The University Daily Kansan
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Monday. November 6, 2000
Sports: The Kansas men's basketball team thrashed Division II Emporia State in its final exhibition of the season.
SEE PAGE 1B
Inside: A new listserv could help inform students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
SEE PAGE 3A
(USPS 650-640) • VOL. 111 NO. 50 For comments, contact Nathan Willis or Chris Borniger at 864-4810 or e-mail editor@kansan.com
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Rules raise admissions standards
Administrators say it's still too early to assess impact
By Jason Krall
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
As the University of Kansas begins to evaluate applications from its first class of freshman admitted using qualified admissions standards, administrators are waiting to see how those new standards will mold the pool of applicants.
High school seniors in Kansas must meet minimum college prep test scores and high school curriculum requirements for the first time. Previously, the only admission requirement for instate students to Kansas Regents universities was a diploma from an accredited Kansas high school. The state was
the last in the nation to adopt qualified standards for its universities.
The requirements are expected to raise KU's rank among public universities nationwide and to increase enrollment at community colleges around the state by students who do not meet the new standards.
Kathleen McCluskey-Fawcett, associate provost, said KU's rankings should improve because schools could be ranked on their selectivity.
"Since we've been nonselective up to this point, that has hurt us in the national ranking of the undergraduate program," she said. "We certainly think it will increase the quality of the students who are admitted."
Alan Cerveny, director of admissions, said it was difficult to tell yet how the new standards would affect the number of applications to KU. Many of the students who have applied by November of their senior year of high school were on a college preparatory track that had helped them meet the requirements,
"Since we've been nonselective up to this point, that has hurt us in the national ranking of the undergraduate program." Kathleen McCluskey-Fawcett
associate provost
Kathleen McCluskey-Fawcett
"It's still a little early to tell," he said. "We'll have to look at the whole year before we determine what the impact is for the University of Kansas."
The new standards allow in-state students to qualify for admission in one of four ways—by ranking in the top third of their high school class, by scoring a minimum of 21 on the ACT, by scoring a minimum of 970 on the SAT or by completing a college preparatory curriculum. The curriculum includes four
years of English, three years of natural sciences, math, and social studies, and one year of computer technology, with a 2.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
Students who didn't qualify for admission under the new standards would be encouraged to enroll at community colleges so they can transfer to Regents universities better-prepared, Cerveny said.
"This is really allowing us to serve more of a counselor role to help students prepare for college appropriately, and, in situations where they haven't, we can direct them to a community college where they can remove the deficiency and prepare to apply to the University," he said.
The college prep curriculum is the same that KU already requires for out-of-state students, with the addition of computer technology and minus two years of a foreign language. The computer technology requirement, which
See STANDARDS on page 5A
Unique martini bar offers sophisticated downtown option
By Matt Merkel-Hess writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
An upscale martini bar offers another option in the increasingly competitive downtown Lawrence night scene.
Singer said they spent more than two months cleaning and remodeling the building, which now has a new floor, bar and kitchen.
Raoul's Velvet Room, 815 New Hampshire St., opened Friday in the former home of Dos Hombres. This location is the second Raoul's — the first opened in Overland Park in January 1999, said Jeff Singer, one of the co-owners.
He said their market research showed people, especially women, were looking for a nicer place to go out and Raoul's would fill that niche in Lawrence. Singer said he expected an older crowd early in the evening and a volunteer crowd later at night.
"When we saw this location we said, "This is it." Singer said. "We felt Lawrence is ready for something different from the normal college bar."
"Women said, 'We're all dressed up and have nowhere to go,'" he said. "Now there's a place that they can go that's nice."
Singer said Raoul's didn't just feature a large selection of martinis and top-shelf liquors, but the full package, which during the next few weeks would include appetizers, gourmet pizza and a full dinner menu, similar to the Overland Park location. There
also will be live music on Fridays and Saturdays and new art periodically.
Singer said that during training, he emphasized customer service with his employees.
"We want a place that Lawrence can be proud of," Singer said. Sarah Stiefel, Madisonville, Ky., senior, went to the bar during the weekend and said the crowd seemed older, but she expected as time went on, more students would begin going there.
"They've changed it and made it nice in there," she said. "It was nice for cocktails and drinks, and dancing."
Stiefel said she might not go back because the drink prices were a little steep.
"As a student, I don't feel like it's in my budget," she said.
Andy Sandate, Newton senior, said he went to Raoul's on Friday because he'd heard of the Overland Park location and wanted to see what the Lawrence location was like.
"I was impressed," he said. "I liked the atmosphere they were going for. It was different than your typical sports bar or college bar kind of thing."
Sandate said he was glad to see more variety in downtown Lawrence and would visit Raoul's again.
"It's nice to offer alternatives to students," he said. "It's definitely a place to run back and forth to." Raoul's Velvet Room is open seven days a week, 4:44 p.m. to 2 a.m.
— Edited by Clay McCuistion
Annie Smith, Olathe junior, makes an orange crush martini while working at Raouf's Velvet Room, 815 New Hampshire St. Raouf's opened Friday but will celebrate its grand opening in the future. Photo by Brad Dreier/KANSAN
Task force pursuing discount plan for students
Bv Kursten Phelps
Kansan staff writer
By Kursten Phelps writer@kansan.com
Students may be able to save a few bucks on lunch or a pair of jeans next semester if a Student Senate task force has its way.
