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VOLUME 121 ISSUE 89
PRESSED SPACE
Overcrowding on campus and long lines frustrate students
BY KIRSTEN KWON
kkwon@kansan.com
kkwon@kansan.com
Photo by Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
Emily Hooker has waited 30 minutes for an elliptical machine and she's frustrated. "If I go in the evening I have to wait every single time," Hooker, a junior from Andover, said. "Sometimes I just give up and leaves."
Whether students are sticking to their New Year's resolutions or trying to slim down for spring break, the Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center is seeing high volume. With a total enrollment of 30,102 at the University, some wonder why facilities such as the recreation center aren't larger.
"I definitely think it needs to be expanded," Hooker said. "It's just not supporting students like it should."
The recreation center, which opened in 2003, underwent an extreme expansion that started in 2007 and was completed in 2008. With an addition of 45,000 square feet, the $6.3 million project created a quarter-mile track, four gymnasiums and racquetball courts among
other new amenities.
Hooker said the money she paid in campus fees wasn't well spent.
"I can't buy a pass elsewhere and I shouldn't have to," she said. "I already pay to go to the rec."
Students pay a student recreation and fitness center fee of $75.50 per semester as part of student fees.
Student fees total $423.35 each semester.
Mary Chappell, director of recreation services, said the building was given a limited amount of space but as many as 5.000 students have visited the recreation center in one day.
With intramural sports now flooding the courts, Chappell said the recreation center will be overcrowded at times.
"We did a lot with the space that we were given," Chappell said. "If we had more space we could fill it up."
This semester, 250 intramural basketball teams have signed up to play at the recreation center. Now, there is a waiting list for teams because they are out of playing space.
"Intramural basketball is coming up and when that happens it seems like we're exploding at the seams," she said. "But things change with the weather. People can
SEE CROWDED ON PAGE 3A
TECHNOLOGY
University offers online file storage option to students
KU Information Technology formally introduced Hawk Drive
BY KELLY STRODA kstroda@kansan.com
— an online storage space once available only to University faculty and staff — to students in an e-mail Monday afternoon.
Hawk Drive promises students a gigabyte of storage space accessible through the Internet, according to the e-mail. By logging in to the Hawk Drive website with a KUID username and password, users can store, share, collaborate, secure and save different versions of document files using the program. A feature called "ticketing"
follows users to collaborate with people outside of the University, giving them a restricted login.
Julie Loats, the University's director of Director of IT, Enterprise Applications
Judith Rincon-Cross, a junior from San Cristobal, Venezuela, said she uses her USB flash drive, or jump drive, to store files for her interior design classes. She said she thought the majority of other students did the same.
the University has one gigabyte of space on Hawk Drive, the service currently hosts only a fraction of the student population. Loats said many students still don't know about Hawk Drive. In December, KU Information Technology placed information about Hawk Drive on login pages to KU e-mail accounts.
Loats said the storage space is a more accessible option than
and Services, said Hawk Drive is similar to a "virtual locker." The system was developed similarly to other University file storage programs. Although each student at
"Hawk Drive is accessible from any computer with an Internet connection and it's always there."
JULIE LOATS Director of IT, Enterprise Applications and Services
connection and it's always there.
You know you won't lose it or forget it."
HAWK RIVE
Steven Fair, information specialist in the School of
a jump drive for many students because it is accessible online.
"If you lose your jump drive, you're sort of out of luck," Loats said. "Hawk Drive is accessible from any computer with an Internet
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HAWK DRIVE Information Services will hold an introductory workshop at 3 p.m.on Monday, Feb.15, at the Clark Instruction Center
Design, said students in the school of design currently use other forms of file storage. He said many students use e-mail services such as Hotmail or Gmail to store and transfer files.
Megan Gannon, graphics coordinator and Web services administrator in the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, said she has been using Hawk Drive since for some time. As a graphics coordinator, she works with large files and says she finds the new online space useful.
"I like best that it gives me a way to transfer files without clogging up my e-mail or others, especially off-campus," Gannon said.
CAMPUS
Donors give record sum
Despite a harsh economy, Endowment numbers are flourishing.
BY KIRSTEN KWON kkwon@kansan.com
Over the last two fiscal years, alumni and other donors have broken records for donations to the University of Kansas Endowment Association.
Rosita Elizalde McCoy, senior vice president or communications and marketing, said in fiscal year 2008, donors contributed $94 million, the highest amount ever donated to the Endowment Association at that time. That record was broken again in fiscal year 2009 with donors giving $106.4 million.
In 2009 the Endowment Association funded student scholarships, fellowships and awards amounting to $29.3 million and $5.2 million for student loans. The Endowment Association also supports faculty, research, academic programs and new facilities. Elizalde-McCoy said, in total, the association gave $105.4 million to the University in 2009.
Abe Jacobs, a senior from St. Paul, Minn. and student manager at the Endowment Association call center, said because of KU's tradition, alumni are willing to give even in this economy.
Fundraising has been a challenge for colleges across the nation. According to a report by the Giving USA Foundation, in fiscal year 2009, giving to universities declined to its lowest drop in 50 years. Still, the Endowment Association has seen contributions in harsh economic times.
While average college endowment returns were down by 18.7 percent last year, The University of Kansas endowment sees redemption ahead, according to Elizalde-McCoy.
"Last year was a really fantastic year because we have great alumni." Jacobs said. "Most couldn't give everything they had but they usually still participated and gave some amount because we have such great tradition here."
In a study by Commonfund and the National Association of College and University Business Officers found, on average, 842 of participating colleges are suffering the highest decline for higher education since the
Returns Average endowment returns were down last year by 18.7 percent KU returns were down in fiscal 2009 by 22 percent
Fundraising In fiscal 2008,KU received $94 million In fiscal 2009,KU received $106.4 million
Support at the University, in 2009
$29.3 million was given to student scholarships, fellowships and awards
$5.2 million
$105.4 million
was transferred it total to KU
Great Depression. The University's returns suffered, as well, with a decline of 22 percent in 2009, leading them to cut contributions to the University by 10 percent.
"Our investments have positioned us well for the inevitable recovery, and we're already seeing an improvement in the 2010 fiscal year," Elizalde McCoy said. "As of Dec. 31, our returns were up by almost 18 percent."
index
Edited by Anna Archibald
Classifieds ... 7A
Crossword ... 4A
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Opinion...5A
Sports...10A
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