THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2008
THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2008
NEWS
3A
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Student plans 3,500-mile bike trip
BY BRENNA HAWLEY bhawley@kansan.com
Taylor Miller/KANSAN
Taylor Miller/KRANSAN
Stephanie Meehan is riding across the country to raise awareness for the affordable housing; she has to do fundraising and train to bike. Meehan said she liked to train on the bike paths between Southwind Plaza and Clinton Lake.
This summer, Stephanie Meehan won't be working a job, completing an internship or going on a beach vacation. Instead, she will bike more than 3,500 miles across the country to raise awareness for affordable housing.
Meehan, Topeka senior, said she wanted to take the summer off after graduating and before going to graduate school in the fall. Then, a friend at another university mentioned the Bike and Build program and Meehan decided to become an activist.
Bike and Build started in 2002 to raise awareness for affordable housing. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 12 million people pay more than 50 percent of their yearly income on their home, which leaves many unable to afford other living expenses. For Bike and Build, riders bike across the country during a summer, averaging 70 miles a day. Every few days, bikers stop at a building site of organizations like Habitat for Humanity and help build affordable houses.
"Affordable housing is not a cause I ever really thought of before," Meehan said. "It doesn't cross people's minds enough."
Meehan and her friend chose the Boston to Santa Barbara, Calif. route because Meehan had never been to the east coast before. Then they started preparing for the long fundraising and training journey ahead.
Meehan has to raise $4,000 to go on the ride, as required by the program. She has $600, but said if she didn't raise the money, she didn't get to go on the trip. She said most of the money went back into the organizations the program collaborates.
donate
Stephanie Meehan is biking across the country to help give people better homes, but must raise $4,000 to go on the trip. Here's how to help.
VISIT www.bikeandbuild.org
CLICK on the blue Donate button
SELECT Meehan's name as the rider you would like to sponsor
All donations are tax deductible
Bikers must also get eight hours of experience on a building job site before going on the trip.
"We aren't actually raising money to send somewhere, but we actually get to see and do," Meehan said.
She said that part of the draw for the program was to spread awareness, and that bikers give a presentation at each stop of the two-month-long trip.
"This is genuine," Meehan said. "If you didn't want to do it you wouldn't bike across the country."
The group isn't hard to miss because all 30 bikers in the group wear the same jersey. They also bike near each other.
TRAINING FOR THE TRIP
Meehan said she was naturally an athletic person, so her friends weren't surprised she decided to go on the trip. Meehan said that in high school she was on the swim team. Now she swims up to three times a week, runs often and does 40-minute bike rides.
"It's all about being fit enough," she said.
Last summer, Meehan completed two triathlons and still regularly rides to campus when the weather
is nice. However, two triathlons of bike-riding don't equal the 3,656 miles she'll ride this summer. When the weather improves, she said she would ride with the Lawrence Bicycle Club.
"Grinnell (college) and my parents have taught me the importance of giving back to others," Kossoy said.
Meehan's friend Allie Kassoy was on the swim team with Meehan in high school. Though graduating, she said she was burnt out academically. She also said she was really passionate about sports, so biking across the country with a friend sounded like fun. She said nostalgia about her own childhood home led her to want to help people without their own.
The cross-country trip will keep a structured schedule, with the usual wake-up call at 6 a.m. Riders will sleep at churches, host homes, or wherever the trip coordinator can find. By 7:30 a.m., the group will leave. They can stop along the way for meals, pictures or sightseeing. They don't have to stay together as a group, because some members cycle faster than others. Meehan said they would shower when they can, and go without when a shower
is not available. She said riders got only 4,500 cubic inches of space for their luggage and everything they need must fit there.
BUILDING AWARENESS
Brendan Newman, Bike and Build program director, said the goal of the program was to get college-aged people involved with issues and to keep them involved.
It worked for Newman. He completed the program in the summer of 2006 and liked it so much that he decided to work for the program.
"You pretty much fall in love with it," Newman said.
The program started in 2002 with two routes and has been full every year since then. This summer, the program will offer seven separate routes, each with about 30 riders.
Newman said he started receiving applications in September, and some 18 to 25 year-olds come back for second or third trips. Others, he said, weren't as experienced.
"Some people have never ridden a bike in their life," Newman said.
Edited by Nick Mangiaracina
senate notebook
Student Senate committees met last night at the Burge Union. Bills that pass both committees that they go through will head to full Senate next Wednesday.
Multicultural fund put under Senate rules
Both the finance committee and student rights committee passed legislation to move the Multicultural Education Fund Board under the authority of Student Senate Rules and Regulations. The board is in Appendix N of Student Senate Rules and Regulations, which is not subject to Senate oversight.
