CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, April 5, 1996
3A
Coalitions plan to increase computers
Cesar Millan
Cesar Millan, Kansas City, Mo., senior, Voice coalition candidate for student body president:
"This needs to be funded by the State Legislature, the University or maybe the Endowment Association. If the University should see a need, then maybe they should increase tuition. But it should not be funded through student fees."
Senate candidates feel proposed fee is not acceptable
By Jason Strait
Kansan staff writer
Both Vision and Voice coaltions agree that the University of Kansas is lagging in technology and plan on improving the situation.
But a student fee of $3 per credit hour to finance the improvements, which has been proposed by the Board of Regents, is nothing either coalition wants.
Jamie Johnson, Vision coalition candidate for student body vice president, said one computer for every 46 students was unacceptable
"When students pay their tuition, it should guarantee that the technology is up to date," said Samantha Bowman, Voice coalition candidate for student body vice president.
Grey Montgomery, Vision coalition student body president candidate.
said he had met with David Shulenburger, vice chancellor for academic affairs and was hoping to finance it through a special appropriation from the Legislature.
Bowman said that the Voice coalition also would let the Legislature know that technology advancements are a top priority to students.
He said that if Student Senate could go to the Legislature with backing from the administration, it hopefully could get funds for the growth.
"Students shouldn't have to stand in line if they have to type a paper," Bowman said. "If it's something a student is required to do, they shouldn't have to go out and buy a computer to do."
Grey Montgomery
Grey Montgomery, Junction City senior Vision coalition candidate for student body president:
"As far as a University-wide fee, I think that sets a bad precedent. By doing this, we would open up a Pandora's box. A student fee could be set for purchasing anything like desks, which isn't what student fees are for."
Jerel Harris / KANRAN
Kansas Gov. Bill Graves signs the qualified admissions bill yesterday at Charles Robinson Middle School in Topeka. The seventh graders who were in attendance will be part of the first class of students to face restrictions in 2001.
Graves passes admissions bill
By John Collar Kansan staff writer
Kansas schools set qualified standards; first time since 1915
TOPEKA—With a class of seventh-grade students standing behind him, Gov. Bill Graves signed the qualified admissions bill into law yesterday at Charles Robinson Middle School.
The seventh graders, who are expected to graduate from high school in 2001, will be the first class of Kansas students to face restrictions to enter a state university.
Four legislators attended the signing, as did two representatives of the Board of Regents.
"We're clearly offering you a challenge," Graves told the students. "I happen to be very confident that the students of this state will think that this is a not very difficult challenge and will step right up and easily accomplish these objectives."
"This will be a challenge to other students going into technical schools or community colleges," Hiebert said. "This will significantly improve the quality of our work force."
Regent John Hiebert said the new standards would help all students, regardless of whether they attended a Regents university.
Stephen Jordan, executive director of the Regents, said the bill's passage indicated that legislators have realized students need to be prepared for the realities of a fast-changing economy.
"Our whole way of living has accelerated so quickly that it finally brought about the realization that simply a high school diploma without certain elements of curriculum was not going to be sufficient," Jordan said.
State Rep. Ralph Tanner, R-Baldwin City, who sponsored the measure, said he hoped the Legislature would not have to make admissions decisions in the future.
"I'm hopeful that the Legislature can back away from the microman-
agement of these kinds of things," Tanner said. "The question of admissions really belongs to the Regents."
To gain admission to a Regents institution, students will have to meet one of the following standards:
rank in the top one-third of their graduating class
**earn a 2.0 grade point average,**
**a coverage, on a 4.0 scale**
The schools could exempt from the requirement up to 10 percent of their freshmen class who are Kansas residents.
score a 21 or higher on the ACT
rank in the top one third of their
Students who have earned 24 hours of credit from a community college or who are 21 or older also would be exempt.
According to ACT statistics, 91 percent of KU freshmen earned a 2.0 GPA in high school, and 71 percent scored a 21 or better on the ACT.
Voice candidates have records
Since 1915, Kansas has allowed all students with a Kansas high school diploma to attend a state university.
