8A • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2002
Students worried about oil spill
Study abroad students visit slick shores of Spain to help cleanup and observe effects of crash on nation's psyche, fishing industry
By Erin Beaty
ebeaty@kansan.com
kansan staff writer
Bruno Pieroni/Kansan
KU students here and abroad are witnessing the effects of the massive oil spill that endangered Spanish coasts more than two weeks ago.
The spill occurred when the fuel tanker Prestige split and sank 130 miles off the Atlantic coast of Spain on Nov. 13. An estimated 10,000 tons of fuel oil poured into the sea when the 26-year-old tanker sank.
Katie Macfee, Topeka junior, is studying abroad in Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia, Spain, a city about 70 miles away from the coast. She said the effects on the region's fishermen — the region's main industry — were devastating.
"What will happen to the thousands of people who can no longer earn a living?" she said. "Two of my six Galician roommates have families who work in the fishing industry, and it sad dens me to think of them."
Angie Balderas, Wichita senior studying in Santiago de Compostela, said her two Galician roommates were upset about the spill.
"One of my roommates is from Baiona, and the oil just hit there," she said. "She was crying yesterday."
She said some of the members of the study-abroad group in Santiago de Compostela had been to the beaches to help clean up the oil.
This week, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched in Santiago de Compostela chanting the slogan "Never Again" to protest the Spanish government's reaction to the spill.
Protesters, along with environmental groups such as Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund, criticized the government for its minimizing the extent of the disaster, its lack of coordination in the cleanup operations and its
The spill occurred when the Prestige split, pouring tons of oil into the sea.
late call for international help.
The government's decision to order the tanker out to sea when it began leaking oil — rather than bring it to port to unload cargo was also largely criticized.
"The spill is not only going to destroy the fishing industry, but also much of Galicia's economy, which is based on seafood," she said.
Leila Nachawati. Santiago de Compostela graduate student, said she had a lot of friends in Galicia whose parents were fishermen.
The disaster led to a ban on fishing that covered more than 350 miles of coastline, affecting about 7,000 workers.
"This is going to affect Galicia for years, for decades," Nachawati said.
Edited by Matt Norton
Student competing to be Rhodes scholar
By Lindsay Hanson
lhanson at kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
After being sent home empty-handed last year, Robert Chamberlain, Topeka native; is competing again today in Minneapolis, Minn., for one of 32 nationwide Rhodes Scholarships. The awards give winners $50,000 each for two years of graduate study at Oxford University in Oxford, England.
Finals will continue tomorrow followed by the announcement of winners tomorrow evening.
As a 23-year-old who graduated from the University last May, this is Chamberlain's last year of eligibility. He is one of two finalists from Kansas and 16 from the Midwest.
Chamberlain refrained from comment to keep his focus on the competition, said his wife, Kristin Chamberlain, Topeka junior.
Contestants must be nominated by their university to enter competition. The first round begins with an in-state
competition, held Dec. 3 and Dec. 4. Derek Teeter, Oakley senior, and Ainne Wallen, Lindsborg senior, competed alongside Chamberlain against semifinalists from Kansas State University.
Chamberlain
Daniel Cabacungan, Lincoln, Neb., senior and the fourth KU nominee, competed in the Nebraska semi-finals.
Chamberlain's resume includes a National Merit Scholarship and a 2001 Truman Scholarship.
Pursuing a career in government service, Chamberlain is a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, Fort Sill, Okla., until April, Kristin Chamberlain said. He will then move to Fort Campbell, Ky., for further assignment.
— Edited by Chris Wintering
Budget
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
to the public.
The public often gave lawmakers mixed messages, she said. People protest both tax increases and cut funding for their public schools.
And you can't have both, she said.
Pat Hurley, a lobbyist and former state representative,
said that legislators and citizens alike must learn to live with one or the other; cuts in programs or higher taxes.
But Hurley was optimistic about the future of the state government and the fate of its much-criticized budget.
In the meantime, all state agencies were paying the price, including education, Loomis
said. Everyone in the state should be concerned about the budget, especially students, he said.
"I've always felt that bad times indeed create opportunities," he said.
—Edited by Matt Gehrke
KU's budget has suffered an approximately $11 million cut in state funding in the past year.
"Higher education is right in the sights of the Legislature," Loomis said. "There's no question."
Westardivulges compensation
The Associated Press
TOPEKA — Westar Energy Inc. officials said yesterday they would comply with a request from regulators to divulge the details of compensation agreements with top executives, including former president David Wittig.
Company spokesman Doug Lawrence said the company would not challenge the Kansas Corporation Commission's order. However, Westar is exploring whether some compensation information must be filed under confidential seal.
"We intend to comply fully with the commission's order," Lawrence said.
The KCC order was in response to a petition filed by James Zakoura, attorney for the Kansas Industrial Consumers, who has been critical of Westar's
rates, management and $3.2 billion in debt. He said KIC would fight any documents released to regulators that remained private.
"There is absolutely no reason in the world that it should remain confidential." Zakoura said.
Zakoura has pored through Westar's management agreements and estimates that Wittig's compensation package could total between $50 million and $100 million.
Who do you want to be the next Kansan
Go to www.kansan.com to read the finalists' columns and vote by Dec.11 for your favorite one.The winner will be announced in the Dec. 12 issue of Jayplay.
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