THE UNIVERSITY DAYY KANSAN
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2014
PAGE 4A
Apparently police officers can decide someone is guilty when they weren't present for the incident. I have soo0 much trust in our public safety office...
opinion
We should start a petition to have a "stop week" like OU does. No classes the week before finals so students can study and prepare. I would support it!
TEXT FREE FOR ALL
My S/O and I broke up, and I've pulled two all-nighters this week. But I graduate in a week, so I've got that going for me.
Very happy with the fact Watson is now open til 3am... Goodbye sleep, see you again after finals.
Text your FFA submissions to (785)289-8351 or at kansan.com
I can't get sick... not now!!
There's no better feeling than knowing you rocked the exam you were stressing out over.
Being a human cuddle burrito is my favorite part of the day.
Pharmacy school: where you learn that pharmacy is going down hill and your career will suck.
I have survived my first semester.
Almost there! #Imnotentirelyinsane
I'm pretty positive someone in my class is eating BBQ, but I don't want to turn around and stare awkwardly...
to the Athletics person who says their job isn't to piss us off: your system fails all the time and has screwed me and my friends over many times. I'm with the first person on this one.
Hot coffee that gets cold tastes disgusting… no, it's not the same as iceed coffee.
Two of my classes were optional on Wednesday and I still went! dedication
I want the sun back.
Let it go, let it go, my perfect grade is gone. Let the finals rage on, school never bothered me anyway.
Walking in this weather is the ABSOLUTE WORST!! Insta-sick
Even Miley Cyrus can't get me through these next few days...
WhatHasTheWorldComeTo?
I'm DONE with school! Well... till finals week. /
I always wonder how only one glove gets lost out of the pair.
KANSAN EDITORIAL:
This weather seems like snowy weather, minus the snow. It sucks! If it's not snowing, it shouldn't be cold.
Small steps for KU, but a long way to go
Sept. 2 is a day that will live in infamy for students, faculty, alumni and administrators at the University.
The publication of a Huffington Post article on Sept. 2 described with agonizing detail a student's mishandled sexual assault complaint and finally prompted the conversation this campus desperately needed.
It's because this student is one of us. It could have been any one of us. It was not an isolated incident.
The outcry on social media was widespread and damming, as it should have been. But over the course of the semester, the conversation shifted from outrage to progress. The administration heard us. Campus leaders heard us. The scrutiny attached to the article and subsequent coverage prompted everyone to $ \mathrm{a}_{\mathrm{e}}^{+} $
The Kansan Editorial Board applauds this action. However, among the talk of progress and policy we hear every day, we see a lack of enough real, tangible change on this campus in terms of policy and procedure.
The Chancellor's task force is a step in the right direction, and its members are tasked with the difficult goal of understanding the intricacies of campus culture and making recommendations to change policies that have been in place for years. The chancellor has already made an clarification to the Student Code of Rights and Responsibilities that solidifies its ability to investigate sexual assaults that occur off campus.
But the task force should prioritize quickness and efficiency. Meeting once every two or three weeks for two hours, we believe, will not yield the results this campus needs in a timely manner, especially when there are students affected by sexual assault every day that demand our attention and swift action. There is much more to be done.
The Board commends the students who have joined the conversation and the student groups who have chosen to take an active role to perpetuate change, including the Greek Task Force. However, in order to maintain progress, members of the Greek community must understand how serious these issues are. For change to be effective, future education, such as proposed pilot programs for new members, should not be taken lightly. Change starts within the system, and it is a group effort to make sure our University is headed toward the right direction.
We were initially enthralled with the University's quick action in hiring a victim advocate, but were dismayed to find that the coordinator position is a mandated reporter that doesn't quite fit the description of a true victim advocate. It is our hope that this position can ultimately reflect the needs of student victims to have a safe space on campus to share their stories in confidence, while receiving the support and care they deserve. We call on the University to make this a priority.
The Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access (IOA) has seen a dramatic increase in sexual assault complaints since September, and that number continues to rise. We're hopeful this is a result of more students feeling comfortable reporting to the University and not simply an increase in the number of sexual assaults. However, with only three investigators, IOA is swamped with investigations. We call on the University to allocate funds to hire more personnel skilled in sexual assault investigation on campuses to fit the increased workload of IOA.
Finally, we have and always will be advocates of transparency at our University. We have filed
and revised several Kansas Open Records Act requests to examine the extent of this issue. While our hope of seeing the full picture, including internal documents, is not attainable at this time, we are expecting to receive a tabulation next semester of violated policies and corresponding sanctions since IOA opened. We wish we would have been able to share that information with the student body this semester.
in the past.
We respect the fact that their schedules are busy, but we are trusted with reflecting the student voice, and we hope a two-way discussion with reporters from The Kansan will eventually be considered a priority for these administrators, especially when addressing this incredibly important, sensitive topic that affects so many students each day.
