Tomorrow's weather
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PO BOX 3585
TOPEKA, KS 66601-3585
Kansan
Monday
January 26,1998
Section:
A
Warm and partly sunny.
Vol.108·No.86
Online today
For those who missed the Super Bowl or those interested in reliving the moment, check out the official Super Bowl site.
http://www.nfl.com
Sports today
The Kansas basketball team won its 56th consecutive home game, a new team record.
SEE PAGE 1B
WWW.KANSAN.COM
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Take a bow
Members of the Kansas men's basketball team bow to the Allen Field House crowd after their 88-49 victory against Texas Tech. Saturday's win was Kansas' 56th in a row at home and broke the school record for consecutive home victories. The Jayhawks have not lost a home game since Feb. 20, 1994, and none of the players on the roster has lost a game in Allen Field House. "The field house is a remendous place to play, and the fans are a large part of it," said Kansas coach Roy Williams after the game. "It's not the building, the seats, the banners or the team that makes the field house what it is. It's the fans. And we just wanted to say, 'Thank you.'" See stories on page 1B. Photo by Geoff Krieger/KANSAN
Tax law gives students break
Interest on loans earns deductions
By Brandon Coplep
bcopple@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Like more than 7,000 University of Kansas students, the time he graduates, O'Donnell, Wichita junior, will be up to his mortarboard in debt.
Tim O'Donnell has borrowed his way through two and a half years of college, and he's got at least two more to go.
To help O'Donnell and other student borrowers deal with that debt, last year's Congress created a tax deduction up to $1,000 for interest paid on student loans.
Problem is, nobody told O'Donnell.
"I heard something about some tax breaks," he said. "It sounds like a good deal, but I wish they would've said a little more about it on campus."
The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 contains several tax breaks for college students.
The Hope Scholarship tax credit became available January 1, offering some freshmen and sophomores a $1,500 tax credit for college tuition. About 1,000 KU students took advantage of that policy, according to the provost's office.
(USPS 650-640)
The Lifetime Learning tax credit,
good for up to $5,000, will be available
to all qualified students after
July 1. Both credits are limited by
certain tax criteria, such as income
Mike Hickman, certified public accountant at Hickman & McFadden in Lawrence, said tax breaks were worthless unless students knew they existed.
"Everybody needs to look carefully to see how these provisions apply to them," he said. "The first thing you should do is contact your parents and find out if they claim you as a dependent."
Hickman said his office had received a barrage of calls last semester after students received a flier enclosed with tuition bills explaining the Hope tax credit.
The flier, prepared by the provost's office, notified freshmen and sophomores that they could defer tuition payment until Jan. 9, so that eligible students might receive the credit, which became available in 1998.
Lindy Eakin, associate provost,
said the deferral was designed
CONTACTING THE I.R.S.
www.irs.ustreas.gov
mainly to accommodate sophomores.
The tax credit is available only to freshmen and sophomores and applies to tuition paid after Jan. 1, 1998. For students who will be juniors in the fall, this semester is the only opportunity to receive the credit.
The provost's office said it will try to notify students of potential tax breaks, but Eakin advises students to contact an accountant or Legal Services for Students.
Congress also created a tax deduction for interest paid on student loans. Students paying back education loans may deduct up to $1,000 of interest for 1998. The deduction is available only to students whose single tax return shows less than $55,000 in income, and to married students filing jointly who make less than $75,000.
Tax credits come straight out of total taxable income, so the full credit goes in the student's pocket.
"As a public university, we're always concerned with making ourselves more affordable." Eakin said.
Sears to open new store in Lawrence
By Jeremy M. Doherty
By Jeremy M. Doherty
jdoherty@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
A full-line Sears store will open in Lawrence this fall.
The 84,000 square-foot store will be located at 2727 Iowa St. in the space vacated by The Half Price Store.
The store, one of 24 Sears plans to open nationwide, will provide 100 to 125 jobs, said David Rich, Sears district general manager.
In a prepared statement, Rich said the new location would bring a softer, more feminine side to the world of shopping in Lawrence.
Steve Wyss, manager of J.C. Penney Co., 1801 W. 23rd St., said he felt the new arrival would solidify the city as a regional shopping center.
"Lawrence is a trade area," Wyss said. "We lose enough business to trade areas outside of town because we don't offer enough stores for them."
Area business managers were enthusiastic about the addition of another store to Lawrence's retail market.
Gary Toebben, Lawrence Chamber of Commerce president, agreed. In a recent survey, the chamber asked citizens what they would like
to see more of in Lawrence.
"The top thing which people said they left town for were department stores," Toebben said.
Managers said the biggest benefi-
ciaries would be the consumers.
Sears now operates a locally owned dealer店 at 2108 W. 27th St. It will close when the new store opens.
"The main thing is that this will give people a variety of places, whether it's appliances or whatever, to choose from," said Paul Weingart, owner of Appliance Plus, 939 Iowa St.