A discount card task force, headed by Marlon Marshall, St. Louis senior and student body vice president, has contacted about 35 local business to establish discounts for students who show their KUIDs.
Possible participants include Sylas & Maddy's Home Made Ice Cream, 1014 Massachusetts St., The Buckle, 805 Massachusetts St., Jimmy John's Gourmet Sub Shop, 1447 W. 23rd St., Juice Stop, 812 Massachusetts St. and 3514 Clinton Parkway, and Quinton's Bar and Dell, 615 Massachusetts St.
"We highlighted businesses that we feel a majority of KU students would love to get discounts at, like food and clothing places." Marshall said.
Once agreements with businesses were reached, he said, the task force would advertise the participating businesses. He said he hoped the discounts would be available when students returned for the spring semester.
"I think the city of Lawrence is very important for students, and I think it would be good if businesses started to appeal to students." White said. "It would raise their business, and as a student, I would be personally affected by the discounts."
Marshall said the potential discounts would vary from business to business. Some stores may offer a discount on anything in the store, while others may offer specials on specific items.
Kelsi White, Easton, Mass., sophomore, residential senator and member of the task force, said a student discount program would improve the relationship between the KU and Lawrence communities.
She said most of the businesses contacted were receptive to the task force's proposal.
"A lot of them are eager to work with students," White said. "We called a business that was already actually doing it without us asking because they noticed the need for student discounts."
"College students are so poor. Any extra money we can save will help us," she said. "Going to a movie, you save $2 or $3 dollars, and that's a day's lunch or a couple extra gallons of gas in my car."
Shelby Gigous, Topeka freshman, said she would take advantage of discounts similar to the current movie theater student discount.
"It's a further effort to work for students to get them tangible things," Marshall said. "Hopefully it will be a success they can see next semester."
— Edited by John Audelholm
POTENTIAL DISCOUNTERS
Local businesses that might offer student discounts:
Kathy's Alterations, Auto Plaza Car Wash, Copy Co, Englewood Florist Pizza Hut, Jimmy John's Gourmet Sub Shop, Premier Video, Art Correntine, Joe's Bakery, Hampton Inn, Bambino's Italian Hotel, Quinton's Bar and Deli, Jayhawk Spirit, Universal Blends, Kief's Audio-Video, Soffees, Inc., U.S. $1.75 Cleaners, Holiday Inn Holidome, Sylas & Maddy's Homemade Ice Cream, J.B. Stout's Sports Bar and Grille, The Yacht Club, Balloons N-More, The Buckle, Prairie Patches, Paper Houseware, Paisco's Ristorante, Domino's, Pizza, Wheatfields Bakery, Rod's Hallmark Shop, Ramada Inn, Lawrence Athletic Club, Chipotle Mexican Grille, El Mezcal, Juice Stop, Paradise Cat
Brooke Gugat, Colorado Springs, Colo., senior, Gina Matteoni, Olathe senior and Lindsey Rupp, Wichita senior, have been accused of breaking this tree branch on Massachusetts Street. The three were using the branch as a microphone for their rendition of "Who Let the Dogs Out." Photo by Justin Schmidt/KANSAN
Students cited after using tree branch as microphone
By Rob Pazell writer@kansan.com Kansan Staff writer
Four University of Kansas students' singing performance late Thursday night received poor reviews from Lawrence police, who cited one woman for criminal damage to property in front of a shop on Massachusetts Street.
The four women were walking home from downtown when they put on an impromptu performance of "Who Let the Dogs Out." One woman grabbed a branch from a potted tree in front of Englewood Florist, 939 Massachusetts St., and used it as a makeshift microphone.
Gina Matteoni, Olathe senior, said she and her friends were just having a little fun while walking home.
A Lawrence police officer saw the activity, flashed his lights and stopped the group. The officer eventually cited the woman for criminal damage to the plant, and she must now appear in court for the misdemeanor offense.
"We were just joking around," she said. "We were entertaining passers-by, then a cop car pulled up as we were leaving."
Lawrence Police Det. M.T. Brown defended his officers and the property owner.
"Whoever planted the tree might want to know who broke it." Brown said, adding that the officers were well within their bounds to cite the women. "It was his district, and he was there."
Matteoni said the police officer pointed to the wrong person and the officer responded by telling the women, "he knew what he saw."
"We told them this isn't the singer, and he got defensive," Matteoni said. "He talked to the wrong girl, but he didn't care."
Matteoni said she and her friends knew they were being giddy, but she didn't think the behavior was that bad.
"We apologized and knew we were being silly," she said. "We were innocent girls walking home safe, but he still got on his walkie-talkie and called for backup."
Brooke Gugat, Colorado Springs, Colo., senior, said the rest of the group was holding back laughter when she asked the officer for a warning.
"I told him that he should re-evaluate his time on a Thursday night in Lawrence," Gugat said. "He responded saying that they weren't the only two cops in Lawrence. I thought it was pathetic."
Brown said even though the crime could seem insignificant, it was the officer's duty to stop and cite the woman.
"It may fall pretty low on the priority list," Brown said. "But if an officer observes it, he's not going to turn his head."
- Edited by Kimberly Thompson
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