The University Daily Kansan
Weather
Today: Partly cloudy with a high of 54 and a low of 35.
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy with a high of 42 and a low of 24.
Sunday: Partly cloudy with a high of 45 and a low of 29.
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Friday, October 6, 2000
Sports: The stage is set for tomorrow's Sunflower Showdown game against Kansas State.
SEE PAGE 1B
Inside: KJHK plans to have a satellite station in the Kansas Union.
SEE PAGE 3A
USPS 630-640 • VOL. 11E NO. 29 For comments; contact Nathan Willis or Chris Borriger at 864-4810 or e-mail editor: kansun@usps.com
City prepares for 'Showdown'
WWW.KINSAN.COM
"Hawks Rock" is the inspirational message posted outside of the Sigma Kappa house. Many fraternities and sororities put up banners Thursday in preparation for Saturday's 1 p.m. game against Kansas State at Memorial Stadium.
Photo by Craig Bennett/KANSAN
Lawrence expects 15,000 Wildcat fans
By Michael Rigg sports@kansan.com Kansan sportwriter
If the state of Kansas can prove anything, it's that the combination of the crimson and blue worn by KU Jayhawk fans and the purple of the Kansas State Wildcat fans can make a combustible mixture.
And that mix will be watched closely tomorrow when the state turns its attention to Lawrence for the annual Kansas-Kansas State game at Memorial Stadium.
Lawrence hotels are booked, and local bars are anticipating one of their biggest days as an estimated 15,000 Wildcat fans are expected to make the trip down the turnpike. The prospect of those fans has Lawrence businesses excited and the local police bracing.
Rick Renfro, owner of Johnny's Tavern,
401 N. Second St., said his business was
relying on the influx of Wildcat supporters
tomorrow.
we expect to do two to three times our usual Saturday business," Renfro said. "We usually see a lot of K-State fans."
To help the Jayhawk fan get excited about the game, the Athletics Department and the
City of Lawrence have planned a pep rally — rain or shine — for tonight at 5:30. The rally will be on Eighth Street between Massachusetts and New Hampshire streets and will feature ticket giveaways, an appearance by Jayhawk coach Terry Allen and his players, and a Wildcat roar.
"If we had a winning team, we would have thousands of fans at the rally," said Judy Billings, director of the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau. "But it would be terrific to get students out there."
"Typically, it's a million-dollar weekend," Billings said. "They come in and buy food, gas, extra stuff for tailgates. K-State is a big weekend economically."
But as big as the weekend promises to be for Lawrence businesses, it could be just as emotional for fans who let their emotions get the best of them. The rivalry of the "Sunflower Showdown" and the added number of fans — 50,000 are expected means the Lawrence Police Department will be on the lookout tomorrow.
"We are always concerned with people's safety," said Det. M.T. Brown said, who added that extra officers would be on duty tomorrow. "We don't want people to get too swept up in their emotions."
Edited by J. R. Mendoza
An estimated 400,000 people gather to hear Dr. Vojislav Kostunica speak from the balcony of City Hall in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Kostunica claimed yesterday that he is the new President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Some reports out of Belgrade suggest that Slobodan Milosevic may have fled the country. (Photo courtesy of Barca Nadezdic/KRT)
Protesters attempt to oust Milosevic
KU students, teachers watch history unfold hope for peaceful end
By Lori O'Toole editor@kansan.com
Kansan wire editor
Uros Petrovic, graduate student grew up in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and spent yesterday evening trying to contact some of his relatives and friends still there — many of them who he guessed were participating in massive political protests that overtook the city.
He watched news casts and read Internet updates about rioters seeking to topple Slobodan Milosevic. They left parliament and other key Belgrade sites in shambles and flames. The 13-year rule of the Yugoslav president appeared near collapse.
Yesterday mobs swarmed through the capital to demand that Milosevic accept his apparent electoral defeat by Vojislav Kostunica in the Sept. 24 election. As demonstrators charged and riot police cowered behind helmets and shields, the federal parliament building, the state broadcasting center and police stations fell in quick succession.
Petrovic couldn't get in touch with anyone he knew in Belgrade, which had him worried. The 31-year-old is also concerned with the possibility of bloodshed in his former home city.
Petrovic, who spoke of hopes of democracy and a developed and free Europe, said he hoped he was witnessing a new emerging Serbian identity.
