KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2010 / BACK TO SCHOOL
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Hoglund Ballpark's transition to turf means more practice for team
BY CARLO RAMIREZ
cramirez@kansan.com
No longer will players leave Hoglund Ballpark with uniforms covered in grass stains. By Sept. 1, the Kansas baseball team will have officially switched the surface of its field from grass to turf.
In addition to the aesthetically
The $1.1 million project — which was funded entirely by donations from boosters, former players and alumni — will be the final step to legitimizing Hoglund as one of the finest facilities in college baseball, said head coach Ritch Price.
pleasing appearance of the turf, the renovations will also allow more time for the team to train outdoors. Price attributed 15 days of missed practice between the months of February, March and April to poor weather and an unplayable field — 15 chances he believes his team could have used to improve.
After a game at Texas last year,
Price said, one of his players
"Guys in Texas, California and Florida play year-round," Price said. "Using turf will allow us to spend more time outdoors and play more often, which is how you get better."
walked off the turf field and told the coach, "If you make an error on this, you are a bad player.
The switch to turf will allow the field to stay playable even with the severe and inconsistent weather Kansas endures.
"I'm excited 'or turf'" junior first baseman Zac Elgie said. "It allows us to constantly get to play outside and not have to worry about tarping the field and maintenance."
The turf will also improve the hops infielders receive when fielding ground balls. Price said he thought this would build confidence and allow his players to
believe they can field anything hit their way.
Even with all the positives the new turf offers, Price — a former infielder himself — had a difficult time switching from traditional grass and dirt to turf.
"I'm prejudiced when it comes to playing on dirt and grass," Price said. "Because I believe it is the best way to get better."
ing a 15-year span would equal the cost of converting to turf. In essence, the turf will eventually pay for itself.
Even with the emotional tie Price felt toward traditional fields, the appeal of turf was too great. The money the Athletics Department would spend on dirt, grass, water and other field equipment to maintain the field dur-
Price compares the final completion of the field to that of a game seven championship series in Yankee Stadium — the well-manicured playing surface is a treat to play on.
The move to turf fields has become a common trend throughout college baseball fields in America. Grass fields are quickly becoming a thing of the past, and turf is becoming the preferred field surface.
1. 如图所示，在平面镜中看到的像是虚像。
the Lawrence-Bioscience
1 PAGE 6A
v Richardson/KANSAN
.e-art wet lab
MONTEMAYOR
smontemavor@kansan.com
smontemayor@kansan.com
For having grown up with the onset of the Internet, our generation may not be all that Web savvy when it comes to researching, a study by the International Journal of Communication suggests.
M. D. Rezaiekhaligh/KANSAN
The study, written and conducted by professors at Northwestern University, found that students often only chose websites that appeared at the top of Google searches to complete tasks or perform research. Eszter Hargitta, associate professor of communication studies at Northwestern and one of the study's authors, said that most mistakes in the Web research process occur before students even click "Search."
University of Kansas students have nearly 400 databases at their fingertips, with information on every subject at the University that is not usually found through Google searches.
even though
"I think part of it is not so much necessarily what else they can be used." Hargittai said. "I think a big part of it is being more critical and careful about what they are already using."
Hargittai said that search results aren't necessarily ranked in terms of credibility. More sophisticated queries are also needed to glean credible sources from popular search engines.
Tami Albin, undergraduate instruction and outreach librarian, often helps students interested in improving their ability to navigate the library's extensive online resources. She said that whether a student is using Google or a library database, a level of skill is needed to effectively complete a desired task online.
SEE RESEARCH ON PAGE 6A
"The research process, you know, it's like anything else," Albin said. "You learn how to do something well over time. With new technologies, you have to learn how to do research different ways. A student who jumps online and pulls three articles off of the Internet and then writes a paper on it and hands it in the next day is not going to get really, really good grades."
Albin said that students are welcome to bring assignments to the library to review with a librarian and seek the proper avenue for research.
While Alec Rothman, a sophomore from Boston, is an exception to the rule, Thea Glassman, a sophomore from New York City, affirms the study's results.
Rothman said he most often uses the library's databases or news sources such as The New York Times when working on a project. Rothman analyzes the assignment and considers what research will be necessary before logging on. He said that these skills were instilled during a freshman English course.
"My English teacher last year actually looked at our bibliographies before he read our papers to see how valid our sources were," Rothman said. "And once he saw
"We can find ways to access the things they need."
employees to yet uncle acos
BY MICHAEL HOLTZ
mholtz@kansan.com
Two separate policies require students and University of Kansas employees to sign up for direct deposit to receive refunds and paychecks electronically.
According to an announcement that the Bursar's Office posted online, the new refund policy allows students to receive refunds faster and more safely than they would if the University distributed them as checks.
The second policy is a state mandate requiring direct deposited paychecks for all state employees, which includes University employees. The employees have until Oct. 1 to comply with the new policy.
"We've been trying for years to encourage staff and employees to utilize direct deposit," said Diane Goddard, vice provost for
Though the state's deadline for direct deposit enrollment is Oct. 1, the goal of the Bursars Office is to have 100 percent enrollment by the beginning of September. Yoakum said more than 95 per cent of University employees have already signed up.
"The advantage to the University is better business efficiencies," said Katrina Yoakum, comptroller for the University. "We spend a lot of time following up with checks that are not picked up."
administration and finance. "We ramped it up to the 80 percent level pretty quickly. Getting from 80 to 95 percent has been more difficult."
Employees who do not have an account at a financial institution will receive a Skylight Financial account, an ATM-based bank, and a Skylight pay card. Employees must sign up for this service at the Payroll Office.
Kelsey Smith, a junior from Council Grove, signed up for direct deposit when she started work for KU Libraries three years ago. She said shed recommend other students to sign up for it as well.
"I think it's easier that way." Smith said. "You don't have to worry about getting a new check deposited in the bank."
Though University officials have recommended refund direct deposit for at least five years, they was unable to mandate the policy until a federal law changed. The
policy has been in effect since last November.
Yoakum said direct deposited refunds will save the University $10,000 annually.
The Bursar's Office most recently notified students of the refund policy in an e-mail sent Aug. 2. The e-mail included instructions explaining how to set up direct deposit online or by completing a direct deposit authorization form.
"Having everyone on direct deposit means there are fewer people who handle that transaction," Goddard said. "It's just more efficient and much more accurate."
It's also much quicker. Goddard said students signed up for direct deposit will receive refunds at least a day faster than they would otherwise.
Edited by David Cawthon
For more information on refunds, please contact the Bursar's Office.
(785)864-3322
bursar@ku.edu
For more information on paychecks, please contact the Payroll Office.
(785)864-4385
pavroll@ku.edu
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