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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
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Kansan
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Inside today
Thanksgiving break is setting upon the University of Kansas. Read all about how to prepare for the holiday.
Tuesday
November 23, 1999
Section:
A
Vol. 110 • No. 68
SEE PAGE 8A
Sports today
Kansas coach Terry Allen said yesterday that his team is one step closer to respectability.
SEE PAGE 1B
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
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Threatening calls result in New York man's arrest
By Michael Terry
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Nearly two months after 14 harassing and threatening phone calls were placed to women living in seven different residence and scholarship halls throughout the University, Sean Robert Francis, 21, of Middletown, N.Y., has been arrested and charged.
Francis will be tried in United States District Court in White Plains, New York for violation
States Code, Section 875 (C), transmitting threatening interstate phone calls.
According to a Federal Bureau of Investigation report, Francis had made 75 harassing and threatening phone calls between March and November of this year to women in Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Montana and Oregon.
TRACING THE CALLS:
In the 75 cases, including the 14 at the University, Francis allegedly threatened to rape and kill the victims if they hung up on him.
University of Nebraska
Fifty-three of the calls were traced to two telephone numbers in Middletown, New York, where he lived with his father, stepmother and stepbrother.
According to the FBI report, on Feb. 10, Francis was convicted
University of Nebraska:
From March 28 to Sept.
22, 14 calls were
placed. In three, the
caller threatened to
rue the recipient.
University of Kansas:
From Oct. 4 to 14
calls were placed.
In all 14, the caller
threatened to rape
and kill the recipients.
Bozeman, Mont.:
From Oct. 3 to Oct.
15, 53 calls were
placed. All were
threatening in nature
**Corvallis, Ore:** From Nov. 3 and Nov. 4, 14 calls were placed. All 14 were threaten-
ing in nature.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation Report
of Aggrravated Harassment in the Second Degree and sentenced to three years probation. Francis's sentence stemmed from an incident where he had telephoned two women and threaten to rape and kill them.
Francis now is in West Chester County Jail where he is awaiting bond.
The KU Public Safety Office, which initially investigated the cases at the University, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Christine Tonkovich, Douglas County District Attorney, said she had called the FBI concerning the status of the case yesterday, but she was not aware that any charges had been filed.
"If charges are filed at the federal level, then our office will not be pursing any additional charges," Tonkovich said. "It's a lot easier for the federal court to deal with the case than it is for us because it involves so many states, and jurisdictional boundaries."
Edited by Matt James
Focus on Rock Chalk Revue
Hard work paid off yesterday for the five pairs that were chosen for the spring show
By Lori O'Toole
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Disappointment and happiness were in the air last night at Rock Chalk Revue's formal In/Out ceremony in the Kansas Union Ballroom after the participants were announced.
Five of the 12 fraternity/sorority pairs that applied will perform their 25-minute skits complete with costumes, music and backdrops in next spring's performance.
Above: Wichita sophomores Meredith Henry, left, and Katie Binter celebrate after their sorority, Pi-Beta Phi, was chosen during Rock Chalk Revue's In/Out ceremony in the Kansas University Ballroom. Reactions were mixed as the names of the chosen fraternity/sorority pairs are announced. Below: This year's logo is shown at the In/Out ceremony. The five fraternity/sorority pairs chosen will perform this March at the Lied Center. Photos by Chad Cummings/KANSAN
There were screams, hugs and frowns. Some people threw themselves on the floor in relief while others left quickly, fighting back tears.
Julie Merz, Manchester, Mo., junior was in the union for a meeting at the time of the announcement.
"We didn't know what was going on," she said. "People were crying and screaming and acting like it was the end of the world."
Hunter Williams, Clarendon Hills, Ill. sophomore, was in one of the groups that was celebrating.
Williams is a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, which was selected to perform its skit with Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Their group was the fourth of the five groups announced.
"I thought to myself "There's only two left," he said. "All I could do was squeeze the hand next to me harder."
Rock Chalk Revue, a large-scale production that raises money for charity, is an annual tradition at the University of Kansas. Mossberger said last year's show raised about $50,000 for the United Way. Community service also is a large part of the event.
This year's presentation, scheduled for March 9-11 at the Lied Center, will be the Revue's 51st presentation. The theme will be "Out of Focus."
This year, the 12 pairs began planning for their applications at the beginning of September.
The applications, which were presented in the form of notebooks, included descriptive detail about the skit's plot summary, character descriptions, music and script.
Ten judges reviewed the notebooks and conducted interviews last weekend. The judges were University alumni and previous Rock Chalk participants who had no current KU ties.
Although residence halls and scholarship halls had applied in past years, only Greek organizations applied this year.
Mossberger said the ceremony always was emotional because many people came with so much hope and anticipation.
