THE UNIVERSITY OF HARLY KANSAN
TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2008
NEWS
STUDENT SENATE
3A
Coalitions discuss platforms
BY BRENNA HAWLEY bhawley@kansan.com
ConnectKU says it's working to help students now rather than promising to help them later. Austin Kelly, Lawrence junior, is the coalition's presidential candidate, and Jason Oruch, Plano, Texas, junior, is the coalition's vice-presidential candidate.
WIKUPEDIA PROJECT
The WIKUpedia project is an encyclopedia Web site similar to Wikipedia. Students edit the site, which has articles such as how camping for basketball games works, a list of required campus fees and the history of the Rock Chalk Chant. Look at The University Daily Kansan's Feb. 4 article for more information.
GMAIL FOR KU
ConnectKU wants to integrate Gmail technology into the existing KU email. Google would offer the service for free to the University. Google would offer the technical assistance and server space as well. Look at the Kansan's Feb. 26 article for more information.
POTTER LAKE PROJECT
ConnectKU wants to clean up Potter Lake, which it says is a University icon. The coalition's task force looking at the lake is reviewing sustainable options to clean the water and the area around it. The group hopes to carry out its changes by spring 2009. Look at The Kansan's March 10 article for more information.
SAY BEFORE YOU PAY SYSTEM
Austin Kelly, Lawrence junior and presidential candidate for ConnectKU, said student fees have gone up an average of $90 per semester since he came to the University. He said students should have a say in how much they pay in student fees.
"Even asking students to vote one day a year is difficult," Kelly said.
The say before you pay system puts any fee increase to a campuswide student vote, or referendum, before it can be implemented. A referendum can be on the same ballot as president and vice president candidates in April or Senate can be called specifically for a referendum. Kelly said he would try to stay away from a special referendum vote.
Kelly said Senate would still increase fees for inflationary purposes without a student vote, but any fee increase due to an increase in services or new services would be put to student vote.
Say before you pay has been a platform issue for candidates in the past.
TWENTY PERCENT VOTER TURNOUT
Last year's voter turnout was less than 15 percent of the student body, and it is ConnectKU's goal to increase that number.
Kelly said he wanted to make voting more personal by using new techniques to get students interested.
Jarrod Morgenstern, Overland Park senior and ConnectKU member, said the group will use Facebook press and also try to get as many students as possible to the coalitions Web site.
REVITALIZE SHENK COM- PLEX
PLEX
Shenk Complex, at 23rd and Iowa St., is a group of sports fields that intramural and club sports use to play on. They close at fall break, do not open until spring break, and are not lit at night.
Kelly said the complex lags behind other Big 12 schools.
"I've had team members tell me other teams won't come play here because our fields are so poor," he said.
with sports clubs to bring AstroTurf and lighting to the fields. He said the changes would probably take a student fee of a couple of dollars, which he would put to student vote with the say before you pay system.
Kelly said he planned to work
Jay Vaglio, Leawood junior and president of the KU lacrosse sport club, said the complex is dangerous to athletes playing on it.
"It's like playing on concrete."
Vaglio said.
He said that ConnectKU approached the Athletics Department and said the teams were willing to pay to use Anschutz Field to play on, but the department wasn't interested.
OFF-CAMPUS LIGHTING
Oruch said there wasn't enough lighting around campus to create a safe environment for students.
"Right when you get off campus you enter the black hole," Oruch
H e said ConnectKU envisioned lit pathways on common routes off-campus residents use to get home from
Austin Kelly
campus. He said the coalition would also use its hired Student Legislative Awareness Board to lobby the city to install more lighting.
HATE CRIME PREVENTION
Oruch wrote a resolution
against hate crimes last year after his Jewish fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi, was vandalized. The resolution did not pass, but Orruch said
Jason Oruch
ConnectKU wanted to expand on the idea and have Senate sponsor a week of hate crime prevention programming.
Oruch said Senate would work with campus groups like Queers and Allies, the Black Student Union and KU Hillel to present the program.
HEALTHIER DINING OP TIONS
Oruch said ConnectKU wanted to create a new board that worked with KU Dining to give students healthier eating options.
Students of Liberty is making sure money is spent wisely during its campaign.
STUDENTS OF LIBERTY
ADAM WOOD & ERIC HYDE
Last week Adam Wood, Lawrence junior and Students of Liberty presidential candidate, announced that he and Eric Hyde, Lawrence sophomore and vice presidential candidate, decided not to accept pay for the positions if they get elected. The student body president and vice-president normally receive tuition sponsorship and $320 every two weeks.
