17
MONDAY,AUGUST 16,2004
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 7A
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Hall increases size of Edwards campus
By Ross Firch
rfitch@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Last week's opening of a new hall on the University of Kansas Edwards Campus nearly tripled its size.
The Victor and Helen Regnier Hall, 127th Street and Quivira Road in Overland Park, cost $17.8 million, occupies 82,000 square feet, features 21 classrooms, a 240-seat auditorium and offices for 45 faculty members. Robert Clark, vice chancellor of the Edwards Campus, said the new hall would help the campus better serve the greater Kansas City region.
The new hall is part of a $70 million expansion project for the Edwards Campus. The project calls for five halls to be constructed on the campus. The cost of the hall
"It provides a link from this community to Lawrence through participation in our programs and events, bringing the strengths of KU Lawrence to the Johnson County and Greater Kansas City region." Clark said. "It signals an increasing commitment by KU to the region."
was funded through an $8 million donation mainly funded by the Hall Family Foundation of Kansas City, Mo., the Victor and Helen Regnier Charitable Foundation of Leawood and a $15 per-credit-hour bond fee paid by the students enrolled at the Edwards campus.
Because of the expansion, the new hall is expected to double both the size of enrollment and the number of programs offered at the Edwards Campus. Currently, the campus enrolls about 2,100 students per semester, mainly working adults, and offers 25 undergraduate and graduate programs. Clark said the addition of Regnier Hall would not affect the decision of full-time college students, particularly the ones who commute from Overland Park, to continue to come to Lawrence.
"Since we only offer three degree programs at this point, it would be difficult for any student to carry a full-time load because we offer a limited number of courses each term," Clark said.
Clark said plans call for adding new undergraduate and graduate programs in areas such as business, public administration, social welfare, developmental psychology and information technology. The Edwards Campus already announced the addition of a public administration undergraduate degree.
Barbara Romzek, associate dean of social sciences, said the new hall allowed the department of public administration to offer more courses. She said the increase in available classrooms made it possible to offer more of the courses they want to offer and more flexibility in when they can offer them. Before the new hall was added, teachers could only teach courses from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. or from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Romzek said teachers were not allowed to offer courses from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., because it would take up two classroom spots and would overlap with other classes. She said many students wanted to take earlier classes because getting home late meant less time with their families.
"They feel like their life is more normal," Romzek said.
Elaine Warren, director of public relations for the KU Edwards Campus, said the new auditorium
gave the Edwards Campus an opportunity to offer cultural activities on the campus, making Edwards more than just a commuter campus.
"We can truly say we're a campus now because we offer more than just academics." Warren said.
Warren said officials on the Edwards Campus planned on hosting lectures and concerts, including the Kansas Symphony and a leadership speaker series. She said the auditorium also offered more space to rent out to businesses and corporations when classes are not in session. She said renting out the auditorium could bring in potential students because people attending a meeting could pick up a brochure while on campus.
Overall, Clark said the new hall benefited the Lawrence campus because it served Kansans who reside in the Edwards Campus region.
He said the Kansas City region was the fastest growing region in the state, and that could be important to the campus in the future.
Edited by Steve Vockrodt
Smoking: Bar patrons' reaction mixed; owners petition for vote
CONTINUED FROM PAGE1A
Eighth St. and Jack Pot Saloon,
943 Massachusetts St.
Heinen said that people must be registered to vote in Lawrence to sign the petition. If someone was not already registered, it would take three to four days to process a registration card, said Dan Winsky, bar manager at Red Lyon.
The Appeal for Reason and Tolerance Coalition is the group in charge of the petition. Members hope to bring the referendum to the ballot for city commission primary in February.
Chuck Magerl, owner of Free State, said the restaurant had seen an increase in the sale of kid's menu items because more families were coming to the restaurant. However, he's seen a noticeable decrease in beer sales.
"This is something that affects businesses; it doesn't just affect smokers," Heinen said.
Heinen said he would like to see the ban come to a vote and thought businesses and the commission could find a compromise. Heinen said the ban probably had not affected Free State as much as other businesses, because the restaurant already had an outdoor area where people could smoke and take their drinks with them.
