Wednesday
February 26, 2003
Vol. 113. Issue No. 105
Today's weather
27°
Tonight: 19°
The UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN
Texas A&M game important
for Big 12 championship p. 1B
Chalmers may get his chance
Petition recommends new center share name with former chancellor
By Cate Batchelder
cbatchelder@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Just call him Larry. That was Chancelor E. Laurence Chalmers' slogan when he came to the University of Kansas.
A group of students want to name the new recreation center Larry, too.
A petition is going through tonight's Student Senate meeting to name the new recreation center after him.
Chalmers
Chalmers presided over the University from 1969 to 1972 in the turbulent years of the Vietnam protest era when the Kansas Union was set on fire.
Chalmers said the University recruited him from the deep South thinking he would cater to the state's conservative views. Ultimately, conservatives found out that he was really their devil incarnate, a liberal, for siding with the students by disagreeing with the war. Because a draft was in effect, students had the choice of serving or retreating to Canada. He said he understood students' fear that getting an F could mean going to Vietnam.
Chalmers said he kept in contact with those students and sometimes even their children.
The child of two protesting alumni thought of the idea to name the new center after his parents' chancellor. Jack Henry-Rhoads, Independence, Mo., freshman, took his idea to other University Affairs committee members who set the petition in motion. The committee members and Henry-Rhoads said it was
a glaring omission that Chalmers was one of the last chancellors not to have a building named after him.
Fine Arts Senator Tommy Bobo originally wanted the Art and Design Building named after Chalmers because of his commitment to the arts. After his time at the University, Chalmer's held positions at The Art Institute of Chicago and later worked at museums in San Antonio. The Art and Design Building has gone unnamed because it requires a $5 million donation.
Bobo is sponsoring the petition because he thinks Chalmers is the epitome of what a liberal arts school represents. He said Chalmers took interest in student lives and cared that they would grow to be free-thinking individuals.
"The whole idea that you have to be power-hungry to get at the top," Bobo said. "I always kind of saw Larry as being above that."
The recreation center petition states that because student fees were used to fund the construction, the naming should be left to the students. And because Chalmers fought for student issues, the group of senators thinks he's the right candidate.
Should the petition pass tonight, the recommendation will go to the Building Names Committee and Chancellor Robert Hemenway. The Board of Regents will make the final decision.
The Regents 30 years ago almost voted Chalmers out of office early. Chalmers jokingly said there were no ill feelings between the two anymore. When he came to the University 15 years ago for a party with the Regents and KU chancellors, someone told him that his nemesis on the board had long since died.
Chalmers' doesn't have to worry about losing his job now that he is retired and living in Durango, Colo.
With the petition, the bond between Larry and the student body continues to burn strong.
Spring Break
By Lauren Bristow
ibristow@ku.edu
Kansan staff writer
With wintry weather bearing down on Lawrence once again, the thoughts of warm sunny beaches fill the heads of some KU students.
Edited by Leah Shaffer
"I'm definitely looking for some place with nice, warm weather," said Jimmy Steimer, Overland Park freshman.
And, with spring break less
than a month away, students are starting to confirm and finalize their spring break trips and look for the most cost-effective options.
Students plan spring break around costs, varied climates
Steimer, a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, along with nine other fraternity members are traveling to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The group is joining nearly 100 other Phi Psi members from around the country for business seminars at the home of former national member Jerry Nelson, Steimer said.
"All I had to do is pay for my airfare, which was like $600," Steimer said. "We're staying at Jerry's house in Cabo, and he's paying for the rest of the trip."
Although Steimer is looking forward to warm, sunny weather. Laura Beckloff, Leawood sophomore, can't wait until she and about 20 friends leave for Windsor.
"Each person wants something different. The underlying theme is that everyone has what they consider their perfect spring break."
Kevin Liu Travel advisor for STA Travel
Canada.
Beckloff said that she intends to spend about $300 from money she saved from working over winter break. But because she can drink and gamble legally, she said that she'll probably
"It's the Cancun of Canada," Beckloff said. "It's legal to gamble and drink there at 18."
spend more than that.
The most popular travel destinations for spring break this year are warmer areas such as Florida and Texas, as well as European destinations, said Kevin Liu, a travel adviser for STA Travel in the Kansas Union.
It's hard to say what is the number one destination," Liu said. "Each person wants something different. The underlying theme is that everyone has what they consider their perfect spring break."
Liu said the average cost for springbreak travel
SEE SPRING BREAK ON PAGE 8A
Powwow funds questioned
The First Nations Student Association asked Student Senate for $6,069. The figure has met some criticism because part of the money would pay students for their participation in the group's pow- wow.
Senators urge group to seek different method to compensate dancers
By Cate Batchelder
cbatchelder@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
For the 17th year, First Nations Student Association is asking for $6,069 of Student Senate funds. This year, however, finance committee members questioned $400 of that amount because it would be used to pay students from the group to dance at its powwow April 5.
Usually, the association finds a Head Lady and Head Man from outside the tribe to dance at the powwow. The group didn't find them this year but had the talent within the tribe and decided to use its own members.
Kansan file photo
Yvette Washington, the association's senator, will be the Head Lady this year. Washington said just 2 percent of her tribe went to college, so to distinguish this accomplishment, the title will be changed to Student Head Lady and Student Head Man this year.
Kyle Johnson and David Cantrell, finance committee members, are against the $400 honorarium.
"I don't think we should be paying students to participate in their own activities," Johnson said.
He said he understood the cultural nature of the group but thought it could find other funds either through fundraising or donations.
Karen Keith, holdover senator and
SEE POWWOW ON PAGE 8A
By JJ Hensley
jhensley@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Lawrence has long been touted as a progressive city. Yesterday voters lived up to the reputation at the polls as members of the Lawrence Progressive Campaign were the top three vote-getters in the primary election for city commission.
Incumbent Mike Rundle, along with David Schauner and Dennis "Boog" Highberger are running under the Progressive Campaign banner in the city commission election.
Those candidates will be joined by Lynn Goodell, Lee Gerhard and Gregory DiVilbiss in the April 5 general election to determine who will fill the three available commission seats.
"A lot of people are here because they love this community,but they see a lot of what they love changing," Highberger said, explaining the popularity of the Progressive Campaign.
"We're not slow growth or no growth
Members of the campaign promoted managing economic growth to benefit the entire community.
CITY COMMISSION PRIMARY RESULTS
Name ... Percent of votes
Mike Rundle ... 22.04
Dennis "Boog" Highberger ... 17.5
David Schauer ... 15.9
Lynn Goodell ... 12.6
Lee Gerhard ... 9.92
Gregory A. Divilbliss ... 7.46
Ken McRae ... 6.99
Eddie Lehman ... 2.83
G. Wayne Parks ... 2.55
Zachary A. Bassin ... 1.48
August Lafayette Huber IV ... 0.59
"We're smart growth," Highberger said. "We want growth that respects our community's values."
It was a message that resonated with Lawrence residents. More than 55 percent of ballots cast contained votes for one or more of the progressive campaign candidates.
The turnout alone was encouraging for members of the Douglas County election board. The number of votes cast was
1
SEE CAMPAIGN ON PAGE 8A
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