Home grown
In the rush to build strong track teams, coaches frequently resort to importing foreign athletes.Not so with Bob Timmons, KU's men's track coach, who has a policy
of recruiting only domestic products. The locals, he says, aren't always as good, but they at least deserve the chance to compete in their own country. See page 16.
Windy
The University Daily
High, 70. Low, mid-30s.
Details on page 3.
KANSAN
Wednesday, November 14, 1984
Vol. 95, No. 58 (USPS 650-640)
Politicking hastens retirement of some senators
By JULIE COMINE Staff Reporter
But other senators are disenchanted with the system.
Bickering and parliamentary maneuvering drown the issues, they say. Two-hour meetings stretch into three and then four hours. Sizzling debates turn into petty politicking. Soon, after a few Senate meeting the interest of many senators starts to fizzle.
After the ballots for the Student Senate election are counted tomorrow night and the political fliers turn down from campus bulletin boards, chances are that some newly elected senators will become fed up with their roles.
DAVID MCCORMICK. Manchester. Mo..
senior, quit his seat in the School of Architecture and Urban Design in April.
"I went into it with a lot of enthusiasm, but it was such a chaotic mess," McCormick said recently. "There were some people who honestly cared what they were doing, but from what I saw, the Senate was really for long-winded, power-hungry people who don't accomplish anything. They just like to hear themselves talk."
"In theory, Student Senate is a good idea.
In practice, it was real joke."
FIFTEEN SENATORS, including McCormick, were suspended or resigned last semester, and only 14 of 174 candidates received an election served in the Senate this semester.
Last night, 28 of 66 current senators were suspended because they had violated the Senate rule on absences. Senators are suspended after they accumulate two unexcused absences or a combination of four unexcused or excused absences.
seeking re-election, have one week to appeal to the Student Senate Executive Committee
The suspended senators, four of whom are
Staci Feldman, a School of Allied Health senator seeking another term in the Senate, said her work had been frustrating but rewarding. Her work for the Senate also included a stint as executive secretary and a term as a Numemaker senator.
"I've enjoyed it," Feldman said. "I makes me feel like I don't just go to school. It's given me a much broader view of what goes on at KU."
Feldman said she sometimes wondered if any of the students cared about Student Seasons.
"But that's your responsibility as a senator," she said. "You have to consult your constituents during class breaks, during soap opera commercials, whenever you have a chance. You have to ask them, 'Hey, did you see this article today?' or 'We're going to consider this at a Senate meeting tonight.' How do you feel about this?"
DURING HER years as a senator.
Feldman said she had seen dozens of people drop out of the Senate. But this year, the turnover rate was higher than usual, she said.
"I think it was because Boog and Carla were such a change, and change scares people," she said. "Boog and Carla had no experience with Senate. They didn't really know what was going on, and at times it got to be a parliamentary zoo."
She attributed part of the higher rate to Caria Vogel and Dennis "Boo" Higgertier, who was the first female head coach at Baylor.
"I saw an ad in the paper last year asking for applications for Student Senate replacement seats," he said. "I wanted to contribute to the University, to have a say in what happened to the students.
But for Rick Carpise, a graduate student senator, the time it took to be a senator
CAMPISE SAID HE did not run for re-election, this year because he was
"Little did I know.
"extremely dissatisfied and extremely disillusioned" with the Senate.
"So much of the Senate's time is wasted arguing over semantics, rules and regulations," he said. "The senators have an awareness to stop bickering and on work on the issues.
Campisse said there were two types of senators - leaders and followers. The leaders, he said, too often dominated Senate business.
"The actual speaking time in the Senate is dominated by eight to 10 people," he said. "These are the people who were involved in student government in high school and have learned to incorporate theatrics into everything they do."
"It's an extracurricular activity. Some people go out on weekends and play volleyball. Some of these people play Student Senate."
AT THE OTHER end of the spectrum,
28 senators suspended for too many absences
See SENATORS, p. 5, col. 1
By JOHN HANNA Staff Reporter
Twenty-eight student senators last night were suspended from office because of too many absences as the Senate held its last legislative meeting of the year.
