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MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2016 | VOLUME 130 ISSUE 22
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
Minority Engineering Program celebrates 45 years
Alex Robinson/KANSAN Joyce Shinn, co-founder of the Shinn Scholars, discusses how vital the scholarships that she and her late husband provide to the diversity program are to minority students in STEM fields.
Alex Robinson/KANSAN the diversity program are to
▶ SAMANTTHA SEXTON
@sambiscuit
The School of Engineering celebrated 45 years of diversity Saturday night, honoring the founding of the Minority Engineering Program. The program, among other initiatives, allowed for the creation and maintenance of an organization called Diversity Programs Student Organizations that promoted success in the STEM programs for minority students
lorin Maletsky, associate dean for undergraduate studies, said he is proud of the school for being one of the first departments to have the foresight to welcome and encourage all students, regardless of race, gender or financial standing.
"Diversity across the University, as well as in engineering, is incredibly important," Maletsky said at the ceremony. "It would be great to see support programs such as this throughout the University. We need to bring in more students from varying backgrounds as well as be able to retain them and make them feel welcome."
Florence Boldridge, the Master of Ceremonies and Director for Diversity and
Women's Programs, introduced a handful of honored guests, including the two founders of the programs, Floyd Preston and Don Green. Each founder received an accommodation for their contribution.
Another speaker at the event was William Hogan, the Chairman and CEO of HH Parking Systems. He was the first director of the minority engineering programs at the University and was also the first African-American faculty member within the department.
"My wife was not impressed when I told her we were going to Kansas," Hogan said. "It was the summer before classes started, it was hot, I was so alone and I looked at my wife and I asked, 'How did we get here?'
Hogan said his doubts faded once the semester began.
"I had six students in the diversity program when it first started," Hogan said. "But suddenly it felt like we weren't just building a program, we were building a family."
Hogan said there were moments of doubt and anger both with the system and the students.
"I had parents calling
me begging me to help with whatever problem their child had gotten into and a lot of times I couldn't do anything," Hogan said. "But we've persevered and now we have a program to be proud of."
Following Hogan, the
presidents from the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, National Society of Black Engineers, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and Society of Women Engineers, took to the podium expressing their gratefulness for
"We have a family here, as Dr. Hogan said," William Teeple, president of the American Indian Science
the program. Each society said the Minority Engineering Program brought them a sense of community on campus.
and Engineering Society said. "We achieve together and we thrive together and I am so grateful to have come to KU with this program."
- Edited by Brendan Dzwierzynski
Student Senate elections to open Wednesday
CONNER MITCHELL
@connermitchellO
The general election for the 2016-17 Student Senate body will be held Wednesday and Thursday. Online polling is scheduled to open at 6 a.m. Wednesday and run through 4 p.m. Thursday, according to the Student Senate Elections Commission calendar.
OneKU Presidential Candidate: Stephonn Alcorn, current Student Senate government relations director Vice Presidential Candidate: Gabby Naylor, current School of Business senator
Platforms: According to OneKU's website, the coalition has launched 12 campaign initiatives focused on inclusion and representation, student vitality and campus renewal.
Before the election, here is everything you need to know about the two coalitions, and information on how to vote.
You at KU
Program working with inner-city school districts to acclimate high school students to the college experience Mental Health Services and Awareness
may have a harder time adjusting to college
Lower the costs of printing an official transcript and move all academic material charges to the Enroll & Pay portal
Coordinate with the Willow Domestic Violence Center to bring a part-time advocate to campus
Work with Counseling and Psychological Services to increase campus outreach, as well as increase the hours and locations of available psychologists for students in Campus Advocates.
