Friday inside
Old news
The homecoming special section "brings back the classics." The section features news dating back to the beginning of the University of Kansas. SECTION B
Women in science
The role
The role and perception of the female scientist is constantly evolving
at the University of Kansas and across the country. PAGE 3A
Bad news for Bears
The Jayhawks are looking to avenge last year's loss to the Baylor Bears. The
teams face off at Memorial Stadium for homecoming. PAGE7A
Seating plan problems
A new priority seating plan for Kansas basketball games has met opposition from faculty and staff. PAGE7A
Bet Kansas
Kansan sports writer Kevin Flaherty predicts a Kansas
victory at tomorrow's homecoming football game against Baylor. PAGE 12A
Weather Today
6442
Clearing Skies
Two-dayforecast
arrow Sunday
Tomorrow 7548
7950
Mostly Sunny Sunny — Josh Moloren/KUJH-TV
Talk to us
Tell us your news. Contact Michelle Burhenn, Lindsay Hanson or Leah Shaffer at 864-4810 or editor@kansan.com
Briefs 2A
Opinion 4A
Sports 7A
Sports briefs 9A
Horoscopes 10A
Comic 10A
index
Vol.114 Issue No.42
KANSAN
"One of the first steps is being aware of your surroundings," Bailey said. "If you don't have to walk alone, please don't."
The Student Newspaper of the University of Kansas
Friday, October 17, 2003
By Joe Hartigan jhartigan@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
JayWalk began walking students home safely Sunday.
JayWalk provides security
The campus safety program is designed to provide security for students, faculty members and professors who otherwise would be walking from campus alone.
Campus crime has consistently decreased in each of the last five years, according to the KU Public Safety Office Web site. The site shows a 45 percent
SEE JAYWALK ON PAGE 5A
The program provides a male and female walker to accompany people who have to walk alone.
"The feedback we received from campus safety surveys said a lot of students don't feel safe walking home alone at night," said Lindsay Poe, Wichita senior and member of the Campus Safety Board.
have to work similar programs in operation at other Big 12 Conference schools served as a
Poe said the service hadn't received many calls yet, but she expected interest to increase soon.
Lt. Schuyler Bailey of the KU Public Safety Office said students could play a major role in their own safety by taking advantage of programs like JayWalk and
SafeRide.
model, Poe said.
By Robert Perkins
rperkins@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Union garage free on weekends
Some students who park in the Kansas Union's parking garage have been paying for nothing.
It costs one dollar an hour, 24 hours a day, to park in the garage. But while signs in the garage may warn students that they'll be kicked if they park without paving, the signs can be misleading.
paying, the signi
Donna Hultine, director of the parking department, said that since she became director in January, no one has checked the garage for unpaid parking on weekends or after midnight on weekdays.
She said that people chose to park and pay in the garage to feel safe from tickets or towking. Safety, however, is what Pat Beard, building services director for the KU Unions, is worried about.
Since Sept. 16, Beard has sent three requests to the Parking Commission in regards to the Union's garage, one of which directly asked the commission to publicly announce that parking is free on weekends.
He said the Unions would like to be able to offer safe, free parking to its patrons
"We're the student union, and our mission is to the students," he said.
Beard said that many students sought other parking lots that might not be as well-lit, but were free.
"Students who don't have a dollar an hour to spend go park in more remote areas," he said.
Because the parking department sells more permits for scholarship hall parking than it has spots, Schumacher said that it was often hard to get a space at night, forcing residents to park several blocks away.
Allen Ford, chairman of the Parking Commission, said that student safety was a big concern, but the issue was complicated.
Ford said that at next week's meeting, the Parking Commission would probably have to make a decision about whether to let students park at the Union garage for free at nights and weekends.
Right now, the Parking Commission uses parking fees to help pay for the construction of the Union's garage.
Ford said that the Parking Commission is considering offering 50 spots in the garage to the residents of the new scholarship hall that the University will build on Ohio Street, and possibly 50 more if another one is built.
"We need to do it anyway," he said. "Sometimes it's just easier to defer than to decide."
