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The University Daily
KANSAN
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Published since 1889 by students of the University of Kansas.
Vol. 95, No. 90 (USPS 650-640)
Wednesday, February 6, 1985
Solar clock considered for Wescoe
This model of Wesco Hall shows the area where a clock tower will stand. The KU Photovoltaic Clock Tower Committee will present the model tonight at the Student Senate meeting. The 45-foot clocktower, which will be powered by solar energy, was designed by Betsy Cray, former architecture student.
By SHARON ROSSE Staff Reporter
A model of a 45-foot solar-powered clock tower, proposed to be built in front of Wescoe Hall, will be displayed at the Student Senate meeting tonight', the director of the clock tower committee said yesterday.
The Senate meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the Big Fight Room of the Kansas Union
Philip White, Dodge City senior and the director, said the model, which stands 10 inches high, is a three-dimensional glass sculpture by Clark. former KU architecture student.
Clark last semester received a $100 prize in the tower design competition sponsored by Theta Tau engineering fraternity, White said.
He said he didn't know when construction of the tower would begin. The committee is seeking private donations to pay for the clock tower, he said.
THE CLOCK TOWER will be built in the sunken area on the north side of Wescoe Hall. White said, and will extend above the hall's top level. Clark designed the $125,000 tower with a yellow-tinted cement to blend with the Wescoe Hall and the terra cotta of Strong Hall.
months before the committee could raise the money.
The committee has received some donations for the tower, White said, but not enough to set a date for construction. He estimated that it would be another three
Allen Wiechert, director of facilities planning, said the administration was not involved in raising money for the project. Robert Cobb, executive vice chancellor and Robert Cobb, executive vice chancellor, had given approval of the tower design.
The committee, which includes members of the Solar Energy Club and Theta Tau, also displayed the model yesterday in the rotunda of Strong Hall, he said.
Judicial board hearing more cases
By TAD CLARKE
Staff Reporter
The University Judicial Board has heard more cases this year than in the three previous years combined, the chairman of the board said yesterday.
Eric Straus, board chairman, said the board had heard nine cases so far this academic year and soon would hear two more. From 1981 to 1984, a total of eight cases were heard by the judicial board.
The board was formed in 1861 as a successor to the University Judiciary, which had been established in 1730.
About half of all cases that go before the judicial board concern academic misconduct. Strauss said most of these cases involved students appealing failing grades.
Other cases frequently heard are complaints against the University and cases involving the code of student rights, responsibilities and conduct, Strauss said. The code is set forth in the Timetable and the Student Handbook.
THE JUDICIAL board has no power to enforce decisions it reaches. Strauss said All recommendations are forwarded to the parties involved and asked to be followed.
Before cases are brought before the judicial board, they may start out at a lower level, Strauss said, such as a hearing before an academic department.
"I honestly have no good handle why the judicial board has been flooded with these cases," Strauss said. "I'm at a loss. I wish I knew. It's nuts — it really is.
"It's all volunteer work and it gets to be quite a task."
Of this year's cases, five have been brought before meditation panels, which allow parties involved to discuss their cases with three board members.
ALSO THIS YEAR, four cases have been heard by hearing panels, which make final recommendations on cases. Strauss said that he had gone through mediation panels as well.
Strauss said it took about a semester for the board to make a decision on an average gage.
"The cases I'm familiar with include both mediation and hearing," Strauss said, "but they take a semester or longer to have a decision reached."
Despite the increase in the number of cases being heard, Strauss said he didn't mind that students wanted to make their problems heard.
ANOTHER PUBLICIZED case in December 1983 also may have brought attention to the judicial board, Strauss said. In that case, the board recommended to Chancellor Gene A. Budig that a new student body presidential election be held after finding that the November 1983 election was invalid with inconsistencies and ambiguities."
Strauss said this year's increased case load may have followed the publicity over a petition to end financing of Gay and Lesbian Services of Kansas, which was appealed before the board last fall.
