Tomorrow's weather
ATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
HIGH 73
HE UNIVERSITY DAILY
PE STATE
PO BOX 5862
KS 64601-3585
51
nansan
Monday September 29,1997
Section:
A
WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Vol. 108 - No.28
(USPS 650-640)
Oops! Now that's bad timing
Basketball game and finals conflict
By Matthew Friedrich
matf@ukans.edu
Kansas st writer
As many as 1,400 students with finals scheduled the evening of Dec. 17 could face parking conflicts because of a men's basketball game scheduled in violation of University of Kansas rules.
The Pepperdine game scheduled for that evening conflicts with finals for students in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science 128 and 138, Business 510 and Business 610. Athletic Department officials are considering rescheduling the game.
The Massachusetts game scheduled for December 10, the University's Stop Day, also violates University rules.
The games were scheduled despite a University Senate statute prohibiting events that require student participation during the final examination period, including Stop Day.
Since 1993, three men's and women's basketball games have been scheduled on Stop Day, two men's games have been scheduled for the last day of finals and six games have been scheduled on the Sunday before finals.
The Pepperdine game is the first scheduled in direct conflict with specific finals.
Rule 1.3.7
University Senate Rules and Regulations 1.3.7 states:
"No university organization shall schedule events or meetings that require student participation during the final examination period, including Stop Day. Exceptions are allowed for local events or meetings on Saturday after 12 noon. A committee which must meet during the final examination period to resolve an academic issue may meet only at a time mutually convenient to all members. Other exceptions to the rule may be made only with the permission of the Calendar Committee or the University Events Committee."
If the game is not rescheduled, students would face multiple conflicts. Students who hold tickets would not be able to attend, and all students taking finals or studying for finals would face a parking shortage.
Only the Calendar Committee or the University Events Committee can grant an exception to the rule, which has not happened.
Provost David Sulenburen said he found out about the violations last Tuesday.
A women's basketball game scheduled for Sunday, December 14, against Arkansas State also might be in violation of the rule, Shulenburger said.
He said he spoke with Athletic Director Bob Frederick and Associate Athletic
Basketball games scheduled on days other than Saturday during finals;
1997
Breakin' the rules
Finals Dec. 11-18
Dec. 10, Men's basketball vs.
Massachusetts. Stop Dav
Dec. 14, Women's basketball vs. Arkansas State. Sunday
Dec. 17. Men's basketball vs. Pepperdine, day of finals
Finals Dec. 12-19
1996
Dec. 11, Men's basketball vs. George
Washington.
Washington, Stop Day
Redmond, WA
Dec. 11, Women's basketball at UMKC,
Stain Day
Dec. 15, Men's basketball vs.
UNC-Asheville, Sunday
Director Richard Konzem, who schedules the men's basketball games, about the conflict.
"My advice to the Athletic Department was to immediately get back to the Calendar Committee." Shulenburger said.
Frederick and Kansas Men's Basketball Coach Roy Williams were out of town and unavailable for comment.
Sulenburger said there was no precedent for dealing with a violation of the University rules. He said the Athletic Department should ask the Calendar Committee for
1095 Women's basketball vs.
Creighton, Sunday
Dec. 15. Women's basketball vs.
Finals Dec. 11-18
Dec. 10, Women's basketball at
Northwestern, Sunday
Dec. 18, Men's basketball vs. Pittsburg State, last day of finals
1994 State, last day of finals
Dec. 18, Women's basketball vs.
Northwestern, Sunday
Finals Dec. 12-19
Dec. 18, Women's basketball vs.
Finals Dec. 13-20
MHS Dec. 13-19
Dec. 19, Women's basketball at Lamar.
Dec. 20, Men's basketball vs. Furman, last day of finals
exceptions for the three games.
Carol Holstead, associate professor of journalism and Calendar Committee chairwoman, said as of yesterday, no one from the Athletic Department had requested exceptions for the December games.
Konzem said he had become aware of the scheduling conflict three weeks ago.