"It was about time for Milosevic to step away," he said.
"Sometimes I wish I was there right now to take part in the historical event that just occurred," he
Uros Petrovic
said.
occurred."
Belgrade, Yugoslavia, graduate student
"Sometimes I wish I was there right now to take part in th
Ron Francisco, political science professor, is likely to mention the protests in Yugoslavia in his Protest and Revolution class today.
He said it follows the classic theory of protest: lots of people will participate if there is a low risk and low cost of protest, and if they feel they can make a difference.
"There was a free election, and elections are powerful, and he refused to acknowledge that he didn't win," said Francisco, who specializes in the study of protests. "That's why it happened."
He said police and army officials agreed with the protesters that Milosevic should step down — leaving the president with a diminished ability to suppress the rioting mobs.
"It's pretty clear to everybody that there's no support for Milosevic," Francisco said.
The government acknowledges that Kostunica outpolled Milosevic in the Sept. 24 election but says he fell short of a majority in the five-candidate race. A runoff had been set for Sunday.
There was no immediate reaction from Milosevic, who has been indicted as an international war criminal for atrocities committed during wars as pieces of Yugoslavia have broken away from the country. His whereabouts were not clear yesterday evening.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
— Edited by John Audlehelm
Jason Elliott / Kansan
Parents ask railroad to help prevent deaths
By Lauren Brandenburg
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
William Mitchell misses his son.
He knows his son should not have driven around the crossing gates last April, but he wonders why there were not more preventative measures.
Mitchell's son, Jeffrey J. Mitchell from Beresford, S.D., was a University of Kansas freshman last year. He died after he drove around a gate at a railroad crossing just east of Lawrence and was hit by a train. His roommate, Ryan J. Travis, was pronounced dead at the scene. The third passenger, a 20-year-old Johnson County Community College student, Nathan C. Roy, lived.
Mitchell wonders what could have been done to prevent the tragedy.
"I'm not out for vengeance or revenge," Mitchell said. "All I'm asking is why can't we put gates that go all the way across the road. I just don't want to see any more young people die."
Mitchell said he knew of Chicago suburbs where gates covered the entire road.
Mitchell was outraged last spring when he visited the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad crossing, near where 15th Street turns into North 1500 Road. Mitchell and his wife had traveled to the University to empty their son's room in McCollum Hall, and they visited the scene with Travis' parents.
"Just as we arrived, the gates went down, and a train came," Mitchell said. "It was a joke. While we were standing there, we watched cars go around the gate. They didn't even have to go around it. All you have to do is get in the other lane, go straight across and just get back into the other lane on the other side."
Peter W. Balgemann, vice chairman of the Public Works and Buildings Committee for Elmhurst, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, said his city had gates installed at five railroad crossings three years ago.
The city did not choose gates that would cover both lanes because of the expense. Instead, it chose one-lane gates and installed orange pylons down the center line — starting 50 to 75 feet before the crossing — to prevent cars from driving around the gates. He said the 3-foot-tall pylons did
See DRIVERS on page 7A
Students to lose jobs at Sallie Mae
Almost 50 area college students will be looking for new jobs this winter.
By Theresa Freed Special to the Kansan
Sallie Mae Student Loan Servicing Corporation, 2000 Bluffs Drive, is closing its Lawrence office after 16 years and moving to Indiana. The office's last day of operation will be Friday, Dec. 22. Last month, the company announced the termination dates for employees in its Lawrence departments.
Elaine Nelson, Sallie Mae's vice president of Kansas operations, said the company was interested in keeping a full staff until the last day.
"We want to keep spirits up, and we want people to work until we close," Nelson said. "We want to make this a win-win situation for the company and our employees."
But KU students who will be losing their jobs are having a hard time seeing much win in the situation.
Valerie Stone, Lawrence senior, has been with the company for almost a year. She knows it will be tough to find another job that pays as well. Liaie Mae's starting wage is about $10 an hour for most positions.
"Many places don't want to hire students due to their schedules," Stone said. "And when a job is actually found, it will take a while to build seniority and the most desired shift."
Jason VanBlarcum, Lawrence junior, is also disappointed about the news that Sallie Mae will close.
"To find a part-time job in this city that
See MERGER on page 7A