"As long as it's voted on, I'm happy." Heinen said.
Anne Carty, Lawrence Masters student, said the smoking ban had both advantages and disadvantages. She thought that if some of the businesses had done a better job with ventilation, smoking inside would not have been such a big issue, she said.
"I'm happy I can go watch a show at the Tap Room without my eyes burning." Carty said.
Carty still has to step outside of Bloom Bath & Body, her workplace, every time she wants to light up a cigarette. Carty said there needed to be more places outside to dispose of cigarettes.
Andrew Juby, Hutchinson sophomore, said he had been smoking for more than three years. Business owners should be able to make their own decisions, he said.
Dan Winsky, bar manager at Red Lyon, said he had seen some decrease in business. Winsky said that nighttime business had taken the biggest hit.
"If people don't want to go into a smoking environment, then don't go into a smoking environment," juby said.
Winsky said people had complained about the ban, but they go outside and smoke anyways.
"The problem is if they're outside finishing a cigarette, they're not inside finishing a beer. So they can't be ordering another, so we're losing a little bit of business." Winskv said.
Winsky said the Red Lyon has already remodeled the front of the building, but they were planning on adding an open air smoking patio if it met city codes.
Red Lyon has voter registration forms and petitions if anyone wants to sign up when they come into the bar.
"If the people decide that we don't want smoking in the bars, then I can accept that. But I don't want four people deciding for me," Winsky said.
Edited by Bill Cross
Local water rates could rise in 2005
BY STEPHANE FARLEY
starley@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
The Lawrence City Commission was scheduled to vote on a raise in water rates last Tuesday, but commission members postponed the vote until they receive more information on the proposed rates for 2005.
Debbie Van Saun, assistant city manager for community development services, said that in 2004, residents paid a set rate regardless of how much water they used. Everyone gets charged the same amount, Van Saun said.
The new proposed rates would work toward charging people for closer to the amount they used, said Keith Barber, senior consultant for Black & Veatch. Black & Veatch analyzed the historic usage of water and the bills issued for Lawrence.
When considering raising the rates of water usage, Black & Veatch looked at the city revenue requirements and the revenue coming in.
Black & Veatch then calculated the additional revenue needed for maintenance and water facilities and designed the new water rates around those figures.
"It's basically a fairness issue," Barber said. "It's evening things out."
Barber said the problem with Lawrence's current water rates was that some residents, specifically those living in single-family houses with sprinkler systems and higher-capacity water needs, were using more water than others, but that everyone was being billed in the same way.
A person in a residential unit — a house with one meter — pays $6.55 for all water usage up to 2,000 gallons per month.
A person in a multi-family unit — a large meter for an apartment building or duplex — is charged the same rate as a residential unit for usage under 2,000 gallons.
The proposed water rates for 2005 would change the amounts both residential and multi-family
"
wouldn't like it because even though I'm not
a huge water consumer, it's water. Casey Schuetz Wichita senior
blocks are charged for water usage.
If commission members accept the proposed rates for 2005, a multi-family unit will pay $4.26 for 1,000 gallons of water used. A residential unit would be charged $4.62 per 1,000 gallons.
Apartment and duplex residents would pay only for the water they use, actually saving money in comparison to the 2004 water rates.
Residential users would also pay only for the water they use, but the proposed 2005 rates would ensure that the amount of water that residential areas were using did not spill into the multi-family block and cause multi-family units to pay for more than what they were using.
Van Saun said she did not know if the new rates would affect a lot of students at the University, but she assumed that most students did not participate in high water-consuming activities such as watering the lawn.
Casey Schuetz, Wichita senior,
said she paid for her own water bill.
Schuetz said she split the bill with
her roommate and paid $25 to $30.
Schoetz said that although she does not have to water a lawn and does not take long showers, she does laundry about twice a week and does dishes a lot. She said did not think the increase in water rates was necessary.
"I wouldn't like it because even though I'm not a huge water consumer, it's water. Seventy-five percent of the earth is water, so no, I wouldn't be very happy," Schuetz said. "Obviously, I would much rather be paying for water that I use."
- Edited by Paige Worthy
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