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Volume 128 Issue 109
Thursday, April 16, 2015
kansan.com
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
The student voice since 1904
WEEKEND EDITION
RECORD STORE DAY
Love Garden Sounds and Kief's participate in holiday I PAGE 5
Bill may allow campus religious groups to restrict membership
KELLY CORDINGLEY
@kellycordingley
On-campus religious organizations would be able to limit membership to those who share the same beliefs and restrict individuals who do not if a bill that passed the Kansas Senate last month is passed by the House.
Senate Bill 175 has raised concerns of whether this opens up the doors for legal discrimination and whether these groups have the right to be publicly funded. Senator David Haley (D-Wyandotte) voted against this and offered a written explanation of vote for the Senate Journal, which reads in part:
"Shouldn't an organization on a campus of higher learning be a place to affiliate, to learn, to affirm... or even to change? [...] SB 175 codifies certain tenets of discrimination that should never be considered in any civil state legislature."
Daniel Gewirtz, a sophomore from Northbrook, Ill., is an intern at KU Hillel, a Jewish student organization. He works with the "Ask Big Questions" program, which works to facilitate communication. He said he believes this bill would hinder any future growth.
The bill was pushed through to the House floor and may be heard by the full House when session reconvenes April 29. Senator Steven Fitzgerald (R-Leavenworth) carried and proposed the bill in the Senate and said he can't see why this bill wouldn't pass in the House.
"It's nice to enlighten other people who aren't Jewish to see what we do," Gwirtz said. "To reject someone from joining Hillel is wrong and is not what Hillel is about."
"It should pass; there's no reason why it shouldn't," he said. "I think this is a meat-and-patatoes-type bill. We're seeing things happen in other states that are concerning violating the rights of students
"It should pass; there's no reason why it shouldn't. I think this is a meat-and-potatoes-type bill."
on campuses. We think that should not happen in Kansas, and we're offering this as a protection."
One such instance he referred to was the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld the requirement of the University of California's Hastings College of Law that student organizations cannot disclude members based on varying beliefs or ideals.
in opposition to the groups doctrine. He was banned from leading the group. He then filed a complaint. Although this eventually fizzled out, it is one of the issues Fitzgerald said he wants to avoid on other Kansas campuses.
STEVEN FITZGERALD Sponsor of Senate Bill 175
"This [prevents] the universities from requiring that such groups admit or allow a leadership post by those that don't agree with the tenets of the group," Fitzgerald said. "It's a matter of protecting the group in that way."
Haley argued the opposite, saying this bill allows for discrimination and is a step in the wrong direction.
"This likens back to the darker days of our country where discrimination was a matter of rule of law," Haley said. "Anyone can profess to be a member of a faith, but a club could say we don't accept beginning members of whatever faith."
Another instance Fitzgerald brought up occurred at Washburn University Law School in 2004. A student in the Christian Legal Society led a weekly Bible study and spoke
SEE SENATE PAGE 2
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
The price of Brella's Crunchy Chicken Cheddar Wrap went up to $5.15 this year, and will rise to $5.30 next year.
Dining prices go up to cover rise in cost of supplies
JAMES HOYT
@jamesj hoyt
The Crunchy Chicken Cheddar Wrap, a staple of University dining served at Brella's locations, was marked up to $5.15 this year, and will rise again to $5.30 next year. The Jayhawk Unlimited residential dining plan will increase from $4,064 to $4,168, as well.
Dining Director Nona
Golledge named drought conditions in Kansas and California, enrollment numbers and supply shortages of foods, such as beef, as factors in the steady increase of on-campus food prices. But she said the department's internal budget, 75 percent of which is spent on food and human resources, is
SEE DINING PAGE 2
Watkins to offer improved health care plan this fall
RACHEL AUERBACH
@RachelA_UDK
A new student health care plan will be implemented this fall, and some significant changes are being made to the one currently in place. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has new requirements that allow students to receive more benefits than they have in previous years through the plan.
The premiums on the UnitedHealthcare StudentResources - Kansas Board of Regents Student Health Insurance plan are much lower than private insurance plans, but the plan still aligns with the ACA.
