Wednesday inside
Supply and demand
A fewer number of racquetball courts causes an inconvenience for students, but a student-run recreation advisory committee promises to review the issue. PAGE 3A
'Hippie' commission
Lawrence City Commissioner Dennis "Boog" Highberger recalls his college days at
the University of Kansas where his career in politics began. PAGE 8A
Whittemore could return
Bill Whitte more has started practice ing again this week, after sitting out
three weeks with an injured shoulder. PAGE1B
In the zone
Coach Bill Self is looking to improve the outside shooting of
the men's basketball team so that the team can beat a zone defense. PAGE 1B
Knocking off the 'Huskers
The Kansas volleyball team wants to edge past Nebraska tonight
to possibly secure a postseason berth. PAGE1B
Weather Today
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Two-dayforecast tomorrow friday
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6542
windy partly cloudy and warm
— Brandi Gunter, KUJH-TV
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index
Briefs 2A
Opinion 4A
Sports 1B
Sports briefs 2B
Horoscopes 4B
Comic 4B
KANSAN
Vol.114 Issue No.63
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
The Student Newspaper of the University of Kansas
Rick's Place moves west
Commission allows bar into neighborhood
By Amanda Kim Stairrettt
astairrettk@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Rick's has a place in Old West Lawrence.
Last night, the Lawrence City Commission approved by a vote of three to two to allow Rick's Place to move from 623 Vermont St. to 846 Illinois St.
"I'm happy beyond belief right now," said Rick Younger, owner of Rick's Place, after the decision.
after the decision.
The commission voted on the issue because city law says a bar can't be located within 400 feet of a school or church. St. Sophia's Orthodox Church is located in the Old Towe Square shopping center at Ninth and Illinois streets, less than 200 feet from the bar's new site.
In September, Younger learned he had to move his bar because a new developer had plans for the building. Younger found a spot in the strip mall that had been occupied by Dodson Liquor and
Younger was met with opposition from the Old West Lawrence Neighborhood Association. Dale Slusser, association president, said residents were concerned that noise and traffic would be a menace.
Keg. The liquor store recently went out of business.
"We don't feel it is appropriate for a bar to be located in a residential neighborhood." he said.
But not everyone in the neighborhood agreed with Slusser. Jim Joyce said he wasn't aware the Neighborhood Association had already made a decision on the issue. Joyce said a few people in the neighborhood were speaking for everyone.
"I don't see what the problem would be having Rick's in the neighborhood," he said.
Younger himself is a resident in the Old West Lawrence Neighborhood. His bar's new site is four blocks from his home.
"It's not like we've got a bunch of dopers or alley addicts," Younger said of his bar's patrons.
Five citizens came to the commission meeting to praise Younger and his business.
Niki Christopher said the bar wasn't a "typical party house bar."
"Lawrence is special because of places like Rick's." she said
Residents opposed to the move didn't disagree with the compliments. They just agreed that a bar, no matter what reputation, would bring unwanted traffic into the neighborhood. One resident, Nathan Webb, said he was opposed to the bar based on past experiences he had when Dodson Liquor and Keg was in the strip mall.
Matt Murphy, an employee at Jayhawk Tropical Fish and Oklahoma City junior, said he didn't see a problem with a bar moved in two doors down.
SEE RICK'S ON PAGE 6A
Rick Yunger, Lawrence resident, pondered comments about the move of his drinking establishment, Rick's Place, during the Lawrence City Commission meeting last night.
Jared Soares/Kansan
Student finds time to be busy
Overland Park senior dreams of attending Oxford someday
By Zack Hemenway
zhemenway@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
With two majors, one husband, her own charity, a pageant title and free time spent competing for honors like a Rhodes Scholarship, Jennifer Sweeten's to-do list is usually packed. The Overland Park senior keeps the list in her laptop, organizing her many tasks by when they need to be completed.
To Do Today: Rhodes semi-finalist interview. Sweeten is vying for one of the two finalist spots each state receives for the scholarship, which gives recipients more than $50,000 to study at Oxford University in England.
Jennifer Sweeton, Leavenworth senior, played a game of chess on Friday night. Sweeton is interviewing today for the opportunity to be a Rhodes Scholarship finalist and attend Oxford University to study psychology. "I like learning about the link between the brain and behaviors," Sweaton said. She said her chess games usually lasted 30 minutes to an hour, depending on her opponent.
Sean Smith/Kansan
Oxford has been Sweeton's dream destination ever since the psychology and French double major first became interested in brain chemistry. Dorothy Bishop, a professor at Oxford, is one of the world's experts on cognitive neuroscience, the field Sweeton wants to study in graduate school.
Oxford is an obvious next step, as Sweeten's interest in the subject has already taken her to Harvard. She spent the semester there last fall, studying behavioral genetics, a subject not offered at the University of Kansas. Sweeten first discovered Bishop's work in that class.
"I got a good idea of what it would be like to work there and be in that environment," she said.
She has Bishop in her corner. Sweeton spent a day with the professor this summer in Oxford, and Bishop has written a letter of recommendation for her Rhodes application. Sweeton said the visit helped. her decide she wanted to study at Oxford.
To Do Tonight: dinner with husband. Sweeten took a day off from her honeymoon for her stopover in Oxford. She and Josh Fry were married last June after a 20-month engagement. But the wedding almost took place after only a few hours of planning.
"We were trying to decide what to do for fall break." Sweeton said. "And he just said, 'let's go to Vegas and get married.'"
Sweeten and Fry went to Las Vegas with no plans other than marriage — they had no travel arrangements, and literally the clothes on their backs — but
changed their minds on the wedding, so that friends and family could attend. Fry said another factor influenced the decision.
"Her parents would have crucified me." he said with a laugh.
Still, Sweeten didn't have to think twice about the spontaneous question.
"I always knew the answer would be ves." she said, smiling at the memory.
To Do This Week: Set up Rilly Project bin at CCO. Somewhere in between her majors, minors and other interests, Sweeten found time to create a charity. Named after Sweeten's great-grandmother, who dropped out of school in fourth grade to work on the family farm, the Rilly Project provides foster care children with school supplies.
"Kids sometimes go to foster homes with nothing of their own," Sweeton said. "This provides them with something to call theirs."
To Do Eventually: Return to Headquarters. Though she doesn't have time this semester, Sweeton has worked at local Headquarters Counseling Center for almost four years, manning the
SEE STUDENT ON PAGE 6A
O & A
Janet Murguia, executive vice chancellor for University Relations, answered a question yesterday from Tommy Bobo, North Augusta, S.C., junior. The open forum on higher education funding was held at the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics.
Lindsev Gold/Kansan
创
New England court rules for gay marriage
By Steve Schmidt
sschmidt@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court declared the state's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional in a four to three ruling yesterday, and gave its legislature 180 days to remedy the problem.
In Lawrence, students and community members gave mixed reaction to the ruling.
The stances reflect a national poll on attitudes toward gay marriage showing that people 20 to 30 years old are evenly split on the issue. The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press conducted the poll.
Patrick Ross, president of Queers and Allies, said he was ecstatic about the decision. He is a member of the Kansan editorial board.
"I think it's a step in the right direction," the Topeka sophomore said. "Slowly, everyone is realizing that gay rights aren't special rights, and we deserve protection just like everybody else."
Ross said domestic partnerships and civil unions were fine but that the queer community deserved the same right as straight couples; legal marriage. The ruling helps make Ross feel optimistic about the possibility.
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SEE MARRIAGE ON PAGE 6A
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