TUESDAY, JANUARY 28. 2003
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 3A
Former KU student declines hearing
By Erin Ohm
eohm@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Michael D. Carpenter, a former KU student from Olathe charged with drugging three KU students and attempting to rape one of them, waived his right to a preliminary hearing yesterday morning in Douglas County District Court.
attempted rape.
Carpenter is charged with three counts of distributing the date-rape drug gamma hydroxybutric acid, three counts of aggravated battery, one count of GHB possession and one count of
Assistant District Attorney David Zabel said anyone charged with a felony had a right to a preliminary hearing. During a preliminary hearing, both sides have an opportunity to present evidence. The judge then decides if enough evidence exists to continue. If not, the judge dismisses the case.
Zabel said it was not uncommon for a defendant to waive a preliminary hearing because the evidence needed by the prosecution to continue the case was low. The defense still had the right to a jury trial.
Carpenter's defense attorney.
Thomas Bath Jr., was unavailable for comment.
The next step in Carpenter's case is an arraignment, scheduled for Feb. 27, when he will enter a plea of guilty or not guilty to the charges.
Zabel said Carpenter's penalty, if convicted of the charges, depended on his criminal history. With no criminal history, attempted rape carries a minimum penalty of 55 months in prison, about four-and-a-half years. Carpenter has no criminal history in Douglas County.
On Aug. 29, 2002, a female KU student tested positive for the
date-rape drug at Lawrence Memorial Hospital after being treated for injury in a car accident. The woman then told the Lawrence Police Department that she and two of her friends had been drugged between 2 and 3 a.m. that morning and that a man at a Lawrence residence had tried to rape one of the women.
Lawrence police arrested Michael D. Carpenter later that day at his residence and found GHB in his car. Carpenter was then enrolled as a sophomore at the University.
- Edited by Jason Elliott
Lawrence group sponsors Indonesian kids
By Cal Creek
ccreek@kansan.com
Kansas Staff Writer
For more than two years the Lawrence Indonesian Christian Fellowship has reached across the ocean to touch the lives of children they will probably never meet.
With the aid of the Jubilee Campaign, the fellowship runs a program they call the Foster Parent Program. Founded in London in the early 1980s, the Jubilee Campaign works to promote the human rights and religious liberty of minorities in countries that oppress them.
The Foster Parent Program is a program to support elementary to high school students in the Moluccan Islands of Indonesia, Silvia Hartanto, president of the Fellowship, said. Its purpose is to raise funds to support the students whose parents were killed during the Moluccan riot in 1999
so that they can continue going to school. Hartanto is from Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, and graduated in December.
The Lawrence-based group sponsors five Indonesian children: Benoni Samloy, 12; Domingus Johanis Manuputty, 13; Dwiyanti Wenno, 19; Irtosius Yance Haumauh, 13; and Yani Talahaturus, 8.
All of these children lost a parent in a war waged on their island between Muslims and Christians.
The Fellowship asks its 15 members to donate 25 cents a week. Other donors, including KU students and members of the Kansas City branch of the ICF, assist in making donations.
money to improve the future of Indonesia.
Hartanto said she donated
"If we want to make our country better, we think it is important to invest in education," Hartanto said.
The Foster Parent Program was initiated by Elmi Kosasi, another graduate in December from Jakarta, Indonesia. She presented the idea with the hope of sponsoring one child. The group raised enough to sponsor Benoni, Domingusgus and Dwiyanti in 2001. Last year they added Irtosius and Yani.
"There are many Indonesian students willing to help these kids," Kosasi said.
In response to the assistance, the children send letters to the Jubilee Campaign, who then forwards the letters to the Fellowship. In the letters the children are thankful, describe their lives and how their parents died.
By Eddie Yang
eyang@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Professor to study health, spirituality
Edited by Erin Chapman
A University of Kansas professor is looking into a possible correlation between spirituality and the well-being of terminally-ill older adults.
