CAMPUS / AREA
University Daily Kansan / Monday, April 27, 1992
3
Senate questions voting procedure
By Jay Williams
Kansan staff writer
Kristin Lange's confirmation as head of Student Senate Executive Committee may be in jeopardy.
Brad Garlinghouse, student body vice president, said he planned to call a special meeting of Senate Wednesday to determine whether errors were made when Senate voted to confirm Lange last week.
The Senate had voted 24-18 to confirm Lange, with six abstentions. Abstentions count as no votes in this type of ballot, so Lance Wright, student body vice president, voted to rank the deadlock and confirm Lange.
Some members of Senate said there were procedural errors during the vot-
Five members of Senate have circulated petitions calling for a special session of Senate to resolve the controversy.
Dave Gawell, one of the leaders of the petition drive, said members of the drive had collected 20 signatures as of yesterday afternoon. Senate rules state that 25 senators must sign the petition to call a special session. Senators meet within 10 days of the petition's delivery to the president or StuDocEx.
Garlinghouse said he planned on calling the special session with or without the petitions.
"I don't care if they don't get enough signatures," he said. "If only 15 or even 10 feel there is a problem, we shouldn't ignite it."
Gawell, graduate senator, said he was confident Lange would receive confirmation if a special session of Senate were called.
"We just want to go back and get some confirmation and confidence behind Kristin," he said. "I think she
Gawell said Senate, with new members attending their first meeting, was caught off-guard by the illegal vote, so no protest was made the night of the meeting.
deserves that."
Alan Tikwart, liberal arts and sciences senator who also is gathering signatures, said he thought there were better candidates for the position.
"I believe Jason McIntosh is more qualified for the position," he said. "I think Kristin is qualified, but I think Jason has more experience."
McIntosh, liberal arts and sciences senator, and Kurt Broeckelmann, architecture senator, applied for the position.
Tikwart said although he personally supported MeIntosh, the petition was based solely on procedural grounds.
The petition states that according to "Robert's Rules of Order," the vote cast by Lance Wright as student body vice president was an illegal ballot.
Garlinghouse said he believed the vote was legal.
He said it was his understanding that Wright was not considered a member of the voting Senate, so voting the vote last week was not needed.
Lange also said she thought the vote was legal.
As to the issue of who is the most qualified, Lange said that was not Senate's concern when confirming candidates. She said Senate only needed to determine whether the nominee was qualified to hold office.
"The hiring process is charged to the president," she said. "If the rules need to change, then Senate should change them, but not in one week."
Christine McFarland/KANSAN
Taking bids, Jane Nichols, Lawrence resident, holds one of the donated pieces to be auctioned during the Ryan G Playground for All Children auction last night at the Lawrence Riverfront Plaza. When completed the playground will be equipped with swings, slides and many other activities for children who use wheelchairs as well as by their able-bodied peers.
Going, going, gone
Budig: KU's reputation at risk
Kansan staff report
The University of Kansas is recognized nationwide for academic excellence, but budget shortages could jeopardize that reputation, Chancellor Gene Budig said Friday night.
During his annual State of the University Address, Budig said that KU's academic budget was strained and that at least 12 of the top researchers on the university's staff are the University of Kansas Medical school, we are considering leaving the University.
"Our faculty are doing 18 percent more work at 11 percent lower salaries than faculty in comparable schools," he said. "This deplorable situation must be addressed by the Regents, the governor and the president to have any real chance to sustain its momentum through the remainder of the 1990s."
But Budig cited reasons for optimism about progress made this year:
418 scholarships were awarded to talented minority students, which resulted in a record enrollment of gifted minority students.
An all-time high of 32 University programs were listed among the top 10 at public universities.
- KU ranked eighth in academic excellence among public universities in the United States.
■ KUranked 14th among state universities in the recruitment of National Merit Scholars. There are 51 new scholars at KU this year.
The KU Endowment Association has the eighth-largest endowment among state universities.
Hoch Auditorium will be rebuilt
**ROCKAADAM WHITE BOUNTY**
**KU ranked 20th among state universities in the Association of Research Libraries.**
By Shelly Solon Kansan staff writer
The day-long festival at Alumni Place featured music, art and information about various campus cultural groups. About 400 people attended the event sponsored by University Scholarship Halls for Ethnic Reality and KJHK.
With a step-dance show by Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, traditional Indian religious music, Lawrence Tkwon Do School members demonstrate kicks, and students singing hymns that demonstrate got more than a taste of culture Saturday at People'sfest.
"Because this was our first year, we tried not to have too many expectations. We're content with how it came out, and now we know what do to for next year," Tamara Plush, codirector of USHER, said.
Campus organizations set up information tables and dis-
plays, listen to teaching and learning, pictures of their coun-
tries and art such as paintings.