"I'm glad to see people exercising their rights," he said. "It's just that the system wasn't set up to do it all at once. Somehow the balance has gotten out of kilter this year."
Strauss said he wanted to simplify the
judicial board's method of hearing cases. The University Senate Executive Committee last month appointed a committee to make decisions in the rules governing the judicial board.
Another possible change, he said, would be to limit the power the board has to hear appeals concerning academic misconduct or student life. Strauss said these appeals, such as grade protests, would be better handled at the school or department level.
ONE OF THE CHANGES Strauss said he was seeking to make the mediation process optional and to have it only if both parties involved in the dispute agreed to it.
Also, Strauss said, the judicial board should only hear appeals from lower-level decisions if those appeals regarded the judge or arrive at the decision, not the decision itself.
Douglas Whitman, a member and former chairman of the judicial board, said he thought more cases, such as grade appeals, should be heard on the departmental level. He said he could not recall a grade appeal case that had been brought before the board in which the student had won and the grade had been changed.
STRAUSS SAID HE would like to see the changes made by the next academic year. That way, he said, the summer session time could be used to "clean up the cases we have now."
"We don't have the power to force the professor to change the grade." Whitman said. "No one — including the chancellor — will ever accept that except in extinguishing circumstances."
Senate bill passes test faces another tonight
By NANCY STOETZER Staff Reporter
A bill that would change the way Student Senate allocates money to some student groups passed through the Senate Finance Committee last night but could face tough opposition in the full Senate tonight.
"I'm happy about the Finance Committee passing the bill, but the big fight is in the Senate tomorrow," William Easley, student body president, said last night.
The bill, submitted by Easley, proposes to restructure financing for non-revenue code groups in an attempt to make these student organizations self-sufficient.
Non-revenue code groups, such as Latin American Solidarity and the KU Rugby Club, generally request less than $1,000 a year from the Senate and don't affect large portions of the student body. Jeff Polack, student body vice president, said last week.
THE STUDENT Executive Committee will decide this afternoon whether the bill will be put on the agenda for the Senate meeting. StudEx will meet today at 4:30 p.m. of the Senate and of the Kansas Union. The Senate me...as at p. 108, in the Big Room of the Union.
Under the bill, the Senate could finance up to 70 percent of an organization's special project.
If the bill passes, each group would receive a one-time grant for the first year to help with administrative costs. Senate would not earmark any more funds for administrative costs but then would help finance these groups' special projects.
Polack said the underlying philosophy of the bill was to make groups self-supportive.
THE BILL STATES that if a group could not become self-supportive after the one-time grant, it could petition to the Senate
through the Finance Committee for additional funds for administrative costs.
Groups will have to show a good faith effort that they tried to raise their own funds," Polack said.
"They'll have to prove to us that they tried to do something."
6.00 something.
Polak said he hoped this bill would encourage groups to sponsor special projects.
"I hope this is an incentive for groups to get out of their offices and hold some different events." he said.
The bill states that non-revenue code groups that received funds from Senate in fiscal year 1985 can receive funds for administrative costs in fiscal 1968, which
IN FISCAL 1987. these groups no longer would be eligible for administrative funds but could request money for special events.
Organizations that previously have not received Senate funds would be eligible to receive no more than $175 in fiscal 1986. Groups initially applying for administrative costs in fiscal 1987 would be eligible to receive no more than $200 for these purposes.
The extra funds needed to cover the one-time grants in the proposal's first year would come from the Senate's unallocated funds for special projects. He said the new budget would include following years because Senate will not be paying for administrative costs.
Tim Monahan, Finance Committee member, said he voted against the bill.
"We never heard a debate on the bill itself,
only on the merits of the amendments. We never heard a speaker against the bill. This is not a perfect thoughtful and careful consideration."
"I don't object to the spirit of the bill but I don't want this to be railroaded through it."
Bell says aid cut unfair would 'clobber students'
By United Press International
Bell predicted Congress would agree with his assessment and reject Reagan's proposal that a $4,000 limit be imposed on student aid and that no assistance be given to any student whose family income exceeded $32,500.