Hyde said he spoke with a state politician who said many get into the business just for the money, but that wasn't their purpose.
"We just want to make it clear that we're here to get things done," Wood said.
Wood said he wanted to go through Senate's budget and do an audit to see where all the money was going. He said he didn't want to cut programs but make spending more efficient.
REEVALUATING STUDENT FEES
NO SPECIAL INTEREST CONTROL OF SENATE
Wood said he wanted to eliminate gifts from outside organizations to Student Senate. He cited an example where the Athletics Department flew the student body president and vice president to an away football game and also gave them box access at home football games. He said these gifts compromised the integrity of Senate and made it appear biased.
RECLASSIFICATION OF MOPEDS
NOT FUNDING GROUPS NOT OPEN TO ALL STU-
Wood said he wanted to encourage environmentalism by classifying mopeds as bikes so they would not require parking permits.
Donna Hultine, director of the Parking Department, said any change in moped classification would have to go through the Parking Commission, a group of students, faculty and staff who vote on regulation changes. She said a moped pass cost $25, or $15 for someone who already had a parking pass.
DENTS
Wood said students shouldn't pay $80 per year to the Women's and Non-Revenue Intercollegiate Sports Fee if all students couldn't benefit.
PROHIBIT TESTS AND PROJECTS AFTER BREAKS
Wood said students with large workloads needed to rest during break rather than worry about projects and tests.
Marlesa Roney, vice provost for student success, said changes in testing policy would go through University Governance, where faculty, staff and students vote on policies.
Adam Wood
STUDENT HOUSING
STUDENT HOUSING Wood said he wanted to negotiate with Student Housing to give students more protection against unreasonable searches and give students opportunities to stay in residence halls during spring break. Wood said while rules prohibited people entering dorm rooms without reason, sometimes
rules needed to be enforced.
WIND POWER
Students of Liberty wants to power one-third of campus with wind turbines like the ones at Pratt
Eric Hyde
Community College. The group thinks it will save money on energy costs in the long term.
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Editor's Note: To prepare for the Student Senate elections next week, The University Daily Kansan is publishing a list of platforms for each coalition: ConnectKU, Students of Liberty and United Students.The
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United Students wants professors to provide midterm grades to students so they know where they stand in their classes.
ENROLLMENT SYSTEM
The coalition wants to improve the enrollment system by providing additional class information such as integrating textbook prices, prerequisites, degree requirements, labs and open class times. It wants Enroll and Pay to offer a drag and drop system.
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United Students also has a platform to offer free parking in the Kansas Union parking garage to students without passes after 5 p.m. and on basketball game days. Anyone with a valid parking pass can park in the garage after 5 p.m., but the coalition said that excludes many people who have night classes or meetings. It wants to open the top level of the garage to students without permits.
United Students wants more student body involvement in Senate. Adam McGonigle, Wichita sophomore and presidential candidate, said its platforms are balanced and offer something for everyone.
McGonigle said the University was unique because it didn't have wireless Internet through entire residence halls. He said wireless would be
NEW POOL
list includes recently released platforms and platforms for which the Kansan has already published. Check out previous platform articles at Kansan. com. Student Senate elections are April 9 and 10.
CAMPUS PARKING
The coalition plans to pay for the pool with money from the Athletics Department, donations from KU alumni and a short-term expansion of the Women's and Non-Revenue sports fee.
The first platform released was the addition of a pool to the Student Recreation and Fitness Center.
by this summer.
Adam McGonigle
He said maintaining a grounded system with wires was a large expense, and after discussions with Information Technology he said
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the project could probably be completed without a fee raise.
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McGonigle said they would also use funds to put more security cameras in town during
SELF DEFENSE
Emery Road and Tennessee Street would be areas the coalition would concentrate on.
Michael Gillaspie
MANDATORY ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDINGS
Michael Gillaspie, vice presidential candidate, said United Students wanted to start a self defense program available to and focusing on freshmen women, although it would be open to all students.
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LIGHTING, SECURITY CAMERAS
parking lots and at residence hats.
United Students wants to reduce energy use in buildings like the Kansas Union, the Student Recreation Fitness Center and Watkins Memorial Health Center. He said Senate would require fluorescent light bulbs, computers to be shut off at night and air conditioning or heat turned down at night.
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McGonigle said he wanted to increase lighting on and off campus with money from the Campus Safety Advisory Board Reserve Account. He said the coalition wanted to increase lighting behind Strong Hall and in places with high student populations.
-Edited By Sasha Roe
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