CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday, February 13, 1996
3A
Hammering out a tune
Tyler Wirken/KANSAN
Britt Haney, Topeka senior, plays the xylophone, while George Boberg, professor of percussion, coaches. Haney was practicing in Murphy Hall yesterday for a recital at the end of the semester.
Board plans tune-up for KU on Wheels
Kansan staff report
The transportation board met at 4:30 p.m. yesterday to discuss improving the efficiency of the KU on Wheels bus system.
The board received a $140,000 loan and a $2 campus fee increase from Student Senate in early February to keep the buses running this semester.
Now the board is trying to create a monitoring system to test for inefficient routes, in preparation for March 4 route hearings.
The board has already cut hours from the Meadowbrook Apartment route, but Eric Medill, transportation board chairman, said the cuts didn't affect ridership.
"Given our current fiscal situation, it is unlikely that we will be adding routes for next year," said Ken Martin, Student Senate Executive Committee chairman.
The board also discussed adding a new park-and-ride bus system next fall.
Martin said the group had been working closely with an
ad hoc committee of trans portation and parking board members.
Under the proposed system, students would could park on West Campus lots and ride buses to the main campus.
But Bob Grunzinger, financial adviser to the board, said routes would probably have to be cut for the pilot program.
KU police pleased with new cruisers
Department eager to patrol campus in $15,000 squad cars
By Amy McVey
Kansan staff writer
Darcy Coles / KANSAN
KU police may be too happy today to give speeding tickets. But then again, they may be in the mood for a good chase.
The police department has purchased four new Ford Crown Victoria patrol cars to replace its four Chevrolet Caprice Classics that have cruised more than 100,000 miles of campus turf.
And Lt. Vic Strnad said KU police officers couldn't be happier.
"The officers look forward to getting new cars just like anyone else does," he said. "The car is their office."
KU police placed bids on the new cars last July and have received two out of the four $15,000 cars. The other two cars are still at a dealership in Overland Park but are expected anytime. Strnad said.
The police wanted to order the new cars last year. But Lt. Strnad said that because of budget problems, the department had to postpone the purchase until now.
"We try to get new cars every two years, because the cars that we have run 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week," Strnad said. "But we did not get them last year because of budget constraints."
KU police Sergeant Troy Mailen said that he was excited to drive one of the new patrol cars.
Mailen said the new patrol cars still would be white with red and blue stripes.
"The cars we are currently driving have high miles and are starting to break down." he said.
Paul Christensen, production coordinator at Art
&Sign Inc., 619 Vermont, applies decals to one of four new Ford Crown Victoria KU police car.
He said the police officers liked the professional look of their cars.
"It boosts morale and gives us a more professional image," he said.
KU police decided what specifications they wanted in a car and sent a threepage form to the state of Kansas.
"We don't specify the brand," Strand said. "The top specification is that they have to be a full-size, rear-wheel drive cars. The departments that have tried the front-wheel drive, smaller, mid-size cars had no luck with them. They just fell apart."
When the State received the form, it sent the specifications to car dealers. The dealers made bids, and the police department chose the lowest bidder.
Although Lt. Strandn won't be driving one of the 1996 Crown Victorias, he will get to drive one of the old patrol cars, after the stickers and sirens are taken off. And he is happy about it, because he is getting rid of the twice-hailed on
And he is happy about it, because he will be getting rid of the twice-hailed on unmarked patrol car he drives now.
"It's going to be nice driving an unmarked car that's not beat up," he said.
Kansas House to debate qualified admissions bill
Proposal for minimum standards approved by committee yesterday
By John Collar Kansan staff writer
TOPEKA — Qualified admissions survived a bruising battle yesterday in the House Education Committee.
After a series of amendments to the bill was proposed and defeated, the committee voted 11-10 to advance the bill to the House floor.
The bill, sponsored by State Rep. Ralph Tanner, R-Baldwin City, would establish minimum admissions standards at Regents universities. Under the bill, incoming freshmen would be required to have a 2.0 grade point average, a score of 21 on the ACT or graduate in the top one-third of their high school class. Kansas is the only state not to have an open admissions policy at state universities.
Much of the debate yesterday centered on an amendment by State Rep. Pat Pettey, D-Kansas City, that would have allowed one Regents school to establish qualified admissions. Petney proposed that students be required to have a 3.0 grade point average to gain admission to the school, which would be chosen by the Board of Regents.
"A 3.0 gives students something to shoot
for." Pettev said.
She argued that one school with admissions standards would provide a pilot test to see if qualified admissions improves the caliber of students.
Petterey's amendment was defeated by a vote of 11-9.
State Rep. Bill Reardon, D-Kansas City, introduced an amendment that would have made athletes on scholarship subject to the admission standards in the bill and not be admitted through the "window." This part of the bill would allow universities to admit up to 10 percent of the freshman class who do not meet the standards.
State Rep. Barbara Ballard, D-Lawrence,
said this amendment was discriminatory.
"Why would we single out athletes as if they don't have a brain, when they do?" Ballard said.
After several more amendments had been introduced and defeated, State Rep. Clifford Franklin, R-Merriam, said the amendments were a well-orchestrated attempt to kill the bill.
"Don't get sucked in if you are in favor of qualified admissions," Franklin said. "Don't vote for a poison pill."
Reardon said the bill had been poorly designed because it did not have a comprehensive plan to improve the caliber of Kansas high school students. He said the bill's sponsors wanted to keep disadvantaged students out of the Regents system.
"Right now, I think the intent is to get poor kids out of their hair." Reardon said.