Thursday January 14,1988
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Published since 1889 by the students of the University of Kansas
Vol. 98, No. 75 (USPS 650-640)
Smokestacks to be extended
By Jeff Moberg
Kansan staff writer
University of Kansas facilities operations officials expect to receive plans from the state architect's office this month that will add almost 40 feet to two smokestacks at the KU power plant.
The smokestacks need to be raised because they do not meet the Environmental Protection Agency's standards. The additions will cost about $100 per unit that will make the stocks about 108 feet tall from the power plant's floor.
The smokestacks are behind Staufer Hall in the southeast corner of campground.
The University's problems with EPA standards began last summer, when it tore out a 25-foot-tall white smokestack, which was 65 years old. In its place, two shorter stacks were built.
While the stacks were under construction, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment informed the University that the stacks would not be high enough. Computer tests conducted by Dennis Lane, professor of civil engineering, showed that the stacks needed to be raised to diffuse enough of the sulfur dioxide emanating from the boilers below.
The power plant's two primary boilers burn both fuel oil and natural gas. The fuel oil releases sulfur dioxide, which is formed when oil containing sulfur is burned.
On Nov. 24, the office of facilities planning sent a letter to the state architect's office, asking it to design the additions so the stacks could comply with the EPA's guidelines.
Anderson said he was pleased with preliminary drawings of the addi-
"T
Dennis Lane
The lower the stack is when you release something, it's going to be closer to the people from an emissions standpoint.'
professor of civil engineering
tions when he visited the state architect's office last week.
Lane, who was asked by KU officials to see what action they would have to take to get the stacks under compliance, said that part of the problem with the current height of the stacks was that the power plant is at the bottom of a hill.
"The lower the stack is when you release something, it's going to be closer to the people from an emissions standpoint." Lane said. "In order to get dispersion of the gases you need to get the stack in the hill."
Area residents complained last summer about bad odors and smoke released from the plant as a result of burning a low-grade, high-sulfur concentrate oil.
Anderson said the smell was caused by new equipment placed on two of the boilers and not the height of the water. That problem was corrected last fall.
Book work
These students found things a bit crowded as they shipped for books in elbow-to-elbow traffic yesterday at the KU Bookstore.
New program helps foreign students
By James Buckman
Kansan staff writer
College could be considered a big adjustment for anyone.
Add to that the shock of a new country, culture and language, and one gets a feel for the predicament many foreign students are in.
But the office of student affairs has established a new program this semester to ease those tough adjustments. The program uses KU students as advisers to incoming foreign students.
Dan Copeland, graduate student in the office of foreign student services and administrator of the program, said, "The idea is to match students who are arriving here on campus with someone who is familiar both with KU and American culture.
"We want to help them understand what education at KU is going to be like, because it is probably very different from the system they came out of in their country, wherever that may be," he said.
The program selected eight students to advise 18 new foreign students who had requested help. Of the
We want to help them understand what education at KU is going to be like, because it is probably very different from the system they came out of in their country, wherever that may be.'
eight advisers, four are U.S. citizens and four are foreign students. Most have traveled extensively and have worked with international students on campus.
M9
Dan Copeland program administrator
Copeland said cultural clubs on campus provided foreign students with support but lacked certain elements.
"One of the things they don't do is
provide students with contacts beyond their own national groups," he said. "For their adjustment to be really successful here, they need to make friends beyond their own circle of people, and especially beyond their own language.
"We match them up with people who aren't going to speak their own language, but yet who are sensitive to difficulties they face, such as new social patterns. There are so many things that are totally different," he said.
The office previously had used volunteers to meet foreign students during the first few days of class. Copeland said the new program would provide support throughout the semester.
"We're going to try to follow through with the students so we don't just see them once, but stay in touch with them," he said.
Budiman Kok, Jakarta, Indonesia, senior and one of the student advisers, said most foreign students were
ready to learn at KU but needed help in some areas.
"Most of the foreign students come here really wanting to stay and achieve their goals," he said. "Their only problem is that when they first come here they have a problem with English."
Karen Komp, Lawrence sophomore and a student adviser, said some foreign students needed someone to help them get acquainted with the University.
"I thought I had enough knowledge of the campus to help them get around," she said. "We want them to understand that they have someone to talk to whenever they need to talk. I want to make them comfortable with me and show them I can help them with anything at anytime."
Copeland said the program was available to approximately 110 foreign students this spring. He said he hoped the program would become able to accommodate 300 to 400 students next fall.
KU's Branch now ineligible
By Elaine Sung
Kansan sports writer
Kansas basketball center Marvin Branch was declared academically ineligible yesterday morning and will be unable to practice or play with the team for the remainder of the season.
