Volume 124 Issue 40
kansan.com
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
BEHIND THE GLASS
A LOOK INSIDE THE BOOTH
ADAM STRUNK
astrunk@kansan.com
Susan Shaw may be the most visible person on campus that you never notice.
Don't feel bad. It's easy to go past one of the four traffic booths on campus without thinking of the person working inside. But once you meet Shaw and hear some of her stories, she is difficult to forget.
From students wearing nothing but boxes to students barreling through stop signs during finals week, she has "seen some pretty crazy stuff". It turns out that her traffic booth, located on 14th Street and Jayhawk Boulevard, is about the best people-watching spot on campus.
However, Shaw doesn't have a lot of time to people-watch. She's too busy using directions to confused freshmen, counting passing cars and watching for people driving on campus illegally.
Vehicles without gold, commercial or service permits are not allowed on campus from 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. during weekdays. All vehicles must stop at the booth to show their permit. Those that don't stop and lack a permit are called "runners."
"Oh, I can pretty much tell when someone is going to run me," she said.
Once Shaw sees the vehicle isn't slowing down she memorizes the make, model and color of the car. After the car passes her, she quickly memorizes the vehicle's license plate.
"I have to have the correct information," she said. "Otherwise I won't call it in."
Those who are reported for running the booth receive a $55 fine.
According to Shima McCurdy, supervisor of booth personel, runners
are a common occurrence. For the month of September, 134 vehicles ran through the four check points. Booth D, located near the Chi Omega fountain, recorded the most runs with 4'. In 2010 there were 1,612 runs. McCurdv said.
For all! the people that run, booth employees are able to flag others down and convince them to turn around.
"I'll ask them what's their purpose," Shaw said. "It's always that they are in a hurry and they're running late. Then I let them know it's their choice. Most of the time they turn around."
Shaw said that she occasionally deals with drivers that are rude and disrespectful to her, especially when students are stressed around finals time.
"I hate to say it but they are," she said. "It's my job to turn them around. It's being positive."
While some drivers — especially those who run the booths — may not agree with the regulations and fines, McCurdy said the University has a good reason for only limiting vehicles on campus during the weekdays.
campus, people would be getting run over," she said. "People that are in a hurry and would just fly through and hit someone. A lot of students talk on phones, use iPods and don't pay attention. I feel like you have to keep everbodv safe."
"If everyone were able to drive on
Student safety is one of Shaw's main concerns. This and helping those she comes in contact with has kept her coming back to work for the
last four years. Shaw is semi-retired and moved back to Lawrence after losing her husband in order to take care of her aging parents. She grew stir crazy in her parents' home and took a job with Parking and Transit.
"I love working for the department," she said. "I am up here
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
SEE BOOTH PAGE 3
FILM
Jon O'Neal, former student and KU Filmworks instructor, speaks at the campus screening of his film, "Au Pair, Kansas." His film won multiple awards at the Cannes Independent Film Festival.
Cannes winner hosts screening on campus
KELSEY CIPOLLA
kcipolla@kansan.com
As a student, Jon O'Neal used to sit in the auditorium of the Spencer Museum of Art and listen to lectures, but last Sunday, his own work was the subject of focus. He hosted a screening of "Au Pair, Kansas," the independent film he wrote, produced and directed.
The film tells the story of a soccer-obsessed Norwegian male au pair who is hired to help a widow take care of her two sons and the family's bison farm in Lindsborg. It also depicts gay and transgender characters living in the Midwest. It has won multiple awards including Best Low-Budget Film at the Cannes Independent Film Festival.
O'Neal's love of Lindsborg was inspired by artist Birger Sandzén. The director first came across the artist's work as a University student and was so inspired that he went to Lindsborg and built a relationship with the artist's family and the city itself, where he shot the movie. It features the local Swedish festival and 250 extras from the city.
"It was shot in 18 days," O'Neal said. "I basically willed it into being."
