Friday inside
Dancing the night away
The University Dance Company will perform Missa Brevis in Tempore Belli tonight and tomorrow at the Lied Center. PAGE 3A
Unseen menace
Brown recluse spiders are common in
Kansas. Find out what is being done to control them. PAGE 3A
Postseason quest
The return of quarterback Bill Whittemore gives the football team confidence as it seeks bowl eligibility this weekend. PAGE1B
The Bill Self era officially begins tonight as Kansas
Time to prove him-Self
faces Tennessee-Chat tanooga at home in its regular season opener. PAGE 1B
Family crisis hits home
Keith Langford gives Jayhawk fans a glimpse into his personal life after an emotionally difficult week. PAGE1B
Weather Today
5642
mostly sunny
Two-day forecast
tomorrow 5540
3532
partly cloudy chance of snow — Josh Molgren/KUJH-TV
Talk to us
Tell us your news. Contact Michelle Burhenn-Rombeck,
Lindsay Hanson or Leah Shaffer
at 854-4810 or editor@kansan.com
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Briefs 2A
Opinion 4A
Sports 1B
Sports briefs 2B
Horoscopes 6A
Comics 6A
KANSAN
The Student Newspaper of the University of Kansas
Friday, November 21, 2003
The Jayhawks' 12th Man
Leaper's Legacy
Vol.114 Issue No.65
STORY BY JOHN DOMONEY
Todd Williams' energy extends beyond his Athletics Department job STORY BY JOHN DOMONEY PHOTOS BY JOHN NOWAK
Surrounded by darkness, a man emerges from his house on West 20th Street. The air is cold, the streets are empty. The only sound is from a set of keys that he clinks in his pocket.
Dressed in University of Kansas athletic wear, the man reaches the end of his five-minute walk, pulls his keys out of his pocket and selects one — the key
Starting at the west entrance, the man opens each door and flips on each light one by one, awakening the old barn from another night's sleep.
that unlocks one of college basketball's most storied treasures; Allen Fieldhouse.
It is the work of Todd Williams' *workday*. It 4:10 a.m.
throughout the department, Todd is best-known for his involvement with Jayhawk football.
Jayhawk at Heart
"Anytime you mention KU football for the last 30 years, you have to include Todd," said Don Fambrough, former Kansas player, assistant coach and head coach.
"I doubt there's anybody more loal to KU than Todd."
For as long as anyone can remember, one of Todd's duties has been to run out onto the field after every
"Anytime you mention KU football for the last 30 years,you have to include Todd."
Ray Coughenour, former Kansas equipment manager
Spending time walking around Allen Fieldhouse and the Athletics Department with Todd is like walking around with a celebrity or famous athlete. As he makes his daily rounds delivering packages, hustling through the hallways, people call out "Hey, Leaper!" and "How's it going, Leaper?" Todd acknowledges everyone with a kind "Hello" or maybe a quick smile.
Don Fambrough former Kansas assistant coach and head coach
For 33 years, Todd "Leaper" Williams has worked for the department. Although his work extends
Kansas kickoff and pick up the tee before returning it to the sideline.
"As far as Todd's concerned," Fambrough said, "nobody in the world can get the kicking tee except for Todd."
To begin and end Todd's connection to Kansas athletics with the kicking tee is telling only part of the story. In addition to his delivery duties around the department, Todd picks up the
locker rooms, empties the trash of Allen Fieldhouse and washes and dries endless piles of laundry from Jayhawk sporting teams.
Cleaning stained uniforms and sweat-soaked socks is not exactly what most people would consider an ideal day's work. To Todd, it is part of the job.
For all of the uniforms washed, floors vacuumed and packages delivered, nothing is more rewarding to Todd than football practices on a fall afternoon.
"Some might say it's dirty work, but somebody's got to do it," he said.
SEE LEAPER ON PAGE 5A
Sex class decision expected
By Johanna M. Maska
jmaska@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Pedophilia in the classroom is being addressed by the Kansas Board of Regents.
The Regents will vote on a policy Dec. 17 outlining usage of "controversial material in instruction." Pedophilia, per request of the Kansas State Legislature in May, is regulated in the policy.
Last year Sen. Susan Wagle (R-Wichita) addressed her concern regarding "sexually explicit material" in Dennis Dailey's "Human Sexuality in Everyday Life" class to the Legislature. After debates, national media coverage and a veto, the issue was finally settled in a compromise in the May allocation bill. The bill required the Board of Regents to develop a policy on the use of sexually explicit materials as part of the curriculum. They requested a policy on "teaching about the issue of pedophilia."
