A hawk walks on a field.
Tomorrow's weather
Kansan
Mostly cloudy with a high in near 58 and a low near 39.
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Sports: It was full pads and full contact for the football team at yesterday's practice.
SEE PAGE 1B
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2000
Inside: A boat capsized in California killing at least one college student onboard.
(USPS 650-640)·VOL.110 NO.121
SEE PAGE 7A
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Fraternities look for new homes
Members of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity will leave their house at 1918 Stewart Ave. and move north next fall. The chapter decided to move to a larger building rather than add on to the house. Photo by Aaron Lindberg/KANSAN
One group sells house, others could follow
By Jessie Meyer
By Jessie Meyer
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Members of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity plan to leave what has been nicknamed the fraternity ghetto and head north.
Plans to sell the fraternity house at 1918 Stewart Ave. to First Management Inc., 2001 W. Sixth St., are under way, said Todd Navrat, president of the housing corporation for Lambda Chi Alpha. First Management already has built some apartments on nearby property.
"It is our intention to sell." Navrat said. "We have not closed the deal yet. The house is under contract and it should be settled sometime this summer."
Navrat said the terms of the agreement, including the price, were confidential and although the terms were near settlement, things still could happen to hinder the transaction.
Brian Cooper, president of
Lambda Chi Alpha and Overland Park junior, said the plan was to move to the Alpha Omicron Pi fraternity house, 1510 Sigma Nu Place. This year, the house is occupied by the members of Delta Chi fraternity because their house is under construction. But the original Delta Chi house should be finished by the fall, leaving the Alpha Omicron Pi house vacant and available for Lambda Chi Alpha.
"I consider this an excellent step." Cooper said. "There is much more housing capacity at 1510 Sigma Nu."
Stewart Ave.
Navrat said the decision to sell and move was made in part because the chapter thought it would be better to look elsewhere for a larger facility rather than add to the Stewart Avenue house. Cooper said this decision had been in the works since spring 1998.
Lambda Chi Alpha is not the only fraternity exploring the option to move — some of its neighbors may be leaving, too.
Bill Nelson, director of greek programs, said there had been talk of a possible sale of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house, 2000 Stewart Ave., and most recently, the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity house, 1911
"At this point negotiations are too new to say." Nelson said of the Tau Kappa Epsilon sale. "They are looking into what their options are."
Pi Kappa Alpha and Leoti junior, said his fraternity hoped to sell as soon as possible. He said First Management also had expressed interest in the Pi Kappa Alpha house, but another fraternity also could purchase it.
Chuck Kappauf, president of Tau Kappa Epsilon and Dallas sophomore, said he was unable to comment because it was too early in the process.
"We'd like to live closer to campus, maybe on Indiana Street," Shimanek said, adding that Pi Kappa Alpha would like
Brian Shimanek, president of
to purchase property near campus and build a house in the future.
Nelson said he did not know specifically where the members of either fraternity would live if sales were completed.
"There clearly is not available housing," Nelson said. "And strict zoning laws will pose a challenge to any group who decides to move."
Freak out
Left: Brandon Taylor, St. Louis resident, takes advantage of the colors offered for tie-dyeing at the Hippie and Freak Fest. Yesterday's other activities included sidewalk drawing, bubble blowing and snowcone making.
Right: Members of the band Ghostly, Aaron Bowers, Overland Park freshman; Andrew Connor, Sioux Falls, S.D.; freshman; and Richard Gintowt, Chicago freshman, perform at the Hippie and Freak Fest in front of Hashinger Hall yesterday. Photos by Nick Krug/KANSAN
Eastern Culture;
Students imprint their styles with an Asian accent
Bv Ryan Blethen
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
By Ryan Biemen
All around campus Asian culture has made its mark. From tattooed arms to shirts donning Chinese characters, people are assimilating Asian culture into everyday life.
Buildings using this technique are designed to create a balanced environment where people live and work. Doing so involves the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water.
One Asian import that has caught on in recent years is Feng Shui. The translation of the Chinese word is wind and water. Feng Shui involves the study of how to live in harmony with nature.
earth, metal and water. Chris Shaul, who works for the American Feng Shui Institute in Monterey Park, Calif., and runs a Web site devoted to Feng Shul, said one reason that Asian styles and philosophies had become popular in America was that Americans had been having more contact with Asian nations.
At Borderline, 820 Massachusetts St., Asian-influenced accessories adorn the shelves. The store carries everything from bamboo candlesticks to sterling silver chopsticks and table-top fountains.
