Youth tourney brings in big bucks

March 24, 2011 – 7:57pm

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

While youth wrestlers from across the state are preparing to hit the mats this weekend at the Kansas Expocentre, Topekans are gearing up for everyone else who plans to come, too.

Those involved with the Kansas Kids Wrestling Championships expect it to bring more than 7,500 people to the capital city.

H.R. Cook, general manager of the Expocentre, said the importance of the event extends beyond the actual venue.

“It’s a really, really big deal, because it’s not only the Expo that hosts the event but the entire community,” Cook said.

From city officials to Visit Topeka Inc., to those in the restaurant and lodging industries, a lot of people in Topeka are preparing for the influx of out-of-town parents, aunts and uncles, siblings and grandparents who will be at Landon Arena on Saturday and Sunday to watch about 1,500 wrestlers compete.

The wrestling championships occur annually in March, drawing participants of varying ages and sizes from every district in the state.

Mayor Bill Bunten said the event allows people to get together in the capital city and take advantage of what Topeka has to offer.

“For us, it’s a weekend when people stay here, eat here and shop here,” Bunten said. “It’s a fun event, and economically, it brings a great number of people to our city.”

Olivia Simmons, president and chief executive officer of Visit Topeka, said the overall economic impact of the event is huge.

Simmons said a conservative estimate of the revenue garnered from the event is $1.47 million.

The wrestling championships are the second-largest event in terms of revenue behind NHRA drag racing at Heartland Park Topeka.

Dena Soden, director of sales for Capitol Plaza Hotel, 1717 S.W. Topeka Blvd, said the hotel is completely booked tonight and Saturday night.

Soden said the hotel typically sells out a year before the championships.

Topeka has hosted this event for more than 15 years, continuously outbidding other cities for the contract.

In 2009, Topeka outbid Salina, Hays, Hutchinson and Wichita to retain the event under the current three-year contract, which expires in 2012.

The bidding process for the next host city will begin in the fall. Next March could be the last year the event is in Topeka as the competition gets tougher with new, larger arenas popping up across the state.

But Cook said it is because of the open arms of the citizens, not the arena, that Topeka has been able to retain this event for so long.

Simmons agrees.

“It’s that hospitality and that personal touch that you can’t put a price tag on,” Simmons said. “And that’s what we need from our community to help bring this event back year after year.”

Weigh-in for the wrestlers starts this evening. The opening ceremony and competitions commence Saturday morning.

Student Senate votes on several bills for fund use

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Student senate members blamed the length of the full senate meeting last night on the contentious bills being heard.

Last night’s full senate meeting in the Kansas room of the Kansas Union lasted more than two hours. Senate members passed bills to fund future speakers and altered the language in the rules and regulations to provide senate with more leeway when it comes to indirect funding.

Much of the discussion for the night though, focused on the Center for Community Outreach’s request to fund their “Into the Streets Week” philanthropist speaker Greg Mortenson.

Mortenson’s price tag for the event is $34,000 of which $31,00 is honorarium and going directly to him.

Last night the Senate agreed to the bill requesting $9,000 for the event, which takes place at the end of March.

Student body president Michael Wade Smith said the issue should be about impact, not price, and that’s what this event provides.

“What are you saving the money for?” Smith said. “We have an obligation to create an impact.”

Senate member Bryce Meyers said the bill was unfair and CCO knew it. During his negative speech, Meyers said he knew it was going to pass.

“Bad ideas get through with good help,” Meyers said.

Another bill passed to provide funding for the Jewish student group the Chabad, but with less opposition.

The Chabad requested $1,500 to fund their “Jewish Culture Night” featuring internationally renowned mentalist Marc Salem. Salem highlights the power of the mind in his performances and will be on campus March 14.

Senate members asked a few questions about the event and its educational value, but ultimately granted the request.

In the spirit of giving, members also authorized an amendment of Student Senate Rules and Regulations to strike the previous rule that “no funds from student fees shall be allocated … to directly or indirectly raise funds for another corporation, organization, or group.”

The new amendment allows senate to contribute indirect funding to groups sponsoring events such as the Dance Marathon, Relay for Life and Up ‘til Dawn.

“We think it should be important to contribute to their success,” Smith said.

Student body vice president Megan Ritter agreed and said these events affect so many students.

“Think about how many people you know at KU that just went to Dance Marathon,” Ritter said.

The new amendment allows “no more than 10 percent of the previous three year average donations to be made to the third party group which the event is fundraising for.”

The original amount was 15 percent but got amended to 10.

By the end of the night, students appeared tired.

Senate members ultimately voted to postpone their debate regarding a newly adopted Senator Code of Ethics and because of the men’s basketball game next week, full senate won’t meet again to discuss them until March 16.

Student Senate’s “Pie in the Sky” ideas about how to make the University a dream campus

Student body president Michael Wade Smith opened up an informal dialogue about what student senate members would like to see at the University.

Smith is a part of a strategic planning committee that meets frequently to discuss the the future of the University throughout the next several decades.

Smith asked senate members at the full senate meeting last night in the Kansas room of the Student Union what would make our campus their “dream campus.”

Below are some of the responses:

-Community service option for paying for parking tickets

-Starbucks

-Shuttle to the airport

-Fully funded LGBT center

-GTAs need more funding

-On campus trolley

-24-hour library

-New Business School

-Dr. Pepper

Student committee requests$9,000 from Student Senate for guest speaker

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Against the wishes of some members, the Student Senate Finance Committee approved the Center for Community Outreach’s request for funding to bring speaker Greg Mortenson to the University in March.

At Wednesday’s finance committee meeting in the Kansas Union, the CCO requested $10,000 from the committee.

The committee denied the original amount, amending the total to the approved amount of $9,000. The Student Senate will vote on the amended amount next week.

CCO organizes an annual campaign in March, “Into the Street Week”, and plans on Mortenson for the key-note speaker.

Mortenson founded the Central Asia Institute and his recent book, “Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School At A Time,” was on the New York Times Best Seller list three times.

CCO said Mortenson’s reputation as the most sought out speaker and his humanitarian work justify the funding.

Members of the finance committee said their concern was that a speaker with such a hefty price tag can take away funding from other students’ groups and their ability to bring speakers.

“Essentially, one group can bring in one speaker and the rest are S-O-L,” one committee member said.

David Cohen, student senate treasurer, said he would feel irresponsible if he did not speak out.

“I think it’s an absurd amount and way too high,” Cohen said.

According to members, the budget still has more than $30,000 in funding for other groups.

“This is the most amazing speaker and by far the best event Student Senate will have their name behind in the past five years,” one committee member said.

The event total is about $34,000, which includes $19,250 that was raised through other sources, such as Global International Studies and Student Union Activities.