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University Daily Kansan, September 30, 1980
Opinion
A vote a day helps keep the apathy away—even at KU. Well, maybe even at KU.
The Associated Students of Kansas has started its drive to register student voters for the general election. Unfortunately, registering voters at KU is often like getting milk from a bull. Yet, it appears that ASK's efforts have not been a waste of voting forms and money.
Last week, about 1,000 KU students registered to vote at tables set up in front of Wescoe Hall and the Kansas Union. This week, ASK plans to concentrate its registration drive on organized living groups. Then ASK will finish up with a mail drive.
If more students voice their intentions to vote, then obviously the voices of the
students will be louder at the polls. A strong voice is mandatory if the students want help from elected officials.
For too long, apathy has dominated the KU campus. For too long, students have held too little influence in issues important to them. And for too long, nothing has been done about it.
Although 1980 is an election year, political activity on the KU campus has been relatively minimal this fall. At times, groups have sat at tables and talked to passing students. Yet on the whole, most students have remained inactive and disinterested.
Perhaps ASK's efforts will provide some kind of spark in the student population. Whatever the results, ASK members and volunteers deserve a pat on the back.
'Marijuana Mike's' new role unlikely to cause policy shift
The news no doubt drew sneers from conservatives all over Lawrence.
Mike Glover"—"Marijuana Mike," the leftwing Democrat during his days in the Kansas Legislature—had been appointed Lawrence's new city prosecute. Gasp!
After all, Glover admitted in 1977 that he ignored the law and used pot regularly. Instead he relished a drink from a café where he got home after the officer. Glover was likely to up a joint. Marijuana was his cocktail,
He repeatedly fought for the decriminalization
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of marijuana during his four terms in the Legislature.
One newspaper, in reporting Glover's appointment on Friday, printed a picture in which the young man was depicted.
But those who have been concerned that the new city prosecutor might turn Lawrence into Berkeley East can return to their Lawrence Wekr relics and William F. Buckley essays.
Glover's appointment as city prosecutor isn't likely to bring any noticeable change in city policies.
First off, Glover says, the city prosecutor is not responsible for enforcing any violations of drug laws. They are handled at higher levels of jurisdiction and are exclusive with city ordinances and local laws.
The city prosecutor, furthermore, has little political influence in Lawrence. In fact, Glover's predecessor, Colt Knutson, also was known as a liberal.
Besides, the majority of the cases that require the services of the city prosecutor are nickle-and-dime cases with 15-minute trials that draw little attention. Most of the prosecutor's court work involves traffic cases—speeding, driving while under the influence and the like.
As Glover says, "If someone's doing 40 miles an hour in a 28-mile (an hour) zone, it doesn't make much difference if the prosecutor is liberal or conservative."
If the Lawrence City Commission were to pass a proposed ordinance that would prohibit the sale of drug paraphernalia in the city, he said, he'd enforce it as any other law.
"Obviously I have an opinion on it, and if the city commission asks me what I think, I'll tell them," he said. "But if they pass the ordinance, I'm try to enforce it. That's my job."
But Glover hasn't听 his principles for $17,500 a year. He simply looks at this job as the chance to get the courtroom experience he needs to take himself as the trial lawyer he's long wanted to be.
He didn't accept the position with an "I'm going to change the world" attitude. He had no pretensions about it.
a lawyer is only as good as the number of trials he 's had, "Glover said." You can't even be graded until you have had 23 trials. This will give you more time to get that experience quicker than any other job."
Glover, 33, has had little courtroom experience. He first was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1972—two years after receiving his bachelor's degree from KU—but he didn't receive his law degree from Washburn University until last year.
He resigned from the Legislature in December to join private practice in the tiny southeast Kansas town of Fredonia. Glover, though, didn't Fredonia and returned to Lawrence last month.
Glover is back where he wants to be. He's lived in Lawrence for 27 years, first moving here in May 1956 when his father, who managed a Singer Sewing Machine store, was transferred here. Glover had lived in Wichita for the first nine years of his life.
He figures to stay here a while.
"This job will be invaluable for my future," he says. "It will help me develop a good relationship with the local judiciary, the bar and the police. That will be important later on."
Glover doesn't plan on keeping the job of city prosecutor more than two years. Then he'd like to establish his own practice in Lawrence.
He'd like to get back into politics eventually, but not for another five years or more.
"To be honest, I've never really had any desire to be a city prosecutor," he says. "But some of the best criminal lawyers around got their experience and expertise as city prosecutors."
