SEBELIUS MAY FILL VACANCY Mark Parkinson would become governor. STATE 16B
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FIGHTING FOR POINTS
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSA KANSAS 14
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2009
WWW.KANSAN.COM
VOLUME 120 ISSUE 96
CRIME
Student charged with felonies released
District attorney's office says Basoflas could be charged with more counts of animal cruelty
BY ALEXANDRA GARRY agarry@kansan.com
A KU student charged with two counts of felony animal cruelty was released on bond from the Douglas County Jail on Monday afternoon as Lawrence police officers continued to investigate an alleged pattern of abusive behavior from the
suspect in the case.
Cem Basoflas, identified on a Web site about him as an Istanbul, Turkey, sophomore, was released about 3 p.m. The release came with the stipulations that he have no contact with or possession of any animal and that he surrender his passport, as set by Pro Tem judge James George at Basofas'
first appearance hearing on Friday.
Bas of las was arrested Wednesday afternoon after maintenance crews found a large quantity
Basoflas
a large quantity of blood in his
apartment in the 2100 block of Heatherwood Drive, Sgt. Bill Cory, Lawrence Police public information officer, said Thursday.
A representative of the District Attorney's office said Monday that more charges might be filed as the investigation continued. David Melton, the assistant district attorney prosecuting the case, said on
Friday that the state intended to prove "extreme violence" against multiple animals.
Basoflas has another pending animal cruelty charge stemming from an arrest on Aug. 19. Police records for that incident listed Sarah Geisler, a nurse with the Lawrence
SEE CRIME ON PAGE 3A
MISSOURI 62, KANSAS 60
COLUMBIA, MISERY
Turnovers 27 of them doomed the Jayhawks, who had led by as many as 14 points in the second half against the Tigers but gave up a 9-0 run in the game's final minutes. For full game coverage, see page 1B.
Sophomore center Cole Aldrich catches a full-court pass and gets a final shot up during the closing seconds of the game against Missouri. Aldrich missed the shot and the Jayhawks fell to the Tigers 62-60.
OBITUARY
Students grieve for car crash victim
BY LAUREN HENDRICK
lhendrick@kansan.com
Dimitri Mavridorakis, a graduate student in the School of Business, died Saturday when he was struck by car on the shoulder of Shawnee Mission Parkway in Merriam. He was 23 years old.
Mavridorakis was found on Shawnee Mission Parkway at 3 a.m. and pronounced dead at
Mavridorakis
the scene.
He was pushing a disabled vehicle when he was hit by an alleged drunk driver.
Mavri dorakis was
Dee Steinle, administrative director of the business master's program and academic adviser, said Mavridorakis was a special student to the program.
"He was one of those people you wanted to know," she said.
Mavridorakis was one of 80 students in the master's program in the School of Business. Steinle said he brought a unique European perspective to the school.
ROTC
"He was a brilliant student and very dynamic in the classroom" she said. "My heart breaks for his parents."
James Lemieux, assistant professor of business, said he had helped Mavridorakis complete his job applications in recent weeks. Mavridorakis had aspirations to work for Apple.
SEE OBITUARY ON PAGE 3A
Student's dream of military service also boasts practicality
BY RACHEL BURCHFIELD
rburchfield@kansan.com
As children, many people dreamed of what they wanted to be when they grew up: an astronaut, a firefighter, a ballerina or a teacher. Josh Thomas' dream for as long as he could remember was to fly jets.
But unlike most people, whose fanciful childhood dreams eventually give way to stark adult realities, Thomas said he was working every day to ensure his lifelong dream came true.
Thomas, Lexington Park, Md., senior, will graduate and pursue a career in the military. It is in his blood — his father was a flight engineer in the Navy and his grandfather, uncle and aunt have made the Navy a family profession.
Thomas said that when he ventured from Maryland to Kansas to study at the University, he wanted to carry on the family tradition.
Today, in light of a struggling economy and growing unemployment rates, more Americans are opting to take the oath and pursue a career in military service.
By the end of his freshman year, after talking with a pilot in the Marines, Thomas's plans changed slightly — he knew he wanted to be a Marine.
According to a Jan. 27 broadcast on National Public Radio, for the first time since 2006, the military is meeting or exceeding
"You know, everyone has their own calling to the military or whatever career they decide to follow," Thomas said. "The military, regardless of the branch, has something about it that is a little more intimidating than most jobs where you can just throw down the towel and say, 'I quit.'
its recruitment goals. Thomas said he put a lot of thought into the decision.
"It's called commitment. When you join, that's it — you're in it for at least four years. Needless to say, it takes some thinking about before you raise your right hand and swear an oath."
Maj. Ted Culbertson, Army ROTC officer and Kansas Army National Guard liaison, said there
were several reasons for the Army's recruiting boom. He said a college graduate entering the Army as a Second Lieutenant could expect to make roughly $43,000 as a base salary.
Lt. Juri Groenland, Navy ROTC adjunct instructor and aviation advisor, said a college graduate with no prior service would earn approximately $31,000 per year, but said the benefits to service were not just monetary.
"The tangible benefits are a very solid career with a steady paycheck, excellent health care benefits and training," Groenland said. "The unspoken benefits vary from individual to individual — things like a
Josh Thomas, Lexington Park, Md., senior, looks forward to his deployment with the Marines. Thomas says he plans to serve for 20 years but must finish flight school before his first deployment. Thomas said of his flight training, "I always wanted to be an aviator now but being exposed to the Marine Corps, I've realized that there is a lot more to it than just individual goals."
SEE ROTC ON PAGE 3A
index
Classifieds... 6B
Crossword... 4A
Horoscopes... 4A
Opinion...5A
Sports...1B
Sudoku...4A
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2009 The University Daily Kansan
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