Ebony and Essence
All in all it was a regal affair: More than 200 watched as the Black Student Union and the Office of Minority Affairs crowned Mr. Ebony and Ms. Essence for 1984-85. Rita
Roland, Kansas City, Kan., sophomore, left,
was royally honored, as was Kenneth
Houston, Kansas City, Kan., senior.
See page 6.
Cool
High, low 40s. Low, 20s Details on page 3.
The University Daily
KANSAN
Vol. 95, No. 62 (USPS 650-640)
Tuesday, November 20, 1984
Explosive fire kills hundreds in Mexico City
By United Press International
MEXICO CITY - A huge fire sparked by a series of explosions at a natural gas distribution center yesterday engulfed a Mexico City neighborhood, killing between 300 and 500 people and injuring more than 1,500 others.
Flames raged for hours after the blasts in the northern residential and commercial area of San Juan kbhunxtapee, and pockets of flame were visible. A strong smell of gas hung over the area.
Streets were littered with rubble from shattered houses, charred vehicles and other debris.
Police said 15 people were arrested for robbing abandoned houses and businesses and army troops wearing gas masks were moved into the neighborhood to stop further looting.
ONE RESIDENT SAID, "Everything started a little before six in the morning when there was a strong smell of gas and all of a sudden, everything got very bright, like the sun came out early."
A police spokesman said 100 people were killed in the blaze, most of them within seconds of the initial explosion. Authorities said the death toll could rise as rescue workers reached other victims buried under the rubble.
Police said more than 500 people were treated for injuries, many at make-shift centers set up near the devastated area. Because of the numbers of injured, only victims with third-degree burns were admitted to hospitals.
Police, firefighters and army troops blocked off the area, which is about 12.5 miles in diameter. Ambulances and passenger transporting injured to hospitals and clinics
Witnesses at the scene reported seeing charred bodies lying in the streets. Rescue workers carried out others, still dressed in nightclothes, from under mounds of debris.
AUTHORITIES WARNED THAT more explosions could occur as the fire spread, possibly igniting four other gas tanks. About 350,000 people were evacuated from the area.
DeGalan, Stark chosen to fill Kansan posts
Matt DeGalan, Cary, Ill. senior, will be spring 1955 editor of the University Diana Kansan, and Lynne Stark, Overland Park senior, will be spring Kansas business manager the Kansas Board announced yesterday
The Kansas is accepting applications for spring news and business staff positions. Application forms are available in the Student Senate Office. B105 Kansas Union. The student organizations and Activities office is located on campus, and in 119 and 200 Stuart Furst Hall.
Completed applications are due by 5 p.m. Nov 29 in 200 Stauffer-Flint Hall.
Tom VanHolt, Rochester, N.Y., senior, distributes leaflets describing a text book exchange sponsored by the Association of University Residence Halls. Van Holt, the organizer of the book exchange, said he was supporting the exchange because he wanted to help students save money. VanHolt said he hoped the idea for the text book exchange would spread "like a social disease."
Armenian terrorism blamed in death of Turkish official
By United Press International
VIENNA — A suspected Armenian terrorist, bent on avenging a 1915 massacre of his countrymen, and killed a Turkish U.N. official yesterday as the diplomat stopped his Mercedes at a busy intersection on the way to work.
A white scarf bearing the words "Armenian Revolutionary Army ARA" was found next to the body of the sain diplomat, Evrim Ergun.
The killing was the second assassination of a Turkish official in Vienna in six months.
Witnesses said a man ran up to Ergun's car
at the intersection and fired six shots through the driver's window.
POLICE BELIEVED ERGUH had disfigured Foreign Ministry warnings to Turk ish diplomats to change their routes daily and told me they wait in wait expecting the diplomat to pass by.
Ergun, 52, deputy director of the United Nations Center for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs in Vienna, died in January of a 4mm bullet wound to the head, police said.
About an hour after the shooting, United Press International received a telephone call from a man who, in an apparently tape-recorded video, said the ARA was responsible for the attack.
Highberger defends proposal to boycott S.African investors
By LAURETTA SCHULTZ Staff Reporter
Dennis "Boog" Higblerman will go as far as suing the University of Kansas if the South Africa referendum approved by students last month, by requesting the administration, he said last night.
The referendum, which Highberger wrote with Chris Bunker, chairman of the Student Senate's temporary Committee on South Africa, called for a cut in ties between the Student Senate and companies that do almost all work in South Africa. It passed by almost 1,000 votes.
Highberger, former Student Senate vice president, said he hoped that a lawsuit would not be necessary to protect what he called "clear student interests."
"If a suit against the University is what it takes, I'll follow through," he said. "I don't want that to sound like a threat, but I know everything I can to get this bill enacted."
VICKIE THOMAS, UNIVERSITY general counsel, said she would look at the bill to determine whether her earlier opinion that the bill violated state law should be altered. The bill has been modified in some respects since she issued the opinion last month.
"I haven't ever really had a chance to look at the new draft," she said. "I am going to sit it down side by side with the old one and compare the changes."
In her opinion, Thomas said the bill would violate Kansas law because it would restrict the competitive bidding process required for purchases made with state money.
"That would have to have been changed before I could alter my opinion," she said.
Highberger said he has been looking into groups that might sponsor a suit if the bill is determined to be in violation of state laws.
