Section A·Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, April 5, 2000
Arguments begin in civil rights case
By Jim O'Malley writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
KANSAS CITY, KAN. — Marie Aquilina the civil rights lawsuit against the University of Kansas began yesterday in the federal courthouse.
The former assistant professor of art history's gender-discrimination claim, which was based on the University's decision to deny her tenure, was dismissed before trial. That left only her claim that the University retaliated against her for complaining about gender discrimination to be decided.
An eight-person jury was selected and sworn in shortly after noon.
Topeka attorney Stephen Lanternman made the plaintiff's opening argument.
"We believe the evidence will show that the University of Kansas retaliated against Marle Aquilino," he said. "Every year that Marle Aquilino was at the University, she received reviews such as very good, excellent, superior and outstanding."
But when she came up for tenure, Lanterman argued. Aquilino noticed what she thought were differences in how the University treated her application and the applications of two colleagues in her department. After Aquilino complained about it, the department evaluated her as poor in all three relevant areas — research, teaching and service — and recommended that she be denied tenure.
Lanterman said the University Committee on Promotion and Tenure also recommended against tenure but only because of Aquilino's research
record. He said Aquilino didn't do what most new professors did — turn her dissertation into a series of articles. Instead, she wrote an entire book, although it was not yet published.
Lanterman argued that the University's treatment of Aquilino changed after she filed a discrimination complaint with the Kansas Human Rights Commission. Before the complaint, Sally Frost Mason, dean of the college of liberal arts and sciences, suggested that Aquilino look for a non-tenure track position with the University. After the complaint, Lanterman said, the University wouldn't even give Aquilino an unpaid ad hoc affiliation or adjunct position.
"We believe the University of Kansas wanted to get back at her."
Barbara McCloud, assistant general counsel, gave the University's opening argument.
Lanterman said.
"This is not a case about retaliation," McCloud said. "It has to do with the University of Kansas making a legitimate decision about what is in the best interests of its students and of the university as a whole."
McCloud said that Aquilino published only one article during her time at the University and that she was unable to get her book manuscript published. Aquilino couldn't fulfill her responsibilities as a faculty member, but she thought she had a right to a voluntary ad hoc or adjunct affiliation. McCloud said.
Aquilino took the witness stand after opening arguments. The trial is scheduled for five days.
String Cheese Incident will play Liberty Hall
By Mike Hoffman
writer@kanson.com
Kansas staff writer
The String Cheese Incident, a rising band that combines everything from jazz to bluegrass into its music, will perform at Liberty Hall, 642 Massachusetts St., at 8 tonight.
"It's getting pretty close to a sell-out," said Tim Griffith, Liberty Hall manager. "We're about half full."
Lawrence is the second stop on the band's 2000 spring tour, which began in Tulaa, Okla. String Cheese Incident is touring to promote its fourth CD, Carnival 99, which was released Feb. 1. From Lawrence, the tour will proceed eastward.
During the first half of the band's 2000 winter tour through the western United States, the group sold out 17 of 18 shows. The band's three-day stint in Colorado sold more than 10,000 tickets.
The band calls each of its concerts "incidents" because they all are unique, said Carrie Lombardi, the band's publicist. In June, the band will have its third international incident, an annual concert in Damas, Costa Rica.
"The fan support has been overwhelmed." Lombardi said. "The number of fans have been growing exponentially."
She also said that the band's playing
venues had doubled in the last two months.
"We just want to thank the fans because it's all about them." she said.
Lombardi said the band was part of the underground jam-band movement, but it was moving beyond it.
"They have created something entirely unique." she said.
The band's Incidentallist, an online discussion forum, has 2,500 fans registered.
Regina Cruse, office manager for Avalanche Productions, a booking and promoting company in Lawrence, said she was fond of the band.
"I heard their live CD, and it sounded like a great show," she said.
She said the band's sound resembled that of the Grateful Dead.
"It's not my favorite kind of music, but I would say that they are definitely worth listening to," she said.
Based out of Boulder, Colo., the band is made up of Micheal Kang, on electric mandolin, acoustic mandolin and violin; Bill Nershl on six-string acoustic guitar; Keith Moseley on five-string electric bass guitar; four-string acoustic bass guitar; Kyle Hollingsworth on piano, organ and Rhodes accordion; and Michael Travis on drums, congas, diembe, talking drum and percussion.
Tickets for tonight's show cost $18.50 and can be purchased at Liberty Hall.
Flying feline star on local television
By Chevonn Payton
Special to the Kansan
Rodan, an up-and-coming television star, prefers to eat four times a day and sleeps whenever he wants. And this star of a local Lawrence television commercial gets unset when you touch him.
If you don't like his attitude, he has just one reply — "Meow."
Contributed Photo
The orange Tabby cat who can be seen flying across local television screens "purrring for peace and scratching for justice" for the Lawrence Humane Society has an ego the size of his monster movie nameake, the giant red bird who battles Godilla.
But this Rodan flies over Lawrence, looking for homes for homeless animals rather than giant Japanese dinosaurs.
This one-time Wescoe Beach orphan has University of Kansas graduate Jon Mohr to thank for his success. Mohr, a television videographer at Channel 6 News, came up with the idea for the ad after he was assigned to produce a new commercial for the adoption show "Pets" at Channel 6.
His commercial airs on local television at least twice a day. The spot was designed to increase pet adoptions at the Lawrence Humane Society, 1805 E. 19th St.
Midge Grinstead, executive director of the Lawrence Humane Society, said the commercial was a drastic improvement to its last ad. Not only does it show animals from the Lawrence Humane Society, she said, but viewers actually like it.
"The commercial is different. It's very clever. Especially with the animals looking up at Rodan flying with a red cape over Lawrence," she said. "At least one person a day calls and tells me how much they
like the commercial."
Mohr wanted to use puppets in the commercial at first, but the idea of a flying cat was just too appealing.
"When I thought of the concept for the commercial, I immediately thought of my cat because he's so quirky," he said. "He's extremely conscious and independent. As a cat, he seems very sure of himself."
Rodan appreciates the compliments, but he'd much rather be lounging in his Lawrence home chewing on cords than donning his super cap cape.
"Shooting the commercial was very difficult," Mohr said. "He hated it. I barely had any footage. I tried to entice him with food, but most of the footage is Rodan just freaking out. He's camera-shy, even though he likes to be treated as a star."
Rodan wasn't always a star. Just like the pets on his show, Rodan was once homeless. Three years ago, Mohr was sitting on a cement slab outside of Wescoe Hall when he found the kitten crying in the bushes.
"He had to be about four or five weeks old them. I wanted to get rid of him, but my girlfriend made me keep him," he said. "I was glad I did because this was the first animal I could feel like it was mine."
His girlfriend told him it was fate, and he had to keep the kitten.
"She was probably right," Mohr said.
Despite the popularity of the commercial, Mohr said Rodan didn't have any plans to go national. He'll tape another ad for "Pets" later this year, but he didn't want to speculate about its success.
"It's rough. You have to take your time in this business," Mohr said. "There's only one big cat actor every 10 years, so Rodan's got the reins right now."
Empowerment What Does It Mean To You?
Empowerment means different things to different people. Come share your ideas about the concept, what it means, and how it works.
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Refreshments and nominal compensation provided. Spaces are limited. If interested in participating, please call Dr. Suzanne Boyd at (785)864-4720 or email us at suzanneb@ukons.edu
Sponsored by the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare.
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