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SPORTS: American speedskater Dan Jansen fails for a fourth time to win a medal in the 500-meter race. Page 12.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
KANSAS STATE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
TOPEKA KS 6612
VOL.103,NO.101
ADVERTISING: 864-4358
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1994
(USPS 650-640)
NEWS: 864-4810
County plagued by grass fires
Micah Laake/ KANSAI
Yesterday's blazes cause little damage are easily contained
Source: Douglas County Sheriff's Department
By Liz Chadwick
Kansan staff writer
Firefighters from seven counties worked nonstop yesterday to control five grass fires around Douglas County.
The largest fire began at approximately 11 a.m. on the McDonald property, 1053 N. 1050 Road, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. The fire burned one-and-a-half miles north and one-and-a-half miles east of its origin.
The nearby Wakarusa Valley Elementary School was evacuated yesterday afternoon as a precaution in case the fire spread.
"The fire has been contained," Deputy Garry Squires of the sheriff's office said this afternoon as he worked to redirect traffic on Highway 458. "Our main worry now is about it restarting."
The largest fire had been contained by 1:45 p.m. yesterday.
"We believe the fire was started when a gentleman burned some brush yesterday, and his fire was reignited today by the winds," said Louie McElhaney, chief of the Wakarusa Fire Department.
McElaney said there already had been approximately 16 grass fires this year.
The road block four miles west of US Hwy 59 stopped and redirected the constant stream of traffic to the many homes along that stretch of road.
Bernard Heeney, who lives near the roadblock, came out to observe and photograph the fire. He
said he was concerned about the fire spreading to his home.
"The area is populous with lots of homes around here," he said. "Twenty-four hours a day there is a lot of traffic."
Many of those helping to put out the fires were volunteers. Most of the fire departments in the townships surrounding Lawrence are staffed by volunteers. Lawrence has the only paid fire department in the area.
At 5 p.m. firefighters still were at work at four other locations around Douglas County.
Brian Hoffman, a volunteer for the Wakarusia Fire Dept., said that a report of a rekindling near Clinton Dam had been filed at approximately 5 p.m. yesterday. Two volunteers and a chief went to investigate. The rest of the department was standing by at that time.
Man charged with murder of infant son
The sheriff's office reported minor damage to one home and one shed.
By Denise Nell Kansan staff writer
A 25-year-old Lawrence man was charged yesterday with first-degree felony murder and child abuse in connection with the death of his 3-week-old son.
Stephen Edwards hid his face in his hands as Judge James Paddock set a $200,000 bond at the request of Chris Kennev. assistant district attorney.
Brandon Edwards died Sunday afternoon at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., where he had been since Thursday night.
Edwards was taken into police custody vesterd morning.
At yesterday's hearing, Kenney requested that Edwards receive psychiatric evaluation.
"They are now concerned about his well-being, whether or not he will hurt himself." Wells said.
Jerry Wells, district attorney, said that the Douglas County Sheriff's office had alerted his office that Edwards might be suicidal.
Wells would not comment on how Brandon Edwards was killed. An autopsy will be performed today and Kris Perry, a Atlanta forensic pathologist Atlanta, will be in the investigation.
Paddock ordered that Edwards be evaluated by a therapist from the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. If the therapist finds that Edwards could endanger himself, Edwards could be transported to a mental health facility. Wells said.
"Often times in a child's death we call in someone with forensic expertise." he said.
Edwards' preliminary hearing is tentatively set for Feb. 22, but both Paddock and Wells said it was unlikely the hearing would take place that soon because of the serious nature of the crime.
An attorney was not appointed for Edwards at yesterday's hearing because he had not filled out the appropriate financial affidavits.
The required sentence for first-degree felony murder is life imprisonment, Wells said. The sentence for child abuse can be anywhere from 31 to 68 months, depending on the defendant's history.
A BED OF ROSES AND BOXERS
James Wilcox / KANSAN
Left: SUA volunteer Monique Modee-irna, Tulisa, Okla, junior, wraps roses in tissue for the Valentine's Day flower sale in the Kansas Union.
Above: Mike Ada, Fort Scott junior, designs a pair of Valentine's Day boxer shorts for his sweetheart. SUA sold the boxer shorts for $3 and provided dye and puffy paint for the designing. In addition to selling the boxes, SUA sponsored a Valentine's Day flower sale and card-making table yesterday at the Kansas Union.
James Wilcox / KANSAN
Expensive classes eat students' funds
By Heather Moore Kansan staff writer
Some courses are so costly that students sacrifice some food and fun to make budgets
Laurie Riley, Lawrence senior in industrial design, has sacrificed many things in her life in order to get a good education, including good food.
When book-buying time rolls around, different professors and majors control a student's financial well-being.
