monday. november 24. 2003
the university daily kansar
news
3A
Former KU student,benefactor K.K. Amini,82,dies
By Steve Schmidt
sschmidt@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
When Margaret Wenski was a reporter at The University Daily Kansas she was assigned to do a story on the first Persian student to attend the University of Kansas. Little did she know she would be assigned to cover her future husband.
Koli "K.K." Amiini, Wenski's interview subject and, in later years a major benefactor of the University, died of natural causes Wednesday. He was 82.
Amini agreed to the interview
with Wenski with one caveat: She would agree to help him with his English. An interview turned into a courtship, and eventually Margaret Wenski became Margaret Amini when the two married in 1948.
Amiini came to the University of Kansas from Persia in 1945. He was the first University student from Persia, said Ken Stoner, director of student housing. Amiini came from what is now Khov伊, Iran.
Amini left Lawrence with a degree in Petroleum Engineering in 1949 and headed to Texas. He worked in the oil industry in a series of Texas cities before settling down in San Antonio in 1980. He accumulated his wealth working as an independent oil and gas operator. Before his death, he had completed more than 750 wells throughout the United States.
Amini
The Aminis
donated more than $2.5 million to the University, said Dale Seuferling, president of Kansas University Endowment Association.
"He always prided himself in the fact the University of Kansas
opened up great opportunities for him," Seuferling said, "and he never forgot that."
His first donation to the University was for the Vietnam memorial on campus in 1984. Eight years later, K.K. Amini Scholarship Hall for 50 men was built in 1992, dedicated on Oct. 10 of that year.
"He felt like he was given a chance when he came to this country and part of his philanthropy was to give other people chances," Stoner said. "Good things can happen to good people, regardless of your station in life. He believed in that."
Seuferling said Amini was a man
of few words. Reticence did not mean that Amiini did not have language skills. Stoner said Amiini could speak six different languages, including Farsi and English.
"I don't think there was a dry eye in the house." Stoner said.
When Amini did speak to large groups it usually elicited a response. Seuferling recalled a touching short speech at the dedication about how there was always the American dream, but never such talk about a dream in other countries.
In 2000, Margaret Amini Scholarship Hall for 50 women was built in honor of his wife. In addition, a scholarship fund was set up with
the leftover money from the construction costs of the buildings.
Mike Khadavi, Overland Park junior, is the president of K.K. Amini Scholarship Hall. Although he never met his hall's namesake, he said he's heard many good things about the man.
"He's affected my life in many great ways," Khadavi said.
The hall still plans on keeping in touch with Margaret, Khadavi said, and will keep the tradition of sending her a birthday card and gift.
Defendant suspected of threat
Amiini is survived by his wife and four children.
Contributed photo
Edited by Erin Riffey
By Lindsay Hanson
lhanson@kansan.com
Kansan senior staff writer
Witness Daniel Flores Mosquera testified in court last week as he faces defendant Kattia Cruz Murillo, left, public defense attorney Oscar Gonzalez, public defense attorney Christy Vargas, below right, and defendant Luis Alberto Castro Carrillo. Castro was arrested Saturday after he was accused of threatening and hiting Flores in Gifort, Costa Rica, where the trial is being held.
After remaining free for much of the duration of the case, one the three defendants on trial for University of Kansas student Shannon Martin's murder in Golfito, Costa Rica, has been detained under suspicion of threatening and hitting a witness.
Golfito prosecutor Erick Martinez pursued the arrest of Luis Alberto Castro Carrillo, 33, after he was accused of threatening to kill witness Daniel Flores Mosquera, who has testified against him.
Flores spoke privately with members of the prosecution team Saturday, saying he had run into Castro in the town park Friday night. Castro, who Flores said was high from marijuana, told Flores he would die because of his testimony, said Peter Majerle, an interpreter for Martin's mother.
The other defendants — Kattia Cruz Murillo, 29, and Rafael Zumbado Quesada, 52 — have been in jail: Cruz under suspicion of involvement in the Martin case and Zumbado in connection with an unrelated homicide.
This latest threat came after the three-judge panel ordered heightened security and closed court
proceedings last week when several anonymous callers to the prosecutor's office threatened to kill witness Rosibel Munoz if she testified against Cruz. Martin's mother, Jeanette Stauffer, also requested enhanced personal security last Wednesday. Stauffer has discounted previous reports of threats called to her hotel against her life as false.
