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KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
WWW.KANSAN.COM
TUESDAY
MARCH 5,2002
ISSUE 106 VOLUME 112
104
Douglas: Awarded first runner-up in the Miss USA competition last week in Gary, Ind. She is shown above as Miss Kansas 2001.
Jayhawk awarded Miss USA runner-up
By Meredith Carr Kansan staff writer
Lindsay Doulgas' lifelong dream came true Friday night in Gary, Ind.
Deion Sanders, host of the Miss USA competition, announced the Chesterfield, Mo., senior as one of the five finalists for the title. He then announced three other women for fourth, third and second runner-up. Finally, Sanders called Douglas' name, and she was awarded Miss USA first runner-up.
It was the achievement of a goal for Douglas, who began competing in beauty pageants at age 16 when she won Miss Missouri Teen All-American.
Douglas attended classes at the University through last semester
"I didn't even expect to make it to the top five."
Lindsay Douglas Miss USA first runner-up
but took this semester off to focus on her pageant duties. To prepare for the pageant, Douglas exercised four hours a day, ate a healthy diet and remained focused toward her dream.
Douglas grew up in Missouri but qualified as
a Kansas resident this year. She entered and won the Miss Kansas USA pageant in October.
That title put her in the Miss USA pageant.
"I didn't think I was going to win," Douglas said. "I didn't even expect to make it to the top five."
Douglas said the hardest part of the pageant was the swimsuit competition.
"I think that is when I became aware that there were like 200-million people watching me," Douglas said. "I was a speed walker, and I just wanted to get off the runway."
Douglas was supported by friends and family who attended the pageant. Noelle Barns, Douglas' best friend, said she was thrilled Douglas had made runner-up.
"I knew she wasn't bitter, she was genuinely happy for the other girl," Barns said.
If Miss USA 2002 Shauntay Hinton, the Miss District of Columbia, wins the Miss Universe competition in Peuro Rico in May, Douglas will be named Miss USA.
Contact Carr at mcarr@kansan.com. This story was edited by Kyle Ramsey.
Regents raise requirement
By Meredith Carr Kansan staff writer
The Board of Regents' decision to increase the number of junior/senior hours students have to take in order to graduate has raised concerns about the tuition increase, faculty and classes at the University of Kansas.
Junior/senior courses are defined as classes at the 300 level and above.
The Regents decided at its November 2001 meeting that the number of junior/senior hours required for graduation would increase across the board to 54 hours.
The plan affects new students enrolling in the University for Fall 2003. Students already enrolled will not be affected. The Regents have been considering what constitutes a Bachelor of Arts degree for about a year.
"We put the implementation date far ahead down the road so proper advising could be taken into account," William
Docking, Board of Regents member said.
Currently, the number of junior/senior hours a student has to take in order to graduate depends on the degree program a student is studying. In the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the most common number of junior/senior hours needed is 40 hours.
The number of junior/senior hours currently required for other Big 12 universities are between 36 and 48 hours.
With the new number of hours, Docking said the Regents thought students would get a better quality education, because they would have to take more upper-level classes.
But Tom Beissecker, president of the University Council, said this would limit students enrollment choices.
"With this policy it would reduce the flexibility and opportunity of classes outside the required curriculum the students would be able to take," he said.
Jessica Bankston, holdover student
senator and San Angelo, Texas, senior, said she disagreed with the Regents' decision.
decision. "I think the increase in hours is going to be a huge burden on our University," she said. "Currently, when a student gets into the upper-level courses in their major, there are fewer number of students in the classes. This would mean the University would have to hire more professional faculty members."
Bryce Canfield, Topeka junior,said he questioned the increase in hours because the University was already going to raise tuition.
"If the increase in hours is directly correlated with the rise in tuition positively, then it almost seems as though KU is trying to rob the students," Canfield said.
Docking said the Regents' decision to increase hours was unrelated to the proposed tuition raises.
Bankston, who is also a member of
"We put the implementation date far ahead down the road so proper advising could be
taken into account."
William Docking
Board of Regents member
University Council, said even though the decisions were unrelated, raising the number of hours still had a negative impact on students.
"I believe this is a negative decision because it seems the students are hit twice. First there is going to be a higher financial burden with the tuition increase, and they're going to have to stay here longer," Bankston said.
State to decide future of Oread homes by March 13
Contact Carr at mcarr@kansan.com.
This story was edited by Angela Cox.
By Lauren Beatty Kansan staff writer
The fate of three University-owned houses in the 1300 block of Ohio Street will be decided within the next eight days.
The deadline for Ramon Powers, state historical preservation officer, to announce his decision is Wednesday. March 13.
