UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday, December 10, 1996
7A
Residents to take safety test
Residence halls to check rooms before vacation
By Ashlee Roll
Kansan staff writer
As students prepare for winter break, those who live in residence halls have one more assignment to complete before they can leave campus.
At the end of every semester, the department of student housing issues a safety check before winter break.
Check-out time for all residence hall's except for Lewis and McColum hall's is 11 p.m. on Dec. 19. This
list must be completed by students living in residence halls by that time before they can go home:
- Windows closed and locked.
- Blinds down and slats open.
- Lights off.
Doors closed and locked. Closet doors must be closed, and room doors should be locked to prevent intruders.
Dishes and utensils returned to the dining center.
- Trash removed. Trash cans should be empty, and the room should be clean.
- Electrical items unplugged.
Unplug all electrical cords including appliances, aquariums, refrigerators and answering machines. If students don't unplug electrical items, the department will.
- Turn thermostats down but not
Residents in Gertrude Sellards Pearson Hall must leave air ducts open.
off.
Flammables, motorcycles and mopeds are prohibited. If those items are found in residence hall rooms during the break, they will be removed.
Jon Long, assistant director of housing, said that most of the items on the check list were common sense.
"These things are just basic security," Long said. "You can't say that any place is completely safe, but compared to off-campus it is."
After students leave, all residence halls are locked, and there are periodical safety checks. In addition to these safety precautions, Long recommends that students take valuables, such as expensive jewelry and cash, home.
Will Dinkel, Topeka junior, said he will take his computer and stereo home during the break.
"I take them partly because I want them at home and partly because they are valuable," he said. "The things they ask you to do force you to leave the room in good order."
Although unplugging appliances may seem like a hassle to some students, Long said that it was the most important thing for students to do to prevent a fire.
In the end, Long said, residence halls provide double security because individual rooms and the main buildings are locked.
"Once the buildings are locked,
they are locked," he said.
Stop Day gives students a shot at catching up
By Erlin Rooney
Kansan staff writer
Thanks to KU tradition, tomorrow will be a day to relax, to study and to stop.
Stop Day is a one-day break for students to prepare both mentally and academically for finals. It is scheduled every semester between the 15 weeks of classes and six days of final examinations to give students 24 hours without campus responsibilities.
"It's to give students that have finals on the first day some time from class so that they don't have a final the next day," said Al Lata, chemistry lecturer and member of the calendar committee.
David Amber, vice chancellor of student affairs, said that he was not certain how Stop Day began at the University, but that he thought it originated during a time when finals lasted longer than six days and did not begin on a Monday.
"Up until a few years ago, we had nine days of finals," Ambler said. "It was necessary to stop classes in the middle of the week to fit the schedule."
Finals week was shortened when the Kansas Board of Regents set guidelines for the number of classroom days required in a university's semester. Ambler said that the University did not meet these minimum guidelines, so it had to decrease the number of finals days and increase the number of class days.
Lata estimated that Stop Day had been a part of KU tradition for 12 to 15 years. He said that the only time there were objections to the day was when it fell on Friday or Monday, because students essentially received three days off from class instead of one.
Other universities have a reading period between classes and finals, Lata said. This is longer than a day and is set aside for students to read auxiliary materials.
By Spencer Duncan
Big 12 considering a lobbying alliance
By Spencer Duncan
Kansan staff writer
In an effort to boost student influence at the governmental levels, student governing bodies of Big 12 Conference schools are attempting to create a jobbving alliance.
The alliance would be a cooperative effort to pass information to and lobby on behalf of students.
Greg Powers, Colorado University student government president, presented the idea to Big 12 student officers in October. He said a lobbying alliance would be beneficial.
"I wanted a communication conduit between the universities," Powers said. "I wanted to create some type of informal student alliance where, when we agree on issues, we can have strength when we lobby at the state, local and federal levels."
The idea has support within the student executive bodies of the Big 12.
Elizabeth Barton, Missouri student government president, said she liked the idea.
"There are a lot of educational issues controlled at the governmental level," Barton said. "If we work together on the issues important to us, it will give us greater influence."
Some, however, did not want the alliance to become big or intrusive. Powers said.
"There were some concerns that this would become an organization that would include paying dues and electing officers."
Powers said. "That is not the type of alliance we want to create."
Kansas State Student Body President Chris Hansen said he had heard those concerns. But at this point, he said, those had been laid to rest.
"That is not being talked about anymore." Hansen said. "Right now the job is to get the details in place and take steps to get started."
For the alliance to come together, each University student governing body must pass a resolution supporting the effort. The University of Kansas and Colorado have approved resolutions. Kansas State would do so next semester, Hansen said. Missouri is discussing the issue. The rest of the Big 12 schools have not taken action, but Powers said he expected everyone's support.
Kansas student body president Grey Montgomery supports the alliance and said it would benefit KU. "Not every school has the resources to lobby as much as they need to," Montgomery said. "An alliance would help all the schools, especially those with limited resources, to make a statement to governmental bodies."
Above all, the alliance could be an important communication tool for universities.
"With this, students could receive information quicker on issues because a dialogue would exist between the Big 12 schools," Barton said. "Students would understand issues as they happen, and things could get done."
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When I arrived I was naive
I didn't know the rules
Scared of failing, scared of caring
I was young and new
Growing up, these Kansan years
Now ready to face the world.
Farewell to the Kansan
I jumped right in. I played the game
Through laughter and through tears
We work all day and play all night
Only sleep keeping us apart
Kansan becoming life, life becoming on
As Jayhawks bleed crimson and blue Kansas breathe black and white
Rainbow Bridesmaids Tiaras and Lace
Everyday growing stronger
Always surrounded by love.
Today its time to say goodbye, give back what I was given
The job will always be there, the parties will go on
But here I am, left on my own, with memories to keep me strong
Forever Kansan,
Shelly Wachter
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