Lynne Lyman, co-coordinator of Latin American Solidarii,
said that most people were unaWARE of different cultures but
favored them.
"It helps people who are interested in certain organizations or ideas but don't know where to go," she said. "They may be asking themselves if they're interested and see some of this information and decide to get involved."
Melinda Schlesenner, secretary of USHER, said the idea of tropesfest was for people to be exposed to things they might love.
"People who might not go out and see a step show or hear Hispanic music have the chance to," she said.
KJHK disc jockeys provided music between acts and did live remotes of Peoplefest events.
One of the most popular activities at the festival was a display of the Pakistan tradition of painting designs on the body with henna powder. Members of the Pakistan Club and Indian Club painted designs on interested students.
Rizwan Saeed, vice president of the Pakistan Club, said.
Ndomby Fhunsu, Kinshasa, Zaire, sophomore, performs an African invocation to God — "Mamono Tunuenanga Masi" — during Peoplesfest
Saeed said women traditionally wore the henna powder design when they got married. They would have it on their hands, feet and sometimes their heads.
When the henna is washed off, a reddish-brown design remains on the skin.
"We like to explain our culture to people."
Environmental program grows
University fails to keep up with interest as KU program triples
By Erik Bauer
Kansan staff writer
The number of environmental studies majors has increased steadily at KU since 1987, but the University administration is not keeping up with the growth.
John Clark, acting director of environmental studies, said the number of environmental studies majors in 1987 was less than 100. Today, there are approximately 360.
Clark cited increased interest in the environment, idealism and the possibilities of getting worthwhile jobs or entering graduate school as reasons for the increase in majors in the department.
He said job opportunities had been increasing and that graduates were looking for jobs in both the public and private sector.
"After all, the environment is going down the tubes. That's why there's so many jobs, "Clark said.
"Just about every company has somebody who's an environmental specialist." Clark said.
He said jobs ranged in areas from environmental legislation to the actual science of analyzing pollution and the overall state of the environment.
He said the greatest resource the KU program lacked was teachers, but the University was beginning to recognize the increased needs of the
"In the last couple of months, the college has appeared willing to support the program at a modest level," Clark said.
program.
He said 15 teachers from other KU departments taught environmental studies classes.
"There are new courses coming in all the time," Clark said.
He said he encouraged environmental studies majors to participate in extracurricular educational programs.
Mike Malcolm, Wichita senior, is one of those students.
Malcolm, who also is majoring in biology, said he and three other environmental studies majors visited 12 Lawrence and Douglas County grade schools and talked to students about environmental issues.
The program lasted from mid March until today.
"It was a talk on resource use," he said. "They know that they're next in line to be here, and they know that something has to be done."
James Muyskens, dean of liberal arts and sciences, said interest in environmental studies had increased dramatically.
"When that happens, it is often difficult for a university to respond as fast as students do," he said. "The fact that the program is growing when funding is not is very significant. The
Students facing a crunch at KU may not do much better when they graduate. The market for environmental graduates has been leveling off since the beginning of the 1980s.
college has been putting the new resources we can get into the program."
John Parks, corporate group manager for Ecology and Environment Inc., an Overland Park firm that companies consult for advice on waste management, said the market was not as open as it once was, but that the trend should change.
"Rightnow, it looks like everyone is looking for people with experience," he said. "I think it's going to pick up again because we are starting to put more and more in environmental work."
Chester Covert, territory manager for Groundwater Technology in Overland Park, said he agreed that not as many opportunities existed.
Covert said the market boomed from the late '60s until the late '70s, but leveled off in the early '80s.
"I don't see that the job market has changed much in the last 12 years," he said. "I don't see any rapid expansion or any expansion of additional jobs."
But Covert said the trend could change because of future increases in federal and state environmental regulations, and the need for experts in those areas.
PRE-SUMMER
-SALE-
SAVE UP TO
50%
OFF ON NEW SPRING AND
SUMMER MERCHANDISE
RUFF HEWN, BRITISH KHAKI, GIRBAUD,
J.J. FARMER, PEPE, AND MANY MORE.
EVERYTHING IN THE STORE AT LEAST
20% OFF
SALE DATES: APRIL 23RD - APRIL 30TH
E
EASTONS
LIMITED
EASTON'S LTD. 839 MASS. 843-5755
Shape up for Summer!
FREE Aerobics Class - Call NOW for an appointment
NEWLY REMODELED & ADDED EQUIPMENT
NO JOINING FEE from now until the end of school $139.00 OFF $21.00/month
BODY BOUTIQUE
The Women's Fitness Facility
749-2424
th & Iowa • Hillcrest Plaza
- Over 60 aerobic classes/wk
• Step aerobics offered
• 2 aerobic rooms
• Co-ed classes offered
• 10 tans for $20
• Nautilus & free weights