SPORTS: The Kansas baseball team wins four of five games against No. 8 Oklahoma State, Page 9.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOL.102,NO.125
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
ADVERTISING: 864-4358
MONDAY, MARCH 29, 1993
(USPS 650-640)
NEWS:864-4810
64...32...16...8...Final 4
Stephen Pingry / KANSAN
Senior guard Adonis Jordan got a handshake from Kansas coach Roy Williams on Saturday night after Jordan told 12,000 fans at Allen Field House; "We're on our way to the Superdome!"
Fans flock to streets, field house to celebrate
By Will Lewis
Kansan staff writer
The wheat rarely waves so beautifully across Lawrence.
Jayhawk fans packing Lawrence bars performed the ritual Saturday after the Kansas men's basketball team earned its ticket to the Final Four. defeating Indiana 83-77.
At about 7 p.m., about 6,000 people scurried in waves to campus in what has become another campus tradition.
Honking horns, exploding fire crackers and cheering for the Jayhawks' victory was all anyone cared about.
Hands extended from cars driving down Jayhawk Boulevard and slapped high fivees to people running along the street. People ran along the sidewalks to join fans amassed between Strong and Wescoe halls.
"It's fantastic," said Jennifer Brehm, Pratt junior. "Screw all those reporters and announcers that dogged us throughout the tournament."
Andy Bigna, Lawrence senior, jumped around as if he had overdosed on adrenaline.
"We're going all the way," he yelled.
"Anybody who doesn't think so is screwed up."
Ben Gennart, Overland Park junior,
climbed a light pole outside Wescoe
with a KU flag sticking out the back of
his shorts. When he reached the top,
he stood and waved it as the crowd
looked up and worshiped the two letters imprinted on the banner.
"I did it for all the great partners here at the University of Kansas," Gebhart said.
A string of firecrackers exploded and the smell of sulfur mixed with the bitter scent of beer.
An ordinance passed in the spring of 1992 prohibiting alcoholic beverages on campus kept consumption minimal, said KU police Lt. John Mullens. "We realize that people are going to bring cans in their coats and pockets," he said. "What you see tonight is not a truck driving up with a keg in the
back. What they do sneak in won't affect their state of inebration."
Walter Givens, Junction City senior,
noticed the control.
"It's a lot calmer," he said, referring to KU's trip to the finals in 1991. "Last time, beer was being thrown, folks were getting knocked around. The police knew how to deal with it this time."
KU police sent 27 officers to monitor the event. No injuries were reported and a receiver torn from a blue phone at Alumni Place was the only damage.
The crowd began to disperse at about 8:30 p.m., when fans left to greet the players at Allen Field House
Cheerleaders led chants, and the Jayhawks signed autographs as the crowd of about 12,000 awaited the arrival of the team. Tennis balls and rolls of toilet paper flew from bleacher to bleacher.
When the team arrived at 11:40 p.m. sophomore center Greg Ostertag led the pack, slapping the hands of fans as he walked toward the center of the floor.
Senior guard Adonis Jordan grabbed the microphone and waited for the volume in the field house to decrease. A net hung from his neck.
"A lot of people thought the Jayhawks were coming home in the first round," he said, drawing boos. "But right now, we're on our way to the Superdome!"
Williams recalled a man approaching him last Saturday when the team arrived in Topeka from Chicago. The man, who wanted Williams to sign a 1992 tournament hat, asked the coach if he remembered KU's loss against Texas-El Paso in the second round of that tournament.
"I really wanted to tell him where to put that hat," Williams said.
Kansas coach Roy Williams hesitated when it came his turn to address the crowd. Jordan led the crowd in chants of "Roy, Roy, Roy ..." prompting Williams to come forward.
All the players spoke to the crowd,
thanking the fans for their support.
Greg Ostertag, Calvin Rayford, Greg Gurley and Darrin Hancock celebrated the Kansas victory from the bench during the last few seconds of the game against Indiana on Saturday night. Kansas will play North Carolina on Saturday in the NCAA tournament semifinals in New Orleans.
LOUISIANA SUPERDOME
Midwest Region:
Southeast Region:
Kentucky 106, Florida St. 81
East Region:
North Carolina 75, Cincinnati 68
North Carolina 75, Cincinnati 68
West Region:
West Region:
Michigan 77, Temple 72
More coverage: pages 3, 6, 7 and 8
Jayhawks earn trip to New Orleans
By David Dorsey
Kansan sportswriter
ST. LOUIS — With 1:45 left in Saturday's Midwest regional final, the "Rock Chalk" chant filled The St. Louis Arena, as Jayhawk fans sensed a Kansas victory.
