NEWS MONDAY. APRIL 5, 2010 THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN KANSAN.COM
RELIGION
Celebrating Easter at home or away
BY NANCY WOLFENG
nwolens@kansan.com
Katy Billups couldn't go home to celebrate Easter Sunday with her family. But she didn't let that stop her from having a day filled with Easter baskets, church, brunch and celebrations with her friends right here in Lawrence.
Billups, a senior from Dallas, didn't make the trip home because of the distance and brevity of the holiday weekend. While some schools cancel classes on Good Friday or the Monday after Easter, the University doesn't, which makes traveling home difficult for some. Billups said she doesn't mind not going home for Easter but she does miss some of her family's traditions.
"I miss waking up and getting Easter baskets, having a good breakfast and Easter dinner," Billups said.
Although she wasn't with her family, her parents did send her their traditional Easter basket filled with candy and goodies as well as some "bunny money" that she receives each year to spend on her own Easter brunch and dinner merriments.
But some students like Todd Dorsey, a junior from Overland Park, are able to drive home and celebrate with family. "Growing
up, my two brothers and I greatly anticipated a full basket of delicious candy and the Easter egg hunt every Easter." Dorsey said.
But the holiday isn't just about easter eggs and family tradition.
Easter Sunday, one of Christianity's most important holidays, celebrates Jesus Christ's resurrection from the cross and marks the end of Lent, the 40 day period of fasting and prayer leading up to Easter. Lent, a longstanding Christian tradition, is a time of reflection, self-deprivation, and penance that symbolizes the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert, as depicted in the New Testament. During Lent it is traditional to give up something that people may do often and find pleasure in.
Billips knew right away what she had to give up for Lent. Her guilty pleasure: the veggie sandwich and barbecue chips at Jimmy Johns.
"I would go to limmy John's late at night way too much," Billups said. "It was bad." Billups said.
After going 40 days without a submarine, she planned to indulge after going out Saturday evening. After all, Lent officially ended at midnight Saturday.
Instead of giving up a thing Dorsey gave up time.
He chose to use his free time, or the time he spent doing things he enjoys, to help others by serving meals at Jubilee Cafe, a restaurant-style meal service for the needy or homeless.
Dorsey said it was difficult to stick with because the
Dorsey said it was stick with because the meal service at Jubilee Café begins at
5:30 a.m. and lasts for about three hours.
"With school, work and life it makes it tough to get up that early consistently." Dorsey said.
Edited by Ashley Montgomery
HISTORY OF EASTER TRADITIONS
Todd Dorsey, a junior from Overland Park, said he grew up hunting for candy-filled eggs on Easter. He was used to the commercialized jelly beans, plastic baskets and chocolate bunnies. But, until he looked into it, never really knew why it was a part of easter.
"Originally the egg was a symbol of the rebirth of the earth in celebrations of spring and was adopted by early Christians as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus," Dorsey said.
According to History.com the use of Easter eggs is traced back to pagan traditions. The word Easter originates from Eostre, believed to be the goddess of spring and fertility. For some Christians, the egg, an age-old icon for new life, represents Jesus' resurrection.
The origin of the Easter bunny delivering baskets to children is uncertain. The rabbit represents fertility and new life and is said to have been introduced in America in the 1700s by German immigrants.
The Germans had a tradition with an egg-laying hare called "Osterhase" or "Oschter Haws" where children would assemble nests where the animal could livl its
mote hens where the animal could lay it eggs. That ritual dispersed and, as the years
GPM
went on, was transformed into what it is today; decorated baskets, replacing the nest, filled with colored eggs, candy and gifts.
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CAMPUS
Walkway to pay for senior class gift
BY JENNY TERRELL
jterrell@kansan.com
This year's senior class gift promises to leave an imprint at the University, even if it has a high cost.
