SPORTS: The Kansas football team prepares to face the Golden Hurricane, Page 9.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOL.102.NO.20
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1992
ADVERTISING: 864-4358
(USPS 650-640)
NEWS:864-4810
KU to request funds for landfill cleanup
Bv KC Trauer
By KC Trauer
Kansan staff writer
The University yesterday received approval to request $2.6 million from the state to clean up a landfill containing hazardous and radioactive waste.
The Board of Regents approved the plan to clean the Sunflower Research Landfill, which was closed in 1982 after 28 years as a burial ground for waste from University of Kansas Medical Center and Lawrence campus research projects.
Jean Martin and her family, who
The proposal comes two weeks after a DeSoto family, whose property lies next to the landfill, reached an out-of-court settlement in its lawsuit against the Regents, which held the title to the landfill.
said contaminants from the landfill tainted their water supply, agreed Sept. 3 to sell 35 acres to the Regents for $200,000.
The landfill lies 13 miles east of Lawrence and covers 23 acres, two of which are used for disposing low-level radioactive wastes, including radiated waste paper, animal carcasses and chemical solvents.
It was closed in 1982 because of changes in federal regulations that made burying chemical wastes illegal.
The University made a legally binding agreement in March with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to clean up the site. The KDHE had tested the ground water and found several contaminants that exceeded legal levels.
The threat posed by the landfill is not the radioactive wastes, but the chemicals the radioactive materials are embedded in, said Robert Bearse, associate vice chancellor for research, graduate studies and public service.
Warren Corman, director of facilities for the Board of Regents, said the Regents had little choice but to approve the plan because the chemicals posed a danger to ground water and because the consent agreement required the cleanup.
"It's areal problem. It's like asbestos was 30 years ago. It was something we were doing that we had to change," said Corman, who added that if the site were not cleaned up, it would become more dangerous.
Bearse said he was not convinced
that the chemicals were a serious threat.
The cleanup plan calls for installing a clay surface under the soil to prevent rainwater from filtering through the contaminated soil and into the ground water. The clay surface and a series of drains will help collect and divert rainwater to a water treatment plant.
During the past two years, the Legislature had appropriated money to design the rainwater collection structure but not to construct it.
a N request for supplemental funding for Washburn University led to a two-and-a-half-hour discussion on whether the Topeka university should be accepted into the Regents system.
Regent John Montgomery of Junction City chastised his colleagues for not being more involved in the issue.
"We're sort of sitting on the sidelines, and things are going on around us," he said. "We should really get out in front on this."
n Regent Rick Harman of Prairie Village urged university groups to consider how requiring incoming students to take the ACT or SAT tests might help academic advising.
Most Regents universities strongly encourage students to take the tests but do not prevent their admission if students do not. Requiring test scores would help advisers to place students better, Harman said.
See related story, Page 6.
KU Landfill
Dan Schauer / KANSAN
Daron J. Bennett / KANSAN
Joust do it
as part of a jousting demonstration, David Volmut, Topea senior, left, raises his axe to defend himself against the impending blow of Ronald Krause, Lawrence resident. Volmut, who is portraying Sir Giligne of Eilean, and Krause, playing the part of Stephan Greythorne, were battling for possession of the Potter Lake bridge yesterday.
Asian Americans respond to Census report
By J.R. Clairborne
Kansan staff writer
A report by the Census Bureau released yesterday received mixed views from Asian Americans at the University of Kansas.
The bureau's report, compiled during 1990 and 1991, said Asian Americans, the country's fastest growing racial group, had been among the most African-American than most people in the United States.
Two of five U.S. citizens with roots in Asia and the Pacific had completed four
years of college or more, the bureau said. This rate was twice the national average.
"I think that is what is unique to Asian-American families," she said. "They instil the concept that education is very important to their children's well-being."
Margaret Hu, Manhattan senior, attributed this statistic to home life and discipline during childhood.
Hu said her parents were committed to teaching their children outside of class. They encouraged her to read at age 4, then tutored her until she was in junior high.
Japan rely heavily on rate memorization and discipline, "Ul said. When you rely heavily on that system, it is easier to create relationships between high grades and a high rate of graduation.
The educational traditions of China and
"However, there are many drawbacks to tradition. It can interfere social development
Norman Gee, professor of art and adviser to the Asian American Student Union, said that reports and broadcasts showing only overachievers reinforced racist attitudes.
Hu said this lifestyle could perpetuate stereotypes.
Brian Gee, Lawrence sophomore, said he was academically no better than anyone else.
But Gloria Cheng, Wichita junior and vice president of AASU, said she has yet to meet a high-ranking Asian-American administrator at KU.
"In high school," he said. "I had a physics teacher who took me to the side after school and asked me. What's wrong with them? they aren't you like the other Asians?"
