Volume 124 Issue 134
Friday, April 13, 2012
kansan.com
PHILANTHROPY
ILLUSTRATION BY RYAN BENEDICK
Walking, running for cancer society
KELSEY CIPOLLA
kcipolla@kansan.com
Students participating in Friday night's relay aren't competing for a medal just the privilege of raising money for the American Cancer Society.
At Relay for Life events throughout the country, people form into teams, raise money and then try to keep one team member running, or more often walking, throughout the relay's 12 hours. The University's relay is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday at the Ambler Recreation Center.
According to the University relay website, Friday's event has 381 participants and 50 teams. So far, the KU relay has raised $21,237, a little more than half of the $40,000 goal set for this year. Katie Lord, the American Cancer Society's community manager of income who oversees the planning of local Relay for Life events, said that money often comes in during the event. Lord oversees the planning of local Relay for Life events.
The money raised goes to fund research,provide transportation for cancer patients and promote prevention and awareness efforts. Although the money is sent to the national office, all the money raised in Kansas does return to the state,Lord said.
Bre Kirkhart, a junior from
RELAY FOR LIFE
WHERE: Ambler Student
Recreation Center Track
WHEN: 6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
Friday
TO DONATE: Visit the University's Relay for Life website:
Wichita, got involved with the relay when she was in eighth grade after her mother was diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer. Later that year, the pair participated in their first relay. Kirkhart stayed involved with the cause throughout high school and college, and now serves as the local event's chair. Her mother has now been cancer free for seven years.
TO REGISTER: Visit the website or sign up on Friday at 5 p.m. at the Rec
Kirkhart said the even a great deal of personal, as well as symbolic, meaning.
"We start at sundown to signify when a cancer patient is
Study says an aspect of business overlooked in classes PAGE 3
NEW ERA. SAME PARTY
LANDSLIDE WIN
From left, Libby Johnson, student body president, Hannah Bolton, future student body vice president, Brandon Woodard, future student body president and Gabe Bliss, student body vice president, share a victorious moment after KUnited took its eighteenth victory of the past nineteen University student senate elections.
REBEKKA SCHLIGHTING/KANSAN
KUnited takes 85 percent of the vote
REBEKKA SCHLICHTING
rschlichting@kansan.com
VIKAAS SHANKER
vshanker@kansan.com
Hannah Bolton and Brandon Woodard won nearly 85 percent of the student vote, running on the KUnited ticket. They received 1,814 of the total 2,147 votes cast Wednesday and Thursday.
Opposing candidates Gus Bova and Claire Kerwin, from the SPQR coalition, took 266 votes, or 12.4 percent. Sixty-seven students wrote in their own candidates, including Bill Self and Twitter personalities "KU Steam Whistle" and "Fake Jeff Withey."
KUinited candidates received the most votes in every senate seat contest. The two SPQR candidates running for College of Liberal Arts & Sciences freshman/sophomore seats, Noah Campo and Wade Briscoe, came
last in voting on the ballot out of 14 candidates. But both will still be sworn in as senators because 14 seats are available.
Results are not official until approved by the Student Senate elections commission.
KUNITED CELEBRATES
The crowd of KUnited supporters broke into cheers and celebration when the winners were announced.
They had gathered for a watch party at the Oread hotel, 1200 Oread Avenue, socializing over drinks as the results were projected over a large screen. The results were broadcast by KUJH-TV, the campus television station and media affiliate of the Kansan.
Also present at the watch party were KUnited candidates Hannah Bolton and Brandon Woodard.
"It was definitely a very emo-
SEE ELECTIONS PAGE 6
GREEK
Student's memory honored among Greeks
RACHEL SALYER rsalyer@kansan.com
The initiative, hosted by University chapters of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity and Delta Gamma Sorority, is designed to honor Jason Wren's memory. Wren was a freshman SAE pledge who died of alcohol poisoning March 8, 2009.
The Third Annual Jason Wren Initiative reminded the Greek community of the importance of moderation and understanding the effects of alcoholism yesterday evening in Budig Hall.
Toren Volkmann, a recovering alcoholic and author of "From Binge to Blackout," shared with the audience his own story of alcoholism and the idea that it can happen to anyone. He showed pictures of his own party experiences. Wren's name, and the names of the event sponsors, were displayed on a banner haining behind him.
The event was open to everyone free of charge, but event chair and SAE member Austin Wagner said that, of the about 700 people in attendance, the majority were sorority members. In the past, SAE asked 20 percent of all members from University sororities and fraternities to attend. Wagner said SAE did not do so this year because of a miscommunication.
Volkmann, who started drinking at age 14, said he never would have expected himself to become an alcoholic.
"I was from a normal family with a decent recipe for a very good outcome," Volkmann said, "but once I put myself in the category and started exhibiting that behavior, I was just as likely to become an alcoholic as anyone."
Before dismissing the audience, Chapin McLane, SAE president, reminded those in attendance that the point of the conference was not to tell students to be sober, but to ask them to drink responsibly.
Wren talked about having repeated blackouts even though he thought he was drinking socially. Eventually, those blackouts led to his alcohol dependency.
Angela Guist, a freshman from Ottawa, said she and her friends attended the event to support
"I have unfortunately blacked out a few times, and it's not a good feeling when you have no idea what happened," Guist said. "People say it's a part of the experience, but listening to him makes you think of how dangerous it can be."
The initiative started in 2010 and continued after Wren's father, Jay Wren, filed a wrongful death suit against the fraternity.
Wagner said he hopes to see the organization's efforts continue.
"Even after we're all gone, the message will still need to be said," he said.
their sorority, Sigma Kappa, which donated to the event.
CHRIS NEAL/KANSAN
Jason would have been a senior
Toren Volkmann, author of "From Binge to Blackout" speaks to students in the Greek community about alcoholism Thursday night at Budig Hall. Volkmann was the guest speaker for the annual Jason Wren Initiative which was created to spread awareness about drinking and alcoholism after the death of Jason Wren in 2009.
Index
CLASSIFIEDS 11 CRYPTOQUIPS 4 SPORTS 12
CROSSWORD 4 OPINION 5 SUOKU 14
SEE WREN PAGE 6
All contents, unless stated otherwise. © 2012 The University Daily Kansan
Don't forget
Today is National Scrabble Day. So if you've got a seven-letter word and don't mind upsetting a chum, thrown it down and don't apologize.
Today's Weather
Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms, some possibly severe.
Avoid golf courses for now.