Tomorrow's weather
The University Daily Kansan
Partly cloudy with a high of 40 and a low near 16.
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Sports: Kansas loses to Missouri 81-59 for its first Big 12 Conference loss.
SEE PAGE 1B
MONDAY, JANUARY 24, 2000
Inside: A collection of weird news stories from around the world See PAGE 9A
(USPS 650-640) • VOL. 110 NO. 80
Student shot at Burge Union
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Injuries are not life threatening
By Sara Shepherd
writer@kanson.com
Kanson staff writer
The KU Public Safety Office is investigating an early morning shooting that left a KU student injured after an on-campus fraternity party yesterday.
Sgt. Troy Mailen said officers were called to a disturbance at a University-approved dance party sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity shortly after 1:30 a.m. Sunday at the Frontier Room in the Burge Union
When police arrived at the scene they found 21-year-old Gregory J. Davis, Denver, Colo., senior, with an injury to his hip. Davis was taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital where it was determined that his injury was a small-caliber gunshot wound to the hip, Mailen said. His injury was not life-threatening.
A nursing supervisor at the hospital said Davis was still in the hospital yesterday afternoon and in fair condition.
Quincy Garner, Olathe senior and president of Alpha Phi Alpha, said the 9-member chapter, a historically African-American fraternity, was playing host to its first party of the year. It was an open party, Garner
"At this point we're still looking at all the aspects that played into this and trying to put the pieces together,"
Sgt. Troy Mailen KU Public Safety Office
said, and anyone who paid the cover charge could attend.
The victim was not a member of Albha Phi Alba, Garner said.
Garner said he was unable to comment further on the events that took place.
Mailen said the suspect in the shooting was a man, and KU Public Safety
Office was investigating the incident extensively.
"At this point we're still looking at all the aspects that played into this and trying to put the pieces together," Mailen said.
"We're going to investigate this incident thoroughly to find what happened and take whatever steps necessary to see that it doesn't happen again," she said.
Lynn Bretz, interim director of University Relations, said the safety of students was the University's highest priority.
Mailen requested that anyone who attended the party or witnessed the incident call the KU Public Safety Office at 864-5900, or KU Crime Stoppers at 864-8888.
Students to breathe fresher air in halls
No-smoking policy to take effect in fall
By Jessie Meyer writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
Smoke-free residence halls will be available for students at the University of Kansas next fall.
the Association for University Residence Halls introduced a resolution recommending the development of smoke-free housing in Lewis, Templein and Elsworth halls last fall, said Josh Burdette, Belle Plaine senior and president of AURH.
The recommendation, which was designed to improve the quality of living for non-smokers, recently was reviewed by the Department of Student Housing Advisory Board and will take effect next fall, said Ken Stoner, director of student housing.
"Right now, the scholarship halls are smoke-free and all public halls and eating areas are smoke-free in the residence halls." Stoner said.
Residents now are allowed to smoke in their own rooms with their doors closed and with the consent of their roommates, Stoner said.
After the conversion, there
"A lot more students have been requesting smokefree housing. It's always an ongoing roommate problem."
Jonathan Ng
AURH chairman
will be no smoking allowed in Ellsworth, Lewis or Templin halls.
"A lot more students have been requesting smoke-free housing," said Jonathan Ng, student action team chairman of AURH and Leawood freshman. "It's always an ongoing roommate problem."
The idea to make smoke-free housing available has been around for several years because of numerous roommate complaints, Stoner said. He said smoking was the biggest roommate complaint because people didn't identify themselves as smokers on the initial roommate-matching forms.
"I personally don't think the dorms should have smokers," said Erin Sheridan, Lenexa freshman and smoker for four years.
See SMOKING on page 5A
Erin Sheridan, Lenexa freshman, smokes at Ellsworth Hall. Next fall, smoking will be prohibited in Ellsworth, Lewis and Templin halls. Photo by Melissa Thornton/KANSAN
24-vehicle pileup kills 10 near KC
The Associated Press
PLATTE CITY, Mo. — Ten people were killed yesterday in a pileup involving 19 cars and five trucks on an ice interstate north of Kansas City, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.
Many of the vehicles burst into flames after the accident, perhaps because one of the trucks leaked hydrochloric acid, said Set. Jack McMillan of the patrol.
Nine of the bodies were burned beyond recompition.
It took rescue workers more than eight hours to reach the final two victims, whose car was buried at the bottom of the wreckage.
Interstate 29 remained closed in both directions at Platte City, northwest of Kansas City, nine hours after the accident.
Cars began sliding on the highway after an icy snow began falling about noon, surprising the metropolitan area that had expected only a light dusting of snow.