The University wants to demolish the houses to make room for two new scholarship halls. The Lawrence Preservation Alliance and the Oread Neighborhood Association say the homes should be preserved as the historically important environs of Spooner Hall and the Usher House, both of which are designated as National Historical Places. The Usher House, 1425 Tennessee St., is the residence of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
Students who live in the 10 existing scholarship halls said they had mixed feelings about adding two new scholarship houses as the decision approaches.
Three houses may soon be absent from the 1300 block of Ohio Street. The University wants to replace them with scholarship halls, while others want to preserve them as historical landmarks.
Amanda Titel, Iola junior and resident of Miller Scholarship Hall, said more scholarship halls would benefit the KU community, but not in place of the houses behind Margaret Amini and K.K. Amini Scholarship Halls.
Gavin Rondeau, Great Bend junior and resident of Battenfeld Scholarship Hall, said the houses should be saved.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Rondeau said he felt the houses had historical significance.
"They enrich the neighborhood," he said. "Let's try to build a little history here."
Rondeau said some of his friends agreed with him, but that most scholarship hall residents didn't care if the houses were torn down or not.
Katy Munch, who lives in Sellards Scholarship Hall, said she agreed with that sentiment. The Bellevue, Neb., sophomore said students had been apathetic, despite several information sessions and opportunities
for scholarship hall residents to speak their minds.
"It doesn't affect us because it will happen several years from now." Munch said.
Munch said she thought even adding one or two new halls would take away from the small community feeling that the scholarship halls provide for students.
"If you look at the area, the scholarship halls wouldn't fit in with the neighborhood. It would be too much old versus new halls," she said.
Some students think otherwise.
"They're an eyesore." Scott Roberts, Arma sophomore said, said of the Ohio Street houses.
Roberts, a resident of K.K. Amini Hall, said the houses should be torn down. He said adding two new hall would not take away from the scholarship hall community. He said other concerns, like parking, were not an issue, either.
Contact Beauty at ibeatye@kansan.com. This story was edited by Andy Gassaway.
City recommends change in zoning for housing area close to campus
By Lauren Beatty
Kansan staff writer
The Oread Neighborhood isn't the only area in Lawrence dealing with student housing issues. Old West Lawrence, framed by Sixth, Ninth, Illinois and Michigan streets, is also facing pressure to house more students.
The area is known for its historic Victorian-era homes. The designation would discourage homeowners from subdividing and renting out houses because the three-person limit applies to the structure as a whole. In addition, new multi-family buildings such as duplexes
The Lawrence planning commission recommended Thursday to rezone some of the area to become a single-family district, where no more than three unrelated people can live together.
and apartments could not be built.
Bruce Livingston, Lawrence resident, owns a house in Old West Lawrence. He said he wanted to tear down the house and build a duplex in its place because there was a need for rentals near the KU campus.
Livingston said that when he bought the property 17 years ago, he planned to rent the house until it was no longer cost-effective to maintain and then build a duplex. The house is currently in a zone that allows duplexes, but if the rezoning is approved, that would change.
"They're looking to make sure students can't live close to campus," Livingston said. "But these old houses are the cheapest places for them to live."
He feels the designation would be anti-student.
Dennis Enslinger, historic resources administrator, said duplexes already in the area would still be allowed to operate.
OLD WEST LAWRENCE
KYLE RAMSEY/KANSAN
Jo Anderson-Abbott, a member of the Lawrence Neighborhoods Association, said she thought Old West Lawrence had the nicest old homes in the city and that if duplexes were brought in, trash and noise would increase.
Changes to single-family neighbor
hoods change the entire complexion of the neighborhoods. Anderson-Abbott said
INSIDETODAY
Anderson-Abbott said the neighborhood had been concerned about property owners buying homes in the area and converting them into rentals. The rezoning action might be happening now because of increased interest in listing neighborhood homes on the National Register of Historic Places, she said.
Reg. "There's a fear of encroachment," Anderson-Abbott said. "People want to be listed on the register."
Enslinger said a petition was presented to the planning commission to recommend the rezoning.
The recommendation will go to the City Commission for discussion Tuesday, March 26.
Contact Beauty at iBeauty@kansan.com.
This story was edited by Sarah Marsham.
COMING IN TOMORROW'S KANSAN
WORLD NEWS ... 5A
HOROSCOPES ... 2B
WEATHER ... 4B
CROSSWORD ... 4B
POSITION SEARCH: Academic Computing Services is looking for a new director.
RESEARCH: A new study shows some bicycle seats may cause erectile dysfunction.
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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