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The Inside Front
Monday December 7,1998
News
from campus, the state the nation and the world
CAMPUS
Celebration postponed for Boys and Girls Club
Members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council were disappointed this weekend after their Kwanzaa celebration fell through.
Saturday afternoon, only about five children came, and the supervisor was not present. As a result, the event was postponed.
Every year, the Greek groups put on a presentation at the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club. 1520 Haskell Ave.
"We're not really sure what happened," said Adrian Frankes, council president. "We're going to talk to them and hopefully get something together for next weekend."
Franks said that every year, they taught the children about the seven guiding principles of Kwanzaa, or nguzo saba. Each group one principle to use.
Each group chose one principle to use in a skit production for the children.
"Kwanzaa is a unique African-American holiday that focuses on family, community responsibility and self-improvement," Franks said. "I hope that things work out and we can tell the children about it."
The presentation is tentatively rescheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club.
Sorority brightens up children's Christmas
Gamma Phi Beta sorority will have extra visitors tonight when about 25 children come to the house for a holiday gift exchange.
Members of Big Brothers and Big Sisters will come to the house around 7 p.m. for activities and presents.
Aarin Beckerle, outgoing public relations vice president, said that last year was the first time the sorority had the exchange. She said that things went so well that they decided to do it again.
"The kids had so much fun, and it was neat to see their faces when they picked out presents," Beckerle said.
Beckerle said that the residents in each house room were responsible for buying a gift. Other sorority and fraternity houses also donated gifts.
All of the presents will be under the Christ mas tree unwrapped, and the children will take turns choosing what they want.
"They'll usually sit there and play with their gifts for awhile too," Beckerle said. "Last year one of the rooms bought a bike and the kids were so excited."
The children will probably get to choose more than one gift. All of the remaining gifts will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters so that they can distribute them to needy children.
Sarah Hale
STATE
Inmate escapes with car from Lansing prison
LANSING — A man serving prison time for robbery and a drug conviction
escaped from the Lansing Correctional Facility, officials said.
Robert A. Nichols, a minimum-custody inmate from Kansas City, Kan., escaped about 9 p.m. Saturday. The way Nichols escaped from the prison was still under investigation Sunday, but authorities confirmed that Nichols stole a car from the premises, said Tabor Medill, a spokesman for the facility.
Nichols, 43, was serving a five- to 20-year prison sentence for violating parole on an aggravated robbery and drug conviction in Wyandotte County.
NATION
Jury convicts father of injecting son with HIV
ST. CHARLES, Mo. — A man convicted of injecting his son with the AIDS virus may spend the rest of his life in prison — a prospect that is little comfort to the boy's mother.
"Although the trial is over, and the one responsible for this inhumane crime has been brought to justice ... my son has been robbed of a normal childhood and given an unjust sentence of his own," said the woman, identified only as Jennifer to protect the boy's identity.
A jury convicted Brian Stewart, 32, of Columbia, Ill., of first-degree assault late Saturday and recommended life in prison. Sentencing was set for Jan. 8.
Stewart's son, now 7, was diagnosed with AIDS in 1996.
Stewart showed no emotion. He is expected to appeal.
Prosecutors used circumstantial evidence to convince the jury that Stewart, who worked as a hospital technician at the time, stole HIV-infected blood from his workplace and injected it into the 11-month-old boy during a hospital visit in 1992.
Prosecutors said his motive was to avoid paying child support. No syringe or any other evidence linking Stewart to the crime was found.
Defense attorney Joe Murphy said the prosecution presented no actual proof that Stewart injected his son.
WORLD
New Algerian attacks raise death toll to 52
The embattled prime minister, in a televised state-of-the-nation address Sunday before Parliament, insisted the nearly 7-year-old insurgency was under control.
ALGIERS, Algeria — Muslim militants slashed the throats of seven people in an Algerian mountain town, authorities said Sunday, raising to 52 the death toll from a new wave of violence.
A brief government statement said the victims were killed "with savagery" Saturday night in the town of Merad, 60 miles west of the capital. The latest wave of attacks began Wednesday.
Hospital officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the militants also shot and wounded five people who tried to flee.
More than 75,000 people have died since the insurgency began in 1992 after the government canceled elections the Islamic Salvation Front was expected to win.
The latest killings came barely two weeks before the holy month of Ramadan — a time when violence usually increases in Algeria.
BEJING — The Chinese government said Sunday it had executed a computer executive and an office worker for smuggling computers, pagers and other electronic goods into the country.
Two executed in China for computer smuggling
The deaths come as China carries out a campaign to enforce trade barriers that shield its industries from foreign competition in an attempt to quash a multibillion-dollar market for illegally imported products.
Tang Mihong, general manager of the Beijing Huili Computer Development Co., and office worker Zhao Jian were convicted of running a smuggling ring from 1992 to 1995, the state-run Xin-hua News Agency said.
With the help of accomplices at research institutes and trading companies, the pair imported electronic goods worth a total of $6.8 million, the report said.
