4A THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2006
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Contributed by April Young
Architecture professor Nils Gore and his 401 Design Build studio spent two days traveling the city to observe debris in the ninth ward where the levee broke in New Orleans.
They discussed plans to construct a neighborhood center that would provide education, technical assistance and support to individual homeowners in an effort to rebuild New Orleans. It would also serve as an art and cultural center.
"We want the community to be very involved in the process to keep their culture and to meet their expectations," said April Young, Idaho Falls, Idaho, senior.
The "Seventh Ward Building Arts Gallery" is the name of the collaborative project, located in the seventh ward, the second-largest section, of downtown New Orleans. It is home to jazz originators, Creole artisans and numerous churches.
Before they could build the center, they needed to understand the city's needs more clearly. Gore and his class spent two days walking around neighborhoods and talking to people. Gore met a man by the name of Benjamin Franklin who was returning to his home for the first time to survey the damage. He planned to return with his family who had been temporarily staying in Arkansas.
Young said "walking around felt like voyeurism in a way, because there are all these tourists taking photos of these
people's houses, which are like their lives open for everyone to see. What people take for granted, photo albums, movies, children's toys, were strewn everywhere."
"I will never know that woman's name, but I will remember that forever," Young said.
The class went to a community meeting at a local church where a story circle took place. People shared their experiences during Hurricane Katrina and their plans for the future.
She said she was standing next to a woman who was staring at her house with tears streaming down her face. Not knowing what to say, Young hugged the woman, who clung to her.
Keeping traditions and their culture alive is a concern for many of the community members, Gore said. The gallery will function as a place where traditions can be passed on to children.
Since the class returned Feb. 12, it has been researching the cultural and architectural history in depth. Its goal is to design a building that keeps New Orleans tradition and uses the feedback it receives. The funding for the building has not yet been determined.
Gore said he envisioned the community center as an extendable building that could be added to in later semesters by his future students. The building will include a covered builder's yard where people can seek assistance with their rebuilding projects. The center will provide tools, workspace and employment for the area. Young sees the center as a place to teach people how to fix their homes and later, their lives.
Contributed by April Young
Young said "We were forewarned before we accepted this challenge, but we all wanted to make a difference and actually build something that will last. I hope future students will respect that."
Homeowners that refused to leave before Hurricane Katrina hit defend their territory.
Amendment fails vote
GOVERNMENT
BY CARL MANNING THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOPEKA — A proposed constitutional amendment to have Kansas Supreme Court justices picked by the governor and confirmed by the Senate has been shot down by the House Judiciary Committee.
The 10-8 vote Monday against the measure means the current system will continue, with a nominating commission interviewing applicants and giving the governor a list from which to make a selection, with no Senate confirmation.
An identical proposal introduced last week by Sen. Jim Barnett (R-Emporia) awaits action by the Senate [judiciary Committee].
Rep. Lance Kinzer, who pushed the proposal, acknowledged the committee action was a setback, but added he's not giving up.
"It means it will be difficult to do anything this year," said Kinzer (R-OLathe). "But if there's a way to continue the discussion, we'll do it."
In inguing the endorsement of his proposal, Kinzer said it was modeled after how federal judges were selected and "would allow people to have a voice in the process while ensuring judicial independence." Unlike the federal system, it would call for periodic retention votes.
But Rep. Paul Davis called it a bad idea.
— Edited by Gabriella Souza
from a process that has worked so well."
Rep. Tim Owens (R-Overland Park) said the proposed change in the state constitution was a reaction to the Supreme Court ruling last year that lawmakers failed to meet their constitutional obligation to adequately fund public schools.
Justices ordered lawmakers to spend an additional $143 million for education in the current budget year, forcing a 12-day special
This allows for the infusion of a great deal more politics in the system. I hate to see us depart from a process that has worked so well."
Rep. Paul Davis D - Lawrence
The method for selecting justices is known as merit selection. It started in Missouri in 1940 and varies somewhat in each of the 23 states using it. No state has scrapped the merit selection plan once it is in place.
“T
session last summer. Many lawmakers, especially conservative Republicans, talked about needing to rein in a court they thought had overstepped its authority.
In Kansas, a nominating commission considers applicants, then presents the governor with three finalists from which to pick one. Justices face a retention vote every six years.
A proposed amendment needs a two-thirds majority of the Legislature to put it on the ballot; voters then must ratify it to make it part of the constitution.
"Do we want to leave this option open for what we call our most important resource?" asked sponsoring Rep. Arlen Siegfreid (R-Olathe.) "It shields our children, teachers and schools from unintended consequences by us or the courts."
When the Legislature missed a July 1 deadline to meet the court's mandate for more money, justices threatened to keep schools closed in the fall. Many, however, saw that as a way to force legislators to do what they were supposed to do.
The House Federal and State Affairs Committee heard testimony about a proposed amendment to prevent courts from closing schools to enforce any order dealing with school finance. Chairman John Edmonds (R-Great Bend) said it might clear the committee, but he didn't think it had enough support to pass the House.
Abolishing merit selection wasn't the only court-altering idea considered Monday.
Bob Bjerg of Kansas Families United for Public Education said the problem laid with the Legislature, not the court.
"It's not the court order that would close public schools, it would be the Legislature's failure to comply with the court order that would close public schools," he said.
Caller
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It was a big step for 10-year-old Lenexa resident Kennedy Fasching, who was visiting her grandma at her new house here in Lawrence a month ago. Fasching's grandma, a diabetic had an allergic reaction and lost consciousness. Kennedy's father, Craig, said that his daughter wasn't able to give the exact location, but gave a nearby street name.
Dispatchers with Douglas County Emergency Communications Center sent crews out explaining that the enhanced 911 system was being used. A second trace on the cell phone was completed before the crew reached the neighborhood, and then pinpointed the exact location of the house, according to the
news release.
"This is such a good thing, especially for college students who rarely have home phone numbers," Craig said. "This is a good feature to have in case someone gets into an accident or their car breaks down on the side of the highway because sometimes you don't always know your location."
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— Edited by Vanessa Pearson
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