WASHINGTON — A proposal by President Reagan to slash student aid by 25 percent would "clobber students" and "hurt collage education of education Terrel Bell said yesterday.
"I realize the president needs to reduce the federal deficit, but I don't think Congress will go along with him on this," said Bell, who is a senior adviser to Mr. 31 to return to private life in Salt Lake City.
In proposing to Congress Monday a fiscal 1986 Department of Education budget of $15.5 billion, Reagan recommended the cuts in student aid. The proposed department budget is $2.4 billion less than the current budget.
BELL LEFT OFFICE recommending that the budget remain at $17.9 billion.
Right now, matters are in a negotiation stage" between the White House and Congress, Bell said. "The White House proposed just about what I expected and I think Congress will go for a freeze," leaving the budget at $17.9 billion.
Student owners hope town butters up to popcorn shop
Gary Jones, acting secretary of education, told a news conference Monday that the administration does not believe the cuts would deny any student an education.
Bell said the proposals will also "hurt colleges by reducing the number of students
He said, however, some students may have to go to a less expensive school, find a job or get more financial assistance from their parents or states.
Staff Reporter
"That is going to cause some economic segregation." Bell said. "It is just not good policy."
Several higher education associations immediately blasted the proposed cuts and several members in Congress have said they will fight it.
By MICHELLE WORRALL Staff Reporter
Bell also criticized the proposal that
it would permit a customer exceeds
$220 but be denied any assistance.
Two students literally popped into the business world yesterday.
"It costs about $50,000 to franchise," Kasher said. "We started our business for below half that amount."
"Whenever I would go home, my friends would say, 'Bring me back a couple bags of clothes.'"
The idea of starting the popcorn business originated from a well-known popcorn company in the United States.
Kelly Parks and Kasher, Omaha, Neb., sophomores, opened P.K. Popper, a gourmet popcorn shop at 6 E. Ninth St., after two months of planning.
Rather than buy a franchise, the women chose to start their own business.
HE SAID, "Low-income students who want to go to a private school should be able to do so. They wouldn't be able to with a $4,000 cap. They would have to switch to a less expensive, public college and might have problems there, too."
"I'm afraid something bad is going to happen because everything has gone so smoothly." Kasher said yesterday.
The bulk of the proposed cuts is in student aid, both grants and loans.
SINCE THANKS GIVING, Parks, 20, and Kasher, 19, have pounded the pavement to gather information about the popcorn business. They spoke with popcorn experts, popcorn supply stores, distributors, popcorn shop owners and their parents.
"At first people just looked at us funny," Kasher said, "but once we showed them our
"I really think that they shouldn't clobber the student," said Bell, speaking in a telephone interview from the University of Utah where he is an education professor.
research, they realized we were serious, and they were very helpful. "
The women's parents shucked out the cash, and their dream evolved into a shop downtown, six employees and five flavors of candy. The coffee shop, caramel, sour cream and green onion
"People see us as two young girls, and they take us under their wings like daughters."
"I think the business will be a success," said Linda Kasher, Beth's mother. "the girls are working hard and are developing good business skills."
The women said their age had worked to their advantage.
"WE ORIGINALLY planned to call the shop P.C. Popper," Parks said. "But people thought it was P.C.P and Popper, and said it sounded like a drug establishment."
But operating a business is not easy, the women said.
The women moved into their shop Jan. 9. Since then, they have been working six to 10 hours a day.
"We even needed to buy a trash can for outside." Kasher said. "There are so many
Both said their business would not interfere with their education.
See POPCORN, p. 5, col. 1
Thomas Long/KANSAN
Kelly Parks and Bath Kasher, Omaha, Neb., sophomores, add salt to a batch of popcorn at their new store, P.K. Popper, a popcorn shop at 6 E. Ninth St. The two opened the store for
business yesterday. The shop offers five flavors of popcorn: plain, cheese, cinnamon, sour cream and green onion and caramel.