Volume 124 Issue 2
kansan.com
TAKING CHARGE
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Lawrence leads Manhattan in
LINK
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY. AUGUST 18, 2011
PAGE 19
SAFETY
Campus still needs emergency phones
KYLIE NUTT
editor@kansan.com
Seventy-eight tall poles with a yellow box and red button that read "emergency phone" are located throughout campus as safety devices. The emergency phones are located in high-traffic areas for emergency and non-emergency use, in case someone needs urgent help or simply directions or information. The phones are easy to locate at night because they light-up blue at the top of the pole.
"Just like in a big classroom you should locate the exits," said Capt. Schuyler Bailey of KU's public safety office. "You should do the same thing with emergency phones."
In the 1970s, college campuses across the nation were installing emergency phones for safety purposes, and the University followed in the same footsteps. There were not many evening classes at the University at the time, buildings usually closed around 5 p.m. and cell phones were not common, Bailey said.
Emergency phones were an easy way for people to contact the police
when they need help. Each phone cost around $780 when they were first installed, but phones that were later installed cost more, Bailey said.
If you are in an emergency or simply need information, locate an emergency phone and let dispatch know what you need.
Dispatch will answer the call by saying something similar to "9-1-1 dispatch, how may I help you or what is your emergency?" The person at the other end of the line will
explain the situation and send an officer if needed.
Ashleigh Merritt, a junior from Goddard, said she would try to locate an emergency phone first because it would take too long to make a phone call.
phones for emergency purposes, and are used mainly for the purpose of information.
Andrew Genova, a junior from St. Louis, agrees with Merritt about locating an emergency phone, but said he has not noticed many where he walks. Cell phones have decreased the usage of emergency
The KU Office of Public Safety receives less than an average of 175 calls a year. Each phone costs $20 a month, costing $18,720 for 78 emergency phones a year. This money comes out of the department's budget, but some are paid by different departments, such as housing, if they are close-by.
Although the emergency phones are not used as often as they have
SGT. SCHUYLER BAILEY KU Office of Public Safety
been in the past, they will remain where they are and in service in case there ever is an emergency. The last emergency phones added are at the Park and Ride lot on west campus, but no
more will be added
"It's a nice visual tool in the over- all package of security," Bailey said. "If you see that blue light, you know if I had too, I could call the police."
MIKE GUNNOE/KANSAN
Emergency phones can be distinguished by a yellow box, a red button, and the top of the pole that lights up blue.
bookstore recently began offer
bookstore recently began offering price comparisons between its own prices, Amazon.com and Half. com.
"There was one student that said, It was the best idea that KU has ever had." Rourke said.
"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,
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.
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.
904
Gill
all
ver
3B
U
3A
GRAPHIC BY HANNAH WISE/KANSAN
CLASSIFIEDS 2B
CROSSWORD 4A
CRYPTOQUIPS 4A
OPINION 5A
SPORTS 1B
SUDOKU 4A
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 Kansan'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
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.
amount which is updated throughout the day to bring news to students and alumni.
all contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2011 The University Daily Kansan
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.
Don't forget Today is the first day of classes. Don't forget to go to yours or you could fail.
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.
Facebook page, too.
Stroda is editor-in-chief of The University Daily Kansan. She is a senior from Salina.
Today's Weather
Forecasts done by
University students. For
a more detailed forecast
see page 24.
HI: 92
LO: 71
least it's not 10
at least it's not 100!