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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
WWW.KANSAN.COM
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2002
ISSUE 86 VOLUME 112
Ethernet overload irks student users
By Melissa Shuman Kansan staff writer
When she surfs the Internet, Kristin Wilcox has to wait several minutes just to check her e-mail.
"They kick you off and it's really slow," the Overland Park junior said. "If you're checking your Hotmail, sometimes it takes forever."
Last November, Networking and Telecommunications Services began limiting bandwidth usage for residence hall ethernet accounts.
John Louis, director of NTS, said bandwidth was limited because students who wanted to use the Internet for research complained about it being too slow.
Last August, NTS began monitoring bandwidth usage and found that more than 80 percent of the usage was entertainment files.
"We don't know what songs they're downloading or what Web page they're
on," Louis said. "But we do know if they're downloading using an MP3 or Morpheus application."
Louis said NTS wanted to to limit entertainment usage so students could use the Internet for academics.
NTS has proposed charging a flat rate starting next fall for 860 megabytes per month and charging students for extra usage beyond that.
"Students can have unlimited usage, but they will have to pay for it," he said.
Students now pay $14 per month for an ethernet account. The proposed plan would charge $14 for 860 megabytes per month. Louis said he wanted to get student input before deciding on a new payment plan.
Wilcox said she didn't download many MP3s, but simple Web surfing was slow.
She said paying a little extra for entertainment wouldn't be so bad if her Internet would work.
"I guess it's OK, but separate payments for my roommates would get
complicated," Wilcox said.
The other option for students who want to use the Internet for academic purposes is a dial-in account. Though a dial-in account is slower and can't download MP3s and games as fast, it still works for research.
Jerree Catlin, associate director of Academic Computing Services, said the ethernet was 1,000 times faster than a dial-in account.
"It takes too long to download for some computers, and students prefer other options so they can get games or music." Catlin said.
Louis said NTS didn't have the resources for a high bandwidth in the residence halls, but computer labs were more than capable.
more than equitable "Students are welcome to download MP3s in the computer lab if they want." Louis said.
Amrhet Shuman at mshuman@kansan.com. This story was edited by Eve Lamborn.
KU Public Safety Office hurt by fewer officers
By Rachel Keesee Kansan staff writer
As the student population at the University of Kansas continues to grow, the KU Public Safety office is struggling to keep up with commissioned officers.
In 1984, the student population at KU was 24,400 and there were 37 commissioned officers, said Lt. Schuyler Bailev of the KU Public Safety Office.
Officers per 10,000 students
However, now the student population on the Lawrence campus has grown by more than 1,000 students, and the KU Public Safety Office works with only 28 commissioned officers
Chris Keary, assistant director of police for the KU Public Safety office, said the University controlled the number of positions the office had.
Having fewer officers is especially difficult because of high turnover. Keary
"We can't fill more positions than what is allotted because the budget won't allow for it." Keary said.
Rig 12 Schools
Big 12 Schools
Oklahoma St. 14.6
Baylor 14.3
Colorado 14.2
Missouri 13.7
Texas A&M 12.1
Nebraska 11.9
Iowa St. 11.5
Kansas 11.0
Kansas St. 10.5
Figures obtained from each university's official Web site.
said the hiring and training process to replace officers is lengthy and expensive.
it takes us 11 months from hiring to getting someone on the street by himself," he said. "That includes the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Academy and a 12-week training program we have."
He said most officers left for a higher
paying job.
"Last time it was a sergeant who went to become director of investigations for the Kansas State Fire Marshall's Office." Keary said.
Office. Kansas State University is also experiencing the same problems with fewer commissioned officers, said Capt. Robert Mellgren of the K-State Police Department.
"In the last three or four years, we've lost seven or eight officers," he said. "Every time we fill one position, we lose another one."
As with the KU Public Safety Office, Mellgren said most officers left for a better salary. Salaries for officers at Kansas universities are regulated by the Board of Regents, Keary said. The starting wage for a new trainee is $11.98 per hour, or roughly $25,000 per year, he said.
Contact Keesee at rkeesee@kansan.com. This story was edited by Jeremy Clarkson.
Plans for new rec center advance
By Meredith Carr Kansan staff writer
Michael Mayo, vice president of the Ken Ebert Design Group based in Manhattan, said the last day to have a bid would be Wednesday, Feb. 20. The design group is in charge of designing the building.