Establish a mentorship program that matches incoming first-generation students with University students, who are also first-generation students, to help students who
First Generation Peer Mentorship Program
Minor changes to the admissions process which improve the visibility of minority students and provide more inclusive options on admissions applications
Work to expand the Women's Leadership Workshop to educate women on how to become better community leaders
Implement changes to the Senate bylaws to ensure all student groups have access to Senate funding
ent Senate Funding Reform
Set the goal as a University to have a net negative carbon footprint
Potter Lake
Work with University administration to add on to plans to renovate Potter Lake and ensure the future health and vitality of the lake
Research Fair and Freshman Research Initiative Create a career-fair style event where students can meet professors and get involved in research labs
Bike Accessibility Plan Encourage people to travel by bike by improving bike routes and placing bike racks near newer campus buildings
OneKU has 51 senatorial candidates slated to run on the ticket.
CARE KU
Platforms: During its formation meeting Feb. 25, CARE KU launched five campaign initiatives, focusing mainly on campus safety and inclusion.
Presidential Candidate: Richie Hernandez, former Association of University Residence Halls senator
Vice Presidential Candidate: John Castellaw, current Student Rights Committee member
Addressing Equality and Inclusion on Campus Campus Safety and Security Services for Military and Veteran Students Student Resources
Specific focus on gender-neutral housing options
Mental Health Awareness
CARE KU does not have a slate of senators, and is only running with Hernandez and Castellaw on the ticket.
HOW TO VOTE
All voting for Senate elections occurs online at the Rock Chalk Central website. Any student with a KU ID is eligible to vote through their account on the website. Once the ballot is finalized, a specific link will be available for students to vote, Jesse Burbank, chair of the Elections Commission, said.
Students can vote on personal mobile devices or at the Elections Commission central polling locations. According to the Elections Commission Calendar, the commission will have two polling locations on campus open to students: one on Wescoe Beach, and one at Mrs. E's Dining Hall.
Students will have the opportunity to vote for a presidential and vice presidential ticket, and then specific senators within any classifications the student falls under, including academic school and on-campus or off-campus senators.
Burbank said 17 percent of the student body voted in the last Student Senate election. He said he hopes to exceed that number this year.
According to the Student Senate Rules and Regulations, the Elections Commission will release the unofficial results of the election after the initial tabulation of votes is completed on Thursday. It is then required to certify the results after a waiting period of 48 hours.
- Edited by Matthew Clough
File Photo/KANSAN
File Photo/KANSAN
Former Kansas running back Brandon Bourbon plays against the West Virginia Mountaineers on November 16, 2013. Bourbon was found dead on Friday.
Former Jayhawk Brandon Bourbon found dead
▶ SCOTT CHASEN
@SChasenKU
Brandon Bourbon, the former Kansas running back who was reported missing earlier this month, was found dead on Friday of apparent suicide, according to the Mariees County Sheriff's Office. He was 24.
On Friday, the Maries County Sheriff's Office said Bourbon's body was found on a secluded river front property off Route AA near Vienna, Mo. The suicide was confirmed following a detailed investigation, the sheriff's office said.
Bourbon was reported missing on the evening of April 2. His family has been notified, officials said, and his friends have posted their sentiments on Twitter and Facebook.
"Rest in peace to
Several former Kansas players tweeted similar messages.
On Friday, Kansas coach David Beaty released a statement via Twitter about his death.
"Our hearts are broken to hear the news of the passing of Brandon Bourbon." Beaty said in the statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Brandon's family and friends."
my best friend," Ben Heeney, former teammate of Bourbon tweeted. "I love you more than you know."
Kansas basketball player Evan Manning also tweeted the phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
Heeney later tweeted a link to a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral funds.
At Saturday's spring game, the team and crowd observed a moment of silence for Bourbon. After the game, some of the players gave heartfelt comments about their former teammate.
"Any time Brandon walked in, you just felt his presence. He was a great guy [and] a great leader," quarterback Montell Cozart said.
Even though many of the players had never played with Bourbon, Beaty said the team felt the loss as a whole. Linebacker Joe Dineen echoed those sentiments.
"You never want that to happen," Dineen said. "It's so sad. It caught me off guard."
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If you need to talk to someone, call Headquarters counseling at 785-841-2345 or chat online at their website.
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