TODAY'S WEATHER: Warmer, with a high near 40. SPORTS: Kansas beats Missouri in Columbia. SEE PAGE 1B. THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN TALK TO US: Contact Leita Walker, Jay Krall or Kyle Ramsey at (785) 864-4810 or editor@kansan.com THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MONDAY MARCH 4,2002 WWW.KANSAN.COM Kansas students Ben Johnson, Clinton, Mo., sophomore, (left) and Preston Smith, Clinton, Mo., junior, stand and cheer for Kansas. Johnson and Smith paid $200 each for tickets to yesterday's game. For more about Kansas' 95-92 victory over Missouri and the team's undefeated Big 12 Conference season, see page 1B. ISSUE 105 VOLUME 112 Sledders savor snow, but pine after warmth By Rachel Keeseee By Rachel Keesee Kansan staff reporter A cardboard box and an inner tube were among the sleds people took yesterday to the hill behind Carruth-O'Leary Hall — despite the 20-degree temperature and biting wind chill. Gusts of wind up to 22 miles per hour yesterday made it feel like 4 degrees, the National Weather Service reported. But warm weather is on the way, as the service predicted temperatures would reach the mid-50s by Wednesday. Derek Mossberg, Johnson County Community College student, said he was tired of the cold weather and shoveling snow from his driveway. "I'm through with it," he said. But he still enjoyed sledding yesterday with his cousin on the hill behind Carruth-O'Leary Hall. He said about 30 people had gone to the hill in the first hour he and his cousin had been there. "This is the best hill around," Mossberg said. "We'll go until we can't walk up the hill anymore." His 12-year-old cousin, Spencer Hutchens of Lawrence, said the hill was perfect for his Torpedo sleds. "They are good." I nodded. They go out. He said Mossberg said Saturday had been too cold, but yesterday was perfect. Temperatures dropped from 41 degrees early Friday afternoon to reach a high of 26 Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Snow and rain began 5 p.m. Friday, and between one and two inches of snow had accumulated by Saturday morning. For yesterday's sledders Cris Alken, Lawrence resident, and her 10-year-old son, Kelly, warm clothes were the secret to having a good time. "Ivegot snow pants on," Kelly Aiken said. "And I like the snow." Yesterday was the first time this winter he had been sledding, his mother said. "I was looking forward to this, but I'm getting cold, and it's only been half an hour," Cris Aiken said. "I want warm weather." Contact Keees at rkeeese@kansan.com. This story was edited by Jenna Goefert. Andrew Mattson, Lawrence senior, makes a run on his snowboard down the hill behind Carruth-O' Leary Hall yesterday. Mattson said he wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to brave the cold weather, but that he wanted to take advantage of the snow one last time before spring. Tomorrow's weather forecast from the National Weather Service calls for warmer temperatures: highs in the lower 50's with mostly sunny skies. Wednesday's forecast is partly cloudy with highs in the mid 50's. PHOTO BY AARON LERNER/KANSAN KANSAST AKES SECOND CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Lindsay Douglas, Chesterfield, Mo., graduate student, took second place at the Miss USA pageant in Gary, Ind., Friday night. Student: campus crosswalks not safe By Rachel Keesee Kansan staff reporter Using a crosswalk doesn't guarantee safety when crossing the street. Just ask Anna Ross, Lawrence senior who was hit by a car Thursday afternoon as she walked on the crosswalk from Allen Fieldhouse to Robinson Center. "I was almost to the middle and I looked up, and this guy was slamming on his brakes," she said. "I threw my hands on top of the car and the bumper hit me, but it didn't hurt because he was slowing down. I was lucky because he could've run over my foot—the tire was right there." After the accident, the driver left the scene, so Ross decided to call the police. "I made eye contact with him. He had this surprised look on his face, but he didn't stop." Ross said. "If he'd said he was sorry, I wouldn't have called KUPD. And if I had been hurt, it would have been a hit and run." Ross said she felt vulnerable as a pedestrian on campus. "Looking both ways isn't good enough." Ross said. "You can be in the middle of the street and have someone not stop." Ross said the problem was with campus drivers. Students are in a hurry," she said. "I've been here four years, and I'd say at least 10 times I've seen people not stop or even slow down for a stop sign, and there's a crosswalk there." Lt. Schuyler Bailey of the KU Public Safety Office said that even when a pedestrian was hit but not hurt, a driver who didn't stop could be charged with battery or leaving the scene of an accident. He said he did not receive many reports of pedestrian accidents, but complaints about drivers not stopping for pedestrians were common. Drivers are required by law to stop for pedestrians at crosswalks. "Cars cannot go around them," Bailey said. "They have to stop until the pedestrian clears." However, when a crosswalk is clear, cars do not have to slow down. "Unless there's some other sign to slow down, such as a yield sign, they can proceed as normal." Ross said that was part of the problem. "When I'm waiting to cross the street, I see people a lot who are coming. I'll make eye contact with them, and then I'll realize they're not stopping," she said. Contact Keeeset at kkeeset@kansan.com. This story was edited by Brandon Stinne. Students experience Asian culture Rv Leah Shaffer Kansan staff writer Yohei Suzuki had to laugh as he served seaweed-stuffed rice balls and miso soup to hungry students during Saturday night's Taste of Asia. The Tokyo graduate student said he was surprised to experience such a display of Asian culture during his first year in the United States. Every year, Taste of Asia includes foods from different Asian cultural clubs on campus, along with performances. This year, after dinner at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries building, 1204 Oread Ave., more than 200 people packed the Kansas Union Ballroom to watch performances ranging from martial arts demonstrations to a fashion show featuring traditional Asian clothing. Participating organizations also included the Cultural India Club, which performed a traditional dance, and the Vietnamese Student Association, which served spring rolls and pork dumplings during the dinner. The Indonesian Student Association served chicken satay with peanut sauce, melon with coconut milk and martabak manis, which are sweet, thick crepes. INSIDETODAY Jerry Wang, Atlanta senior and president of the Asian American Student Union, said the event exposed students to the whole of Asia, not just countries such as China and Japan. Wang said that through word of mouth, Taste of Asia had grown bigger every year. "People get to see performances from NATIONAL NEWS .2A CAMERA ON KU .2A WEATHER .4B CROSSWORD .4B COMING IN TOMORROW'S KANSAN SEE ASIA ON PAGE 6A GRADUATING SENIOR: A longtime KU grad will walk the Hill with his two granddaughters this Spring. SKATEBOARDING: The campus is a forbidden playground. The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is paid through the student activity fee. Additional copies of the Kansan are 25 cents. Subscriptions can be purchased at 119 Stauffer-Flint Hall.