The planned location in Lawrence is part of a five-year, $4 billion building and remodeling program by Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Beta Theta Pi, Chi Omega top GPA rankings
Greek GPAs
| House | Members | GPA | House | Members | GPA |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Chi Omega | 150 | 3.228 | Pi Beta Phi | 149 | 2.987 |
| Alpha Delta Pi | 142 | 3.190 |Gamma Phi Beta | 140 | 2.957 |
| Kappa Kappa Theta | 142 | 3.190 |Gamma Delta Delta | 139 | 2.997 |
| Kappa Kappa Gamma | 156 | 3.146 |Kappa Kappa | 149 | 2.987 |
| Delta Gamma | 151 | 3.146 |Sigma Delta Tau | 63 | 2.743 |
| Sigma Lambda Gamma | 9 | 3.062 |Sigma Kappa | 124 | 2.717 |
| Delta Sigma Theta | 6 | 3.060 |Alpha Xi Delta | 31 | 2.687 |
| Alpha Gamma Delta | 132 | 3.033 |Alpha Kappa Alpha | 15 | 2.499 |
| Alpha Chi Omega | 134 | 3.006 | | | |
| | | | | |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Deta Theta Pi | 81 | 3.264 | Deta Tau Delta | 2.812 |
| Lambda Chi Alpha | 60 | 3.025 | Phi Kappa Epilion | 126 |
| Sigma Nu | 100 | 3.009 | Phi Kappa Psi | 107 | 2.792 |
| Delta Chi | 102 | 2.988 | Pi Kappa Alpha | 25 | 2.700 |
| Trangle | 24 | 2.937 | Phi Gamma Delta | 86 | 2.658 |
| Kappa Sigma | 69 | 2.911 | Alpha Tau Omega | 64 | 2.640 |
| Alpha KappaLambda | 78 | 2.902 | Phi Kappa Theta | 46 | 2.611 |
| Phi Delta Chi | 117 | 2.985 | Alpha Epilion Pi | 48 | 2.606 |
| Zeta Apollo | 107 | 2.985 | Alpha Epilion Pi | 48 | 2.606 |
| Theta Chi | 11 | 2.824 | Zeta Betelene | 22 | 2.492 |
| Sigma Chi | 124 | 2.813 | Alpha Epilion Pi | 44 | 2.426 |
| Kappa Sigma | 124 | 2.813 | Phi Kappa Tau | 43 | 2.264 |
| All Fraternity Men | | 2.828 | All University Men | 2.760 |
By Carl Kaminski
ckaminski@kansan.com
Kansas stuff writer
They are on top of the gradepoint-average rankings among fraternities and sororities at the University of Kansas for the Fall 1997 semester.
Academic success is a tradition at Beta Theta Pi fraternity and Chi Omega sorority.
The Beta Theta Pi fraternity posted a chapter GPA of 3.264 and the Chi Omega sorority posted a chapter GPA of 3.228.
hours per week at the fraternity but active members are not, Win ters said.
Beta Theta Pi has had the highest GPA among fraternities at the University for all but four semesters since 1936 and Chi Omega has been at or near the top since at least 1975.
"It's just because we we've been that way for so long," he said. "Nobody wants to be the one to lose it."
Cody Winter, Beta Theta Pi president and Liberty, Mao, senior, said there was some pressure at Beta Theta Pi to stay on top.
Chi Omega also has a long-running tradition of academic success.
Winter said that grades were important to the fraternity during rush.
"It's not the only thing we look for, but we don't want any dummies," he said.
Dykstra said that there were mandatory study hours for members whose GPA fall two grade points and that study tips are always available for everyone. Usually there are not a lot of members who need the study hours, Dykstra said.
Winter said that the members of Beta Theta Pi put pressure on themselves to succeed in academics.
"We make grades part of our culture," he said.
Pledges are required to study 15
"We have some really motivated women." she said.
"Nationally, Chi Omega has always been focused on scholastics," said Jean Dykstra, Chi Omega vice president and Leawood sophomore.
M. D. Bradshaw/KANSAN
Hostage standoff resolves in peace
By Ronnie Wachter Kansan staff writer
After holding a man hostage for about 45 hours, Kipling L. Johnson surrendered to authorities just after 5 a.m. Saturday in southeast Douglas County.
The standoff, which Douglas County Sheriff Loren C. Anderson called an attempted burglary that went awry, was defused when Johnson, 32, walked unarmed out of the farmhouse belonging to his hostage, Ralph Leary, near the intersection of 1500 East and 1100 North highways.
Johnson's partner, David J. Cox, 35, surrendered at 8:27 p.m. Thursday and released Leary's wife, Leila. Johnson remained in the house, armed with a .357-caliber Magnum and a .25-caliber handgun. No shots were fired, and no one was injured during the standoff.
"We are grateful we were not harmed in any way by David and Kip," said Leila Leary in a prepared statement. "They simply made a wrong decision in their life. We know this is a difficult time for their family, and we hope all of us will eventually put this behind us."
Negotiators from several local law enforcement departments maintained regular contact with Johnson throughout the standoff.
Anderson said that Johnson made no threats or demands, only a few requests. Johnson's brother and lawyer, who were not identified, assisted in the negotiations.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Department, which coordinated the operation, was forced to make drastic adjustments to its officers' schedules and called in officers from Eudora, Baldwin City and Johnson County to help with day-to-day affairs. Anderson said the KU police helped maintain the one-mile security perimeter around the Learys' house.
One of Johnson's requests was for immunity from prosecution, but Anderson said that was not considered.
Anderson said his officers trained for hostage situations regularly, and they had several plans for forced entry.
Anderson said that Johnson's and Cox's motives still were unclear. He said it appeared that after attempting to rob a house at 1727 N. 1062 Dd., the suspects allegedly stole a car from that location and stopped at the Learys' farmhouse. Anderson said he believed that taking the hostages was unplanned and that the Learys were picked at random.
Cox was arraigned at noon Friday. His bond was set at $250,000. Formal charges were filed against Johnson and Cox this afternoon. Both have served time in prison for previous offenses.