Jorge Perez, associate professor of
"I liked it a lot," he said. "I liked the way it played with the landscape and what he explained about living in the Midwest."
Before the screening, O'Neal taught a screenwriting workshop to 15 people, mainly community members. He provided tips for writing a successful screenplay, commentary on famous films and filmmakers and bits of encouragement.
"It's a hard, hard road, but I don't want you to be afraid of the format," O'Neal said. "If you write a brilliant screenplay, it will get noticed.
Spanish and Portuguese, attended the screening and became a fan of the film and the acting.
Making films is an ambition shared by the student group KU Filmworks. Its goal is to give students more filmmaking experience by sharing film ideas, hold workshops about how to use equipment properly and provide opportunities to connect with other filmmakers locally and internationally.
"Our goal is to give anyone a chance to be a better filmmaker by providing all the tools they need," said Daniel Suffield, a senior from Wichita and treasurer of KU Filmworks.
Period."
Edited by Laura Nightengale
DINING
Eating up new meal plans
ALEXA RUSH
arush@kansan.com
All the food you want. That's the reality for students who are on new campus meal plans this semester.
At the beginning of the semester, KU Dining Services introduced two new meal plans, Rock Chalk Unlimited and Jayhawk Unlimited. These plans offer just that — unlimited meals.
Karen Cross, the KU Dining access administrator, said that students get the best deal available when selecting the unlimited meal plans. The plans are also designed to provide convenience because students don't have to keep track of how many meals they have left.
"The guest rate is $8.50 for breakfast and $9.50 for brunch, lunch or dinner" Cross said. "Depending on dinner"
how often the student chooses to use their unlimited plan, they save an average of about 40 percent to 45 percent off the cash guest rates."
Students with the unlimited plans are able to get meals as many times each day (between 7 a.m. and midnight) as they'd like and are given either $300 in Cuisine Cash with the Rock Chalk Unlimited or $500 in Cuisine Cash with the Jayhawk Unlimited. The Blue Basic and Crimson Flex plans allow for 10 or 12 meals a week and $100 or $200 in Cuisine Cash, respectively.
Cross said about 3,400 students have a dining plan, and of these students 53 percent are on an unlimited meal plan.
Even though these unlimited options may sound like a dream come true, some students feel that these plans are too extensive. Kendall
Cole, a freshman from Houston, decided to switch her meal plan to the Basic Blue.
"I downsized to that one because I realized how much I don't eat at the dining halls," Cole said.
These new plans weren't created on a whim.
"Before reconfiguring the dining plans, KU Dining took into consideration the feedback received from parents and students over the years, held student forums, and researched peer universities' dining planes across the nation," Cross said. "The unlimited plans support the busy lifestyles and study habits of the students."
When told that this was the first time the University has offered unlimited plans, Ian Sheppard, a
SEE MEALS PAGE 3
KU CUISINE BY THE NUMBERS
22 locations
Students' nutritional needs can be met from 7 a.m. to midnight at any one of the 22 locations across campus.
53%
unlimited
Students with the Jayhawk Unlimited plan receive a 5 percent discount when using their KU Cuisine Cash.
About 53 percent of the students who live in the residence halls have the unlimited plan
3,400 There are about 3,400 students who have a dining plan. plans
$9.50 for guest
CLASSIFIEDS 7
CROSSWORD 4
CRYPTOQUIPS 4
OPINION 5
The guest rate is $8.50 for breakfast and $9.50 for brunch, lunch or dinner. Depending on how often the student chooses to use their unlimited plan, they save an average of about 40 to 45 percent off the cash guest rates.
SPORTS 8
SUDOKU 4
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2011 The University Daily Kansan
Don't forget
Pick up your basketball tickets at the Kansas Athletics ticket office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Today's weather
Forcasts done by University students. For a more detailed forecast, see page 2A.
HI: 56
LO: 32
L. L. Cool Jay