Multimedia Reporting (Bradford)

Hashinger Residence Hall is a legacy on the University of Kansas campus. Its residents, affectionately called "Hashies," have built a reputation of a strong sense of community.

“Before the renovation, Hash was always known as the broken down building with the residents who always come back,” Cory Xenos, Louisburg, KS, senior, said.

During the 2005-2006 academic year, Hashinger Residence Hall underwent renovations, displacing people who wanted to return there the following year in a program called “Home Away From Hash.” These residents of Hashinger initially had some concerns about the reconstruction. In the past, when residence halls undergo renovations, some of the rooms are replaced with suite-style rooms that have private bathrooms. Some residents felt that this damages the spirit of the building. All of the rooms in Hashinger remained as double rooms with a bathroom shared by the students on that floor.

"We [the returning residents] really felt that Hash was not the type of building that should provide suites as we are very community oriented and feel that residents should really get that feeling of sharing a room with one roommate and using a community bathroom,” Xenos said.

Despite the changes, which Interior Designer for Student Housing Lorraine Malone calls “industrial modern,” Hashinger remains one of the most popular Residence Halls on campus. As Student Housing begins its summer assignment process, the numbers show that Hashinger was a popular choice among “returners,” or returning residents.

“If you look at strict percentages, Hashinger and Templin draw the greatest number of returning residents, approximately 20 percent,” Tara Vereen, Assistant Director of Assignments, said.

Before the actual construction on Hashinger began, Student Housing created surveys and student focus groups. Malone also spent a lot of time talking with long-time residents of Hashinger to pinpoint what was truly important to maintaining Hashinger’s reputation.

"I spent quite a bit of time conversing with Malakai [Edison]," Malone said. "He has been a resident of Hashinger for several years. He helped me to understand the Hashinger students’ needs for working on projects, socializing, etc. He also stressed the social environment – hanging out in groups versus quiet study areas."

The end result can be considered a success. All of the feedback has been really positive, Vereen said. Xenos added that even changes as simple as increasing the size of the side porch has helped strengthen bonds between residents.

"During many Hash events that were on the porch, I noticed many more residents from other buildings stopping by," Xenos said. "I don't know if they felt more welcomed since the building was new or if the porch looked more inviting this year. It was a good feeling, though, to know that we were finally breaking down the stereotype that had existed in past years."

The sense of community in Hashinger is something that many others recognize. Although Hashinger is designed with fine arts students in mind, it attracts a diverse crowd that, according to Vereen, enthusiastically pursue the “total college experience."

"I really enjoy the students that choose to live and work there," Vereen said. "Overall, they are a tremendously positive bunch, actively engaged in the KU experience and the local and global communities."

However, there are a few aspects of the renovations that Xenos would change, such as the transformation of the black box theater to a "multi-purpose room." Xenos said that directing plays in this theater was a challenge, but ultimately another positive Hashinger experience.

"I think ultimately that's what Hash really has always been about," Xenos said. "Bonding over what is wrong, pushing forward and working with what you do have, and realizing in the end that all you have is all you really needed anyway."

Summer months usually signal relaxation and time for vacation. At the Lawrence Humane Society, however, volunteers and staff are working in high gear at various fundraisers around town. Many local business owners have offered their assistance in raising money for the animals at the Humane Society.

Roxana Sarraf, owner of Bambino's at the Grove, 1801 Mass. St, empathized with the volunteers and employees at the Humane Society.

"My husband and I are both social workers. We've worked for nonprofit organizations for many, many years," Sarraf said. "We know how it feels to be nonprofit and we know that every penny you make counts. We are always willing do something for the nonprofit groups."

Because of her 30 years of experience with nonprofit organizations, Roxana and her husband Bobick agreed to help out. Every Tuesday remaining in the month of June from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., 15 percent of food and drink sales will go towards the Humane Society if patrons bring in a flyer. While this is not the first time that Bambino's held these events, Roxana said that it is the one with the worst showing.

"We've done this before, and it's gone well, but this month has not gone very well," Sarraf said. "I don’t know if not many people know about it. It's always just word of mouth. We don't do any advertising because we are very small and we don't spend any money on advertising."

Sarraf added that Bambino's will continue to help the Humane Society by doing "anything we can," maybe even offering some gift cards. In addition to Bambino's, Wayne and Larry's Sports Bar and Grill, 933 Iowa St., and Vermont St. BBQ, 728 Mass. St., also donated 15 percent of their proceeds to the Humane Society this past week.

On Saturday, July 7 from noon to 4 p.m., volunteers will wash dogs for a $5 donation. This "doggie wash" will be one of the last ones planned for the summer, according to Jaclyn Iden, a member of the front desk staff at the Humane Society. Rose Stewart, manager of PetCo, 3115 Iowa St., said the employees also try to help out the Humane Society as much as they can.