The Board of Regents has asked a task force of University of Kansas administrators, faculty and students to reply.
"Students are entitled to an atmosphere conducive to learning," the statement reads. "Students should not be forced by the authority inherent in the instructional role to make particular personal choices as to political action or their own social behavior."
Another clause of this policy, adopted from the American Association of University Professors 1970 Statement on Freedom and Responsibility, states: "It is improper for an instructor persistently to intrude material that has no relation to the subject."
Blake Shuart, legislative director for Student Senate, sat on the task force. He said that the rhetoric of the policy comes to mean one thing — Wagle's concern has been addressed.
"I think we've done our job." Shuart said.
The policy was approved by various groups within the Board of Regents, including all university presidents. It was presented to the Regents at yesterday's meeting and will be up for a vote in December.
If the policy passes, it will be sent to the Legislature by Jan. 17, 2004 for its final stamp of approval.
- Edited by Shane Mettlen
Perkins grants SenExtickets
Y
By Maggie Newcomer
newcomer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
A mistake in the number of current faculty and staff men's basketball season ticket holders delayed and complicated the decision about who should keep their tickets.
The Athletics Department reported last week that 1,427 tickets were available to full-time KU faculty and staff. At yesterday's Senate Executive Committee meeting, committee members learned that 1,622 tickets were actually available.
Before the correction, SenEx had
asked Athletics Director Lew Perkins for 219 additional tickets, which would have brought the total to 1,646.
Davis said faculty and staff would now hold 1,822 men's basketball season ticke-
When Ray Davis, SenEx chairman, learned of the mistake, he asked Perkins for 200 more tickets in the third tier of Allen Fieldhouse.
sentextentatively plans to allow ticket holders who purchased their tickets in the 2000-2001 season or before to keep
Perkins agreed.
The question of how to distribute those tickets still remains, however.
their tickets, but not necessarily their seats. Seats will be assigned according to seniority. Ticket holders will also be limited to two tickets maximum. If someone only has one ticket now, they will not be able to get another.
Ticket holders who purchased their tickets during the 2001-2002 season or after, will forfeit their tickets. The newly-ticketless employees will have the option of entering a lottery for the 200 third-tier tickets. Once the lottery winners are chosen, their seats will also be assigned by seniority.
Members said they wanted to plan for a natural turnover by adding tickets to
the lottery whenever faculty and staff season ticket holders do not renew their tickets.
SenEx also unanimously decided to allow ticket holders to request seating near friends, but did not make any guarantees.
The groups requesting adjacent seating will be seated according to the seniority of the lowest-ranking staff member.
SenEx will continue to discuss the issue at their meeting Tuesday.
"We have to make a decision eventually." Davis said.
— Edited by Dave Nobles
KU First campaign reaches goal early
By Danielle Hillix
dhillix@kansan.com
kansan staff writer
The largest fund-raising campaign in the history of the University of Kansas has met its goal. And it's not stopping there.
KU First: Invest in Excellence exceeded its goal of $500 million yesterday,1 13 months before its scheduled December 2004 end date.
A $15 million dollar pledge from the Kansas Masonic Foundation, announced yesterday at the University of Kansas Medical Center, brought total campaign contributions to $501.7 million.
Money raised by KU First has funded research, construction projects and support for student and faculty.
Although the campaign has raised significant funds, Forrest Hoglund, KU First chairman, said many of the campaign priorities were still underfunded.
Because of the underfunding, the University of Kansas Endowment Association will continue the KU First campaign until December 2004, as originally planned.
The additional money will go toward the underfunded areas,such as scholarships,fellowships,professorships,capital projects and program support.
It has been a good two days for the campaign. In addition to the $15 million
The money has been designated for three scholarship funds as well as a University-based Special Olympics program.
donation it received yesterday, the program will receive another large contribution tonight.
Chamberlain died in 1999 and played for Kansas from 1956-1958. He
"We are proud to accept this gift honoring his name and generosity," said Dale Seuferling, president of the Endowment Association.
At halftime's basketball game between Kansas and Tennessee-Chattanooga the Athletics Department will announce a $650,000 donation from the estate of former Kansas basketball player Wilt Chamberlain.
left Kansas after three years to play professionally for the Harlem Globetrotters. He did not return to the University until 1998, when his jersey was retired in Allen Fieldhouse. Chamberlain's sister, Barbara Lewis, said that the night was special to her brother.
"There was the constant ovation; it brought tears to his eyes and I could tell it affected him when he spoke about it," Lewis said. "He was so excited and overwhelmed by the reaction of the media and the officials and everyone who was there."
Chris Wintering contributed to this story.
Edited by Jonathan Reeder
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