CAMPUS/AREA: North Lawrence and downtown businesses prepare for the opening of the Tanger Outlet Mall. Page 3.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
VOL.103, NO.64
ADVERTISING: 864-4358
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18. 1993
[USPS 650-640]
Give us a break; fall's just too long
NEWS:864-4810
Tracy Allery, Lawrence junior,
wants a break from classes.
"This is the worst time of the semester," she said. "You get stressed out."
Allery is just one of many students who have expressed interest in having a break earlier in the fall semester than Thanksgiving
Larry Maxey, professor of clarinet, music and dance and head of the calendar committee, said the committee was approached with the idea of a fall break last year by several students.
The calendar committee is a University governance body that creates the University's academic schedule each year for University Council.
What students do not realize, Maxey said, is that if the University of Kansas had a fall break, students would have to make up the lost class time.
Carol Prentice, assistant to the vice chancellor for academic affairs, said the Board of Regents required each Regents institution to have a minimum of 150 days of classes, not including the finals period.
Maxey said a fall break would be difficult to schedule because there was not a fixed midterm exam period.
He said that if KU were to have a fall break, it would have to be closer to the middle of the semester because of Thanksgiving.
Allery said the break should be during the third or fourth week in October.
"That's the longest haul," she said. "It's like Thanksgiving is never coming."
KU's Spring Break begins on March 20, the 11th week of the 18-week spring semester. If there was a fall break with the same schedule, the break would begin on Nov. 1.
David Amber, vice chancellor for student affairs, said the fall semester would have to begin earlier to compensate for the break because it would have to be finished by the end
Should the University have a fall break?
How many days should the fall break be?
■ When should it be scheduled?
■ Would you be willing to have a longer semester in exchange for a fall break?
HOW TO USE OREAD FORUM:
1) Call 864-9040 and wait for the tone at the end of the greeting.
2) Record a concise message (try to keep it less than two minutes). We suggest outlining your ideas on paper first. Names are not required.
3) Hang up immediately when finished.
4) If you preter, you may respond in a typewritten or printed letter to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall. Clearly mark "Oread Forum" on the letter or envelope.
WHAT WE'LL DO:
1) The Kansan will report the content of Oread Forum discussions in subsequent issues. The Kansan reserves the right to use all, part or none of each recorded message and letter.
2) We will forward all responses to the University's Calendar Committee, which drafts the academic schedule.
3) The Forum will stop taking responses 6 p.m. on Friday.
of the calendar year.
He said that starting the fall semester earlier would be difficult because the summer semester ended in July and residence hall staff members started working on Aug. 1.
"You'd be talking about a continuous school year," he said. "Our calendar is a rather elongated one now."
Ambler said he thought students had enough time off with Thanksgiving vacation and did not need a fall break.
Kristy Eumont, Eudora junior, said she would like a break during the fall semester but would not want to prolong the semester.
earlier," she said. "I'd rather have a longer summer."
Jeff Steinhouse, Tulsa, Okla,
sophomore, said he would not mind
starting the fall semester earlier if KU
had a fall break.
"I wouldn't want to start school any
"I think everyone gets frazzled by
Thanksgiving," he said.
Steinhouse said the break only needed to be a couple of days and not a week.
"You need that one day in the middle of everything," he said.
Tim Bruck, Overland Park senior, said he did not want to prolong the semester with a break.
"School is long enough as it is," he said.
Five H.O.P.E.Award finalists recognized for teaching skills
By Brian James Kansan staff writer
Barbara Woods could not believe she had been named one of five finalists for the HOPE Award.
Woods, director of continuing education in pharmacy practice, said she thought the announcement was a joke.
"I was really surprised," she said, laughing "I think they better check the names again."
The Honor for Outstanding Progressive Educator award is given each fall to outstanding professors who use unique teaching styles. The Board of Class Officers and members of the senior class nominate professors for the annual award.
The five finalists are Woods; Jeff Aube, associate professor of medicinal chemistry; Timothy Bengtson, associate professor of journalism; Dennis Dailey, professor of social welfare; and Greg Shepherd, assistant professor of communication studies.
"The award honors professors who are willing to make an extra effort and discuss anything with a student," said Ben Schwartz, Northbrook, Ill., senior, and president of the senior class. "They help you learn, and they're also your friends."
The winner will be announced today and recognized at the football game on Saturday. The winner's name will be engraved on a plaque to be displayed in the Kansas Union.
All of the professors nominated said that being a finalist for the award was special because it was decided by students.
Woods, who has taught at the University of Kansas for five years, said her nomination indicated that students
enjoyed her one-on-one style of teaching.
"I enjoy being there for them — being accessible," she said.
Aube said he thought students nominated him because he tried to incorporate humor and apply his class lessons to real life.
"He said teaching — interacting and meeting with students, getting to know them — was something that we emphasized." Bengtson said. "I think that's what I've enjoyed most."
"My impression is that they appreciate my classroom style." he said. "I'm an informal person."
Bengtson said that when he came to KU 15 years ago, Del Brinkman, then dean of journalism, asked him if he enjoyed teaching.
Bengtson said a professor's enthusiasm always was contagious.
"I encourage them to reach for the stars," he said. "I try to point students in the direction of attaining high aspirations."
Dailey, who has taught at KU since 1969, said students responded to his direct style of teaching. The fact that he teaches a class on sex and relationships helps, he said.
