Volume 124 Issue 26
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
kansan.com
the student voice since 1904
Joy Bancroft, a graduate student in the English department from Lawrence, doesn't recommend doing it her way. She decided to apply to graduate school two weeks before the application deadline. After taking time off while working on her undergraduate degree, she wanted to make up for lost time.
ACADEMICS
To eliminate this kind of undue stress, students planning on furthering their education may want to start thinking about next fall now and make a plan.
"I completed 48 credit hours in 11 months and only had three weeks off between the end of my undergraduate work and the beginning of my graduate work," she said.
Plan ahead for grad school applications
Applying for graduate school is an individual process, said Melissa Needham, a graduate coach at the University Career Center. Although there are many resources for students, such as the Career Center at the Burge Union and the Writing Center at Anshutz Library, getting organized and prepared for grad school rests on the student.
D. M. SCOTT dscott@kansan.com
"Graduate school admission is a paperwork-heavy process," Needham said. "The first huge battle is making sure the school gets everything."
To win this battle, students should have a plan and set deadlines. The first step includes doing homework on prospective programs and narrowing the field to the program best for them.
They shouldn't get hung up on one particular program. They should spread their applications around, while also being mindful of application costs.
"One thing you want to be careful of is not putting all your eggs in one basket," said Sara Clayton, assistant director at the University Career Center.
"If you are in the process of applying for grad schools, try to find out what the schools value most in their candidates." Bancroft said.
After that, it's more homework.
"Unfortunately, for a lot of these questions, there's no one answer. It really does vary from program to program and from student to student," Needham said.
"I think the hardest part is that you really can't be prepared mentally and emotionally for the experience." Bancroft said. "I know I was completely unprepared for the level of thinking and understanding that is a part of daily life in a graduate degree. It's just really stressful and a complete assassin of any self-esteem you may have possessed."
She suggests paying close attention to the personal statement. Here students can distinguish themselves. It's a good idea to pick out something specific in the program the perspective student likes — the reason why the student is applying to that program.
Bancroft suggests once students are accepted they should read books and articles about the field of interest in which they will be studying.
She now wants to pursue a doctoral degree and is beginning the process all over again. This time, she is more prepared.
"I think I'm just taking my Ph.D. work much more seriously, which is a bit of a given. I chose to do my master's a bit compulsively and did not really research or apply to many institutions," she said.
The University offers useful resources to students applying to grad programs. The Writing Center can help polish a student's resume and answer questions about punctuation, and the career
SEE GRAD 13
Phase two for football: conference play PAGE 8 VACCINE IMPORTANT FOR ALL HPV vaccine another safeguard for sexually-active students, not a threat or danger PAGE 5
BARS UP TO PAR
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
Students convene outside of the Sandbar Friday night. The Sandbar is one of many popular places downtown.
PAINTING THE TOWN RED
Lawrence venues offer a vibrant college town nightlife
KELSEY CIPOLLA
kcipolla@kansan.com
Students spend most of the day on campus, but where do they go at night? Of all the ways students can choose to spend their evenings, some bars provide students with an enjoyable atmosphere and affordable drink prices that set them apart from the rest.
THE HAWK
The Jayhawk Cafe, more commonly known as The Hawk, has been a mainstay of the Lawrence bar scene for decades, especially among students who like the reasonably priced drinks and close-to-campus location.
The Hawk offers several different atmospheres in one place, said Tara Cisneros, a freshman from Ft. Worth, Texas. The main bar is traditional, but the martini room is more formal and the boom boom room takes The Hawk from college bar to dance club, she adds.
"I like that it has the different rooms," said Tara Cisneros. She normally goes on Wednesdays for the dollar night specials and says
she likes the boom boom room because she enjoys dancing. But not every kid is for
But not everybody is a fan.
QUINTON'S
"Its just not very well maintained," said Chris Lyons, a junior from Lawrence. He said he prefers to buy his own beer and drink with friends at home.
Quinton's is a popular choice on Tuesdays but a student favorite for weekends, too.
"Specifically for Tuesdays, the idea for us is to offer on Tuesdays what everybody else offers on the weekend," said manager Jamaki Blackburn. "We offer a weekend environment people actually want to be a part of."
That appeal is not restricted to customers. Employees also enjoy spending time at the bar and deli.
"We keep a very fun, light atmosphere," said Blackburn. "When you have 60 or 70 employees and they want to hang out, that helps a lot."
A deli that serves soups and sandwiches during the day, Quinton's turns into a full-fledged bar at 10 p.m., when patrons need a 21 or
over ID to get in.
Although the restaurant area serves as the main bar, two outdoor patio areas with a bar allow people to drink and smoke outside. Upstairs, in a dimly lit room, black couches, gauzy white curtains and small chandeliers create a more club-like atmosphere, said Blackburn. The area also includes an ice bar and dance floor, where DJs often come to spin.
The diversity of both the bar itself and the clientele it attracts make Quinton's the favorite bar of John Mitchell, a senior from Omaha.
"It's a little bit different than a typical college scene," said Mitchell. "A lot of times, you get kind of an immature crowd at some places in Lawrence. Here, the crowd is a little more laid back, out to have a good time rather than get wasted, which is something that you grow to appreciate as you get older."