What happened on Sept. 2 shook this campus from the
WHAT HAPPENED ON SEPT. 2 SHOOK THIS CAMPUS FROM THE GROUND UP, AND THE CRACKS ARE JUST BEGINNING TO BE REPAIRED. WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING A PART OF THE CONVERSATIONS AND CHANGE IN THE COMING MONTHS AS THE STUDENT VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS.
We have seen a shift in University tactics from open access to administrators to being funneled through Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, the University spokeswoman. While we have been able to on occasion talk to integral players in this issue—Tim Caboni and Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little, for example—most of our efforts to reach administrators for comment or clarification has been met with more challenges than
ground up, and the cracks are just beginning to be repaired. We look forward to being a part of the conversations and change in the coming months as the student voice of the University of Kansas.
Members of the Editorial Board are Cecilia Cho, Emma LeCault, Christina Carreira, Madison Schutz and Hannah Barling.
Rec needs to re-evaluate winter break hours
the holidays are upon us. This entails Christmas music, being scolded when we wish "Merry Christmas" instead of
"Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays," and New Year's resolutions. I don't go to the Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center as much as I should, but I know it will be inundated with students striving toward their resolutions in January. As annoying and cumbersome as it can be, I think it's uplifting to know so many people are dedicated to their goals even if only through mid February. However, it would be easier if people could just start their goals over Winter Break.
I will be in Lawrence for the better part of winter break, and I know many of my peers will be here intermittently working various jobs. Although it's difficult for freshmen to stay over break because of on-campus housing, many upperclassmen are here for some portion of break. This means there are students here who can, and do, use the Rec.
I believe the Rec Center's hours are too limited over winter break. The hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m to 8 p.m. This means if you want to work out on the weekend, you're out of luck. The cold weather makes it difficult for people to exercise outside as well. Opening at 8 a.m. excludes those who work out early, around 5 or 6 a.m. While it might be hard for us to imagine, a small population of early risers exists. They work out, shower and then go to work
or class. But it also does not stay open late for people who are getting off work. Many people who stay in town are doing so because they have to work. If most people work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., they only have a small window to work out.
There are several solutions to this problem. If the Rec would like to keep the same number of hours, they could shift it to 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. If someone does not have an "8-5" job, then they are perhaps sleeping in and not exercising. Therefore, a later opening time would make sense. This allows people who would like to work out later to do so. The Rec already eliminates working out before a typical 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. job, so just shift the hours later. Another solution would be to extend its hours, and the days it's open, during break.
Being open Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. would help.
If cost is an issue, then maybe funds could be diverted from a less utilized area to extend Winter Break hours. If staff is an issue, then maybe lesser-used areas of the Rec could be closed. For example, the auxiliary multipurpose courts could be closed. When I visit the Rec, the areas I see used most include the main basketball courts, the weight room and the track. Therefore, the cycling studio, racquetball courts, and Chalk Rock climbing wall could be closed during the break. The climbing wall also requires a different staff, so limiting the rock wall's hours would be an excellent way to trim costs.
The University must save money over Winter Break. The libraries don't stay open for the same hours, classrooms aren't used, and the Union and Underground operate on a limited schedule. Money saved here has already
been factored into budgets. But can we not pinch a penny here or there to keep the Rec open a few more hours? Or at least shift the hours? The Rec is open to various people other than KU students for weekly, monthly semester and annual rates For $20.83 a month, faculty staff, domestic partners and spouses can utilize the Rec. This means by limiting the hours, not only are KU students affected, but it also gives less incentive for potential users to buy a month-long pass. I am graduating this May, so I will probably not be able to take advantage of longer Winter Break rec hours if they are put in place. Until then, I will just have to face the cold and run outside.
Anrenee Reasor is a senior from Thayer studying economics and East Asian Languages and Cultures
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
Should the rec center have longer hours during break?
@Bennmumford
@KansanOpinion yes yes yes and yes
@OttoVeatch @KansanOpinion yes! Some of us still gotta lift!
Follow us on Twitter @KansanOpinion. Tweet us your opinions, and we just might publish them.
HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Send letters to opinion@kansan.com. Write LETTER TO THE EDITOR in the email subject line. Length: 300 words
FFA OF THE DAY
Madison Schultz,managing editor mschultz@kansan.com
Hannah Barling, digital editor hbarling@kansan.com
Emma LeGault, editor-in-chief elegautt@kansan.com
The submission should include the author's name, grade and hometown. Find our full letter to the editor policy online at kansas.com/letters.
Dear Salvation Army bell ringers, I can't give to the needy because I am the needy. Sincerely, all college students.
CONTACT US
CONTACT US
Cecilia Cho, opinion editor
ccho@kansan.com
Cole Anneberg, art director
canneberg@kansan.com
Christina Carreira, advertising director
ccareira@kansan.com
Tom Witter, print sales manager
twitter@kansan.com
Scott Weidner, digital media manager
sweidner@kansan.com
Jon Schiltt, sales and marketing adviser
jschiltt@kansan.com
THE KANSAN EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Emma LeGaunt, Madison Schultz, Cecilia Cho, Hammar Bahali and Christina Carreira.