WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2008
WWW.KANSAN.COM
MAJORS FAIR
VOLUME 120 ISSUE 25
Winning the four-year race to graduation
Wendy Shoemeker, senior associate director of the University Career Center, invites students to explore opportunities at tuesdays' majors fair. Current freshmen and sophomores can avoid tuition hikes if they graduate in 2014, thanks to the Four-Year Tuition Compact. The tutium compact, which begin in 2007, ensures a fixed tuition rate for freshmen who graduate on time, making an early major selection increasingly important.
Advisers stress benefits of declaring a major early and saving tuition money
Julianne Kueffer/KANSAN
BY HALEY JONES hjones@kansan.com
"I declared a major!" Kelsie Lange shouted at Tuesday's majors fair to a friend across the room.
Lange, Lawrence sophomore, attended the KU Majors Fair in the Kansas Union, where she decided to switch from a music education major to one in German.
Lange was one of an estimated 500 students who went to the fair on Tuesday to get information about the University's majors and talk with advisors from different departments and programs. Shanda Hurla, assistant director of the University Advising Center, said the fair drew about 200 more students than last year.
"It's important to offer resources like the fair to help students find out about different areas of study and provide professors and academic advisers who can help students map out their graduation plan." Hurla said.
The center hosted the event as a part of Success Week, which focuses on helping students develop strategies to succeed academically and get involved at the University. The fair was held in the Traditions area on Level 4 of the Kansas Union.
Hurla said the Advising Center wanted to reach students who had not declared a major and convey the importance of choosing a major early. Hurla said the University's Four-Year Tuition Compact, which guarantees students a fixed tuition rate for four years, was one reason to pick a major early and graduate in four years.
Kim McNeley, assistant dean of Student Academic Services, said the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences required that students declare a major before they had taken 60 hours, which is classified as junior status. Last year, 56 percent of students who had taken at least 60 hours had not declared a major. That number was down from 75 percent of undeclared students the year before, she said.
McNeley said about a third of undeclared students were planning to apply to a professional school such as the School of Business, so they were classified as pre-business.
But McNeley said the college was concerned that students did not realize the importance of choosing and sticking with a major.
"I think it seems to some students like four years is a really long time." McNeley said. "They just may not understand the impact of getting things pulled together early."
McNeley said the college scheduled the majors fair for early in the semester to encourage new and undeclared students to find and compare possible majors as early as possible.
"That's a big deal because my parents are pushing four years," Sheahon said. "Who wants to pay extra money?"
Jessica Sheahon, Salina freshman and pre-business major, said she went to the fair
The University created the tuition compact to protect families from unexpected
for a class assignment, but ended up finding information about other majors she didn't considered. She said she was open to anything but that she picked business as her major because it would provide job flexibility after college.
Sheahon said she was concerned about picking a major and sticking with it because of the tuition compact.
SEE MAJOR ON PAGE 6A
estimated tuition costs per semester
Kansas residents Non-residents
2008 Freshmen $3,438.75 $9,030.75
2007 Freshmen $3,195 $8,400
Other undergraduates $3,097.50 $8,136
Ryan McGeeney/KANSAN
Mericra Schreiner, Frankfort freshman, is volunteering this week with the KU blood drive. As a child, Schreiner relies on multiple blood transfusions to survive complications from a tonsillectomy. Because she has von Willebrand disease, a rare disorder similar to hemophilia, Schreiner cannot give blood, so she volunteers for the cause instead.
KU blood drive
Wednesday
Kansas Union Ballroom 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Hashinger Hall Theater
2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Kansas Union 11 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday
Kansas Union 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday
Kansas Union Ballroom 1 a.m. to 5 p.m.
McCollum Hall Lobby 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Kansas Union Ballroom 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Kansas Union 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Phi Kappa Psi 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
McCollum Hall Lobby 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
HEALTH
Blood drive helps area hospitals
A transfusion saved Merica Schreiner's life now she volunteers
BY JOE PREINER jpreiner@kansan.com
Schreiner, Frankfort freshman, was in fourth grade when she and her sister went to the hospital to have their tonsils taken out. It is a routine enough procedure, one that many people experience during their childhood.
Donated blood saved Merica Schreiner's life.
But shortly after returning home from the hospital, Schreiner began hemorrhaging. She had another surgery but kept bleeding. During the ordeal, she lost four pints of blood, which is equal to a half gallon.
"My mom told me later she asked my doctor if she needed to call the priest," Schreiner said. "I didn't realize at the time that it was so serious."
After three blood transfusions and a
More than eight years later, Schreiner has
slew of tests, doctors finally discovered that Schreiner had a rare blood disease called von Willebrand disease. A missing or flawed protein in the body's blood system causes the disease, which is similar to hemophilia.
More than eighty come full circle. She is volunteering with the KU blood drive this week, which continues through Friday.
"Since I can't donate blood, and that's what saved my life, I feel like if I at least help with it, that's the best I can do," Schreiner said.
Brandon Volz,
Topeka junior, was one
of the first people in
plentv of blood."
line to give a pint of blood at the Kansas Union Tuesday morning. He said he had extra time in his day and donating seemed like a good idea.
"My mom told me later she asked my doctor if she needed to call the priest. I didn't realize at the time that it was so serious."
MERICA SCHREINER Frankfort freshman
Volz said the nurses and staff helped him feel comfortable during the process, which generally takes about an hour. He said they were accommodating and made him feel welcome. Volz said he appreciated the fact that they didn't leave him unattended while
Schreiner is living proofofthe importance of blood donations, but she still struggled with the her diagnosis after her transfusion experience. Doctors told her she had to wear a medical tag noting her condition in case of emergencies.
"I'm not the most active person when it comes to helping people," Volz said. "Other people need this more than I do, and I have
he was donating
Doctors also discouraged Schreiner
couraged Schreiner from playing sports. They worried Schreiner could suffer internal bleeding from the contact, which was potentially fatal. After careful consideration, she decided to forego both recommendations.
SEE BLOOD ON PAGE 6A
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