The University Daily
University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas
KANSAN
Wednesday, October 20,1982 Vol.93,No.43 USPS 650-640
Retirement proposal could haunt Regents
Staff Reporter
By DIRK MILLER
A Kansas Board of Regents official warned last weekend that the Regents schools retirement plan may be in trouble after a recent court decision found the plan to be discriminatory.
"This could screw up our retirement system a lot," said William Kauffman, Regents' attorney. Kauffman said the Regents should familiarize themselves with what had happened with a U.S. Court of Appeals case in New York last September against the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association-College Retirement Equity fund, the plan which covers Regents' funds.
Richard Cole, chapter chairman of the American Association of University Professors, said. "The decision is heavily laden with consequences."
THE COURT said that the TIAA-CREF plan, which had made use of sex-based mortality tables in figuring retirement benefits to contributing faculty, was discriminating against women faculty. The mortality table allowed TIAA-CREF to make larger benefit payments to male faculty members because they were not expected to live longer.
Susan White, TIAA-CREF policy services assistant, said they had received a stay of execution on the decision until the U.S. Supreme Court heard an appeal on the case.
"In the meantime it's not going to affect policy holders," she said.
About 40 percent of the nation's public institutions are covered under the TIAC-CREEF
THE U.S. SUPREME Court also is expected to decide this week whether to review the appeal by a federal judge, said Robert K. Blumberg.
All of the Regents institutions are covered under the TIAA-CREF plan, said Vicky Thomas, KU's general counsel. But since Kansas is in the 10th circuit, and the decision was rendered by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the decision is applicable to KU's retirement plan, she said.
While said that TIAA-CREF had an obligation to take steps to ensure benefits for male faculty in the program, no such action has been taken.
But, Thomas said. "Obviously the other circuit courts take note of the opinions."
"Primarily most of our policy holders are men." she said.
If TIAA-CREF lost the appeal, then they would be forced to make retractive payments to faculty members as far back as May 1980. In 1980, TIAA-CREF tried to change from a sex-based institution to a, a sex-neutral one table but was held up by the New York State Insurance Commission.
In effect, the plan is unfair to about 80 percent of women faculty who have the same lifespan as their male colleagues, and the women are denied their full retirement benefits under the plan, said Dave Shulenburger, associate professor of business and former chairman of KU's chapter on the AAA.
Only about 20 percent of the women faculty actually outlive their male colleagues, he said.
THE RETIREMENT in benefits are spread out for the women in the program, Shulenburger said, because of expectations that they would have a longer life than men. For women who die younger or for men who live longer than the average, the policy is clearly unfair, he said.
Under the TIAA-CREP program, the University contributes 5 percent of a faculty member's salary when the employee matches the program cost. The program is voluntary, said Sulenburger.
ELIZABETH BANKS, associate professor of classics, said the sex-based mortality tables policy was particularly important to single women.
White said the change could mean as much as a 20 percent increase or decrease in some area.
"I'm a one-person household." Banks said. "I 'm entitled to the same retirement income as me."
Ellen Gold, chairman of the unclassified women's advisory unit, said the advisory unit was aware of the sex discrimination policy of TIAAC-CREF.
But Gold said she did not think there would be any major change unless a Supreme Court rule was made.
THOMAS SAID that because TIAA-CREF operated out of the second circuit in New York, she thought the company probably would abide by the high court's decision outside of the district.
Sulieburenberry said the mortality tables probably could be made more accurate by using a simpler formula.
What the TIAA-CREF needed to incorporate was a set of correlative factors that predicted mortality more accurately, he said, instead of a "crude predictor like sex."
Weather
Today will be partly cloudy with a high in the lower 50s, according to the National Weather Service. Winds will be from the north at 5 to 15 mph.
tonight will be clear with a low around 30. Tomorrow will be sunny and warmer. The high will be around 60.
Charles Wilson, a tuner and finisher at the Reuter Pipe Organ Co., 612 New Hammshire St., inspects one of the smaller pipes of a pipe organ destined for a Methodist church in Florence, Alabama. The company has been delivering organs throughout the country since 1917. See story page 6.
