THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2006 NEWS CAMPUS THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 3A Social welfare school will get dean from LSU Mary Kondrat, dean of Louisiana State University's School of Social Work, has been named as the new dean of the School of Social Welfare. Kondrat will succeed Ann Weick, who announced she would step down last year after nearly 19 years as dean. Kondrat "Dean Kondrat is an experienced dean with proven ability. Her interest in promoting international research and study abroad and in promoting interdisciplinary research fit well into the central themes of this university." Provost David Shulenburger said in a press release. Kondrat has been at LSU since 2003. While at LSU, she initiated and oversaw the School of Social Work's inaugural Community Campaign, which targeted foundations and donors for fund raising and initiated a focused minority recruitment strategy. Kondrat said she was excited about becoming the dean of the School of Social Welfare at the University. "It is a privilege for me to be able to work together with this outstanding faculty and staff to enhance the school's already excellent educational and research programs," she said. Mindy Ricketts Commissioner praises education program Kansas Education Commissioner Bob Corkins said on Wednesday that the University of Kansas' newest change in the education system, growth modeling, is one step better than the national No Child Left Behind program Wednesday. Growth modeling is a program designed to record the individual improvement of each student rather than No Child Left Behind's monitoring of the progress of groups of students. "Growth modeling is, I believe, a very dramatic improvement," he said. He spoke at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries building for a University forum. He said growth modeling allowed education to be tailored to each student, making "time the variable" and "learning the constant" rather than the opposite, which he said was the case in education today. He said that for the past year, the state had been putting together profiles of students to start tracking their progress. He said that with the information, the state would be able to identify the problems within the education system and make improvements. "Research is the key, in my mind, benefit of this," he said about the program. "Students will be able to progress at their own pace." Corkins also addressed his first four months in office. He said about the educators and the state, "Their defensiveness right off the bat led me to be defensive." — Anne Weltmer NATION Investors questioned Enron's strength Nine months before Enron Corp. flamed out in bankruptcy, some investors were questioning the strength of its businesses despite public assurances from company founder Kenneth Lay and former CEO Jeffrey Skilling that all was well, jurors in their fraud and conspiracy trial learned Wednesday. Those questions and a stock price that dropped to less than $60 per share from its high of $90 in August 2000 prompted Skilling to hold a conference call in March 2001 to reassure Wall Street that Enron was healthy. Prosecutors have played clips of videos to bolster allegations that Skilling and Lay lied about Enron's financial health. The Associated Press Evading an epidemic Xinhua, Jianq Hongqing/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Health workers man a checkpoint to disinfect passing vehicles Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2006 in Yijing, Yangquan City, north China's Shanxi Province, where the government reported on Wednesday its 29th reported outbreak of bird flu since Oct. 19. Up to 15,000 fowl in Yijing were found dead between Feb. 2-3, China's Xinhua news agency said. It did not give any details on what type of birds they were. The sign reads, "No entry, Epidemic area." Fat facts revealed NUTRITION McDonald's unveils the truth about fries BY DAVE CARPENTER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CHICAGO — McDonald's french fries just got fatter — by nutritional measurement. The world's largest restaurant chain said Wednesday its fries contain a third more trans fats than it previously knew, citing results of a new testing method it began using in December. That means the level of potentially artery-clogging trans fat in a portion of large fries is eight grams, up from six, with total fat increasing to 30 grams from 25. McDonald's Corp. starts rolling out packaging for its menu items that contain facts about their nutritional content — a move made voluntarily but with the fast-food industry under pressure from consumer groups and the government to provide more information. The disclosure comes as McDonald's said it updated the nutrition info on its Web site last month as soon as it discovered the new level of trans fat. It explained the increase by saying an improvement in the testing process has made results more accurate. Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, called the change "quite a dramatic increase." He renewed the nonprofit health advocacy group's call for McDonald's and other fastfood chains to make healthier food — and for the Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of partially hydrogenated oil, the source of trans fat. McDonald's pledged in September 2002 to switch to a new oil that would halve the level of harmful trans fatty acid in its fries. But it has delayed those plans, citing product quality and customer satisfaction as priorities while continuing testing. ON THE RECORD A 22-year-old KU student reported an Apple iPod and Douglas County Bank checkbook stolen from his vehicle between 9 p.m. Jan. 27 and 3:30 p.m. Jan. 28 in the 1000 block of Alabama.The iPod was valued at $300. A 26-year-old KU graduate student reported his 3 feet by 5 feet double-pane window destroyed between 10 a.m. and 2:45 a.m. on Sunday at 337 Lyon St. The window was valued at $200. ON CAMPUS ♦ The Summer Study Abroad Fair is from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. today in the fourth floor lobby of the Kansas Union. - The Engineering and Computer Science Career Fair is from 12:30 to 5 p.m. today in the Kansas Union Ballroom. - Marc Becker, Truman State University associate professor of history, is giving a lecture entitled "The World's Other Superpower: The 2006 World Social Forum in Venezuela" at noon today in 318 Bailey Hall. He will also give another lecture entitled "Mariategui, the Comintern and the Indigenous Question in Latin America" at 3:30 p.m. today at the Hall Center for the Humanities. - Ina Robertson is giving a lecture entitled "Charge Exchange X-Rays from the Heliosheath" at 4 p.m. today in 3078 Malott Hall. The film "Jarhead" will be shown at 7 p.m. tonight at the Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas Union. Tickets are $2 or free with an Activity Card. THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS Center for Community Outreach challenging. educating. empowering. February 9, 2006 wednesday, February 22 from 6-8pm St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center Natural Ties is a student-run volunteer program that fosters friendships between individuals with and without disabilities. Natural Ties Spaghetti Dinner! Project Bridge Volunteers knowledgeable in another language tutor people of all ages who are learning English as a second language. Meeting will take place Wednesday, February 15th,6-8pm Big XII Room in the Kansas Union For more information e-mail pbridge@ku.edu Recycling Drop-off February 25 from 10am-4pm on the East side of the KU Memorial Stadium Parking Lot Student Environmental Advisory Board Want to PAID FOR BY KU Stop by the KU Habitat for Humanity booth on Wescoe Beach February 13 & 14 GET NAILED this Valentine's Day? founded by: STUDENT SENATE Circolo Italiano Italian Club Meets every 2nd Thursday of every month 6:00 at Aimee's following La Tavola For more info email eirecolo@raven.cc.ku.edu http://www.ku.edu/~eirecolo Brazilian table every Friday at 5pm at Henry's Upstairs Come speak Portuguese and meet Brazilian people... BRAZA Brazilian Student Association MILK -For only one hour a week, volunteers can tutor, be in a class, or work one-on-one -openings for immediate board members available Mentors In The Lives of Kids Mentoring In the Lives of Kids is an after-school volunteer program that works with 8 different elementary and junior high schools Contact milk@raven.cc.ku.edu or (785) 864-4072; SILC offices 410 Kansas Union Leadership Conference February 25, 2006 Cost: $10 Registration is online at www.ku.edu/~silc/blueprints Or stop by the Student Involvement & Leadership Office Due Monday February 20th Submissions must be sent as either doc format or in the body of an email. Questions and submissions can be sent to: submissorecorder.com the 14th of February KU's newest journal, "Comma, Splice," has extended its submission deadline to the 14th of February. kuswat@yahoo.com -submissions of any genre of creative writing are welcome -Up to five pieces or t3 pages of submission welcome -we are a faction of KU Student Writer's Association. The (KU SWAT) 4