TODAY'S WEATHER: Clear and sunny with a high of 78. SPORTS: Kansas Volleyball falls to Texas.
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
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER27,2001
WWW.KANSAN.COM
ISSUE 24 VOLUME 112
Enrollment up for minority students
But University sees a decline in count of Asian-American new students
By Paul Smith Kansan staff writer
The overall minority student population at the University of Kansas is on the rebound this year after a two-year slump, while the enrollment of Asian-American freshmen plunged after a significant gain last year, driving a decrease in the number of minority freshmen.
The number of minority students at the University is now higher than it has been since 1998. A report released yesterday shows that a total of 2,326 students belong to the four groups of minority students tracked by the University — Hispanic Americans, African Americans, Native Americans and Asian Americans. The students represent 9 percent of the campus population.
Recruitment of minority freshmen decreased by 5.9 percent.
Although Hispanic-American, African-American and Native-American freshmen enrollment each increased, the Office of Institutional Research and Planning (OIRP) reported that the number of Asian American freshmen fell from 164 to 121—a 26 percent decline.
"That was one of the biggest surprises in all this," said Jim Carothers, associate provost. "The drop is significant, but what it signifies is not clear to me."
Carothers noted that the number of Asian-American freshmen this year was almost identical to the number in 1999, before a sharp increase last year.
But a 15 percent increase in the number of Hispanic-American freshmen and a 10 percent spike from 108 to 119 in the enrollment of African-American freshmen were encouraging signs, Carothers said. Hispanic-American freshmen numbered 115 in 2001, 14 more than last year and 29 more than 1999.
"If we can continue to make gains such as these or better, we will come closer to achieving our ideals," he said.
The increases in the enrollment of freshmen minority groups were offset by the decline in the number of Asian-American freshmen, as the percentage of minorities in the freshman class remained steady at 9.7 percent.
"These numbers reinforce our sense that we must be more competitive in our ability to attract students," Carothers said.
SEE RECRUITMENT PAGE 3A
Scholar numbers decrease
University misses new merit scholar goal of 125, hits 105 instead
By Eve Lamborn Kansan staff writer
The number of incoming National Merit Scholars attending Kansas this year decreased by 11 students from last year's total of 116.
Gail Sherron, assistant director of admissions, said Chancellor Robert Hemenway set a goal of enrolling 125 new National Merit Scholars this year, but the failure to meet that goal was nothing to be disappointed about.
"We have a great group this year," she said. "I'm extremely happy and pleased with the recruiting process."
She attributed the decrease to the difficulty merit scholars had in deciding among universities.
Hemenway said he didn't consider the decrease in first-time scholars a setback.
"We just didn't meet the goal we set," he said. "It's a pretty high standard."
Kansas enrolled a record number of new National Merit Scholars last year — 116. In 1999, the University broke the 100-newscholar level for the first time with 101.
Sherron said 46 of this year's new scholars were in-state, a figure identical to last year's total. She estimated that about 160 Kansas high school seniors were named National Merit finalists last year, although the National Merit Corporation never released the exact figure
The number of new National Hispanic Scholars increased from 10 students in 2000 to 14 this year, and the number of new National Achievement Scholars, a program for African-American students, increased from two students to four
Including all three merit programs,
Kansas has a combined total of 123 new top
scholars this year compared to 128 lastyear.
January Bailey, Wichita freshman and National Merit Scholar, said she chose Kansas instead of the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University.
" (Kansas) offered a really good scholarship package and it's close to home," she said.
Cheryl May, director of media relations at Kansas State University, said Kansas State enrolled 19 new National Merit Scholars this fall. She said K-State did not put the same emphasis on recruiting National Merit Scholars as KU did.
The University of Missouri has not yet released its figures.
National Merit status is based primarily on students' PSAT scores, as well as high school curriculum and grades. Contact Lamborn at 864-4810
Source: Office of Institutional Research and Planing
THE GOLDEN TOUCH
Jake Johannes, Hiawatha junior, welds the finishing touches on his project, "The Spinner." The piece will be featured in the student dance presentation at Marvin Grove on Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The dance is a part of the West Central Regional Conference for the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture.
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JOHN NOWAK/KANSAN
New parking garage gets final checks
CHRIS BURKET/KANSAN
The new parking garage at Ninth and New Hampshire streets in downtown Lawrence is going through final inspections.
City now awaits inspections for 500-vehicle facility
By Courtney Craigmile Kansan staff writer
"We're going through final inspections this week," said Gale Lantis, owner of Mar Lan Construction, the firm building the garage. "We hope that the city can occupy
the building soon."
Renee Fleming, Mississippi junior and employee at The Third Planet, 846 Massachusetts St., said she would park in the garage when it opened.
The city's 175,000 square-foot parking garage is set to open any day.
About 500 cars can fit in the new garage, Lantis said.
One of the main reasons she said she would park there was the location.
The new garage is just a block from where she works. Fleming now parks in the 10-hour lot in the 800 block of New Hampshire Street. But she said she often had trouble finding a spot in that
lot too.
She said she thought the new parking garage would solve the problem of not being able to find a parking spot in the downtown area.
Construction on the garage began about a year ago.
It is located in the 900 block of New Hampshire Street on the west side.
The garage is part of a project that will include the new Lawrence Arts Center, apartments, retail space and possibly a hotel.
Contact Craigmile at 864-4810
Students unite to fast,pray on Jewish holiday
By J. R. Mendoza Kansan staff writer
INSIDETODAY
Eve Katz is relying on her Sigma Delta Tau sorority sisters to help her observe the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur.
Katz, Birmingham, Ala., senior, said she usually celebrated the holiday with her family, but would attend services with her some of her sorority sisters.
sorry sisters.
"It means more for me to get together with my family and rebuild things for the next year," Katz said. "I miss my family, but it's good to have people close to you as a second family."
Johanna was a holiday where Jews basically admit to not being perfect," Zidel said. "You reflect on where you had been last year and where you are going during the year."
Yom Kippur started at sundown yesterday and lasts until sundown tonight.
Zidel said Jews observed the holiday by fasting from sundown to sundown and attending services. Last night, he said, Kol Nidre, which means all vows, was a traditional service that started the holiday.
and last with Sutherland.
Andrew Zidel, Jewish Campus Student Corp fellow for the KU Hilill Foundation, the Jewish student organization on campus, said Yom Kippur was a day of atonement.
"You refrain from anything that gives you pleasure," Zidel said. "It's spent meditating all day, and you pray for forgiveness. It's one of the holiest days of the year."
the honest days Yom Kippur follows Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. Zidel said the color white symbolized the holiday.
symbolized the holiday. "The color represents spirituality and holiness," Zidel said.
He said people often said the phrase, "May you be inscribed in the book of life," during the holiday. Zidel said it referred to Jewish people being sealed in the book if they repented, prayed and were blessed and forgiven.
prayed and we believed Because of the recent terrorist attacks, Zidel said it was important for Jewish people to come together.
"Anything that brings the community together is important," he said. "It's another great way to show you are not alone in these crazy times. It's really nice for Jewish students to see other Jewish students. We need to show we are not afraid to be together and pray."
WORLD NEWS ...2A
HOROSCOPES ...2B
WEATHER ...4B
CROSSWORD ...4B
COMING IN TOMORROW'S KANSAN
Contact Mendoza at 864-4810
NEWS: United Way may have trouble meeting its annual goal.
SPORTS: University of Kansas football gets the weekend off.
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.
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