OPINION
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PUBLISHED DAILY SINCE 1912
CRAIG LANG, *Editor*
SUSANNA LOOP, *Managing editor*
KIMBERLY CRAFTER, *Editorial manager*
TOM EBLEN, *General manager, news adviser*
MARK OZIMER, Business manager
DENNIS HAUPT, Retail sales manager
JUSTIN KNUPP, Technology coordinator
JA YSTEENER, Sales and marketing adviser
...
Friday, February 14, 1997
Amy Miller / KANSAN
Editorials
University's idleness on issue of fee payment unacceptable
Prompted by the administration's silence on the issue of a central location to pay fees and holds, a frustrated student body vice president, Jamie Johnson, has initiated a petition that proposes that the University of Kansas create such allocation.
The Student Senate university affairs committee passed the petition by acclamation, which means that it had the support of the entire committee.
The University's silence on this issue is unacceptable considering that students would greatly benefit from a central fee-payment location. The University has no justification to procrastinate.
This idea is not new. In fact, the plan to create a central location was formulated last spring during the Student Senate campaign.
A proposal was written Aug. 27, 1996,
to provide the University with a prototype. According to the proposal, a central location would be established, perhaps in Strong Hall, where students could pay fees.
A centralized fee-payment center would greatly benefit KU students.
A computerized system would allow a University staff member to pull up students' records to indicate the total amount that they owe, including fines and holds.
This would be a great improvement upon the current system, which has students running all around campus.
Even before the proposal was written, Johnson discussed the idea of a central location with Richard Morrell, the University Registrar, who suggested that
Johnson put it in writing. After the proposal was written, Johnson again discussed the issue with Morrell.
Johnson said that Morrell seemed to be open to the idea but that he wanted it discussed further. This occurred in November.
It has been almost a year since the issue first was discussed by the Senate as a viable option. Even if the University had an unfavorable opinion of this option, it owes the students an explanation as to why it does not support a central location.
Although yesterday the associate provost eventually did contact Johnson to set up a meeting, the University has had more than ample time to respond.
The silence, thus far, has led many students to believe that this issue isn't important to the University.
NICOLE SKALLA FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Sober,safe ride is the best ride home
Drinking and driving is a major problem on many college campuses, and the University of Kansas is one of them.
Fortunately, the University has found a solution. Or has it?
Saferide is a nonprofit organization funded by Student Senate for the student body that gives sober rides anywhere in Lawrence, to students. Saferide receives $90,000 a year from Student Senate to pay for cars, repairs and drivers' wages. There are also four buses which run two separate routes during the night.
Although Saferide has been an effective measure in preventing much drinking and driving, the demand for rides is higher than the supply.
Due to the overwhelming need for rides home from parties and bars at 2
Saferide has been an effective measure to get students home safely.
Bob Grunzinger of KU on Wheels said that, because there were only five cars and five drivers, Saferide drivers had to ask for a KUID before giving anyone a ride.
To make sure Saferide is only giving rides to currently enrolled KU students, it claims to have a policy that students must prove they are enrolled before receiving rides.
a. m., students find themselves waiting anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour for Saferide.
Organizations concerned with drinking and driving such as Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) are unable to donate to Saferide because, according to Grunzinger, they don't have the resources.
stant use. Because Student Senate cannot allot more money to Saferide, the organization has looked into other options to expand its services.
Unfortunately, the lack of cars and the long waits have prompted impatient students to find their own ways home.
Students must realize that even though it may be late and 20 degrees outside, a sober ride home is the best ride home.
Saferide is one of Lawrence's only options for a free and sober ride home and cars are ultimately in con-
Often the result is drunken students behind the wheel.