Both sides of the case are scheduled to present closing arguments today. The judges probably
will give a verdict this afternoon,
said Christy Vargas, public defense attorney for the two men.
Martin, 23-year-old Topeka senior, was stabbed 15 times and killed after leaving a nightclub 30 meters from her host family's home May 13, 2001. She was on a seven-day return trip to collect fern samples to complete a biology thesis in the town where she had studied abroad a year earlier.
— Edited by Shane Mettlen
By Abby Mills almills@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
Loopy Day ritual toned down
"Loopy Day" has dried up at the University of Kansas.
Daniel Suitor, scholarship hall complex director, put an end to the weekly water fight between KU scholarship hall residents at a hall presidents' roundtable Wednesday.
"I think he did the right thing," said Caroline Wright, president of Sellards Scholarship Hall. "It was fun, but it was chaos."
Not everyone agrees with Wright, a Kansas City, Mo., junior.
"My first semester of college has been ridiculously difficult." said Lansing freshman Lawrence Henderson, who lives in Stephenson Scholarship Hall. "Loopy Day is a good stress reliever."
The tradition originally began as a midnight song by Pearson Scholarship Hall residents each Thursday night. Residents sang and said happy Loopy Day to each scholarship hall individually. People who lived in other halls wished Pearson residents a happy Loopy Day in return.
each year and current Stephenson resident Steve Brown, Storm Lake, Iowa, sophomore, said the halls' arsenal typically includes a couple Rubbermaid tubs full of water balloons and 10 to 15 residents with water guns.
The water fight aspect appeared seven or eight years ago when a resident of Stephenson, right next to Pearson, shot a water gun at residents while they sang. It grew
Brown said other hall residents come out and join in the water festivities when it's warm.
But other activities have also been included. Residents of Stephenson visit each of the other halls asking for "shinies" as tribute. Typical tributes include invaluable things that shine, such as aluminium cans, gum wrappers or spoons.
Suitor said Loopy Days had caused safety problems in the past. In 2000, one hall added bleach to its water balloons. The next year, he said, it filled balloons with urine.
Last year was the worst, Suitor said. Residents from Battenfeld Hall broke a window at Pearson with a water balloon shot from a slingshot, someone put a water hose in a window of Douthart Hall and flooded the basement and someone broke into Stephenson hall to dump a 40-gallon bucket of water down the second-floor hallway. The last incident caused so much damage that the carpet had to be replaced
and Suitor warned students that one more incident would mean the end of Loopy Day.
Three weeks ago, residents from Stephenson knocked on the door of Pearson Hall to collect shinies. A group of people coming from a nearby bar got involved and tried to break down the door. The hall president had to threaten to call police before the men would leave.
As a result, Pearson residents can still sing their Loopy Day song, but anything related to pranks or water fights is forbidden.
Henderson said Loopy Day usually did not cause any harm and that Suitor letting Pearson residents sing, but banning other aspects of Loopy Day, is unfair.
"He's sticking it in our face that Pearson can go out and scream but we can't collect shinies," he said.
Brown said that the singing is just as bad as water fights.
Henderson said he looked forward to the event each week and used the opportunity to relax and blow off steam.
"If (Pearson) can do their part, why can't we do ours?" the Stephenson resident asked. "They're disturbing the peace as much as we are."
—Edited by Michael Owells
Do you want to get involved with an on-campus activity?
Do you want to gain workplace experience?
Do you want a voice in student journalism?
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN The student voice.Every day. Then work for a nationally recognized, student-run campus newspaper
The University Daily Kansan is currently hiring new staff members for the Spring 2004 semester.
Positions available for:
Positions available for:
writers—news, special sections and sports
page designers
opinion and sports columnists
Jayplay reviewers
editorial board members
For details, call the newsroom by phone at 864-4810 or e-mail at mburhenn@kansan.com. Applications are due Dec.1.
HELP WANTED: Elections Commissioner
The elections commission of the University of Kansas Student Senate is seeking a grad student to apply to be the spring elections commissioner. This person will be in charge of overseeing the Student Senate elections of the spring semester. This is a paid position. All potential applicants can pick up their application at the Dean of Students office in Room 113 of Strong Hall. Applications are due December