VOL.101,NO.82
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1992
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Abortion measure enters Statehouse
NEWS:864-4810
The Associated Press
TOPEKA—A comprehensive abortion bill that contains proposals advanced by a leading pro-choice legislator was introduced in the House yesterday.
The House Federal and State Affairs Committee is sponsoring the measure. The head of the committee, Rep. Kathleen Sebelius, D-Topeka, said the bill reflected the position of a majority of Kansans and contained some restrictions on abortion. Anti-abortion advocates criticized its contents.
The bill would guarantee that a woman has a right to an abortion as long as the fetus could not survive outside the womb. It also would create stiff penalties for anti-abortion protesters who block access to clinics, and would prevent city and county governments from regulating abortion
However, the measure would ban
"I think it would allow us to have a state law on the books that speaks to where the majority of Kansans are on the issue." Sebelius said.
some late-term abortions and require girls under 16 to receive counseling before they could obtain an abortion.
Both sides expect the U.S. Supreme Court eventually to overturn its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which declared abortion legal across the nation. If that happens, each state will have to enact its own abortion law.
Rep. Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, a vocal anti-abortion advocate, said,
"The bill obviously is an attempt to keep as many abortions legal as possible after Roe v. Wade."
Supreme Court's Roe decision
Kansas abortion laws are among the most liberal in the nation, partly because most provisions of a 1969 criminal abortion statute were struck down by a federal court before the U.S.
There are no restrictions in Kansas on when a woman can obtain an abortion, and state law does not require minors to seek counseling or permission from adults to obtain abortions.
Under the bill, the minimum penalty for a person convicted of blocking access to a clinic for the first time would be a fine of at least $250 or 24 hours under house arrest. For a second conviction, a person could be placed under house arrest for a week or fined at least $500.
The first section of the bill declares that the state will not interfere with a woman's right to have an abortion if her fetus is not viable. However, if the fetus was viable, a doctor must determine either that it was seriously deformed or that a woman's health or life was in danger, in order for her to obtain an abortion.
New financing intended to boost study abroad
Effort may be irrelevant, administrator says
By Gayle Osterberg Kansan staff writer
Federal lawmakers hope a new scholarship program will raise participation in study abroad programs, but one KU administrator thinks cost is secondary to a general lack of interest.
The National Security Education Act of 1991 increases federal financing of undergraduate study abroad programs and is expected to allow more non-affluent and minority students to study in foreign countries.
The bill was introduced by U.S. Sen. David Boren, D- Oklahoma, in July and was signed into law by President Bush on Jan. 15. A National Security Education Board plans to meet Feb. 20 to work out details of the application process and the method of distributing the money.
A representative from Boren's office said the money probably would be available to students who wanted to study abroad in Fall 1992.
Boren said in a prepared statement: "It is certainly no cure-all, but it is a positive step, which I think will ultimately contribute far more to our nation's security than a new bomber or a new battleship.
"Our entire nation suffers as a result of our ignorance of international languages and cultures."
The act is the largest higher education program of its kind since the National Defense Education Act of 1958.
The act will award $35 million in scholarships this year and $12 million in subsequent years to students selected as International Exchange Scholars. Students studying in countries not emphasized in other U.S. study abroad programs, such as those in Africa, South America and Asia, will be given priority.
Mary Elizabeth Debicki, director of KU's study abroad office, said the act was a first step.
The money is more than the federal government has ever allocated for study abroad, she said. "It's just a beginning, but it'a good one." Debicki said.
She said not enough money was available now to help all
The prices of KU's programs average about $3,600 for a semester and $6,600 for a year. The cost includes tuition, room and board, she said.
the students who needed aid. Some students get aid from the Chancellor's Endowment Fund, which has provided about $36.000 for study abroad each year since 1976.
Debicki said her concern was that money was not the main reason that more students did not study abroad.
"They may have preconceived notions that it is expensive, but they aren't even coming to the door to find out," she said. "It's painfully sad to see how many students don't take the opportunity to study in a foreign country during the least expensive time in their lives."
Debicki said that the University wanted to send 25 students to Japan in an exchange this summer but that she was having trouble finding enough students who were interested. She has received five applications.
According to statistics compiled by Boren's press office, the apparent lack of interest is nationwide.
Brian Ellis, Boren's press secretary, said 42,000 college students from the United States studied abroad each year, compared with 356,000 students who come to the United States.
Ellis said the U.S. trend was moving away from studying foreign languages and cultures.