Ford said the money that it collected on the weekends from the garage was substantial — possibly as much as $15,000 to $20,000 per year, though no one is sure of the exact amount.
Ford said that in a few years, after the garage has been paid for, the extra money from the Union garage on the weekends might cause parking permit costs to go down, or at least keep them from going up.
The next Parking Commission meeting is Tuesday.
The new scholarship halls present another issue.
"If it was something small like $2,000 a year, it would be a no-brainer," he said. "You'd make it free."
Randy Schumacher, Topeka senior and Pearson Scholarship Hall resident, said that he would welcome more parking for the scholarship halls.
— Edited by Jonathan Reeder
Strong Hall gridiron
Courtney Kuhlen/Kansan
Gabriel Rotand, Kansas City, Kan., senior, evaded the two-hand touch from Daniel McCullough, Lyndon freshman, during a touch football game yesterday on the Strong Hall lawn. The game was one of the field events held as part of this week's homecoming festivities.
Living program proves flexible in its first year
By Maggie Newcomer
1
by Minggie Koehler
mnewcomer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Peer educator Ty Green spoke to students in the thematic learning communities program Wednesday afternoon about organizing study groups. One of the benefits of the TLC program is living on the same floor with people in some of your classes.
Harness learned about the program from his mom, who suggested he try out the new University of Kansas program, he said.
Knowing he was a part of a thematic learning community made the weeks leading up to his 316-mile trek to college a little easier for Landon Harness.
"I agreed because I thought it would be a good way to meet people I wouldn't have met otherwise," the Garden City freshman said.
Thematic learning communities at the University have been in the works for a while, but this semester is the first when groups of about 20 freshmen live together and take three classes together. Men and women are in separate wings on the floors.
"It released some nervousness," Harness said. "Knowing I would meet 20 people right off and have classes with them."
Harness' TLC is on the sixth floor of Oliver Hall. It's the "Majors and Meaning" group, which was designed for undecided students and has about 15 members.
The students then applied for the program and no one was turned away. Dixon said. There are 127 freshmen participating this semester.
members. Linda Dixon, interim coordinator for the thematic learning communities, said she sent out information about the TLCs with student housing information last year.
The TLCs were modeled after a similar program at the University of Missouri. Dixon said some schools in the Midwest have had TLCs or similar programs for more than 10 years.
"It's really catching on all over the nation." Dixon said.
Five residence halls have TLCs this semester — Oliver, Elsworth, Hashinger, McCollum and Lewis halls. All the
students take general liberal arts classes and the TLC seminar. Depending on students' interests, they were assigned to a TLC with a focus in anything from history to biology.
Dixon said getting all the students together on the same floor and in all the same classes took a lot of coordinating with the registrar and student housing department.
"Amazingly, it worked out," Dixon said. "They were great to work with."
Even though Harness has narrowed his major search to education, all three of those classes fulfill a requirement for him. He is also taking composition and algebra, two classics of the freshman class load.
Harness' group takes "Earthquakes and Natural Disasters," "Elements of Sociology" and the seminar together, which totals seven credit hours. Harness said the classes were pretty easy.
Erica Becker, Deerfield, Ill., freshman, compared the seminar to "Pre 101 Orientation Seminar," an acclimation class for first-year students. The seminar meets
said he was helped. Becker, also a member of the "Majors and Meaning" TLC, said the group's residential peer educator and faculty facilitator attended the seminar.
once a week and earns the students one credit hour. Students can discuss the classes they have together, which Becker said was helpful.
tor attended the seminar
Harness and Becker's faculty facilitator is Lynn Mosteller, assistant director of the Freshman/Sophomore Advising Center. Her job is to keep the lines of communication open between the students and their teachers.
The students do have assignments in the seminar. Becker said they kept journals for credit, meant to keep updates on their lives both socially and academically.
Mosteller will also lead her students in a study session next week, Becker said, because they have midterms coming up
Iy Green, the group's PE, also attends the seminar. The Atlanta sophomore takes his role in the program very seri-
SEE LIVING ON PAGE 5A
5.2.4
雪
7