Thursday, November 16, 1978
5
Restful day
Staff Photo by ALAN ZLOTKY
Rosting by the shore on one of the last warm days of autumn, Jim Dodson, 67, 231 Illinois, took advantage of the weather by fishing in the Kaw River.
Trampoline act to go on
Rv LESLIE GUILD
Despite questions about its safety, the University of Kansas' Spirit Squid yell leaders will continue to perform on a mini-trompe-louge Johnson, spirit squid and recently.
Staff Reporter
"I feel very confident that we make the use of the mini-trap safe through training."
The mini-tramp, a three-foot circular trampoline used at KU for gymnastics routines at halftimes and during football and basketball games, is manufactured by Jensen Manufacturers.
However, Gary Brecht of Nissen was the mini-tramp was no longer being manufacture.
'WE NO LONGER manufacture or sell
any trampolines because of product
State senator to talk tonight
Harder, who is chairman of the Select Committee on School Finance, will make his address at 8 p.m. in the Forum Room of the Kansas Union.
State Sen. Joseph C. Harder, R-Moundridge, who is serving as the fall educator-in-residence this week at the University of Kansas, will speak tonight on the "Coordination of Higher Education in Kansas."
The legislator is KU's 13th educator-inresidence. Two persons are chosen each year by the School of Education to fill the post.
During his stay at KU, which began on Tuesday and will continue through Friday, Harder will meet with 15 to 20 classes to learn about college life. At school, both in finances and programming.
Harder also will also hold a press conference at 10 a.m. tomorrow in room 103 of Hotel Metropolitan.
In addition to his committee work with the Legislature, Harder is chairman of the Task Force on Education of the National Conference of State Legislatures.
liability," Brecht said. "We simply are unable to get any insurance to protect us."
Product liability insurance protects a manufacturer when law suits are filed against it for injuries that occur from the use of its products.
Brecht said many court cases were pending against Nissen concerning injuries that resulted from the use of the minitramp.
"Each trampoline that we manufactured was sold complete with a product safety warning label which stated that height and motion in the use of the trampoline could be altered by someone who threw us in court, but we have stopped manufacturing trampolines."
The Product Safety Commission currently is investigating injuries resulting from the use of trampolines, Bob Baxter, Safety Director, area community services director, said.
The mini-tramps still are manufactured by other gymnastics equipment companies,
RIGHT NOW, there is no government or federal safety standard regarding the use of trampolines, either the regular ones or the inflatable ones. But the commission is currently recording, through data received from 120 hospital emergency rooms, the number and severity of injuries that occurred in those rooms.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association, which governs its members with eligibility standards and playing rules, has not ruled on the mini-truck's use, despite a death that occurred from its use in 1974. Demi Poppie, assistant director of events,
"WE HAVE NO recommended policy for the use of the mini-tramp, but we developed a position statement which recommends using it when athletes are skilled and with safety." Poppe said. "But actually, our position applies to use of the mini-tramp by athletes and not just as basically because we don't have jurisdiction over them. Cheerleading is not a sport."
NCAA 1972 vaulting champion Gary Morada died Feb. 28, 1974, as a result of spinal injuries suffered in an accident involving a mini-tramp.
KU is covered for injuries to Spirit Squad members. Doug Messer, assistant athletic director.
Johnson said KU had had no major injuries from the use of the mini-tramp.
"The University has the same insurance and medical coverage on its cheerleaders and yell leaders that it does on its football players." Messer said. "If any injury were to occur to any yell leader, it would be covered."
"WE BEGIN with the basics and get everyone competent in what they are doing before they perform," Johnson said. "And they are going to perform anything they cannot execute."
Yell leaders completed 50 to 60 hours on the mini-tramp in preseason practice and about four hours of mini-tramp practice each week during the season.
He said KU used two landing mats underneath the trampoline for protection.
"Some schools don't use pads." Johnson said. "But without them, it increases the risk of abscesses."
Johnson added the 12 yell leaders acted as spotter for one another during practice.
"We have spotters in practice to help conditions be safe," he said. "But spotsters aren't needed in performance because, if we don't have spotter down well, we don't do it in front of people."
Johnson said most routines were not difficult.
"They are set up to look difficult, but in reality they aren't," he said.
Johnson, who previously was a gymnastics coach at Shawnee Mission South High School, said the mini-tramp should be another piece of equipment.
“IT'S A PIECE of equipment used as a competitive item and meets the University's standards there,” Johnson said. “It shouldn't be open to any more scrutiny than any other item. There’s no difference between it and a bicycle to the extent that you can see the difference in the result in a death. It just is that the mini-trump’s nineteenth gets it more notoriously.”
"We use it more effectively than anyone else," he said. "We are one of the best in the world."
Sunday,Nov.19-
12:30 p.m.
Lawrence Jewish Community Center 917 Highland Drive (across from Hillcrest)
A motion for a new trial was filed yesterday by a court-appointed defense attorney for Eugene E. Westergreen, conferred weeks of killing an elderly Lawrence lawyer.
Motion for new trial filed by Westergren
Franklin County Judge Floyd H. Oftmann will hear arguments on the motion from the attorney, Jerry Donnelly, at a Dec. 8 hearing in Douglas County District Court.
Donnelly also argued that evidence of Westergraen's criminal record should not have been presented. Donnelly had said during the trial that he had never tried to introduce evidence in support of Westergraen's character, and that evidence would not have been allowed to present evidence against his client's character.
Coffman found Westergreen, 51, guilty
Nov. 6 of attempted rape and murder in
connection with the death of Vanera Smith,
home at 824 Kentucky St. on May 8, 1977.
Kentucky St. SE on May 8, 1977.
ANOTHER ARGUMENT by Donnelly was that there was insufficient evidence to link the murder and attempted rape charges.
Coffman heard the case at Donnelly's request because all Douglas County district courts had refused to hear it.
Donnelly argued in his written motion that the prosecution's evidence in the trial could only raise suspicion of Westergergren's guilt, but the court ruled that guilt was not sufficient to convict his client.
But Harry Warren, Douglas County assistant district attorney, had maintained the evidence of the confession gave too many details of the murder and attempted rape for him not to be seen.
Donnelly was unavailable for comment regarding the motion, but said last week that he did not think the chances of obtaining a new trial were good.
DONNELLY ALSO argued that Coffman should have prevented the prosecution from using as state's evidence a confession from a neighbor. The man arrested, Donnellly maintained, as he did
throughout the trial, that Westergen gave the confession while in poor physical and mental condition, and therefore, the confession should have been ruled unreliable.
Advertise in the Kansan Call 864-4358.
Traffic got you down?
• BLAUPUNKT eases the burden.
Come on by and let your ears hear why at
1420 W. 23rd
843-9030
WATCH FOR OUR GRAND OPENING