Perfect pitch
House candidates using door-to-door maneuvers
By BRUCE SCHREINER
Staff Reporter
State representative candidates need more than catchy campaign slogans and well-rehearsed answers to the issues to emerge victorious on Nov. 2.
gives constituents an opportunity to ask questions and talk about bills and issues.
They also need strong legs, marathon endurance and the ability to maneuver around ornishing dags as they trump door-to-door to solicit votes.
Four candidates for Lawrence's two contested House seats agree that the door-to-door campaign is the most demanding — and most essential — aspect of the campaign.
"I think it's extremely important," said State Rep. Jessie Bramble, D-404 District, "because it is a part of the job we all do."
"THEN WHEN VOTERS go to the ballot box, they may remember visiting with you and how you responded."
"I think the door-to-door campaign is the most effective means of the campaign because it allows for the face-to-face meeting," said Republican Bob Schultz, who is challenging
"It shows that you are out there working for the votes, and people appreciate that. Something like that is important to them and many of them thank me for coming by."
See CAMPAIGNING page 5
Cooler climate is distant early warning of winter
By BONAR MENNINGER
Staff Reporter
The north wind ambubed the sun yesterday, dropping temperatures 20 degrees in two hours, and dropping temperatures 15 degrees in one hour.
A strong low pressure system moved through east central Kansas yesterday around midday, bringing sharply lower temperatures throughout the area, according to Steve Sokol, forecaster with the National Weather Service in Topeka. Today's high is predicted to be only 50-55
falling, said Mike Thompson of the KU Weather Service.
Sokal said the area would see a few more Indian summer days before winter arrived to stay, and noted that the temperature reached 75 degrees last Nov. 25.
HOWEVER, temperatures should warm to the mid-60s with sunshine by Thursday. Sokol said.
Yesterday's cold weather caught many KU students by surprise, but at least one remained calm.
"I caught a big fish that day, that's why I remember," he said.
The temperature in Lawrence at 5 p.m.
yesterday was 72. Two hours later, it was 52 and
34.
Today's high is predicted to be only 50-55 degrees, with frost expected tonight.
my swater," Lisa Reimer, Mission Hills sophomore in art, said outside Wescoe Hall as she captured a butterfly which appeared immobilized by the cold.
"It's depressing, but it's life. I'm glad I wore
MARK MILTON, Kansas City, Kan. junior in computer science, said he wore a T-shirt, not expecting the cold.
"I walked out of class, and I was surprised"
she hurried, surprising a sidewalk in the wind.
The unpopular, colder weather has grounded-keeping crews at Facilities Operations thinking
complete. He said cures, tulips, and daffodils
were being buried now to flower for the spring.
Jim Mathes, assistant director of grounds-keeping, said the planting of annual bulbs around campus for spring was about half
Cooling cuts may damage KU apparatus
were being on our terrace.
Mathes said that the fallen leaves that are collected around campus in the autumn are piled up on west campus, where they sit for several years. The compost from the leaves is then used in planting trees around campus. Mathes said.
Elsewhere in the nation, thunderstormsrained up to a foot of wet snow from the Rockies to northwest Iowa yesterday, topping tree limbs. In some places across the state, power blackouts in western Nebraska.
By STEVE CUSICK Staff Reporter
A foot of snow blanketed the Nebraska town of Hay Springs. Half-foot accumulations covered most of the other ranching communities in the area.
Expensive electronic equipment in some campus buildings at the University of Kansas may have been damaged two weeks ago when a fire struck a building, such as 90 degrees, KU professors said yesterday.
The hot classrooms and laboratories also took a toll on students and research, the professors said.
University officials shut the air conditioning off earlier than normal this year to cut back on utility costs, and most of the units were not reacted two weeks ago when a warm spell hit.
“Perhaps the heat was a contributing factor to this breakdown,” he said. “I’m suspicious because it was uncommonly warm in here most of that week.”
The temperatures had reached the 90s in his office, he said.
Peter Hierl, professor of chemistry, said the heat in his Malott Hall office two weeks ago may have damaged a $5,000 desk calculator used for processing data for chemistry experiments.
THE 8-YEAR-OLD piece of equipment has not broken down before, he said, but its keyboard is still working.
"Cutting off the air conditioning is ridiculous," he said. "It is going to be more costly in the long run."
George Brown, director of electronics laboratories, said four of eight electrical engineering labs in Learned Hall were shut down two afternoons during the warm spell.