THE CAVE
The Oread's swanky club, the Cave, has been open for less than two years, but it has already won over some students.
"It's fun and they play really good
music," said Abby Harris a junior from Chicago. She said she likes that it is underground and has different rooms, although she prefers the main floor on the last level.
The atmosphere also appeals to her. Patrons tend to dress more formally at the Cave than they do at many other Lawrence bars, with girls decked out in dresses and heels, said Harris.
"Its more of a dance place," said Erin Schwartz, a senior from Overland Park. "It's not all underage people, and its not gross like some bars in Lawrence."
But the perks come with a cost. A night out at the cave can get pricey and their drink specials can't compete with other bars, Schwartz added.
TONIC
Tonic's appeal seems to also lie in maintaining a more formal atmosphere. Manager Liam Kirby said the bar attracts more dressed up clientele, something he supports.
"We like people to make it a night out," Kirby said. "We pride
SEE BARS1 3
FAITH
Religious groups provide support for students
BILL DAEHLER
bdaehler@kansan.com
For some students, finding a niche in a religious community can be quite the challenge. To make the search easier for Kansas students, off-campus religious organizations make themselves known by instigating a strong presence at the University.
CHABAD CENTER
FOR JEWISH LIFE
"From emotional support to physical and spiritual needs, we are a religious organization in the sense that we provide resources for anything Jewish. We want to ensure that every student knows that there's a place they can go anytime, for anything," Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel said.
Stressing the importance of college students finding a home away from home, the Chabad Center for Jewish Life hopes to be exactly that for the University's Jewish community.
Even though Chabad is physically located on 19th Street, its
presence on campus is strong. With weekly events and a table outside Wescoe, along with major holiday celebrations and keeping students informed with Facebook and Twitter, the Chabad Center for Jewish Lifeg gets the attention of the University's students.
"We do table on campus to make sure people know we are there, but once you come to the table we aren't just handing you a flier; we are talking to you and learning who you are," said Shelley Widom, vice president of communications for Chabad.
Starting six years ago with an average of only five students meeting every Friday night, now Chabad averages 40 to 60. It's larger events usually attract hundreds of students and Tiechtel estimates that the Center reaches over a thousand students per semester.
The Chabad Center for Jewish Life understands that college students face unwanted trials on a daily basis. With this in mind, its goal is to provide a safe haven for students to go, knowing that there is no judgement or expectations.
"I think that students are taking
classes they don't like and feel it's a drag." Widom said. "They know they have to go, but don't want to. In an organization, you choose which one you want to be part of and make the choice to be there. People can really put their heart into what they're doing when they choose to be part of a religious organization."
THE ISLAMIC CENTER OF LAWRENCE
"This year we have plans for a quarterly series of seminars for high school and college students addressing topics like why Muslims don't date, tips for responding to questions from curious or hostile community members, how to get involved in community service, et cetera." Bassam Helwani, assistant director of the Islamic Center of
The Islamic Center of Lawrence works closely with the KU Muslim Students' Association, which is active both on campus and in the mosque. Coordinating events to get students more involved is a top priority for the Islamic Center of Lawrence.
By providing women's swimming sessions, Sunday School programs and study groups for both men and women, the Islamic Center of Lawrence hopes to get the attention of more students. Although it provides all of these opportunities, the idea of improvement is never dismissed.
"We've done a lot in the past year in cooperation with other local groups," Helwani said. "But there is always more we can do to engage students and members of the larger community."
By getting active within the Islamic Center, students find a nurturing and welcoming environment.
"It's important for students to get involved with the Islamic Center and for the Islamic Center to get involved with student activities, because when we cooperate in the tasks of daily community life and help each other along, no one can plant false fear of each other in our hearts," Helwani said.
Lawrence, said.
GRACE COLLEGIATE MINISTRIES
Grace Evangelical Presbysterian Church is the home to Collegiate Ministries, a ministry that solely fo-
"The university years are the critical years where major decisions are being made and habits of heart are being established," Chad Donohoe, college pastor at Grace Church said. "We desire to be a place where all honest questions deserve honest answers. Our goal is to foster an atmosphere where students love and think deeply."
Along with its Sunday morning classes, Collegiate Ministries also offers an evening session, "Waffles and Worldviews." Although serving waffles was found to be too much to handle, snacks are still provided. Not only is the goal to satisfy students' hunger, but also to feed their desire for Christianity as well.
cases on students at the University. Located on Calvin Drive, Collegiate Ministries aims to spread the word of its Christian faith to the University.
"We will walk through the challenging issues of our day that are relevant to students' lives." Donohoe said.
College Ministries hopes that students will search for and find an
Index
GLSSIFIERS 9
CROSSWORD 4
CRYPTOQUIPS 4
OPINION 5
SPORTS 10
SUDDUK 4
SEE RELIGION 13
contents, unless stated otherwise. © 2011 The University Daily Kansan
Don't forget
There is a magician performing at the Kansas Union tonight at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Go to the Woodruff Auditorium!
Today's Forecasts done by University students. For a more detailed forecast, see page 2A HI: 76 Weather LO: 50