This new plan has been developing over the past year, and Watkins Memorial Health Center has been working to provide students with the best coverage that aligns with the ACA. Diana Malott, associate director at Watkins, said this new plan offers additional protection for students in comparison to previous years, like coverage of additional immunizations because of the ACA.
"The level of benefits here at the health center are very good. Most services are covered at 100 percent
DIANA MALOTT
Associate director
at Watkins
The ACA's health care plan covers essential medical treatment, including ambulatory patient services, emergency services, hospitalization, pregnancy, maternity and newborn care and "rehabilitative and habititative services and devices" according to the government website.
TAKEAWAYS
The new health care plan provides more benefits and additional protection for students.
Watkins Health Center now covers most services fully, with few exceptions.
Students can receive health care on this plan from out-of-state and out-of-country facilities.
"The level of benefits here at the health center are very good," Malott said. "Most services are covered at 100 percent. If a student has an office visit with a provider, or if students have procedures done, those are covered fully here."
When seeking treatment at other facilities in the community, the insurance usually covers 80 percent; students would be responsible for the other 20 percent.
The health center still does not cover co-pays, but instead bills the fee to the student if they do not have cash at the time of the transaction. Lab services have a $5 co-pay per test, but insurance covers the rest of that test.
"There is no upper limit on the benefits, which went into effect last year," Malott said. "There have been some additional things that have been added into the preventive care for coverage, like some additional immunizations."
"Annually this year, because
our claims last year were very good, the cost has actually gone down from $1,487 to $1,407," Malott said. "If you calculate that over a 12-month period, it's about $120 a month."
Malett explains that this rate has more benefits for the price point in comparison to cheaper exchanges or exchanges through the internet.
International students can often struggle with finding cost-effective plans while here at the University, but many outside plans don't cover a lot of what they really need.
"I had to get the health insurance, even though I am covered by my home university. I found it to be too expensive," said Rosie Pike, an exchange student from England. "I'm used to getting universal free health care. So, for all I know, it could be a good policy, but I still get charged a lot for basic services."
A similar amount of people signed up for this plan in previous years — between 3,000 and 4,000, according to Malott. The plan typically reaches around 3,000 people on the Lawrence campus, and another 700 or 800 for the KU Medical Center campus. The enrollment number changes because students have the
Malott said the International Services Office is working with international students to improve the offered health care plans at the University.
"If the student brings in a new plan and doesn't take ours, [the International Services Office] makes sure it meets those requirements," Malott said.
SEE WATKINS PAGE 2
Sunrise Project, a nonprofit program, is piloting an after-school cooking and gardening club at an elementary school.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/SUNRISE PROJECT
New nonprofit targets food environment, social justice
RYAN WRIGHT
@ryanwaynewright
Sunrise Project will host a charity event at Liberty Hall on Sunday, April 19. The organization has partnered with tofu manufacturer Central Soyfoods in hopes of gaining funding to purchase the
A common argument for disregarding discussions on environmental changes is that they may take longer than our lifetimes to pan out. However, some people are actively fighting to change the environment and how we access our food.
SEE SUNRISE PAGE 6
the community.
That's where Sunrise Project comes in.
Sunrise Project is a new nonprofit in Lawrence that focuses on the intersection of food, the environment and social justice. Melissa Freiburger of Sunrise Project called the organization a grassroots group that is looking to bring more programming to
KU Med Center unable to increase acceptance rates
KATE HARTLAND
@kansannews
Index
OPINION 4
A&F 5
PUZZLES 6
SPORTS 14
Despite the constant need for nurses and the high number of applicants, the University of Kansas Medical Center's recruitment of pre-nursing students remains unchanged.
Dr. Pamela Barnes, the associate dean of student affairs at the University of Kansas Med-
CLASSIFIEDS 12
DAILY DEBATE 11
SEE KU MED PAGE 7
In September 2014, the ANA projected the United States will need to add around 1.1 million registered nurses to
sity's medical school continues to admit a fixed number of students each year, which is determined by the school's capacity.
ical Center, said she thinks there has been a concern for the shortage of nurses for quite some time. She said the school's recruitment tactics have not changed because of it, but stayed very consistent.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) projected a shortage of registered nurses in the workforce in the early 2000s. However, the Univer-
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