friday, march 19,2004
news
the university daily kansan 3A
Candidates prepare for campaigns
By Andy Marso amarso@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
The Elections Commission is in place, the candidates are set and the KUnited and Delta Force platforms are written in stone or least in paper fliers. The planning stages are over, the upcoming Student Senate election campaigns are ready to begin and spring break is the only thing stopping them.
While other students are lounging in beach chairs under the sun, the candidates for student body president and vice president will be planning more aggressive postbreak campaigning. With the elections scheduled for April 14 and 15, there will be only a few precious weeks to get students' attention after they return from the week off.
"A lot of people are inspired to make change here at KU."
the last two and a half weeks, that's game time right there,"
Blake Swenson Topaka senior
Steve Munch, KUnited's presidential candidate, said. "Up until then it doesn't matter much. We're just getting things rolling."
Munch is a Bellevue, Neb,
sophomore. He's running with
Jeff Dunlap, Leawood junior. His
Delta Force opponent, Blake
Swenson, is a Topeka senior.
Swenson is running with Kevin
McKenzie, Salina sophomore.
Swenson said he was spending the whole break in Lawrence preparing to step up the campaign.
"We're definitely going to kick it into high gear post-spring
break." Swenson said.
The coalitions have both been doing some light preliminary campaigning in the last few weeks. Swenson said Delta Force had focused on going to student organization meetings and hosting parties.
matter.
KUnited has been doing "passive tabling" on Wescoe Beach since last week. Passive tabling means the coalition members sit at a table and only talk to people who approach them. Coalitions aren't allowed to engage in active tabling, or leaving the table to talk to people walking by, until the last full week before the election.
Lately the coalitions have been focused on registering candidates for the 57 senator positions in the various schools of the University.
Every prospective senator had to get 50 signatures of support from students in its school by Wednesday.
Swenson said Delta Force registered 45 candidates who were diverse in age, ethnicity, area of study and extra-curricular interests.
"A lot of people are inspired to make change here at KU," Swenson said.
KUnited registered 47 candidates, about half of whom Munch said had previous Senate experience.
ence.
"When I look over the charter and see the people we have involved, I couldn't be more excited," Munch said. "It's a great mix of dynamic, hard-working student leaders and there's no telling what we'll be able to do."
There will be a workshop for all the Senate candidates March 29. The first formal debate between the presidential and vice presidential candidates will be April 8
- Edited by Nikki Nugent
By Anna Clovis
aclovis@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Groups show off University at Capitol
There was no escaping the crimson and blue. From doughnuts to display tables, the colors covered the Capitol for the first KU in the Capitol day.
More than 20 groups representing all four KU campuses were on display in the first floor rotunda of the Capitol yesterday.
Legislators, students touring the building and Capitol staff all flocked to the displays, receiving free food and KU accessories. Kevin Boatright, interim vice chancellor for university relations, said the response both at the Capitol and the University had been amazing.
"KU's not just social welfare with a sex class."
Boatright said his office invited groups to participate and received a unanimous response. Because of interest generated by the event, University Relations added other groups who volunteered to attend.
Mark Buhler Senator(R-Lawrence)
Groups present included the School of Law, KU Medical Center, Office of Admissions and Scholarships and KU Continuing Education.
Margey Frederick, visitor services director, helped plan the event. She said the theme for the day was KU Serves Kansas.
Boatright said they wanted to show that the University was not just one campus in one place.
just camp this will have an impact on people who don't understand how extensive our outreach is," Boatright said.
Events planned for the day included a photo of all legislators
connected to the University and an appearance by Baby Jay.
Middle-school students touring the Capitol crowded around the railing on the second floor balcony to get a peek at what the University was doing.
Some even snuck away from the group to grab a free Jayhawk sticker.
Giveaways attracted several people. Joyce Roush, a file clerk at the Capitol, said her office heard the University was offering food, so she and her co-workers came down to check it out.
"We came for the doughnuts," Roush said, "but all the information is good to know."
Legislators hurrying through the rotunda en route to meetings also stopped at the displays. Sen. Mark Buhler (R-Lawrence) said the exhibits brought a lot of energy to the Capitol.
energy to the schools — Buhler said more schools from elementary to college are coming to the Capitol to lobby for education. He said it
"KU's not just social welfare with a sex class," Buhlersaid.
was good for the University to show what it had to offer.
It's a good time of year, too, with the NCAA Tournament beginning yesterday, he said.
While administrators and staff manned most exhibits, two KU students were there to draw attention to the Kansas Asia Scholars program.
program
Eric Garrett, Eudora senior,
and Katie Pretz, Osawatomie
senior, said they were there to
bring awareness of the program to
Kansans.
Garrett said while their booth hadn't seen as much traffic as others because they didn't have any giveaways, many people had been in the rotunda in the morning.
Frederick said the day would become an annual event, and there were already lots of ideas for next year.
- Edited by Nikki Nugent
Alternative Breaks brings issues home
By Patrick Cady pcady@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
For once Renee Horinek knew what it was like. She knew the cold. The desperation.
The Topeka senior spent a night in the west San Francisco streets. She took part in an urban plunge last year as part of the Alternative Spring Break program. She was, for once in her life, homeless.
But, by experiencing the kindness of a stranger, and taking part in the program she understood the power of those who help.
"It is life-changing," Horinek said.
Now, another set of groups 105 students strong - from the Alternative Breaks program, prepare to spread across the country to 13 sites to perform service this spring break.
spring break The groups, usually no larger than seven or eight people, will take part in service opportunities ranging from cleaning the environment to helping AIDS patients, said Horinek, Alternative Spring Break coordinator.
Jasmine Titus, Newton senior, has been on the program five times. She said she always found something new.
This time she's helping patients at a temporary living house that cares for HIV victims in Chicago, an experience she's looking forward to.
"It's a new city for me and a new issue," Titus said. "It's going to be a new experience."
People participating in the program also take part in a class for either no credit, one credit or two credits to help prepare them for service.
It's part of what they call service learning, Horinek said. Participants use their experiences to help learn how to serve people better.
To prepare, each group attends each weekly class, mainly led by facilitators such as Horinek. Dur-
HOW TO GO ON AN ALTERNATIVE BREAK
If you want to take part in an alternative break, follow these steps:
1. Visit the Alternative Breaks office on the fourth floor of the Kansas Union.
2. Look at pictures from past breaks. Ask which might be best for you.
3. Submit an application with the $50 deposit.
5. Attend classes and training sessions.
(scholarships available).
F. Attend classes and trai
4. Pay the next $150 of the total $200 fee upon acceptance into the program (unless available)
6. Go out and serve.
Source;www.ku.edu/~albreaks
ng class, it listens to guest speakers talk about aspects of the different sites and social issues, said Michael Payne, Colorado Springs, Colo., senior and codirector of Alternative Breaks.
Those speakers prepare and broaden the students' minds on the pertinent social issues such as poverty, ecology and queer issues, Payne said.
Titus said that she prepared for her trip by packing lightly with clothes she wouldn't mind getting dirty. A lot of sites might include hands-on labor or dirty work.
Despite the dirty work, Titus said she grew closer to her group and experienced inner growth through the trip.
"When you're doing service learning you take what you need from the experience," Titus said.
Titus said she took back memories from many great service opportunities.
For Horinek, the program led to her future career in social work.
For the rest of the group, the trip's meaning has yet to be found.
Edited by Henry C. Jackson
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