The meeting was an emergency meeting and had been scheduled by the Student Senate Executive Committee last month to discuss the left over from the Senate meeting Nov. 7.
But after suspending the members, Dennis Boog 'Higherberg, student body vice president, called off the meeting because of a dispute over the number of take action on the nine bills on its agenda.
The bills, which included a proposal for a student judicial board and proposals for several rule changes, died and must be reintroduced next semester.
Senators are suspended after two unexcused absences or four absences of any kind. The Senate did not officially vote to suspend the rule, according to Senate rules such a vote is not needed.
UNDER SENATE RULES. Higherbear can suspend senators at any time if they have have accumulated too many absences. After they are notified in writing, suspended senators are given one week to appeal their suspensions to StudEx.
At the start of the meeting, 20 senators were present but 28, or half of the 56-member Student Senate, were needed for a quorum and for the Senate to conduct business.
HIGHERBERGER SUSPENDED the 28 sensors, reducing the number needed for a camera.
"It may look funny," said Reza Zoughi, a graduate student, "but it's the law."
Cris Coffell, StudEx chairman, immediately called a StudEx meeting to consider appeals of the suspensions. But Hugberger and Senate members, along with Senate meetings several minutes later.
"We don't have a quorum," he told the senators present. "We don't have a meet-
Higherber said he had almost allowed discussion to continue.
I should have said no in the first place, he said.
Highberger also said he had seen a list of
senators with too many absences before the Senate's meeting on Nov. 7. He said he hadn't suspended them because the Senate had only one more meeting.
Several senators asked Highberger to suspend the senators who had more absences than were allowed, thus lowering the number of senators — and the number needed for a quorum. The Senate then would have been able to conduct business.
Staci Feldman, a School of Allied Health senator who has been active in Senate for five years, said she could not remember a meeting in which the Senate lacked a quorum and had suspended senators in order to reach it.
"There were people who wanted to do it," she said. "But it would have been wrong."
THE SENATE WILL have one more meeting on Nov. 28, but no legislation will be
At the meeting, student government will be turned over to the newly elected senators, student body president and student body vice president, and positions starts today and ends tomorrow.
Despite the lack of a quorum, Highberger allowed the Senate to hold its open forum at the beginning of its meeting at which non-senators bring concerns before the body.
Crisp also criticized the University Daily Kansan for its recent endorsements of political candidates and said he might start a petition next semester for a vote on whether the newspaper should lose its share of the student activity fee.
During the forum, Tom Crisp, student body presidential candidate for the Navy Jack Coalition, criticized a bill on the agenda that would have prevented a student vote to decide whether specific student organizations would lose their Senate financing.
The Kansan receives $3 of the $24 student activity fee that each student pays with tuition at the beginning of each semester. The college allocates student activity fee money
"Chances are youre not going to about what it." Crisp said, referring to the Kansan endorsements "I'd bet money on it."
Crisp said the money could be used instead to finance an alternative newspaper.
See MEETING, p. 5, col.1
Pvt. Bill Sheely, Ft. Leavenworth freshman, left, and Sgt. Clint McCare, Topeka junior, take down the American and KU flags in front of the Military Science Building. The two Army ROTC members lowered the flags yesterday afternoon.
U.S. attack is planned Ortega says
By United Press International
MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Defense Minister Humberto Ortega yesterday said U.S. officials were conditioning the American public to accept an invasion of Nicaragua and vowed to step up a national alert to protect his country against attack.
"If the Marines invade, they will see what the tanks are for," Ortega said, referring to the dozens of Soviet tanks positioned throughout Managua for the second straight day.
Pentagon spokesman Michael Burch yesterday repeated U.S. denials that an invasion was planned. But he charged there was "enough circumstantial evidence" to indicate Nicaraguan may be planning an offensive邻吉ering El Salvador or Honduras.
The ruling Sandimista junta Monday declared a national state of alert and mobilized tens of thousands of armed forces in the militia members and both school students.