CATHY PIERCE FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
KANSAN STAFF
LATNA SULLIVAN . . . Associate Editorial
KRISTIE BLASH . . . News
NOVELDA SOMMERS . . . News
LESLEY TAYLOR . . . News
AMANDA TRAUGHBER . . . News
TARA TRENARY . . . News
DAVID TESKA . . Online
SPENCER DUNCAN . . Sports
GINA THORNBURG . . Associate Sports
BRADLEY BROOKS . . Campus
LINDSEE HENRY . . Campus
DAVE BRETTENSTEIN . Features
PAM DISHMAN . Photo
TYLER WIRKEN . Photo
BRYAN VOLK . Design
ANDY ROHRBACK . Graphics
ANDREA ALBRIGHT . Wire
LZ MUSSER . Special sections
AERICA VAZEY . News cleck
NEWS EDITORS
ADVERTISING MANAGERS
HEATHER VALLER . . . Assistant retail
JULIE PEDLAR . . . Campus
DANA CENTENO . . . Regional
ANNETTE HOVER . . . National
BRIAN PAGEL . . . Marketing
SARAH SCHERWINSKI . . Internet
DARCH MCLAIN . . Production
DENA PISCOTTLE . . Production
ALLISON PIERCE . Special sections
SARA ROSE . . . Creative
DANA LAUETZ . Public relations
BRIAN LEFEVRE . . Classified
RACHEL RUBIN . Assistant classified
BRIDGET COLLYER . Zone
JULIE DEWITT . Zone
CHRIS HAGHIIRAN . Zone
LZ HESS . Zone
ANTHONY MLIAZIAO . Zone
MARIA CRIST . Senior account executive
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Valentine's Day can even dupe the cynic
Column
Valentine's Day, like every other season, is a time to celebrate dysfunction and general psychosis.
However, there is a crucial difference that separates this holiday from the rest.
On Christmas and Thanksgiving, you tend to be surrounded by people whom you can blame for all of your problems. Whether you're single or not, Valentine's Day forces you to appreciate everything that's going wrong on a much more intimate, personal level.
Like other members of our
generation, I have a paralyzing fear of intimacy. This tends to leave me alone at the helm of the Pacific Princess, without benefit of special guest stars, on Valentine's Day.
Most of the time, I'm fine with this. Whenever I feel the need to fulfill my biological imperative, I see what's happened to my parents. Once dynamic people, they live their lives dressed in plaid, eating off of TV trays and surrounded by 'Td Rather Be Golf' paraphernalia.
But Hallmark is wearing me down. The only people shown alone in the media are serial killers and those searching through medicine cabinets seeking an end to their digestive problems, hoping this or that antacid will be the one.
And this is disturbing me, because I have determined that dating is just an excuse for mildly borderline-psychotic behavior.
Like other members of our generation, I also use a paralyzing fear of intimacy to cover up my inability to sustain a relationship longer than the average TNT miniseries.
Cynic, I may be, but I'm not made of wood Sometimes I yearn to share my anxiety and self loathing with someone special.
Last semester, I was victimized repeatedly during the course of an evening by a blind date — who, interest of fairness, shall remain unnamed.
During the evening, I was charming, witty and erudite. I talked about sports, but not enough to reveal my tragically limited knowledge. I asked open-ended questions. I made jokes about NBC's Must See TV.
When not speaking, I attempted to affect a poulty-lipped doe-eyed/autopsy chic blank stare straight out of a spread in Details.
All this effort, and there were "no sparks," as I
was told. This is an excuse I do not accept — I was a Boy Scout; I can start fires with a sedimentary rock and a silver chewing gum wrapper.
Another example springs to mind: I recently was told that last semester, I had a particularly enthusiastic fan who enlarged my picture to poster size, planted it on her dorm room wall and declared her undying affection.
I was told our affair was intense but short — you might call it a whirlwind — and ended abruptly. After about two weeks, she ripped down my picture and announced she was over me. She had decided to move on to another member of the opinion page. A short time later, she was physically removed from her dorm room by police.
So apparently I'm even a bad date to people I've never ever met, although I would be lying if Isaid the whole non-encounter didn't leave me feeling slightly empty.
I almost want to find this girl and ask her if there was anything I couldn't have done, anything I couldn't have said, to keep her.
I think the bottom line is that the particularly vulnerable are slowly being driven insane by the pressure to find a mate, which would cause the purchase of pointless knickknacks and large appliances.
Yes, it's true: the need to mate is really a fabricated conspiracy between big business and the government, who want everyone to pair off so they can make more money.