Branch is a junior transfer from Barton County Community College. He started all 14 games this season, earning 8.4 points and 6.1 rebounds.
His best performance for the Jayhawks was against American last week, when he scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Branch could not be reached for comment, and KU coach Larry Brown was in Armes Iowa, where the Cyclones to the Iowa State Cyclomes last night.
"A lot of other schools have special programs to give them a chance to be successful, and they often use Mouse" programs, either. "He said."
"I think it's obvious that we have to make some changes," he said. "We don't have the curriculum set up for some of our students that don't have the normal background other students do.
In an earlier press conference, however, Brown said he was not happy with the academic system at KU.
Olga Evelyn, academic adviser for the KU basketball team, would not comment on the details of
Marvin Branch
Branch's ineligibility. She said only that Branch did not make the National Collegiate Athletic Association's eligibility requirements.
"We wait until the very last minute to make the announcement because every student has the right to question his grade and review it with his professor and see what the average came out to be," she said.
Evelyn also said that she received reports throughout the semester on all the players.
"You can warn them, you can help them and be as supportive as possible, but the ultimate responsibility is with the individual" she said.
By Elaine Woodford
Regents to discuss new admissions plan
Kansan staff writer
Members of the Kansas Board of Education and the Regents discussed the merits of the proposal yesterday afternoon at a joint meeting of the boards in Topeka.
TOPEKA — Questions and concerns continue to abound about the feasibility of the Board of Regents qualified admissions proposal and its effect on Kansas high schools.
■ See related story p. 5
Bill Musik, a member of the State Board of Education, questioned the need for two years of foreign language in high school, which would become a requirement if the proposal passes the Legislature. He also was concerned about the ability of smaller schools to provide instruction.
The boards discussed the effect of the curriculum requirements on smaller high schools in the state. The proposal would require four years of English, three years of math, social studies and natural science, and two years of foreign language.
"Smaller schools with limited resources would be affected if these requirements go through. It might increase the number of high school dropouts. If schools must adopt a curriculum designed just for college education, that would decrease the number of vocational classes." Musik said.
"I see this proposal forcing high school students to decide too early if they want to attend college or not," said Richard Reinhardt, a Regent from Erie. "What if a student finally decides to attend college his senior year? If he hasn't taken these classes, will he not be allowed to enroll?"
"We think there are too many windows, too many ways to get in, while legislators and others may think that there shouldn't be any obstacles to admission," said Richard Doddridge, a Regent from Kansas City. "Students should aim higher than just the minimum and realize that the ultimate goal of the proposal is good."
The Regents said yesterday that they planned to appoint a task force to determine specific course content for high school classes.
The proposal does provide for a "window" of 15 percent of the freshman class, who could be exempted from the minimum admission requirements.
"We want to look more at what children know rather than the fact that they passed the course," said Lee Droegemueller, state commissioner of education. "We know children need to learn about what level? We want to move education ahead and reduce the amount of remediation at the college level."
The Regents were concerned that high schools would create courses in name only, which would not prepare students in the core subjects.
Museum anniversary features lasers, films
By Donna Stokes
Kansan staff writer
Students can see a laser light show, the newest innovations in animated films and computer graphics demonstrations at the 10th anniversary of the Spencer Museum of Art on Saturday.
The celebration will be from 1 to 5 p.m. and from 9 to midnight.
Activities in the afternoon will be geared toward families. The museum will resume the laser light shows and animated films at 9 p.m. The Homestead Greys will play during a free dance that will begin at 9:30 p.m. The evening's activities are specifically for KU students.
Popcorn and soft drinks will be served.
The laser show "Son of a Well-Tempered Laser," which is set to classical music, will begin at 1:30 and 9:45 p.m. "Laser Sphere II," set to heavy metal music, will begin at 2:45 and 11 p.m. Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" will be shown once at 4 p.m.
All the laser shows will be in the museum auditorium.
"I believe the laser shows will be the highlight of the event," said Ann El-Omiam, curator of education at the art museum. "I really hope a lot of students will take advantage of this opportunity."
1
The animated films will begin at 1:30 p.m. with "The Coyote and the Lizard." a computer-animated version of a Navajo folktale. Eleven different films will be shown throughout the event. The films will be shown in 211 Spencer.
"These films are really state-of the-art innovations," said Carol Shankel, art museum managing editor.
"Make and Take Art" will be featured during the afternoon. Children and adults will be able to experiment with graphics on computers set up by ComputerLand, Computerark and EZ Comp. The computers will be set up in the 20th century gallery.