WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2. 2005
NEWS
CORRECTION
- Tuesday's The University Daily Kansan contained an error. A outline on the front page should have said J.R. Giddens pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery.
CLARIFICATION
The Oct. 25 edition of The University Daily Kansan contained an error. KU on Wheels is organized to receive complaints about the bus system.
ON THE RECORD
◆ A 21-year-old KU student reported to Lawrence police the burglary and theft of a bottle of Gray Goose Vodka and damage to a window screen between 6:30 and 6:43 a.m., Oct. 29 at the 2600 block of West Sixth Street. The bottle is valued at $25. The damage is estimated at $50.
A 20-year-old KU student reported to the KU Public Safety Office the theft of a misplaced bus pass between 1:30 and 2 p.m., Oct. 3 from the Snow Hall bus stop. The bus pass is valued at $25.
ON CAMPUS
◆ The department of French and Italian is showing the French film "IEsquive" (Games of Love and Chance) at 7:30 tonight in Woodruff Auditorium at the Kansas Union as part of the KU Tournees French Film Festival.Tickets are available for $2 in the Hawk Shop at the Kansas Union.
Taylor Miller/KANSAN
Mohammedmian Soomro, chairman of the Pakistani Senate, is speaking at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics on West Campus. Admission is free and no tickets are needed.
'Fornication, masturbation, the perverse times'
Jed Smock, an evangelist from Columbia, Mo., who travels to university campuses, lectures a crowd on the steps of Wescoe Beach about the dangers of "fornication, masturbation and the perverse times." Among the many students present were Kyle Davis, Topeka sophomore, and Samer Adra, Wichita junior. Davis said, "I'm just here to have a little bit of entertainment before lunch." Adra said, "While I agree with the majority of his methods and beliefs ... all the sex talk is a little much for me."
Wal-Mart lawsuit cut
COURTS
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — An Arkansas judge dismissed a large part of Wal-Mart's multimillion-dollar lawsuit against former Vice Chairman Tom Coughlin on Tuesday.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it would amend its lawsuit and try again to void Coughlin's retirement package. The world's largest retailer said Coughlin negotiated a lavish deal last year, knowing he had misused $500,000 in Wal-Mart cash and property.
"We will file an amended complaint with additional evidence of fraud and fraudulent inducement," said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Mona Williams.
The decision in the civil case does not affect a federal grand jury in Fort Smith that is looking
Coughlin attorney William W Taylor III said the ruling meant Wal-Mart should respect the retirement pact and drop its claims.
into possible crimes based on Wal-Mart's allegations against Coughlin.
A grand jury has been meeting to address Wal-Mart's claims against its former executive. Coughlin, through his attorney, has denied any wrongdoing.
because of a benefits calculation error and wants the money returned.
Benton County Circuit Judge Jay Finch said Wal-Mart failed to show that Arkansas law required a company officer to disclose any improprieties before signing a release from liability.
"A plain reading of the mutual release indicates that Wal-Mart must have considered the possibility that Coughlin's actions were potentially problematic when it released him of all known or unknown claims," Finch wrote in his order.
"There is no legal or factual basis for Wal-Mart to pursue any further claims against Tom, and we hope and expect that Wal-Mart will put this matter behind them," Taylor said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
Finch said Wal-Mart can still pursue losses after Jan. 22, when the company and Coughlin waived their rights to sue over past events. Wal-Mart says it gave Coughlin $400,000 in April
Coughlin led the company's discount and warehouse stores divisions until late last year.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 3A
CAMPUS
Program delivers safe message to fraternities
A new program, called Project Safe Watch, will help fraternity brothers avoid bad choices.
Scott Shorten, Stilwell senior and Interfraternity Council president, said the Safe Watch group made a total of six visits to fraternities this week, and plans to visit all of KU's fraternities in two weeks.
The program begins with a talk by an Interfraternity Council member. Then fraternity members sign and keep a contract which reminds them to stay accountable to each other.
The program is not aimed specifically at drinking. "Bad decisions can be made at any time, not just when alcohol is involved," Shorten said.
Interim Dean of students Frank De Salvo approached Shorten about starting the program. De Salvo said five students went to the emergency room during Hawk Week this semester. Although that number wasn't unusually high, "that number is too high for me," he said.
The program is not meant to discourage partying, but to encourage students to "party hard and well and safely" he said.
Each fraternity member receives a Project Safe Watch key chain-bottle opener. That way, Shorten said, the next time they opened a beer, they would remember to watch out for the safety of their friends.
- Gaby Souza
Watkins waits for more flu vaccine
at Watkins.
Watkins Memorial Health Center has run gut of flu vaccines, but more doses are on the way. Kathy Thrasher, pharmacy supervisor for Watkins, said Watkins had gone through 1,170 doses since Oct. 25.
As a result of the shortage, a flu vaccine clinic in Strong Hall was canceled, along with two other clinics scheduled for this week on Wednesday at the Burge Union and on Thursday
She said Watkins expected one last shipment of 780 doses, which could arrive next week at the earliest. The flu vaccination clinics will be reinstated as soon as the order arrives.
Thrasher encouraged students to check the center's Web site, www.studenttheafth.ku.edu, for updates on the situation.
Malinda Osborne
NATION
Court debates hallucinogenic tea
About 130 members of a Brazil-based church have been in a long-running dispute with
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court debated Tuesday whether to let a small congregation in New Mexico worship with hallucinogenic tea, the first religious freedom dispute under Chief Justice John Roberts.
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor seemed skeptical of the Bush administration's claim that the tea can be banned, but she may not be around to vote in the case.
federal agents who seized their tea in 1999.The hoasca tea, which contains an illegal drug known as DMT, is considered sacred to members of O Centro Espirita Beneficients Uniao do Vegetal.
The Bush administration contends the tea is not only illegal but potentially dangerous.
The Supreme Court has dealt with religious drug cases before. Justices ruled 15 years ago that states could criminalize the use of peyote by American Indians.
The Associated Press