MONDAY, AUGUST 22. 2005
NEWS
Rankings
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that doesn't mean we're not doing a lot of good things at the University," Hemenway said. "The key point to be made is you don't change what you're doing because of the ranking of a news magazine."
This is the lowest U.S. News has ranked the University since it started releasing separate listings for public and private universities in 1998. The University ranked 30th in 1998 and has come in 59th or lower each year since 2000.
This low point comes three years after Hemenway set a goal for the University to be a top 25 public college by 2010. He stressed that his goal isn't based on any one ranking system, but he admitted that this year's U.S. News ranking didn't help the feasibility of his stated goal.
"I think it'll stretch us, but I think it's still achievable," Hemenway said.
Some schools have questioned the magazine's ranking formula. The formula weighs several factors, including peer assessment (25 percent), retention rate (20 percent), faculty resources (20 percent), student selectivity (15 percent), financial resources (10 percent), graduation rate (5 percent) and alumni giving rate (5 percent).
Though U.S. News is widely recognized as the leading source of college rankings, critics say that some of the variables in its formula may cause rankings to fluctuate from year to year without much change occurring in a university.
University of Alabama spokesperson Cathy Andreen questioned the validity of her university's tumble from 39th to 50th among public colleges. One of the factors
in Alabama's fall in the rankings was that its alumni-giving rate decreased significantly from 37 to 21 percent.
This made a difference in the ranking formula, but unless the alumni-giving rate stays low for several years, the students will likely not see a change in the quality of education.
Hemenway said one factor that would always hurt the University in the rankings is the University's non-selective admissions policy. The magazine awards points to schools such as the University of Colorado that have a more selective admission policy.
"We're not a selective admissions university, so we'll always be in a situation where we'll be hampered by that category of ranking," he said.
Edited by Katie Lohrenz
Bid Day
their chapters.
Theresa Barron, St. Louis senior and member of Sigma Kappa, said the excitement of new members is because the women are important to the sorority's success.
"When these new women come to our chapter they are the future," Barron said. "Next year they will be working just as hard for recruitment to get even more girls to come home."
Sarah Schmidt, Marysville senior and member of Gamma Phi Beta, said she's excited to gain members who are committed to the sorority.
"It's so important to get these women acclimated and really welcome them into our chapter because they have gone through this entire process of recruitment and they want to be here," Schmidt said. "It's an organization that will
be a part of their life forever."
Women who were chosen to be recruitment counselors and recruitment staff members must remain neutral throughout the process. For the week of recruitment, these women must distance themselves from their individual chapters. The women may not publicly socialize with members of their sororities. The 16 women who made up the recruitment staff were required to stay at the Holiday Inn Holidome to maintain neutrality throughout the recruitment process.
Relief also set in for the recruitment staff and recruitment counselors as the work they put forth all week came to an end.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 3A
Recruitment staff and recruitment counselors also had to put in long hours during the week attending meetings and assisting the potential new members with recruitment and getting acclimated to life at the University.
nior and vice president for scholarship and educational programming for the Panhellenic Association, said she woke up as early 5 a.m. and would stay up past 1 a.m. She said the demanding schedule made her position on the recruitment staff difficult.
Lauren Harjung, Leawood ju-
"It's physically exhausting and draining. There are really long hours and sometimes you only sleep for a few hours a day." Harjung said.
Harjung said she had mixed emotions as the week came to an end.
Now the recruitment staff and recruitment counselors can openly socialize with members of their chapters but must leave the women they helped throughout the week.
"It's difficult because you meet so many women. You grow to care for them all." Harjung said. "It will be exciting to be back home."
Before the race began, Erich Ohlide, Lindsborg junior, plugged his laptop computer into the car's high-tech computer, which measures engine speed, wheel speed and suspension travel.
— Edited by Anne Burgard
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 142
car and measure how it was running so they could make adjustments before SCCA Nationals.
After the race they took the data back to their garage in Lindley Hall and made adjustments before nationals and for next year's design.
Race car
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
Ohlde and Roberts each had five turns to take the car through the time trial course. Raitinger measured and recorded the car's tire temperature after each run. More data to analyze.
Just after noon, it was time for Ohlde to climb in and race.
The way the race worked, an official sent a car off about every 30 seconds, at which point the driver set off around the course in a race against the clock.
On Ohide's third trip around, he roared through the orange cones
marking the course and spun out of control as he tried to maneuver a 180-degree turn. He quickly regained control of the car and smoothly zigzagged through cones and finished the course.
Roberts, who was one of the team's drivers at the SAE competition in May, took the wheel and zoomed through the track without hitting a cone.
"He's fast," the race official standing by the finish line said. "That thing looks like it'd be a lot of fun to drive."
He drove the car off the course to where Raitinger sat on the asphalt, ready to take the tire temperature. "It's running hot," Raitinger said.
Jared Anderson, Derby freshman, stood with Raitinger, getting his first experience with the club.
At the end of the day, the four KU students determined that adjustments needed to be made to the car's suspension before nationals.
After SCCA nationals, they'll start all over again and build a new car to bring to Detroit in May.
— Edited by Jonathan Kealing
Price
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
"I did not give them my real number, I put my social with one number off, Sandow said.
Although the company required students to fill out two sets of forms, Mitch Sandow, Salina senior, outsmarted the system.
Disclosure of personal information increases the risk of identity theft, according to the Federal Trade Commission Web site.
Capt. Schuyler Bailey, KU Public Safety Office, said students should inform the local police about the situation. Students should also report a suspicious company to the Consumer Credit Affairs Division of Kansas.
could do with it in the future," Bailey said.
Victims of identity theft could incur debt, have personal information, such as addresses and phone numbers, changed and could become warranted for police arrest, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
there would be any harm in it. I ate the food, but it was not really worth it."
In order to prevent possible identity theft, call the National Consumers League, a toll-free hot line dealing with credit card frauds at 1-800-870-7060, or visit www.ssa.pubs/idtheft.htm.
"You never know what they
ON CAMPUS
- Edited by Nate Karlin
The Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center has applications for "From the Inside Out," a peer education program on body image issues in the Student Involvement and Leadership Center. Applications are due Monday, Aug. 29. For more information, contact Kristen Goehausen at 864-4992 or kgo828@ku.edu.
CORRECTION
Wednesday's University Daily Kansan contained an error. The article "Chalkings allege KU Bookstores mistreats employees" stated Debbie McDowell, a former KU Bookstores employee, said "a former employee who was upset with his treatment could have written the message." When asked if she thought a student or former employee could have written the chalked message, she said she thought it was written by a student, not a former employee.
ON THE RECORD
A24-year-old KU student reported a $1,000 eMachine computer, $70 worth of Altec Lansing speakers and $1,050 in other valuables stolen between noon July 31 and noon Aug. 3 in the 1300 block of Kentucky Street.
A20-year-old KU student reported a $150 silver and blue Verizon flip-top cell phone stolen between 10 and 10:30 p.m. Aug. 16 in the 1300 block of Ohio Street.
A21-year-old KU student reported $800 in damage to a door between 5 and 6 a.m. Aug. 17 in the 2500 block of W. 31st Street.
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