Holly Nelson-Becker, Hartford faculty scholar in geriatric social work and assistant professor of social welfare, received $100.000 from the John A. Hartford Foundation in New York through the Gerontological Society of America.
Nelson-Becker said the study focused more on spirituality than religion.
"Religion is identifying with an organized institution with beliefs, rituals and practices," Nelson-Becker said. "Spirituality is the language of connections and can include music and art."
According to a Princeton Religious Research Center study conducted in 1994, 92 percent of those who reported that religion or spirituality was important to them also reported that they were able to cope with problems that life presents.
Don Phillips, chaplain at Midland Hospice who counsels older adults, said spirituality helped families and friends deal with a loved one's illness.
"I definitely think spirituality is a factor in providing hope
"I definitely think spirituality is a factor in providing hope and courage as they work through terminal illness and face death."
Don Phillips Midland Hospice chaplain
and courage as they work through terminal illness and face death," he said.
Nelson-Becker said she wanted to see how the older adults coped with loss.
"I chose older adults because they are usually dealing with loss, whether it be their declining health, loss of friends or loss of their home," she said.
Although her research might show a correlation between spirituality and a patient's well-being, Nelson-Becker said not all people would be affected in the same way.
"Connecting with that domain can make an important difference for others," Nelson-Becker said. "Especially in times of crisis or when they are facing life challenges."
- Edited by Lindsay Hanson
KU ROTC students ready for possible deployment overseas
By Gate Batchelder
cbatchelder@kansan.com
Kansan Staff Writer
Although the chances of deployment are slim for the University's ROTC members, the Kansas National Guard is calling up more guardsmen for active service.
As President Bush's war on terrorism progresses, the University of Kansas' ROTC cadets and midshipmen must deal with the possibility of deployment and standing up for their country's military actions in the face of protest.
The Kansas National Guard will mobilize 100 guardsmen
from the 1st Battalion 161st Field Artillery of Garden City by the weekend for training, said Joy Moser, public affairs officer for the Kansas National Guard.
"So by just watching what's going on, you can see things picking up — not to say they're going to be used," said Lt. Col. Brian DeToy, professor of military science. "It's just that the military is getting ready so as to give the president that option if that's the way he goes."
Tom Morrow, Chicago freshman and ROTC midshipman 4th class, said he knew his job was to serve his country upon graduation. Morrow has a long way to go before that happens but he monitors the escalating situation.
"Whatever decision is made should be fully thought through," Morrow said.
Only two KU students in the ROTC program have been called away from classes. The two students' reserve training, which is usually during the summer, moved to January. DeToy said training earlier than planned showed the possibility of war.
Heavier protests are also showing the growing tensions among American interests. KU students and faculty protested against a
war with Iraq in Washington, D.C., during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
"I try to understand what they see, but it doesn't always make sense," said Christopher Benton, Topeka junior and ROTC midshipman 3rd class. "Many times, they don't want a conflict but yet they don't want to give up their freedoms that they have."
Capt. James Cooper, Naval ROTC Commanding Officer,said six
"I'm here to do a job." Benton said. "The job may not be for everybody, but I made the decision that I was going to fight for my country and what we believe in."
of the Navy's 12 aircraft carriers were either abroad or ready to deploy.
"Looking at this one snapshot, you can see we're putting a major effort into this." Cooper said.
Dierks' close childhood friend was deployed to Kuwait last week as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Dierks argues with her friends at the University about the
Michele Dierks, Colorado Springs, Colo., freshman, is a ROTC midshipman 4th class under Cooper's supervision. Dierks won't be deployed because she has been contracted through scholarships to stay and finish school before serving.
possible war, she said.
"It's because of the people like all of the midshipmen here, people like my friends in the military that just got deployed to Kuwait yesterday, people like them are the reason that we can have anti-war protests and I think maybe they should take that into consideration," Dierks said.
-Edited by Andrew Ward