Weather Today: Mostly cloudy with a high of 70 and a low of 56.
The University Daily Kansan
Tomorrow: Rain with a high of 68 and a low of 56.
Sunday: Showers with a high of 69 and a low of 50.
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Fridav. October 27, 2000
Sports: The football team will continue its quest to go bowling Saturday against Texas Tech.
SEE PAGE 1B
Inside: A broken door trapped about 20 students in a classroom for 45 minutes yesterday.
SEE PAGE 3A
(USPS 650-640) • VOL. 111 NO. 44 For comments, contact Nathan Willis or Chris Borniger at 864-4810 or e-mail editor@kansan.com
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Fatma Al-Amir, Oman freshman, holds a placard with photos depicting against the renewed violence in Israel-occupied land demonstrated in violence and its consequences in the Israeli-occupied territories. Protesters front of Stauffer-Flint Hall yesterday. Photo by Jamie Roper/KANSAN
An emotional conflict
Students protest coverage of Middle East fighting
Amro Almadani, Saudi Arabia sophomore, explains why he thinks the U.S. government sides with the Israelis while David Kroll (le't). Overland Park senior, listens. About 25 protesters stood in front of Stauffer-Flint Hall yesterday afternoon. Photo by Selena Jabara/KANSAN
By Kursten Phelps
By Kursten Phelps
writer.kanson.com
Kursten staff writen
Emotions ran high yesterday at a demonstration against Israeli occupation of lands Palestinians claim, but organizers said the protest kept a peaceful tone.
"There have been some mad people, but there have been no major altercations," said Phara Charmchi, Kansas City, Kan., graduate student and a protest organizer. "People are finding a way to talk about it without blowing up."
The demonstration was organized by Charmchi and Rajaa Abu-Jabr, a graduate student from Gaza, a disputed city in Israel. About 20 protesters held signs with messages like "U.S. aid to Israel should stop" and "Missiles vs. rocks is Israeli 'peace process,'" distributed fliers and spoke with passers-by for two hours yesterday.
Abu-Jabr said the goal of the demonstration was to raise awareness about the conflict in the Middle East.
"Even if we only inform 10 people about what is going on, that's a big success," she said.
Todd Kornblit, Sugar Land, Texas, senior, said he disagreed with the protesters' opinion that media coverage of the conflict was biased.
"I watch CNN and the biggest thing that I hear all the time is that 130 people died, and they are mostly Palestinian," Kormlit said. "I don't know how that's pro-Iraeli."
Sean Kelley, Overland Park law student, said he participated in the demonstration because he disagreed with U.S. support of Israel and he wanted to make students more aware of the conflict.
"A lot of people here think Israel is right and that Palestine wants war, and that couldn't be farther from the truth," Kelley said. "Palestinians are a peaceful people who just want their own autonomy without oppression. They're not rising up to hurt Israelis, they just want to demand their rights."
David Kroll, Overland Park senior, participated in one of the heated discussions yesterday.
"There's dirty death on both sides," Kroll said. "The media taints the picture on both sides. Where are the pictures of Palestinians with machine guns?"
bons and filers in an effort to promote peace Wednesday on Wescoe Beach, said Sara Rubin, Elgin, Ill., junior.
A group of Jewish students distributed rib-
"Despite the rain, it went really well," she said. "We had such a positive reaction and passed out over 1,000 ribbons. We kept it strictly to promoting peace."
Kroll said regardless of which side of the issue someone was on, the discussions that occurred at yesterday's protest were important.
"It takes people like us coming together," Kroll said to a pro-Palestinian protester. "There has to be people like us pushing the governments to do something."
— Edited by John Audlshelm
All evidence considered in assault case, DA says
Credibility of victim not a factor in decision not to press charges
By Katie Hollar
By Katie Foulka
writer@kansan.com
Kansan senior staff writer
The decision not to file charges against the two football players accused of assaulting a soccer player was in no way a reflection on the credibility of the victim, District Attorney Christine Tonkovich said yesterday.
"It is an unfortunate fact that our best chance of preserving the evidence needed to file criminal charges is if these incidents are reported immediately." she said.
Tonkovich said her office carefully considered all available evidence.
The woman had agreed to let football coach Terry Allen handle the players' punishment. When she discovered that punishment was running stairs at Memorial Stadium, she went to police.
