CAMPUS
Student Senate rejected Wednesday a bill that would have added a sixth polling place for Senate elections. PAGE 3A
FEATURES
CLOUDY
Bahai artist Kevin Locke brings his nationally recognized show to Haskell. PAGE 10A
High 37° Low 15°
Weather: Page 2A
KS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
TOPEKA, KS 68612
HAWKY DAYS!
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
VOL.104.NO.96
ADVERTISING:864-4358
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1995
(USPS 650-640)
NEWS: 864-4810
Paul Kotz / KANSAN
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. spoke to members of the media before last night's lecture at the Lied Center.
Vonnegut entertains Lied crowd
Author gives views on life, pursuit of freedom
By Ian Ritter Kansan staff writer
Kurt Vonnegut said last night at the Lied Center that we are all on this Earth to fart around. Anyone who says otherwise is living.
Armed with a chalkboard and a sarcastic sense of humor, the 72-year-old, 6-foot-plus Vonnegreut delivered his advice to a nearly full house. He coughed as he gave his opinions and observations on topics ranging from seasons to war.
Regarding racism and censorship, Vonnegut said that the United States had come a long way in obtaining liberty. But, Vonnegut said, he doubted that the United States would ever be totally free.
Contrary to other beliefs, liberty was a myth in the late 1700s, Vonnegut said. Boston and Philadelphia were only hotels where liberty was conceived, not born.
Vonnegut talked about his experiences in World War II, when he was captured by the Germans and witnessed the firebombing of Dresden, Germany, in 1945.
"When I came home from the war, my Uncle Dan clapped me on the back and said, 'You're a man now,' so I killed
him."Vonnegut ioked.
Novegneu said that in the Battle of the Bulge, where he was captured, the United States Army was severely defeated and that the Germans were smart enough to wear white capes in the snow.
"We were dressed in uniforms the color of dog shit—barely visible when contrasted with snow." he said.
In contemporary times, CNN and the Pentagon have turned war into a movie, Vonnegot said. He cited the Gulf War as the prime example.
"Killing is fun only from an airplane," he said, referring to President Bush's history as a pilot.
He said that reading was his form of meditation. He shaded his hands like a
book to express himself.
"I want that book to remain a sacred part of our culture." he said
Vonnegue said that he had experienced Eastern meditation but found it to be "like scuba diving in warm bullion."
In a news conference before the speech, Vonnegut said that he found Lawrence a visually pleasing, classic Midwestern town.
"It's a darling town," he said. "As far as it looks, it's America at its best."
"I liked the positive criticism made against war," he said.
Rainer Schmied, Lenexa freshman,
said he wasn't an avid reader of Vonnegut's novels but that he enjoyed the
speech.
Phone calls allow for test compromise
Physics professor bends rules helps student attend service
By Teresa Veazey Kansan staff writer
Demaric Patton, Emporia junior, wasn't about to miss the memorial service for Heather Stewart, the Kansas State University student who was killed Saturday by a bus in Spain.
Not even if his professor wouldn't allow him to take his Wednesday physics test early.
Patton, who is a third cousin of Stewart, initially was told by Judy Wu, professor of physics, that he could not take the 8 p.m. test earlier in the day because department policy did not allow students to take tests earlier or later than they were scheduled.
The memorial service, which was conducted in Emporia, began at 7 p.m.
Wu said she understood Patton's dilemma.
"I really sympathized with him," Wu said. "I try my best to help students."
Wu suggested that rather than take the test early, the scores of Patton's next two tests be averaged together as the score of the first test.
Patton didn't like that solution because physics tests progressively get harder. But at that point, he would still have to take the test at 8 p.m.
That got the attention of the Office of Academic Affairs, which contacted the head of the department of physics and astronomy and asked that consideration be given to Patton's circumstances.
Patton spoke with his parents about the problem. Then Max Stewart, Heather's father, called the Office of Student Affairs.
The round of phone calls worked.
Wu called Patton on Wednesday morning and said he would be able to take the test at 4:30 that afternoon.
"I think if it would have been her alone, she probably would have given me the test early," Patton said. "She was real helpful about the whole thing."
Damy Kaiser, assistant dean of student life, said that some faculty members had been burned by students who abused excuses.
"Where we know the situation to be true, we assist that student by informing the faculty member," he said.
Mike Shuttic, assistant director of student life, said that when a situation such as Patton's came up, the office looked at the class syllabus for guidelines about missing class.
"Our first step would be to seek clarification with the professor and the department," he said.
Channel 14's first newscast
KU's first campus television station, Channel 14, will broadcast a five-minute newscast today at 2:30 pm. The newscast and introduction will not be on Sunflower Cablevision. Viewers with cable have to unhook their cable connections to see the broadcast.
