Tomorrow's weather
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
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TY
KS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PD BOX 3585
TOPEKA, KS 6601-3585
ansan
Cooling down tomorrow with showers
Tuesday
April 7, 1998
Section:
A
Vol. 108 • No. 131
Are you looking for a place to live this summer? There are many major cities with apartment listings online. A good place to start is:
Sports today
Online today
http://www.rent.net
The Kansas Jayhawk softball team will look to get back on track against Oklahoma City University at 2 and 4 p.m. tomorrow.
SEE PAGE 1B
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ISSUE SPOTLIGHT
Coalitions veer on road bus system should take
By Jeremy M. Doherty jdoherty@kansan.com Kanson staff writer
The debate surrounding a new citywide bus system has the two Student Senate campaign coalitions moving in opposite directions.
The Delta Force coalition is pushing for a transportation system that would integrate KU on Wheels with a system serving Lawrence residents
Campus Cause candidates said they were concerned that such a plan would raise student fees and would
Butler said the transportation system would operate for 30 weeks at a cost of about $5,580. The system would run from 12:30 to 2:30 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, she said.
degrade the service of KU on Wheels.
Nicole Skalla, Delta Force Nunemaker candidate and next year's transportation coordinator for Delta Force, said a city-wide system would benefit students who did not have access to
transportation during weekends.
(USPS 650-640)
"Most of us are citizens in the Lawrence community," she said. "Right now, you can't get off campus on Saturday."
Last year, the City Commission looked at a plan for such a system and found that the program would result in an annual deficit of at least $1 million.
Scott Kaiser, Campus Cause candidate for student body vice president and transportation coordinator, said he was worried about the potential financial burden placed upon students by a city-wide system.
Kaiser said Campus Cause preferred a different transportation option, which extends the range of services provided by KU on Wheels.
"What's happened at the other universities is that students see an increase in fees and a decrease in services," he said. "There's just a phenomenal price tag attached to it."
In the Campus Cause plan, the student bus service would operate from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends, taking students to Wal-Mart or a movie theater, Kaiser said.
"You either pay $6,400 for a student-controlled bus system, or you can go with a price tag of $5 million and an increase in fees," he said.
Erin Carlson, Nunemaker senator and Campus Cause candidate, said the coalition's plan also would keep the city out of student issues.
"We do need to keep it a student- run bus system." Carlson said.
"Well, that's a start, but weekends aren't the only time students want to go downtown," said he. "It makes no sense to have a wonderful system here but nothing downtown."
Matt Dunbar, Delta Force candidate for student body vice president, said that although Campus Cause's plan was intriguing, it would not solve the problem.
Wendy Butler, an independent candidate for a Nunemaker seat, criticized both of the coalitions' platforms.
She said she favored a plan that altered the services offered by KU on Wheels. Butler's proposal was considered by the Transportation Board for the fall semester.
Enrollment solutions
Student stress put on hold during enrollment process
By Gerry Doyle gdoyle@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
A new way to deal with enrollment difficulties no longer is on hold.
The University has brought back the enrollment holds center after a onesemester hiatus. Brenda Selman, associate registrar, said the center could deal with all holds, except ones that require immunization or discussion with the issuing body.
The center was brought back at the request of the provost's office, Selman said. The office is located in 132 Strong Hall and is open from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 5 p.m., she said.
Even if the office cannot resolve a hold, it can at least get the student pointed in the right direction, Selman said.
"Students can inquire about all their holds there but will not necessarily be able to resolve all of them." she said.
"Some students get to the enrollment center and panic. At that point, they're ready to enroll and are anxious. To be able to walk a few steps and resolve their problems helps ease that." she said.
About 6,200 students have holds on their enrollments this semester, Selman said. On their permits to enroll, students are directed to individual
Holds barred
The University's new holds center starts this semester. Students now can clear most enrollment holds at Strong Hall.