The time lapse, coupled with the bar atmosphere, made witnesses' accounts fuzzy at best, Tonkovich said.
two men at the Yacht Club, 530 Wisconsin St. She did not report the case until two months afterward.
The woman said she was assaulted Feb. 26 by the
"We asked to have everyone in that vicinity that we knew about reinterviewed, but those factors resulted in statements that were not helpful," she said. "If anyone was there that we don't know about and comes forward with a statement, we'd be happy to review those."
Athletics director Bob Frederick deferred any questions about the investigation to the police but said the Athletics Department had learned from the ordeal.
"The Athletics Department is now more aware and better prepared than before to handle this kind of incident," he said in a statement. "We will continue to emphasize to our student-athletes that in all our activities, people should be treated with dignity and respect."
The alleged assault sparked an in-depth investigation by Barbara Ballard, assistant vicece chancellor for student affairs. Ballard created some policies with which the department could handle any similar situations.
Her recommendations included recruiting consultants to help the department with difficult decisions and designating a female administrator to whom athletes could come to with such problems.
Earlier this month, Frederick said he would follow her suggestions promptly. He has appointed Amy Perko, the department's senior female administrator, to the point-person position.
In a statement yesterday, Allen said the sixmonth-long investigation was difficult for everyone involved.
"Our focus has been on complete cooperation in the investigation process and fairness with all the student-athletes involved," he said. "We have all learned some valuable lessons which will hopefully help us in the future."
Edited by Shawn Hutchinson
Signs are piled up for the Womyn Take Back the Night march down Massachusetts Street. The event, which began at Watson Park, had information booths, entertainment and a chance for women to speak about domestic violence. Photo by Craig Bennett/KANSAN
Women and men speak out against sexual violence
By Leita Schultes
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
It was an evening of painful memories and stories of survival.
Men and women gathered in downtown Lawrence last night to raise awareness about sexual violence during the 13th annual Womyn Take Back the Night.
Holding candles and standing in a circle, nearly 200 women listened to each other tell about their experiences of rape and abuse.
Tears flowed freely, but for most women the circle and night were a demonstration of strength. As each woman told her story, applause and shouts of support abounded.
New to the event was a performance by Unity, a hip-hop dance troupe composed of University of Kansas students.
The evening had other light moments as well. Early in the evening, Talia Morales and Celia, two local musicians, performed in Watson Park, Eighth and Kentucky streets.
Although one audience member questioned whether the suggestive dance moves were appropriate for the event, Lea Carland, Lawrence junior, said the group represented strength and diversity.
"We just wanted to get a real diversity this year," she said. "It's not all about white girls that play folk music."
Although the night was run by women, men were active participants.
Adam Koch, Hutchinson junior,
said he came in support of women
after seeing flyers for the event
"In a college town, there's a lot of drinking and partying, and a lot of times women's rights don't get thought of," he said.
Koch said that awareness may have improved but that it was still not at the level it should be. Both men and women needed to improve their knowledge of sexual violence, he said.
"I see a lot of females on campus who don't care about their rights," he said, adding that some women failed to be independent and instead conformed to traditional roles they saw in society.
Koch said he personally knew people who had experienced sexual assault.
He was not alone
"It's a long, drawn-out process," she said of recovery. "You wonder if they're ever going to get over it."
Carlisha Bell, Wichita senior,
attended the event for the third year.
She said she had friends who had
had sexually abused.
But last night's gathering was evidence some women had survived traumatic experiences.
As they marched down Massachusetts Street to meet male supporters gathered in South Park, 12th and Massachusetts streets, they waved banners and chanted:
"We've got the power! We've got the right! The streets are ours. We'll prove that tonight!"
And when they stopped, it was only to read a list of demands that asked for the eradication of violence against all people.
Edited by Kathryn Moore
Crash injures two
One person was transported by helicopter and another by ambulance after a two-car collision in west Lawrence late last night. A black Honda Accord carrying two men lost control and crossed the median while traveling westbound on Clinton Parkway between Inverness Street and Wakarusa Drive, striking a white eastbound Acura, Lawrence police said. Witnesses said that the accident happened about 10:30 p.m. and that the car had been traveling between 60 and 80 miles per hour. The female driver of the Acura walked away from the scene without injury. The male driver of the Accord was transported by ambulance; his passenger was transported by helicopter. Police at the scene could not say whether any of the three people involved was a KU student, but they did confirm that there were no fatalities. Police said more information would be available today. Photo by Matt Daugherty/KANSAN
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