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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOL.102.NO.126
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSA $ ^{c} $
KANSAS STATE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
TOPEKA KS 66612
TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 1993
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NEWS 300-1845
Lawrence poverty rate highest in Kansas
College students cited as reason
by brau y frauser
Kansan staff writer
Lawrence has the highest poverty rate in Kansas among cities with a population of at least 50,000, according to a private study released by the Greater Washington Research Center earlier this month.
George Grier, author of the study, said the reason for the high poverty rate was simple.
Students.
Gueri said many cities where state universities were located had high poverty rates because the U.S. Census included college students in calculating those rates.
"Students are technically poor," Grier said. "Their incomes are low. That is especially true at state universities because they tend to not have as many rich kids in them. For example, Cambridge, Mass., is not the same thing."
Harvard University is in Cambridge. According to the study, Lawrence has a 24.1 percent poverty rate, far above the 13.1 percent national average. It is the 45th highest rate in the nation. By comparison, Overland Park had the sixth lowest national poverty rate, 2.8 percent.
The center's Committee on Strategies to Reduce Chronic Poverty compiled the study from 1900 U.S. Census poverty rates for 488 U.S. cities with populations of 50,000 or greater.
The federal government defines the nobility level as an annual income of
$9,130 or less for one person, $8,076
or less for a family of two, and $8,885
or less for a family of three. Of
Lawrence's 65,608 1990 Census popu-
lation, 13,928 people were below the
poverty level.
Many below the poverty level were college students, Grier said.
But Lawrence is not the only university city with a high poverty level. Grier said that three other university cities, College Station, Texas, home of Texas A & M University; Provo, Utah, home of Brigham Young University; and East Lansing, Mich., home of Michigan State University, were among the 25 cities with the highest poverty rates in the nation.
College Station and Brownsville, Texas, each had a poverty rate of 38 percent, the highest in the nation.
"A lot of people in these cities were
upset and said, 'We're not pot- towns,' " Grier said. "The answer is no, you are not, but the problem is that the Census Bureau doesn't make the distinction between college students and others."
Steven Fleeker, coordinator of the Lawrence/Douglas County Coalition for the Homeless, he thought Lawrence's large college student population helped keep the average hourly wage low in Lawrence.
"Students are willing to work for small amounts of money because they have supplemental incomes, such as schoolships, grants or money from parents," Fleeker said.
"Lawrence needs no more minimum-wage jobs. If you look in the paper, it's obvious if you work here in Lawrence, you're not going to get a lot of money."
Poverty level highest in Lawrence
Among cities in Kansas with populations of at least 50,000. Lawrence has the highest poverty rate. The figures are from the 1990 U.S. Census, with the national average being 13.1 percent.
1. Lawrence 13,928 24.1% 45
2. Kansas City 26,433 17.9% 147
3. Wichita 37,321 12.5% 281
4. Topeka 14,292 12.3% 283
5. Olathe 2,569 4.1% 465
6. Overland Park 3,142 2.8% 483
Source: 1990 U.S. Census data, analyzed by the Greater Washington Research Center
Making a buck, needing some luck
Derek Nelson/KANSAN
Companies like T-shirt opportunity
Daron J. Bennett / KANSAN
Employees of Midwest Graphics, 500E, 23rd Street, keep the machinery running at top speed in an attempt to keep up with demand for Final Four T-Shirts. Since the Jayhawks landed a spot in the Final Four on Saturday, Midwest Graphics has produced 10,000 shirts.
Bv Brian James
Special to the Kanisa
Larry Sinks, president of Midwest Graphics, is glad the Jayhawks are going to New Orleans for the Final Four.
But while many people were celebrating the team's tournament success into early Sunday morning, Sinks was hard at work.
"I'm not sure how many T shirts we'll print up in all." Sinks said. "But I can tell you the pile of invoices on my desk is two inches thick."
After the game Saturday, Sinks called in all eight of his regular employees and family members to help meet the demand.
Merle Parks, president of Prairie Graphics, said his company would design and produce nearly 10,000 Final Four T-shirts.
But Prairie Graphics did not start printing the T-shirts until after Saturday's game had ended. Printing them before the fact, Parks said, was not worth the risk.
"Our thinking is," Don't count on things you can't control," he said. "To be safe, we assume they won't go so that we don't have big losses."
Even Chris Piper, a member of Kansas' 1988 NCAA championship team, is not willing to stake his business, Screen-It, on the team's postseason success.
"We don't do much speculative printing, "Piper said. "We get the designs for the T-shirts ready, and then if and when KU wins, we start printing."
When Kansas went to the championship game of the 1901 NCAA tournament, Screen-T printed nearly 10,000 Final Four T-shirts. Piper said he would be disappointed if his company did not wear those shirts at that when KU made the Final
He said that when KU made the Final Four, the t-shirt printing business was
a free.for.all
"Anyone who can lay ink on a T-shirt does them," he said.
Piper and Parks said that the NCAA had tightened restrictions this year.
Parks said T-shirt producers could no longer use the name of the Final Four venue or city, the words "Final Four" or "March Madness" or the date of the Final Four without paying a licensing fee to the NCAA.
Only 41 printers in the nation have been licensed for this year's Final Four by the NCAA. Parks said.
Piper said there were ways around the restrictions.
