NCAA TOURNEY SEED HINGES ON WEEKEND
Hawks face Bears, hoping to land in KC with bolstered resumé. SPORTS 1TB
Jayplay inside
THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2009
WWW.KANSAN.COM
VOLUME 120 ISSUE 117
STATE
Lawrence, Manhattan rapes may be linked
BETTER SHOP AROUND
BY BRIANNE PFANNENSTIEL AND KEVIN HARDY bpfannenstiel@kansan.com khardy@kansan.com
A string of five rapes in Lawrence may be connected to seven rapes and one attempted rape in Manhattan, Steve Six, Kansas attorney general, announced Wednesday.
Because the majority of the attacks occurred while classes were not in session, Six warned Kansans to be cautious during spring break.
"Generally speaking, when universities are not in session, apartments and other student housing areas are often targeted because they know either no one will be there or very few people will be there," Ashley Anstaetta, a spokesperson for the attorney general's office, said.
She said it was important for students to use common sense and take extra precautions to protect themselves from crime.
Jill Jess, associate director for University Relations, said the University of Kansas released a press release yesterday, as well as an e-mail Monday, warning students to be safe during spring break.
"The goal is to inform students so they can take proper precaution." Jess said. "We always want to keep students safe, and information is the key to keeping them safe."
"The release provides general safety information for students traveling and staying home, and only mentions the rape incidents by saying, If staying in Lawrence, students should take reasonable precautions, as some reported sexual assaults and other crimes have occurred during breaks."
Jess said the University would
SEE RAPE ON PAGE 4A
MEMORIAL
SAE to hold service for Jason Wren
BY ALEXANDRA GARRY
agarry@kansan.com
Lawrence Police will block off West Campus Road today between the Chi Omega Fountain and Memorial Drive from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. for Sigma Alpha Epsilon's memorial service for Jason Wren, Jill Iess, associate director of University Relations, said Wednesday.
The memorial service will begin at 6:30 p.m. outside the fraternity's chapter house, 1301 West Campus Road, and is open to the public, a spokesperson said.
Wren, who was a 19-year-old freshman from Littleton, Colo., was found dead at the fraternity house Sunday afternoon.
- Edited by Susan Melgren
FOOD FOR ThOUGhT
Students seek out best food and lowest prices at grocery stores
BY KAYLA REGAN
kregan@kansan.com
Tara Anderson used to go grocery shopping with her mom, throwing whatever looked good in her cart. But since entering college, Anderson, Overland Park, junior, has had to adjust her shopping habits.
"I have to buy my own groceries now" she said. "It's my money."
Anderson is among the many college students who prioritize saving money when shopping for groceries. But with shopper discounts, special deals and membership opportunities, students could be spending — or saving — more than they know.
Lawrence discount grocers, traditional supermarkets, superstores and specialty grocers all promise students the lowest prices for the highest quality foods. Students can choose from Aldi, Checkers, Dillons, Hy-Vee, Wal-Mart, Target, The Community Mercantile (commonly known as The Merc), and The Casbah for their local grocery needs.
Aldi and Checkers, two discount grocers, help students like Joseph Swisher, Topeka freshman, and Matt Rissien Overland Park senior, afford all of the food they want in order to stock their refrigerators.
Nick Sprague, Concordia junior.
said he
shopped at
traditional gro-
cers such as Hy-Vee
and Dillons because they
offered a higher quality product
at a lower price than many stores.
Some students may go to super-
centers such as Target and Wal-
Mart for the convenience of grocery
and other retail shopping under one
roof.
Although Laura Kozak, Kansas City, Kan., sophomore, said she spent more money shopping at The
Merc and The
Casbah than she would at other stores, she didn't mind the extra cost for a better product.
In three visits to each store between Feb. 14 and March 8, the lowest prices for seven common
items — bread, milk, eggs, apples,
orange juice, pizza and ground beef
— were averaged and compared to
determine where students can find
the best deals.
Edited by Carly Halvorson
SEE
GROCERY
ON PAGE 8A FOR PRICES
STUDENT SENATE
Committee upholds Porte's suspension
Alex Porte, Great Falls, Va. junior, center, begins to appeal his suspension before members of the Student Senate Wednesday afternoon in the Kansas Union. Student body president Adam McGonigle suspended Porte from his duties as senate treasurer on March 3 after he determined that Porte had leaked a confidential memo to The University Daily Kansas concerning student fee adjustments. Porte and McGonigle's accounts of the events leading to Porte's suspension differed on several major points, including the chronology of events.
BY BRIANNE PFANNENSTIEL
bpfannenstiel@kansan.com
The Student Executive Committee ruled to uphold Student Body President Adam McGonigle's decision to suspend Treasurer Alex Porte Wednesday night after 45 minutes of arguments and questioning.
More than 60 people crowded into Alcove J in the Student Union to hear the appeal and await the final decision. The committee voted 5-3 in favor of overturning the suspension. However, the two thirds majority needed to overturn it was not met.
Ryan McGeeney/KANSAI
McGonigle and Porte each presented their arguments for about ten minutes before allowing for questions from the committee.
After this release of information, McGonigle said he felt it was necessary to discipline Porte for a breach of confidentiality.
In their presentations, McGonigle and Porte explained their perception of events, beginning with a confidential meeting held between certain members of the fee review subcommittee. Neither McGonigle nor Porte disagreed that information presented at that meeting was asked to be confidential. However, after the meeting, Porte released a memo at the request of The University Daily Kansan which detailed McGonigle's recommendations to cut the campus safety and campus media fees while allowing for slight increases to the Senate
Activity Fee, which would fund minimal salary increases for senators.
"If you disagree with a decision that your supervision makes, you
tell them about it," McGonigle said in his presentation. "You discuss it with them, but you certainly don't blindside them by taking it to a media outlet without any other expression of concern."
Porte argued that withholding the information violated Student Senate Rules and Regulations.
which states that any program or activity funded by student fees should be open to the public.
McGonigle asked Porte to write a letter of apology in exchange for keeping his job. Porte submitted one letter to McGonigle who made several edits. Porte revised and resubmitted his letter.
"Among his recommendations he demanded that my letter include such things as my personal desire to apologize and the profound ethical implications of my actions," Porte said. "These
SEE PORTE ON PAGE 4A
index
Classifieds...6B Opinion...7A
Crossword...6A Sports...1B
Horoscopes...6A Sudoku...6A
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2009 The University Daily Kansan
OBAMA RENDERING FOCUS OF LAWSUIT
weather
The Associated Press issued a countersuit against artist Shepard Fairey about the use of a photograph of President Obama. COURTS15A
TODAY
43 23
FRIDAY
Mostly cloudy
SATURDAY
Cloudy
4729
5
weather.com