WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2005
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
CORRECTION
3A
- Tuesday'sThe University Daily Kansan contained an error.The Kansas men's basketball player who wears No. 5 is sophomore guard Rodrick Stewart.
ON THE RECORD
♦ A 20-year-old KU student reported a $300 Nishiki bicycle and a $20 lock stolen sometime between 10:30 Oct. 11 and 1:40 a.m. Oct. 12 from Battenfeld Hall.
♦ A 22-year-old KU student reported a $100 Schwinn bicycle and a $15 cable lock stolen around 2:25 Oct. 14 from Lewis Hall.
Today is "LoveYour Body Day," sponsored by the peer-education group From the Inside Out. Stop by the Love Your Body table from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today on the fourth floor of the Kansas Union.
ON CAMPUS
- The department of French and Italian is showing the French film "Not on the Lips" at 7:30 p.m. at Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas Union as part of the French Film Festival. Admission is $2.
- Chuck D of the hip-hop group Public Enemy will deliver a lecture called "Race, Rap, & Reality" at 8 p.m. in the Kansas Union Ballroom as part of student-run radio station 90.7 KJHK's 30th anniversary celebration. Tickets are $4 for students, $6 for the general public and can be purchased at the SUA box office, level four of the Kansas Union.
Note: The University Daily Kansan prints campus events that are free and open to the public. Submission forms are available in the Kansan newsroom, 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall. Items must be turned in two days in advance of the desired publication date. On Campus is printed on a space available basis.
GREEK LIFE
Safety concerns prompt act
BY LOUIS MORA
lmora@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
The recent fire at Boardwalk Apartments has raised concerns about the issue of fire safety. Pennington & Company, a Lawrence-based company, has teamed with a national organization to pursue the safety of greek houses here and across the country.
FIRES IN UNIVERSITY HOUSING
While only 8 percent of greek houses nationally are equipped with sprinkler systems, Greek houses at the University of Kansas are equipped with fire prevention equipment but still need renovations to prevent a fire.
Pennington & Company, which raises funds for fraternity and sorority housing, is working with the Fraternity and Sorority Political Action Committee in Washington to approve the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act. The bill would allow
Here are some statistics about fire safety in university greek and student housing:
♦ An average of 1,800 fires occur every school year.
♦ A fire alarm at 600 fires occurs.
Since 1976, there have been 48 fatalities in greek housing fires
$ \diamond $ There have been no fatalities in greek housing fires with working sprinklers
Source: American Fire Sprinkler Association
Kevin O'Nell, president of the PAC, said renovations to greek houses across the country were needed.
"They are in significantly worse shape than those owned by the University," he said.
Patrick Alderdice, president of Pennington & Company, said contributions made to greek organizations could only be used to improve the education space of a house. That means installation of sprinkler systems or other safety
devices in other parts of the house are not possible.
"When only 8 percent of our houses are sprinkled, we are just playing with fire at this point," he said. "I get very concerned when we are housing 50 to over 100 men and women."
One hundred percent of the houses at the University have sprinklers after a $30-million renovation addressed the issue, Alderdice said.
"They are some of the most up-to-date Greek houses and safe Greek houses in the country," he said.
The bill would also provide other fire-related renovations for houses that were built as early as the 1920s.
Laura Bauer, program director for fraternity and sorority life, said while the old houses provided a rich tradition, it also meant they needed improvements such as electrical wiring. She said she was taking a survey of the houses to learn what safety devices were needed.
Debbie Pitts, chapter adviser for Alpha Gamma Delta, said the bill could contribute to the sorority's effort to build a new house.
CAMPUS
"I think people would be a little more generous and increase their tax savings," she said.
The bill currently sits in congressional hearings, which run through December.
O'Nell said he was optimistic the bill would pass.
"It would remove a major obstacle," he said.
— Edited by Tricia Masenthin
Free speech,political literature on display
November will mark the 40th anniversary of KU Spencer Research Library's acquisition of one of the largest collections of left- and right-wing American political literature.
The collection, purchased from former student Laird Wilcox in 1965, includes 100,000 filers, brochures, mailings, clippings and bumper stickers.The University of Kansas will honor Wilcox, a 63-year-old retired carpenter, at 3:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 4, in the North Gallery of Spencer Library.
Bill Tuttle, professor of American studies and a former teacher of Wilcox's, will introduce Wilcox. An online exhibit will accompany the exhibit at the library, entitled "Free Speech and the Wilcox Collection," at http://spencer.lib.ku.edu/.
Malinda Osborne
CAMPUS
Recreation center lengthens its hours
The Student Recreation Fitness Center has extended its hours from now until spring break. Now, the recreation center will open at 5:30 a.m., and close at 2 a.m., Monday through Thursday and close at midnight on Friday. Weekend ends will stay the same.
The recreation center is so busy between fall and spring break, that extra hours of operation are needed, said Roger Heimerman, assistant director of facilities and membership services.
He said he went to the recreation center Monday at 1 a.m., and only 10 people were there.
Child of nature
Heimerman said he hoped that more students start coming late at night.
John Jordan
Andy Barron/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Terra Snider,
10, is covered
up to her neck
in fall leaves by
her 5th grade
classmates
during recess at
Reno Christian
Academy in
Reno, Nev., on
Tuesday.