Thursday, April 12, 2007
Student Senate elections begin today and students have the opportunity to voice their opinions on fees.
Three referendums would appear on the ballot. Two referendums ask for student support for SafeBus and homecoming. The other referendum asks for the reallocation of fees to support a renewable energy and sustainability fund.
This semester Senate increased student fees $54.75 per semester, which included the costs of purchasing newer buses after a University-wide election failed. The Safebus referendum and the homecoming referendum ask students to support an additional $6 in fees, totaling an increase of $60.75.
One referendum on the ballot asks for a $4 increase to the SafeRide fee to support a SafeBus program. SafeBus would provided bus routes to and from downtown Lawrence during weekend evenings.
pullquote
Homecoming is a week to promote school spirit, it’s not just about the football game.
-Rachel Barnes, Hutchinson junior
“SafeBus will make the ability to go out and get home easier for students,” said Tom Cox, Shawnee junior and the bills author.
The Lawrence Bus Company determined the bus routes for the program. Buses would travel on Kentucky and Tennessee streets, by Campus Court at Naismith, 1301 W. 24th St.; Meadowbrook, 2601 Dover Square; Daisy Hill; GSP-Corbin Hall; and many sororities and fraternities. The buses would also loop around Massachusetts Street.
Cox said that if the referendum passed, the next step was to put the bus contracts out for bid to find a service provider.
“We could see this implemented by the fall semester,” Cox said.
A second referendum creates a $2 homecoming fee to sponsor new events during Homecoming Week.
“Homecoming is a week to promote school spirit,” said Rachel Barnes, Hutchinson junior and sponsorship chair for the homecoming committee. “It’s not just about the football game.”
Barnes couldn’t specify what new events would be created, but she said some money would go to sponsor “Stuff the Bus,” a food drive event.
“Adding more events gives us the chance to get more students involved,” Barnes said.
The final referendum does not increase student fees, rather it gives students the opportunity to decide what their fees go to.
The referendum asks students if they think the University should make efforts to ensure that it be reliant on renewable energy for 20 percent of its power supply by the year 2020.
The referendum also asks students to support the reallocation of $1.50 from student fees to create a renewable energy and sustainability fund. The fund would make it possible to meet the 20 percent goal.
“This isn’t only the opportunity to distancing the University from fossil fuels but also to secure the next generations energy resources,” said Studie Red Corn, Shawnee junior and First Nations Student Association senator.
Each referendum appears on the ballot beginning today. Voting can be done online or at polling booths at Wescoe Beach and Mrs. E’s. Online voting starts today at 6 a.m. and goes to 10 p.m., and continues Thursday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Voting at the polling sites run from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. today and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Kansan staff writer Ashlee Kieler can be contacted at akieler@kansan.com.
— Edited by Katie Sullivan
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