TODAY'S WEATHER: Warm and clear with a high of 61. MEN'S BASKETBALL: Jayhawks are now ranked No.2. TALK TO US: Contact Leita Walker, Jay Krall or Kyle Ramsey at (785) 864-4810 or editor@kansan.com THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS TUESDAY JANUARY 22,2002 WWW.KANSAN.COM ISSUE 76 VOLUME 112 TRIMMING TRENDS With the new year in full swing, students flock to sports clubs to stay fit By Summer Lewis Kansan staff writer January is a time of cold weather and resolutions, and it's also the most popular month for people to join a health club. According to an International Questions for fitness clubs Are club staff members friendly and helpful? - Do fitness staff members have appropriate educational backgrounds and/or certification? Are new members provided with a club orientation and instruction on how to use equipment? Does the club offer a sufficient number and variety of programs (aerobics, yoga, racquetball, pool, basketball courts, etc.) for you to remain motivated and achieve your goals? Source: International Health, Racquet and Sports Club Association report. Health, Racquet and Sports Club Association report, 11 percent of all memberships in the United States are added during the month of January. The New Year marks the rush for Americans to find and join a gym that fits their needs. In Lawrence, health club owners and managers are finding this same trend. "We get a ton of new memberships in January, which is easily the biggest month," said Crystal Barnes, manager at Body Boutique. "This is because of New Year's resolutions and our winters in Lawrence. Almost always when you come back from Christmas, it is too cold to work out outside." Marty Tuley, owner of Total Fitness Athletic Center, 2339 Iowa St., said he agreed January was a strong month for Lawrence health clubs. With these new January memberships and others throughout the year, about 10 to 20 percent of all Lawrence fitness club memberships are University of Kansas students, the owners said. Rick Sells, owner of Lawrence Athletic Club, 2108 W. 27th St., said he "We're not a student-oriented club," said Sells. "We have so many students that are from big cities. They are used to Mom and Dad having a club membership, so they are not willing to stand in line like they might be at a new center campus. I hope ON BACK PAGE ILLUSTRATION BY KYLE RAMSEY/KANSAN Some opt to pay a little extra for fitness By Melissa Shuman Kansan staff writer Although Robinson Center provides students with an oncampus site to exercise, private fitness center operators in Lawrence say that KU students join their facilities because of the hours and equipment they offer. Students at the University of Kansas pay a total of $78.50 for student recreational fees, which includes $1.50 for maintenance and equipment, $15 for the building of the new facility and $62 for the recreation and fitness center. Despite the fee, some students look off campus to work out. Until the new KU recreation center is opened, students have to rely on Robinson, the Burge Union fitness center, or find a fitness club in Lawrence. Lawrence Athletic Club, Total Fitness Athletic Center and Body Boutique are some of the fitness clubs in Lawrence that students join. Rick Sells, owner of Lawrence Athletic Club, said it was a good idea to visit clubs instead of just doing price comparisons by telephone. "You wouldn't buy a car or a house over the phone, so why would you buy a health club?" Sells said. He said that neither Lawrence Athletic Club locations give price quotes by telephone for that reason. The club offers a free trial membership for one week so that potential members can check out the facility. "We might have some of the higher prices in town, but we also have the most to offer." Sells said, "I want people to see what they're getting." The club's north location, 3201 Mesa Way, offers a pool, sauna, raquettball, basket Total Fitness Athletic Center, 2359 Iowa, offers a semester special for students for $189 from now until May 31. Owner Marty Tuley said Total Fitness emphasized attention and supervision to their health club users. "We offer a more hands-on approach than most fitness clubs. About 65 to 70 percent of our customers have a personal trainer." Tuley said. We do offer guest passes, but we believe that the club member should get proper instruction from a certified trainer." Tuley added that trainers check up on the club member through e-mails each month. Tuley also said that club members can't weigh themselves at Total Fitness because there are no scales. Instead, he said members relied on personal goals and fat caliber tests as better measurements of fitness. "I got to Total Fitness Athletic Center because the hours are much more available and the equipment is so much better than Robinson," said Lauren SEE FITNESS ON BACK PAGE Students leave academic life to serve country By Rachel Keesee Kansan staff writer At least five KU students were called to active duty during winter break, said Annette Bergman, Veterans Affairs certifying official for