The weekend's weather
Tomorrow:
Partly sunny and warmer.
HIGH LOW 62 40
Sunday: Partly sunny with continued mild temperatures.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
HIGH 63
Kansan Weekend Edition
LOW 44
Friday
November 13, 1998
Section:
A
Vol. 109 • No. 61
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Student charged with rape and sexual battery
(USPS 650-640)
By Kelli Raybern
Kansan staff writer
A University of Kansas student was arrested Wednesday morning on charges of rape, sexual battery and furnishing alcohol to a minor.
Gregory Hunsucker, Olathe freshman, was charged in Douglas County District Court with the rape of an Ellsworth Hall resident and the sexual battery of another. Both incidents occurred Oct. 17 in two Ellsworth rooms.
Sgt. Troy Mailen of the KU Public Safety Office said that both women were acquaintances of Hunsucker, 18, and that they all had attended a party in the residence hall that night.
The rape was reported as occurring between 1:05 and 1:15 a.m., according to a police report, which was filed by the victim Oct. 18.
Another police report said the sexual battery occurred between 3 and 3:15 a.m.
"Some gestures and touching took place that constituted sexual battery," he said.
Mailen said the information from the victim of sexual battery arose from a police investigation into the charges of rape and giving alcohol to a minor.
Any person, regardless of age, can be charged for giving alcohol to a minor.
This was the first reported rape on campus this semester.
"Officers conducting the investigation came up with information that the district attorney felt was strong enough to support the additional charge," Malen said.
In 1997, seven rapes and no sexual batteries were reported to the KU Public Safety Office.
Mailen said Hunsucker was allowed to turn himself in at his attorney's request.
Lt. Ken McGovern of the Douglas County Sheriff's office said Hunsucker came to the Douglas County Jail, where the warrant was served, and he was arrested.
Hunsucker appeared in court Wednesday and was released at 4 p.m. on a $40,000 bond.
Hunsucker will face a preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 23 in the Division II courtroom at the Law Enforcement Center, 111 E. 11th St.
Neither Hunsucker nor his family could be reached for comment.
Index
The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is paid through the student activity fee. Additional copies of the Kansan are 25 cents.
News .2A
Classifieds .5B
Sports Picks .2B
Coupons .3B
Top 25 Football .6B
Horoscopes .2B
Movie Listings .5A
Mystery of SUA theater
Screenings switch format, location
By Pallavi Agarwal Konson staff writer
D despite lower ticket prices this semester, attendance at campus movie screenings has declined.
Student Union Activities, which organizes movie screenings five days a week, has seen fewer viewers this semester because of the renovation of Woodruff Auditorium, said Mary Smith, SUA box office supervisor.
Lean Humphrey, SUA features films coordinator, said the movies now were shown in Alderson Auditorium in the Kansas Union on video because the room could not accommodate 16 mm film screenings.
"Alderson does not have much of a theater atmosphere," said Humphrey, Independence, Mo., senior. "As we are forced to show films on video, which have already reached the video stores, we don't offer as much benefit."
Prices this semester for regular shows have been reduced from $2.50 to $2.The midnight shows still are $3.
SUA also is showing more spectrum
films, or art-house films, because these films are lower in cost and relatively inaccessible, even in video stores, she said.
SUA pays between $200 and $800 in video royalties, which are cheaper than film royalties, with an average cost of $400 per video.
The first screening of Spice World, which was scheduled to be shown at 7 p.m. Nov. 3, was canceled because there were no takers.
Although screenings have been canceled in the past because of no turnout, it was the first time this semester. Smith said
SUA's audience numbers also have suffered because of its inability to show sneak previews of films, a big draw in the past. Humphrey said.
SUA has sold an average of seven tickets per show for the 189-seat auditorium this semester. Smith said that attendance tended to be low at the beginning of the week and picked up on weekends.
Sales of movie cards, which allow students to see films at a discount, were lower this semester, with 766 cards sold this year compared to 988 cards last year.
Smith said that on average, only two-thirds of the students picked up their movie cards.
Stacy Lindshield, Lindsbory freshman,
has seen on movie this semester
after paying $50 for the movie tickets.
"I would see more films if I had the time," she said. "It would be nice if they could mail a schedule of the movies."
Tiffany Akers, Olathe senior, has never seen a SUA film even though she has been on campus for more than three years.
"They have a problem with their publicity," she said. "I never go to the Union so I don't know what they are showing."
Humphrey said that promotion was a problem because of budget limitations.
SUA has been hit badly by a University regulation that prohibits the use of classroom bulletin boards for putting up filers, she said.
"We understand that this is a down time, but next semester we hope to bounce back with the renovation of Woodruff," she said.
With the $450,000 refurbishing,
Woodruff Auditorium will get handicap access, better seating, sound and projection systems, said Jim Long, director of
Kansas and Burge Unions.
The refurbishing will be finished in February, he said.
Bad luck and the Bulldogs
The Kansas men's basketball team opens its regular season tonight Friday the 13th. The 'Hawks, who have been riddled with injuries this year, hope their luck will change when they take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Allen Field House.
Behind the scenes
See page 6A
The University Theatre celebrates its 75th anniversary, and it invites the public to share in its history.
See page 1B
Calling for reinforcements
The KU Public Safety Office is sending officers to Manhattan to help patrol the streets after the K-State vs. Nebraska football game.
Check this out
Watson Library will be closed from noon today until noon Sunday. An electrical crew will use the time to replace an electrical transformer. The library may reopen early. Students can call 864-8900 or 864-3506 to find out.
Seepage 3A