Friday, September 10, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 3
University Council slams anti-evolution decision
By Nathan Willis
By Nathan Willis
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
University Council passed a resolution yesterday opposing the Kansas Board of Education's decision not to mandate evolution instruction in public schools, with only one member voting against it.
The resolution urged the board to rescind its Aug. 11 decision to remove evolution and the big bang theory from the state-mandated curriculum. It also encouraged local school boards to resist changing their current curriculums.
The council will send a letter expressing its position to local and state school boards.
"This will support those high school teachers who are trying to do their jobs," said Peter Gegenheimer, council member and professor of molecular biosciences who did much of the work on the resolution. "They need all the backing they can get."
But not everyone agreed. Allan Pasco,
professor in French, cast the lone vote against the proposal.
Pasco said he had listened to both sides of the issue and came to the conclusion that the University should remain neutral. He cited a recent debate he attended at which he heard both a creationist and evolutionist speak.
"I'd have to say the person supposedly representing the science position looked like a monkey by the end," Pasco said. "I want us to remain neutral."
Others, too, had some problems with the resolution during the council's debate.
"The question is: What does this accomplish?" said T.P. Srinivasan, professor of mathematics. "We are to assume that the State Board of Education is not going to rescind what they did."
Jim Carothers, professor of English and council president-elect, said the answer could be that it wouldn't accomplish much. In general, resolutions have little effect, he said.
"I can't say that I think this resolution,
if passed, will have any more effect than any other resolution that has ever been passed or ever will be passed," Carothers said.
But Gegenheimer said that the state board might have to vote again on the standards because of a technicality, in which case pressure from the University could have some effect. In any case, he said, the University could discourage local boards from modifying their standards.
"This adds fire to the chancellor's words," he said. "I think we strengthen both his position and our own."
The resolution also added power to Chancellor Robert Hemenway's outcries against the decision, said Michael Henry, the council's Student Senate representative.
And the council will continue to work to reverse the decision, Henry said.
"This is simply just the beginning," he said.
Edited by Mike Loader
KU ACLU continues seal inquiry
By Clay McCuistion writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
The KU chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter requesting information about the University of Kansas seal to Chancellor Robert
Hemenway at noon yes terday.
The letter asked for the administration's explanation of the seal's representation of Moses praying to a burning bush and the Latin Bible verse circling the image. The group is concerned that the image and verse may viola
the separation of church
paragraph letter.
and state generally said to be in the First Amendment of the Constitution, which bans government-established religion.
Kevin Sivits, KU ACLU president, and Buddy Lloyd, the group's media director, wrote and signed the three-
Mary Burg, executive assistant to the chancellor, said Hemenway hadn't seen the letter yesterday because he was visiting the University of Kansas Medical Center. She said the chancellor would read the letter today and decide how to respond.
"At this point we're not aware of a possible answer that would make us happy," Sivits said. "That is why we are writing this letter."
He and Lloyd said if they had not received a response within a week, they would try to schedule a meeting with the chancellor.
"On its face, the seal seems problematic," said Lloyd. "This case has national ramifications."
The pair met yesterday morning with Richard Kurtinbach, executive director of the Kansas and western Missouri affiliate of the ACLU. The affiliate, which has the power to file complaints and pursue legal action,
oversees the KU chapter of the group.
"This is very, very early in the process of the development of the matters," Kurtinbach said. "They've made a very polite request to the University to get their side of it."
He said legal precedents existed in which a public seal was challenged because of a religious message.
"There is a developing body of law that would imply a possible civil liberties issue at KU." Kurtinbach said.
He said that body of law included cases in Albuquerque, N.M., and Edmund, Okla., where city seals were
"There is the element of the tradition of the use of the seal, and people have very strong ties to their alma mater. I'm sure many people would see the questioning of the seal as harmful to that tradition."
Richard Kurtinbach executive director, ACLU of Kansas and western Missouri
successfully challenged because of the inclusion of religious symbols or phrases.
The ACLU's questioning of the seal has become an issue in local media, with features appearing on television news programs and in newspapers.
"There is the element of the tradition of the use of the seal, and people have very strong ties to their alma mater," Kurtinbach said. "I'm sure many people would see the questioning of the seal as harmful to that tradition."
Sivits wasn't surprised by the media attention.
- Edited by Chris Hopkins
Alcohol group to compensate hangers of ad
By Nathan Willis
writer @kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Poster may put $5 in pocket
Hang a poster on your door. Get $5.
That's the offer the social norms media campaign has made to students who live in residence and scholarship halls.
