THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2011
WWW.KANSAN.COM
VOLUME 123 ISSUE 115
BY HANNAH DAVIS
hdavis@kansan.com
Members of The University of Kansas' newest Student Senate coalition announced their platforms this weekend. Renew KU hopes to increase transparency, pump up Senate involvement and bring back beer to the Kansas Union. Casey Briner, Renew's presidential candidate, Josh Dean, Renew's vice-presidential candidate and Justin Hitt, Renew's campaign manager said they drew their inspiration from Student Senate's hyper-involvement during the 1960s.
"Student senate leaders were at the front line fighting for issues important to the student body," Dean said. "Our current Student Senate is isolated from the population it serves and we want to change that."
This is the first year Renew KU will appear on the ballot. The coaition began with a conversation between Briner and Dean about how Student Senate could be improved. Briner, formerly a member of KUnited, and Dean, formerly a member of Envision, said that Student Senate was becoming more of a popularity contest and was falling out of touch with the student body.
Time is money," said Briner. "And if we can save students time we are in turn saving them money and aiding in their educational experience."
RENEW KU PLATFORMS
"Currently it feels like student senate is just waiting for a student group to make a mistake while applying for funds, we want to go to students and to help them, not wait for them to mess up on a form," Dean said.
In an effort to become more accessible to students, Renew KU wants to digitize the rundown of the Student Senate budget and to post the breakdown online. Renew KU also wants to streamline general funding requests and to make those forms available online for student groups seeking funding.
Renew KU wants to provide wireless printing options on campus. Anschutz, Watson and the Kansas Union would all become wireless hotspots where students could print from their mobile device or laptop.
Wireless Printing
Briner and Dean said they were inspired by the Student Senate of the 1960s. Renew KU wants to increase Student Senate presence in all University matters. "We have a lot of influence and we need to exercise it," said Briner. "Student senate in the 1960s was passionate about student issues. We want to reignite that passion."
Increased Presence
Beer in the Kansas Union
BY ANGELIQUE MCNAUGHTON amcnaughton@kansan.com
Campus Dining
Renew KU hopes to alleviate mealtime congestion in the Underground by expanding the dining options in the Kansas Union and adding a Quizno's sandwich kiosk in Anschutz Library.
"There is no room to expand in the Underground so we want to increase the dining options in the Union, which will in turn boost the Union's revenue and traffic. Also for students studying, a dining option in Anschutz will make students' lives easier," Briner said.
Edited by Tali David
It's that time of year again.
For more coverage of this story, check out KUJH's newscast today at 4 p.m. on Channel 31
Student Senate elections are in April and the KUnited coalition recently held kick-off events at the Jubilee Cafe, 946 Vermont, and at The Barrel House, 729 New Hampshire, to announce the release of their platforms. Student body president candidate Libby Johnson, a junior from Lawrence, said the focus for KUnited's platforms are progress and feasibility.
The issues range from increasing sustainability on campus to decreasing the general education requirements for graduation.
Johnson's running mate, vice presidential candidate Gabe Bliss, said the issues promoted by the coalition are things they know they can get accomplished.
Bliss, a sophomore from Olathe, said they have been meeting with administrators and different organizations in order to tailor the ideas to meet the needs of the students.
KUNITED PLATFORMS
Bike Rentals
In an effort to increase sustainability on campus, KUnited wants to provide bike rentals to all students on campus. The bike rentals would be available for either short-term or long-term periods and although the cost has yet to be decided, Bliss said it would be affordable to all students.
Johnson said she has heard from individuals within the coalition that this is something students want. Johnson said it would provide an affordable alternative to the rising gas prices.
Bliss said support is there from administrators and he suspects by next year KUnited could have the program up and running.
Free Graphic Design
In an effort to remove the burden of student organizations having to find a graphic designer to promote themselves and their events, KUnited would like to provide free graphic design to all students.
The service would be housed in the Student Union and staffed by students with a professional overseer.
Products such as T-shirts, posters and fans would be available through hawkuck Graphics.
Products such as T-shirts, posters and flyers would be available through Jayhawk Graphics. Johnson and Bliss said the service could be implemented quickly because a method is already established and would result in no fee increases.
Under this platform, the KUnited coalition would like to work with administrators to decrease the general education requirements.
The University requires 50 to 75 hours for general education. According to Johnson and Bliss, most institutions the size of KU only require 35 to 50 hours. Decreasing the requirements, Johnson said, would enhance the quality of education
Reading the requirements, Johnson said, would enhance the quality of education for students and allow students to tailor their own educational path.
Bliss said that Johnson and himself would advocate for the change if elected.
"Senate has an impact," Johnson said. "But if no one is advocating for this, the time line could take very long."
Bus Stops Along Emery
Currently, according to Bliss and Johnson, there are no KU On Wheels bus stops on Emery Road. KUNited wants to work to add another designated stop point along the road because of the high student population in that area.
The additional stop point would not increase transportation fees or cost more money to implement.
"We want to create better transportation by utilizing the existing program more effectively", Johnson said.
