Section A • Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, October 11. 2000
Freshman class elections begin today
By Kursten Phelps writer@kansan.com Konson staff writer
The national elections are still more than three weeks away, but freshmen will get their chance this week to elect their class representatives.
Freshman class officer elections for the Board of Class Officers will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and tomorrow in front of Strong Hall. Students must present their KUIDs to vote.
Two coalitions — Campus All-Stars and
Us are running in the election.
Blake Adams, Tulsa, Okla., Campus All-Stars candidate for freshman class vice president, said he got involved in the election to stay involved in student government.
"I'm just looking to make freshmen more aware," Adams said. "A lot of freshmen don't know about this at all."
He said the coalition wanted to make freshmen feel more comfortable at the University and possibly establish a hot line to answer freshmen's questions.
Kendra Knight, Baldwin City freshman, who is running for treasurer with the ✔ Us coalition, said the class officers could be an outlet for students' voices to be heard.
"I think our coalition wants to take on more responsibility and designate some projects that maybe haven't been explored before." Knight said.
Knight said she thought it was a great opportunity for the freshman class to put its ideas into action.
Brady Rodgers, Oklahoma City senior and current senior class secretary, said the board selected and presented the senior class gift to the University each year. He said it also was involved in the presentation of the Excel and HOPE awards — which are given to an outstanding faculty member and student each year
and the Campanile Award, which was the senior class gift last year and honors one student from any class that has done something exceptional.
"A lot of people don't know about BOCO, but I think it's an important group because it's small enough to get things done." Rodgers said. "We're here solely to represent our class and see that the issues that are important to each individual class are addressed."
- Edited by Warisa Chulindra
Scholarship rewards community service
By Amy Riscoe
Special to the Kansan
This is the 25th anniversary of the Lynn Leban scholarship, which rewards community service and involvement.
Lynn Leban was fatally injured in 1975 in a car accident. To honor her life, Leban's family and friends wanted to give back to the community, just as Lynn did. They set up the scholarship to reward community service.
"It is not like any others," said Audrey Leban, Lynn's mother. "It is for those who go above and beyond of what is expected of them."
Melanie Hepburn, assistant dean of School of Social Welfare, said Lynn Leban went beyond what was expected of her and was dedicated to the community.
"She was a very dynamic individual." Hepburn said. "She was very involved and
The scholarship is administered through the School of Social Welfare and is awarded yearly. The only requirement is that students must make a commitment to helping others. "They must have social justice and civil responsibilities." Audrey Leban said.
The scholarship committee also looks for previous community service.
Unlike many other scholarships available, grades are not the main requirement.
gave back to her community."
"Grades count for to certain extent," Audrey Leban said. "We just need to feel that the applicants will be able to successfully carry out their college career."
The recipient will be awarded $2,000 for the academic school year.
Any student involved in the community should apply for the scholarship at the School of Social Welfare by March 15.
RU-486 tests notification laws
The Associated Press
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A growing number of states plan to apply parental notification laws to the abortion pill RU-486 before it is given to girls wanting to end pregnancies.
Thirdy-two states have laws requiring at least one parent be notified before a minor has an abortion. So far, state officials in Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Nebraska, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia have said their notification laws likely would be applied to RU-486.
"I know the parents of South Carolina would want to be notified whether it's an office procedure or a pill." South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon said yesterday.
Condon plans to ask the South Carolina Medical Association to remind doctors that at least one parent or legal guardian has to be notified when a girl voucher than 17 seeks an abortion.
The association has no problems with Condon's request, said general counsel Aaron Kozloski.
"South Carolina law clearly defines what an abortion is," Kozloski said. "It does not distinguish between a chemical and surgical procedure."
RU-486's approval brings a whole new dimension to the abortion debate.
The pill, which will be sold under the brand name Mifeprex, blocks a hormone vital to sustaining a pregnancy. It works only during the first seven
ON THE NET www.fda.gov
weeks of pregnancy and requires three trips to the doctor but doesn't involve surgery. It is expected to be available nationwide in October.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America is against parental notification laws in general, said Chris Jueschke, chief executive of the Columbia clinic of Planned Parenthood of South Carolina. But he said his clinic would follow the law.
"There is no question that Mifeprex is medical abortion," said Glenn Mones, a spokesman for Planned Parenthood Federation of America. "We understand that it would be viewed as such in many states that regulate abortion."
"We're still in the process of legal review," said the organization's vice president Loretta Kane.
The National Organization for Women said it is considering legal action in Virginia and South Carolina.
Ed Szymkowik, national director for Stop Planned Parenthood International, based in Stafford, Va., agreed with the interpretation by Condon and other attorneys general.
The Food and Drug Administration studies have shown RU-486 to be between 92 percent and 95 percent effective in causing abortion. Researchers say complications are rare, with serious bleeding in 1 percent of women.
Bv J.D. McKen
Fraternity rebounds from slim numbers
By J.D. McKee
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Two years ago, Theta Chi fraternity was without a chapter house and down to five members.
Now, the group has 60 members and a new house. Fraternity member Ryan Gerstner, Frankfort senior, said Theta Chi hoped to reach a membership total of 80 men by the end of the year.
The rejuvenation of the chapter did not come easy.
The problems began in the mid- 1990s, said Kris Smalley, a member of Theta Chi.
"The members got lax with recruiting and didn't do a good job recruiting guys out of high school," said Smalley, Shawnee senior.
The numbers eventually dwindled down until there was only a handful of members left.
"It was no longer economically viable to keep the house," said Lindsay Olsen, an alumnus of the house.
In the fall of 1997, the alumni of the fraternity decided to reorganize the chapter. They gave the five remaining members a chance to stay with the fraternity by allowing them to interview about why they wanted to remain with Theta Chi. Several declined. Only one person became part of the rebuilding fraternity.
Olsen said that as the number of people in the house began to decline, the problems started to snowball.
"Once the size gets to be that small, the attitudes become depressed," he said. "And it's difficult to attract new members to that situation."
The alumni brought in members of the national headquarters to help with the reorganization and to help recruit new members. They placed ads, put filers in dorms and held informational meetings. They attracted seven or eight people, one of whom was Gerstner.
"The members got lax with recruiting and didn't do a good job of recruiting guys out of"
high school."
Kris Smalley
Shawnee senior
Gerstner said he joined Theta Chi because of the leadership opportunities that were available.
"It was pretty hard at first," said Gerstner, who joined the fraternity during his sophomore year. "We didn't really recruit that first summer."
"It's a lot of fun to start a new group," he said.
But the fraternity still was without a house. Gerstner said they held the chapter meetings in the Kansas Union that first year.
"We had people living all over the place," Gerstner said. "But we were still able to do all the things other houses do."
But being without a house was a detriment to recruitment.
"It definitely made it more of a challenge." Gerstner said. "We were able to overcome that obstacle, thank God. It wasn't easy.
Smalley also joined as a sophomore and was in the recruitment class after Gerstner. He said he rushed other fraternities as a freshman but found them too big and too difficult to get involved in.
Theta Chi now is renting the former Alpha Xi Delta house, with a capacity of 32 people, leaving some as out-of-house members. The group entered the house last fall.
Chris Claus, Belton, Mo. sophomore, said the fraternity members were weighing their options as to whether they would buy the property from Alpha Xi Delta or wait for another property to open up.
Edited by Erin McDaniel
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