House votes to accept cable bill
By Kristl Fogler
Kansan staff writer
The Associated Press contributed information to this story.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted today to accept a bill that would allow the federal government to regulate the cable television industry.
`set "reasonable" rates for basic cable service, remote controls and cable boxes.`
The bill, if passed by the Senate, would give the Federal Communications Commission power over the industry.
- set service standards to protect against chronic cable outages
- guarantee that companies respond quickly to customers' questions about service problems, billing and
- make cable programming available to competitors.
- limit the number of subscribers a single company
Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., called it the most important consumer legislation Congress would face this year.
President Bush criticized the bill. He said it would "hurt Americans by imposing an array of costly, burdensome laws."
The cable industry protested the bill using full-page newspaper ads, monthly cable bills and advertisements on cable channels to state that the bill would create added costs for consumers.
The industry is most upset about a resolution that would make cable operators negotiate for local broadcast signals. The law now allows operators free use of broadcast signals to retransmit on any channel they choose.
"My vision for the future of the communications industry is based on the principles of greater competition, entrepreneurship and less economic regulation," the president said in a letter to House and Senate leaders. "This legislation fails each of these tests and is illustrative of the congressional mandates and excessive regulations that drag our economy down."
Bush said the bill was heavy-handed.
Gene Kinnelman, a representative for the Consumer Federation of America, a group that supports the bill, said, "It is quite clear the president sides with the cable industry. If this is his economic policy—ongoing ripoffs by monopolies—I don't think this is a policy the public can support."
Dennis Kipfer, general manager of Sunflower Cablevision, 644 New Hampshire St., said the bill was anti-con-
Bush said he would veto the bill if it were passed by the Senate. The Senate is expected to vote on it next week.
"I'm concerned because it is a bill that was pandered as a consumer protection bill, but it not," Knipfer said. "It was changed into a bill that panders to other industries, the national broadcasting industry, to name one."
The Associated Press contributed information to this story.
Five days into its annual pledge campaign, United Way of Douglas County has raised almost one-third of its highest goal ever for $1,076,928.
Fast start for United Way
Television changes the face of the presidential race
See story, Page 3.
Women who work at veterans hospitals told Congress yesterday that they were sexually harassed on the job and then faced reprisals for complaining about it.
VA accused of harassment
See story. Page 7.
By Mark Martin
Kansan staff writer
Ross Perot first discussed his candidacy on "Larry Kind Live."
President Bush appeared on CNN's "International Hour."
And Gov. Bill Clinton played the saxophone for Arsenio Hall.
Throughout this election year, presidential candidates have used television to try to reach out to a large, youthful audience. This year's presidential campaign has evolved from 30-second television sound bites to 30 minutes on a couch on the "Today" show through the use of five televised book-ups, talk shows and call-in shows.
In a one-week period in June, George Bush appeared on CNN's "International Hour," while Bill Clinton appeared on Fox News as "The Choice or Loss" and Lady Kip Lay.
Clinton will use a satellite hook-up today
to talk to college students, and Bush will give a speech in October using a satellite hook-up that will be broadcast to large audiences. The country will be able to ask Bush questions
Ellen Gold, associate professor of communication studies, said that the role of television in politics had changed.
"When Ronald Reagan had an interview with Barbara Walters while he was president, people were surprised," she said. "But now, we've seen Bill Clinton on 'The Arsenio Hall Show,' the 'Grand Ole Opry' and MTV."
Gold said that Clinton, who responded to live questions from a studio audience composed of young people during the MTV appearance, was attempting to attract an audience that had not voted in the past.
She added that Clinton needed all the coverage he could get.
"President Bush can get on TV any time," she said. "Clinton has to scratch himself."
shows."
Much of the trend in talk show politics began with Texas millionaire Ross Perot's unsuccessful campaign. During his bid for the presidency, Perot ran several live call-in television shows to answer questions from Americans.
another, assistant professor of government, said that Jimmy Carter had tried a live call-in show to the White House once during his presidency.
Perot stated in two speeches last spring that he favored stripping Congress of its taxing power and allowing the public, including his colleagues, meetings on television, to vote on tax issues.
"Let's face it, Larry King isn't Sam Donaldson," he said. "And when the public calls in, they generally have easier questions than journalists."
Collier said call-in shows were popular because it was a friendly atmosphere.
"The ratings were low," he said. "An electronic forum idea doesn't really work because part of the reason people vote for pollsters is so they can make decisions for them."
The TV campaign
Although Gov. Bill Clinton will be more than 700 miles away in Albuquerque, N.M., he will speak live to KU students today.
The Clinton campaign has declared today National Students' Day, and Clinton will give a speech at the University of New Mexico that will be broadcast to more than 150 college campuses across the country. The speech will be shown at 1 p.m. in 3050 Dole. At KU, the speech is being sponsored by KU Students for Clinton.
He added: "People expect the president to be serious. The president can't just show up on Arsenio."