College students can earn a bachelor's degree at 77 percent of U.S. colleges and universities without any foreign language courses. Ellis said.
Ellis also said the European Community had announced that by the end of the decade, all high school students must be fluent in two foreign languages to graduate.
However, every graduating high school senior in Japan is required to have at least two years of English, he said.
KU requires 16 hours of foreign language to receive a bachelor of arts degree. But students working toward a bachelor of general studies or toward a bachelor of science degrees are not required to take a foreign language, said Darla Perry, a graduation counselor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Warmer temperatures give Kurt Goodwin. Olathe senior, the chance to show his slam dunk skills
Unseasonably warm
Mild weather to continue
Kansan staff report
Celena Vandergrift and Carrie Josserand have been slacking.
ter freshman said
Since the weather had been cold and rainy, they avoided daily exercise.
"If it snows or it rains, we don't go for walks," Vandergrift, Valley Cen-
"Cold is okay but not if it's too cold."
Vandergift and Jossenand greeted the 50-degree temperatures yesterday dressed in shorts and Spandex. They arrived ready to the Joybakw Boulevard.
in," Vandergrift said. "If it stays nice, we'll be out here everyday."
The National Weather Service reported a high of 53 degrees yesterday in Lawrence.
"This weather is a lot nicer to walk
Students took advantage of the mild weather by riding bikes, jogging, walking, playing sports and studying outdoors.
AIDS educators fight 'what ifs'
By Katherine Manweiler
Kansan staff writer
The KU Student Senate AIDS Task Force sponsored a program last night to teach students how to talk to peers about AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Patrick Dilley, head of the task force, said the peer education program had trained about 18 people from the University of Kansas. The program started in Dec. 1990.
Twelve students attended the session. Seven of the students had never been a part of the program before.
Last semester, peer educators gave presentations to about 385 people in classes and living groups, Dilley said.
"The only way you can fight people's fear is to inform them." Dilley said.
David Maddy, left, and Patrick Dilley it comes to AIDS education, you have to talk with people about the difference between probabilities and theoretical possibilities."
Gaywyn Moore, Wichita graduate student, has been a peer educator since the program began. She told the trainees that it was important not to feed students' fears about AIDS.
He said the peer program had scheduled more than 15 presentations in February.
"Some people will come up with real-
ly wild 'what ifs.' Moore said. "When
Candyce Waitley, health educator for Watkins Memorial Health Center, said last night that one in seven students at KU was thought to have a sexually transmitted disease, including HIV.
"Students listen to peers," Waitley said. "They'll probably listen to you and change their behavior."
Waititey said she thought the rate of sexually transmitted diseases would decrease at KU as a result of the peer education program.
Jill Fritzemeyer, Wichita senior and coordinator for the peer education program, said she thought it was important for college students to become comfortable with the issues involved in AIDSeducation.
"The thing about HIV education is that it crosses so many boundaries." Fritzemeyer said. "It touces on areas that have previously been taboos.
"Peer education is important, because whether students eventually act on it or not, they can take the information and use it."
Gay Lea Prichard, Wichita senior, said she wanted to teach others about AIDS, but the program also had personal significance for her.
"I'm very concerned about AIDS, because I'm a nurse's aide," she said. "You are always in contact with bodily fluids."
Saturday degree deadline looming for CLAS seniors
By Ranjit Arab
Kansan staff writer
Seniors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences who plan to graduate in May have less than a week to apply for their degree, but only half the seniors expected to graduate have applied.
Diana Fox, head of graduation for the college, said the college expected to graduate about 1,300 students this spring. However, she said the office had received only 650 applications for degree.
Deadlines vary among the different schools on campus.
Fox said students often delayed the
Students must apply by May 1 to participate in the commencement ceremony.
Fox said students who wanted to receive their diplomas on graduation day must apply by Saturday. Diplomas are delivered by mail.
Applications for degree are available in 108 Strong Hall.
"The application is very simple," she said. "It asks how the student wants his name to appear on the diploma, along with other information they already know."
Only 650 of 1,300 eligible students have filled out the application due Feb.1.
application process because they did not know whether they would graduate. It is best to plan on graduating, she said.
Other students simply procrastinate. Fox said.
Brett Regerny, Tulaa, Okla., senior,
said he had completed the application
a long time ago, but had not submitted
it.
Elyse Snitz, Overland Park senior,
said she had not applied because she
was unaware of the deadlines.
"I guess there is no real reason why I didn't turn it in," he said. "I guess I just put it off."