"WE JUST DON'T believe Nicaragua wants to be a peaceful nation." Burich said.
At the White House, spokesman Larry Speakes described Nicaraguan fears of a U.S. invasion as "nonsense," but said the Reagan administration was "keeping a close watch" on shipments of weapons to the Sandinista government.
Tensions between Washington and Managua exploded Nov. 6 when Washington reported that a Soviet freighter that could be carrying MiG-21 jets had docked in Nicaragua. The Reagan administration warned that it would not tolerate delivery of advanced combat jets to the leftist government in Managua.
Since then, leftist Sandista leader has warned the nation's a million citizens that a
Sandhima leaders say plans by the United States to destroy their leftist revolution crystalized after President Reagan's rejection of Clinton's request. Daniel Dapori, oruga one signaled his gov't.
See MANAGUA, p. 5, col. 4
Senate coalitions seek solutions to old issues
By LAURETTA SCHULTZ Staff Reporter
Campus lighting and the allocation of sunlight are any way no means new lighting. Student Section 1507.
Almost 10 years ago, eight candidates for kU student body president and vice president all campaigned on the importance of improved campus safety. In addition, several candidates called for reforms in guidelines for financing student groups
Student Senate elections were held in the spring then and in February 1975, Paul Sherbo, a candidate for student body president, ran on a platform that included measures almost identical to the platforms of many coalitions in this year's election.
Balloting started today and will conclude tomorrow
Student designs aid special children
"AN ESCORT OPERATION should be set up," Sherbo said in a University Daily Kansan story. "Lighting on campus also needs to be improved."
Tedde Tasheff was a candidate for student body vice president in 1975. Her platform dealt with the allocation of Student Senate funds.
"Student groups should be funded only if they provide a benefit for students," she said.
Several of the conditions this year have dealt directly or indirectly with the issue of re-evaluating Senate allocations. They have required the student to receive a distribution of the student activity fee.
See ISSUES, p. 5, col. 3
By ERIKA BLACKSHER
But such a chair isn't available on the market. Even if the chair were available, it would cost at least $300, said Ellen Mellard, an occupational therapist who works for the Special Education Early Intervention Program, a preschool on the second floor of Haworth Hall. The preschool is part of the Lawrence Early Education Program.
Staff Reporter
Valerie cannot hold her head up or sit without support. Because of stunted motor skills, this 3-year-old girl requires a special chair that fits her exact size and needs.
A COOPERATIVE EFFORT on the part of the special education department and the School of Engineering ensures that some needs of the handicapped preschoolers are being met. Some students design special equipment for the children in a class taught by Hector Clark, associate professor of mechanical engineering.
Clark teaches Introduction to Mechanica Design, an engineering class that offers students the opportunity to design and build a piece of equipment needed by one of the children at the preschool. The option was given that last fall to students in the class. Clark said
"It's so difficult to get things with an application." Clark said. "This gives the
Engineering students Mark Unger, Manhattan junior, and Richard Hardin, Lawrence senior, are designing a chair for Valerie.
Students in the class have the option of designing equipment for a handicapped child or designing a lightweight soda pop can transporter. Clark said that usually about
THE ONLY PIECE of equipment that was successfully produced last year was a special chair for a 4-year-old boy named Patrick, who also has stunted motor skill development. Milford Roth, a 1984 graduate, designed Patrick's chair.
one-half of his students chose the hand-capped equipment design.
Although designing a product is a required part of the class, students are not required to build the design. Clark said that he offered an extra hour of credit and set aside a four-week period in the class for students who wanted to build a design.
The idea for the joint effort by the School of Engineering and the special education department was initiated by Melland and Ellin Siegel-Causey, a graduate student in the School of Education Recognizing the challenges of realizing the high costs and sometimes the unavailability of the equipment, they went to the engineering school with a proposal
"WE DON'T have much money." Meilard said "We thought perhaps occupational therapy and engineering could work together. It would give the students actual experience with a population they might be out working with someday."