Friday, August 20, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section A - Page 7
Maxwell to focus on promises
Financial matters, parking, KU safety head Senate's list
By Chris Borniger
writer kanson.com
Konsan staff writer
Prominent issues in last spring's Student Senate elections will probably resurface when Senate begins meeting this fall.
Korb Maxwell, student body president, said he planned to act upon many of the issues he cited during his campaign, such as gaining more parking spaces, establishing a course retake policy, forming a campus safety master plan and lobbying the Kansas Legislature for lower tuition inflation and increased faculty salaries.
"First, we need to deliver on what we actually said we'd do," Maxwell said. "I thought every one of our goals was realistic and attainable."
He said he saw lowering tuition and fees as his biggest job. Also, he said he wanted to reduce the $20 fee students paid to support women's and non-revenue generating sports, which had separate budgets from major revenue-generating sports. Major sports at the University of Kansas have a $3 million surplus in their budgets. Maxwell said the disparity was unfair.
"People in those sports are treated like second-class citizens," he said. "That surplus money should be supporting other sports too."
Maxwell also said he would lobby the Board of Regents for a statewide sexual orientation non-discrimination policy. Although the University already has one, Maxwell said Emporia State University President Kay Schallenkamp's decision to revoke ESU's policy made a counteracting policy necessary.
STUDENT SENATE GOALS
"It's ludicrous to regress civil rights, especially in
Slow inflation of tuition and feet
Establish a campus safety master plan.
Develop an integrated public transportation system with the City of Lawrence.
Reserve more parking spaces for students.
Develop a new University Judicial Board.
Shorten Senate meetings
Propose a sexual orientation non-discrimination policy to the Board of Regents.
Serve more office hours on campus.
Endorse a site for a new recreation center.
1999," he said.
Ben Walker, Student Legislative Awareness Board legislative director, said his goals for the year were not just about issues.
"Unfortunately, it's going to be a tough year because of the state's budget deficit." Walker
said. "But I want SLAB to become more active on campus. Hopefully, we can make more students likely to vote."
Some senators said they didn't expect partisan sentiments from last spring's campaign to hinder cooperation at Senate meetings.
"Things are always kind of tense at the beginning of the year," said Luke Pfannenstiel, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences senator. "But the differences aren't usually that big."
Maxwell said that students could expect a proactive Senate this year.
"Our role is in advocacy," he said. "The times when student government increased its power were in times of student activism. There need to be times when Senate's willing to take action."
Although the full Senate does not meet until Sept. 15, committee meetings begin Sept. 8.
Edited by Jennifer Roush
Buses experience first-day problems
By Nathan Willis and Michael Terry
Kansan staff writers
Students who signed up for the Park-and-Ride program, which transports students from the Lied Center parking lot to the main campus, found it difficult to park or ride yesterday morning.
Lawrence public schools held its convocation at the center from 7 to 11 a.m., jamming the 1,000-space parking lot and forcing Park-and-Ride students to park along curbs and in the grass.
"We had the entire faculty and staff of the Lawrence schools there," said Karen Christilles, Lied Center director of public relations.
John Bialek, manager of KU on
Wheels, said that, to make matters worse, the cars parked along the curbs prevented buses that picked up students with Park-and-Ride passes from leaving the lot.
Between 8 and 9 a.m. the situation worsened because cars trying to leave the lot further blocked access, said Charles Pirtle, night operations manager for the Lawrence Bus Co. Buses were delayed about 30 minutes while cars were moved out of the way.
Donna Hultine, assistant director of parking, said she didn't know whether the illegally parked cars were towed or moved by their owners. She also said she didn't know if the parking department issued tickets.
Christie's said day events that attracted such large numbers of
people were rare at the center, so yesterday's scenario shouldn't be repeated often.
Hultine said the parking department would issue up to 500 permits for the 1,000-space lot this year, which is 200 more than last year. However, by the end of Wednesday, the department had sold only 223 permits, she said.
The Park-and-Ride situation was not the only transportation glitch during the first day of school.
Bialek said that a KU on Wheels bus broke down in the morning along the 15th and Crestline streets route, but it was replaced in 15 minutes.
Michael Young, transportation board secretary, attributed the problems to opening-day jitters.
first day of class. To have this kind of thing happen is not surprising."
"Most likely this is a limited incident," Young said. "It's the
He also said that the transportation board had considered potential problems with Park and Ride when the Lied Center held day events but that it considered the problems infrequent enough to justify selling more permits.
"We know that that lot has the capacity to do it," Young said. "We also know that if the Lied Center has something planned, we have to work around that."
The reopening of Lewis Hall probably amplifies the need for permits. Young said.
Pirtle said the Lawrence Bus Co had asked the KU Public Safety Office to increase surveillance of the lot in the future, in order to prevent a similar situation from occurring.
Edited by Ronnie Wachter
Back-to-School Block Party ends rush week
By Lari O'Toolle
writer @kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The week-long sorority recruitment process will end Saturday night with the Women's Back-to-School Block Party, which is open to all women on campus.
The preference round, the final round of sorority recruitment, will be tonight.
Bill Nelson, director of greek programs, said prospective sorority members would attend a maximum of three parties based on the number of invitations they received from chapter houses.
He said the women also would indicate in preferential order the sororities they are willing to join.
Applicants will be placed into chapters on Saturday.
Nelson said there would be a Panhellenic Association installation ceremony at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Lied Center to induct the women into the greek system.
The party was scheduled from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday at the Gertrude Sellards Pearson-Corbin Hall parking lot.
The event is free, but Carnes said a five dollar donation would be requested to raise money for a house the greek community planned to build for Habitat for Humanity.
Kelly Jo Carnes, assistant director for greek programs, said the party was serving several purposes, including assisting the members in following a guideline set by the National Panhellenic Conference.
"The rule says 24 hours after Bid Day they're not to be in the presence of alcohol or men," she said. "The 24-hour time is to say 'this is your sisterhood time.'"
Carnes also said more than 100 prizes, including free dinners and free semesterlong fitness center memberships, would be available.
She said there also would be free snacks, including Coca-Cola products, popcorn, cotton candy and fresh vegetables. There will be a dunk tank and other carnival-type games, as well.
"I think it's a really great event and a great idea," Carnes said. "In the past, there hasn't been a collaboration between the residence halls and the greek system. I think that this is a great step to do that."
Representatives from student organizations will be at the party handing out information.
Edited by Chris Hopkins
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