WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2003
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN - 5
HOUSING
Naismith Hall staff kicked out of orientation
Zach Straus/Kansan
Naismith Hall employees Peter Kautz, Leawood senior; Tawnya Metzler, Minneapolis senior; Jiten Lad, Ft. Scott senior and Noor Noonan, Wichita junior, set up shop on the sidewalk in front of Dyche Hall. The group based its recruitment operations on the sidewalk after its property manager was escorted out of the Kansas Union by campus police.
By Brandon Baker
bbaker@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Incoming freshmen at new student orientation might expect to find options about all available residence halls that serve the University of Kansas. But a policy hurdle sits between a private residence hall and the Kansas Union, where many Department of Student Housing staffers dispense information.
Naismith Hall, 1800 Naismith Drive, sits across the University property line and falls under the offcampus housing category. Like other non-University sponsored businesses and student groups, Naismith is not allowed to solicit information at orientation.
Kansas Union staff members called campus police July 11 to escort Jason Olds, Naismith Hall property manager. out of the Union for solicitation of information about his hall.
Kansas Union staff members called campus police July 11 to escort Jason Olds, Naismith Hall property manager, out of the Union for soliciting information about his hall.
Police didn't arrest Olds, but he didn't
back down quickly.
"I chose to kind of stand my ground there because I felt that it was blown way out of proportion," Olds said.
Olds said he was not soliciting information about Naismith and was talking with a parent at the Union for new student orientation. They were talking about hockey when Union staff members asked him to
David Mucci, director of KU Memorial Unions, said the orientation staff asked Olds on several occasions not to hand out material.
leave, Olds said.
Shanda Hurla, project coordinator for New Student Orientation, said Olds set up a table on the morning of July 11, where he was handing out brochures about Naismith
"It's not a matter of being selective, that's just our policy."
Kristen Trendel Director of New Student Orientation
Hall. She asked him if he had permission to be there and he admitted he did not.
Kristin Trendel, director of New Student Orientation, said her group had booked the Union for that day. Trendel said if she allowed one business in, she would have to allow them all.
"It's not a matter of being selective, that's just our policy,"Trendel said.
The orientation staff gives businesses, including off-campus housing such as Naismith, the opportunity to place brochures in the hospitality room, Trendel said.
Naismith has advertisements in the Union but doesn't have a permit to advertise during orientation, Olds said.
Olds said he wanted to work with the University in providing outlets for student housing, but the University tended to shy away from promoting any housing but its own.
"I understand the University wants to fill their beds,but at what cost?" Olds said.
— Edited by Maggie Newcomer
HUMAN RIGHTS
Group takes stand against USA PATRIOT Act
By Ehren Meditz
emeditz@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The Lawrence Bill of Rights Defense Committee isn't content on just having meetings at the Lawrence Public Library. It wants to take its campaign against the USA PATRIOT Act right up to the Lawrence City Commission.
Hudson Luce, Lawrence resident and committee member, wrote a resolution the committee will present to commissioners in September requiring the Lawrence Police Department not to comply with the act.
It also puts Lawrence on record as wanting the act repealed.
"We don't want this country to turn into
some half-assed banana republic police state," he said.
Luce said he modeled the resolution after similar ones passed in other cities, but said he "put some teeth" into the Lawrence resolution.
The resolution would not allow the police to enforce federal immigration laws and would direct the city manager to publicize how federal authorities used the act against Lawrence residents every six months.
Luce said he didn't know of any residents who had been a target of the act, but said it was important to put the city on record as being opposed to it.
He said commissioners were "sticking their fingers in the wind" to gauge support for the resolution.
ANTI-USA PATRIOT ACT
Counties and cities that passed anti-USA PATRIOT Act resolutions this month.
Anchorage, Ala.
Duluth, Minn.
Durango, Colo.
Honolulu, Hawaii
Lake County, Calif.
Lane County, Ore.
South Pasadena, Calif.
Source: Bill of Rights Defense Committee
South Pasadena, Calif.
"All we're doing in affirming the support for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights," he said. "We're telling the federal government 'no.' The resistance has to come from the people."
Commissioner Dennis "Boog" High-
berger said he had some concerns about the act, but that wasn't enough to warrant passing a resolution that would be largely symbolic.
He said his priorities were in Lawrence development and ensuring affordable housing.
More than 130 cities, towns and counties passed resolutions of varying severity critical of the act, from Greensboro, N.C., to Seattle. Arcata, Calif., became the first city to pass an ordinance that bans the top nine managers of the city from complying with the act.The fine for violating the ordinance is $57.
Alaska, Hawaii and Vermont have passed statewide resolutions.
— Edited by Annie Bernethy