"I THINK THIS has enough wide-reaching implications to attract some national or international groups," he said. "If we could move on, they" boycott might move across the country.
David Ambler, vice chancellor for student affairs, said he would send a copy of the modified referendum to Thomas before the end of the week.
"We will ask Vickie to take another look at the modified bill and see if there is anything different that might alter her opinion," he said. "After we get that, we will advise the Student Senate as to whether or not the University can enforce this bill.
"We will move as quickly as we can and the Student Senate warrants that."
Higherberger said he didn't think Thomas would change her opinion.
Higherberger said he did not know how many people would assist in his effort.
the bill still looks a lot like the one I originally wrote," he said. "I doubt her opinion."
"THE STUDENT SENATE itself may not get involved," he said. "They may not be willing to challenge the administration, but some people will be."
"If they won't stand up for the wishes of the students, somebody needs to."
Ambler said he thought the bill would not
See AFRICA, p. 5, col. 5
Staff Reporter
By JULIE COMINE
Ecstatic fans welcome The Boss' return tour
They own all six of Springsteen's albums
Deanne Unnhu and Renee Habert have a picture of Bruce Springsteen taped to their kitchen cupboard.
They were the first fans in line when tickets went on sale for Springsteen's concert last month.
And last night, the two KU students — along with countless counters of devoted Springsteen fans — hit the highway to see "the Boss" at Kemper Arena.
"I've had goose bumps for weeks," said Ruohu, Ruzel senior.
Unruh and Habert, Chesterfield, Mo. senior, invited about a dozen friends to their apartment yesterday afternoon for a pre-concert bash of dip, chips and beer.
WITH SPRINGSTEEN'S SECOND album,
"The Wild, the Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle," blaring in the background, the two friends clutched their tickets and chatted anxiously about the show.
"We've been waiting for three years for this," Habert said. "But I wouldn't call us."
More than 16,000 fans — some paying scalpers up to $100 for a $17.50 face value ticket — trekked to last night's concert.
Springsteen, whose songs of working man's America have won him both critical praise and a loyal following of fans, is touring the country for the first time in three years to support his latest album, "Born in the U.S.A."
HABERT WAS THE first person to get a number in line for Springside tickets at Omni Electronics, 540 Fireside Court, when concert details were announced Oct. 25. The two roommates had expected tickets to go on sale that week and had hung around the store's parking lot just in case the announcement was made.
"We were really lucky." Habert said "The demand for tickets far, far exceeded the supply. It's kind of sad because I think a lot of
See CONCERT, p. 5, col. 1
Anxiety replaced by apathy one year after 'The Day After'
A year after the arising of the controversial movie "The Day After," the debate it inspired nuclear war is less prominent. Above is a scene from the movie in which survivors of a nuclear attack seek consultation in a church.
FILE PHOTO
By JOHN EGAN Staff Reporter
"Hello. This is Lawrence. Lawrence
Kansas. are you out?"
***
But through the technical翅策 of Hollywood, a nuclear blast crippled Lawrence and left Kansas City, Mo., a dusty pile of rubble a year ago today.
Students still lounge on Wescoe Beach Evangelists still preach in front of Stauffer Flint Hall Students still guzzle beers at their favorite bars.
"The Day After," a two-hour $7 million ABC TV movie, portrayed the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Sandy.
Newspapers and television stations across the nation mounted a massive media mype of the ABC Circle Film. All eyes turned to the program, which was specially during the week preceding the movie.
ON THE NIGHT of Nov 20, 1983, from California to Connecticut, adults and children gathered in homes, schools and hospitals. The film received a 46 rating, which means
that 46 percent of all television sets in the country were tuned in to the film.
Lawrence basked in the national and international media attention, and the issue of nuclear arms garnered hours of television time and hundreds of pages in newspapers.
But now, a year after "The Day After," the public's interest in nuclear war has wasted
Nicholas Meyer, the movie's director, had said he wanted to heighten awareness about nuclear war and its horrifying effects. The network went out on a limb, vowing that it would suffer a monetary loss to get the message across in pushing in to more than 100 million viewers.
NEITHER THE LAWRENCE Coalition for Peace and Justice nor the Campus Coalition for Peace and Justice, two organizations involved last year in promoting con- ditions has planned activities to commemorate the one-year anniversary of "The Day After."
Allan Hanson, professor of anthropology and a member of the Lawrence coalition, said the interest in nuclear war tapered off after "The Day After."
Last year Hanson coordinated Let Lawrence Live, an anti-nuclear group that
He said the movie aroused interest in the nuclear freeze movement, but more attention could have been attracted if the movie had shown more pathos.
and a town meeting in conjunction with the film.
"THE MOVIE AS a movie was only partially successful," he said. "If it could have been made a little more personal, it would have been an improvement."
Margaret Schadler, an associate professor of psychology who conducted a study on the effects of "The Day After" on youth, said, "I think the movie was oversold. So it was just all Madison hype and good selling on the part of ABC."
"I'm very depressed and worried and disturbed by that." Hanson said
Although the movie generated interest in the nuclear freeze movement, Hanson said. "We don't want to take away our freedom."
Schadler said, "Certainly, nuclear war doesn't seem to be in the news
"THE CONCERN DID seem to pique last year. Things seem to be quiet about concerns about nuclear war. To worry about nuclear war is difficult. It is more difficult. It is more concerned."
See DAY AFTER, p. 5, col. 1