"We've been doing the doggie washes for years," Stewart said. "Sometimes we even try to have a little cake sale if the employees make them."

The success rate of the doggie washes depends on the weather. On hotter days, Stewart said that they see quite a few people at the doggie washes. When the weather gets a little bit chilly, hardly anyone comes at all.

Perhaps the most interesting fundraiser held by the Humane Society this summer is its first annual "Take Your Dog to Work Day."

"Basically, it's like 'Take Your Kid to Work Day," Iden said. "You can have your dog with you at work all day. For the majority, it's just dogs, but I'm sure if you wanted to bring any other animal that would be fine too."

The event will take place on June 22. Employees will pay a $10 fee per dog and their employers will match that amount, donating the proceeds. Even if businesses will not allow its employees to bring in their pets, there are other ways to participate. For example, retail stores can invite its customers to bring their pets into their stores and set up a place where they can donate to the Humane Society. A business can also sponsor the event or have the Humane Society come for an educational session about the problems that strays face and why it is beneficial to own a pet. Anyone interested can contact the Lawrence Humane Society at (785) 843-6835.

The Kansas City Roller Warriors are bringing derby back from the seventies. Click the above link for an audio slideshow about the derby girls.

When Serina Hearn purchased the house at 637 Tennessee last August, some neighbors in the area were skeptical of her intentions. Her reputation for leasing houses to college students coupled with the existence of a second kitchen in the basement of the house generated a fear that Old West Lawrence would be invaded by students.

After receiving several complaints, the city sent inspectors to the house who told Hearn that without a special-use permit she could not have the second kitchen, which existed before she purchased the house. She consulted the Historic Resources Commission, which recommended last month that she be allowed to apply for a special-use permit that would allow her to keep the kitchen. The City Planning Commission will hold a hearing on at 6:30 p.m. on July 25 at City Hall to discuss whether or not the City Commission should approve the permit.

"The question that has arisen is whether this second kitchen allows for some sort of rental situation," Sandra Day, city planner, said. "The crux of the issue is whether we’re going to allow multi-family rental in what is now zoned a single-family residential."

Day said that Hearn’s request was for an accessory dwelling. This allows for a second resident to live in the house as long as they are somehow connected to the homeowner’s family. This constitutes the need for a second kitchen. Accessory dwelling differs from a duplex because in a duplex, Day said, the two families are completely independent of one another. She said that the fine line between a duplex and accessory dwelling was what was causing the confusion in the neighborhood.

Mike Wildgen, president of Old West Lawrence Neighborhood Association, said the neighborhood held a meeting in May, and their position was that they did not want the house to become a duplex.

“The owner applied to have a kitchen in the basement, and the neighbors don’t object to the kitchen,” Wildgen said. “There are houses all over Lawrence that have kitchens in the basement, but they don’t have people living down there. What they’re afraid of is that they’re going to turn it into a duplex.”

While the entire controversy revolves around the possibility of a duplex in a single-family neighborhood, Hearn said she had no intentions of leasing the house as a duplex. She said her intentions were to sustain the historic building that was built by James Green, the first Dean of the KU School of Law.

After she bought the house last August for $300,000, she and her husband spent another $300,000 on the restoration of the house. She wants the house to be sold with the kitchen so that the new homeowner would have the option of housing their extended family who could provide supplementary income to financially sustain the house, which is now being sold for $750,000.

"Houses of this size usually warrant more people than just the nuclear family to two parents and two children,” Hearn said. “This house could have extended family living in it which would justify the huge gas and electric bills moving towards a more environmentally friendly understanding of living.”

If the City Planning Commission approves the special-use permit, its recommendation will be sent to the City Commission where it will be voted on by a five-member panel and require a simple majority to pass. If 20 percent of the neighbors living within 200 feet of 637 Tennessee petition the recommendation, the permit will require a super majority vote by four members of the five member panel.

Watch the video to hear Serina Hearn and Mike Wildgen express their views on 637 Tennessee.

Click here to view an audio slideshow about the KU Survivor: Engineering Outback summer camp.

The connection between s’mores and aerospace engineering may not seem obvious at first, but participants of the KU Survivor: Engineering Outback summer camp soon saw the relationship between the two when they got to make s’mores using the engine of a small jet.

According to Dr. Ron Barrett-Gonzales, associate professor of aerospace engineering, the jet engine reached a temperature of approximately 3600 degrees Fahrenheit within seconds. Students were able to roast marshmallows even while standing at a distance from the engine. Everyone in the area was required to wear earmuffs to protect themselves from the loud noises emitted by the engine.

“This is probably the loudest sound that these young people will hear until they get to the likes of a Zeppelin concert and stand in the seat next to the speaker bank,” Barrett-Gonzalez said. “This is 128 decibels.”

Activities like making s’mores, field trips and hands-on projects are the main components of the weeklong camp. Although three hours of their mornings are dedicated to lectures, the rest of the afternoon involves working on projects.

