2005
SEX on the HILL
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2005
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 7C
Allen Fieldhouse
nt
tive
ERIN WILEY
editor@kansan.com
KANSAN CORRESPONDENT
Allen Fieldhouse is the hottest and most desired 50 year-old on the University of Kansas campus.
From the month of October when the Phog rolls in during Late Night clear through the madness of March, more than 16,000 Jayhawk faithfuls fill this historic building for basketball games to feel the power that it holds.
This season, the appeal during home basketball games will be hotter than ever when offseason modifications are revealed.
To a KU basketball fan, nothing is sexier than attending a game in the sweat-filled atmosphere of the Fieldhouse.
As the singing of the alma mater commences and the Rock Chalk chant shakes the rafters, goosebumps are known to rise to the surface of the skin of fans both young and old, just like a lover's delicate touch could elicit.
Chris Theisen, assistant athletics director for media relations, said changes included a new floor, lights, scoreboard and a new coat of paint to the bleachers.
Carlos Martinez, San Juan, Puerto Rico, sophomore, is one of the many die-hard KU basketball fans who attended home games last season.
The appeal of Allen Fieldhouse is important to Martinez, but he doesn't think the renovations will change the atmosphere.
She is excited about the traditions upperclassmen have told her about.
Jasmine Walthall, Texarkana, Texas, freshman, will step into the Fieldhouse to experience her first home basketball game later this semester.
"The bonding and that everyone is pumped up and energized," Walthall said. "Beware of the Phog. The noise. I heard you will be deaf when you leave."
When it really comes down to it, the renovations to Allen Fieldhouse will not change the sex appeal and history the
building holds for students, alumni and fans
The building is a special place to most everyone who has experienced a game on Naismith Drive, and they will always take at least one special item away from it.
"I think it's like Dickie V. put it. Since the KU Jayhawk tradition is one of the best in all sports, it's the sign that reads 'Pay heed all who enter: Beware of the Phog!'" Martinez said. "And the fact that everyone who comes in knows they will be facing a hostile territory and traditional Jayhawk fans. We are tradition makers."
Candice Rukes/KANSAN
NATALIE BOGAN
NAVALE DOGAN
editor@kansan.com
KANSAN CORRESPONDENT
KU INFO
Until recent years, students have had a place to turn when they needed the answers to life's most important rules.
KU Info, still desirable after all these years, has changed as it has matured. When Alisha Ashley, Halstead senior, and Molly Tucker, Prairie Village senior, came to the University of Kansas they soon learned of the informational service, which they found helpful for adjusting to the city.
tions. Whether they wanted to know the number of dimples on a regulation golf ball or the number to the rape crisis center, KU Info came to the rescue.
As a freshman, Tucker called KU info to help her find the room number for his final exam.
"I was looking for my calculus final and realized the room number didn't exist," she said. "Then I remembered the number that my resident assistant had given me 'to call in an emergency'; I called and the guy located the correct building and room number for me."
Today, KU Info is no longer the omniscient service Ashley and Tucker once relied on to tell them the number of trees on campus or the distance between Paris,Texas. and Paris, France. While the service remains available, it no longer assists with non-academic queries.
Last year, University administrators decided the program was excessive and proceeded to make changes to the service, beginning with employees
With the significantly reduced number of calls, the University looks to employ a larger, less-trained staff who will have to divide its time between phone calls and performing other duties within their respective departments. Because the larger staff will receive only cursory training on the University, many calls will have to be redirected to other departments. In its prime, KUInfo operated using a staff of 12, with two phones, two computers, and limited office space for reference materials. The team of workers was carefully selected, knowledgeable students whose specific purpose was to answer calls.
no longer being allowed to answer non-academic questions.
In Fall 2003, Ashley and Tucker began working for KU Info and experienced the changes first hand. Tucker thought the employees prided themselves on their precise and accurate answers.
The two watched as the service evolved, but after the administration limited KU Info's scope to academic information, they quit.
"There's nothing more frustrating for me than explaining to someone on the phone that I could answer their question very easily, but I'm not allowed to because the information service only gives out certain kinds of information," Ashley said.
Now, the girls say, they are working to restore KU info to its former glory.
After meeting with the vice-provocats in charge of the changes, the two realized that raising student
awareness would be the only way to save the program.
"All they could tell us was that KU Info was going to change?" Tuker said. "But they gave no real timeline or concrete sketch of what it would look like. They even mentioned changing the name, which boggled our minds."
The two are currently collecting signatures to demonstrate to administrators that the service is desired in the minds of the students and alumni. With the petition, the two hope to gather support from campus organizations and find the minimal funding needed to restore the hot line.
- Edited by Alison Peterson
"Our ideal situation would be making KU Info student-run, cheap and completely comprehensive," Tucker said. "We don't want to have to fight our managers any longer about what we can and can't answer."
Those interested in helping with this cause can sign the petition available at Mrs. E's, the Student Recreation Fitness Center, downtown businesses, or online at www.petitiononline.com/kuinfo/petition.html.
"When we ask upperclassmen if they'll sign our petition they say 'Yeah sure! Why are they trying to change KU Info?' Freshman say 'kU What?' That's really sad for us, because they're the ones who could have benefited most from the program and now they have no idea what they're missing." Tucker said.
Edited by Patrick Ross
JOIN THE FUN!! BAR & RESTAURANT LEAGUE STARTS SEPT. 20TH @10:30PM
BOWLING SPECIAL:
$.99 PER GAME
MON-WED
9PM-1AM
933 IOWA (785)842-1234
hobbs. world of premium denim just got better!
hobbs.700 Mass St.
Meltin Pot Diesel Earnest Sewn AG Big Star Ben Sherman Antik Denim
TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH
1011 Vermont
PISCOPAL CHURCH IN DOWNTOWN LAWRENCE Welcome Back Students!
Join us for Sunday Services in Downtown Lawrence 8:00 am and 10:30 am The Rev. Canon Jonathon W. Jense
843-6166
www.trinitylawrence.org
office@trinitylawrence.org
930 Iowa St. • Hillcrest Professional Bldg