the University of Kansas. Kansas. "We can't know the exact number, because the call-ups were during Christmas, but I know there were definitely five and maybe as many as 10." Bergman said. Those students had to drop their spring schedules and heed the call of the U.S. military." "If you get called up to active duty, the University policy is you bring your orders to the registrar or your school, and you'll be dropped from your "You'd get a full refund of tuition, and depending on when it is in the semester, you have the choice of just dropping or taking an incomplete," Bergman said. "If you're living in student housing, any money you've paid fortune you won't be living there will be refunded to you and you'd be let out of your lease. There's really not a lot involved in it." classes," Bergman said. "But we know students won't always have time to do that, so we'll accommodate those students." When students are called up during the semester, the University attempts to ease their transitions from students to soldiers. But for Marla Keown, Topeka freshman and Army Reserve member, no Marla Keown "I love my country and I'd be willing to serve, and I always knew there was a chance of a war breaking out, but I never knew it would happen so soon." topeka freshman and Army Reserve member matter how easy the process, the prospect of being called to war is daunting. "In basic training, I didn't take everything as seriously as I should have, because I was just a reserve," Keown said. "I thought of it as a part-time job. I mean, I know the basics, but they'd have to refresh me on the logistics." While Keown was in basic training last summer, some of her friends in other units were called to active duty. "The whole reason I joined was for the college money," Keown said. "I love my country and I'd be willing to serve, and I always knew there was a chance of a war breaking out, but I never knew it would happen so soon." Keown said she wouldn't be mentally prepared for the experience. "I mean, I'd go, but it's not something I ever expected," she said. Other Army Reserves, such as Mike Appleby, Lawrence junior, would be SEE RESERVES ON BACK PAGE Lied Center event marks MLK Day celebration By Leah Shaffer Kansan staff writer A crowd of about 300 University of Kansas students and Lawrence community members came out to the Lied Center yesterday to celebrate Martin Luther King Ir. Day. The 17th annual service also included gospel music from the Martin Luther King Children's and Adult Community choirs and scripture readings. "At this annual event we are all brought together with the need to remember Martin Luther King Jr. an American hero," said Chancellor Robert Hemenway, the keynote speaker. Hemenway went on to discuss the importance of King's dream, especially after Sept. 11. He said that the reason for national holidays such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day is to examine what we believe. "I thought it was a nice celebration of a man who's dream is still not reached," said Rustain Morgan, Burlington senior. "We've come a long way, but we still have a long way to go." Later on in the ceremony, Representative Barbara Ballard, state representative from Lawrence and associate vice chancellor at the University, led the audience in the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing." Other speakers included Dr. Karen Swisher, president of Haskell Indian Nations University; Randy Weseman, superintendent of Lawrence public schools; Douglas County Commissioner Bob Johnson; and Mayor Mike Rundle. "Certainly discrimination is less and programs like affirmative action have brought us a long way, but as numerous speakers have mentioned, there's always more work to be done," Rundle said. Hemenway concentrated on the stories behind King's major texts including "Letter from a Birmingham jail" and his "I Have a Dream" speech. Hemenway said that King wrote "Letter" in response to a newspaper article about the white clergy members urging blacks to stop protesting. "Martin Luther King showed us how to fulfill the promise of American democracy." Hemenway said. "We need to continue to work on it. Racism is not dead. Because of the way our country was started, it's something we have to always struggle against." Spann said. Misti Spann, an African-American KU graduate who attended the event said that she felt privileged to have the benefits she has today, and that those benefits should not be taken for granted. Contact Shaffer at lshaffer@kansan.com. This story was edited by Angela Cox. COMING IN TOMORROW'S KANSAN JILLIAN THORPE/KANSAN INSIDETODAY The Rev. Leo Barbee speaks at the Lied Center for the 17th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance. About 300 people attended the event yesterday. LOCAL NEWS ...2A HOROSCOPES ...2B WEATHER ...4B CROSSWORD ...4B TUITION: What did students say at last night's discussion at Hashinger Hall? SPORTS: A look at what the Jayhawks will face against Iowa State's basketball team. 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. 24 --- 1