"It's really hard to see someone smiling and beaming when you just want to cry," she said.
Jason Neusel, Chesterfield, Mo., junior and Sigma Nu fraternity member, was in one of the seven groups that were not selected.
"I wouldn't say it's an ill-feeling," he said. "Everyone who got in deserved it. But of course there's disappointment."
The groups will begin daily rehearsals after winter break.
ROCK CHALK REVUE
Sorority and fraternity pairs that will participate in the Rock Chalk Revue:
Delta Gamma and Beta Theta Pi: "Hor-
Delta Gamma and Beta Theta Pi: "Hocus Focus"
Gamma Phi Beta and Delta Upsilon:
"Lindley's Lost Strud"
Koppa Alpha Theta and Phi Delta Theta:
"Cursed"
Kappa Kappa Gamma and Sigma Phi Epsilon: "Quit Hogging the Road" Pi Beta Phi and Phi Gamma Delta: "Out of His League"
Mossberger said there was a possibility that in-between acts would be implemented into the production, allowing living organizations that did not apply or were not selected to try-out and possibly perform in the show.
Edited by Matt James
Senate considers use of $380,000 reserve
Money had been saved to handle emergencies
By Chris Borniger
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Pop quiz: You've got hundreds of thousands of dollars in your back pocket. What do you do?
That's the question facing Student Senate as it heads into another semester and explores its budgetary future.
Senate's reserve account, which contains money left from previous fiscal years, has swelled to about $380,000.
The money has been kept in reserve in case of an emergency, such as in 1994 when Senate provided KU on Wheels with $140,000 after the organization depleted its budget before the end of the academic year. Although the account gains interest, the state of Kansas gets that money. At
an interest rate between 4 and 5 percent, the account earns about $20,000 for the state each year, said Korb Maxwell, student body president.
Maxwell said that because Senate didn't get to keep the interest, he didn't see any reason to leave the account untouched any longer, but anything it was used for would have to benefit the entire student body.
"I want to spend some of it, but not rush headfirst into something," he said. "Our primary goal is to serve students. It's their money."
Maxwell said at least $150,000 should be left in the account as a safety net, leaving about $230,000. Because KU on Wheels is repaying its loan from the bailout, he said, even more money would be available.
"With this potential dollar amount, we will have a truly bene- gential project." Maxwell said.
Holly Krebs, transportation coordinator and off-campus senator, said KU on Wheels had developed its own reserve account to avoid the need for another bailout. She said Senate's extra cash
See MAXWELL on page 2A
Class allows law students to try cases, help less fortunate
By Amanda Kassei
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
By Amanda Kaschube
When Diane Watkins, Topeka third-year law student, graduates next spring, she already will have tried several cases in court and will be able to find her way around the Douglas County Courthouse.
Watkins is enrolled in the three-hour Legal Aid Clinic class, which is offered to third-year law students interested in helping those who are less fortunate.
"You help out people that don't have a lot of money for attorneys," she said. "The people have come across hard times and they need help. You feel
good helping them."
Chuck Briscoe, associate clinical law specialist who teaches the class, said it offered students a taste of the real world.
"It's great for students who want to go into practice for themselves because you get familiar with all the processes," he said. "The students deal with the clients directly in the class."
Briscoe said the class was run like a law firm out of Green Hall with three partners, or supervisors, and 23 associates, or students.
"The students are responsible for everything in the case," he said. "We teach them about big concepts early in the semester, and they are free to try cases."
CASES TRIED BY STUDENTS:
Types of cases tried by students enrolled in Legal Aid Clinic class:
Domestic
Divorces, paternity suits, protection from abuse and some adoption cases
Shoplifting, driving with a suspended license, operating under the influence, pedestrian under the influence
Juvenile
Defense of anyone who is younger than 18 and is charged with a criminal offense
Students must be approved by the Kansas Supreme Court as legal interns, which enables them to practice and try cases with supervision.
Briscoe said the work load usually was pretty heavy but worth the effort.
"It's a very time consuming process," he said. "We say they have 10 hours a week for preparation time. They normally have between eight to 15 cases per student at any given time."
The clinic offers free legal services in three areas: domestic, municipal and juvenile cases. Watkins said she was interested in all of the types.
Students are required to take the class for two consecutive semesters, so the clients can get comfortable with
"Divorces have the most paperwork, but municipal cases get done really quickly — so in that respect, I like those," she said.
them.
"It's a good thing to keep the continuity for the clients," Briscoe said. "Washburn University only makes their students take it for one semester. They have to start all over each semester."
The class, which is funded by United Way, is organized through the Douglas County Legal Aid Society.
Watkins said she thought the class should be required for all law students because of its benefits.
"It teaches you how to act in court and how to follow all the rules," she said. "It's like medical school and their rotations -- you learn a lot."