TODAY'S WEATHER: Cloudy morning, sunny afternoon and a high of 67. SPORTS: The baseball team lost 20-8 to Southwest Missouri State.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN
TALK TO US: Contact Leita Walker, Jay Kral or Kyle Ramsey at (785) 864-4810 or editor@kansan.org
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
WWW.KANSAN.COM
WEDNESDAY APRIL 24, 2002
ISSUE 137 VOLUME 112
University's energy costs cut, audited to save money
By Birgit Brettenthaler Special to the Kansan
A computer, a stereo, TV, VCR, DVD player, Sony PlayStation, a microwave just to name a few of the average amenities used by the typical KU student.
But convenience has its price. The University of Kansas spends $8 million each year on major utility expenses like electricity, gas and water. The high cost of energy exceeded last year's budget, which caused the provost to develop an energy saving program. A $400,000 energy audit is under way, the goal of which is to help the University save $2.4 million a year.
Energy-saving measures in the last two years have already saved $335,000, said Assistant Provost James Long.
"We published a guideline on the Internet asking students and staff for their assistance in conserving energy by turning down needless lights or shutting down computers for example," Long said.
The guidelines called for setting down thermostats in areas that were not occupied at night and on weekends and avoiding using electric space heaters, he said. To compensate the waste of water, the guidelines suggest reporting dripping faucets and water leaks immediately to Facility Operations at 864-4770.
Although Long said people had responded to these requests, he was not completely satisfied.
"It is hard to encourage people to contribute. A behavioral change concerning the consumption of energy would be necessary, but that is tough to receive," he said.
The conservation project is still a long way to reach the goal: cutting the average energy consumption of $1.40 per square foot per building to $1. For example, costs like the Watson Library bill of $201,956 for the year 2000-2001 for utilities, which includes electricity as well as gas and water, will be reduced 30 percent. That is an annual saving of more than $60,000.
To get a step closer to this goal, the University has a performance contract with an energy saving company, Viron Energy Services of Overland Park, which will conduct the audit.
When the audit is done in May, it will include an analysis of the amount of energy that is used as well as recommendations for improvements. Possible improvements will involve lighting and heating.
Then discussions will follow on which of the recommendations the University will implement. The University will use the money saved to pay for the changes as well as the $400,000 audit.
It will take a couple of years until all projects will be completed.
But Rodger Oroke, university director of general services, said he was convinced that more is necessary to provide a permanent energy-saving solution. For example, considerations in new building constructions could help save money. Systems such as sensor lights, which react automatically to movement and which are already in use in Anschutz Science Library, should be standard in all new buildings.
And the contribution of students and faculty is still strongly demanded. Students themselves welcome measures that are taken to save money.
Contact Brettenthaler at news@ kansan.com. This story was edited by Justin Henning.
Outstanding women recognized
By Melissa Shuman Kansan staff writer
Ceremonies focus on science as women leaders are honored for contributions to University
The Women's Recognition Program honored women in science, leadership and community service last night at the Kansas Union.
A group of women student leaders chose the award recipients. The awards are an important way to encourage women to be leaders, said Kathy Rose-Mockry, director of the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center The program has recognized outstanding women for more than 30 years.
"We want to honor these talented women because they are an important part of KU." she said.
This year, special recognition was given to women in science.
Ida Hyde, professor of zoology from 1898 to 1920, was named Outstanding Pioneer Woman.
A new award, the Sally Frost Mason award, honors students with an interest in science. Jaime Zerbe, Council Grove senior studying biology, received the award for her research of human protein in cell division.
Frost Mason was a professor of zoology at KU from 1981 to 2001. She served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences before accepting the job of provost at Purdue University. She spoke at last night's award ceremony.
"I think any time we can honor women, or good students, it's a good award," she said. "It's less hard now to be a scientist than in Ida Hyde's day."
Frost Mason said that Ida Hyde was an important role model at KU.
