THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOL. 116 ISSUE 37
FRIDAY,OCTOBER 7.2005
WWW.KANSAN.COM
SPEAKER
Rushdie speaks about religion
Lindsev Gold/KANSAN
"Stories are used in a daily way," said novelist Salman Rushdie, while addressing 1,800 people at the Lied Center Thursday. "It's a method that people experience their own reality." Rushdie, who spoke as part of the Hall Center for the Humanities Lecture Series, talked about a variety of topics from President Bush to his opinion on the book, "The DiVinci Code."
BY ALY BARLAND
abarland@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
A writer's job in today's world is to constantly push the boundaries. Renowned author Salman Rushdie has done so in his writing and received a death sentence in 1989 from Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini for his book "The Satanic Verses," which was deemed sacrilegious.
Rushdie, who spoke to a crowd of 1,800 people Thursday night at the Lied Center as part of the Hall Center for the Humanities lecture series, described his book as "largely a comic novel" and found the debate difficult to justify.
"You could describe what happened as a battle over people with a sense of humor and people without one," Rushdie said.
He said he had always wanted to write on the edge between funny and not funny. Rushdie said conflict emerged when those who wanted to push the boundaries met opposition from those who wanted to retain the status quo. This produced issues of infringement on freedom of speech.
"You don't bother to think about free speech when everybody has it," Rushdie said.
This clashing of ideals often emerged from the debate between rationalists and religious fanatics, Rushdie said.
He described himself as "mercifully free of religion" and went on to comment about the evolution debate in Kansas, saying that as a result of his upbringing he had never had doubts about the evolution theory.
"I gather there are some parts of Kansas where the Big Bang Theory did not take place," Rushdie said.
Despite his personal beliefs, Rushdie said he often considered Hindu mythology and Islam when writing because of his Indian roots. There are an estimated 300 million deities incorporated into Indian culture, and Rushdie said that it was a large population to discredit, imaginary or not.
"There are all kinds of things that don't exist, like George Bush's brain," Rushdie said jokingly.
On a more serious note, he said he was concerned about the move of religion into the public sphere.
"I think it's a pretty bad time for those of us who believe that superstition should not rule the world," Rushdie said.
The power of religion can do harm, he said, and no single religion was to blame because there were great disputes even within religions — not just between them.
ADMINISTRATION
SSE RUSHDIE ON PAGE 8A
Council to begin quest for provost
BY GABY SOUZA
gsouza@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
The national search is on for the new provost and executive vice chancellor, who will replace David Shulenburger.
Shulenburger
Chancellor Robert Hemenway named an 18-member search committee yesterday, composed of faculty, staff and student representatives.
The committee will have its first meeting in about a week, said Jeff Aube, chairman of the committee and professor of medicinal chemistry.
Shulenburger announced on
Sept. 28 that he would step down after 15 years as provost. Only one other provost in the Association of American Universities has been a provost at one university longer than Shulenburger.
Choosing the new provost will be a complicated process, Aube said. The committee will have to work diligently and efficiently to recruit candidates and review applications in time to hire a candidate by July 2006, when the new provost will start work.
"We'll have to roll up our sleeves and get right to it," he said.
SEE QUEST ON PAGE 2A
Watch me work my expertise
Walt Hull, art and design department staff member, hammers the leg of an iron table into form Thursday afternoon in front of the Spencer Museum of Art for part of the "Watch Us Work" exhibit. Hull has 11 years of experience in ironwork, which he teaches at the University.
Rachel Seymour/KANSAN
POLICE DEPARTMENT
TRAFFIC TICKETS
Illustration by Jonathan Kealing/KANSAN
Traffic unit swells Lawrence's city funds
BY STEVE LYNN
slynn@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Lawrence's traffic unit contributed to a 23 percent increase in city revenue — primarily from traffic tickets — from January to June 2005, compared to last year. A $10 fee added to municipal court costs since September 2004 also contributed to the increase, said Vicki Stanwix, Lawrence Municipal Court manager. Michael Kingsley, Chicago senior, has contributed to the increased revenue. Kingsley received two speeding tickets in Lawrence totaling $310, nearly two years ago.
Lawrence's budget has had an infusion of cash from some unwitting sources: lawbreakers.
City officials said the increased number of tickets issued by the Lawrence Police Department's traffic unit which consists of seven vehicles, six officers and one sergeant between 2004 and 2005 contributed to an increase in the city's revenue and traffic safety.
"As a college student, it's not great," Kingsley said.
City officials said the increased number of tickets issued by the Lawrence Police Department's traffic unit — which consists of seven vehicles, six officers and one sergeant — between 2004 and 2005 contributed to an increase in the city's revenue and traffic safety.
According to a 2004 annual report written by Stanwix, city rev
enue increased almost 9 percent, or $218,667, from 2003 to 2004. Officers issued 5,681 more traffic tickets in 2004 than 2005, the report states. Sgt. Dan Ward of the Lawrence Police Department said the city had a traffic unit 20 years ago when the city was far less populated.
A $2.2 million federal grant allowed the city to form a new traffic unit in October 2002, he said.
Sgt. Randy Roberts of the Lawrence Police Department's traffic unit said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provided the grant.
"City Hall was getting calls about people speeding, and patrol was so overwhelmed with calls that we formed the traffic unit," Roberts said. "People wanted it."
The traffic unit also takes calls from residents who complain about traffic violations in their neighborhoods, Roberts said.
In addition to issuing traffic tickets, federal law requires the department to conduct a number of checkpoints because the city received federal funds for the traffic unit.
SEE UNIT ON PAGE 8A
Kansas to challenge K-State in Manhattan The Jayhawks visit the Wildcats on Saturday. Can Kansas duplicate last year's homecoming victory against its in-state rival? PAGE 8B
Orchestra begins new season with concert The KU Symphony Orchestra will perform its first concert of the 2005-2006 season tonight in the Lied Center. Ensemble and solo performances are on the schedule. PAGE 3A
Mangino's conundrum With Saturday's game fast approaching, Kansas football coach Mark Mangino has a tough decision on his hands Who will take the reigns at quarterback and lead his team to his second away victory? PAGE 1B
Index
Comics...6A
Classifieds...5A
Crossword...6A
Horoscopes...6A
Opinion...7A
Sports...1B
All contents, unless stated otherwise
© 2005 The University Daily Kannan