6A = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Students propose new class to help graduates break into real world
By Caroline Boyer
Kansan staff writer
Members of two student organizations say graduating with a degree does not necessarily make you ready for the real world.
"What a lot of people do in college is train to be a professional, but not how to go into the profession." Morrow said.
Students in Free Enterprise and the Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization are proposing an entrepreneurship class that would teach students graduating with non-business degrees some of the basics of creating their own business. They will hold a forum to discuss the class from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow at the English Room in the Kansas Union.
For example, the class would help students in medicine or music who want to open businesses after college, but who haven't learned skills such as basic accounting and payroll in their major.
Jeff Morrow, business professor and SIFE advisor, said school did not always prepare students for life outside campus and that this class would help them to do so.
Eric Gonsher, CEO vice president and Overland Park senior, said the class would follow a curriculum called FastTrac set up by the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. Representatives from the foundation will be at the forum to talk about how other universities have set up similar classes.
"We came up with the idea at one of our meetings, and we decided to go for it," Gonsher said.
SIFE tries to foster free-enterprise education in the community. The organization has helped with entrepreneurship classes for high schools and professionals and is now breaking into college classes, Morrow said.
"What a lot of people do in college is train to be professional but not how to get into the profession." Jeff Morrow
Jeff Morrow SIFE Advisor
Morrow said the groups hoped to get representatives from many non-business schools to attend the meeting.
CEO was created a year ago and helps students who already have their own businesses or who are interested in beginning their own businesses.
"Our goal is to get student feedback and turn it into the appropriate administrative bodies from there," Morrow said.
Roy Ben-Aharon, president of CEO and Plano, Texas, senior, said Pam Houston from the university registrar's office also planned to attend the forum to discuss possibilities of getting the class in the curriculum.
"I think the earliest the class could get in the curriculum would be Spring 2003, but I'm guessing it will be more like Fall 2003," Ben-Aharon said.
Contact Boyer at boyer@kansan.com. This story was edited by Sarah Marsh.
Contractor selected for construction of recreation center
By Meredith Carr Kansan staff writer
The State Division of Purchasing selected a Topeka-based contracting company last week to work on the new KU recreation center.
Altmar Inc. will start work next month after a contract is signed with the University of Kansas and after the finance bonds to pay for building the center sell. The center will be located west of parking lot 90 near Watkins Health Center.
Students should expect to see construction soon, Bob Rombach, project manager, said. Rombach said at a meeting earlier this month that no parking would be affected by the construction of the facility.
Of the nine contracting companies that submitted bids, Altmar Inc. placed the lowest bid at $12,319,000 and was selected last Wednesday. State law requires that University-related projects go to the lowest bidder. The highest bidder was an independent contractor placing his bid at $14,080,000.
The budget for the project is $17.1 million, money that is currently in bonds. The contractors placed bids earlier this month by a closed ballot. By law, the Legislature, and not the University, decided the contracting company.
But nothing is set in stone for the contracting company
until the University of Kansas sells the bonds that will finance the new recreation facility. The date for bond sale is March 7.
The University is working with the Kansas Development of Finance Authority to put information together in order to market the bonds and make them look attractive as an investment.
"The Kansas Legislature approved selling the bonds to finance the new recreation facility." Theresa Klinkenberg, university director of administration, said. "The bonds will be repaid by student funds."
The ground breaking is scheduled for 4 p.m. April 12 in conjunction with the Alumni Association's Golden Week, and the reunion of the class of 1952, Mary Chappell, director of recreation services, said.
The contracting company will get temporary power, water and phone service through the Watkins tunnel extension until the building is complete, Rombach said.
Student funds that will repay the bonds come from the $62 student recreation fee that students pay each year.
The facility is expected to be finished in 2003.
Contact Carr at mcarr@kansan.com. This story was edited by Sarah Marsh.
Do you appreciate the incredible miracle that is your body?
February 27 $ ^{th} $
"Savvy Eating in the Residence Halls"
Mrs. E's, 12 PM
February 27th "Nutrition and Fitness Jeopardy" GSP,5 PM.Win Prizes!
Febraury 28th "How Do I Know if my Diet is Balanced?" KS Union Atrium,12 PM
March 3rd "Walk this Way" Celebrate your body with a walk . Not just any stroll in the park- it will be JAZZED up for your pleasure and get your heart pump'n.
Anshutz Pavilion, 7:30 PM
March 4th "The Myth of Perfection; The Impact of Media and Culture on the Way We View Our Bodies" Woodruff Auditorium, 7:30 PM
"Celebrate Every Body Week"
February 27th - March 4th, 2002
H. O.M.E.B.A.S.E
Coca Cola
Health Options for Movement and Exercise Body Acceptance, and Savvy Eating.