Friday, May 5, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 3
Police identify suspect in hit-and-run
Cops trace vehicle, run laboratory tests during investigation
By Mindie Miller
writer@kanson.com
Kanson staff writer
Lawrence police have identified a vehicle and a suspect who they believe was involved in a hit-and-run April 28. Sat., George Wheeler, 67th St.
Sgt. George Wheeler of the Lawrence
Police Department said police had interviewed the suspect but had not made an arrest. Police impounded the suspect's vehicle for forensic examination.
"We're not going to arrest anybody until we get information back from the crime lab," he said. "We've collected evidence from the vehicle and will send it in with evidence from the scene, and we'll try to get a match."
John J. Lowe, a 38-year-old Lawrence transient, died when a vehicle struck him in an alley near the Community Mercantile, 901 Mississippi St., and dragged his body almost 200 feet. Police
found Lowe's body at about 2:30 a.m. in the gutter where an east-west alley meets Mississippi
A blood trail indicated that the vehicle continued north on Mississippi.
Wheeler said police searched the area, looked for witnesses and handed out more than 300 filers requesting information.
According to a press release, some investigators determined the approximate vehicle size and style from physical evidence at the scene, including wheel base measurements and paint fragments. They looked at more than 50 vehicles that matched the description
before they found the susnect vehicle.
Police had asked the public for help through Crime Stoppers, which offers a cash award of up to $1,000 for tips that lead to an arrest. But Wheeler said none of the calls had led them to the suspect.
"We did get a Crime Stoppers tip that meets with this information, but it didn't lead directly to this," he said.
Information from the investigation will not be turned over to the Douglas County district attorney's office until the forensic examination is complete and laboratory tests are conducted, Wheeler said.
Pre-Law Society drops chapter membership
By Katring Hull
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The University of Kansas Pre-Law Society is its losing its Greek letters, Phi Alpha Delta, and saving its members' money at the same time.
When the Phi Alpha Delta International Chapter raised its one-time initiation fee from $50 to $70 in January, the KU chapter decided to reconsider its chapter membership in the law fraternity, said Natalie Vorak, president of Pre-Law Society.
"They don't give us $70 worth of services, and $70 is very intimidating when recruiting new members," said Vorak, a Wichita sophomore. "There's not going to be a change in the organization. We still will provide information, speakers and the social aspect. The only thing different is the name."
However, changing its name to Pre-Law Society extracted a less than pleasant reaction from the international chapter
in the form of a letter.
"I thought the letter was very threaten ing," Vorak said.
Frank Patek, Phi Alpha Delta executive director, sent a letter dated April 12 to all members of the KU chapter and sent carbon copies of the letter to the chancellor, provost and vice chancellor.
David Ambler, vice chancellor of student affairs, said that the letter did not violate any KU policies.
"It was rather unusual and inappropriate," he said.
The letter stated in the second paragraph that the change would have little effect on members who already paid dues. But, after listing off the benefits of belonging to Phi Alpha Delta, the tone of the letter changed and threatened expulsion.
"By willingly dissolving your chapter and association with Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity you have violated your membership oath," Patek wrote. "As
such, unless we hear back from a representative of your chapter by May 1, all of your names will be submitted to the International Executive Board for expulsion from this fraternity."
Patek said in a phone interview that the membership of past members, or "anybody not a part of this," would not be affected. He said that he would not comment any further about the membership status of current members because membership was a private issue.
Vorak said that Michael Layish, pre-law adviser, still was in the process of negotiating the expulsion and membership status of current, due-paying members. Layish was out of town and could not be reached for comment. Patek did not mention any negotiations.
"We fully intend to disaffiliate with the KU chapter," Patek said. "That was their choice on behalf of the chapter."
Financially, the choice saves new KU members $40 and keeps more money in
the KU chapter. Vorak said next year's initiation fee would be $40, and that all would stay at the University.
In previous years, new members paid $60, of which $50 went to the international chapter and only $10 stayed at the University. With the January increase, members would have paid $80 including $10 for the KU chapter.
Not belonging to the international chapter means little more than returning all Phi Alpha Delta materials, including the chapter gavel, banner and any manuals. KU members also will not be allowed to attend the national conference, which Vorak said no one had attended in the recent years anyway.
Vorak said that no KU members were opposed to dropping the Phi Alpha Delta when the decision was made at a February meeting.
