THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS
3A
》 POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT
KU students meet candidates
A couple of young democrats have a much more personal perspective on their presidential candidates than most other students.
Marc Langston, Wichita senior, and Julia Groeblacher, McPherson freshman, traveled to Washington, D.C. to the Democratic National Committee meeting two weeks ago to meet all of the already announced candidates face to face.
"They were trying to get us to work for them." Langston said.
Langston is the former president of the Young Democrats and Groebblacher is the current president. The two met with chapter presidents of College Democrats of America from around the country.
"Hillary was the most impressive to meet because she's a woman I've respected since I was eight," he said. "She's a titan and you can't neglect that and you're overwhelmed by her presence in the room."
Langton said he was excited to meet all of the candidates, but was most star-struck by U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D.N.Y.).
Though Langton said most of the meet and greets were brief and in rooms with usually more than 25 people, students still managed to get some pictures with the candidates.
"They paid more attention and recruited us more than the rich people in the room." Langston said.
Langton said the biggest buzz of the entire four-day event was when the national committee discussed a
resolution to incorporate younger democrats in voting conventions and to set up a youth caucus in Denver during the Democratic National Convention in August 2008.
"They know young people are going to win primaries for them in some states," Langston said.
The candidates met with younger party members in a meeting that was scheduled to last 15 minutes, but ended up lasting an hour.
The two said nobody recruited them harder than U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (D-DEL), who asked Groebleacher to be his Midwest Youth Director, Biden also gave Langston a signed picture of when he met with the Young Democrats from the University in 2005. Biden inscribed the photo, "KU, all blue, I need you."
Langston respected Biden, but decided to support the campaign of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D III.).
Both he and Groeblacher said they returned home united for Obama, who is new to presidential politics.
"He can differentiate between good and bad advice already," Groeblacher said.
They're united behind the entire field of democratic contenders.
"We left knowing there are extremely strong candidates going in the right direction," Groeblacher said.
Kansan staff writer Tyler Harbert can be contacted at tharbert@ kansan.com.
Edited by Jyl Unruh
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Wichita senior Marc Langston, right, poses with U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (D-DEL) in the middle and Julia Groeblehler, McPherson freshman, at the left. Two met mdeb and other democratic presidential candidates in Washington, D.C., at the Democratic National Committee meeting.
》 UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS
Engineering holds opportunities for women
BY BRIAN LEWIS-JONES
When Nicole Schnell began studying to be an electrical engineer at the University of Kansas, she felt out of place among the other students.
"It's a man's world," she said of the School of Engineering. "You're just not brought up to be in that environment. It takes a tough kind of girl."
Now, Schnell, Schnellville, Ind. senior, said she was "one of the guys" among the school's majority demographic; men.
"It takes a special kind of mind," she said. "You have to think objectively and quantify things. Girls just aren't brought up to think that way in general."
The Society of Women Engineers will host a Weekend of Engineering for high school girls Saturday and Sunday with the hope of attracting more prospective female students.
Florence Boldridge, director of
Diversity Programs for the School of Engineering, said women comprise slightly more than 19 percent of the undergraduate Engineering population, which is about 1,500 students. The average percent of undergraduate girls in engineering across
the nation
the nation is 21 percent, she said. According to the Board of Regents, 50.4 percent of students at the University in 2006 were women.
"It's a wonderful opportunity for the girls, and it doesn't bog them down," she said.
The weekend is a smaller-scale version of Project Discovery, a weeklong program for female high school students, Boldridge said. She said
The week end, which is
details
PERCENT OF ENGINEERING STUDENTS WHO ARE WOMEN
> 19.5% at the University
meant to show girls the fun in engineering, has 37 planned attendants, an increase of 28 from last October's weekend for girls. Boldridge said this is the fifth year for the Weekend of Engineering.
> 21% nationally
the outreach programs had an impact on girls coming to the University; seven new female freshmen chose the University's School of Engineering last year after taking part in
Project Discovery or the Weekend of Engineering. This year, it will be hold June 10-16 and July 8-14.
Donna Haverkamp, associate professor of Electrical Engineering, said the number of girls in classes she
has taught ranged from five to none at all.
"It's very clear that there are few women pursuing technical degrees," she said.