This year, instead of selling T-shirts to raise money for the senior class gift, the senior class and the Kansas University Endowment Association are selling personalized bricks to form the "Class Legacy Walk." It will be a walkway along the north side of the Ambler Student Recreation Center.
"It allows students a place where they can have their name permanently on campus," said senior class vice president Matt Enriquez.
Enriquez, a senior from Topeka, said the senior class advisory board decided against the traditional route of selling T-shirts in hopes that this would draw in more money.
"You can really only make so much money with T-shirts," Enriquez said. "We usually only make $2,000 to $4,000 — maybe."
The money from the walkway will go toward the actual class gift, which is a scholarship fund set up through the Endowment Association.
Sarah Phillips, assistant director of annual giving at the Endowment Association, said the specifics of the scholarship, such as qualifications and monetary amounts, have not been decided and will depend
on the amount raised through brick sales.
A 4-by-8 inch brick will cost $90 and has room for three lines of text. Each line can contain up to 15 characters. An 8-by-8 inch brick goes for $250 and includes six lines of text.
For some seniors, those prices make contributing to the class gift out of reach.
"I don't think I'd even consider buying one," said Fritz Helbert, a senior from Topeka. "It just seems too expensive."
Helbert said he has never been that interested in the senior gifts, but he said T-shirts would at least be a little more affordable.
Enriquez and Phillips said they hoped adding bricks to the walkway will become a new tradition for senior gifts of future classes; the next three or four classes can add their bricks until the walkway is complete.
"We are really trying to stress that it will continually give back to KU students," Enriquero said.
The brick order form can be found online at www.kuendowment.org.
Edited by Allvson Shaw
Energy savings to cost $25 million
CAMPUS
A worker changes the fluorescent lights in Spooner Hall. This change is part of the 528 million conservation project, which will help improve energy efficiency in 56 buildings on campus.
The University entered into a $25 million energy-saving contract that will focus on improvements in heating, lighting, ventilation and water usage in 56 campus buildings. The University will work in
For the next 18 months, students will see construction workers and contractors on campus, but they probably won't notice any obvious changes being made.
BY BRENNA LONG
blong@kansan.com
"The project has essentially just begun," McVey said. "A lot of it is in the planning stage"
conjunction with Energy Solutions Professionals of Overland Park in a project estimated to save $2 million annually, said Scott McVey, KU energy conservation and utility manager.
SCOTT MCVEY KU energy conservation and utility manager
The lighting projects have slowly started to flicker across campus. When finished, the lighting change from 32 to 28 watt bulbs and the installation of some automatic sensors will cost $2 million. So far, bulbs in Smith, Wesley and Fraser halls has been replaced. Lighting renovations in the Spencer Museum of Art, Watson Library and Spooner, Dyke, Bailey and Blake halls will be completed in the next three weeks, McVey said.
"The project has essentially just begun. A lot of it is in the planning stage."
Plumbing changes are starting as well. Low-flow toilets, which use only one quart of water, will replace the units that use three to four gallons a flush.
McVey said the more significant changes were being made in Malott and Haworth.
Three weekends ago, in preparation for the work, leaky valves were replaced to help aid the installation of a dozen new air handling units, which will greatly improve energy efficiency.
Also in the contract is an awareness program expected to save $200,000 a year. Starting with departments on campus, Energy Solutions Professionals are evaluating offices after hours to look for ways to save energy, such as turning off the computers, said Jeff Severin, director of the Center of Sustainability. ESP will follow up with the departments to show them ways to better reduce energy waste. The program will focus more on
Even though the changes will be made in a year and a half, Energy Solutions Professionals will track and record the improvements for 15 years.
"The average student will have more of a role in the classroom," Severin said. "Students help by just noticing if there are lights on in an unoccupied classroom, turning them off if they are the last one to leave the room, or even giving a gentle reminder to the professor to turn off the computer and lights when they leave."
departments, but students who work on campus can take notice as well, Severin said.
Edited by Becky Howlett