8A NEWS --- THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2009 Soak up the sun Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN Miranda Gilmore, De Soto freshman, left, and Madelin West, Green Bay, Wis., freshman, right, lie out behind Ellsworth Hall and work on homework Monday. This Labor Day's good weather gave students an opportunity to relax outside. Parade proves to be campaign ground for politicians NATIONAL ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK — Tens of thousands of revelers gathered in Brooklyn to celebrate Caribbean culture Monday at the West Indian American Day Parade, as bright beaded costumes and feather headaddresses also provided a lively backdrop for New York City politicking. With elections around the corner, politicians took advantage of the festivities to push their candidacies. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, running for a third term after laws were changed to allow it, led the parade with former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who wore a blue "grand marshal" sash. The four-star general recently endorsed the mayor's re-election bid. "Let's go!" Powell said, after the mayor, wearing a bright pink sweater, cut the ribbon to officially kick off the celebration. The annual parade takes place on Labor Day but is modeled on traditional pre-Lenten Carnival festivities. City Comptroller William Thompson Jr., a Democratic mayoral candidate, marched behind with Gov. David Paterson. Other candidates for city council and public advocate handed out fliers and shook hands with spectators who waved the flags of a dozen nations as they waited for the parade to move slowly down Eastern Parkway from Crown Heights to Grand Army Plaza. "There are more and more dignitaries," Lenny Smith said, who comes to the party every year to celebrate his Jamaican heritage. "I think many of us would like to see the costumes." More than 600,000 of West Indian origin live in the city, according to census estimates. Revelers decked out in sequins, glitter and feathers danced to music from competing sound systems as Nayadez Week wore a yellow bikini adorned in black beads and a yellow feather headdress with black sequins, and she felt like a queen in her outfit. "I love how it fits me," she said, also wearing a "Miss Panama, US" sash. the crowds cheered. The thick smell of grilled meats and curry wafted from the food stalls in the parade route. Vendors hawked West Indian specialties like jerk chicken, curried goat and ox tail. While there was no official crowd estimate, the parade is one of the largest in the city. CONSERVATION ASSOCIATED PRESS People wade through high water on Dec. 1, 2008, by Venice's Rialto Bridge in northern Italy. Italian authorities plan to expand Venice's port into a bustling shipping hub, further endangering the fragile lagoon and contributing to the sinking of the treasured city built on water, a conservation group said Monday. Shipping paths could hurt Venice BYARIELDAVID Associated Press ROME — Italian authorities plan to expand Venice's port into a bustling shipping hub, further endangering the fragile Lagoon and contributing to the sinking of the treasured city built on water, a conservation group said Monday. Venice in Peril, a British fund that works to preserve Venice, said a report it obtained from the local port authority showed plans to accommodate more and bigger ships. The report outlines ongoing and future works including the continued dredging of passages in the shallow lagoon to the industrial zone of Porto Marghera. The port authority is spending at least 260 million euro ($370 million) to dredge inlets and navigation channels. This is particularly concerning for conservationists because dredging and heavy ship traffic are seen as one of the causes of the rising sea level. The rising sea level has increased the frequency of the floods, and in December, Venice suffered its worst deluge in 22 years. Experts warn the problem could further worsen in the coming decades as climate change causes sea levels to rise globally. The port authority report dismisses environmental concerns by declaring them solved thanks to a project to build towering movable barriers designed to rise from the seabed and prevent flooding. The 4.3 billion euro ($6.13 billion) system, named Moses after the Old Testament figure who parted the Red Sea, is expected to be operational by 2014. Johnson County Clin-Trials Johnson County Clin-Trials is currently looking for healthy volunteers ages 18-49 to participate in a clinical research study involving an outpatient investigational H1N1 flu vaccine. H1N1 FLU VACCINE STUDY Qualified volunteers will receive: - Study-related medical exams - Study-related Laboratory assessments - Compensation for time and travel If you are interested or would like more information, please contact us at: Johnson County Clin-Trials WWW.JCCT.COM ... (913) 825-4400 POLITICS POLITICS Chavez to silence channel that supports opposition CARACAS, Venezuela — A leading television channel aligned with Venezuela's opposition said Monday it could be shut down amid a new investigation of alleged violations of broadcasting laws. Globovision TV — the last major channel on Venezuela's regular airwaves that is strongly critical of President Hugo Chavez — has been formally notified of the investigation by the telecommunications commission. In a statement, the commission said the 24-hour news channel violated broadcasting rules by airing text messages that "allude to violent acts," including a coup attempt against Chavez. Globovision also allegedly sought to "promote public protests, which could generate a climate of tension and nervousness in the population," it said. "There's a clear strategy to control the flow of information and restrict criticism," said Carlos Lauria of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. "It's aimed at building a communical hegemony for the state." Associated Press GET INVOLVED Pre-Physical Therapy Club Please join us for our FIRST meeting! Meet others in our study and gain professional knowledge When: Tuesday, September 8th, 6:30pm Where: Watkins Health Center, 1st floor Conference Room Email: ku.prept.club@gmail.com Freshman Elections September 8th & 9th Freshmen at KU are eligible to vote for five (5) Freshman Senators to represent them in Student Senate. Voting is from 6am-10pm on Sept. 8th and from 6am-5pm on Sept. 9th. Vote online at https://apps.ku.edu/~election/cgi-bin/vote.shtml Fast-A-Thon Go from sunrise to sunset without food So someone else won't have to! Sign up at Wescoe Beach Monday-Thursday 10am-2pm Thursday, September 10th Ballroom 5th floor KS Union 7pm-10pm For more details visit Event organized by Muslim Student Association Board of Class Officers Seniors! Want to decide what the class gift and motto will be for this year? Have a professor or staff member that you want to honor before youleave? If so, apply to become a member of the Senior Advisory Board. Applications are available by emailing boco@ku.edu. Apply and help make an impact on the university before you graduate! Roger Hill Volunteer Center Day of Action Saturday September 12 · 10:00 am The morning will start out at Centro Hispano of Lawrence where we will help with flier distribution. Then, we will have a picnic lunch in South Park and spend the afternoon working on the Family Promise House. Cost · $5 Registration Deadline · September 10 Registration forms can be found at http://groups.ku.edu/~albreaks. Questions? www.ku.edu/~albreaks aweb@ku.edu Alternative breaks COM alternative breaks P st n ea Fi down welce Satun the H Sao oppo of K Sept play idea look uni' T on t will tory Nort T lot imp an in perf non for per Ree 1. STUDENT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS SENATE 1 7