RAINING
The University Daily Kansan
Weather
Today: Thunderstorms with a high of 72 and a low of 52
Tomorrow: Cloudy with a high of 72 and a low of 57
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Tuesday. April 10, 2001
Tuesday, April 10, 2001
(USPS 650-640) * VOL. 111 NO. 119
Sports: Senior linebacker uses toughness to lead Jayhawk defense.
See page 1B
Inside: Kansas Union renovations to begin in June on the building's west entrance.
for comments, contact Lori O'Toole or Mindie Miller at 864-4810 or editor@kansan.com
SEE PAGE 5A
Referendum will expand legal service to students
WWW.KANSAN.COM
By Sarah Warren
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
When students hit the polls tomorrow, J.D. Jenkins hopes they don't forget to vote "yes" on this year's only referendum.
"We wanted this to be on the referendum so that students could vote on it directly and send a positive response to the administration about this," Jenkins said.
Jenkins, liberal arts and sciences senator, said student support was key to providing free legal services for students entangled in cases with the University. Now, the service can only advise students if they are involved in a case against the University. The administration didn't allow this until 1997. Before that bill was approved, University administrators had vetoed any bill that Senate passed regarding the expansion of services pertaining to University issues.
The referen d u m would help in the fight to expand the jurisidiction that L e g a l Services for Students has in student c a s e s against the University. Students can use the service when involved in a case against t h e U niversity, but Jenkins introduced a bill to Senate that asked for an attorney from the service to a t t e n d University hearings on a academic misconduct, discrimination and student discipline. The proposed bill would also
What happened: This week's Student Senate election ballot will include a referendum on whether Legal Services for Students attorneys should be allowed to represent students in hearings on academic misconduct, discrimination and student discipline.
What it means: David Amble, vice chancellor for student affairs, rejected the change last month. Administrators in 1992 rejected a Student Senate bill that also would have allowed the policy change, but approved a measure in 1997 to allow Legal Services for Students only to advise students on legal matters involving the University.
What's next: If approved, the referendum would not change the policy, but some student senators hope it will draw administrators' attention to the issue.
Ambler said that if the referendum was popular he would take a look at a new bill but the likelihood of him changing his mind on the issue was slim.
allow an attorney to make calls to University offices on behalf of a student. The bill passed the Senate, but was vetoed by David Ambler, vice chancellor for student affairs.
"The more you make them legal, the less likely the University would make them as disciplinary," Ambler said, referring to the hearings. "I don't think students would want a fight between two roommates to end up in court."
Jenkins said that the referendum wasn't binding with the University, but that it would show that not only was the Student Senate behind the expansion, but the entire student body was, too.
Edited by Jay Pilgreen
Jenkins said Student Senate's stance on expanding the service was intended to allow students to get their money's worth when dealing with the University. He said it upset him that students pay $6 in fees each semester for the service, but that it can't represent them in conflicts with the University.
"I expect students will support it." Jenkins said. "They're already paying for the service, it would just expand what they are getting for their money."
"I think the staff could be tied up serving a few students rather than helping as many as they do now with the things they normally help students with," Ambler said. "I am fearful that a referendum like this sounds good on the surface, but I don't think that students voting on this have had much of a chance to make an informed decision."
However, Ambler urged students to think about the consequences of tying up the service's attorney.
Commission seeks higher turnout
Candy and stickers will be given away to voters at polls
By Brooke Hesler
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Voting for the Student Senate elections starts tomorrow, and Dustin Johnson said there would be some perks for those who vote.
Candy and "I voted" stickers will be passed out at voting sites. The elections commission considered giving out doughnuts at voting sites, raffling off prizes and hiring the mascot, Baby Jay.
Johnson, the elections commissioner, said the commission decided against those ideas because it didn't want people to vote for the wrong reasons.
"We decided against them because the goal isn't just to have everyone vote," he said. "You want them to have a real interest in the elections."
More information For additional information on Student Senate elections See page 3A
Last year, 3,600 students, or approximately 15 percent of the student body, voted in the elections. Johnson said it was a four-year low and 17 to 18 percent of the student body typically voted in elections.
Johnson said he hoped at least 18 percent of students would vote. Johnson pledged that if 25 percent of students voted, he would jump in Potter Lake. He said he invited Delta Force and VOICE presidential and vice presidential candidates to do the same, but hadn't heard back from them.
Brooks McConnell, Wichita freshman, said she wouldn't vote in tomorrow's elections. She said candidates approaching her outside of Wescoe Hall was a turn-off.
"If I had read the articles about the candidates, then I would know more, and I might consider voting," McConnell said.
Shanna Sisson, Hoisington sophomore, said she hadn't made up her mind whether she'd vote. She said she usually didn't mind candidates passing out pamphlets on campus and that she had read them, but none of the platform issues interested her.
"If I heard anything like an issue that's really important to me and affects me, then I would consider voting." Sisson said.
Jessica Bankston, VOICE presidential candidate, said it was important for students to vote because Senate spent their money.
Kyle Browning, Delta Force vice presidential candidate, said Senate represented students' on a variety of boards in the University.
Voting sites outside Haworth Hall, by the main entrance of Strong Hall, in front of Wescoe Hall and in Gertrude Sellards Pearson Hall and Oliver Hall will be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. tomorrow and Thursday.
Voting sites on the second floor of the Burge Union, fourth floor of the Kansas Union and in Mrs. E's will remain open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday.
