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VOL.116 ISSUE 136
TRANSPORTATION
Photo contributed by Design and Construction Маазееме
New buses displayed
Photo controle by univ. KU students and staff at the Optima Bus Plant in Wichita view a partially completed bus, Tuesday. The University of Kansas has ordered five new buses from Optima. The buses will service the new Park and Ride lot.
Park and Ride adds new vehicles
BY DEJUAN ATWAY
datway@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Four new Park and Ride buses were unveiled at the Optima Bus Corporation plant on Tuesday in Wichita.
Select faculty members of the University of Kansas were invited to make the two-and-a-half hour trip to look at four of the five new buses, which will be used to shuttle students back and forth from the main campus to the new Park and Ride lot located on West Campus.
THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2006
cated on web sites. The new Park and Ride shuttle service is a fare-free system that can be used by students, staff, faculty and visitors. The new Park and Ride project, along with these new buses, will help reduce the congestion on campus, Danny Kaiser, assistant
to the vice provost for student success, said.
success, so I heard people say that it will take longer to get where you need to go on campus. Actually it will take less time because you won't have to hunt for parking spaces," said Kaiser, who also serves as the chairman of the Lawrence Public Transportation Advisory Committee.
Donna Hultine, director of the parking department, said the new Park and Ride lot would be open by the end of July and the buses would be in use starting on Aug. 14.
The shuttle service will run on an express route that will take six minutes to get from main campus to west campus during peak times, Hultine said. Peak times are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
SEE BUSES ON PAGE 4A
LEGISLATION
Law boosts budget
Interest from tuition to bring millions back for University projects
BY FRED A. DAVIS III
fdavis@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
The University of Kansas will have about $3.3 million more to spend on campus maintenance starting in July 2007.
That money is a part of the tuition interest legislation that was signed into law on Monday by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. The law takes effect July 1, 2007.
The law stipulates that the money given to each school must be spent on maintenance projects for the first five years. After that time expires, the university can spend the money as it sees fit.
Under the new law, interest earned from tuition payments at the six Board of Regents universities will go back to the respective university, as opposed to its previous destination as part of a general state fund and not necessarily for the universities.
Lindy Eakin, vice provost for administration and finance, said he was not surprised the governor signed the bill, given the overwhelming support it received from the Kansas House and Senate.
Eakin said that the estimated $42 million the University would receive during the next five years would help various maintenance projects around campus. As for which projects will be chosen, that decision will come in November or December when the University submits a package to
the Board of Regents detailing its maintenance plans.
Figures released by the Kansas Board of Regents estimate $8.5 million will go back to the various Regents schools.
Nicole Corcoran, press secretary for the governor, said that allowing tuition and fee payments to stay with the universities would directly benefit students, visitors and faculty
Corcoran said the bill was essential in the repair and maintenance of campuses around the state and that Sebelius hoped it truly helped both universities and communities.
Lattea by vanessa Pearson
He's going for distance
Alex Mitts, Wichita junior, left, and Matt Goble, Lawrence junior, compete against each other in the velcro bungee run that was part of the Student Union Activities "Recess for KU Students" set up outside of Stauffer-Flint Hall Wednesday afternoon. Several inflatable activities were set up free for KU students. Goble stated that he "pummelled" Mitts in the run.
HEALTH
Vaccination still advised
MMR vaccine combats more than mumps
BY CATHERINE ODSON
codson@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Rheumatoid arthritis weakened her immune system and kept the Chanhassen, Minn., sophomore from being vaccinated as a child. The University of Kansas placed a hold on her enrollment last year until she provided evidence of being ineligible for vaccination.
Valerie Wahbeh doesn't understand why the fact that she never received the MMR vaccine is such a big deal.
But because a majority of the students who got mumps were vaccinated, Wahbeh's not sure why the shot is necessary.
Despite the fact that the shot is required for students, about
MUMPS COUNT
Here are the number of mumps cases as of Wednesday afternoon
1,000 KU students have not received the MMR — mumps, measles and rubella — vaccination, said Patricia Denning, chief of staff at Watkins Memorial Health Center. Students can be exempt for personal, religious or medical reasons, but have to sign a waiver that says they understand the repercussions of not having the vaccine.
Total cases in Douglas County: 84
Total cases among KU students: 62
Scientists are still investigating why the vaccine hasn't been successful in preventing mumps,
Source: Lynn Bretz, University Relations
but Denning said it still offered protection against measles and rubella, which are more serious and more than an inconvenience. Measles causes cold-like symptoms and a rash and can lead to more serious complications than mumps, such as pneumonia and encephalitis. Denning said measles was more likely to result in fatalities.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment allowed unvaccinated students to stay on campus, even with the mumps present.
If this was a measles outbreak, the situation would be different, Denning said. The measles virus is more efficient in infecting people.
"Those 1,000 students wouldn't be in class right now," Denning said.
A measles outbreak in the early '90s kept several hundred unvaccinated students off campus for two weeks, including for the final periods. Some students didn't graduate on time because
This year's mumps scare provided a good learning experience about contagious diseases, Denning said. She said the students without the vaccine should reconsider their decision. The larger number of people vaccinated helps keep a disease under control, and getting the vaccine could protect someone who is not medically eligible.
"Many times people can motivate themselves to do something they don't want to do to protect their friends and family," Denning said.
of the delay, Denning said.
Denning said.
Despite the fact that one of the girls on her floor was diagnosed with mumps on Wednesday, Wahbeh said she wasn't worried about getting sick. She said she would continue the preventative measures she already took, such as washing her hands and keeping her distance from the sick.
- Edited by Timon Veach
ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT
Searching for a new voice
ESPN Regional and the Kansas Athletics Department are trekking through new territory
They are trying to find a replacement for Kansas' first-ever sports broadcaster, Max Falkenstien.
Kansas considers next option
Throughout his 60-year tenure, Falkenstien worked
By Eric JORGENSEN
ejorgensen@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
people, but until now no one has ever had to find someone to take over for the 82-year-old announcer. Falkenstien's March retirement from broadcasting Jayhawk football and basketball
Currently, Bob Davis calls play-by-play. The person who replaces Falkenstien will call the games alongside Davis.
games has opened the door for someone new.
Angela Haar, ESPN Regional general manager, is in charge of finding that replacement. Haar said she and the department had received many audition tapes and applications for the position. She said in the next week she would be evaluating all the candidates, then she would meet with the department to determine the best candidate.
Haar said ESPN Regional and the department would not hire a rookie announcer, but rather a seasoned voice.
SEE REPLACE ON PAGE 4A
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