Student Senate elections are today and tomorrow. See below for polling locations and times.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
TALK TO US: Contact Leita Walker, Jay Krahl or Kyle Ramsey at (785) 864-4810 or editor@kansan.org
KANSAN
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
WEDNESDAY APRIL 10,2002
BENEFITS FOR STUDENTS
CHRISTINA NEFF/KANSAN
Students take advantage of programs offering tuition financing plus a pavcheck
By Erin Adamson Senior staff writer
Students struggling to balance the pressures of school with the responsibility of supporting themselves may find some relief in companies that offer their employees education assistance in the form of tuition reimbursement.
Sarah Walton, Great Bend sophomore, has made ends meet by working part-time at the UPS distribution center in Lenexa, but working late nights and going to school full-time has been hard. Walton needs the tuition reimbursement and health insurance because she paves for school on her own.
The UPS Earn and Learn program provides up to $1,500 per semester in addition to wages for employees who study at a college, university, trade or technical school. The money can be used for tuition, books and fees. This benefit continues up to $15,000, or ten
semesters of assistance.
For the program, UPS advertises day, twilight and night shift jobs loading and unloading trucks. Benefits include tuition reimbursement, paid vacations and holidays, free medical, dental and vision insurance, and weekends off.
Walton said tuition reimbursement and health benefits drew her to the job
"I got full reimbursement for what I didn't have in scholarships and grants," Walton said.
JoAnn Duncan, human resources recruiter for UPS, said all part-time student employees could take advantage of tuition reimbursement.
"That's available the day they start working." Duncan said.
A student who starts after the semester starts will still receive reimbursement for the whole semester.
Sarah Walton loads packages onto UPS trucks from 10:50 p.m. to 3 a.m., five nights a week. The loading shifts are
Jeremey Geishels, Victoria freshman, lifts packages off a conveyer belt and stacks them on a truck at the UPS distribution center in Lenexa. Geishels is one of many students who works for UPS to help make ends meet.
only four and a half hours long, but Walton said the physical work late at night made it seem longer.
"It's a lot more taxing than I thought it would be," Walton said.
While the work is strenuous, Walton said she hoped to keep her job until she graduated in two years.
Jeremey Geishlers, Victoria freshman, works the twilight shift at UPS from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Geishlers said tuition reimbursement and benefits attracted him to the job.
This semester, his financial aid paid for school, but Geihsler said that as tuition increased during the next five years he would need the tuition reimbursement to help pay for school.
SEE BENEFITS ON PAGE 3A
AARON SHOWALTER/KANSAN
Emporia sophomore Brandon Cox has kept a positive attitude in the face of challenges he has dealt with in his life, including the death of his father. "Everything happens for a reason," he said. "Roll with the punches and make the most of them."
Student loses father athletic motivation
Every face in the crowd and name in the phonebook has a story behind it. Every week, Kansan writer Adam Pracht tells the story of a randomly selected KU student.
When Brandon Cox picked up the phone last July and listened to his brother's voice, he could tell something was wrong.
By Adam Pracht Kansan staff writer
"That's not a phone call that anybody wants," the Emporia sophomore said. "It just hits you. It takes a while before you realize — I'm not ever going to see him again, and I won't ever hear his voice again. It's just stuff like that upsets me. You think about the last time you saw him and what you talked about."
That's not a
On July 24. 2001, Cox learned that his father died in a car accident Faces in the Crowd
Cox's father, Terry Cox, was killed in a remote area of western Kansas. At an intersection that had a yield sign, Terry continued through. A car that he apparently didn't see slammed into the driver's side of his vehicle, killing him immediately.
Since Terry and Cox's mother were divorced, Cox identified the body and made funeral arrangements himself.
"19 years old, trying to enjoy your summer vacation. It makes you grow up fast," he said.
It was an experience he could never have prepared for.
Cox said the support of family and friends helped him through that difficult time.
Candidates debate party policy,issues
SEE FACES ON PAGE 3A
By Adam Pracht Kansan staff writer
A referendum that would allow greeks to vote for off-campus senators and a policy for establishing benefits for homosexual and heterosexual couples were topics of discussion at yesterday's informal Student Senate debates.
After rain delayed the debates on Monday, the four coalitions had one last chance to present their platforms at Wescoe Beach yesterday before elec-
westside beach yelations today and tomorrow.
The coalitions gave opening statements, which were followed by a question-and-answer session with the
STUDENT
SENATE
elections
2002
audience and closing statements.
Delta Force was represented by Karen Keith, Tulsa, Okla., junior for president, Kit Brauer, Denver sophomore for vice president and Jason Ranard, Grand Island, Neb., freshman for Nunemaker senator.
Jonathan Ng. Leawood junior for president, Loren Malone, Senatoria, Miss., junior for vice president and Mark Dupree, Kansas City, Kan., sophomore for Nunemaker senator represented KUnited.
Amelia Earhart, Downey, Calif., freshman, was the only representative of the Vision coalition. The Nunemaker senator candidate thanked the commission for allowing the coalition to be represented even though its presidential and vice presidential candidates were disqualified.
The SMILE coalition did not send a representative to the debates.
One of the issues raised at the debate was referendum B on the ballot that would allow fraternity and sorority members to vote for seats designated for off-campus housing.
Malone said that KUnited was in favor of the measure because those in greek housing were only represented through Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic
Polling sites for today and tomorrow's Student Senate elections will be in the following campus buildings:
■ Strong, Wescoe and Haworth halls 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.
■ Kansas and Burge unions 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow.
■ Mrs. £1 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow.
■ GSP-Corbin Hall 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow.
■ Oliver Hall 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today.
Association senators. Malone said that those organizations did not directly represent the students in greek housing.
Earhart for the Vision coalition said that Greek housing should be better represented but not through the off-campus housing positions because they had different issues and concerns.
Brauer for Delta Force said that he did not think there was a problem with under representation of greeks because one third of Senate lived in greek housing.
KUnited and Vision coalition were asked if they would support Delta Force's Domestic Partnership Policy. The policy would give same-sex couples the same benefits as heterosexual couples at the University.
Earlhard for Vision Coalition said that even though the platform was not in its party platform, the coalition would support the proposal and work with Delta Force senators.
Ng for KUnited said that his coalition supported the policy. He also said he appreciated the opportunity to answer what he called "unfounded and slanderous" rumors that members of KUnited were homophobic.
SEE DEBATE ON PAGE 3A
COLORS OF SPRING
INSIDETODAY
Flowers accompany warm weather, signifying spring's arrival and providing an inviting atmosphere on campus. Brent Behrens, Atalissa, Iowa, senior, snaps pictures of a bed of tulips in front of Strong Hall. Weather for the rest of the week is mostly sunny, with highs in the mid- to high 70s.
WORLD NEWS ...8A
STATE NEWS ...5A
WEATHER ...6B
CROSSWORD ...6B
COMING IN TOMORROW'S KANSAN
MED CENTER: Are professors leaving for higher pay?
STUDENT SENATE:Continuing coverage of this week's elections.
The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is paid through the student activity fee. Additional copies of the Kansan are 25 cents. Subscriptions can be purchased at 119 Stauffer-Flint Hall.
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