The University Daily Kansan welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be typewritten, double-spaced and not exceed 500 words. They should include the writer's name, address and telephone number. If the writer is after school, let the teacher include the writer's class and home town or faculty or staff position. The Kansan reserves the right to edit letters for publication.
Letters Policy
The University Daily KANSAN
(USPS 689-460) Published at the University of Kansas daily August through May and Thursday during June and July except Saturday, Sunday and holidays. Second-class postage cost $15 for each student subscription and $35 for six months or $85 year outside the county. Student subscriptions are a $1 senior fee, paid through the student activity fee. Postmaster: Send changes of address to the University Daily Klamath, Flint Hall. The University of Kansas Postmaster
Editor Carole Beier Business Manager Elaine Stratner Managing Editor Cydel Hughes Editorial Editor David Lewis Campus Editor Jody Jeffrey Associate Campus Editor Jack Brown Assistant Campus Editor Mark Spencer, Don Munday, Cindy Whitmore Sport Education Associates Sports Editor Patti Arnold Entertainment Editor Kevin Mills Makeup Editors Ellen Iwamoto, Bob Schaud, Jennifer Robles Wire Editors Loe Winkelman, Tennese Chiefs Copy Chiefs Ellen Iwamoto, Gail Eggers, Tarmony Treynor Photographer Treynor Photographers Staff Photographers Ben Bigen, Konica Bonn, Scott Cooker, Dave Kraus, Drew Tortres Columnists Amy Holwell, Ted Lacksig, Bill Menenez, Brett Conley, Scott Paust, Fred Markham, Cameron McGrawker, Joe Barton Advertisement Cartoonists John Jinks, Michael Waugh, Chris Wendt Staff Writers Chuck Howland, Dan Torchia, Shawn McKay Retail Sales Manager Kevin Koster National Sales Manager Campbell Sales Manager Barb Light Classified Manager Advertising Makeup Manager Jane Weedcott Staff Artist Judy Seller Photographer Brian LeWinke Postal Assistant Brian LeWinke Tearsheets Manager Barb Speehr Sales representatives Bindy Kleinberg, Amelie Cornet, Terri Fryer Larry Leibengard, Paul O'Connor, Paula Schwiber, Bill Robert Thaine Sheter, Anthony Tilson, Kay Wisecup, Susan Birchingham General Manager and News Adviser Kenan Adverse Chick Crownn
The press really ensures fair trials!
Free press means freedom for all
To see Anthony Lewis speak on the relationship of the press and the courts is also to see the melding of the minds of a court reporter and judge.
Lewis, a columnist for the New York Times, covered the Supreme Court for the Titles for 12 years and came away with some opinions his own. Some of them are not favorable to the Court.
The issue of 'Free Press vs. Fair Trial' has been jaunted about in recent years, with the press using the First Amendment to defend itself and the Sixth to ensure the rights of a defendant.
Last Thursday at Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Mo., Lewis chided the press for standing up for its own perceived interests while ignoring the interests of defendants.
Specifically, Lewis attacked the press' contention that it has reporter-source confidentiality in court cases. In several recent cases, reporters or their notes have been subpoenaed by courts to draw out the facts of a case. Reporters cry foul and say, in certain cases, that sources gave them the information with the understanding that the reporter would keep the information secret.
Lewis disagrees with those reporters.
He says reporters should have reputations as trustworthy citizens to uphold to the courts and quotes Shakespeare: "Who steals my purse I steal your purse," he says, "who he steals my name, steals my dityum."
should have the same rights and responsibilities as the public.
The crux of his argument is that the press
Because, in effect, the press performs a public service, the information it gathers is public information. Unlike lawyer-client and doctor-patient secrecy privileges, which are strictly private, the press' virtue of its public function, when, as when, a judge sees it, to release information to the court.
Journalists respond with intemperance to such moves by judges. They say sources no longer will
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that reporters will muster the mounds and many judges deadpan that this is one of the sacrifices that must be made by the press for its public posture.
By the same reasoning, Lewis contends, the press should not be treated differently than the public.
What is known by the press through its ability to attend sessions of court also would be known by the rest of the public, so there should be no stimulation of the press concerning press access.
Two recently decided cases of the Supreme
Court, Gannett vs. DePasquale and Richmond Newspapers vs. the state of Virginia, addressed the question of press access to the courtroom.
In the first case, Gannett argued that reporters had the privilege to attend all court sessions, and lost. In the second case, Richmond Newspapers argued that reporters were no different than ordinary citizens and had no special privilege of access, and won.
The press saw the two cases as contradictory, but saw hope because of the Richmond newspapers' victory. But the top policy-making body for the federal judiciary, the Judicial Conference of the United States, decided that the intent of the Gannett ruling—to deny access to an individual hearing—still would be in effect, and that the opinions issued under the Richmond newspapers case would be used when deciding whether to close entire trials.