"Ida Hyde was a legend in my department. At first I thought I was the first woman dean, but I found out that she actually started the department," she said.
Seven other female student leaders were given a $400 stipend from the Woman's Memorial Scholarship Fund at KU. Members of the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center recognized
LAURIE SISK/KANSAN
Sally Frost Mason, former University of Kansas College of Liberal Arts and Sciences dean and current provost at Purdue University, presents the Sally Frost Mason Award to Jamie Zerbe, Council Grove senior. Zerbe was given the award for outstanding undergraduate student in the biological sciences during the Women's Recognition Program last night in the Kansas Union.
SEE WOMEN ON PAGE 8A
HIGH'S CREW COMIN' TO TOWN
PLAYBOYPOTENTI
AABON SHOWALTER/KANSAN
Hoping to make it into the college issue of Playboy magazine, Jen, who asked that her last name not be revealed, poses as directed by photographer David Ram for some test Polaroids. Playboy held auditions for women from the University of Kansas yesterday at The Eldridge Hotel, 701 Massachusetts St., and will continue tryouts today. The chosen women will be photographed for the magazine later this week.
A few KU women will be chosen to pose
By Jessica Tims Kansan staff writer
Playboy magazine is making a visit to Lawrence in search of University of Kansas women to pose for its Big 12 Conference issue.
David Ram, Playboy photographer, and Eden Orfanos, shoot producer, arrived yesterday in search of college women willing to pose for the issue, due on newsstands in September. The issue will feature three to five students from each Big 12 university. The magazine conducted interviews and took photos of possible models in two-piece swimsuits or their bra and panties yesterday at a local hotel and will continue today.
About 15 women were interviewed yesterday and more were expected today.
Orfanos said that tonight she and Ram would choose the three to five KU students who would be photographed. The shoots for the magazine will then take place over the next three days, she said.
Orfanos said she and Ram were looking for locations in and around Lawrence to shoot the pictures.
The location of the shoot often depends on the personality or interest of the woman in the photo, she said.
Each woman who interviews for a spot in the magazine tries out for a different reason, Orfanos said. She said some women saw being in Playboy as a way to further their careers in modeling or acting. Some women do it to get revenge on an ex-boyfriend and some do it for the money, she said.
SEE PLAYBOY ON PAGE 8A
"We've got a couple of leads — we heard of a really cool mansion," she said. "And we passed a really amazing farm house on our way into town that was really beautiful."
No bill was passed for greek housing initiative; referendum voided
Kansan staff writer
By Sarah Hill
A housing representation resolution passed in this month's Student Senate elections will not go into effect.
Student body president Justin Mills and student body vice president Kyle Browning decided this week that Referendum B on the election ballot would not change Student Senate rules and regulations because no bill on the issue was
presented to Senate.
The referendum was an initiative to give greek housing residents representation by off-campus senators. The initiative passed 2,372 to 1,475.
Browning said the petition to put the referendum on the ballot did not go through the Senate office before it went to the elections commission. Rules and regulations dictate that petitions to put initiatives on ballots must first go through the Senate office so the referendum may be made into a bill for senators to vote on.
"We didn't interpret it that way — it's just the way rules and regulations are written," Browning said. "If no bill was passed, no changes to rules and regulations can be made.
Justin Mills
The referendum then becomes public opinion."
In February, Student Senate debated the issue before failing a bill that would have changed the rules to allow greeks to vote for off-campus senators.
Andy Knopp, engineering senator and author of the bill and referendum, said he thought the referendum was still valid and he was not sure that Mills and Browning had the final say.
"That's not fact, that's Kyle Browning's opinion," Knopp said. "While they think it's technically not a bill, they don't have the final opinion."
Knopp was not sure who could overrule Mills and Browning, but was looking into it.
Andrew Bailey, journalism senator, said he was disappointed by the decision made by Mills and Browning.
SEE SENATE ON PAGE 8A
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