Students with holds: about 6,200
Students who have used the center:
about 30
What the center can do: resolve all holds except immunizations. Parking holds must be paid with credit card. Where it is: 1.32 Strong Hall When it is open: 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. through April 29
Andrew Rohrback / KANSAN
departments so they can deal directly with the issuing department, she said. That way, the center would not be swamped, and students would get better help, she said.
"We agreed that this was the best service for students," she said. "We don't want to publicize something we can't deliver. That way, if they have a dispute, they aren't going to the wrong place."
Donna Conway, holds center staffer, said she alternated shifts with another employee. During the first
two days of enrollment, about 30 people had used the center, she said. Conway said she expected these numbers to rise as more freshmen and sophomores enroll.
Not everyone was able to pay their holds at the center, but everyone who used it was pleased with the convenience. Conway said. The location nearby the enrollment center helped students avoid long walks, and for a student already stressed at the prospect of missing his or her enrollment time, the center provided easy relief, she said.
"If I were a student, got here, waited in line and then realized I had a hold, yes, it definitely helps," she said. "It's a time-saver if you haven't cleared holds. The idea is to clear the holds before you come, but for those who are unable to or don't know to, it will be a big service. We might not help everybody, but at least we made an effort."
Lawrence junior Merri Jacobs only could resolve one of her two holds at the holds center. Despite the frustration of having to go to the parking department to pay a fee, the holds center was potentially convenient, she said.
"I had a tuition and a parking hold," she said. "Yeah, this helps. It keeps you from having to run all the way over there."
Studying in the sunshine
Sara Subil, Lawrence graduate student, studies while sitting in a tree beside Potter Lake. Yesterday's high temperature reached the upper 70s. Cooler weather and a chance of rain could affect Lawrence for the rest of the week. Photo by Augustus Anthony Piazza/KANSAN
Tomorrow: with showers
EXTENDED FORECAST
Thursday: mostly cloudy
Friday: mostly cloudy
Clinton to talk about reform in visit to KC
By Brandon Copleb cbopleb @kansan.com Kansan staff writer
Clinton will engage in an open conversation with an audience of about 180 at Penn Valley Community College in Kansas City, Mo. The auditorium in which the president will appear seats about 800, but only the chosen 180 will be permitted to interact with the president
President Bill Clinton will be in Kansas City today to discuss Social Security reform at a town meeting aimed at kick-starting a national discussion about the future of Social Security.
The interactive audience members were chosen by a local polling agency to reflect the demographics of the Kansas City area, said Craig Ches肝, youth coordinator for the Concord Coalition, one of the groups organizing it.
organizing the event.
Clinton: Will appear today in Kansas City, Mo.
President Clinton will appear at the first and third of three sessions. In the first two sessions, panels of experts will discuss the problems with Social Security and possible solutions.
Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., also will appear at the first and third sessions. Kerrey and Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., have authored a bill to allow workers to divert a percentage of their payroll taxes into private savings for retirement.
Mike Marinello, Kerrey's press secretary, said the senator also would give a presentation about his and Moynihan's reform plan before the forum.
"What the senators both are hoping is that this will move the dialogue forward," Marinello said. "We may not get final passage this year, but if we can just get a dialogue going, it would be a good start."
Many in Congress refer to Social Security as the "third rail" of American politics—a reference to the electrified rail that powers subway trains and kills anyone who touches it.
The Social Security problem stems from projections indicating that the system will become insolvent by the year 2030. That is because, when the baby boomers retire—all 25 million of them—the beneficiaries taking money from the system will outnumber the paying workers. If there is no reform, the system likely will go
Martin Gerry, director of the KU Center for the Study of Family, Neighborhood and Community Policy, served as a policy analyst at the Department of Health and Human Services during the Bush administration. Gerry said the problem involved economic and societal factors as well as demographics. He said he thought the reform that would probably emerge would allow some private investment for retirement but with restrictions to prevent workers from spending their savings.
"My own sense is that the president might arrive at a major reform agreement," Gerry said. "But this will probably play out among the leaders in Congress—Moynihan, Congressman Bill Archer, John Kasich—if they reach some sort of agreement, I can see it happening."
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