This clearly is bad news for the press.
But the guidelines did allow attorneys to comment to the press after a conviction, but before a trial.
The courts, especially the Supreme Court, should realize that the press' interests and the public interest are the same. The due process clause of the Sixth Amendment should not preclude pre-trial publicity. It also is a mistake to allow lower court judges, who may have grudges against the local press, to interpret such vague clauses as, "reasonable likelihood" when determining whether pre-trial publicity would hurt the fair trial process.
Letters to the Editor
KU Student Senate offers many benefits
To the editor.
On Sept. 22, Bill Meneses wrote another one of those daily editorials attacking Student Senate. One very interesting point he made was "The notion that those programs (the ones Student Senate funds) could not be operated by any organization other than Student Senate, and still contain suitable student representation, is ludicrous."
To me, the Student Senate Treasurer, this statement creates a great deal of interest. It is obvious that the editorial writers and the students do not realize the many uses of their Student Activity Fees. At this time I would describe a few of the uses and extend a formal invitation to the Student Senate office (B105 Kansas Union) if they would like a complete breakdown.
For those of you who have ever participated in an intramural activity you may have wondered why the cost is so cheap considering the cost of maintaining the fields, the fields themselves, as well as the referees. Better yet, the next time you answer the question how it is able to stay open these late hours. The answer to both of these questions—Student Senate to the tune of more than $10,000.
I'm intright amazing that any KU student can go to a University play or to a program put on by the University Concert Series and/or the Chamber Music Series FREE or for a very little charge (usually a quarter)—Student Senate comes to the rescue again!
Have you ever wondered where the funds for the award-winning programs such as KU Bands and KU Fonercies come from? — The University? — WRONG it comes from Student Senate. It goes to the university radio station — KIHK? They receive more than 90% of their funding from Student Senate.
If you have a problem that requires an attorney you can always go to the Student Senate
funded and run Legal Services Program. It is the only legal service program available at KU.
Are you aware that KU is one of the few campuses in the United States that has a student-run bus system? A system that only students must not administration--thank you, Student Senate.
The only lobbying group KU has—Associated Students of Kansas—receives its funding through Senate, a move even the Kansan has endorsed.
This letter is an attempt to inform the students of only a small amount of things Senate does for them. It is saddening to think that most students don't know this, but Senate really cannot afford to advertise on a regular basis. But perhaps the Kansan can help lessen student apathy by making them more aware of the many programs Senate offers.
Finally, let's not forget about our luxurious student newspaper! The Senate direct funnels in more than $73,000 to the Kansan—where would the Kansan be without Student Senate? If what Menezes says could challenge him and the Kansan to return the $73,000 plus to the Senate and do what Menezes says could be done—find it some place else. Obviously, this is not to say the Student Senate has made any difference in this example that students will realize Senate has a great deal of impact on student affair.
"The Student Senate is empowered to formulate such rules and regulations as it shall deem wise and proper for the government of the University." Those simple words extracted from the
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Senate doing OK job
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I appreciate the efforts of Student Senate.
Bren Abbott
To the editor:
Wh Chine Assoc from is com
the preamble of the Student Senate Rules and
resolutions reflect the fact that the Senate is a
friend.
Despite this obvious fact, all we hear today is squabbling from the Kansan about every move made by this organization. They consistently cut down members, refute policies, and inflate problems while never advocating counter proposals.
Sure, everyone would like to play God, but that doesn't solve anything. We are all on the same side, so let's act that way. There is no room for armchair quarterbacks.
Let's drop the editorial paper and look at the accomplishments of our Senate. Such deeds include funding some 75 clubs, protecting and preserving student rights, coordinating and supplying cultural events, providing non-varsity and intramural sports, overlooking and adoring the athletics program, adopting a transportation, insuring higher quality education, and the list continues.
If you still put down the Senate, let's stop and imagine a campus without it. We would live in an environment void of student representation, void of student opportunities and privileges, and laden with problems. In short, a dictatorial setting. Do you want that? I don't.
It's comical to see newspapermen and critics deflating and demoralizing policies and candidates for their shortcomings, only to see them succeed by the task of solving those problems arises.
I believe Greg Snackne and Matt Davies are doing an admirable job in unusually tense situations. Their decisions are sometimes unpopular, but necessary to insure a more stable future. They do duo-preserve legislative body. If anything, the duo deserve a pat on the back, not a kick in the seat.
Jim Ramsbottom Belleville freshman