China has maintained the value of its currency while those of other countries have plunged recently, creating the potential for huge profits to smugglers who can get goods bought cheaply abroad into the Chinese market.
Smugglings is believed to account for as much as 15 percent of Chinese imports or some $30 billion a year.
Russian ship rescues immigrantars near Malta
ROME — A Russian ship rescued 50 illegal immigrants from the waters of Malta after they were thrown overboard by their smugglers, according to a report Sunday. Ten people were missing and feared drowned.
The smugglers apparently panicked when they saw the Russian merchant ship approach Saturday night in the Mediterranean, about 90 miles south of Malta, according to Italian RAI state television.
Most of the immigrants were from Africa. RAI showed the survivors, some of them wrapped in blankets, getting off the Russian ship Sunday in Valletta, Malta's main port.
Officials aboard an Italian naval vessel helping in the rescue said there was little hope the search would find any survivors yesterday in the rough, cold waters, RAI reported.
The smugglers were likely trying to take the people to the Italian island of Sicily, RAI said.
The Associated Press
ON THE RECORD
A KU student was the victim of domestic battery between 4 and 4:24 p.m. Friday in the 1500 block of Lynch Court, Lawrence police said.
The windshield, hood, rearview mirrors and windshield wipers of a KU student's car were damaged between 2:28 and 2:30 a.m. yesterday morning in the 1700 block of West 19th Street, Lawrence police said. The damage was estimated at $500.
■ The license plate tag was stolen from a KU student's car between 3:00 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday in the 500 block of Colorado Street, Lawrence police said. The tag was valued at $3.
- The passenger-side window of a KU student's car was smashed and a CD player was stolen from the car between 1:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Friday in the 1300 block of West 24th Street, Lawrence police said. The damage was $375, and the CD player was valued at $325.
The driver-side window of a KU student's car was smashed between 12:30 and 3:50 a.m. in the 1600 block of High Drive, Lawrence police said. Police did not know the value of the damage.
A television was stolen from KU student's home between 7 and 8:25 p.m. Dec. 1 in the 1900 block of West 31st Street, Lawrence police said. The television was valued at $450
A cellular phone was stolen from a KU faculty member at 10:20 a.m. Dec. 2 in the 1500 block of West 23rd Street, Lawrence police said. The phone was valued at $50.
A KU student's license plate tag was stolen between 7 p.m. Nov. 20 and 3 p.m. Dec. 2 in the 1100 block of Tennessee Street, Lawrence police said. The tag was valued at $3.
A KU student was the victim of phone harassment between 12:10 and 12:20 a.m. Saturday in the 2700 block of Louisiana Street, Lawrence police said. Police have no suspects.
- The rear tires of a KU student's car were slashed between 12:30 and 4:20 a.m. Sunday in the 1300 block of Ohio Street, Lawrence police said. The damage was $250.
Suggestions could include fines, sanctions
Continued from page 1A
many of the ideas of people who testified before the task force. They included local college and high school students, Lawrence police and KU Public Safety Officers, substance-abuse professionals and local tavern and restaurant owners.
"These people have helped the task force to investigate and review the nature of alcohol use by underage individuals in our community." Weinberg said.
If the recommendations are approved by the task force, it does not necessarily mean that the job is finished.
Some of the recommendation would require actions by the University of Kansas, Haskell, the Lawrence school district, the city commission and the Legislature
"It will take some time in review for these recommendations to have an effect in the community," Weinberg said. "But if they are acted on, they could have a very positive impact."
Kevin Yoder, student body president and a member of the task force agreed.
"The better job that we do coming up with real and practical recommendations, the more effective they will be." Yoder said.
"the task force is not an enforcing or enacting body," Yoder said.
He said that any recommendations would be a starting point for future policy changes.
ON CAMPUS
The Office of Student Financial Aid will have student-loan repayment information available for graduates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Friday at 50 Strong Hall. More information about repayment options and individual loan counseling is available by calling the financial aid office at 864-4700.
Intervarsity Christian Fellowship meets for prayer at 5 p.m. every weekday at Danforth Chapel. Call Susan Hines at 864-6503 for more information
- The Office of New Student Orientation will have orientation assistant application packets and information available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at its table on the Joyhawk Walk at the main lobby in the Kansas Union. Call Heidi Schroeder at 864-2427 for more information.
The KU Deaf Club will have a meeting and social
at 7 tonight at the basement in the Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread Ave. Anyone interested in attending is asked to bring food. Call Elizabeth Fry at (913) 764-4151 for more information.
Writer's Roasts, sponsored by Writing Consulting: Student Resources will be open at the following times and locations: from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday through Thursday at 4003 Wescow Hall and the Sunflower Room in the Burge Union; from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday at Alcove G in the Kansas Union; from 9 a.m. to noon Monday at 156 Strong Hall; from 7 to 9 p.m.
Wednesday at Conference Room 109 in the Multicultural Resource Center; and from 7 to 10 p.m.
Sunday at the Academic Resource Center in Templin. Call 864-2399 for more information.
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