"I enjoy developing relationships with students, but it's a little more difficult," he said. "I try to make a big class feel as small in size as possible."
In his four and a half years as a professor at KU, Shepherd said, he had been both pleased and frustrated that his class size had more than tripled.
"The class is relevant to their lives," he said. "They will find that learning about relationships is important, not only while they are here at KU, but also in the future."
House passes NAFTA after daylong debate
34-vote victory margin larger than anticipated
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — In a hard-earned triumph for President Clinton, the House approved the North American Free Trade Agreement late yesterday to fuse the United States, Mexico and Canada into the world's largest trading bloc. Republicans provided a majority of the support.
The 234-200 vote sent the measure to the Senate, where leaders predicted approval within a few days. "NAFTA is a lock," predicted GOP Leader Bob Dole in a written statement.
Clinton, beaming, lauded the House within moments of the vote. NAFTA would "expand our exports, create new jobs and help us assert America's leadership in the global economy. ... We chose to compete, not retreat, to lead a new world economy, to lead as America has done so often in our past," said the president, who leaves today for a trade meeting in Seattle with leaders of 15 Asian nations.
The House rendered its verdict after a daylong debate that reflected high-minded disagreements over America's
role in the world economy and bare-knuckled politics. Scores of labor-backed Democrats abandoned their president to oppose the accord, but 132 Republicans signed on to assure passage.
Every representative from Kansas voted for the bill except Democrat Jim Slattery, a candidate for governor of Kansas.
The 34-vote margin was far wider than anticipated, the result of a furious last-minute lobbying blitz that blended presidential phone calls with concessions to key lawmakers concerned about the pact's impact on a variety of domestic industries.
A cheer went up in the chamber when the vote count passed the 218 needed to approve the pact. Opponents stood in clumps, shaking their heads and grimacing at the result.
"A vote for NAFTA is in the great tradition of our party." House GOP Leader Bob Michel of Illinois said in a ringing speech of support. "So let it be said on this crucial vote tonight, that we Republicans did not sacrifice the jobs of tomorrow to the fears of today."
Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt summed up for the opponents who fear the pact will throw thousands of Americans out of work. "Deficient and flawed," he said of NAFTA. "We cannot and must not expose our workers and our corporations to unfair competition."
A welcoming fanfare
William Alix / KANSAN
Students throw shredded newspapers in the air as Kansas is introduced to the crowd of 13,100 before the opening season game against Western Michigan. The Jayhawks defeated the Broncos 69-50 last night at Allen Field House. See game story on Page 11.
With survivor's eyes
A new exhibit at Watson Library spotlights books written and illustrated by survivors of the Holocaust.
Page 9.
Regents to consider Watkins expansion
By Liz Klinger
Kansan staff writer
By Liz Klinger
Watkins Memorial Health Center will present a revised, $5,650,000 expansion proposal to the Board of Regents today in an attempt to get more use out of its growing organization. In addition to reducing the waiting time to see a physician, the expansion would expand areas designated for urgent care, examination rooms, Counseling and Psychological Services, or CAPS, and gynecology.
The expansion, proposed for the north side of the building, would increase the student health care fee of $69.50 by about $10 to $12, said Jim Strobl, director of Walkins. The student health care fee has not been raised since 1988, he said.
"The major problem we have in this building is we don't have the proper amount of space in the right areas," Strobi said. "We have excellent doctors. We just don't have the facilities for them to be able to turn out a high volume of patients."
In 1992, about 70 percent of students used Watkins, Strobi said. From 1983 to 1992, the number of physician visits has increased from 15,229 to 44,971. During that time, the total number of visits increased from 49,127 to 153,840, he said.
"One of the biggest problems we have at the health center is the wait." Strobi said.
The wait to see a physician at Watkins is lengthened by a lack of exam rooms, Strobl said. Physicians, who each have one exam room and one office, would get at least two exam rooms and an office in 13 three-room complexes.
The additional 40 exam rooms would move patients more quickly because nurses would have more space to ask patients confidential questions, Strobel said.
Another reason for the expansion would be to meet the needs of urgent care patients, who account for 25 percent of visits, Strobl said. The expansion would increase a 700-square foot area to as much as 2,800-square feet that would include up to nine beds, instead of three.
"This will clearly take us into the next 20 or 30 years," said Charles Yockey, chief of staff at Watkins.
The proposal will be presented to Student Senate in January of 1994. If passed by the Senate and the Board of Regents, construction will begin in July of 1995.
About 60 percent of Watkins' yearly income of $5 million comes from the student health fee, and the other 40 percent comes from services not covered under that fee. Strobli said.
The CAPS and gynecology departments would be increased by several thousand square feet and up to eight rooms would be added to each department, Strobli said.
"The majority of students know money goes hand in hand with progress," said John Shoemaker, student body president. "I think everyone's fairly comfortable with that."
Kansas staff writer Christophe Fuhmans contributed to this story.
Proposal's history
Spring 1990 — Waltkins discussed space problems with the Student Health Advisory Board and received approval for further study. The University initiated action through the state to hire a consultant architect to study the feasibility of an expansion.
Late Fall 1991 to late Fall 1992 First study by Lawrence R. Good & Associates, an architecture firm, goes to Board of Regents. The board rejected the study because it did not address all problems, such as a need for space for more record storage and patient service.
---
Early November 1993 — Architects revised study and presented it to Watkins.
↑
Today — Revised proposal goes to Board of Regents for consideration.
V
KANSAN