"I don't think that most students care about the name," Vorak said. "But they do care care about the cost."
Students, parents work through news of homosexuality
By Kimberly Thompsor Special to the Kansas
Matthew Skinta, Andover junior, knew he was gay in elementary school, but he did not tell his mother. He kept putting it off until the "right" moment, which did not come until last Easter.
"I told her, 'Well, Mom, I am gay,' he said. "We laughed about it. She said that it had crossed her mind before."
thing was to take a straightforward approach.
Many students come to college knowing they are gay, while some students figure it out later. Not all students who know they're gay choose to tell their parents right away.
Skinta said that if a student decided to come out to his or her parents, the most important
"You have to realize that if your parents ask questions, they're asking because they are ignorant when it comes to sexual orientation," he said.
"Answer honestly. Realize that they're parents expressing concern and showing love."
After Easter, Skinta's mother told his younger brother, who took the news well. His older brother, whom Skinta described as a "butch marine," was not as understanding — they still never have talked about it.
Skinta decided not to tell his parents in high school because he was financially dependent on them and didn't know how they would react.
Unlike Skinta, Patrice Wilcher told her mother right away.
took her mother right away.
The 27-year-old Winfield fresh
The 21-year-old woman realized she was gay while overseas in the military a month after she married her training-camp sweetheart.
The military sent her to Germany where she met a girl who changed everything.
Wilcher called her mother the next morning.
"I was so thankful
Her mother was not so sure.
that I figured it out," she said. "I was pretty confident that was my road."
Skinta: Advise students to be patient with parents
"Thank God I was in Germany, or she would have kicked my
out and told everybody in the room." Wilcher's husband took
he said she treated out and told everybody he was."
in the room.
Wilcher his husband took
it just as hard.
"He was very sad," she said. "He was very much in love with me."
gay.
He kept saying that if he just came to Germany everything would be all right, she said.
Wilcher's family stuck together and worked through the news. Her relatives now have come to terms with her being
But it does not always end on good terms.
graduate student, only occasionally talks to his parents after his sister told his parents he was gay about six years ago.
His mother confronted him, and he told her he was proud of who he was. Since then, he has had only casual contact with her, and five years passed before he spoke to his father.
Joshua Farrier, Argenta. Ill..
"He said that when he found out, he wanted to pretend I was dead," Farrier said.
But Farrier said he did not regret the broken ties with his parents.
"I don't have to forgive them," he said. "My life is better without them in it. I don't think you should have anyone in your life that makes you feel devalued. I am my own man."
Administrator accepts post in California
By John Audlehelm
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
James Kitchen, associate vice chancellor and dean of students, will leave the University of Kansas in July to become the vice president of student affairs at San Diego State University.
Todd Cohen, assistant director of University Relations, said Ambler would appoint someone within the University.
Kitchen could not be reached for comment.
As for his permanent replacement, Cohen said the University probably would not select one until the end of Spring 2001 or the beginning of Fall 2001.
David Ambler, vice chancellor for student affairs, said he would appoint an interim leader to oversee the department of student life by the end of next week.
"They'll do a national search starting in the fall," he said. "The search will probably take several months."
Ambler said the search would not begin until the fall because so many people in the field were gone during the summer, including KU student leaders.
"We certainly would want to have it at a time that they are here," he said.
According to press releases from San Diego State and Kansas, Kitchen will be one of five vice presidents and a member of the president's cabinet.
Ambler said he was delighted that Kitchen had the opportunity.
"He is a super student affairs professional, and San Diego State is an outstanding university," he said. "I will miss his service here, and I am very appreciative of his many contributions to KU."
Sara Muller Fraunces, associate vice president of marketing and communications at San Diego State, said Kitchen was interviewed along with five other finalists and that he would begin work there in mid-July.
Rick Bay, athletics director at San Diego State and chair of the selection committee, said the committee selected Kitchen because he was articulate and collaborative and had proven himself as an advocate of students.
"Dr. Kitchen is the only person to whom the job was offered," he said. "He was an extremely popular choice."
Chancellor Robert Hemenway said Kitchen would be missed.
Kitchen started at the University in 1994 as dean of student life and was promoted to associate vice chancellor and dean of students in 1997 when the division of student affairs was reorganized.
"He's been a very good dean of students," he said. "He's getting a very fine promotion, and all we can do is wish him well."
Before that, he was associate dean of students and director of the student development center at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
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