"I made a mistake on the date, and I'm working with Pepperdine to reschedule the game," Konzem said.
See BASKETBALL on page 2A
Student found dead in dorm
Woman died Friday cause not known
Mary Corcoran and Sarah McWilliams mcorcoran@kansan.com mcwilliams @kansan.com Kansan staff writers
Douglas County Coroner Erik Mitchell has not released the cause of death for an 18-year-old KU student found dead Friday morning in her room in Ellsworth Hall.
An autopsy performed Friday on Angie Griffin, Ulysses freshman, was inconclusive, but KU police said hey would continue to investigate the cause of death.
Mailen said police were not considering suicide as a cause of death.
"They haven't determined the cause or time of death, but everything is pointing to natural causes," said KU police Sgt. Troy Mallen. "The investigation hasn't found any signs of foul play."
Griffin was found in her room by her roommate and her roommate's parents between 9:55 and 10 a.m., police said.
Lori O'Toole, Wichita freshman,
lives on Griffin's floor in
Ellsworth. She said several of Griffin's neighbors heard her coughing through Thursday night and into Friday morning.
Griffin had gone to a doctor Thursday for cold symptoms, but the coroner would not confirm that Griffin had a specific illness. A spokesperson for Watkin's Health Center would not comment on whether Griffin had received treatment there.
Mailen said the investigation seemed to show that the death might have stemmed from complications of an illness.
Friends of Griffin, who lived on the 10th floor of the hall, were shocked Friday to hear of her death.
"I was in my room when I looked out the window and saw a lot of ambulances down below," said Mindi Nielsen, Colby freshman who lived down the hall from Griffin. "Then the paramedics came up to our floor."
Students wrote condolence messages on a bulletin board on the 10th-floor lobby, which separates the men's wing from the women's wing. A bouquet of pink flowers was left at the door of Griffin's room yesterday with a message for her parents
Jason Kindred, Lansing fresh-
"It is a tragedy anytime someone so young and with so much promise is lost."
Robert Hemenway
chancellor
man, said Griffin was outgoing and energetic and always went out of her way to be friendly to people.
"She would drive people where they needed to go — even to the airport." Kindred said.
O'Toole said Griffin had tried out for the rowing team and had been excited about making the first cut.
Counseling services arrived at the hall by 11 a.m. Friday to help students deal with the death, KU police said. Students who knew Griffin attended a group session Friday to talk.
"I am saddened at the news of the loss of one of our students," he said in the statement. "It is a tragedy any time someone so young and with so much promise is lost."
In a prepared statement, Chancellor Robert Hemenway responded to the news.
Nice melons!
Jennifer Ward, Woodlands, Texas, freshman, laughs while teammates pile on watermelons during the Watermelon Fest Saturday in front of the Lambda Chi Alpha house. Photo by Geoff Krieger/KANSAN
Mike Goff, Kansas City, Kan., sophomore, beats Jon Shepard, Reston, Va., junior, to the finish line in the 800-meter run of the Wheat Meet. The annual competition, which benefits cancer research, was held at Memorial Stadium yesterday. Photo by Geoff Krieger/KANSAN
Cancer fund-raisers use their noodles
Pasta, track meet bring in $10,000
By Daniel E. Thompson
dhompson@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The meet, one of the largest philanthropic events at the University, raises money for cancer research programs at the University of Kansas Medical Center. It is sponsored by the Chi Omega sorority and Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity.
The 17th annual Jon Blubaugh Memorial Wheat Meet sprinted to a $10,000 finish yesterday, bringing in about $4,000 more than last year.
A pasta party was thrown the night before the meet, bringing about 400 people to the non-alcoholic, $5-a-plate, all-you-can-eat shindig at the Alpha Kappa Lambda house.
But it wasn't faster running, higher jumping or wealthier sponsors that caused an increase in cash. It was carbo-filling.
"The pasta party was a new idea," said Sarah Lamberton, Owasso, Okla., junior and Chi Omega philanthropy chairwoman. "It worked better than the old ideas."
