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The University Daily
University of Kansas Lawrence. Kansas
KANSAN
Thursday, February 3, 1983 Vol.93, No.90 USPS 650-640
Legislator wants entrance exam
By JEFF TAYLOR Staff Reporter
TOPEKA — Kansas high school seniors headed for state universities in 1984 would have to pass a competency test for admission, if a bill introduced yesterday in the Legislature passes.
Each of the six Board of Regents schools would select a representative to be on a committee that would investigate and report.
The exam would test the reading, writing and math skills of prospective college students, said Teresa McKinney.
Farrar, the bill's sponsor, said he had introduced a similar bill for a competency test to the Legislature in 1977, but it did not pass.
HE SAID HE hoped the bill would eventually eliminate the number of remedial programs at state universities, reducing tax dollars spent for the programs.
He said also that only college-bound students would be required in take the exam.
"When they go into college, they find out,
There's a lot of things I don't know, and they
have to turn to remedial programs," he said.
"They can get something when they get out of high school."
when they go to college. Deanell Tacha, KU vice chancellor for academic affairs, said the University was working with the Board of Regents and the State Board of Education on a curriculum guideline program for high schools.
SHE SAID THE guidelines would provide high school teachers and students with a better idea
of what kind of courses students should take before applying to a university.
David Ambler, vice chancellor for student affairs, said some freshmen entering universities were not prepared. He said, however, that he did not know whether competency testing was
Former KU Chancellor Archie Dykes, a Regents appointee, said he thought that Kansas' open admissions policy had served the state well, and that students tended to be realistic about the college they should attend.
"I would doubt very seriously that such legislation would pass," he said.
The bill includes a provision that would penalize any state school district in which less than 50% of teachers are certified.
IF MORE THAN 10 percent of the college-bound students from a school district failed the exam, the district would lose 0.25 percent of its state financing for the next year, Farrar
The money penalty would get the attention of students and teachers, he said.
Carl Knox, superintendent of Lawrence Unified School District 497, said a competency test would deny many students access to state universities.
Knox said he had several documented examples of students who had poor grades in high school but who went on to college and graduated with sound grades.
"If the state of Kansas had selective admission to its colleges and universities," he said, "there would be many, hundreds of leaders that graduated that we would have never had."
KNOX SAID HE thought Farrar did not understand the learning process.
"You're dealing with a problem that's pretty complex, with the learning process," he said. "Some people learn at one rate, some people learn at another.
Farrar said the test could be used to evaluate high school graduates in the state and determine which schools were providing the best education.
"At a given age, or at a given date on the calendar, you don't arrive at a certain point of education. He's assuming that when you graduate on May 30, you've joined academic
Knox said, however, that a standardized test would not be a fair way to assess teachers or students from high schools in different parts of the state.
STATE SEN. Wint Winter Jr., R-Lawrence, said the bill印发了 onKansas' open admissions policy He also said that the Regents schools should monitor their policies themselves.
"I don't like the notion of having one test that would essentially har sone from anything."
Farrar said he did not know whether the Legislature would react favorably to the bill.
"I just put it in the pot to get it stirring," he said. "This may not be the best method to improve the quality of education."
State Rep. Betty Jo Charlton, D-Lawrence, said the Legislature would debate the bill but probably not approve it.
Marine halts Israeli tank movement
By United Press International
WASHINGTON — A U.S. Marine company commander halted three Israeli tanks trying to cross American lines in Beirut yesterday by climbing aboard the lead tank with his pistol drawn and ordering the Israelis to leave the area, the Pentagon said.
The three British-built Israeli Centurion tanks departed without further incident, ending the 50-minute confrontation, the Defense Department said.
Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger told a House Armed Services Committee hearing about the incident. He said the Marine company commander warned the Israelis that if they came through, it would have to be over his "dead body."
THE STATE Department called in Israel's ranking diplomat to express concern about the latest incident, the sixth and by far the most serious, between Israel troop and the Marines
He said he would recommend a commendation for the officer, identified by the Pentagon as
Capt. Charles B. Johnson, 30, of Rock Island, Ill., for his "extremely courage" in the face of the
The Israeli Embassy released a statement rejecting the U.S. account of the event.