LEFT: Brooke Lambertz, Enid, Okla., senior, left, and Susan Deady, Lenexa junior, interview Joshua Brown, Manhattan freshman, for KU's new television station, Channel 14. Brown is in the cast of "Wiley and the Hairy Man," playing at Murphy Hall through Saturday. ABOVE: Susan Deady, Lenexa junior, edits video tape of "Wiley and the Hairy Man."
Channel
KU station airs trial broadcast today
By Novelda Sommers
Special to the Kansan
For five minutes today, KU broadcast journalism students will do more than just practice broadcasting news.
They'll be on the air.
At 2:30 p.m., Channel 14 — The University of Kansas' first television station — will go on the air with a taped newcast produced by students and faculty.
until more money is raised.
will run Before the newscast, viewers will see Mike Kautsch, dean of journalism, introduce the station. The broadcast will feature stories about sexual harassment on the Internet, an attempted hold-up this week at the Super 8 Motel and a proposed cut in the state automobile tax. but will not start daily broadcasts
The broadcast will be ceremonial, said John Katich, associate professor of journalism. The station will not air regular programming until next fall, at the earliest.
Katich said the station was waiting on an engineering study to determine the feasibility of daily
A transmitter and antenna were installed Jan. 5 at the site of KANU radio's tower on West Campus. The broadcast signal from Channel 14, a UHF, low-power station, is expected to cover a 30-mile radius. Channel 14's broadcast service eventually will be augmented by satellite.
broadcasts from Dole Human Development Center. A microwave transmitter would transmit signals from Dole Center, where the station is housed, to a tower on West Campus. If the plan is not feasible, they would find another way, such as through phone lines.
Viewers who tune in after Friday probably will be staring at a blank screen until next fall, when the station should have the needed equipment to broadcast. Today, the broadcast will be a prerecorded tape transmitted from West Campus.
The project will cost the University $125,000. Kautsch said the School of Journalism was looking for additional financing for more equipment.
Students in broadcast classes now produce daily newscasts that are not vired.
Brad Weaver, Kansas City, Mo., graduate student
and broadcast newsroom supervisor, said going on the air would give broadcast students more credibility when they worked on stories in the community.
"Once it is up and running, I think it is something people in the community will get excited about," Weaver said.
Katich said programming for the station has not been decided by journalism faculty. Five-minute newscasts produced by broadcast students will air daily.
"It's the only thing our radio and television program lacks that Missouri has," said Jana Blackburn, Lawrence senior and broadcast journalism major.
He said the station would benefit students who lacked the experience or skill to get good internships.
"This station will really help those who are intermediate level performers — the ones who don't get the prime internships or the lower level students who need the experience." Katich said.
"If you don't have the opportunity in school, where are you going to get it?" she said.
Get it yourself: On your own at Mrs. E's
By Brian Vandervllet
Kansan staff writer
Staff shortage necessitates daily self-serve food stations
Students who dine at Ekdahl Dining Commons on Daisy Hill often are presented with new variations of food. But in recent months the cafeteria's staff have been experimenting, not with its spaghetti sauce or pudding flavors, but with its service.
Since December, the cafeteria has started using self-service lines to keep food stations open, despite an understaffed dining crew.
"It's really out of necessity," said Barbara Quintero, assistant director of student housing. "We just haven't had the staffing to do the service."
Sometimes all seven of the cafeteria's food stations are self-service. The new mode of operation has made
it possible for dining employees to spend their time with food preparation and cleanup without closing stations. Quintero said.
"There's not a meal that goes by that we don't have self-service," she said. "I for sure don't see it changing this semester."
The decision to use self-service is made by a supervisor when there are not enough employees available to staff a station. Quintero said an average of four employees a day were absent from work because of illnesses, which creates a need for self-service.
Bill Miller, Chanhassen, Minn., junior, said he disliked the recent change.
The staff has had a difficult time finding enough student employees to work at the cafeteria despite a
The cost of a full meal plan — 19 meals a week — is $846 a semester. For 15 meals a week, it is $806.
"It's too messy," Miller said. "We pay too much for not having service. But I do understand that they're short on staff."
Pendreigh said it was difficult for the cafeteria to compete with wages offered at private businesses. Other restaurants in Lawrence also have had problems with staffing because of the low turnover.
recent wage increase from $4.35 to $5 an hour. Sixty-five students work at the cafeteria. Mindy Pendreigh, unit manager, said the cafeteria ideally needed about 15 more student employees. Students often were unable to work early in the day or for extended hours. The staff also suffers from a high turnover rate — about five employees quit each month.
"Some students move on to jobs related with their field of study, and others quit because of school demands," Pendreigh said. "I don't blame them for that."
compete with wages offered at private other restaurants in Lawrence also have had problems with staffing because of the low unemployment rate Despite the decrease in service, some students said they liked the change.
"I generally like it better because you get to pick out what you want," said Luke Roberts, Independence Mo., freshman.