Volume 124 Issue 2
kansan.com
TAKING CHARGE
Lawrence leads Manhattan in energy conservation competition
KATIE MILLER
kmiller@kansan.com
After almost seven months spent trailing Manhattan in the Take Charge Challenge, Lawrence has finally taken the lead, but only by a narrow margin.
Gaining the edge over Manhattan has been arduous, but according to Take Charge Challenge Coordinator Greg Beverlin, there's a bigger picture behind the competition.
Lawrence and Manhattan have been competing all year to see which community can conserve the most energy in the statewide energy efficiency challenge, but with bragging rights and a $100,000 prize on the line. Lawrence needs to hang on to its lead for the final six weeks of the competition.
"We are rivals, but I think every city involved in this benefits," said Beverlin, "The main goal is for
people to make long term changes"
Yet as the Take Charge Challenge nears its finish line on Sept. 30th, the intrastate rivalry certainly seems to be intensifying. Lawrence is ahead in the two out of three competition categories. To stay ahead, Lawrence students and residents are encouraged to contact Westar Energy about installing WattSaver thermostats, as well as switch incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs and register them at takecharges.org.
If Lawrence can emerge victorious, the $100,000 in grant money will go toward several energy savings projects for the city. According to Beverlin, the projects were chosen by Eileen Horn, Sustainability Coordinator for Lawrence and Douglas County. They include
SEE CHARGE 17A
PHOTO BY TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAS
FINANCE
New textbook options increase competition and decrease prices
ALLISON BOND
abond@kansan.com
James Rourke knows all too well the challenge students face every semester when choosing where to purchase textbooks.
"You'd have to be pretty foolish to not think that students are exploring every option that they have," said Rourke, assistant director for the bookstore in the Kansas Union. "We understand that."
Students spend an average of $900 on textbooks a year, according to research from the Student Public Interest Research Groups (Student PIRGs).
With textbook prices on the rise, students must choose their options well when deciding between buying or renting and shopping at the bookstore or shopping online.
Jarika Lewis, a junior from Wichita, had a hard time deciding where to get her textbooks this semester. Lewis felt that working at the bookstore gave her the necessary discount to avoid purchasing books online.
"Sometimes teachers don't require books for class and returning books is harder online," Lewis said. "But pricing at the bookstore is a little bit ridiculous."
To counter a growing number of websites offering textbooks, the bookstore recently began offering price comparisons between its own prices, Amazon.com and Half. com.
Rentals cost 61 percent less than new print textbooks and could reduce the yearly amount spent on textbooks, according to Student PIRGs, an organization consisting of college students that looks at the rising cost of college.
"There was one student that said, It was the best idea that KU has ever had." Rourke said.
Renting textbooks has also become a more popular option among students.
But while students can save money renting or buying online, the bookstore prides itself on being there for students even after they've bought their textbooks.
KJHK. The money stays here on campus, which is nice."
"We are the non-profit store for the University," Rourke said. "Every profit that we make goes right back into student success such as the Student Union Activities (SUA) and the campus radio station,
Tint denotes
ECON 104
textbook
GRAPHIC BY HANNAH WISE/KANSAN
A makeover for the student voice
The UDK and Kansan media consist of the print product, which students pick up on campus Monday through Friday; the TV station, KUJH-TV, which broadcasts daily on Knology Channel 31; and Kansan.com, which is updated throughout the day to bring news to students and alumni.
HARVEST CLASSIFIEDS 2B CRYPTOQUIPS 4A SPORTS 1B
CROSSWORD 4A OPINION 5A SUDOKU 4A
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2011 The University Daily Kansan
Kansan.com will also be getting a new look in the coming months. To complement our print redesign, we're striving to make Kansan.com an online destination for students. We want you to check out our exclusive content, watch Web videos and daily KUJH-TV broadcasts and talk with our football and basketball writers during games in live chats hosted on the website. If you have ideas of what you'd like to see on our website, let us know.
A year ago, the UDK newsroom moved to the Dole Human Development Center to join our media partner KUJ-HTV. In an effort to bring news to our audience in the best and most efficient way possible, we knew we needed to work together.
But that's not the only change going on.
Our redesign gained momentum because we're not the same paper we were even just a year ago. The UDK has transformed from a newspaper to a news organization.
The UDK will continue to keep students and others up-to-date through our new mobile app and a stronger social media presence. You can find The University Daily Kansari's mobile app on Android and in the iTunes store. We've also re-branded our Twitter accounts to reflect our redesign and added more accounts. To stay updated on news on campus and around Lawrence, follow us at @UDK_News. For the latest on KU sports teams, follow@ UDK_Sports. And to read opinion
If you think The University Daily Kansan has changed recently, you're right. The most obvious change is the new look of our print product that students pick up on their way to classes. The revamp has taken months to accomplish, and we're excited to show it off.
We want to be more dynamic, exciting and modern. We want to give you, the students, news you want to read in the ways you want to read it. To learn more about what the redesign entails, check out Art Director Ben Pirotte's column on page 5A. He talks in-depth about changes and additions we made to better serve you.
FROM THE EDITOR
Another change will debut on Friday, Sept. 2 before Kansas takes on McNeese State at Memorial Stadium. Friday papers before home football games will have an expanded sports section sponsored by The Wave, our sports magazine, and will include game predictions and analysis. The paper will be tabloid-style like Jayplay, our weekly lifestyle magazine, and don't worry, we'll still have our regular news, opinion and entertainment content.
Though The UDK is undergoing a gamut of changes, one thing hasn't change: We're still the student voice. We're your voice. So, let us know what you think. What do you think of our redesign? What do you want to see in the paper, on TV and online? Send an email to editor@kansan.com and let us know. After all, that's why we're here.
@UDK_Opinion. You can "like" our Facebook page, too.
The UDK is all about traditions. Though we changed our look, there's one tradition we can't get rid of: the weather jay. We do think that the Weather Jays could use a facelift, though. That's where you come in. We want you to help us redesign them. Send ideas or submissions to editor@kansan.com and look for more information about a the "Revamp the Weather Jay Contest" later this week.
Stroda is editor-in-chief of The University Daily Kansan. She is a senior from Salina.
Don't forget Today is the first day of classes.Don't forget to go to yours or you could fail.
Today's Weather
Forecasts done by University students. For a more detailed forecast, see page 2A.
HI: 92
LO: 71
at least it's not 100