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The University Daily Kansan
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Tuesday. October 24, 2000
Tuesday, October 24, 2000
Inside: Drug convictions cost many students financial aid.
SEE PAGE 6A
Sports: The women's ultimate frisbee team sets its sights high as members learn it's more than tossing around a disc.
UNPS 650-6401 • VOL. 111 NO. 41 For comments, contact Nathan Willis or Chris Borniger at 864-4810 or e-mail editor@kansan.com
SEE PAGE 1B
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Group wants formal apology for erasings
By Meghan Bainum
writer @kanson.com
Kansas staff writer
Some students involved in chalking the pro-queer comments on University of Kansas sidewalks believe their first amendment rights were violated and now want a formal apology from the University.
Kat Randolph, Portland, Ore., junior, said she thought the University's intolerance for the chalked writings created a dangerous climate for those who chose to express themselves in ways different than the norm because it revealed a strong intolerance for diversity.
"The University's actions are, we feel, school-sanctioned discrimination," Randolph said. "The school has censored specifically our group."
Randolph was one of about nine students not affiliated with Queers and Allies who sent a letter to University Provost David Shulenburger; Wayne Pearse, Kansas Union building engineer; and KU Facilities Operations. The letter requested an apology for what the students consider to be discrimination by the University for erasing messages that contained announcements about Coming Out Day and others of a more graphic nature.
Queers and Allies did some of the chalkings, an independent group did others. Randolph said.
Randolph said the University was limiting sexual freedom of expression.
The letter stated: "We exercised our right to express our sexuality which is a constant and condoned practice of heterosexuals daily."
When the chalk writings were discovered in the morning, however, some writings near the Kansas Union were removed at Pearse's request, while others near Wescoe Hall were removed by Facilities Operations.
The letter claims that the group of about 20 students who chalked received permission from campus police and said that the police examined the chalkings the night before Coming Out Day for "disorderly conduct." but found nothing.
Shulenburger said it was not University policy to excase chalk writings off of sidewalks.
"I didn't know anything about the chalking on the sidewalks," he said. "I didn't ask that it be removed. It needs to be made very clear that it was an action that some folks in Facilities Operations took."
Pearse said that he originally ordered only the messages with what he considered to be "fifthly language" to be removed, but that there was a misunderstanding and all the chalkings were erased from the Union Plaza. He said he had no objections to the subject matter, but was worried about visitors to the University, which include children, seeing what he considered to be foul language.
"I try to look at things like my mom or my children are standing beside me," Pearse said. "I would have removed any filth language. We have to be respectful, I think all of us, to the decency of society."
Facilities Operations director Doug Rait said the only writings removed were the writings on the walls and steps around Wesco hill. These writings were considered graffiti. He said Facilities Operations also responded to Pearse's request to remove the writings in front of the Kansas Union.
Students tell of human rights abuses
See STUDENTS on page 6A
Latin American Solidarity member Holly Worthen, McPherson junior, reads the names of people believed to be killed by graduates of the School of America. Latin American Solidarity is trying to raise awareness about the violence and is preparing a trip to Georgia to protest at the school. Photo by Selena Jabara/KANSAN
Bv Rob Pazell
By Rob Pazell
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
*Concepción Marquez, 75; Alberto Carlos, 18; Francisco Carlos, 11 years old ...*
Yesterday on Wescoe Beach, members of Latin American Solidarity read the names of these and numerous other victims of the El Mozote massacre.
The names were read to raise awareness of SOAWatch, an organization that seeks to halt the activities of the government-sponsored School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Ga. The school trains Latin American soldiers in combat, counter-insurgency and counter-narcotics.
Many groups, such as Latin American Solidarity at the University of Kansas, said that graduates from this school were responsible for countless human rights abuses in Latin America, including the assassination of Arch-Bishop Oscar Romero and the mass murder of civilians in the El Mozote massacre.
Holly Worthen, McPherson junior and member of Latin American Solidarity, participated yesterday and said reading the names of about 900 victims of the massacre brought the issue closer to home.
"Reading the names to KU students makes a distant problem a reality." Worthen said.
Markus Weyel, organizer of SOAWatch in Kansas, said 204 of the 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted to close the School of America. Weyel said many representatives were pressured by President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and Secretary of State Madeline Albright to vote against closing down the school. Rep. Dennis Moore was the only member of the House from Kansas who voted for closing the school.
"There was lots of pressure put on the representatives," Weyel said. "But it's amazing that 204 still voted to close."
