Thursday December 2, 2004 www.kykernel.com newsroom: 257-1915 first issue tree. Subsequent issues 25 cents. THE KENTUCKY Kernel Celebrating 33 years of independence Cats sustained too many injuries for success Page3 Rev. Horton Heat comes to The Dame tomorrow Pages SG removes restrictions to number of initiatives By Tricia McKenny mi «mulch mm After much debate and many questions, 80 passed an amend- ment to the Initiative and Referen- dum Act by a large majority last night. The initiative and Referendum Act. originally passed Nov. 10. im- plemented rules and regulations for the placement of referen- dums and initiatives on the ballot before they could be voted on by the student body Last night‘s amendment to the act. presented to the full Senate by Senators At- Large Adam Stigall and Michelle Bishop and Col- lege of Engineering Sen. Josh Odoi. eliminated a cap setting a limit of three ref- erendums or initiatives to be placed on each year's ballot. Prior to the amendment. only the first three referendums and ini- tiatives received each year could be placed on the ballot. The limits were placed original- ly because of senators‘ concerns about a limited amount of space on “Restricting the number (of initia- tives) is not democracy." to the ballot. “Why are we restricting referene dums and initiatives when we do not limit the number of candi» dates?" Bishop asked senators when presenting the amendment. She said the Senate would be re— sponsible for making room on the ballot if a large number of candi‘ dates entered the senate races. so it should also take on that responsibility if a large number of referendums or initiatives are pre- sented. “Restricting the number is not a democ- racy. We are trying to give (students) a chance participate." said Odoi. “Student Govern ment is for the students. Just because another person puts theirs in a minute be- fore you doesn't mean you should- n’t have yours on the ballot." he told senators before they voted last night. Senators passed the initiative and Referendum Act and last night‘s amendment in response to Josh Odoi SG senator-at-iarge Referendum One, a referendum ap- proved by students Iast spring that was met with much debate and con- troversy “The Senate made the right choice (in passing the amend- mentl." said 80 President Rachel Watts. “Who knows how many hot is- sues will be presented by students? it is not right to limit it if several students do the same amount of work." she said. The Senate considered four pro posed amendments before approv- ing the amendment eliminating the cap and then approving a motion not to vote on the other proposed amendments. All three of the other proposed amendments left the cap in place. One of the proposed amend- ments set up a specific time period for students to submit referendums or initiatives. while the others called for the Senate to determine which referendums and initiatives are placed on the ballot or how many can be placed on the ballot each year. These proposals were dismissed without going to a vote. mum-II sun Senators Michelle Bishop and Josh Odoi discuss the referendum before presenting their versron of the amendment to the Senate last night at the Student Government meeting. Referendums and initiatives can be presented by any UK student up to two weeks before the election. and they require 1.000 signatures and an explanation of intent. “It is a great chance for students to speak their own voice.“ Stigail said. “There is no need for a cap be— cause the students work so hard to get 1,000 signatures." “i would hate to see (the referen- dum process) limited." said Matt martin. the College of Pharmacy senator. “It is really the only oppor- tunity for students themselves to put issues on the ballot." E-mail tmckennyrgkykernelcom State’s first flu case By helissarSm‘itthaIIery THE moum KERNEL The UK Theatre Depart- ment presents two new per» formance pieces this week: Everyman and Rara.’ Both plays originated as class projects. and students were involved in every as- pect of production. from writing the script and de- signing the set to playing the parts. Everyman is a medieval morality play. but students in Acting I (’I‘A 126) and Fundamentals of Design and Production (TA 150) have rewritten and modem ized the script to maximize its relevancy. Director Nancy Jones describes the adaptation as a show that has ideas perti- nent to today's world ideas to which college stu- dents can particularly re- late. The stage is framed in television screens. with one giant projection screen at the back of the stage. Stu- dents can certainly relate to the omnipresence of the media it‘s strange not to have a television in your dorm room to watch the lat est episode of “The DC." or a computer to chat with a person three doors down about Adam Brody's hot— ness. Theatre freshmen take both TA 126 and TA 1:30. Freshmen are rarely in- volved so heavily in a main- stage production. but I'Irery man has given rookies a chance to get hands-on ex- perience in their first year. “Sometimes students feel like being in plays is the most important part of the theatre program." Jones said. Whereas the redone E1 'eryman addresses aspects of Western culture. Topics in Theatre (TA 350) students are bringing the rituals and customs of Haiti to the (iuignoi stage in Ram.’ A typical boy-meets girl story is the base of the plot of Ram]. which the class wrote. Director John Hol Ioway said he first became interested in Haitian cul- ture while watching the History Channel. and in an effort to dispel stereotypes of vodou much like those of exorcism in (‘athoiicism Holloway and his students have tried to remain as faithful to the actual practices as possible. In Rara.’