Brian Hardouin, law senator, said moving the board would increase accountability for student fees. He also said that moving the board would make fees subject to Student Executive Committee review.
Students chose through referendum to pay $1.50 per semester to the board, which equals about $80,000.The board then helps fund multicultural events and groups.The board is classified as a funding board,which is not subject to a fee review every three years like other boards are.
Nancy Hoch, chair of the Multicultural Education Fund Board, said she agreed the board needed some kind of review, but did not agree that Studex should be the body that reviews. She suggested instead that a new appeals board be created to review all groups like the board.
"I don't think Senate appeals to Studex through
process should be directed solely at MEF," Hoch said.
Creation of a National Latino Fraternity seat
The student rights committee unanimously passed legislation to create a Senate seat to represent the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organization, or NAFLO. The three other Greek organizations have representatives on Senate.
Jason Oruch, off-campus senator who wrote the bill, said the University's NAFLO was one of two in the entire nation. He said creating a seat for the organization would set a precedent for other schools around the country.
Oruch said members of Latino fraternities and sororities created NAFLO this year after being asked to leave the National Pan-Hellenic Council, an organization of black fraternities and sororites. The Latino organizations were not one of the nine nationally-approved NPHC members, so the national organization told the Lawrence chapter to remove them.
Expansion of KJHK
The finance committee passed legislation to fund the $75,000 KJHK 90.7 FM expansion project. The bill was passed last semester in students right committee but tabled in finance. Funds from the project will come from the Student Senate Reserve Account if passed in full Senate.
—Brenna Hawley
funded by:
SENATE
STUDENT
March 6, 2008
BY CORPORATION, THE UNIVERSITY
THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS
Start and End at Maceli's, 1031 New Hampshire.
One mile Walk and 5K Walk/Run.
Registration 7-8am. Stretch and run with Red Dog, at 7:50am. Walk steps off at 8am.
A full breakfast, sponsored by NetworQ, will be served for returning participants from 8:30-10am.
Awards Ceremony 10am.
Registration is online at www.douglascountyaidsproject.org
Saturday, April 12th
A GOOD DEED DESERVES A GOOD FEED.
Sunday, March 9th from 5pm to 9pm Fraternities visit the 9th & Mass Chipote. Sororities visit the 6th & Monterey Way Chipote.
Join us for a fundraiser to benefit The Gordon Parks Charter School.
The Greek house that raises the most money at each restaurant will win a FREE DAY for their house. (Date tbd before end of semester.)
Chipotle
FIND YOURS @ CHIPOTLE.COM
The Brazilian Week www.ku.edu/~brasa brasa@ku.edu March 2 - "Felioada" Brazilian lunch @ ECM /2pm March 3 - Music Recital "Chorinho" and "Bossa Nova" with Johnson Machado @ English Room (KSUnion) /7pm
March 4 - Brazilian Culture and Language lectured by Drs. Paul Sneed and Antônio Simões @ Alderson Auditorium (KSUnion) /7pm
March 5 - Brazilian Past, Present & Future lectured by Drs. Elizabeth Kuznesof and Chris Brown @ Relays Room, Burge Union / 7:30pm
Dance workshop w/ Brazilian Instructors Jana Correa & Rafael Demarco @ Union Ballroom /7pm
March 7 - "Mesao Brasileiro"
The BIG Brazilian Table, w/ Guaraná & Pão-de-Queijo
@ Hawks' Nest (KSUnion) /6pm
March 8 - BRASA's Carnaval Party $10.00 KU
Tickets available @ SUA (KS Union)
9pm @ Abe&Jake's Landing the university of kansas Brazilian Student Association
Center for Community Outreach challenging, educating, empowering
Looking to volunteer?
Center for Community Outreach can help!
We have 15 volunteer programs working throughout Lawrence and can connect you to many local programs.
Contact us!
405 Kansas Union (in the SILC office)
864-4073 • cco@ku.edu
www.ku.edu/-cco
Wishing spring was here? Come join CCO EARTH to discuss plans for the Campus Garden!
Kansas Union Governor's Room
money
friends
lectures
profession
essays
 exams
parents
lalas
academics
The Art of Living Club has a SOLUTION!! Come attend a 'Body, Breath and Mind' session and do some serious stress busting! Includes Yoga, breathing techniques and meditation!
When: Thursday March 6
Where: Jayhawk Room, Kansas Union
Timings: 7:00 - 8:00 pm
Charge: FREE!! (Open to all!)
Contact: manas4@gmail.com • 785-979-3179