Albough none of the laboratory equipment was damaged, it will not last as long and will break down more often because it must operate at a higher temperature. Brown said.
The company that produces the calculators estimated that it would cost a minimum of $700 to fix the machine, Herl said.
He could not estimate the cost of damage, which will show up in the form of repairs in the building.
"That puts them behind on their schedules," he said, adding that the lab course may have to be restructured in order to accommodate the students of the equipment was shut down. Each class had 12 students.
Brown said that many of the students had complained about the labs being canceled.
OFFICIALS IN the engineering department now are closely monitoring the lab temperatures
Jim Akagi, chairman of the microbiology department, said that in Haworth Hall students had fainted and that research had to be postponed because of the lack of air conditioners.
A combination of windows that should not have been open but were, burning burned burners and body heat caused two students in beginning microbiology classes to faint because of the heat.
Another result of the heat was that researchers were unable to carry on lab experiments, be said, and "thousands of dollars of research money was going down the drain."
THE AIR CONDITIONING later was turned back on at the request of Akari, he said.
Akagi said that heat was "the one thing we can't protect ourselves against."
Robert Cobb, executive vice chancellor, said that KU's administration recognized the damage that may be caused by pulling the cooling switch early.
"I'm very concerned about that," he said. "Any time you have to modify the heating and air conditioning it has its consequences."
High costs, bad publicity slow sales of gasohol
By VINCE HESS Staff Reporter
Gasolant, the mixture of alcohol and gasoline that was proclaimed the fuel of the future a few years ago, has hit some detours on the road to success.
Industry representatives admitted recently that they can afford to produce and sell gasolol only with federal loans and exemptions from state motor fuels taxes. In addition, gasolol businessman say, government aid is necessary the cheaper way of producing alcohol is found.
Gasoline distributors have withdrawn gasolol from most parts of the northeastern United States because of the high cost of producing and transporting the fuel from the Midwest, where it is produced. In Midwestern states, gasolol sales are down by about 10 percent of the motor vehicle market to 40 percent.
Gasolant, according to industry sources, is a mixture of 90 percent gasoline, either leaded or unleaded, and 10 percent alcohol, which must be 200-proof or water-free. Alcohol derived from
gran is called ethanol; alcohol that comes from wood, coal or gas is called methanol.
Todd Snell, administrator of the Nebraska Gasolch Committee, based in Lincoln, said recently that most ethanol was made from corn, but sorghum and wheat also are used.
from the alcohol THE ALCOHOL is mixed with refined gasoline at a different plant. The product is then ready for sale.
The high cost of producing alcohol and distilling water are still major hurdles to widespread use of gasoline, according to industry representatives and researchers.
The raw materials for ethanol must contain fermentable sugar, or starch that can be converted to sugar, he said, because it the sugar that turns into alcohol through fermentation at an ethanol plant. Water is then distilled from the alcohol.
stanley Walas, KU professor of chemical and petroleum engineering, said he recently worked with a graduate student on an experimental method of distillation.
Ethanol needs to have 99 percent concentration by weight to be used in gasolars, Walas said, but current methods of fermenting ethanol result in only a 5 percent concentration. Most
plants now distill water from ethanol in a series of two or three steps that require a large amount of energy.
Walss' distillation experiment used reverse osmosis, the process used to desalt sea water, to distill ethanol, but the necessary equipment was too costly for mass scale use. SNELLER said the production cost of ethanol had dropped recently. The price of corn recently dropped. In addition, plants have begun to use cost-cutting techniques, such as enzymes that work faster in the fermentation process and more efficient plant designs.
The current price of ethanol, $1.65-$1.75 a gallon, is high because of a large demand and a small supply, Sneller said. Larger, more efficient ethanol plants and a growing demand for ethanol could reduce the price to 80 cents or $1 a gallon.
However, Dave Hallberg, president of the Renewable Fuels Association, an industry organization formed in 1981 in Washington, D.C., said that government aid was crucial now to the gasolindustry to keep the cost of the fuel at the pump competitive with the price of gasoline.
jump competitive with the price of guaranteed
THE FARMERS HOME Administration loan
THE FARMERS HOME Administration loan
SEAS GASOULI page 5