Peggy Wright, Borderline owner, said Asian designs were popular because of their contemporary, clean look.
Lance Tuck, who works at Skin Illustrations, 740 Massachusetts St., said that so many people had asked for Asian character tattoos that the store bought a Chinese dictionary.
Asia also has had an influence on people's bodies. Tattoos of Asian characters have become increasingly popular in Lawrence during the past couple of years.
Tuck said he thought people were getting the Asian tattoos because they found it a good way to express themselves.
"They are trying to find something that sums themselves up," he said.
Amanda Tritsch, Ola sophomore, said that she was not sure why she got a Chinese
William Tsutsu, director for the center of East Asian studies, said that Americans always had been interested in Asia but that the interest had increased in the last 20 years.
character for peace tattooed on her ankle, but that she liked the meaning behind the tattoo.
He also suggested that one reason Americans enjoyed things with an Asian influence was that because they were different.
"Globalization has perhaps increased this transfer of Asian culture," he said.
"There is something very exotic about Asia" he said.
Tsuitsui said that China and Japan had done a great job of marketing their cultures. "I can't think why something as stupid as Pokémon is popular," he said.
but the cultural exchange is a two-way street, he said. Tsutsui said that Americans traveling to Asian countries had been struck by how American culture had been assimilated into the existing cultures.
Chinese characters are so popular as tattoos that local tattoo artists have purchased books of the characters from which clients can select. Photo by Jamie Roper/KANSAN
One proposal would convert the blue spaces into parking areas for specially designated students who live in Miller and Watkins scholarship halls.
Faculty, students clash on parking by Blake, Fraser
By Ryan Devlin
writer@kanson.com
Kansas staff writer
Two proposals by the parking board have drawn, the ire of several faculty members.
One proposal would convert about 15 blue parking spaces on Lilac Lane between Danforth Chapel and the Chancellor's driveway into a parking area specially designated for students who live in Miller and Watkins Scholarship halls. The converted spaces would be made available to the students on a lottery basis.
The other proposal would raise the "ageplus-service" qualification for faculty members who wish to purchase blue permits from 60 to 62 years. Both proposals would take effect next fall.
In a letter addressed to Morris Faiman, parking board chair, Jim Carothers, Senate Executive Committee chair, and Mary Hawkins, University Council president, 11 faculty members criticized the proposals for the possible negative impact they would have on faculty and staff.
Greg Simpson, chairman of the department of psychology, who has an office in Fraser Hall, said he signed the letter because he agreed with its sentiments.
Sarah Jackson, Miller resident and Abilene sophomore said several residents of Miller and Watkins had monitored parking on Lilac Lane and found that there often were many empty spaces.
The letter questions the logic of the board's proposals. It also claims taking away spaces from faculty and staff near buildings that they work in, including Fraser and Blake, is counter to the parking board's goal of making changes that would better serve the interests of the University.
"I's critically important that faculty get close to their buildings when they need to," Simpson said. "We often have to go to several different places during the day, and it's critical that we get back to our buildings on time to perform our principal duties such as teaching or office hours."
"Last spring we kept looking at the lot to see how empty it was," Jackson said. "There were consistently 10 to 12 spaces open."
"We deserve those spots," Hickert said.
"All the other scholarship halls have spaces within a reasonable distance of their buildings. We don't."
Simpson said that he frequently had problems parking on Lilac Lane and that eliminating spaces for faculty members on Lilac Lane only would compound the problem.
were consistently in favor of Morris Faiman, parking board chairman, said that he was sympathetic with both sides.
Audrey Hickert, Miller resident and Morland sophomore, said she supported the proposal because Miller and Watkins residents did not have convenient parking facilities.
Barbara Romzek, professor of public administration and government, who works in Blake, said the proposals were poorly thought out. She called the proposal to raise the qualifications for blue permits unfortunate, and she said the Lilac Lane proposal neglected faculty and staff needs.
"What we were trying to do was to address the needs of the students in the scholarship halls who came to us with their concerns," Faiman said. "I was very sympathetic to the letter from the faculty, and I bleed with them. We will also try to take their needs into account."
But some students who live in Miller and Watkins halls say they like the idea.
Faiman said he wasn't sure what could be done to remedy the situation, but he said he was hopeful that tomorrow's University Council meeting about the issue would yield some suggestions. Members of the scholarship halls are expected to attend.
Faiman said that Council would not decide the issue but could only make recommendations.
"The decision will ultimately be made by the Chancellor." Faiman said.
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