Mary Chappell, director of recreation services, and a group of architects representing the University proposed plans for the new recreation center yesterday afternoon to about 25 prospective building contractors from across the state.
The new center will be located between Watkins Memorial Health Center and 18th Street in the vacant lot west of parking lot 90:
The ground breaking is set for 4 p.m.
Friday, April 12. Chappell will
"We chose this site for the new recreation facility because it's the last open space left on campus," said Bob Rombach of design and construction management.
Ideas on how to build the new center were taken from other university recreation centers, such as ones at Kansas State, Colorado State, University of Miami at Ohio, Kent State and Oregon State.
Jessica Bankston, a holdover student senator, has been working on the project since September 1998. She was a member of a task force for the new center
The new recreation center will be paid for by students, who approved a fee increase in Spring 1999. Students paid a $15 semester fee starting in Fall 2000. This fee paid for the architects and designers to begin work on building ideas and preliminary sketches. Since Fall 2001, students started paying $39 per semester toward the new recreation center. Students pay a total of $62 each
"We are thrilled about finalizing the building." Bankston said. "When the task force surveyed the students, the consensus was they wanted a new rec center."
in required recreation fees this semester.
The building will cost an estimated $14.2 million to build, but the overall budget is $17.1 million, Chappell said.
She said the rest of the budget would be used for building equipment.
Contact Carr at mcarr@kansan.com. This story was edited by Anne Mergenmeier.
NEWHORIZONS
CHRISTINA NEFF/KANSAN
KANU, 91.5 FM, currently operates in Broadcast Hall, located between Budig Hall and the Art and Design Building. The station will move to new studios, which will be added on to the Baehr Audio Center, 1120 W. 11th, sometime next year. The ground breaking for the new building is scheduled for next month.
KANU to relocate extend coverage area
University's NPR affiliate public radio station ready for larger facility
By Mike Gilligan Kansan staff writer
KANU radio is moving onto bigger and better things next year.
Gifts from two private donors are allowing KANU, 91.5 FM, the University of Kansas' public radio station and National Public Radio affiliate, to build a new facility and to expand its broadcass area beyond northeast Kansas.
Construction will begin in early March on a 9000-square-foot facility, which will be adjoined to the Bachr Audio Reader Center, 1120 W. 11th St., said Janet Campbell, general manager of KANU.
Campbell said the new facility would help KANU greatly.
"Right now the staff is in three different buildings." she said.
According to Campbell, KANU has employees in Carruth O'Leary Hall Broadcasting Hall and the Baehr Audio Reader Center.
Reader Center "Some employees have to go back and forth between different buildings," Campbell said. "With the new building they won't have to do that."
The new production facility will be much more advanced than the current facility in Broadcasting Hall.
"There will be a live studio that is bigger than the current one," Campbell said. "We will probably have some of the finest recording studios on campus."
1. Schafer, news director at KANU, is
INSIDETODAY
Janet Campbell General manager of KANU
custing Patio "There is not enough space for the staff we have," Schafer said. "Janet's office is in a hallway."
looking forward to moving out of Broadcasting Hall.
At the same time, KANU is working to reach more listeners, Campbell said.
"There will be a live studio that is bigger than the current one. We will probably have some of the finest recording studios on campus."
"We are installing a translator in Emporia and hopefully one in Manhattan, too." Campbell said. "Right now we are lust in Lawrence and Atchison."
KANU's Lawrence broadcast tower will remain on West Campus. The tower next to Broadcasting Hall serves KJHK, 90.7 FM. The staff looks forward to moving away from the tower's vicinity.
"There is so much interference from the tower that I can't hear KANU from my own office," Schafer said.
Parking is another problem, Campbell said.
"We have a lot of volunteers and guest musicians." Campbell said. "Now that the building won't be in the middle of campus, parking will be easier."
Contact Gilligan at mgiligan@kansan.com. This story was edited by Kyle Ramsey.
COMING IN TOMORROW'S KANSAN
STATE NEWS ... 5A
HOROSCOPES ... 7A
WEATHER ... 8A
CROSSWORD ... 8A
BOARD OF REGENTS: A KU student wants the Regents to grant benefits to same-sex partners.
GREEK LIFE: Zeta Tau Alpha, a new sorority, will open at KU next year.
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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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