THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2005
VOL. 116 ISSUE 7
▼ SENATE
WWW.KANSAN.COM
AbleHawks want voice
Disability group campaigns for Senate representation
BY MALINDA OSBORNE
mosborne@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Zach Coble, Winfield junior, is tired of stereotypes associat with disabled persons.
"A big misconception is they are somehow less able to do things or should be pitied," said Coble, who has cerebral palsy. "The disability is just another part of our lives, not something
that inhibits our ability to get things done."
AbleHawks began its campaign at its meeting Tuesday night to get an appointed seat on Student Senate. AbleHawks is an advocate group formed to raise awareness of disability issues at the University of Kansas.
Coble, AbleHawks member, said a Senate seat would ensure fair representation for the campus's disabled community,
DISABILITY ISSUES
Disabilities issues AbleHawks hope to work on:
> More note-takers available students with learning
◆ More note-takers available students with learning disabilities and incentives for those note-takers
Disabilities issues AbleHawks hope to work on:
- Help in receiving information about insurance and reinsurance quantitiation
employment opportunities
♦ more handicap access ramps for buildings
*Wider handicap access ramps*
- More handicap-accessible bathroom stalls
Bringing speakers to campus
Source: AbleHawks
which makes up nearly 10 percent of the student population
"If you look at any piece of legislation, almost everything
affects disabled people," Coble said. "The Senate needs
SEE ABLEHAWKS ON PAGE 4A
GREEK LIFE
Taylor Miller/KANSAN
Brittani Perry, Houston junior, and Marina Burton, Topeka senior, prepare to meet prospective recruits at the Multicultural Pan-Hellenic Event in the Kansas Union Tuesday evening. Both are members of the sorority Delta Sigma Theta, which has an active reputation on campus for doing programs such as a Sister to Sister Bonding event, AIDS Dinner, and the Delta Challenge. The sorority has existed at the University since 1925.
For some greek houses, recruitment a '24-hour, seven-day-a-week job'
NPHC groups continue to seek members
BY LOUIS MORA
lmora@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Recruitment activities for most sororities and fraternities at the University of Kansas ended last week.
For greek houses in the National Pan-Hellenic Council, it is only beginning.
Unlike the other greek organizations, there is no formal recruitment week for NPHC. This week is their opportunity to gain the attention of potential new members. More than 40 people interested in NPHC visited with members of the seven fraternities and sororites Tuesday evening at the Kansas Union.
"NPHC is one of the underrecognized councils on the campus compared to the In-
terfraternity Council and Pan-Hellenic," said Will Clayton, Kansas City, Mo., senior and vice president of NPHC. "So we really want to raise awareness about NPHC and that NPHC really does exist and there are other fraternities and sororites on campus that do things for the campus as well."
Through word of mouth, informational meetings and conversations with prospective members the fraternities and sororites of NPHC try to spread its message.
NPHC at the University consists of five active, historically black sororities and fraternities and a Latino fraternity and Latina sorority. This week allows
the fraternities and sororities to better understand who is interested in joining the NPHC community.
"For the most part recruitment for us is a 24 hour, seven day a week job." Melinda Benavidez,
SEE RECRUITMENT ON PAGE 4A
MAINTENANCE
Jared Soares/KANSAN
Maintenance workers make repairs on the top of the Facilities and Operations Building. The repairs took place yesterday afternoon.
Silenced whistle to sound again
It will be turned on for students as early as next week
BY GABY SOUZA
gsouza@kansan.com
KANAN STAFF WRITER
The steam whistle which previously announced the end of class at 20 and 50 minutes after the hour has been temporarily turned off because of roof repairs at the KU Power Plant, where the whistle is located.
Throughout the first weeks of classes, students at the University of Kansas have not been saved by the whistle.
Mike Burke, senior supervisor of the power plant, said the whistle was a safety concern for the workers on the roof.
The volume of the whistle's blast could cause hearing damage to the workers.
Also, if they were standing close to the edge of the roof when the whistle went off, the sound could startle them and cause them to fall off the roof, Burke said.
Once repairs are completed, the whistle will be turned back on, said Jim Long, vice provost of facilities planning and management.
Joe Orosco, head of access services reserve department at Watson Library, said that because the library neighbors the power plant to the east, in the past he could hear the whistle clearly.
But, he hadn't noticed that the whistle hadn't blown this
The whistle that previously announced the end of class at 20 and 50 minutes after the hour has been temporarily turned off because of roof repairs at the KU Power Plant, where the whistle is located.
semester.
Sami Al-Otaibi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, sophomore, said he didn't notice the whistle's absence either. But he added if the whistle was not used again, he would miss it.
The power plant's roof repairs could end next week, depending on the weather, said Roger Harmon, construction manager of Design and Construction Management.
The repairs started June 1. Right now, the workers are hot-tarring the roof, one of the last steps in the process.
The power plant building is more than 100 years old and the roof was in desperate need of repair, Burke said.
"It needed to be done and we're finally getting it done," Burke said.
SENATE
— Edited by Becca Evanhoe
Freshmen candidates prepare for upcoming Senate elections
BY JOHN JORDAN
jjordan@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Brittany Ramos never got to participate in student government in high school. After being vice president of the safety patrol at her elementary school in Dallas and vice-president of her middle school student body, sports became the focus of her extracurricular activities in high school.
But now Ramos, Overland Park freshman, is getting an opportunity
to join student politics. She is running in the upcoming freshmen elections for Student Senate.
APPLICATION INFO
"I really like being in charge of things and making big decisions," Ramos said. "I regretted not being able to participate in high school."
Freshmen elections will be held Sept. 6 and 7. Only freshmen can vote in the elections.
Each fall, freshmen run for one of five spots available on Senate. Tomorrow is the deadline for freshmen to turn in applications.
Freshmen Student Senate applications are due tomorrow by 5 p.m. They can be picked up and returned to the Student Senate office in the Kansas Union, room 410.
Included with the applications:
♦ A $20 filing fee or 50 freshmen signatures
♦ A Dean's stamp to verify enrollment
Freshmen have had their own elections since the 2003 school year, said Kevin McKenzie, Salina senior and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences senator, who
Source: Student Senate Office
co-authored the referendum that added the elections in 2003.
who did not get to elect their representatives," McKenzie said. "The motivation was to ensure that all students had a chance to help determine who their elected representatives were."
"We fought for senate seats for freshmen because they were a huge group of students at KU
Last fall, 24 students ran for freshmen spots, according to an article published in the University Daily Kansan.
Luke Thompson, Spring 2005 elections commission chairman, who also worked with freshmen elections this year, said he expected around 20 students
to run, but he wouldn't be surprised if more applied.
Thompson said the number of students running in freshmen elections has increased each year since the elections began.
Hannah Love, Dodge City sophomore and sophomore CLAS senator, said there are several major differences between freshmen elections and general Senate elections held in the spring. Freshmen candidates
Today's weather
SEE ELECTIONS ON PAGE 4A
Defense to set tone for season
Sports Editor Kellis Robinett contends that KU's defense, led by Charles Gordon and Nick Reid, will determine this season's success. PAGE 1B
University land converted to garden
Aaron Olsen, Overland Park sophomore, had a dream of growing a garden that would benefit local soup kitchens. PAGE 2A
Javplay
Lynn Hamilton takes an in-depth look at the world of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) volunteers. Learn what type of person it really takes to give so much to children who have been given so little.
Index
&
OPINION 5A
SPORTS 1B
CROSSWORD 4B
CLASSIFIEDS 5B
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