The new law makes Kansas the last state to impose admissions standards at state universities.
Three charged with misdemeanor crimes
By Amy McVey
Kansan staff writer
Three Voice coalition candidates have criminal records in Douglas County.
According to the Douglas County records department, Chris Cannon, Voice coalition candidate for graduate senator, was charged with driving while under the influence, criminal damage to property and battery in September 1994.
Ana Calderon and Chris Ford, both Voice coalition candidates for off-campus senator, have minor in possession charges.
Cannon said that the charges against him had been dismissed in October 1995.
"I hope that this doesn't ruin my
reputation," he said. "This was over a year and a half ago. I don't see how it's relevant."
Calderon, Shawne sophomore, pleaded no contest in October 1994 to the charge of a minor in possession. A charge of possession of a fake ID was dismissed, and Calderon was ordered to pay a $25 fine.
Ford, Overland Park junior, said that he was arrested on the last day of classes last year at Johnny's Tavern, 401 North 2nd.
Ford said the minor-in-possession charge was deferred.
Cesar Millan, Voice coalition candidate for student senate president, said he didn't know that anybody on his coalition had a criminal background.
"I had no idea," he said. "When I asked people to run on the coalition I didn't ask to see their criminal record."
Millan said that the criminal charges didn't change the way he felt about the three running on his coalition.
Millan also said that although he didn't condone the actions of the three coalition members he felt that their charges were common in Lawrence.
"I still support these candidates 100 percent," he said. "These candidates are students here at the University. They must have paid their debt to society — they're not in jail."
"Any Lawrence police officer can go into a bar right now and bust 10 people," he said.
Grey Montgomery, Vision coalition candidate for student senate, said that he conducted criminal background checks before asking people to run on his coalition.
No criminal records in Douglas County were found for members on the Vision coalition.
Tragic Greek play still has relevance
By David Teska
Kansan staff writer
To the victor goes the spoils.
At 8 tonight in the Inge Theatre in Murphy Hall, Euripides' play The Women of Troy will examine the brutality of war demonstrated by the victorious Athenians who pilaged the women and children of Troy during the Peloponnesian War. Euripides wrote the play in 415 B.C. to question the consciences of his fellow Athenians after they seized Troy and forced its women into slavery.
The play, directed by Ludvika Popenhagen, associate professor of theater and film, has an obvious message that still is relevant to 20th-century audiences familiar with images of Bosnia, she said.
Although the message of war's violence and destruction is obvious, Popenhagen said she didn't want the play to devolve into a propaganda piece.
"Propaganda plays are preachy plays," she said. "I myself don't support plays that preach to audiences."
Popenhagen said she also chose this version, translated by Don
Taylor, because it retained the original story's grand style.
"It's written in a poetic style — it's a Greek tragedy after all," she said.
The cast faced a last-minute change when John Garnetson, Sanford, Fla., junior, had bronchitis four days before opening night. He was replaced by Brian Paulette, Lenexa junior, a member of the play's technical crew. Paulette will play Talthybius, the captain of the Greek soldiers who has the unenvilable job of telling the women of Troy that they will be taken into slavery.
"He's the messenger that has to do the dirty work," Paulette said. "He's a good soldier — he just doesn't like this kind of work."
Nicole Dupont, Lawrence senior, said the actors frequently had discussed the play's anti-war theme.
"You can't watch it without thinking about the war-torn places of the world," she said.
For many of the actors, the play also is their first time acting in a Greek tragedy.
Jennifer Nichols, Topea junior,
portrays Hecuba, the grieving wife of
Priam, the slain King of Troy.
She said the play's unnaturalistic
style was a challenge to the actors.
"This is a very bold kind of presentation," she said. "I think it's the way to do it."
Cassandra, played by Laura Zabel,
Manhattan sophomore, expresses joy at being selected as the slave wife of Agamemnon in the play.
Performances are tonight, tomorrow and Monday through April 13. Tickets are $8 for the public, $4 for KU students and $7 for other students and senior citizens and are available at Murphy Hall, the Lied Center and the SUA box office.g