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TRANSPORTATION
Megan True/KANSAN
Patrick McKenna, Minneapolis sophomore, rides up and prepares to park his scooter outside of Wescoe Tuesday afternoon. The number of students who drive scooters is on the rise." I got my scooter last year because it makes my life easier. I can pull up and park five minutes before class and still be on time." McKenna said.
Popularity of mopeds soars as gas prices continue to rise Mopeds mean better gas mileage, lower cost for parking on campus
BY ERIN CASTANEDA
Long lines at the gas pump have translated to long lines of mopeds at campus bike racks.
The Parking Department has sold 85 moped parking permits so far this year. Ninety were sold last year.
Mopeds have gained popularity in the past year, given soaring gas prices and a $70-to-$135 gap between the cost of parking permits for mopeds and cars.
The efficiency of mopeds makes them a more economic investment than standard cars, because they average 100 to 120 miles per gallon. A standard sedan gets a fraction of that. For example, a Honda Civic averages 36 mpg. The advantages, though, go beyond mileage.
A moped permit costs $15 per semester or $25 per year, while a yellow zone car permit is $85 per semester and $160 per year.
Ricardo Hsu, Brazil junior, said his moped got 120 mpg. Two weeks ago, Hsu cashed in on a Lawrence
Campus Coupon for a $150 discount at SubSonic Scooters, where prices range from $1,149 to $3,995.
Mike Degraw,
owner of SubSonic
Scooters. 624 N.
Degraw said that if a moped's engine was smaller than 50 cubic centimeters, insurance was not required. Another plus, he said, is that any kind of driver's license suffices.
Even a driver's license suspend-
"It takes $3 to fill up.It's ridiculous."
"College students are looking for inexpensive transportation, and gas mileage is part of that," he said.
2nd St., sold 150 scooters last year. He said business was so good it outgrew his previous location on Ninth Street.
DANIEL KIRK
Wichita senior
chased a moped and passed it down to Kirk. The economic mileage kept it in the family.
"It takes $3 to fill up" Kirk said.
"I's ridiculous."
license suspended
ed from a DUI
would work.
Daniel Kirk,
Wichita senior,
had two older
brothers who
were issued DUI
charges. The
brothers pura project this size will probably encounter some delays," Núñez said.
Adam Wood, Lawrence sophomore, spends about $4 to fill his
Viper moped tank every two weeks. He purchased his moped more than a year ago. He said that back then, he parked his moped next to about four others. Now, mopeds are lined up by the bike racks.
Wood said he didn't think he should need a parking permit.
"It's stupid." Wood said. "You don't have to buy a permit for a bike."
Some students buy mopeds just to avoid campus traffic and paying for car parking permits. That's what Brad Scott, Parsons senior, did.
"It's the best purchase I've ever made," he said.
Kansan staff writer Erin Castanea da can be contacted at ecastanea@kansan.com.
Edited by Natalie Johnson
》 CONSTRUCTION
Work done out of sight; still on track
New Multicultural Resource Center still on track for opening next fall
BY NATE MCGINNIS
The grassy hill between the Kansas Union and its parking garage remains vacant more than three months after ground was broken there for the Sabatini Multicultural Resource Center.
"There is work going on; it's just not visible," said Santos Núñez, program director of the Multicultural Resource Center.
Now, the focus is on preconstruction work, identifying power and water lines and determining how to reroute them during construction, Nunez said. Excavation is expected to begin in a few weeks.
"We encourage students to be patient and understand that
The construction of the new Sabatini Multicultural Resource Center has encountered no delays thus far, and should open by fall 2007. Núñez said.
Chris Reine, Kansas City Mo., junior, and president of the Black Student Union, said the center would provide opportunities to expand multicultural awareness.
"People around here are different and we all need to get to know each other." Reine said.
Along with the Black Student Union, other student groups such as the Hispanic American Leadership Organi-
SEE BUILDING ON PAGE 6A
TRANSPORTATION
BY DANNY LUPPINO
New lot enjoyed, but used by few
Topeka Freshman Jolee Kosmala makes the inconvenient, 20-minute commute from her hometown to the University of Kansas each morning, but nothing is inconvenient about parking once she arrives.
Kosmala uses the new, expansive West Campus Park and Ride lot. When she pulls in, a sign indicates how many spaces are available. She hardly spends any time waiting for a bus and then makes the trip to campus in air-conditioned comfort.
But fewer than 1,000 people are
taking advantage of the amenities Kosmala enjoys.
Donna Hultine, director of the Parking Department, said only 931 Park and Ride passes had been sold as of Wednesday, less than two-thirds of what the department hoped for when the lot was envisioned.
"When we were first planning it, we thought we could sell 1,500 passes," Hultine said.
Despite falling well short of its goal, Hultine said the Parking Department was not concerned, and was even a little relieved.
SEE LOT ON PAGE 6A
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All comments, unless stated otherwise © 2006
The University Daily Kansen
Where were you on September 11?
From: Kansan copy chief Patrick Ross
I woke up to get ready for work and turned on the TV like I always did. CNN was reporting its usual morning news. I got in the shower, got ready for work and came back into the living room to find that the World Trade Center had been struck by a plane.
I couldn't sit and watch like I wanted to, because I had to get to work. By the time I got there, the second plane had struck the center. I worked at a bank and customers would update us on the situation as they came by to deposit and withdraw money.
FINANCES
Free merchandise tempts students Gifts are a common credit card sales tactic that snare many on campus
BY JACK WEINSTEIN
T-shirts, posters and coozies are some of the freebies that students can expect to get this semester. The catch: They have fill out credit card applications.
A survey of 460 college students conducted by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group found that more than two-thirds of the surveyed students had credit cards and that one-third of students obtained those credit cards from on-campus tables. Of that one-third, 80 percent cited free gifts as the reason for applying.
KU students, as well, are enticed
had even used take names to get free stuff.
by the free merchandise. Bo Russell, Atlanta junior, said he signed up three times for t-shirts and coozies at KU basketball games. He said he
Casey Guccione,
Abilene senior, has filled out credit card applications more than once
"There is a 'got to have it now' mentality."
DENNIS ROSEN
Professor of marketing
at basketball games, but he's got enough paraphernalia and won't apply again.
cially for college students strapped for cash, but irresponsible credit card use could lead to bigger problems, which go beyond unwanted
"I get three credit card applications a week in the mail," he said.
1
"They don't tell you credit cards are a trap," said Alli Jones, Bloomington, Minn., sophomore.
Free gifts can be enticing, espe-
A 2004 study conducted by Nellie May, a student loan provider, found the average credit card debt among college students was $2,169.
Dennie Rosen, professor of marketing, said credit card companies'
practice of enticing students with gifts was an accepted marketing strategy. He compared the gifts to cereal companies putting toys at the bottom of the box.
Companies have used gifts for services for a long time, Rosen said.
"Personally, I don't fault the credit card companies," he said. "I wish students had the proper education about how to properly use them."
此
Therein lies the problem.
曲
"There is a 'got to have it now' mentality, Rosen said. "The think.
SEE FREE ON PAGE 6A
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