The posters promote drinking in moderation, while the department of student housing maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward any consumption of alcohol. That difference in approach initially caused housing a little consternation about displaying the posters in the halls, said Kimberly Grassmeyer, assistant director of student housing.
If members from the media campaign — which is trying to reduce alcohol abuse at the University of Kansas — spot a poster on a door when they begin scouring the halls in a week or two, the room's residents will receive $5.
"We have struggled with it a little bit," she said.
The posters state that most KU students have zero to five drinks when they party and list other facts designed to show that most KU students drink moderately. Between 3,500 and 4,000 of the posters were given to the department of student housing, which in turn distributed them to the eight residence halls and nine scholarship halls on campus, Berkley-Patton said.
But, Grassmeyer said, the social norms campaign condemns illegal uses of alcohol such as underage drinking, which also is a primary housing goal. Thus, she said, the goals of the two
Jannette Berkley-Patton, project facilitator, said the campaign probably would hand out between $150 and $200 in rewards to about 30 or 40 people. But, she said, no one knew for sure how much until the campaign finished handling out money.
programs were similar.
programs were omitted.
In the residence halls, however, this discrepancy may be unnoticeable, simply because students living there have posted very few posters.
"Some people have opened their mailboxes and put them immediately in the trash." Grassmever said.
Christen Knaack, Leawood junior and Templin Hall resident, agreed.
"I haven't seen any up,' she said. "I don't think anybody's going to put them up."
The poster now inhabits a place on her wall — but she and her roommates are not using it as the media campaign intended.
"We have it up, white side up, so we can write on it," Knaaid said. "I think the free paper was more of a draw than the $5."
Grassmeyer said the poster had better penetration in the scholarship halls.
Danielle Sullivan, Abilene freshman and Sellards Hall resident. agreed.
"I know lots of people who have hung it up to get the
$5," she said. "Everybody is displaying it."
Still, Sullivan had qualms about the message on the poster.
"First of all, five drinks you're drunk," she said, referring to the five drinks that the poster calls moderate drinking. "I think they need to lower their limit or just say, 'Most KU students drink in moderation.'"
Knaack, too, doubted the poster's effectiveness.
"There's no message to it," she said. "It doesn't seem to say anything."
Still, Berkley-Patton said a similar poster campaign at Northern Illinois University, the institution which the University is mirroring in its social norms media campaign, had worked well. She said the poster campaign was exactly how the media campaign wanted to spread its message.
"Our whole point is to make sure our media messages come from the students," Berkley-Patton said.
- Edited by Mike Loader
785-864-4640
www.jayhawks.com
Save 20%
on our new Gear for Sports®
Outta' Line Collection
September 10 - 13
GAME DAY SPECIAL
Buy 2 Outta' Line items receive a Gear for Sports $ cap free
Open Game Day Hours Sept. 11 & 25, 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Senseless regret #37:
"I wish I'd taken advantage of the opportunity to study abroad."
Live life without regrets. Study abroad.
GET KU FIT!
KU FIT is now offering a Noon aerobics class!! This High/Low Impact class is a great way to fit a workout into your busy schedule! The class is offered from 12 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays!
Come check it out!
Open 7 Days A Week
Mon-Thurs 11am-10pm
Fri & Sat 11am-10:30pm
Sunday 11:30am-9:30pm
Largest & Newest Chinese Buffet in Town 1601 W. 23rd St., Suite 104 (Behind Perkins) seek 749-4888
All You Can Eat
KING BUFFET
LUNCH BUFFET $5.25
(Mon.-Sat; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.)
"Children 2-4 Years Old $1.70"
"Children 5-11 Years old $2.60"
DINNER BUFFET 87.28
(Mon.-Thursday: 4 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.)
"Children 2-4 Years Old $2.40"
"Children 5-11 Years old $3.60"
*Gift Certificates Available
SUNDAY BUFFET $7.25
(11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.)
"Children 2-4 Years Old $2.40"
"Children 5-11 Years old $3.60"
CARRY OUT BUFFET
*Nun! Can we take her out?*
*Lunch! $38/bb. All parties.*
*All Parties, Orders Are*
*Welcome. Party Room Available.*
KING BUFFET Royal Coupon $1.50 off
Dinner for Two or more Including all day on Sundays Good till 9/17/98
King Buffet offers over 1,000 MSGfree items daily, including appetizers, soup, a salad bar, fruit, desserts and ice cream.
We feature both lunch and dinner buffets, lunch specials and a delicious selection of healthy choices.
Tempt your taste buds with our savory Cantonese, Hunan, Mongolian, and Szechuan styles
Try our Cantonese-style Roast Duck & Dim Sum for Dinner!
1