'Friendlier' Student Union
With new renovations to the Student Union, Johnson said one of KUnited's platforms is to make the Union more comfortable for students.
"We want to create a space that will draw students in more." Johnson said.
Ideas about how to make the Union more "student friendly" include more open space seating with "big, comfortable chairs" and more meeting spaces for studying and group projects.
Edited by Dave Boyd
Howard Ting/KANSAN
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL | 1B
WEATHER
WEDNESDAY
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THURSDAY
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INDEX
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All contents, unless stated otherwise. © 2011 The University Dalkey Kan.
STUDENT SENATE
Committee passes cuts for non-profits
BY ALEX GARRISON agarrison@kansan.com
Senate's finance committee approved a budget removing all funding for the Willow Domestic Violence Center starting next fiscal year and all funding for the Douglas County AIDS Project, Headquarters mental health services hotline and GaDuGi SafeCenter, which provides sexual assault counseling,starting fiscal year 2013. These proposed cuts, as well as others approved during the committee's March 8 meeting, will go before the full Senate for final approval at 6:30 p.m. on March 16 in the Kansas Room of the Kansas University
Student Body President Michael Wade Smith sent out an e-mail to all senators Monday afternoon attempting to address an on-going controversy in proposed fee cuts to several off-campus social support non-profits.
The cuts to the four groups fueled a series of fliers, Facebook events and an online petition last week as several students expressed their concerns regarding removing funding to Willow, DCAP, Headquarters and GaDuGi from the $15.50 Student Senate Activity Fund.
Smith responded to criticism expressed online and in Friday's edition of The Kansan against removing the student funding, which comes from $2.11 per student, per semester and makes up approximately 5 to 18 percent of the total income of the various groups and $69,327 in total funds from
He said that the proposal was not intended to cut all funding forever, but to find a new way of funding the groups outside of the Student Senate activity fee. The finance committee intends, Smith said, to create a taskforce for the upcoming year to "look at ways to continue service to ensure that no service will be lost in FY13 because of the cuts made this year," he said in the e-mail.
GaDuGI leaders are concerned that Senate is attempting to move toward providing sexual assault services on-campus rather than off-campus, but Smith said that was not the case. He said that student leaders were "wanting to ask the questions about how to best provide services."
Smith also spoke directly with The Kansan Monday afternoon. He reiterated the committee's position that the move will benefit the groups in the long run in that a move to the campus safety fee, for example, may ease the process of fee renewal.
all students.
"I don't think there's a want to do that, but I think there's a deep want to ask if we could do that," he said.
Senate will have an open forum on the cuts from 2 to 3 p.m. today in Alderdon Auditorium of the Kansas Union.
Edited by Danielle Packer
Read the full email online at kansan.com
Commissioner appointed but delay causes discrepancy in the calendar
BY ANGELIQUE
MCNAUGHTON
amcnaughton@kansan.com
The Student Senate elections commission appointed Maury Noonan to serve as the election commissioner causing a delay in the release of the elections calendar which led to some discrepancies regarding when Senate coalitions may actually begin campaigning.
Elections commission member Michael Fee, a senior from Hiawatha, said the delay in the appointment of the commission contributed to the delay in the naming of the commissioner.
The commission appointed Noonan, a second-year law student from Emmetsburg, Iowa, as the commissioner the same day they received his application on March 3. The student executive chief of staff, Aaron Dollinger, conducted the search.
The elections commission was named last month.
According to the elections commission, Noonan will act as an overseer of the commission
"Last year, I think we were appointed around October or November," Fee said. "Since we weren't approved in the fall it gave us less time to appoint a commissioner."
MAURY NOONAN Election commissioner
"Basically, from here on out, it is my job to organize and check for validity for each candidacy by
and the elections.
In an e-mail. Noonan said he is still learning the process of the election cycle and what exactly his duties will entail.
reviewing submitted declarations and petitions," Noonan said.
Fee said the elections commissioner
"A calendar most likely would have prevented any complaints."
serves as a mediator between the commission and the candidates.
The senate coalition Renew KU filed a complaint against
Noonan's responsibilities will include the organization of the commission, Fee said, as well as handling all the paperwork or complaints submitted by potential candidates.
The elections calendar designates filing dates for senate candidates and outlines the campaigning period.
But, Noonan pointed out, the
"A calendar most likely would have prevented any complaints," Noonan said.
Noonan's first act as commissioner was to approve the official elections calendar, which had yet to be published. Noonan said he approved the calendar just hours after being appointed.
elections code does the weeks when chalking, distribution of materials, passive tabling and or organization visits begin.
Noonan said the Elections
Commission submitted a notice to both RenewKU and KUnited regarding the complaint. But because both RenewKU and KUnited are not official coalitions yet, the commission must wait until both coalitions declare candidacy.
Noonan said when the coalitions complete the code guidelines to become an official coalition $ ^{p} $ the commission will set a hearing date for the complaint.
According to the official March elections calendar, both coalitions have until March 30 to complete the charter filing for official coalition recognition.
— Edited by Danielle Packer