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THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2011
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SAFETY
Students contribute designs for new cop cars
KELSEY CIPOLLA
kcipolla@kansan.com
If the KU patrol cars look different as they begin driving around campus this week, it's not because you forgot what they looked like over summer vacation. The KU Public Safety Office has replaced the old Ford Crown Victorias with four new Dodge Chargers, featuring student-designed graphics.
The department gets new patrol cars every three or four years, said Chris Keary, assistant chief of police services. The cost of the four cars with the added equipment and design was around $100,000. The cars being replaced will have their graphics removed and join the fleet of unmarked vehicles.
The chargers have V6 engines as opposed to V8s, and they can use E-85 gasoline, which will save on fuel costs. But the distinct look will likely be the most notable
change.
Keary said in past years the graphics for cars were designed in house, but this year they asked students from the School of Design to share their ideas. Several designs were presented to Chief Ralph Oliver and elements were taken from two of them.
Andrew Meier was a freshman last year when he turned in his design featuring blue bands that wrap around the car, outlined in reflective red paint. George Ressler, a senior when he submitted his design, incorporated blue strips on the hood that encircled the headlights.
"It was very minimalistic," said Ressler of his original design. "It's always good to collaborate. I think they took the best of both designs and made a pretty kick ass design."
The office likes that the graphic separates its cars from other local
law enforcement and catches people's attention.
"One of the prime factors of any police car is visibility." Keary said. "We want people to see the cars we put around campus."
Jeremy Shellhorn, assistant professor of visual communication, oversaw the design competition and was happy to give students an opportunity to design such a high-profile project. He said he hopes the department will ask design students for their input in the future.
"It was a pretty fast project. I'm sure there were probably some things that we would have explored more if we had more time," Shellhorn said. "But it's a good first hello in a relationship and hopefully they'll want to collaborate with us again in a more formal setting."
Edited by Ben Chipman
The KU Public Safety Office upgrades to Dodge Chargers, which include a redesign not seen on the Crown Victorias. The new design was created through a student competition.
ARRY DAVIS/KANSAN
CAMPUS
Underground makes way for larger crowds, more employees
BOBBY BURCH
bburch@kansan.com
When Shelly Pearse asked her father, Wayne Pearse, director of building services for KU Memorial Unions, whether she would have a seat at the Underground for lunch this semester, she was made no guarantees.
Pearse, however, did increase his daughter's chances by creating 150 new seats during the summer.
The Underground expansion project, which took about two months to complete, added approximately 3,000 square feet to the
space, improving traffic flow and allowing for more efficient use of services.
Work on the Underground, which began directly after graduation, was completed on schedule and under budget according to Pearse, with a total cost of roughly $478,000.
"We're pretty happy about it," Pearse said, "given the complexity and the short period of time we had."
The Underground opened its doors to customers last Tuesday with an elongated cafeteria, a larger Pulse coffee shop adjacent to the north entrance and a new C Store in
the northeast corner.
Michael Wade-Smith, former student body president, and Megan Ritter, former vice president of Student Senate, proposed the project last spring. The project was funded by student fees.
While much is new in the Underground, some signs of the past remain. A thin strip of exposed concrete flooring lingers on the new widened walkway, marking the former border of the north entrance.
The expansion of the Underground also means changes for Jason Arnett, general manager, and his staff. Arnett anticipates the need for more employees to cope with a higher demand for services.
ABRY DAVIS/KANSAN
The newly expanded area of the Underground awaits the crowds of the fall semester. Students experienced sparse seating before the expansion was completed.
Space for the new C Store was created by removing a flight of stairs and an area for outdoor dining. The Memorial Unions plan to place picnic tables near the new entrance.
"It's going to mean more people coming in earlier, and later in the afternoon." Arnett said. "We're excited to have the space."
Edited by Marla Daniels
BIG 12
New K-State network to broadcast in HD
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kansas State announced plans Monday for a high-definition digital network that will broadcast live sports, replays of classic games, news conferences and other events.
The network, called K-StateHD.
1 V. will feature games that aren't picked up by the Big 12 Network Television Package. That will include one football game per year, a handful of women's basketball games and most home volleyball and baseball games. There probably won't be any men's basketball games available.
THI
Kansas State sports information director Kenny Lannou said the network is an extension of more limited service already offered through the school's athletics website provider, CBS College Network.
Subscribers will pay the same amount — $9.95 per month or $79.95 per year — to get the upgraded service. But the games and other events will be shot with higher-quality equipment and using more cameras. Some content, such as campus lectures and performances, will be available for free.
"Before it was typically one camera per sporting event," Lannou said. "Now the games will be produced with multiple cameras and full high-definition."
Currently, about 1,800 subscribers pay for the more limited service. But the school hopes the number of subscribers grows when the upgraded service debuts Aug. 30 with the Wildcats' volleyball home opener against Creighton. The network also will feature the Wildcats football season opener against Eastern Kentucky.
"We want to ensure that K-Staters anywhere in the world can watch the Wildcats, and the fact that all of our new programming will be produced in high definition will also put us in a strategic position as we continue to explore future avenues for distribution," athletics director John Currie said in a news release.
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