Haverkamp spent eight years as a research scientist before returning to teach at the University. She said at her first job she was one of the only women in her department.
Despite being outnumbered by most of her classmates, Schnell said being part of the minority can help someone stand out.
"Being a woman sets you apart. There are opportunities that girls aren't seeing," she said.
Kansan staff writer Brian Lewis-Jones can be contacted at bljones@kansan.com.
Edited by Will McCullough
HEARST JOURNALISM AWARDS
Student awarded second place
BY JOE HUNT
Two writers at the University of Kansas were recognized on Wednesday in the sports segment of the Heart Journalism Awards Program, the highest honor for college journalism students in the country.
The winners were C.J. Moore, Shawnee senior, and Michael Phillips, Wichita senior. Moore placed second and received a $1,500 scholarship, while Phillips placed 12th and received a certificate of merit.
Jan Watten, program director of the Hearst Foundation, said that entries were judged on reporting style, clarity, construction and knowledge of subject.
Moore's story, titled "KU doesn't echo NCAA's tough stance on drugs," began with former starting quarterback Jason Swanson urinating into a cup.
Moore said. "I thought I might be able to place, but second place, that's amazing."
"I was proud of my story."
Moore's story received 50 points from a trio of judges that work at various national newspapers.
Phillips' story, titled "Logos mean more than ever," was published in The Wichita Eagle while he worked there as an intern. The story was about college teams licensing out their logos to make money.
"The fact that it could be recognized like this is very flattering," Phillips said.
The sports category of the Hearst Awards was the fourth of six. The University currently ranks second in overall points, with 139, trailing to Missouri's first place with 164.
Kansan staff writer Joe Hunt can be contacted at jhun@kansan. com.
Edited by Mark Vierthaler
THISWEEKONCAMPUS
Student Senate
The Student Senate is looking to fill the following empty seats:
2 Freshmen
2 Sophomore
1 Engineering
4 Graduate
2 Non-Traditional
If you are interested in filling one of these open spots, pick up an application in the
Student Senate office, Room 410
Kansas Union.
If you have any questions contact
Andrew Payne
apayne@ku.edu
Sexuality Education Committee
Human Sexuality in Everyday Life With Dr. Dennis Dailey KU Professor of Social Welfare
this non-credit course is designed with the realities of the college aged person in mind, with a focus on how sexual development has occurred thus far in their lives, how it is presently being experienced and expressed, and what might occur in the continuous development of healthy adult sexuality.
Sexuality Education Committee Presents:
Register at the FCM any day from 10am-4pm
Students $45 and Non Students $45 ($4 late registration fee after January 26th)
Thursdays 6:30-8:30pm Beginning February 1 for 10 sessions at the ECM
For more information contact the ECM office at 843-4933.
blueprints
SATURDAY
FEBRIARY 24, 2007
9:00AM - 2:30PM
KANSAS UNION
S11 REGISTRATION
SCHOOL SERVICE
Student Development &
Leadership Center
Student Senate
Caro Cola
Carrie Cain
Campus News
February 15th,2007
KU Hillel would like to congratulate our newly appointed appointed board
members Elliot Kort, Allie Stillman,and Max Stetner!
www.kuhillel.org
Do not forget to come to Shabbat this week! Where: Burge Union When: 6:30 p.m.
Congratulations
JAYHAWK
Join us for events throughout the semester!!! From trips to the pumpkin patch or special gallery tours, from our mentoring program to service projects we are here for YOU!
CONNECTIONS
Helping Small Town Students Succeed
All are welcome, membership is free,and meetings and event times vary.
For more information, check out our website (http://www.ku.edu/~connect) or email us at ksconnections@ku.edu.
Check out
funded by:
STUDENT
SENATE
www.groups.ku.edu/~election
Electons Commission SPECIAL ELECTION TODAY!!!!
PAID FOR BY KU
for more info.
Vote online from 6am-10pm Polling site on Wescoe beach 8am-7:30pm
and Mrs. E's 8am-7:30pm
Vote at www.ku.edu/computing/
election
YOUR AD HERE
Attention Student
Groups:
If your student organization is registered with the Student Involvement and Leadership Center, you may get FREE ADVERTISING
Kansan through Student Senate!
Email chrisblackstone@ku.edu for more information.