"We reject the allegations of the State Department spokesman that there was any attempt to cross the American lines or to make a statement said. "There was no such attempt."
AN ISRAELI official said the tanks were patrolling the road in accordance with an agreement worked out Sunday between Israeli and U.S. officials. He suggested the Marine captain might not have realized the Israelis were permitted in the area.
A later statement from the embassy urged that U.S. and Israeli field commanders in Lebanon meet as soon as possible to review boundary lines and deployment positions as agreed upon earlier to avoid future misunderstandings.
The Pentagon said the old model tanks approached from the south toward the Marines" "Lima" Company headquarters position adjacent to the Lebanese University library. Johnson
told the Israeli tanks to halt while they still were about 300 yards in front of him, but the lead stopped within a foot of him.
JOHNSON ASKED to speak with the Israeli commander, a lieutenant colonel, who dismounted from the lead tank after five minutes, according to the Pentagon report. The Marine told him the tanks could not proceed. The Israel said he would move through the U.S. area to the railroad tracks, adding that he wanted to see the marine "general."
The Pentagon said the two officers argued. The Israeli said he would go through U.S. lines anyway, at which point Johnson drew his loaded pistol and said he would not let the tanks pass.
The lead tank moved away several yards and the other two tanks began to move toward the rear of the ship.
The lead company commander then mounted the first tank with his pistol drawn and told the senior Israeli officer to stop his tanks, the second tank to be moved out, after speaking on the radio, stopped the tanks.
THEERE WAS no immediate indication how
See MIDEAN page 5.
Utilities construction bill stirs controversy
By DIANE LUBER
Staff Reporter
TOFEKA - Utility bills would be lower if customers helped pay for construction of utility plants before the plants started providing service, an attorney for Kansas Gas & Electric Co. said yesterday in a Senate committee hearing.
Jum Haines, legal counsel for KG&E, testified in favor of a bill that would allow utilities to charge customers for the costs of constructing plants that were not vet completed.
The Senate Transportation and Utilities Committee introduced and is now studying the bill. Construction-Work-In-Progress, or CWIP.
Although opponents of the bill, including Gov. John Carlin, have called it a bail-out of the Wolf Creek Nuclear Generating Station near Burlington, a Kansas City Power & Light Co. official
UTILITIES NOW are allowed to charge customers for construction costs only during the final year of construction and only after the plant is completed and in service.
"If the bill is not passed, Wolf Creek would cost more, and customers would pay for it," said
Drue Jennings, vice president and general counsel for KCP&L
CUSTOMERS NOW do not pay the carrying costs of construction, such as interest and dividend payments, until after a plant is completed, Haines said. As a result, the utility's investors must, in effect, lend the utility money to cover these costs, he said.
Haines said the issue was not whether customers were required to pay for utility plant maintenance.
Jennings said that if the CWIP bill was passed, utility customers would save money over the life of a plant even though they would pay more before the plant began to operate.
The more money a customer must pay for future plants, he said, the less that customer has to spend.
Brian Moline, general counsel for the Kansas Corporation Commission, which regulates utilities, said that the commission was completely opposed to the bill.
These costs increase as time passes, so customers pay more after a plant is completed than they would have paid while it was being constructed. he said.
AND, IF THE CWIP bill is passed, the utility will earn a return after a plant is completed on
the money utility customers paid to cover construction costs, he said.
State Sen. Ron Hein, R-Topeka, said he supported the bill.
he heard at one time that there might be bipartisan support for the bill, Hein said, but since then the Democrats have seemed to oppose it.
State Sen. Fred Kerr, R-Pratt, who is a member of the committee, said his concern was that CWIP not encourage utilities to build unnecessary plants.
He said he wondered whether Republicans would vote for a bill that would raise utility rates.
KCP&L and KG&E each own 47 percent of the Wolf Creek plant. Kansas Electric Power
WOLF CREEK has been under construction since 1977 and is scheduled for completion in the spring of 1985. The estimated total construction cost of Wolf Creek is $2.4 billion.
Inning, MARI Peterson of Kansas Natural Resources Council, Wes Jackson of the Land Institute in Salina and Lance Burr, a local attorney who was the Democratic candidate for state attorney general last November, are scheduled to speak against the bill today.
