KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2010 / BACK TO SCHOOL
59
FOOTBALL
Location is key for tailgaters
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
The location is enviable — so close to Memorial Stadium that you don't even need a car. Of course, if you're living in J-Hawks Apartments, you don't get to have your car there when the stadium is at its most crowded.
Tenants of the apartment complex forgo their parking lot at the behest of the landlord on every football game day, making way for tailgaters who pay $25 per spot.
When the University lots get too crowded or too expensive, parking on private property near Memorial Stadium becomes an attractive alternative for the droves of fans who make their way to Lawrence for Jayhawks home games.
Nancy Compton, a Kansas alumna whose husband and three children also graduated from the University, has rented a parking spot on Illinois just across 11th Street from the stadium every football season since her eldest daughter enrolled more than a decade ago.
Compton said her family considered University spots, but said the price differential, along with the relative proximity of their spot, made it the more attractive option.
The University is allowed to sell parking passes on a per-game basis, parking director Donna Hultine said, but for only two lots: Lot 90, which is right in front of Amber Student Fitness and Recreation center, and Lot 72, between Allen Fieldhouse and the Burge Union. Both lots require the use of a university shuttle to get to the stadium.
"There are some designated parking lots that the University has designated as official tailgating lots," Hultine said, "which basically means
Passes for those cost $20 per game.
that they are allowed to have alcohol in those lots."
Parking spots are also available right next to the stadium, but they are reserved for Williams Fund donors. Earning a spot at those lots works on a point system similar to the ticket plans that have recently gone up in scandal.
Another reason fans may choose a non-University-sanctioned spot is that there are no time constraints on when they can start tailgating. Hultine said the University won't let tailgating begin until three hours before the game, but some off-campus parking does not have the same restraints.
"If we've got a night game, I'm going to be out there for lunch," said Nate Wilke, a senior from Dallas. "I've got friends that have KU spots and friends that just rent them, and we'll just start earlier off campus."
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PAGE 6A
MONTEMATOR
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M. D. Rezaiekhaligh/KANSAN
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.
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 Hargittai, 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."
even easier to use.
"I think part of it is not so much necessarily what else they can be using" Hargittai said. "I think a big part of it is being more critical and careful about what they are already using."
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.
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.
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.
"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."
SEE RESEARCH ON PAGE 6A
Albin said that students are welcome to bring assignments to the library to review with a librarian and seek the proper avenue for research.
"Librarians love to find stuff, so we're really good at it," Albin said.
"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
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.
"We can find ways to access the things they need."
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.
employees to yet direct deposit
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.
"We've been trying for years to encourage staff and employees to utilize direct deposit," said Diane Goddard, vice provost for
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.
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 percent 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.
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.
"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."
— 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 payroll@ku.edu
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