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SPORTS: No. 1 ranked Kansas will take on Long Beach State tonight after defeating Colorado on Saturday. Page 9
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
MONDAY, JANUARY 25. 1993
VOL.102.NO.85
KANSAS STATE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
TOPEKA KS 66612
ADVERTISING: 864-4358
Residence hall crimes increase in 1992
More victims report crimes, say KU police
By Mark Kiefer
Kansan staff writer
A string of eight false-fire alarms helped make Oliver Hall the home of the most crimes reported from all residence halls during the last semester.
KU police records show that the number of reported crimes in residence halls increased last semester compared with Fall 1991. Overall, 137 crimes were reported last semester in the seven residence halls, 27 more than the previous fall.
Oliver, which also reported the most crimes in Fall 1991, had 41 reported crimes, nearly double
the amount of the next closest hall.
Sixteen false-fire alarms rang through residence halls last semester. Nine of those took place in Oliver.
"I can't give a reason," said Jamie Curbitt president of the Association of University Residence Hills. "I do know they had all those fiar alarms."
Two students await trials in connection with eight of those. Since their arrests in November, there have been no reports of false-fire alarms in any residence hall.
The number of false-fire alarms has decreased drastically in the last 10 years, he said.
"False-fire alarms are treated seriously because those pranks can ultimately cost lives," said KU police Lt. John Mullens.
In '81, it was common to have 200 or 300 false alarms every year, most of them from the residence halls," he said. "Now it has dropped off to 20 to 40 a year."
The reduction can be attributed to a reward system that was set up. It offers money for information about the false alarms, he said.
A higher percentage of crime victims reporting crimes in the residence halls led to an increase in reported crimes. Mullens said.
"We encourage people to report any crimes right away," he said. "From what I've seen, people are reporting them, and that means they're taking it seriously."
Cuburth said his residence hall association encouraged students to report all crimes.
Even though a high proportion of thefts were reported, most of the stolen goods never were
found, Mullens said.
"The big problem is that the items are not personally identifiable, which lowers the chances of them being returned," he said.
Another common residence hall crime is harassing phone calls. There were 30 last semester.
Most residence hall crimes last semester, such as the false-fire alarms and harassing phone calls, were minor infractions.
Mullens said that the phone calls usually were a string of calls. When police responded to one report, they often found several others who had received a similar call.
Despite the increase of reported crimes in residence halls, Mullens said the outlook on crime across the KU campus was positive.
"Overall, criminal reports have gone down rather drastically," he said. "It looks good."
Crime rises in residence halls
In Fall 1992, reported crimes in the residence hall increased from Fall 1991.
HALL Fall '92 Fall '91
GSP-Corbin 19 15
Lewis 14 7
Templin 20 8
Hashinger 13 5
Ellsworth 21 20
McCollum 9 24
Oliver 41 31
**TOTALS** 137 110
Source: KU police Dan Schauer /KANSAN
Rachel G. Thompson / KANSAN
Erich Steinie, Olafie junior, demonstrates a chemical reaction for students at East Heights Elementary School. Steinie is a member of KU's chapter of the American Chemical Society. The group performed various experiments for the pupils Friday afternoon.
Clinton's stance on abortion stirs controversy
Lifted restrictions spur national, local anti-abortion protests
By Jess DeHaven
Kansan staff writer
President Bill Clinton reversed 12 years of Republican-imposed restrictions on abortion on Friday, the 20th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision, spurring protests and fueling the fires of resolve to both sides on the abortion issue.
Protesters in Washington, D.C., on Saturday glued shut the doors of an abortion clinic, chained themselves to a homemade
metal blockade and use cars and a "human wall" to block entrances at others
In Lawrence, 250 anti-abortion protesters marched along Massachusetts Street on Saturday, said Joe Reitz, sponsor of KU Students for Life.
Police arrested 165 people for blocking one Washington clinic. Another 147 protesters were arrested outside three other clinics.
The protests came after Clinton decided to allow research on the tissue from aborted fetuses, abortions at military hospitals and the discussion of abortion at federally funded clinics. He also considered lifting the ban on importing the French abortion pill RU-486.
Julie Cline, vice president of the KU National Organization for Women, said she
was pleased with Clinton's position.
"The overturning of these bills was clearly a victory for the pro-choice movement," Cline said. "Clinton proved to us that he will use his power to support women's reproductive rights."
"He proved to us that this isn't just political rhetoric during his campaign, and he's taking action on Democratic Party issues," she said. "We faced major setbacks during the Bush-Reagan administrations, and it's important that we have someone on Capitol Hill on our side."
Cline said Clinton acted more quickly on the abortion issue than she had expected.