Edited by Jason McKee
Polling sites
Polling sites for tomorrow's Student Senate elections will be in the following campus buildings:
The second floor of the Burge Union 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The fourth-floor lobby of the Kansas Union 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The sidewalk outside Haworth Hall
The main entrance of Strong Hall
The front of Wescoe Hall
9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Mrs. F'e
Gertrude Sellards Pearson Hall 9 a.m. to
Learning on the lawn
Warm weather moves classes outdoors
Instead of extra pencils and pens, students may want to pack a pair of sunglasses and suntan lotion.
That's because students and teachers say the hot weather has made some classrooms unbearable.
She said the heat inside makes it difficult to learn.
"It's horrible inside," she said of Wescow Hall. "It's hard to pay attention when you're sweating profusely."
Annie Pipes, Winfield freshman, said her math 101 class and French 120 class have gone outside to escape the heat of Strong and Wescoe halls.
Wibke Wojanowski, a German department graduate teaching assistant, had class outside Friday and yesterday.
She said having class outside put her behind, but she had to because it was too hot inside.
"It's not manageable inside," she said. "Neither the instructor or the students can focus."
Chris Souille Rigaut, a GTA for French 120, said he took his class outside because his students preferred to go outside to escape the heat of Wescoe.
He said he would continue to take the class outside as long as his students staved focused on the class.
Aaron Sauerwein, Newton senior, has classes that go outside and remain in the classroom.
Sauerwein, in his fourth year at KU, said classrooms have always been warm and this year was no different.
"Almost every building on campus is sweltering," he said. "The heat can be distracting."
Still, Sauerwein said he tried to
ignore the heat.
"It's kind of a distraction, but I usually try to focus in on what I'm doing," he said.
The air conditioners around campus are in the process of being turned on, said Doug Rlat, director of Facilities Operations.
Riat said the department hoped to have the University completely air conditioned by the end of this week, but wasn't sure if the process would be complete.
Air conditioners in the libraries and museums have already been turned on to preserve the collections, he said.
Yesterday, the department worked on turning the air conditioners on for Stauffer-Flint, Wescoe and Malotl halls and the Dole Center. The department planned to work on Murphy and Learned halls today. Riat said.
He said the University's air conditioners were not completely turned on yet because of the abrupt change in weather.
"We didn't have a lot of time to get the system up and running," he said. Edited by Brenda Straw
- Edited by Brandy Straw
This week's forcast: Spring-like conditions continue until later in the week. Friday's forecast calls for rain and high of 55 and a low of 45
Death on K-State campus raises public attention
By Livi Regenbaum
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Suicides are rare at KU, but awareness is essential
Liza Pehrson did not want to live
The pressures of freshman year at the University of Kansas were too much to handle. Pehrson, Chinook, Mont., junior, swallowed aspirin to try to end her problems — and her life.
With situations like Pearson's, and the recent death of a Kansas State University student, Andrew Charles "Drew" Cobb, 19, suicide has been brought to the forefront. Cobb died from injuries he suffered after jumping from the eighth floor of Haymavir Residence Hall at K-State.
The Center for Disease Control reported Kansas' 325 deaths by suicide exceeded the national rate in 2000.
Richard E. Nelson, assistant director of KU Counseling and Psychological Services and author of The Power to
"I have been at KU 25 years, and we have been few fortunate in having relatively few completed suicides," he said.
Prevent Suicide, said although suicide was a concern on every college campus, he had seen very few suicides at the University.
"I hit a moment where the idea of not having to deal with my problems anymore seemed a lot better than living," she said. "I took a bunch of pills and I thought it would be the answer. Looking back on it now, I knew it wasn't the answer and I was lucky to live through it."
Pehrson said she attempted suicide because she wanted to escape her problems. She realized it was a mistake.
Nelson said things such as the break-up in the last 60 days, the over-use of drugs and a lack of family support could contribute to a suicide attempt.
Pehrson said it was important for people dealing with thoughts of suicide to talk to someone.
"Talking to people makes you realize that there is a way to get through it," she
Suicide Warning Signs
Changes in behavior
- Changes in behavior
- Changes in grades, usually lower, not higher
- Withdrawal from friends
- Changes in sleeping behavior
- Alcohol abuse
Source: Richard E. Nelson, assistant director of Counseling and Psychological Services
Suicide Statistics
Suicides among people ages 15 to 24 in Kansas rose from 47 in 1989 to 62 in 1998, and were the second leading cause of deaths in that age group. They accounted for 18 percent of those deaths, according to a study released last month.
Kyle Ramsey/KANSAN
Source: Kansas Department of Health and Environment
"If they are in a residence hall to talk to
Nelson also stressed the importance of finding people to talk with.
said. "Talk to anybody that you trust and will listen to you."
"Talking to people makes you realize that there is a way to get through it."
Liza Pehrson
Chinook, Mont., junior
a residence assistant or residence director," he said. "If they are living off-campus, to encourage the student to seek help through CAPS. They need people who will talk with them very honestly about what's going on. They need somebody concerned enough to get them the help they need."
If a student notices that one of his friends is having suicidal thoughts, Nelson said it was essential to contact their parents and CAPS.
"The more people who know the warning signs of suicide, the better off they are," he said.
- The Associated Press contributed to this story
- Edited by Jacob Roddy
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