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Volume 128 Issue 98
Monday, March 30, 2015
kansan.com
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
The student voice since 1904
FRANK WEIRICH/KANSAN
Freshman Maggie Mehan and her sister, Grace, pose on campus after a lecture class. Grace, who has Down Syndrome, spent the weekend at the University with her sister to experience college life.
Sisters' bond strengthened after weekend together on campus
MIRANDA DAVIS
@MirandaDavisUDK
A typical night in a dorm room on Daisy Hill isn't something most college-aged people would get excited about. But spending a quiet Thursday night on the hill, painting nails and watching movies was a big deal to Grace Mehan.
Grace has Down Syndrome, and spent this weekend with her sister Maggie, a freshman from St. Louis, and the rest of
the sixth floor of McCollum residence hall.
A Bond Between Sisters
Maggie and Grace communicate at least once a day. Sometimes it's a couple texts, and sometimes it's a quick FaceTime just to say good morning. Maggie said Grace will cut her off some mornings because Grace has other things to get to.
you're still there and I can talk to you whenever we want," Maggie said.
"It'll be like a one-second conversation but that's all she needs to be able to know, 'Oh
Thursday afternoon when Maggie was waiting for her sister to get out of her class in Budig, many in the crowd of students leaving class stopped just to watch the sisters hug. It was obvious just how strong of a bond the two sisters share.
They often hold hands when walking, like they did on their way back to the dorms after class. That is, when Grace isn't walking up to people,
introducing herself and making friends.
Maggie said she loves the University and is glad she chose to come here, but the four-hour drive from home wasn't easy at first.
She said it was especially tough to leave her family and especially her sister, who she said has been her best friend "since, well, forever."
The Mehan sisters act the way most close sisters do.
SEE SISTERS PAGE 5
Long wait for CAPS appointments credited to poor funding, few doctors
ALLISON CRIST
@AllisonCristUDK
The current wait for an appointment with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at the University is an astounding three weeks. Student Body Vice President Miranda Wagner said there are two reasons for this: not enough staff members and lack of funding.
Student Body Vice President Miranda Wagner is trying to make CAPS a priority for the University.
Suicide rates among young women are on the rise.
The current wait for an appointment with CAPS is approximately three weeks.
"Based on the national standards for how many mental health professionals should be on a campus in proportion to the students, the University is six people short." Wagner said.
Wagner said not only is there no money to hire more professionals, but there is no physical space to expand CAPS.
To do this, Student Senate instituted a new advisory board last semester. Though there was already-
This shortage in money stemmed from the 2008 economic crash when the University was forced to cut funds from different programs, CAPS facing the largest of cuts, according to Wagner.
"It's concerning," Wagner said. "We can't treat CAPS like that ever again, and they need to stay a priority."
"We found a high connection between the availability of services and being able to stay on
Wagner and the subcommittee have done research found a link between college mental health services and student retention.
a student health board in collaboration with Watkins Health Services, this new subcommittee works specifically for CAPS.
This connection could also be seen in the evaluations that CAPS does at the end of each semester. Any student who has used the services does an evaluation, and so far, the retention rate among these particular students is 100 percent.
The subcommittee will present the research in a formal report.
"It's my goal that with the creation of this board and
campus," Wagner said.
the release of this report, that a conversation about mental health on campus will be started;" Wagner said.
The subcommittee initially looked at increasing the student fee to eliminate the $15 CAPS appointment cost; however, Wagner said the increase would've been too much.
With a recent report by
SEE HEALTH PAGE 2
Kansas Senate OKs University cuts, lowers financial aid funds
KELLY CORDINGLEY
@kellycordingley
The University is likely facing more cuts from the Kansas legislature due to an amendment that passed in the Senate on Wednesday to cut $9.4 million over the next two fiscal years from the University's Lawrence campus. When the House reconvenes on Monday, they're likely to concur on the amendment, passing it to the Governor for final approval.
Senator Laura Kelly (D-Topeka) is a ranking minority member on the Senate Ways and Means Education Subcommittee, which is responsible for this amendment. She said she viewed this as an attack by Subcommittee Chair Senator Tom Arpke (R-Salina) on higher education that singled out the University of Kansas. Senator Arpke, who pushed for the passage of this amendment, was unavailable for comment at this time.
PUZZLES 6
SPORTS 10
"It has been obvious to me since I began working on the higher education subcommittee with Senator Arpke that he has a particular distaste for all things KU," Kelly said. "I really don't know why that is. It's hard to get inside his head and figure out what it is about KU that he dislikes so much, but whatever it is, it is very obvious."
Kelly said the justification given for the cuts was that the University has seen a decline in enrollment over the past few years. However, she said there is no reason for such cuts and for the legislature to interfere with the traditional way money is allocated by the Board of Regents to the Universities. Generally, they put together block grants, give them to the Board of Regents and the board allocates them to the universities.
"I don't think in any way
SEE SENATE PAGE 2
"That's how I'd characterize it, a personal vendetta against KU." -SENATOR ANTHONY HENSLEY (D-TOPEKA).
- "It's hard to get inside his head and figure out what it is about KU that he dislikes so much, but whatever it is, it is very obvious."
-SENATOR LAURA KELLY (D-TOPEKA)
"I think there's a general disdain on the part of my colleagues for the four year liberal arts universities." -SENATOR LAURA KELLY (D-TOPEKA)
ALLISON CRIST
@AllisonCristUDK
Mahesh Daas named new architecture dean
After months of searching and interviewing different applicants, Mahesh Daas, professor and chairman of the Department of Architecture at Ball State University, has been selected as the new dean for the School of Architecture, Design and Planning. He will begin June 15.
KANSAN: Why did you decide on this position here at the University?
DAAS: I thought it was a natural time in my career to be looking at other options, so when this opportunity came up, I was interested not only for the actual job, but because of my very relevant personal connections to Kansas.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/BALL STATE UNIVERSITY
KANSAN: How are you connected to Kansas?
OPINION 4
A&F 5
To be thinking about good April Fools' Day pranks.
DAAS: I landed there as an immigrant in the winter of 1991. I had $1,500 in my pocket for tuition, so I went to K-State to get my master's of architecture. I also lived on a farm and worked for a summer on Santa Fe trail tourism development in central Kansas, Ellinwood and Great Bend. That's when I truly understood
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THE BREW 9
Don't Forget
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2015 The University Daily Kansan
SEE DEAN PAGE 2
Today's Weather
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