TODAY'S WEATHER: Sunny with a high of 70. SPORTS: Jayhawks meet more than their match against Kansas State.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TALK TO US: Contact
Kursten Phelps or Leita
Schultes at (785) 864-4810
or editor@kansan.com
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
MONDAY
OCTOBER 29,2001
WWW.KANSAN.COM
ISSUE 44 VOLUME 112
Senate meets to dialogue on minority recruitment
By Luke Daley Kansan staff writer
Creating a support network for minority students and moving the Multicultural Resource Center to a centralized location were suggestions presented last night as ways of improving minority recruitment and retention at the University of Kansas.
A group of about 25 student senators, admissions faculty members and students gathered together last night to discuss ways the University could attract more minority students.
Claudia Mercado, assistant director of admissions and scholarships, said the task of recruiting more minority students could not fall solely on the admissions department. However, she said the department was doing what it could.
"It's going to be slow, but it's going to be progressive," Mercado said of increasing the minority student base.
She said one of the problems was that many minority students viewed the University of Kansas as a place that didn't care about having a diverse student population.
"The image of what the University of Kansas is in Southwest Kansas is completely different than from other places," Mercado said.
Jamel Bell, graduate senator said the group wanted to leave the discussion with an overall idea of how minority recruitment and retention problems could be solved.
"We can get together and discuss all we want, but we need to hold groups responsible for why this isn't working," Bell said. "I want to know, as a minority student, what can you do for me KU?"
Some of the ideas the group came up with included improving communication about minority recruitment and retention through all departments and groups at the University, creating more publicity for cultural and minority groups and having more interactions between students and prospective students.
students:
Lisa Pinamonti, associate director of administration and scholarships, said the push to recruit more minority students had progressed in recent years. She said she was trying to recruit more minority high school students to come to the University.
the University. Pinamonta said one of the things she had done was to send birthday cards to minority students, so she could show those students they were welcome at the University.
"We're trying to be creative," Pinamonti said. "Something like those things do make differences."
The discussion took place at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries building, 1204 Oread and was sponsored by Delta Force.
sored by Delta Force.
Minority recruitment and retention was one of the platform issues the Delta Force coalition cam
ton in April's Student Senate
Enrollment problems eased
Shorter lines help diminish some frustrations
Contact Daley at 864-4810
By Paul Smith Kansan staff writer
Before Josh Strange even had the chance to enter the enrollment center, he was told to turn around.
"Oopsie! You have a parking hold," said Donna Conway, a temporary enrollment employee stationed in front of the center's door, after scanning Strange's permit to enroll.
Strange, Dallas senior, rolled his eyes at the news.
Students wait outside the enrollment center to get their schedules for next semester. The enrollment center gives students an appointment time to fill out their schedules so waiting can be kept to a minimum.
"This is going to be a pain." Strange said.
But Cindy Derritt, associate registrar for enrollment services, said enrollment would be even more of a pain for students without the new strategies the office has implemented to help ease students' enrollment frustrations.
Temporary employees, like Conway, are stationed at the door of the enrollment office, located at 151 Strong Hall, to check permits for holds, dean's stamps and appointment times. Derritt said this system helped identify problems before students had waited in line for long.
But the improvements don't stop at the center door.
Across the hall from the enrollment center is an office, 154 Strong Hall, for students needing replacement permits. Also new this semester is a "closed class hotline." By dialing 864-4259 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Derrick said students could find out whether any classes they intended to sign up for were full.
Some students agree the enrollment process has taken less time this semester.
Michelle Geesaman, Goddard senior, said she enrolled around 1 p.m. Friday — what Derritt considers peak traffic time at the enrollment center
and was out in five minutes.
and was out in five minutes.
"It was easy," Geesaman said.
"It gets easier each year."
Derritt said upperclassmen usually had an easier time enrolling
"The seniors and graduate students are enrolling at this point," she said. "When we get to the sophomores and freshmen, the classes are filling up.
As classes close, the delay gets longer and longer."
Contact Smith at 864-4810
CULTURAL CHOREOGRAPHY
Nikki Dulku, cultural co-chair of the Cultural India Club, celebrates the Navratri last night at the Ballroom in the Kansas Union. The traditional Hindu festival features nine nights of folk songs and dance.The festival is a celebration of the harvest and of the victory of the goddess Durga over the evil Mahisasura.About 200 people attended the event last night.
LAURIE SICK/KANSAN
Time to change clock, check smoke alarm
By J. R. Mendoza Kansan staff writer
Along with turning the clock back one hour to standard time, some people use the end of daylight saving time as a cue to check the batteries in their smoke alarms.
Rich Barr, fire marshal for Lawrence-Douglas County Fire and Medical, said he supported the relationship between checking smoke alarms and changing clocks.
He said that the problem with battery-operated smoke alarms was maintenance and that checking them at a regular time each year was a good idea.
"Don't wait," Barr said. "The purpose is to try to get people to think, 'Isn't there something else I should do when I change the clock?' Some people won't go through the process and wait until a low battery beeps, then unplug the battery and forget about it."
Andrew Luxem, Topeka sophomore, lives in a duplex on Massachusetts Street that was originally a house. He said that when he moved
Luxem said he was confident the alarm would work in case of a fire. However, he said he liked that people were reminded to check or change smoke alarm batteries when turning back the clock, just in case.
in, his landlord told him he had changed and checked the batteries in the duplex's smoke alarm.
“It's a good way to get the message across,” Luxem said. “It's a good way to incorporate it so people do that.”
According to the National Fire Protection Association's smoke alarm safety tips, batteries should be installed in all alarms once a year or when the alarm beeps to warn the battery is dying.
Ken Stoner, director of student housing, said none of the equipment in residence halls would have to be changed.
"It's all hard wired into an electrical system," Stoner said.
Contact Mendoza at 864-4810
for audio and video clips that accompany this story, visit www.kansan.com
Students get up early to 'make a difference'
By Courtney Craigmile Kansan staff writer
About 70 KU students came out Saturday to make a difference.
The students participated in the Center for Community Outreach's 5 kilometer run-walk at the Lied Center as part of the national Make A Difference Day activities.
COMING IN TOMORROW'S KANSAN
Each participant brought a $10 donation or an unwrapped gift that will go to the nondenominational holiday party for disadvantaged children at the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club, 1520 Haskell.
Club, 1920s-1930s.
Tia Gerhart, Hutchinson junior,
braved the crisp morning air Saturday
by taking part in the run-walk. Walking
is her favorite form of exercise, she said.
"A walk in the morning is a great way to help disadvantaged children and get to meet new people," she said.
This was the first time Gerhart had participated in Make A Difference Day. She saw flyers in the Kansas Union about the walk, and she said she thought it would be a good way to get involved.
It was also the first time Robin Anderson, Topeka junior, participated. She was walking with about five other people from KU Young Democrats.
"We decided it was a good community service project." Anderson said.
mity service project. And make A Difference Day is celebrated the fourth Saturday of every October. It was created in 1992 by USA Weekend magazine in partnership with The Points of Light Foundation as a "celebration of neighbors helping neighbors."
INSIDETODAY
This year it was estimated that 2.6 million people volunteered across the country, according to the magazine.
Contact Craigmile at 864-4810
NATION NEWS ...2A
HILLTOPICS ...6A
WEATHER ...4B
CROSSWORD ...4B
TUITIO: Students will be paying more next year to attend the University of Kansas.
SQUEEZING IN:Student Senate is working on getting more student seating at Allen Fieldhouse.
The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is paid through the student activity fee. Additional copies of the Kansan are 25 cents. Subscriptions can be purchased at 119 Stauffer-Flint Hall.
9
---