Retz said he was disappointed and disgusted but not surprised about Clinton's announcement. He took particular offense to Clinton's statement on Friday that abortions should be "safe and legal but rare."
should be safe and legal but rare.
"I see Clinton's statement as an oxymoron," Reitz said. "Abortions are not safe because someone always dies."
But he said Lawrence protesters and several students who traveled to rallies in Washington felt inspired, even though their cause was not supported by the White House.
Father Vince Krische, pastor of the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center, said that although Clinton's decision was a setback for anti-abortion forces, the movement would continue.
"I think that because of the nature of the issue, the pro-life movement will never be defeated, and it will grow stronger," he said.
Strips on IDs could relieve sticker hassle
By Dan England
Kansan staff writer
More than a third of KU students have not picked up their enrollment stickers, and that has KU officials seeking a better way to verify a student's enrollment.
Rich Morrell, University registrar, estimated that 35 percent, or 10,500 stu-
cent, or 10,500 students, had not picked up their stickers, which are used to show that a student is enrolled. He said many students sold not pick
Students can pick up their stickers at windows on one or two at the Office of Admissions on the first floor of Strong Hall. The office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
them up until they needed them.
Although no deadline exists for picking up stickers, students who have not obtained them cannot use certain services, such as Robinson Center and campus buses. Students without stickers will not be allowed into KU basketball games, Morrell said.
Lindy Eakin, associate vice chancellor, said more students were not picking up their stickers compared with previous years partly because of the mail-in fee payment system.
A magnetic strip would be placed on the back of students' IDs after they pay their fees. This would allow a computer to read enrollment information, which could be updated daily, by swiping the ID through the computer. Students would have to pick up the strip only once.
"The system requires students to take an extra step to obtain the stickers," he said.
Because of this, Eakin is leading an effort to eliminate the need for the enrollment stickers by implementing a computer data base system that could check a student's enrollment.
Duke University and Oklahoma State University have installed similar data base systems, he said.
Eakin is compiling information for the ideal system from systems in use at those universities and KU residence halls. The halls use a computer system in their cafeterias similar to what he wants. Based on that information, he will have an idea on what system to look for when data base vendors come to KU in early February.
Eakin said that installing the system would cost the University $350,000 to $500,000. He said a business marketing class at KU estimated the cost to be $450,000.
"We had the agreement from the University that this is direction to move," Eakin said, "and we hope to have a full plan soon."
Eakin said that with Chancellor Gene Budig's approval, the new system could be implemented as early as next year.
Former justice Marshall dies at 84
Retired Justice Thurgood Marshall, the most prominent civil rights attorney of his generation and the first African American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, died yesterday of heart failure.
emoval of mattress tags could become legal
See story, Page 7.
Bill attempts to get government 'out of people's bedrooms'
Mattress tag criminals. They could be your neighbor, your friend or even your very own mother.
Kansan staff write
By Ezra Wolfe
However, courtesy of an investigative state legislator, removing a tag from a mattress may soon be legal.
State Rep. Melvin Neufeld, R-ingalls, introduced a bill to the Kansas Legislature on Friday that would eliminate the penalty for removing tags from mattresses, blankets and pillows.
Since 1923 it has been illegal for anyone but the consumer to tear off those pesky tags. Violators can be fined up to $500 and spend
up to six months in jail.
Neufeld said the way the tag was printed led the public to think it could not legally remove the tag.
The 1923 bill reads, "Noperson other than purchaser for his own use, who shall remove, deface, alter or should cause to be removed, defaced or altered any label or tag
Neufeld said his bill developed from routine searches of statutory books.
"I have an interest in cutting down daily government interference in people's lives," Neufeld said. "There's been a lot of talk about it in the media, and people's bedrooms, and I'm trying to do that."
Bob Buchanan, owner of Bobbi's Bedroom, 2429 Iowa St., expressed disgust with the legislator's bill.
It's a good example of public servants waisting their time with our money,'
He said the law was not enforced and, "I don't think there are any mattress police out there."
Eddie Klotz, manager of Ed Marling Stores,
27th and Iowa streets, agreed.
"There was trouble with the spread of disease. Neufeld said.
"I don't think anyone's going to come into your house, pull back your bedspread and check your mattress," he said.
The bill ensured that mattresses were sterilized and their contents were clearly labeled.
The bill was passed in 1923 as a legislative reaction to cotton waste and horse hair being used in mattresses.
Police representatives were unavailable for comment, but Neufeld said his research did not show any record of anyone ever being prosecuted.
Neufeld said that although his bill was introduced only last week, he had not
"I have the support of the attorney general." he said.
The deadline for the vote on the bill is early March.