Architecture and industrial design are two of the most expensive majors at the University of Kansas. In addition to the cost of required textbooks, students must pay for materials for their projects. A future problem for architecture majors is the cost of computer use.
Riley said she spent $80 on every project she did.
"Every time we do a project, I need something new," she said. "I buy a little bit of everything, and it ends up really expensive."
Riley said that even with financial aid and her on-campus job, she had trouble making ends meet.
"I have to limit myself, I can't go all out for things," she said. "I grocery shop once every two months and live on Ramen noodles."
"If you don't spend that money, the project may not look as good as it should or as other student's projects do," he said.
But Rake said the cost of projects was offset because design students didn't need to buy books.
Lance Rake, associate professor of design, said spending a lot of money on classes was a reality.
"I've had people say that they couldn't do all they wanted on a project because of money," he said. "I hope that students don't have to spend a lot."
Brower Burchill, associate vice chancellor, said KU did not have any policy to keep professors from requiring students to spend large amounts of money on books.
"I hope that books would be appropriate for the student's use," he said. "I wouldn't know how to set a limit for different majors."
Course crunch
Approximate cost of new books for some of the most expensive classes:
Biology 540 (General invertebrate zoology) - $281.45
Business 510 (Financial accounting)
II - $180.35
Education psychology and research 805 (Practicum in individual intelligence testing) - $175.70
Architecture 803 (Graduate design studio) — $167.80
studio) - $167.80
*Civil engineering 877 (Water treat-
ment plant design) - $164.50
*Chemical and petroleum engineering
523 (Mass transfer) - $151.85
*Biology 302 (Human anatomy dissection
lab) - $139.99.
Source: The Jayhawk Bookstore KANSAR
"It's very expensive, and it adds up quickly," he said. "Basically, everything is for architecture projects."
Michael Paxton, Clinton, Mo., sophomore in architecture, said he spent as much as $800 each semester on books and supplies.
Paxton said his parents and loans paid for his education.
"There's no way I have time for a job," he said. "Sometimes I feel guilty because I spend money that my parents could use for something else. I go through cycles of guilt."
Architecture professors said many factors were to blame for the high cost of the classes.
Steve Padget, associate professor of architecture, said that costs varied from studio to studio, so students concerned about the cost of classes should be aware of what individual instructors expected on projects.
"It's a student's elective in terms of who they take because each has a reputation for the type of projects and production they expect," he said.
Business majors may not have huge project costs, but the prices of their textbooks can make up for that.
Jamie Cutburth, Hillsboro, Ore., senior in business, said that this semester had been the worst for him.
See EXPENSES. Page 5.
A Familiar Face
Oscar Marino, a native of Venezuela, has stood guard at Robinson Center for nine years. Page 3.
Planned Parenthood helps promote National Condom Week
By Ashley Schultz Kansan staff writer
What's six foot three, wears a red cape and a reservoir-tip cap?
Condom Man popped in on yesterday's grand opening of the Planned Parenthood, 1420 Kasold Dr., to encourage visitors to use "condom sense."
As Condom Man passed out the first of what he estimated would be 1,000 red and white condoms, two anonymous mothers braved the wind with poster board signs that said "Mr. Condom is a Failure" and "Stop Planned Parenthood — Condoms for Kids."
It's Condom Man!
But Condom Man was not without his detractors.
Some passersby near 15th and Kasold Streets honked in support. Others flipped them off.
the protesters, who refused to give
their names, said they were concerned that Planned Parenthood sent out the message that sex with a condom was safe sex. No condom can prevent all sexually transmitted diseases, and condoms have a significant failure rate, said one protester, a registered nurse.
Valentine's Day, the first day of National Condom Week, was fitting for Planned Parenthood's grand opening, said Tamara Morris, director of marketing. The clinic has been open since the beginning of November.
People began lining up for the opening as early as 2 p.m., Morris said. By the time the doors were opened at 3 p.m., the crowd had grown to more than 50 people, she said.
Scott Custer, Leawood junior, was listening to radio station KLZR as he drove past the clinic. He stopped by to see Condom Man and received two free condoms and one free compact
disc from KLZR.
Custer had a brief chat with Condom Man.
Tests at other Planned Parenthood sites usually are limited to regular customers, said Morris.
"He told me not to put my condoms in my wallet or my glove compartment." Custer said. "And I asked him, 'What do you do with a condom?' and I felt pretty stupid after that."
Barb Houser handles HIV and AIDS training with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and is helping the clinic prepare to offer tests this spring.
Houser said that AIDS has become the leading killer among men aged 25 to 44 and has moved into the top five killers for women of that same age group.
"We are not just talking about preventing births anymore, we're talking about preventing deaths," Condom Man said.
James Wilcox / KANSAN
Disc jockey Charlie "Jay Charles" Watson, of radio station KLZR, does a call-in interview with Condom Man.