THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
WWW.KANSAN.COM
VOLUME 123 ISSUE 122
ATHLETICS | 3A
Former ticket saleswoman sentenced to prison
Former Kansas Athletics employee Kassie Liebsch sentenced to 37 months in prison after taking part in illegal conspiracy for KU sporting event ticket sales. All conspirators are facing charges
HELPING HANDS
Seasonal allergies can sometimes be mistaken for the common cold. Know the difference and how you can get your sneezing and wheezing under control.
JAYPLAY INSIDE
Prevent and treat dreaded seasonal allergies
Artem Baqiev/KANSAN
WEATHER
TODAY
53 32
Showers Possible
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Morning Showers
Forecasts by University students.
For a complete detailed forecast for the week,
see page 2A.
Classifieds . 6A
Crossword. 4A
Cryptquips. 4A
Opinion. 5A
Sports. 10A
Sudoku. 4A
INDEX
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2011 The University Daily Kansan
Greg Mortenson, author of New York Times bestseller "Three Cups of Tea," lectures in the Lied Center Wednesday night. Mortenson works to raise children education awareness in Afghanistan and Pakistan and promotes peace.
Promoting peace for the Middle East
Author discusses aiding schools in developing areas
BY IAN CUMMINGS icummings@kansan.com
Greg Mortenson spoke to an audience of several hundred people at the Lied Center Wednesday night about his work building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The lecture was organized by the Center for Community Outreach to kick off its "Into the Streets Week" series of events promoting volunteer work and awareness of international problems such as homelessness and natural disaster relief.
Mortenson, author of New York Times bestseller "Three Cups of Tea," has been reaching out to communities in remote parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan for 18 years as co-founder of the Central Asia Institute, which helps communities build schools. His foundation especially promotes schools for the girls in these communities who have lacked education for many years.
"Education has to be our top national and international priority." Mortenson said. "In particular, education for girls."
Of the 120 million children not in school around the world, Mortenson said, 78 million are female. More than 165 schools built by his foundation now serve more than 68,000
SEE MORTENSON ON PAGE 6A
The Big Event, a volunteering tradition, comes to Lawrence to show appreciation
CHRISTOPHER HONG chong@kansan.com
Five hundred sixty volunteers. Thousands of dollars in supplies. One full work day consisting of more than 100 projects.
It is just the University of Kansas' way of saying "Thank You" to the Lawrence community, said Kris Velasco, co-director of The Big Event.
"Living with KU students can be a little rough," he said. "This is our one service back to you."
According to its website, Thursday's Big Event is "a service project
designed to bring the University's community closer together to the larger community of Lawrence."
It originally started at Texas A&M University 28 years ago. This year's event is the first at the Kansas. Students and faculty help Lawrence residents with various jobs, including gardening, cleaning yards and cleaning gutters.
Velasco said this project was unique because all Lawrence residents, barring students, were eligible to receive help free of charge.
"One of the biggest aspects that's been hard is telling Lawrence residents this is free," he said. "There is no catch; it's a completely free service for anyone who wants it."
Velasco said another challenge was recruiting volunteers. He said the event at Texas A&M boasts 15,000 volunteers. Next year, his goal is 2,000, quadrupling this year's turnout. He said he expects The Big Event to be an annual project at the University.
And after volunteers are done working, the Louisiana Street Band and Fourth of July will play a free concert in the Ballroom of the Kansas Union. The concert begins at 7 p.m.
—Edited by Corey Thibodeaux
For more coverage of this story, check out KUJH's newscast today at 4 p.m.
KUJH
WHAT TO DO FOR THE "BIG EVENT"
MARCH 30
Greg Mortenson Lecture
and Book Signing
7 p.m. Lied Center
MARCH 31
The Big Event
A series of events during the week that benefit the community in various
ways.
APRIL 1 Fast for Change
.
7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The idea is to donate the money you would spend on lunch to Jubilee Cafe.
Then at 7 p.m. they have a dinner event for everyone who "fasted for change"at United Methodist Church, 946
Vermont St.
APRIL 2
Homeless Sleep-Out
8 p.m. in South Park
(overnight) There will be discussions and presentations on homelessness, not only in our community but around the world.
APRIL 3
HUG Volunteering
4 to 5 p.m.
Pioneer Ridge Nursing
Home
APRIL 4
Union)
Get Dirty with EARTH 2 to 5 p.m. at campus garden (behind University Relations, across the street from the Kansas
Volunteers will help get the campus garden ready for spring. Work clothes are encouraged.
CAMPUS
APRIL 5 Music with Boys and Girls Club 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Gridiron Room of Burge Union. There will be music-themed crafts and games
Jaybowl considers serving beer next fall
BY ANGELIQUE
MCNAUGHTON
amcnaughton@kansan.com
amcnaughtonkansan.com
Beer and bowling.
A little more than 10 years ago, the two activities used to be synonymous when one thought of lavbowl.
Presidential candidate Casey Briner and vice-presidential candidate Josh Dean said a plaque in the Kansas Union with the phrase "With the fondest hopes beer will return to the Union" inspired the platform.
Now, the Senate coalition Renew KU wants to bring the two activities back together.
Bringing beer back to the Jaybowl is one of Renew KU's platform issues for the upcoming Student Senate elections.
Jaybowl bowling lanes, located on level one of the Union, served alcohol until 1998 when an off-campus accident involving two students prompted then-chancellor Robert Hemenway to prohibit
Chris Bronson/KANSAN
"It'd be a win-win for everybody," Briner said. "And it's also feasible."
the sale of alcohol on campus.
A plaque with a bottle opener that hangs outside the Jaybowl in a corner of the Hawk's Nest at the Kansas Union inscribes the words, "With fondest hope for beer service in the Unions at some future date." KU Renew hopes to bring beer and bowling back together with their campaign. Beer has been excluded from the Unions for over 10 years.
A proposal to reinstate the serving of beer in Jaybowl and the Hawks Nest in 2006 passed the Memorial Corporation Board but was not approved by the University administration.
Briner, a junior from Flower Mound, Texas, said with a different provost and administration it is time to try again.
Renew KU will use the same proposal from 2006 for their request.
According to the proposal, the Jaybowl would provide service from 2 to 10 p.m daily with two to three standard brands of 3.2 beer on tap. Food would be served the entire time and students and customers would be limited to two drinks.
Dean, a sophomore from Overland Park, said the drink limit, lack of pitchers and drink specials would discourage students from drinking in excess.
Students and customers 21 and older would wear wristbands and be brandished with fluorescent ink stamps to distinguish themselves from others when drinking.
Burton Gepford, manager of Jaybowl, said his only concern with the sale of beer would be safety but added that that is with any establishment.
Briner and Dean said Union administrators and board members appear receptive to the concept.
David Mucci, the director of the Union, said given the history of beer on campus the request is not an inappropriate one.
"I don't think it's unreasonable," Mucci said. "But it would have to go through a process and the necessary levels of approval."
Dean said neither him nor Briner have spoken with University administrators or provost Jeffrey Vitter yet because he doesn't feel it is their place to do so until elected.
Justin Hitt, a junior from Shawnee and Renew KU campaign manager, said if approved beer could be served next year.
Briner said the service would also bring more students to the Union and make it a greater hub
Dean said the image he thinks the University needs to portray is one of having a realistic and safe approach to alcohol.
on campus. Briner said Renew KU is not trying to promote underage drinking but instead moderation and safety.
"I don't think its possible c
realistic to portray no alcohol or campus," Dean said. "What we can do is portrait teaching students a age to drink in a responsible manner and removing the dangerou environment."
Edited by Brittany Nelson
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