Lamberton said her sorority cooked the feast with help from Bambino's and Paisano's restaurants.
The first gunshot was fired at
Meet results
Get a complete listing of standings from this weekend's Wheat Meet. See page 2B
8:30 a.m. yesterday, starting the 100 meter hurdles preliminary race. The last tape was torn around 2 p.m. About 300 people attended the meet.
The Wheat Meet was not an allgreek event. Anyone could participate.
Registration was $90 for an organization or $10 for an individual.
Jon Shepard, Reston, Va. junior, said he decided the night before to compete individually.
He heard about the event from his friends in the Navy ROTC program. He said he was there for the cause and competition.
Shepard finished first in the 1600 meter run but was edged out in the 800 meter dash by a member of Beta Theta PI fraternity in a photo-finish.
"It was a good race," Shepard said. "The other guy in the Beta house ran a good race."
Then twice, Golf said.
Beta Theta Pi has won the Meet 13 consecutive years and it is an important event for the house.
Mike Goff, Kansas City, Kan., sophomore and Beta Theta Pi member, won the event, and his house won the meet trophy.
"Just the competition is fun," he said.
Student Senate looks for ways to fight stacking of committees
Practice leaves vacancies after chairperson elected
By Tim Harrington tharrington@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
The shadow of committee stacking has loomed over Student Senate for as long as many of its members can remember.
Some senators say that this year, the problem is worse than ever before.
Take this year's Rights Committee as an example.
Committee stacking occurs when senators sign onto a committee to vote on the chairperson and vice chairperson at the first meeting of the year. The candidate is usually an acquaintance, and after the vote, many senators never return to the committee.
This year, there were about 120 official appointees to the Rights Committee — an unusually high number.
In the weeks before its first meeting on Sept. 10, student senators who wished to be on the committee filled out applications. Committee membership was available and awarded to any student interested.
"There must be a lot of interest in who chairs Rights this year," said Kelly Huffman, Senate Executive Committee chairman.
Kevin Yoder, Rights Committee chairman, said this was nothing new.
According to Senate attendance records, of the 120 appointees, 77 showed up for the first meeting.
At the second meeting on Sept. 24, 99 appointees did not attend. That's more absentees than there were attendants of the first meeting.
Elections for the chairperson and cochair people occurred at the beginning of the meeting. Thirty-eight appointees were left when the meeting ended.
Yoder said the last Rights meeting ran more than two hours and that members conveyed to him it was too much time.
"This is a question that arises every year," he said. "A lot of times you'll have a freshman come in who's not sure if he wants to be on the committee but wants to get involved. Then they find out that it's not all that exciting or that they don't have the time to commit to it."
He said he thought stacking became a concern when student organizations with special interests set up booths to distribute committee applications. But, he said, only a legislative change could address the problem.
Seth Hoffman, all-scholarship hall council senator who ran against Yoder for the chairman position, said stacking was becoming an overwhelming illmense.
"I think the problem is in the people that deny that it goes on," Hoffman said. "People leaving because a meeting is running late is one thing, but people not showing up ever again is something completely different."
The Rights Committee is not alone in its attendance woes. Other committees have similar records.
The Finance Committee began its first meeting with 44 appointees. It ended with 14. At its second meeting there were 29 absentees, and another 14 people left early.
The University Affairs Committee had 54 appointees in attendance at the start of its first meeting and ended with 26. At its
See SENATORS on paae 2A
Going someplace?
Attendance after two meetings of Rights, Finance and University Affairs committees.
Total appointees: about 120
Attendance at start of first meeting: 77
Attendance at finish: 38
Attendance at finish: 38
Absentees at second meeting: 99
Finance:
Total appointees: 63
Attendance at start of first meeting: 44
Attendance at finish: 14
Absentees at second meeting: 29 full, 14 left early
University Affairs:
4
Total appointees: 78
Total appointees: 78
Attendance at start of first meeting: 54
Attendance at finish: 26
Attendance at finish: 26
Abbreviation of student ID: 40
Absentees at second meeting: 69
4