. vodou is about the spirits that visit those in need. through a medium. These spirits provide thera- py for the afflicted. as the medium actually becomes the spirit. After further re- search. Holloway said he decided that the most inter esting way to portray the medium's transformation into the spirits is through puppetry “Puppets are cutting» edge." he said. "Think about the musicals like The Lion King and Avenue Q. or the movie Team America: World Police." Most Americans have grown up surrounded by puppets. whether on Above: Theater freshman Kris Alexander (middle) plays Jesus in Everyman, which runs tonight through Sunday. with performances at 8 tonight, Fri- day and Saturday, and Sunday at 2 pm. Everyman is an adap- tation of a famous medieval morality play. Left: Christophe. played by theater senior Craig Brach. sits and sulks as the woman he wants to marry is betrothed to another man. The play fo|~ lows a festival band that dances and sings for enter- tainment, and is paid a fee for its services. Rara! is shown at 7 pm. Friday and Saturday. mum! ennui srm If you go What: Everyman When: 8 tonight through Sat- urday and 2 pm. Sunday Where: Briggs Theatre, Fine Arts Building How rnuch: Tickets cost $5 What Rara! Whert 7 pm. friday and Sat- urday Where: Guignol Theatre. Fine Arts Building New muctc Free For more information about these productions, visit wwwulryedu/fineArts. “Sesame Street" or in their own homes with sock pup pets. Those in Rural. howev- er. are far more complicated than a simple sock. “I just can‘t help but think of how cool it all is." Holloway said. Email featuresw kykernelcom marks late arrival By Elizabeth Troutman m Pre-pharmacy freshman Yahya Ahmed relies on the flu vaccine every year be- cause he has asthma. This year was the first he didn't get the shot. “I have a history of respi- ratory problems. especially in the winter." he said. “i feel like the fact that there was a scarcity is the reason why people got the flu shot this year." Ahmed was one of many UK students who were left out of the 1.000 vaccines available at University Health Services in October Health services had antici- pated receiving 4.000 vac- cines for student services this year. The first confirmed case of the flu in Northern Ken- tucky yesterday marked the late arrival of the state‘s flu season. Dr. Greg Moore. die rector of student health. said cases are usually seen after the Thanksgiving break. “It's started quite late in the country” he said. “Lucki- ly in New York and Nebraska there have only been a couple cases a week." Moore said flu season al- ways comes at an inconve- nient time for students. Be- sides taking the vaccine. stu- dents can prevent getting sick by eating a well-rounded diet including fruits and veg- etables and washing their hands several times a day Moore said dorm life and close living environments can also make students more likely to catch the virus. “Certainly living close to gether is a risk factor." he said. “The height of the flu season is the height of finals. You prevent the flu by doing all the things your mother tells you to." University Health Ser- vices treated 142 cases of the flu during the 2003-04 school year. No cases have been re- See Flu on page 2 Pentagon requests more troops before Iraqis vote By Tom Bowman IHE BALTIMORE SUN WASHINGTON The Pentagon is boosting the to- tal number of US. troops in Iraq to 150.000. the highest number deployed since the war began in March 2003. Army Brig. Gen. David Rodriguez told reporters at the Pentagon yesterday that the increase from the current 138.000 troops would mainly provide security for Iraqi elections scheduled for the end of January and also “keep up the pressure on the insurgency since the Failu- jah operation." Gen. George Casey. the top US. commander in Iraq. requested the additional troops. which were approved by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. officials said. Rodriguez. the operations director for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. said officials planned to reduce the num- ber of US. forces back to 138.000 by the end of March. depending on the security situation. But hopes for re ducing the number of troops have been continually dashed over the past year. When Baghdad fell in April 2003. some Pentagon officials were privately estimating 30,000 US. troops on the ground by the end of that summer. but the ever-grow- ing insurgency disrupted those plans. With yesterday's an- nouncement. 10.400 soldiers and Marines will receive ex- tensions for as long as two months. while 1,500 soldiers from the Army's 82nd Air- borne Division in coming weeks will be sent to iraq for about 120 days to support se curity efforts during the elec- tion period. officials said. The addition of US. troops to provide security for the elections was expected. but the numbers unveiled Wednesday were higher than officials had been estimating. Two weeks ago. Lt. Gen. Lance Smith. deputy com~ mander of the US. Central Command. said he expected a “brigades worth" of troops — about 5.000 would be kept in Iraq during the elec- tion period. Sen. Jack Reed. D-R.i.. a former officer in the 82nd Airborne. said the exten- sions and additional troops announced yesterday showed the Pentagon was finally con- fronting “the reality of Iraq.” “You need more troops, well-trained troops." Reed said in an interview estimat- ing that as many as 300.000 US. troops were necessary to provide security in Iraq. That figure echoeg the esti- Seelironpagez .-