Minutes later, the second-seeded Kansas men's basketball team earned a berth in the NCAA Final Four bylasting top-seeded Indiana 83-77.
Players quickly donned T-shirts that declared Kansas the Midwest regional champions and huddled together to hug cheer and wave to the national television audience.
Meanwhile, assistant coaches Steve Robinson, Kevin Stallings and Matt Doherty formed their own huddle and embraced.
This weekend's trip to New Orleans will mark the second trip to a Final Four for senior Adonis Jordan and juniors Patrick Richey, Richard Scott and Steve Woodberry.
The Jayhawks advanced to the Final Four two years ago, where they defeated North Carolina in the semifinals before losing to Duke in the championship game. The Jayhawks will face the Tar Heels on Saturday.
After the Indiana game, Williams said that it had been difficult but fun.
"First of all, I'd like to say that I'm happy to be here smiling," he said. "The Mississippi River trick worked again. Thank goodness it runs all the way down to New Orleans."
The Jayhawks had spit into the river earlier that day for good luck and plan to do it again at the Big Easy.
Williams said that earning the berth against a team like Indiana made it even more special. The Hoosiers have won five national championships. Kansas will be making its tenth trip to the Final Four and vying for its third national championship.
"We're talking about two tradition- rich programs," Williams said.
Senior guard Rex Walters was more subdued than some of his teammates after the victory.
"I're really proud of my teammates and myself," he said. "What we have is a chance of a lifetime."
Reality on a microchip
Reality-based computer simulation games such as SimCity and Civilization are challenging video game buffs with gaming that requires strategy, foresight and logic. These complex games are appealing to students and even have been used in classes at KU.
See story, Page 3.
Ordinance could be costly for greek houses
By Ben Grove
Some fraternity and sorority members are awaiting a Lawrence City Commission decision that may require them to install fire sprinklers in nearly every room of their houses.
Kansan staff writer
The commission will vote tomorrow on the city's fire ordinance which includes an amendment that strengthens the codes for congregate residences, such as fraternity and sorority houses.
If the commission approves the amendment, some Greek houses may face expenses from sprinkler installments that would cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Thirteen of KU's 39 greek houses that were by definition congregate residences already had sprinklers throughout the houses, according to Lawrence Fire Maj. Richard Barr. He estimated that there were 10 houses that had no sprinklers at all.
Lambda Chi Alpha president Lance Weeks, Downs senior, said that his house had no sprinklers and that a four-year-old estimate set the price of installing sprinklers at $35,000.
"We'd probably have to raise dues and also borrow some money to install them," he said.
The commission tomorrow will decide a deadline for installation. Three- and five-year deadlines have been discussed.
Weeks said it would take time for his fraternity to raise the money needed for the sprinklers.
"The three-year time frame puts a crunch on us," he said. "Ideally, we realize we need to put fire sprinklers in, but it is a burden on us."
sorority about $10,000 in 1988 and had no estimate about what it would take to finish the installation.
Shelley Clark, Topeka sophomore and Delta Gamma house manager, said that five years ago her sorority had installed sprinklers on three floors of the house but not on the first floor. She said it cost the
The fire sprinkler code amendment was modeled after one in Berkeley, Calif., that was enacted 120 days after a fire there claimed the lives of several fraternity members.
"We don't want that to happen here," said Lawrence Fire Chief Jim McSwain. "We think it is a specific life safety problem we need to address."
the installation of Naismith Hall, a private residence hall at 1800 Naismith Drive, also will have to install sprinklers if the proposed amendment passes. Installation estimates for Naismith range from $75,000 to $90,000.
The fire code amendment would not affect other residence halls on campus or any other campus buildings that are under state — not city — jurisdiction. The amendment also would not affect apartment buildings in Lawrence.
Lawrence Fire Chief Jim McSwain said the increasing number of fires in Greek houses
Dousing fire threats
increasing number of fires in greek houses
six since 1909 — made an ordinance
mandating sprinklers necessary. Here are
the most serious greek house fires
since 1967.
186. 24, 1987 — Sigma Phi Epsilon, 1645
Tennessee St., cause; electrical, $400,000
damage, five injured.
May 1967 - Phi Gamma Delta, 1540 Louisiana St. cause; not available.
$455,000 damage; none injured.
Jan. 20, 1978 - Delta Upsilon, 1025 Emery Road, cause, candle, $200,000 damage, none injured.
Dec. 9, 1991 — Sigma Alpha Epsilon,
1301 West Campus Road, cause: candle;
$180.00 damage, none injured.
.
April 6, 1994 — Sigma Alpha Epsilon,
cause; electrical; $85,000 damage; none
injured.