Friday, October 1, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section B-Page 3
Students honored for excellence and leadership
Small steps aided Topeka senior
Topeka senior Eric Rush will be awarded the ExCEL award tomorrow at the homecoming football game. Rush has held many leadership positions while at the University of Kansas, Photo by Chad Cummings/KANSAN
By Nathan Willis
writer@kanson.com
Kansas staff writer
For Eric Rush, the climb to the top is filled with small steels.
He will receive the award and a $500 scholarship at halftime during the homecoming game against Southern Methodist University tomorrow.
And the top is where he is now. Rush, Topeka junior, is the male recipient of the 1999 ExCEL Award for Excellence in Community, Education and Leadership — the award given in place of homecoming king.
"People assume the measure of a leader is made up of watershed events, huge high-profile things that happen," Rush said. "What most don't realize is that effective change occurs in small steps, gradually."
When Rush looks back at his life, that's what he sees: small steps culminating into a larger whole. His position on the student senate finance committee during his freshman year at the University of Kansas helped lead him to his current position as a student senator. He has held several positions on the Battenfeld Scholarship Hall Executive Board. This year, he became public relations chairman for the All Scholarship Hall Council.
But he wasn't always in leadership positions.
"Ive always been intellectually assertive but not always socially assertive," said Rush, who has a 3.9 grade point average at the University.
His father, Thomas Rush, remembers his early intellectual prowess.
"I had a friend over when Eric was about five," the elder Rush said. "The first thing out of Eric's mouth was, 'What was the closest star?' My
friend didn't know, but Eric, of course, knew it was the sun."
His lack of social assertiveness, prevented him from getting involved in leadership positions until his senior year in high school.
could marshal the forces and get people to do thines."
That year, he was president of Topeka West High School's chapter of the National Forensic League.
From there, Rush said, things snowballed.
"I enjoyed it, and I thought I got a lot done," Rush said. "I surprised myself with the fact that I actually
But he was surprised when he learned that he had won the award.
But he was surprised when he learned that he had won the award. But his father, who will be there Saturday with Eric's mother, Barbara, and grandmother, Helen Lewis, said that Eric deserved it.
"Every day, I look and am awed at how he has turned out," he said.
Chung just tries to help others
By Amanda Kaschubi writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Hong Kong senior Brenda Chung was the female recipient of the Excel award. Chung has been involved in at least 23 organizations while at the University of Kansas. Photo by Aquustus Anthony Pizza/KANSAN
During her four years at the University of Kansas, Brenda Chung has been affiliated with 23 organizations, clubs and honor and professional societies. Those honors earned her the 1999 ExCEL Award for Excellence in Community, Education and Leadership.
Chung, Hong Kong senior, said she had always known about the award but this was the first year she entered the competition.
"Gloria Flores from the Freshman-Sophomore Admissions Center really encouraged me and supported me in it," she said. "I learned a lot from the process and learned a lot about myself."
As a part of the application process, Chung was asked to list her campus activities and volunteer activities. Her list took almost two and a half pages.
when I have lots of things to do. I get more done," she said. "I enjoy it."
Camille Payne, SUA vice president of university relations and a member of the committee who selected the ExCEL award winners, said Chung's volunteer activities exemplified excellence in community.
"She has a lot of depth and breadth in a lot of difference activities." Payne said. "Each of them is pursued from the heart."
"With my personality, I try to do a lot of different things," she said. "Whether it be for volunteer services or diversity issues."
Schung's activities range from SUA vice-president of membership development to publicity chairwoman for the Hong Kong and Macau Student Association to student representative for the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center.
Chung also will receive a $500 scholarship.
The award honors students who are a part of different facets of campus life, and Payne said Chung was no different.
"She does community service for the betterment of the Lawrence community and the KU community," she said.
Chung has traveled to many locations, including Cleveland for last
year's spring break and Guatemala in May 1997, to help other communities.
Chung said she was very honored to receive the award out of a pool of many qualified individuals.
"After the interview, I was worried because a lot of the others were qualified leaders," she said. "I just want to reach a lot of different students and different parts of the world."
Lawrence police warn fans to prepare for traffic headaches
Kansan correspondent
Bv Jennifer Hall
Homecoming Weekend provides a time for students to unwind with their friends, get parking tickets, attend a high-spirited football game, get their car towed, participate in the weekend activities and sit in a traffic jam on 23rd and Harper streets.
GAME-DAY TRAFFIC TIPS
While many people are looking forward to the Homecoming Weekend, the Lawrence Police Department is dreading it.
- Leave plenty of time to travel to your destination.
The Lawrence officers overlap
- Plan enough time to find a parking space.
"It's going to be bad," said Sgt. George Wheeler, Public Information Officer for the Lawrence Police Department. "We'll have 50 officers answering calls, working wrecks and dealing with traffic."
Avoid peak times when a majority of drivers will be exiting an area.
Sgt. Wheeler expects the football game to be the busiest event of the weekend. About 50 to 60 officers will be monitoring the Lawrence area on motorcycle, bike and foot.
Be attentive to what is going on around you.
Be patient.
struction areas would be cleaned up, causing few traffic restrictions.
shifts to accommodate the crowds. Sgt. Wheeler said the officers will be expected to come in early for their shift and leave later than their scheduled exit time.
Special attention will be paid to roads around Haskell Indian Nations University because of the planned Homecoming weekend powwow. This event will cause extra officers to be called in to help direct the flow of traffic.
Traffic is expected to be the heaviest around Iowa Street, 23rd Street, Haskell Street, Harper Street and Sixth Street. However, the Lawrence Police Department is not concerned with any major construction areas.
The Lawrence Police Department is dreading the traffic problems that arise every year with Homecoming Weekend. The biggest problem is parking in restricted areas and blocking crosswalks. There will be 50-60 officers patrolling the streets via motorcycle, bike and foot. Photo by Carrie Julian/KANSAN
Wheeler said most of the con-
Sgt. Wheeler continues to deal with the same traffic problems that occur every Homecoming Weekend. People are reminded not to park in tow zones and not to block the pedestrian areas. Parking improperly is often one of the most common problems faced.
"The most important hint is to be aware of signage," Sgt. Wheeler said.
Sgt. Wheeler notes many bits of information to help the public deal with traffic better Leave plenty of time to travel to your destination. Plan enough time to find a parking space. Avoid peak times
when a majority of drivers will be exiting an area. Most importantly, realize what is going on around you and make every effort to remain patient in traffic.
Following these simple rules will guarantee a smoother ride through traffic and cause fewer problems for the officers to deal with.
"These streets aren't designed to handle too much traffic flow. Play nice in traffic. We want to assist people in leaving our town." Sgt. Wheeler said.
Special Brighton Handbag Event!
October 2nd & 3rd
The Etc. Shop will have 50 fabric handbags in for the
Brighton fabric handbag preview.
New styles will only be available during this event.
See you there!
See you there!
Downtown Lawrence
928 Mass • 843-0611
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