Weyel travels throughout Kansas informing people about human rights abuses in Latin America that he believes are tied to the School of the Americas. He also is having a training session on civil disobedience at 1 p.m. Saturday at Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread Ave., for those interested in attending a nonviolent demonstration in Fort Benning, Ga. The protest will be Friday, Nov. 17, through Sunday, Nov. 19.
"It's so people are prepared," Weyel said. "It's been nonviolent for 10 years, and we want to keep it nonviolent."
Nocona Peewardy, Lawrence graduate student, attended the reading of the names to support the November protest in Fort Benning. Peewardy said solidarity would make a difference.
"I think this is a very hopeful time, lots of grass roots movements making a difference." Peweward said. "Anywhere that you participate to confront oppression, you promote human rights."
Adam Koch, Hutchinson junior, signed up on the mailing list after hearing the list of names of the people killed.
"It's a huge list and it goes on and on," Koch said. "It really angers me that the United States is funding a militant group that's supposed to be fighting a drug war, and they're violating human rights."
— Edited by Amy Randolph
Management at Orchard Corners apartment complex, 1405 Apple Lane, has increased security and parking regulations for attendants in the complex. The management requires residents to place stickers in the rear window of their vehicles. Photo by Aaron Lindberg/KANSAN
Ninth Street
iowa Street
N
Kesold Drive
ORCHARD CORNERS
15th Street
CAMPUS
LIED CENTER
More lights, parking passes improve safety at complex
Leurse Brandenburg
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Management at Orchard Corners apartment complex, 1405 Apple Lane, near 15th Street and Kasold Drive, has increased security during the past week to make the complex safer for residents in the wake of recent criminal activities.
Brett Lambert, Overland Park sophmore and Orchard Corners resident, said he received a file from the management on his door Friday.
"Our main interests are securing the safety of our residents at Orchard Corners," said Bobbie Wintle, Mastercraft manager.
"It was a friendly letter restating the rules of the lease we signed," Lambert said.
Wintle said management was keeping a close eye on the complex.
He said that he had not been concerned about his safety before but that he thought the new measures were an improvement.
Lambert and resident Brian Hami,
Topeka junior, both noticed floodlights
installed in the parking lot last week.
Hanni and his roommate Travis Franke, Topeka junior, saw cars without parking stickers be towed from
Franke said his landlord called last week because he and his roommates had not yet picked up parking permits and explained the policy about parties to them. Franke was told that residents would be warned once for having a party and evicted if there was another within 14 days. He said he was not sure what would happen if residents had a second party after the 14-day time frame.
the complex Friday night.
Winkle confirmed that lights had been installed in the complex parking lot and that residents had been informed about a policy regarding parties but declined to comment further.
Orchard Corners had experienced problems in the past with parties getting out of control, said Jared Langford, Tecumseh sophomore who had attended between 15 and 20 parties at the complex.
A Johnson County Community College student and a Pittsburgh State student were stabbed during a fight that began as they were leaving a party at the complex Oct. 1, Lawrence police said. Police also said gunshots were fired during an alteration that started at a party Aug. 20. Residents also had filed reports with the police for recent car burglars.
Edited by Sara Nutt
Athlete receives gunshot wound
By Lauren Brandenburg
writer @kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
By Lauren Brandenburg
A University of Kansas student who is on the football and track teams was shot in the arm early Friday morning in the 3500 block of West Sixth Street, Lawrence police said.
Eric Dee Patterson, wide receiver and Long Beach, Calif., senior, was at the Kwik Shop, 3440 W. Sixth St., at 12:15 a.m. when he saw two males he had had a confrontation with this summer, Lawrence police Det. M.T. Brown said.
Brown said Patterson reported that he was followed by a dark-colored Blazer when he left the Kwik Shop. Patterson believed the Blazer's occupants were the two men he had seen in the convenience store.
Brown said Patterson drove himself to Lawrence Memorial Hospital, where he was treated and released.
Patterson pulled into the parking lot between Henry T's Bar & Grill, 3520 W. Sixth St., and First Bank, 3500 W. Sixth St., to see what the men
wanted. As he was getting out of the car, one of the men shot him in the arm.
"I talked with Eric shortly after he was released from the hospital and found out the wounds were superficial," said football coach Terry Allen. "He was obviously the victim in an unfortunate situation, and we will support him through this process."
Doug Vance, assistant athletics director, said Patterson did not play in Saturday's game and would not play this weekend. Vance said it would be a game-by-game situation.
Brown said Patterson recognized the two males but did not know their names or how police could contact them.
Brown said police still were investigating and did not have any suspects yet.
Patterson could not be reached for comment.
— Edited by Casey Franklin
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