"We're able to use everything representing Kansas, of course," he said. "We can also do a play on words, use the number 4, say 'regional champs,' or use local descriptions such as Bourbon Street in place of New Orleans."
Mike Reid, manager of the KU书店s, said that earlier in the season he ordered KU Final Four T-shirts, caps, buttons, pennants and bumper stickers contingent on KU's success.
In 1991, the bookstores sold between 20,000 and 30,000 Final four shirts.
OUISIANA SUPERDOME
Yesterday, Kansas coach Roy Williams downplayed the significance of playing against North Carolina, where he was an assistant coach for 10 years.
"We've been folding a lot of empty boxes," she said. "We've even had a few out-of-state people, like from Alaska and Hawaii, calling us and ordering shirts."
Wanda Dark, manager of Jayhawk Spirit, said that Final Four T-shirts had been selling well.
Reid said this year he expects to order 15,000 to 20,000 shirts.
More coverage: page 7
Daron J. Bennett / KANSAN
Prairie Graphics co-owner Merle Parks puts final Fresh Four shirts into the dyer to set the ink after coming off the press. Parks says the designs were ready to be put on the shirts even before Saturday's game ended. His company has produced more than 5,000 shirts since Saturday's game.
Options limited for KU students wanting tickets
By Dan England
Kansan staff writer
If you are one of the many students who want to go to the Final Four at the Superdome in New Orleans this year, this may be your only option.
Bernie Kish, director of ticket operations, said that all of the 328 students who had applied for tickets before the Feb. 19 deadline would receive tickets.
Students who have not applied can get on a wairing list, but 109 students are already on the list. Kish said.
"I really don't think we are going to have 109 cancellations." he said.
The 328 student tickets will be a part of the 3,000 tickets allotted to KU by the NCAA University representatives, such as band members and those who work in the Athletic Department, are allotted 350 tickets. Faculty and staff receive 150 tickets and the rest goes to members of the Williams Educational Fund. Kish said.
Kish said everyone who applied had until noon today to confirm their tickets. The department calls those first on the waiting list for tickets that are not claimed by noon.
In order to discourage scalping, everyone must bring a photo ID when they get their tickets. Students should bring their KUID. Kish said.
Buyers must pick tickets up Saturday morning at gate F of the Superdome starting at 8:30 a.m. Kish said the best time to get the tickets was between 8:30 a.m. and noon. Game time is 4:42 p.m.
If he saw a stranger sitting in the student section, Kish said, the student who sold the ticket might be prohibited from buying season tickets for next year.
Darby Ritter, Wichita senior, received tickets from the lottery in 1991 but turned them down. He said he was too much of a diehard Jayhawk fan to miss out on going this time. Ritter attended the regional semifinals in St. Louis.
Beth Chenoweth, Olathe junior, applied for tickets but now will not be able to go.
but how will he go to school?
"I just can't afford it," Chenoweth said. "But I think it will be more fun on campus if we win, anyway. I'd rather run around."
cayt francis, Great Bend senior, attended the Final Four in 1981, when Kansas defeated North Carolina in the semifinals before losing to Duke in the championship game.
She will be making her second trip this year.
can be making her second," Francis said. "Hopefully, this time it will be much better." Francis said.
Culinary populist
Commission candidates want an improved Lawrence
Once a short-order cook, Linda Mathias now fills a big order by feeding Oliver Hall residents.
See story, Page 3.
Rv Todd Selfert
Kansan staffwriter
The city of Lawrence is great in many aspects but could be improved in many areas.
That was the message given by all six candidates for the Lawrence City Commission in a public forum last night.
"We need to come out clean and admit that there are areas where we are behind other communities around us," said Sam Sheply, owner of Shepley Insurance Agency.
Sheplyre said the city could improve its traffic system by supporting the proposed $12 million Eastern Parkway, which would run northwest from Kansas Highway 10 and Nora Road to Seventh Street.
The city has raised $4 million and has lobbied in Washington, D.C., for
the remaining $8 million.
Doug Compton, owner of Compton Rentals, also said he supported construction of the parkway.
"It would remove traffic from our neighborhoods, and that makes things safer for everyone," he said.
Jolene Andersen, office manager for Ron Turner's American Family Insurance Company, advocated creating a citywide public transportation service.
Milton Scott, assistant director of student housing at KU, said the commission should involve more citizens in its decision making.
He said more input could have prevented the controversy created by the commission's decision to place medians on Iowa Street to prevent left turns onto University Drive and Stratford Road.
ing up with a solution," he said.
"This is an example of assigning people to a task force and not com-
The commission will reconsider its decision to place medians on its Street at its meeting tonight.
Bob Moody, president of the North Lawrence Improvement Company, said he supported initiating a curb-side recycling program.
"We have to develop a social conscience," he said. "I think the city commission could take an active leadership role in that."
"We need to make sure that all possible recyclables are kept out of our landfills," he said.
Bob Schumm, incumbent commissioner, said he also supported a curb-side recycling program.
Three of the candidates will win seats on the commission. The two candidates with the most votes will receive four-year terms. The third place financer will receive a two-year term.
Andrew Arnope / KANSAN
sam Shepley, Lawrence City Commission candidate, listens to a question from the audience while Doug Compton, another candidate, takes notes. Candidates Shepley, Compton, Milton Scott, Bob Schumm, Bob Moody and Jolene Andersen attended last night's public forum, which was sponsored by the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce.