10
jayplay.
thursday, august 28, 2003
eople
TRY SOMETHING NEW
Another routine day. Classes are done. You're walking back to home for a long afternoon of sitcom reruns. "What are all of the cool kids doing," you ask yourself. Then it hits you... "I need to get involved."
Ready to make a difference or just break up the monotony of bar-hopping? Take a look at some of the best-kept secret student organizations around campus...and some that you might already know about.
Scooter Hawks
Web site: www.ku.edu/~scooters
President: Fally Ruzik. Journalism major. Minneapolis senior
The heat blanketing Mount Oread hardly fazes Fally Ruzik as she buzzes past campus pedestrians on her blue, motor-powered scooter. Her small, quick ride still stands out among the mass of walkers and bikers, but the number of mini-motor drivers is on the rise.
"There's a big jump from last year and there were a tremendous amount this summer," says Ruzik. "It's convenient and now there's a scooter store downtown."
Ruzik heads up the University's organization Scooter Hawks. The group aims to protect scooter rider's rights, safety and parking. "First and foremost we hope to promote open-mindedness about scooter and moped motorists," says Ruzik. "We're paving the road for a safer and more beneficial ride for scooters and mopeds alike."
So you're not one of KU's registered scooter and mo-ped motorists? Don't let that stop you from joining the cause. Ruzik says the club is open to all interested students and looks to
help organize a fall scooter awareness rally. "Scooter motorists deserve the same courtesy and respect as the other vehicles on the road but if you want to be treated like a car, you have to act like one," she says.
Newly organized in July, Scooter Hawks is already connected with Lawrence scooter store, Subsonic Scooters. The store discusses safety with the club and looks to stay active as partners in spreading scooter awareness.
If you want to quicken your trip to class, keep in mind all scooters and mo-peds must be registered with KU's parking department. Permits cost $20 a year or $13 per semester. The penalty of getting caught without one is a steep $20 fine.
—Jacqueline Lenart
Meetings are Tuesdays at 6 p.m. in the Kansas Union's International room. For details about campus parking restrictions visit www.ku.edu/~parking or call 864-7275.
OAKS
President: Paul VanCleave. sociology major.Tonganoxie junior
OAKS. Organization of Adult Knowledge Seekers
Fally Ruzik, Minneapolis senior and Scooter Hawks president
OAKS was established for the approximately 4,000 nontraditional students that annually attend the University of Kansas. After a two-year break, they're busy gearing back up to help married students, students with children, veterans, students over the age of 25 and other nontraditional students.
Web site: www.ku.edu/~oaks
E-mail: oaks@ku.edu
"We are a group of these students that have gotten together for a social and academic network to ease nontraditional student life," says Paul VanCleave, OAKS President and non-traditional student. "OAKS' goal is to provide information and assistance to other nontraditional students."
To become a member of OAKS or to find more information, drop by the OAKS weekly Thursday brown bag lunch in the Kansas Union, Alcove B, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
VanCleave invites anyone interested to become involved in OAKS. Understanding the time constraints of nontraditional students is important, VanCleave says.
Tabatha Beerbower
J-Porks
President: Tetsuya Ideue, economics major. Karoshima, Japan graduate student
Web site:
http://people.ku.edu/~ideue/jsa%201.htm
http://people.ku.edu/~ideue/jsa%201.htm E-mail: stopstaying@hotmail.com
Soccer anyone? J-Porks is a casual, informal organization of students who gather to play soccer and pretty much do whatever tickles their fancy to have fun. Established about a year and a halfago, J-Porks (a play off of Jayhawks) started out as a group of students who liked to play soccer. The members decided to make an actual organization out of the fun-filled afternoons and grew to approximately 30 members. J-Porks' goal for the year is to raise $800 to enter and play in the Lawrence Soccer League.
Anyone who enjoys a friendly game of soccer can join in every Friday at 3:30 p.m. at the field behind Robinson Gymnasium. Is soccer not your thing? Stop by anyway. Ideue says they occasionally have B-B-Q and various other fun activities, and it's a great way to meet people
and talk. "Our team is kind of a communication space," Ideue says.
—Tabatha Beerbower
President: Jessica Chapman, journalism major, Lenexa senior
Web site;
www.peopleku.edu/~tkb/Index.htm
Email: thekioskku@hotmail.com
The small, artsy magazine you see sitting around campus twice a year is Kiosk, the University's literary magazine. Kiosk serves as a forum for students to express themselves creatively and is