+
Thursday, October 9, 2014
+
HELPING THE HUNGRY
Campus groups like KU Fights Hunger help students and residents in need
KELSIE JENNINGS
@kelcjen
October is KU Hunger Awareness Month, and KU Fights Hunger, along with other student groups, are working hard to help hungry students. According to Erin Ice, program coordinator for Daily Bread, a program with the Center for Community Outreach, the University food pantry serves 40 to 50 students and residents a month.
About five years ago, staff on campus started a food drive to gather food for students in need because there wasn't anything in place. Back then, volunteers were mostly staff, said Thelm Simons, advisor and president of KU Fights Hunger.
But as the years have passed, more students have gotten involved. Simons said that in the beginning there weren't
as many people to share the workload, but last year and this year things have been more efficient because they're more organized and tasks are delegated.
"This year has been amazing to me, the way that everybody is picking up on things," Simons said.
Simons said that the easiest way students can help out is simply to donate. There are 24 donation bins scattered around campus, so they can drop off food at any time this month before the bins are collected.
October was designated as hunger awareness month beginning last year because KU Fights Hunger wants as much student involvement as possible. The food drive was previously in the summer, but it was moved to the fall when more students are on campus.
"There are different groups
that have interest in hunger issues, so we're trying to be a connecting point for all those." Simons said.
Two of the main events come up are KU Hunger Summit and National Student Day. KU Hunger Summit is on Oct.17 from 9 a.m. to noon. A food activist will speak to get the event started, followed by another speaker, and then attendees will get together and try to figure out more effective ways to help people in need. This is the first year for the event and Simons hopes it will become annual.
Simons said last year there was just a small discussion over lunch, but hopes a lot more people will be attending and the speech will lead to action. Lisa Eitner, marketing coordinator for KU Memorial Unions, said she hopes to see it develop into something that's more than a discussion.
"You have the chance to actually form some action, an action agenda, as opposed to just a sort of passive acceptance of information," Eitner said. "It could be very empowering for students.
"This year has been amazing to me, the way that everybody is picking up on things."
THELMA SIMONS
President of KU Fights Hunger
National Student Day is a nation-wide event that occurs on Oct. 9 where various universities promote social responsibility to their students. It happens simultaneously all over the U.S. and Canada, and each university has their
own way of promoting and celebrating. The University is celebrating this day in the Kansas Union bookstore this Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There also a national contest where winners receive $1,000 and an additional $1,000 for a charity of their choice.
One incentive for coming to the bookstore is that students can enter a drawing to win a mountain bike. Although it's not required for the contest, students are encouraged to donate $1 or a nonperishable food item when they enter the drawing. There will also be a few information tables set up, free sampling of nutrition bars and a spin-the-wheel game where students can win coupons and candy.
Eitner said that they want to create an energetic, engaging environment for students while educating them about
hunger awareness and ways they can help.
Simons said another way that students can help is by eating at the residence hall dining rooms on Oct. 22 when Mrs. E's, Oliver Dining and North College Café will donate $1 for every meal that is purchased that evening.
Students can also donate food to the University food pantry, Campus Cupboard, which is at the Ecumenical Campus Ministries building on campus. Daily Bread helps run the pantry.
Students who are in need of food can go to Just Food, which is on the corner of 11th Street and Haskell, or Campus Cupboard. For more information on KU Hunger Awareness Month, go to http://sustain.ku.edu/hunger.
— Edited by Logan Schlossberg
Election officials reach out to voters on hold
@Allie Kite
ALLISON KITE
Will Admussen, a sophomore from Urbandale, Iowa, speaks to students about voter registration. Go to page 2A for information about registration locations and times on campus today.
Ninety students who live in University housing remain on the list of Kansans who have attempted to register but have not yet provided proof of citizenship.
JOHN GRIFFIN/KANSAN
Douglas County election officials and the League of Women Voters are trying to reach more than 784 citizens of Douglas County on a list of "voters in suspense," including 388 voters between the ages of 18 and 24.
Efforts to call and even search the University directory for those who might be students have proven to be only somewhat successful, said Cille King, president of the League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas County. The phone number portion of the voter registration application is optional, so the league has been unable to reach many of the voters.
Statewide, more than 22,000 voter registration applications are on hold, most because they are missing proof of citizenship, per a 2012 Kansas law. Others are on hold because they are incomplete or the citizen has not yet turned 18.The Nov.4 election will be the first the 2012 law will affect.
The Douglas County clerk's office has been combatting this issue with marginal success since January of this year.
"I would say it has been minimally effective, especially on the mailers," said Jamie Shew, Douglas County clerk. "When we made the phone calls, we had some people who we were able to get documents from, but a lot of what we heard was, 'Yeah, I'll get to it.'"
Potential voters received two letters with instructions after filling out their application. The clerk's office began mailing monthly reminder postcards in January
While voter registration drives — like the ones on and off campus now — help citizens through the application, they can no longer finish the process on the spot. Because most people don't carry proof of citizenship like a birth certificate or passport, Kansans registering to vote have to take an extra step after applying at a drive. King said this has been an issue, making voter registration drives less effective.
"When we filled out an application and tried to make sure it was complete, it was done," King said. "In fact, a few of the KU students that we called ... said they were told they were done from a voter drive on campus."
Shew said it was easy to turn in proof of citizenship because the office does not require a certified document.
"You can send it to us electronically," he said. "They can take a picture of it with their
King said Secretary of State Kris Kobach has been going through Kansas birth certificates and matching them to voter registration applications to help with the issue. She estimated that without this effort, 40,000 voters would be suspended.
phone and send it to us."
Voter registration closes Oct. 14, but voters can turn in their proof of citizenship until the day before the election, Nov. 3. If they are not on the list for complete registration, they will be given a provisional ballot. Following the election, officials will double check the provisional ballots. If someone turned in their citizenship between Oct. 14 and Nov. 3 their vote will be counted. Otherwise, their ballot will be thrown out and they will not be notified.
Edited by Logan Schlossberg
CLASSIFIEDS 3B CRYPTOQUIPS 6A SPORTS 1A
CROSSWORD 6A OPINION 4A SUDOKU 6A
The Office will submit reports to the Douglas County District Attorney for review and to determine if charges are filed.
The PSO is reviewing this incident because it occurred on campus, whereas the Lawrence Police Department is investigating the alleged sexual assaults at Kappa Sigma, which is off campus at 1045 Emery Rd.
The Douglas County District Attorney said their first court appearance is Thursday afternoon.
University student, man arrested for suspicion of rapes in Hashinger Hall
Students did not receive an alert of the arrests to their campus emails on Wednesday.
The alleged rapes occurred between 2 and 5 a.m. on Sept. 28 in Hashinger Residence Hall, Anguiano said. Both men are 21 years old.
Anguiano said the reports came from both women through PSO and the office has been investigating the incident since Oct. 3. He said the incident occurred the same morning as the alleged Kappa Sigma fraternity incident, but the two are not related.
Jack Martin from Public Affairs said alerts are only sent to students when the Public Safety Office needs information from the public or campus community for an investigation and in the case of an immediate threat or action that needs to be taken.
Two men, including a University student, were arrested Tuesday evening on suspicion of raping two women, according to Capt. James Anguiano of the KU Public Safety Office.
Don't Forget
Amelia Arvesen
To register to vote.
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2014 The University Daily Kansan
Today's Weather
T-storms with a 90 percent chance of rain. Wind ENE at 13 mph.
HI: 65
LO: 50
+