Need to attract someone? Buy them cheap silk intimates from Taiwan.
Getting married? What says upwardly mobile young couple more than a four-wheel drive vehicle?
Don't want to reproduce? Better buy lots of condoms.
Want to reproduce? You're going to have to feed it.
I have reached the conclusion that Valentine's Day, like every other holiday, is less about compatibility between people than it is a love affair between people and the products they must buy to secure their love.
As for those who have found compatibility of any kind, congratulations.
Those who haven't: join me in an active revolt against the Man, which also will be an excellent opportunity to meet new people and exchange phone numbers.
Michael Martin is a Lenexa sophomore in English and Journalism.
Guest column
How do you get to campus?
Transportation proposal needs students' voices
Most students at the University of Kansas take the bus, walk or drive and hope to get a decent parking spot.
Of course, this doesn't count the days when you wake up feeling like three cents after a heavy night out on the town, and you just lie in bed, hoping your professor isn't giving a quiz.
If you have ever complained about the buses or have hopelessly searched for that golden parking spot, then listen up because this column is for you.
Recently, the Office of the
*rovost released a report, which details options for the University community to consider the parking and transportation problems on campus. Provost David Shulenburger is looking for input and opinions from you—yes, you!*
The proposal includes:
The lots would be resurfaced, restipe, and new spaces would be added to existing lots, specifically the Memorial Stadium and the Robinson Center lots. This would create 1,000 new spaces across campus for the mere price of $700,000.
The first step is to create additional parking spaces by making the two-way lanes through campus into one-way lanes and by having angled parking instead of perpendicular parking in parking lots.
1. Creating additional spaces
2. Shuttle system
The administration wants to implement a shuttle system to transport people from the big parking lots to specific stops on campus.
The shuttle would be free to visitors and students with parking permits, and waiting areas also would be built for riders.
Gates would be installed on lots close to the center of campus.
3. Gated lots
Permits would be sold to administrators, faculty and students, with the students parking in the lots at night.
4. Safety improvements on Jayhawk Blvd.
Unlike current practices, the lots would not be oversold, and each administrator or faculty member would be assigned to a specific lot, almost guaranteeing a parking space during the day.
Parking along Jayhawk Boulevard, from the Chi Omega fountain to Lilac Lane (behind Fraser Hall), would be eliminated.
Only bicycles, buses, service and emergency
The admissions office would be moved to the former dining hall in Templin Hall, and the visitors center would be located there.
6. A new parking garage
5. The visitors center
The garage would be about 30 percent larger than the parking garage north of Allen Field House and would cost about $10.02 million.
A parking garage would be built north of the Kansas Union, creating a minimum of 1,000 parking spaces.
At least half of the spaces in the garage would be reserved for permits sold to students, faculty and staff. The remaining spaces would be available to visitors or other people who need short-term parking.
How does this proposal affect you and the price you pay for parking and transportation?
For starters, the administration is considering the following rate increases for parking passes.
If you hold a residence-hall parking pass, the price would go from $50 to $65. The yellow passes would go from $53 to $10 and the red passes would go from $70 to $110. Blue passes would go from $85 to $150. The gated parking passes for students will be set at $100, and the rate for the new parking-garage pass would be $200.
I realize that we need additional parking and a better transportation system, but the gated lots would take spaces away from students during evening hours, as no student would or should pay $100 for access.
Additionally, a new parking garage would benefit the University and the students, but you don't have to be an accountant to understand that the interest on $10 million is a large sum of money in itself!
I imagine that the additional revenue from increases in the parking fees could be set aside during the next few years so that when the University chooses to invest in a parking garage, it would be able to make a sizable down payment and reduce the yearly debt payment and, more importantly, maintain reasonable parking fees.
Chancellor Robert Hemenway will decide on this proposal in early April, so if you have any, I mean any, comments or suggestions, please send e-mail to traffic@raven.ck.ukans.org
For other comments, you can e-mail me at senate@falcon.cc.ukans.edu
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Kevin Llofferty is a Valley Center, Kan. senior and Student Executive Committee Chairman.