monday, august 25, 2003
news
the university daily kansan
3A
Martin case prepares for hearing
Martin's mother added to list of plaintiffs in case
By Maggie Newcomer
mnewcomer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Staci Wolfe remembers how excited her sister, Shannon Martin, was when she got her first microscope for Christmas.
"She had a smile on from ear to ear," Wolfe said. "She was posing for pictures with it in her big, thick glasses."
Martin had always wanted to be a scientist, Wolfe said.
be a scientist.
She was set to graduate from the University of Kansas with honors and a degree in biodiversity, ecology and evolutionary biology in May 2001. She had plans to go to the University of Minnesota after graduation where she had received a
research grant.
Martin never graduated from the University. She never made that trip to Minnesota.
On May 13, 2001, Martin was killed in Golfito, Costa Rica, while on a research trip to collect more specimens of a fern she was researching.
Martin had studied abroad in Golffo for nine months the year before and was staying with the same host family. While walking home alone from a bar where she had been with friends, she was stabbed in the neck, back and abdomen. She died less than 50 yards from her host family's house.
Three Golfito locals, Kattia Cruz, 28, Rafael Zumbado Quesa, 48, and Luis Carillo Castro, 38, were arrested last semester and charged with conspiring to kill Martin.
to kill Martin.
Wolfe said the reason Martin was killed was still a mystery.
The preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 9 in Golfito.
It will determine if there is enough evidence to hold the accused for trial.
Jeanette Stauffer, Martin's mother, will travel to Costa Rica five days before the hearing to talk with witnesses. She said the witnesses were willing to tell her what they knew about the night
Martin
Martin was killed, but they were reluctant to talk to her Costa Rican attorney, Juan Carlos Arce Chavarria, because they didn't trust him. American attorney
Pedro Irigonegaray is assisting.
Pedro Irgonegaley is assisting Stauffer said the trial should start in October.
The trial was set to begin in May, but was delayed because Stauffer became a "quellerate," an official party to the investigation, meaning she is a plaintiff in
the case. Stauffer said her original Costa Rican attorney did not tell her she had the right to become involved in the case, so she switched attorneys and petitioned to become a quellerante.
Chavaria, Larry Thomas and Jesse Ybarra, from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, were then given eight days to interview witnesses and rebuild their case.
case. This trial will bring a long-awaited end to a protracted, two-year drama for Martin's family and friends.
and friends. Wolfe still hasn't decided whether to attend the trial. She said she was hesitant to open herself up to the pain again, not that she has ever stopped feeling it.
it.
"I just wonder why," Wolfe said about people who have suffered untimely deaths. "These are great people who do great things with their lives. Why?"
Edited by Doyle Murphy
Espresso shop receives eco-friendly award
By Danielle Hillix
dhillix@kansan.com
kansan staff writer
A local coffee shop is receiving recognition for its efforts to keep the environment clean.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment will honor Z's Divine Espresso with a Pollution Prevention Award at a ceremony in Wichita tomorrow. The business earned the award for its efforts in energy and waste reduction, as well as its recycling program.
"The cornerstone of our business is to be environmentally responsible," said Mark Zwahl, owner of Z's Divine Espresso.
The coffee shop, with locations on 23rd Street and East Ninth Street, uses several techniques to minimize waste and pollution. Both locations use
energy efficient lighting and one store has motion sensors for its restroom lights.
restroom nights.
To encourage the reuse of coffee cups, Z's offers a 25-cent discount to customers who bring in their own reusable cups. Z's also has an extensive recycling program.
But Zwahl said that it was Z's practice of reusing coffee grounds that has the biggest impact on the environment.
impact on the soil Instead of throwing out its used grounds, Z's donates them to local organic farmers. These farmers use the 100 percent organic grounds for compost and fertilizer.
termites. Zwahl estimated that six tons of coffee grounds have been reused and kept out of landfills since Z's opened in April 2000.
"The cornerstone of our business is to be environmentally responsible."
Mark Zwahl owner of Z's Devine Expresso
more than three years ago, he did it with the environment in mind. Z's mission statement says that the business will function in an environmentally friendly way.
environmentally meaningful "The reason I went into business in the first place was to see if it could be done ethically and responsibly and still be profitable," Zwahl said. "It's not that interesting to have a business that just makes money."
"The more business we do, the more it promotes our cause of environmental responsibility," he said.
he said.
It is important for businesses to take care of the environment, said Ariana Jones, Marshfield, Wis. junior, who was in Z's Divine Espresso drinking a coffee recently.
lee recently. "The more businesses can save and reuse, the better." Jones said. "It's great that a local business got recognized for doing their part."
part:
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment presents the Pollution Prevention Awards annually. The awards recognize businesses, industries municipalities and individuals who make significant contributions to prevent pollution.
Black Student Union seeks more members
By Johanna M. Maska
jmaska@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
He might have appeared casual, but Trey Allen has had big things on his mind.
This week the group's summer efforts begin to take shape. For BSU, one of the largest cultural groups on campus, preparing for a new year of activities has been a team effort.
Allen, lounged on a couch at Saturday afternoon's Black Student Union informational session, geared up for a year of meetings, functions and behind the scene work as BSU focuses on one of its core goals: improving retention rates of African-American students.
This week, BSU will hold its first full meeting of the year. The group is one of many cultural groups holding meetings the first weeks of school, a crucial time to get the word out about clubs and to recruit new members. The first few weeks of school offer a unique opportunity to reach out to new students who may be interested in joining a group or organization.
BSU's 10-member executive board has helped to create goals, recruits members and organize fund raising activities. Last week the group organized a T-Mobile table as the first fund raiser for the organization.
"I have to step back and give credit to my executive board." Allen said.
organization Getting students involved in BSU early is important, Allen said. He's been impressed with the ability of BSU to create a forum where upperclassmen and graduate students welcome the freshman and give them advice.
freshman and give "BSU gives you an edge as a freshman," Allen said.
freshman, Allen bark And he should know. Last year, Allen joined BSU as a freshman
OTHER UPCOMING MULTICULTURAL MEETINGS:
Asian American Student Union, beginning 7:30 p.m. Sept.
2. Burge Union
Hispanic American Leadership Organization, 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Classroom of the MRC
National PanHellenic Council Executive Board, 5:45 p.m. Mondays, Kansas Union
Inspirational Gospel Voices, 7 p.m. Thursdays, Burge Union
Vietnamese Student Association, 6.p.m.every other Tuesday beginning this week,Courtside at Burge Union
and joined BSU's executive board as a Big 12 conference delegate. Now he is the group's president.
Allen said BSU meetings helped keep students plugged into beneficial campus events. In September, for example, there will be a Minority Student Success Conference, which is designed to help students get an early start preparing for their entry into the job market. BSU announces events such as these at its weekly meetings.
at its weekly meeting
C'Nea Hatches, BSU's vice-
president, said she was looking
forward to BSU's activities this
year.
year. "We just celebrated our 40 year anniversary so this is the year we're planning an event surrounding that." Hatches said.
Hatches said the key to success for the group is recruiting and retaining members.
Edited by Shane Mettlen
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