Numerous cars were off the
More information
The football career of Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas could be jeopardized because of yesterday's crash.
See page 1B
road on the interstate leading out of downtown Kansas City.
Many other accidents were reported across the metropolitan area.
Derrick Thomas, a star line backer for the Kansas City Chiefs, was seriously injured in a separate, one-vehicle accident. A spokeswoman for Liberty Hospital confirmed that the football player was at the hospital, but declined to confirm reports that he had suffered a broken back.
A passenger in Thomas' car was killed and another passenger suffered minor injuries when the car rolled several times on a snow- and ice-coveered road. The dead man was identified as Michael Tellis, 49, of Kansas City, Kan.
Paid class note-takers may be breaking law
By Jim O'Malley writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
Commercial note-taking is back, and the University still isn't happy about it. But questions have arisen as to whether the University's policy protecting professors is backed by legal precedent.
Last semester, Versity.com offered notes for several popular courses at the University of Kansas. However, professors whose courses were listed on Versity.com's Web site didn't approve. The company no longer offers notes from any courses at the University. Another company, allstudents.com, still offers notes for six courses.
Last week, Ushock.com joined in by advertising on campus for student note-takers. The ads appeared in graduate student boxes, on desks in classrooms and in *In The University Daily Kansan*. The company offered to pay students $7.50 to $15.00 per lecture for their notes.
The University leaves it up to professors to decide whether they will allow commercial note-taking in their classes. According to a statement Provost David Shulenburger issued at the beginning of the Fall 1999 semester, professors have the right to keep visitors or auditors out of their classes.
And students enrolled in a course can't sell their notes without the instructor's permission, Shulenburger said. According to the statement, lectures are a professor's intellectual property, and students who sell notes without permission are interfering with their professor's property rights.
But the law may not be that clear.
Michael Kautsch, professor of law, said the law in this area was not yet fully developed. He said federal copyright law protected original works that were in a fixed form, such as writing or electronic recording.
See LEGALITY on page 3A
Bogus fund-raising agency targets Lawrence residents
By Mindie Miller
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
They've got your number, and they want your money.
That's what Lawrence police are saying about an agency that apparently has been calling Lawrence residents soliciting cash donations.
But Wheeler says the agency is bogged. "We don't have any affiliation with this organization," he said. "As far as we're concerned, they're not legitimate."
The agency calls itself the Police Protection Fund, Sgt. George Wheeler said, and it claims the money directly would benefit Lawrence police officers.
But Wheeler says the agency is bogus.
He said Lawrence police had received several telephone inquiries from area residents who were suspicious about the agency.
Wheeler said he wanted to make it clear to consumers that they would be taking their chances by donating money to the so-called protection fund and that their donations certainly would not be benefiting local officers.
Wheeler said that most Lawrence officers belonged to either the Fraternal Order of Police or the Kansas Sheriffs' Association. Both groups work for the betterment of the law enforcement profession and occasionally hold fund-raisers.
the Consumer Protection Division of the attorney general's office said that solicitations from charitable and professional
HELPFUL NUMBERS
Numbers to help you sort out the good guys from the bad guys
■ Lawrence police — 832-7509
■ Consumer Protection Division — (785)
296-2215
■ Secretary of State — (785) 296-4564
■ Better Business Bureau — (785) 232-
0454
organizations always increased near the holidays and that some of those organizations were not legitimate.
Even though the holiday season is through, consumers still should keep their eyes out for people masquerading as charitable solicitors.
Tiffany Ball, a representative from the attorney general's office, said consumers should take time to find out about a charity or professional organization before making a contribution.
"If the name doesn't sound familiar, they can call our office to see if we've registered complaints on them," she said. "They can also call the secretary of state to see if they are registered as a charity or non-profit organization in the state."
In Kansas, most charities and professional fund-raisers soliciting money are required to register with the secretary of state's office in Topeka. A representative in that office said the Police Protection Fund was not registered.
Frosty Fraser
About 2-3 inches of snow fell on Lawrence and areas of northeast Kansas as a result of a cold front moving to the northeast, according to the National Weather Service in Topeka. The weather experts said the temperature in Lawrence yesterday dropped to a low of 20 degrees. West of Lawrence, Topeka got about a half-inch of snow.
The outlook for today from the National Weather Service indicates rising temperatures with a high near 40-45 degrees and sunshine in the morning, until clouds roll in and temperatures begin to drop later in the afternoon. Tomorrow is expected to be cold with a high near 30 degrees. Photo by Sarah Shade/KANSAN
Kondwa Kankondo