Dawnelle Prince-Parks, director of recruitment for the School of Engineering, said that the interactive approach contributes to the enrollment of future students. Last year was the camp’s first year, and over 50 percent of the senior men who participated in the camp applied to the School of Engineering, Prince-Parks said.

“With the guys, we try to make it very project-intensive,” Prince-Parks said. “More so than just lecture time in a classroom, we want them to be very interactive. With over a 50 percent application rate, that makes the camp extremely successful for us.”

Participants completed projects based on which engineering discipline they chose to study. The ten disciplines offered by the University are: aerospace, architectural, chemical, civil, computer, computer science, electrical, physics, mechanical and petroleum. For example, the mechanical students worked on an SAE Formula One race car, while the aerospace students built rockets and launched them at Clinton Lake, Prince-Parks said.

“For computer science, we’re doing a graphic model,” Steffan Counts, a high school senior from Kansas City, Mo., said. “So far we’re still in the planning stages, I’m not sure what exactly the graphic model will be, but it’s pretty exciting. It’s very invigorating.”

In addition to the projects, participants went on a field trip and visited various companies to expose themselves to the 10 disciplines of engineering offered by the University. One night, the students looked at small propeller planes at the University’s hangar. The next day, they toured a Harley-Davidson factory and Perceptive Software, a software company based out of Shawnee, Kan. These activities allowed the students to consider a different track in engineering that they may not have had a previous interest in.

“I want to expand my horizons, see all the different types of engineering,” Counts said. “Even though I’m in electrical engineering/computer science, I might drift into another one. You n ever know.”

According to Prince-Parks, the camp has a 50-man maximum. However, only 27 students participated in the camp this summer, including two returning campers. While Prince-Parks said that this is a good-sized, manageable group, Barrett-Gonzalez said that the camp has the potential to reach out to more students.

“There are so many cool things that go on with this camp and it’s like, this is one of the least discovered secrets in the Midwest,” Barrett-Gonzalez said. “If kids in Sedalia or out in Salina knew about this thing they’d be here in droves. There are a lot of people who just need to find out about it.”

Click here to view a slideshow with helpful hints on getting your security deposit back.

A majority of leases end this next Tuesday, July 31, and many students are preparing to move out of their current apartments. Although it sounds simple, the process entails packing, unpacking, extensive cleaning and a pile of paperwork.

Perhaps the biggest issue concerning moving out of an apartment is getting the security deposit back. Once students find out that they will not be getting their deposits back, some of them seek legal counsel. The University’s Legal Services for Students sees a lot of landlord versus tenant cases in the fall.

“In Lawrence, it seems like students expect that they won’t get all of their deposit back and many of them expect that they won’t get any of it back,” Michele Kessler, associate director of LSS, said. “It’s just that expectation of, ‘Well, they always keep something.’ It’s almost like they think it’s a cost of renting.”

How much of the deposit students will get back, if they get their deposit back at all, depends on the condition of the apartment when they check out with the leasing office. Some apartment complexes provide handouts that list the costs to repair any damages to the apartment. The smallest problems, such as a burnt-out light bulb, can turn into major expenses.

“What’s happening is people are getting, we think, ripped off through this little system,” Jo Hardesty, director and managing attorney for LSS, said. “I mean, let’s face it, the landlord buys light bulbs by the case. You cannot tell me that they cost $5 each, and even if you have to have someone screw the light bulb in, that won’t even cost $5.”

Many students devote an entire day to cleaning their apartments before moving out. However, one resident at Campus Court at Naismith, 1301 W. 24th, was dissatisfied with the way management treated its residents. Every unit at Campus Court underwent renovations while residents were still living in the apartment. Because of this, Aubry Peters, Sioux City, Iowa sophomore, won’t be too concerned about cleaning his apartment.

“I am planning on doing some light cleaning, like vacuuming and cleaning off the counter tops and stove top, but I am definitely not going to do too much,” Peters said.

To make up for the inconvenience the renovations have caused, Campus Court will refund residents’ security deposits in their entirety, pending no major damages to the apartment.

There are a few tips that Kessler provides to her clients to get security deposits at the end of the lease. To begin with, leave the apartment in the same shape as it was in on move-in day. Other measures Kessler recommends also protect students’ from landlords who may falsely accuse them of wrecking the apartment.

“If you have a camera, take pictures of the place so if they say that you left it trashed and you didn’t, you have some photos that show that,” Kessler said. “People that help you move out can also give testimonial evidence to the state of the place when you moved out.”

Finally, use the list that the landlord gives out that provides the cost to repair various damages that may have been done to the premises. Not only will this prevent any surprise charges from the landlord, but it will also help provide a guideline of what needs to be cleaned.

Students who feel that their landlords withheld too much money from their security deposits can make an appointment with LSS by calling (785) 864-5665. Legal fees for the counsel are already covered in the required student fees.