan Claus
Lett-us eat
Tim Thompson, a Summit Subs employee,
squeezes mustard onto a sandwich yesterday. Kyle McKenzie,
Shawnee junior, added some cheese to his sandwich at The Market in the Kansas Union.
Stephanie Farley/KANSAN
THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS
The KU Tsunami Relief Campaign will be collecting donations for UNICEF on campus.
Millions of survivors need YOUR help
STUDENT WEEKEND PRESENTED BY SENATE
Come find us at Wescoe Beach & Union Lobby
FEBRUARY 1,2005
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Meeting Watkins Pediatrics
Chinese Students & Scholars Friendship Association
"Chinese New Year Night"
at the ECM Church
7:00 pm - 11:00 pm Feb. 4
$1 per person
Performances and games,
free food, drink & refreshments.
Gifts for people who join the games
and history at the end of the night
Pre-Nursing Club
Feb. 1st,2005 5:30 pm first floor Conference Room & Hospice Nurse Speakers
Want your voice to be heard in Topeka? Care about the future of KU? Join the Student Legislative Awareness Board lobbying on behalf of KU students Find out more February 24th at 5:30 pm in the International Room of the KS Union.
You Can Make A Difference Discover KU UNICEF
Become a member of KU's chapter of the internationally recognized UNICEF To find out about UNICEF's missions including relief for children in developing countries aid to recent tsunami victims, & care for children in desperate need of medical assistance contact kuunicef@ku.edu Meet with us Thursdays @ 8 p.m. beginning Feb. 10 at Alcove C in the Union
Student Senate is offering a free subscription to the Wall Street Journal online. Sign up at www.ku.edu/~senate
Win up to $2000 in cash and prizes!
STUDENT SENATE one community, many voices
Meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at the ECM Ecumenical Christian Ministries at 5:30 pm
Students for a Just Peace in the Middle East
at 5:30 pm
Discuss
Discuss Human Rights for Palestinians and Israelis for more info contact me at kahlilsaad@gmail.com