COLLEGIAN k a n s a s
S t a t E
www.kstatecollegian.com
TUESDay, OCTOBER 20, 2009
Vol. 115 | No. 42
Inside
EDGE
SPORTS
Check out Page 8 for photos from Homecoming’s Pant the Chant and visit kstatecollegian.com for video coverage of the event.
K-State athletes say they have camaraderie not only with their own teammates, but also with athletes from other K-State teams. Turn to Page 5 to read about the unity between teams.
Auntie Mae’s Parlor provides poets a place to project their pieces to the public. Peruse Page 6 to pick up a portion of the fine points.
Great transition
city commission
Mayor looks amend state traffic laws tonight By Corene Brisendine Kansas State Collegian
Each year the Manhattan City Commission reviews and adopts the “Standard Traffic Ordinance for Kansas Cities” that regulates state traffic laws. Each city in Kansas may adopt these standards as written or modify them as they see fit, said Mayor Bob Strawn. This year, the mayor initiated a modification to prohibit the use of any wireless communication device while driving, including “hands-free” devices. It does allow people to use their cell phones to make emergency calls and emergency personnel to make cell phone calls while driving.
Photos by Matt Castro | collegian
Joohyung Park (left), freshman in economics, and Kangho Park, undergraduate in English, study Monday afternoon in the Great Room located in Farrell Library, a historic wing of what is now Hale Library.
Great Room designated group study area By Danny Davis
Kansas State Collegian
The administration at Hale Library recently made a change to the divisions within the library. Previously, The Great Room had been designated a “quiet zone,” a place for individual students to work on their homework without disturbances. However, recently the it became a place of commotion, thus the designation has been lifted by library officials. Given the size of the room and the lack of staff supervision, it was hard to maintain a peaceful atmosphere, said Roberta Johnson, director of financial services and facilities for K-State Libraries. “It is conducive to groups,” Johnson said. The vast space had become a breeding ground for collaborative work, she said. As more group projects are assigned, students look to the library as a place to work together. Therefore, Johnson said library administrative officials decided to make The Great Room a collaborative work environment. The area no longer is a quiet zone but rather one that welcomes groups of people to work together.
Johnson said another benefit of changing the zone of The Great Room is for the murals that are on display within it. The Great Room is one of the most requested places to see within the library. Hale restored two of the murals this summer and plans to restore two more next summer. “We’ve spent a lot of money restoring the murals,” Johnson said. In the past, it was difficult to give guided tours of the room while limiting the noise level. Tour guides had to explain the room and murals before guests went into the room in an effort to keep from distracting students. Replacing The Great Room as a quiet study area, the first floor now serves for individual study with separate space zones in seating, Johnson said. The changes took effect this past summer. “[The transition] has gone real smoothly,” said Jane Schillie, associate dean of libraries. “We haven’t had any complaints.” Schillie said officials at Hale have more in store for The Great Room. “We have long-term plans for significant restoration,” Schillie said. “This room has
The Great Room, located on the third floor of Hale Library, was converted from a quiet zone to a group project work area. The space in the past was subject to commotion and collaborative group work. great historical significance to the state.” The library is aiming to restore the room to its appearance at the time it was built. Schillie said the Hale staff is working with a local architect to draft a design of how the room might have originally appeared. “The lighting has been changed [since it’s construction],” Schillie said. “A lot of things have changed.” In the meantime, the library
is focusing on implementing the changes it has already made to The Great Room. Schillie said the library staff hopes the numerous signs spread throughout the library will remind students of the change within the room. Students have recognized the need for this change, as well. “It is really hard to find a quiet place to study in the library,” said Mickelle Schneider, junior in fine arts. “Hopefully this will change that.”
K-State announces provost, senior vp candidates By Tim Schrag Kansas State Collegian
K-State is one step closer to selecting a provost and senior vice president for the university. John English, dean of the College of Engineering and chair of the provost and senior vice president search committee, announced the four final candidates for the position Monday in an e-mail to faculty and staff. The candidates include April
Mason, dean of the College of Applied Human Sciences at Colorado State University; Dr. Ralph Richardson, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at K-State; Maureen Grasso, dean of the Graduate School at the University of Georgia; and Marvin Kaiser, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Portland State University. Richardson, a graduate of KState, said he is both honored and excited about the nomination. “Having been a part of this
university from my undergraduate days and then again as dean, I think there are great possibilities for the future, and I appreciate the leadership we have in President Schulz and the other leaders of this university,” Richardson said. English said the candidates will go through an interview process with the search committee as well as a public forum. The forums will take place from 3:45 to 5 p.m. in the K-State Alumni Center on
Provost Candidate Forums 3:45 p.m.-5 p.m. Alumni Center Ball Room After the candidates complete an interview process, the search committee will make a recommendation before President Kirk Schulz makes the final decision for provost and senior vice president.
Mason oct. 27
Richardson oct. 28
Grasso Nov. 2
Kaiser nov. 3
their respective dates. English also said the position of the provost is at the helm of academic programs and holds K-State together. He encouraged students to attend the forums and give feedback through the online survey prepared and conducted by the search committee after each forum. English said upon completion of the interviews, the committee will make a recommendation for President Kirk Schulz to hire. “We hope to have, within a couple weeks after the last interview, a recommendation,” English said. English also said he encourages students, faculty and staff members to contact himself or the 24 members of the search committee with their questions. Each candidate’s curriculum vitae, which is essentially a compilation of an individual’s academic career, is posted on the Web at k-state.edu/provost/searches.
Article 14, Section 103.1. (New section). This section was added for the Commission’s consideration upon the Mayor’s request. The section makes it unlawful for any driver of a motor vehicle to operator use a wireless communication device while driving a motor vehicle. The proposed addition contains a definition of “wireless communication device” that is identical to the state law to make RCPD’s enforcement of both laws consistent. Also, like the state law, the STO section does not permit “hands-free” use, but it allows use by a driver to call law enforcement or to summon emergency personnel. The law does not apply to the use of such devices by law enforcement and emergency personnel, when used in the course of their duties. “We are going to move to ‘preventative law’ not ‘after the fact law,’” Strawn said. “One of the prime responsibilities of the government is to maintain the safety of the citizens, locally.”
See CITY, Page 7
SafeRide coordinator needed By Karen Ingram Kansas State Collegian
The Student Governing Association is accepting applications for a new SafeRide coordinator. The SafeRide coordinator is responsible for communicating with the cab service, working with local bars and businesses, marketing development and soliciting donors and sponsors for the program. The coordinator is required to work for five hours a week. “To sum it up in a few words, the [coordinator’s] job is making sure that SafeRide is running smoothly and meeting students’ needs,” said Student Body President Dalton Henry, senior in agricultural communications and journalism and agricultural economics. SafeRide is a program that provides students with an opportunity to get a ride home if they have been drinking or if they feel they are in a dangerous or threatening situation. SafeRide runs from Thursday to Sunday, 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., and
See SAFERIDE, Page 7