Lynette Woodard, former KU basketball great, received the Olympia Award last night at halftime of the KU men's basketball game. Woodard was presented the award by the regional director of the Southland Corporation, the sponsors of the award. The recipient of the award is chosen by a committee of U.S. Olympic gold medalists. See story page 8.
President tells residents motion to remove unjust
Staff Reporter
By WARREN BRIDGES
the president of Lewis Hall, facing an impeachment proposal, defended her actions last night in a meeting with about 30 hall residents.
Karin Lampe, Kendall sophomore and president of the hall, said the impachment proposal was not approved.
The proposal, which charges Lappe with four violations of the Lewis Hall Constitution and Bylaws, was submitted by a member of the Lappe said. She declined to name the official.
THE MAIN charge is that Lampa organized and allocated money for a party without proper planning.
The hall's executive board comprises officers from hall government at Lewis and several residents of the hall.
Any member of a residence hall may propose the impeachment of an officer and may remain anonymous, said Molly Martin, Louisburg senior and vice president of the executive board.
Two of the charges concern a Jan. 15 party at Lewis that Lampe organized. Deb Jones, Leavenworth sophomore and treasurer of the hall, said hall residents were charged 50 cents admission to attend the party, a "Bee and Boogie Bash," and non-residents were charged
The total amount earned from the admission charges was about $100, Jones said.
NO ONE CAN spend more than $50 of the hall's money without executive board approval, Jones said.
She said that the party cost the hall $250.95, and that she knew of no one who was consulted in the plan.
Three additional charges are stated on the proposal: Lampe's failure to appoint a darkroom coordinator for the hall; her failure to provide non-alcoholic beverages at a party last week; her care in carrying out stipulations for conducting the Jan. 15 party after she had agreed to them.
The stipulations were that the party was not to cast the hall any money, and that the executive committee must be present.
See IMPEACH page 5
Weather
Today will be cold and partly cloudy. The high will be in the low-20s. Winds will be from the north at 10 to 15 mph.
Tonight will be partly cloudy. The low will be 5 to 10 above.
Tomorrow will be partly cloudy with a high in the mid-20s.
Pursuitowney Phil, noted grounding, failed to see his shadow yesterday. This predating an inquiry into whether he was under surveillance.
Officials see job market tightening for May graduates
Editor's note: This is the first of a three-part series studying the job market facing KU graduates this May.
By SALLY JOY OMUNDSON Staff Reporter
Graduates this spring will be trying to break into the worst job market in 10 years. But for students willing to try a little harder, KU placement officials said, the jobs are still there.
Students will be knocking on more doors, receiving fewer job offers and accepting jobs in less desirable locations, Vernon Geissler, KU director and coordinator, said this week.
NATIONALLY, THE number of employers recruiting on college campuses is down about 30 percent. Recruiting at KU is down by about the same percentage. Geissler said.
"I don't feel we have cause for panic at this point," he said.
Although the job market is considerably tighter than in previous years, students should
"We've been through slumps before. Not long ago people were being wounded by the economy."
In the past most engineering students have been able to do all of their job hunting through the school's placement office, Madi said. Now
Engineering students have been hit the hardest, relative to job opportunities several years ago, placement officials said.
ELECTRICAL AND mechanical engineers are recruited by the largest number of companies; but engineers in general have fewer opportunities to interview through the school, Madi江
Pam Madi, director of placement at the School of Engineering, said that last fall the number of companies sending recruits to KU was more than half of what it was a year ago, said he expected that this spring would be even worse.
most students have to look elsewhere for interviews and are no longer able to pick and choose between offers.
According to Madl, most of the companies need fewer engineers.
need fewer engineers.
Job opportunities for engineers started to decline last spring, Madi said, but students were not really hurt until this year.
BUSINESS STUDENTS have been hurt almost as much. The number of companies recruiting this fall was down 22 percent at KU and 25 percent nationally, according to Frederick Madaus, director of placement for the School of Business.
Madaus said he thought the job market would be even worse for May graduates.
Only 92 companies came to the business school to recruit last fall. It was the first time he could remember fewer than 100 companies interviewing at the school.
So far only 65 companies have scheduled
See JONES page 5