Jayplay INSIDE
AN INSIDE VIEW OF LIFE BACKSTAGE
Costume, lighting, set designers help behind the scenes. NEWS | 8A
THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
CHECK OUT THE APARTMENT GUIDE
learn the ins and outs about signing a lease and living on your own. INSIDE
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2009
WWW.KANSAN.COM
VOLUME 120 ISSUE 112
TEXAS TECH 84, KANSAS 65
STUDENTSENATE
Treasurer suspended; will miss hearings
CONSOLATION PRIZE
BY BRIANNE PFANNENSTIEL
bpfannenstiel@kansan.com
bpfannenstiel@kansan.com
Student body president Adam McGonigle. Wichita junior, suspended the student senate treasurer from his position Tuesday, five days before hearings that will determine distribution of $600,000 to student groups.
Alex Porte, Great Falls, Va.
junior and student senate treasurer
since the beginning of this year, said
the hearings, which are called block
allocations, were the most important
responsibility of the treasurer,
but now he won't be able to attend.
"Block allocation — it kind of sets out really the crux of what Student Senate's going to fund for the next two years," said Brian Hardouin, Broomfield, Colo., law student, who sits on the finance commit-
Porte
the process. He said that because Senate would not be raising any fees for next year, they must book more closely than in previous years at the distribution of funds during the block hearings.
tee. Hardouin said this year's block allocation hearings would be even more important than in previous years because Senate would be looking to save money if
"We always like to have more people at the hearings, especially people like Alex who know the background," Hardouin said, ref-
Freshman forward Marc Morris watches in disbelief as Wednesday night's game against Texas Tech winds down, ending in a 84-65 defeat for Kansas in Lubbock. The lopsided defeat to the Red Raiders, the Jayhawks clinched at least a share of the big 12 regular season championship by virtue of Oklahoma's 73-64 loss to Missouri in Columbia. McKay will miss the title with the wiltout appearance with a victory against Texas on Saturday afternoon. SEE FULL COVER
SEE PORTE ON PAGE 4A
Ryan McGeeney/KANSAN
ATHLETICS
Special Olympians attend women's basketball senior night
BY ADAM SAMSON asamson@kansan.com
If the lights in Allen Fieldhouse went out, Brady Tanner's smile would have lit the entire building.
Tanner, who is a member of Douglas County Special Olympics, attended the women's senior night basketball game against Baylor Wednesday. Fifty-seven student athletes and 34 Special Olympians partnered up to foster closer friendships and cheer on the layhawks. Tanner, who cheered loudly with his KU gear and crimson and blue face paint, told it all.
"All you have to do is look at their faces when you see them interact with the student athletes," Jim Marchiony, associate athletics director, said. "The positive influence and the joy that these student athletes bring to those individuals makes it all worth while."
The event was a part of the ongoing partnership between Kansas Athletics and Special Olympics Kansas. Special Olympics has been the Big 12 Conference's charity of
choice since May 1996.
"The partnership is something we as student athletes wanted to pursue and once we started doing it, we realized how much of an impact we can make," Hannah McMacken, Lake Tapps, Wash., senior diver, said.
Kansas Athletics donated the tick
Brady Tanner, Douglas County Special Olympics participant, flexes for the "Flex Cam" during the women's basketball game against Baylor Wednesday evening. Kansas Athletics donated tickets for Special Olympics participants to attend the game.
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
Releases initiatives for the women's game, enabling the Special Olympians to attend.
Marchiony said the partnership between Kansas Athletics and Special Olympics was one Kansas Athletics took over and won.
Texas, sophomore and football player, said it was important to embrace the opportunity to work with the Special Olympians.
"All you have to do is look at their faces when you see them interact with the student athletes."
"Anything we can do to give back to them, because they're so into sports and you can make them the happiest person in the world by just hanging out with
"We have so much too be thankful for and it's an important lesson that we try to impress upon student athletes as soon as they arrive here, because so much is given to us, we need to give back." Marchiony said.
Matt Baysinger, student athlete development assistant with Kansas Athletics, said many of the Special Olympians saw KU athletes as role models, especially in the Lawrence community.
JIM MARCHIONY Associate athletics director
was one of the most enjoyable ways to serve the community.
"One of our football student athletes told me how it was both interesting and great how whether we want to be role models or not, we are," Baysinger said. "It's not quite the Charles Barkley approach where he used to say athletes aren't role models, but the fact of the matter is that we are."
them at these events," Dudley said.
Drew Dudley, College Station.
A number of the student athletes stayed in touch with the Special Olympians they've worked with in the past through e-mail and snail mail. McMacken said promoting the positive image in sports and forming friendships like those the Special Olympians and KU athletes had formed was important.
"I think it's important to slow down because often times student athletes feel overwhelmed with their schedules, but I think it's good to put everything on hold and take time for somebody else," McMacken said. "It's so easy to get wrapped up in what you're doing and forget about the people that helped you along the way."
Baysinger said the possibilities to work with Special Olympics were limitless, leaving it up to the student athletes to determine how many events they would like to put on.
Other events Kansas Athletics hosted included the annual mens basketball clinic with Special Olympians, an event at Power Play Family Entertainment Center in
Shawnee, which more than 200 Special Olympians and 100 student athletes attended, and the women's Pink Zone basketball game this semester.
Kansas Athletics continues its ties with Special Olympics as it
hopes to hold a few more events this spring, including a swimming and diving clinic and a bowling tournament that Baysinger said was a success in the past.
- Edited by Heather Melanson
index
Classifieds. 3B Opinion. 7A
Crossword. 6A Sports. 1B
Horoscopes. 6A Sudoku. 6A
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2009 The University Daily Kansan
TWO ABORTION BILLS PASS IN KANSAS HOUSE
weather
Both bills, which were prompted in part by the practices of George Tiller, address restrictions on late-term abortions. STATE 15A
TODAY
75 40
AM Clouds/PM Sun
FRIDAY
64 51
Martha Clousey
Mostly Cloudy
SATURDAY
64 39
weather.com