UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Thursday, November 14, 1996
3A
The beginning of an era
Geoff Krieger/KANSAN
Tara Augustine (left), Ellis freshman, Shaun Befort,
Ellis freshman, and Kirk Robertson, Tulsa, Okla.,
freshman, celebrated the starting line-up of the KU
men's basketball team. KU won an exhibition game against the Geelong, Australia team Tuesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
Technology fee recommended to pay for updating equipment
University must find the money to improve computer networks hire more personnel, officials say
By Bradley Brooks Kansan staff writer
While KU officials and the Board of Regents explore options for bringing technological advances to the University of Kansas, the people who want money for those advances are stuck with a lack of computers and with outdated equipment.
"We need hardware, desperately," said Peter Thompson, dean of the School of Fine Arts. "We need several million dollars for equipment updates. We need backbone wiring. We have classrooms that aren't even wired yet."
Thompson said that fine arts students used computers heavily and that there was not enough equipment.
"We don't have enough work stations in our labs for the students," he said.
the school's problems are not unique. Almost every academic department needs more money to update equipment.
James Roberts, chairman of the electrical engineering and computer science department, said that his department needed money to hire people to run the hardware.
"We are short of money needed to hire technical staff for our computer networks and systems," Roberts said. "I would devote a lot of money to that."
Roberts said that the engineering school was fortunate because its students paid a $15-per-credit-hour fee to help pay for equipment.
Audrey Fischer, Tulsa, Okla., junior and president
Having students pay fees for equipment is not well received. But if you go into a room where there's not equipment, students will say they want it. "
Peter Thompson dean of School of Fine Arts
of the KU chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, said that the fee was not popular among engineering students but that it was needed.
"It's money out of our pockets," Fischer said. "But it does provide new equipment. It is helpful."
"Having students pay fees for equipment is not well received," he said. "But if you go into a room where there's not equipment, students will say they want it."
Thompson said that making KU students pay a technology fee would be unpopular but that the fee was needed.
Thompson said that before students would agree to help pay for technological updates, the University and the Regents would have to make a good-faith effort to give money.
"If the Regents step forward, I'm sure the students will, too," he said. "We've all got to work together to solve this problem."
Ralph Nader edges out God in write-in votes for president
Bill Clinton, Bob Dole and Ross Perot weren't the only candidates in the presidential election.
By Neal Shulenburger Kansan staff writer
Six candidates made the ballot in Kansas. Libertarian Harry Browne, U.S. Taxpayers Party candidate Howard Phillips and Natural Law Party's John Hagelin appeared on the ballot with Clinton, Dole and Perot.
But some voters chose none of these candidates. They preferred to write in their own.
Names from Bugs Bunny to God were common write-ins in 1992. But in 1996, cartoon characters and deities were not as popular.
Kansas requires candidates who want to be considered serious write-ins to send an affidavit to the Secretary of State's office by Oct. 28. Only two candidates not included on the ballot did so: Ralph Nader of the Green Party and independent Charles E. Collins.
Although some counties may have sent in tallies of any names they chose to keep track of, they were only legally bound to keep track of Nader, Collins and the candidates on the ballot.
Nader finished fourth unofficially in the national election. He gathered .6 percent of the vote. Collins finished ninth.
Supporters of Nader and Collins will not know how many votes their candidates received until Nov. 27, when election results become official.
Jim Gardner, a research assistant for the Kansas Secretary of State's office, said that write-ins were not included in the unofficial results because they were more difficult to count.
"We scanned in the results on a machine during election night," Gardner said. "Since the machine can't look for just check marks on write-ins, we have to count them by hand."
Andrea Repinsky, Olathe sophomore, said she voted for Nader because she liked the Green Party's stance on environmental issues.
"I will support any candidate who is environmentally aware," she said. "I looked at the Green Party's literature, and if he follows the party's stance. He's certainly environmentally aware."
In Douglas County, Nader received 336 votes, said Patty Jaimes, Douglas County Clerk. Most other counties have not completed their tallies.
Roommates menstruate in sync experience and study shows
By Ashlee Roll
Kansan staff writer
Roommates affect each other in several ways. For females, this becomes extra evident once a month.
Women who live together often are the subjects of one of nature's many quirks called menstrual synchrony — they affect each others' menstrual cycles.
Jen Carroll, Albuquerque, N.M., senior, said that she and her roommate had experienced this phenomenon.
"It wasn't something that we talked about," Carroll said. "It took a while for us to notice that we were making the same trips to the bathroom."
According to a study conducted by David Quadagno, a former KU faculty member, pairs of women who live together or are close friends often develop menstrual synchrony because they spend time together.
Henry Buck, gynecologist at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said that women who were not having their hormones controlled by oral contraceptives could be affected.
"From a medical point of view, it's not abnormal," Buck said. "It happens enough to believe it's real."
Buck also said that he recently had seen a woman who claimed an entire floor of her sorority had been in synchrony.
Carroll, an alumna of the Sigma Kappa sorority, said that synchrony was not uncommon when she lived in the chapter house.
"It happens a lot in the dorms, too," she said. "It happens room by room."
Donna Schnur, Townsend, Mont., graduate student, said that she was one of seven sisters and that they all experienced their menstrual cycle within a week of each other.
"I assume that all roommates do." Schnur said. "There is about two weeks between the moment when people are starting and finishing up."
Major campus libraries close early students inconvenienced by hours
By Kimberly Crabtree
Kansan staff writer
Studying late into the night may be common for college students, but at the University of Kansas, it doesn't take place at the library.
That's because the two major libraries on campus, Watson and Anschutz, close at midnight Sunday through Thursday. Friday and Saturday, they close earlier. This often presents a problem for students who work or have other obligations and can't get to the libraries until late.
"It's so frustrating getting off work at 11 and then trying to come here," said Brennan Shirk, Columbia, Mo., senior. "And they close the stacks before that."
of libraries, said administrators were constantly looking at extending the hours but that finances usually came into play.
"Late at night, it's student-intensive staffing," Goodyear said. "This semester we came into problems with the minimum-wage increase.
"We had to dig deep into our pockets just to fund that."
Goodyear said the library hours were reviewed twice a year. Library administrators look at the hours and other factors, she said, and make recommendations on whether the hours should be extended or changed.
Administrators also discuss the hours with the Student Senate library committee, which is made up of about 12 students and faculty members.
Marilu Goodyear, associate dean
At Watson, however, patrons also have to deal with another set of hours: those of the reference librarians. Reference librarians are available most of every day, but the reference desk closes about three hours earlier than the rest of the library most nights.
Goodyear said those hours also were set by library administrators. During some times, she said, there usually were not enough people to warrant having a reference librarian.
Goodyear said library personnel tried to acquaint users with the libraries in case a librarian wasn't on duty. Still, meeting everyone's schedules is difficult.
"The bottom line is finances," she said.
Hours of Libraries
Watson Library Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to midnight.
midnight
Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. to
6 p.m.
Anschutz Science Library
Monday through
Thursday, 8 a.m. to
midnight
Sunday, noon to midnight
Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. to
10 p.m.
Sunday, noon to midnight
Spahr Engineering Library
Monday through
Thursday, 8 a.m. to
midnight
Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. to
5 p.m.
Sunday, noon to midnight
Art and Architecture
Library
Monday through
Thursday, 8 a.m. to
10 p.m.
Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, noon to
5 p.m.
Sunday, 1 to 10 p.m.
Government Documents Library Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 9 n. m.
Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. to
5 p.m.
Sunday, 1 to 6 p.m.
Sunday,1 to 6 p.m.