THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1,2011
WWW.KANSAN.COM
VOLUME 123 ISSUE 84
BLIZZARD OF OZ
There 's snow place like home
BY MICHAEL HOLTZ mholtz@kansan.com
Up to a foot of snowfall is expected to accumulate from Monday evening to Wednesday morning, the most Lawrence residents have seen in decades.
The main threat of winter weather was predicted to begin Monday night, according to an afternoon City of Lawrence media release. The heaviest snowfall is expected to occur today with wind gusts of up to 40 mph and a windchill as low as 19 degrees below zero.
"I know this storm has the potential to outdo the last couple of storms," said Matt Anderson, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Topeka.
He said Lawrence last saw a foot of snow March 16, 1960.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for Douglas County set to expire 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Driving conditions have worsened as light rain continued to fall Monday morning.
Street maintenance crews for the City of Lawrence began working 24-hour shifts at midnight Monday morning, according to the press release. Crews pretreated all roads in Lawrence and are now focused on keep the main roads clear.
"The high winds, coupled with the frigidly cold temperatures that are expected, will make this a difficult event," said Tom Orzulak, street division manager, in the press release. "Despite this, our crews are prepared, our equipment is ready, and we're ready to utilize all of the city's resources to battle the snow."
Orzulak said KU students should move their cars off the roads if possible and take the bus instead of driving.
Students waiting on busses should expect delays as conditions continue to worsen, said Danny Kaiser, assistant director of Parking and Transit.
Kansas State University is closed and classes are not being held, according to its website. Though KU professors have cancelled individual classes. University officials have not made an announcement regarding cancellations.
According to the University's winter weather policy, Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little or the provost and the executive vice chancellor have the option of cancelling classes later in the day if they have not made a decision by 5:30 a.m. Cancellations will be announced via the inclement weather line after 6 a.m. (864-SNOW), the KU homepage and campus alerts website. Students who signed up for emergency text messages will also be notified via text.
"University officials will be monitoring the weather throughout the day, including road conditions on bus routes," said Jill Jess, a spokeswoman for University Relations.
Classes were last cancelled on Feb. 21, 2008. Classes have been cancelled 11 times since 1978 for weather-related incidents, according to KU Relations.
Edited by Danielle Packer
Trucks prepare for 12 inches of snow Monday night. KU Landscape and Construction's skill trained supervisor, Marvin Weiman says that the trucks and machines are always ready to go when the situation calls for it.
ADMINISTRATION
Ashleigh Lee/KANSAN
QA
with new KU athletics director Sheahon Zenger
BY ALEX GARRISON agarrison@kansan.com
Editor's note: Today is the first official day in office for Sheahon Zenger, the University's new athletics director. Zenger sat down with The Kansan last week.
The University Daily Kansan:
The University Daily Raisers:
What would you like to say to the student population about what you intend to do in this position?
Shaaen Zenger discusses his new position at Kansas and settles in to his new office in Wagnon Student Athletic Center late last month. Zenger will officially begin as the new athletics director Feb. 1st.
Sheahon Zenger: I think we have one of the greatest student bodies in the nation. The support in Allen Fieldhouse and Memorial Stadium — the spirit that has always been at this institution — is unmatched. Secondly, I want to get out amongst the students, sooner than later. Student government groups, living groups, living organizations, whatever the groups may be and just get to know you and hear you and see how we can make it an even greater relationship and experience for the students.
Adam Buhler/KANSAN
'We are going to do this?' I think it is important for me to come in and listen and find out what the desires of the student body are and sit down with the staff here and match up with what has been done in the past and what can be done in the future. That is what I have done in the past and that is what I would like to do here. I am very slow to come in with mandates and say we are going to do this and this and this. Those mandates may not fit the place that you are coming to.
Kansan: What more can you tell us about your plans for your time in office?
Zenger: It would be kind of arrogant of me to come in and say,
Kansan: How do you feel that the athletics department should complement the academics of the University?
in? And how do you plan to dig out the department as well as make sure the corruption previously present doesn't happen again?
SZ: I have to be a little careful until I am officially on the job. I have been briefed on some of the scenarios and will be given much more when information in the ensuing weeks. I need to review the files and the information and do not want to do anything to overstep my bounds with regard to what is going on at the state or federal levels.
At the same time, a day-by-day approach to gathering information, communicating with the student body and ensuring that accountability (is key). Until you get to know the staff and the campus and how structures are set up, it would be arrogant of me to say we are going to do this and this and this. It is something that we are going to have to work on as an athletics department, as a university community, central administration and the governing board, the advisory committee.
Kansan: There has been the ongoing issue with ticket scandal crisis. We'd like to know, just how much trouble is the athletics department
Zenger: At the institution that I just left, many of my colleagues and friends were the faculty. I like to spend my free time with and be around the deans and professors. I enjoy the intellectual discourse that goes on on a college campus. That is something that I hope the rest of our staff, our coaches and our student athletes would enjoy as well. It's first and foremost in your college experience.
Kansan: You are widely regarded as being a manager for whom ethics is a primary concern. But how exactly do you make sure everyone under you has the same standards?
Zenger: Well, I think you set a tone, you set a philosophy from day one as to what you believe in and what you want others to believe in. In those first few months, people align themselves with that and once that happens, you go forward again working with those individuals. You have
to believe in people and trust them and give them their ability to do their jobs and do them well. And I think there are good people around here who have been doing their jobs well. Unfortunately, the focus has been on some folks who chose to do it otherwise. And so it is time to bring the individuals and
the people who are still here, bring them together along with campus and the governing bodies and get a cohesiveness and within that — structures of accountability.
SEE ZENGER ON PAGE 6A
STUDENT SENATE
Renew KU enters as new coalition
BY HANNAH DAVIShdavis@kansan.com
Students have formed the newest coalition in the University's Student Senate, the Renew KU coalition.
Casey Briner is the coalition's presidential nominee and Josh Dean is the vice presidential nominee. The two were formerly in different coalitions but Dean decided to approach Briner to start a new coalition.
"I had seen her at so many meetings and group events, and she was always very impressive. It made perfect sense for her to be our nominee for president." Dean said.
Briner said she was initially hesitant to take on such a large responsibility.
"Then I realized the problems we were addressing are serious and I know I will do the work to get it done. I sincerely care," Briner said.
Briner, Dean and the Renew KU
coalition want to increase transparency in Student Senate spending, increase the Senate's presence at the University and increase voter turnout.
Justin Hitt is the campaign manager for Renew KU. Hitt says he wants a 40 percent voter turnout.
"I know our goal is aggressive.
But I strongly believe students
SEE RENEW ON PAGE 6A
LAWRENCE | 6A
Shelter can't hold everybody
The Lawrence Community Shelter expects an increase in applications due to the winter weather but it's already at capacity.
INDEX
Classifieds...11A Opinion...3A Crossword...4A Sports...12A Cryptoquips...4A Sudoku...4A
BASKETBALL | 10A
All contents, unless stated otherwise. © 2011 The University Daily Kansan
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