UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
5A
Jon's Notes fails at K-State
Students still have to take their own notes in class
By Novelda Sommers
Kansan staff writer
Jon's Notes has written its final chapter at Kansas State University.
The privately owned note-taking company that tried to operate at K-State was doomed from the start, said Matt Rye, manager of the Nebraska-based company.
The company's effort at K-State lasted about a year and met opposition from the outset. Varney's University Book Store in Manhattan recently canceled the service's lease for office space, ending the service at K-State.
But company representatives say there is no way the same could happen to the University of Kansas branch.
Rye said Jon's Notes in Manhattan flopped for several reasons. When professors continually barred the note-taking service from their classrooms, Jon's Notes tried to sell the notes anyway.
Dan Walter, textbook manager at Varney's, said the company's lease was canceled after bookstore managers discovered the company's new tactics. Professors from the university also sent letters to the bookstore threatening to encourage students to shop somewhere else.
"They could have been legitimized if they would have continued to operate the original way," Walter said. Rye said the company was founded on a permission-only policy.
"Our competitors started coming in and doing it
Rye said he thought K-State professors formed opinions about the service before they knew very much about it.
without permission, and having some success," he said.
"One professor told a reporter we had affected his attendance by 50 percent, and grades were down," he said. "It turns out we didn't even sell notes for his class."
John Bunch, professor of business and faculty advisor for K-State's Entrepreneurship Club, said students in the club wanted to help the service set re-established on campus.
Bunch said he thought Jon's Notes was a valid service that could help students and professors.
"The company hires very good students who are already in the class," he said. "The result is that those notes are a feedback mechanism for the professor. If Jon's Notes are bad, chances are few people in the class are taking good notes."
Bunch said many K-State professors opposed the notes because they thought that the service was theft of academic property, that it discouraged class attendance and that students with poor note-taking skills would not improve.
But their biggest complaint was that note-takers were operating without professors' permission, he said.
Rye said there was no danger of note-takers selling notes at KU without written consent from the instructors.
"We have a good lineup of classes at KU," he said. "If we weren't doing our job and doing it well, we would put ourselves out of business."
Rye said he would try to re-establish the business in Manhattan only if professors would be more accepting of note-takers in their classes.
The American Civil Liberties Union may contact University of Kansas police next week in connection with complaints from Computer Center employees who said that KU police mistreated them, an ACLU representative said yesterday.
Dick Kurtenbach, ACLU executive director for Kansas and western Missouri, said the organization had talked with two employees from the Computer Center who had been questioned by police during investigations of thefts at the Center.
By Scott Worthington Kansan staff writer
ACLU studies KU police actions
The ACLU will try to talk to more employees and will make a final decision Saturday as to whether the case will be pursued, Kurtenbach said.
"We are probably in a position to contact campus police now," Kurtenbach said.
Computer Center employees have alleged that KU police detained them for several hours and led them to believe that they had to take polygraph tests, Kurtenbach said.
Sgt. Rose Rozmiarek of the KU police said the police were investigating thefts at the Computer Center. Rozmiarek said she could neither confirm nor deny that polygraph tests had been given to Computer Center employees because KU police could not discuss an ongoing investigation.
"It seems to us techniques used by the department were overly aggressive," Kurtenbach said.
A polygraph examination is never
"We advise everyone of their rights prior to a polygraph examination," Strnad said. "We also explain to them that a polygraph has to be freely and voluntarily taken. We tell them they can stop the test and start the test any time they want."
administered against a person's will, said KU police Lt. Vic Stradm
There is a federal law that protects a person from being coerced into taking a polygraph test, Kurtenbach said. The law makes it illegal for people to lose their jobs if they refuse to take the test, he said.
"We intend to find out if KU police gave this impression," Kurtenbach said.
According to the KU police employee manual, "A person will not lose his job for refusing to take a polygraph examination," and "A person will not have his wages withheld until an examination is given."
There are no provisions in the manual about the length of the test, but the test usually takes one to two hours, Strnad said.
KU police began investigating thefts at the computer center last year. Between March 1 and Aug. 8, 1995, RAM memory chips valued at $6,758 were stolen from the center. KU police said.
Some of the thefts were from storage areas that could be accessed only by employees, while others were from rooms in the center, police said.
The ACLU has been investigating the case since Friday, when employees first contacted the group. The ACLU said that if the allegations were legitimate, a lawyer would be assigned to the case.
Have you waited more than 30 days for your landlord to return your security deposit?
Quitwaiting. Legal Services for Students
STUDENT
THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
SENATE
148 Burge
864-5665
CHRISTMAS CASH WIN $1000·WIN $500 PICK UP YOUR FREE CHRISTMAS CASH CARD TODAY! HOLIDAY FUN · S CASH WINNERS · LOW PRICED, QUALITY GROCERIES · NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
NATIONAL BRAND POP
12 & 24 PACK
12 OZ. CANS
Over InVOICE
Cost
0000000000000
ALL 12QT. TUB ICE CREAM
Over Invol
FRITO LAY RUFFLES
FRITTO O LAY
2 WEEKS ON 149C
TOSTITOS
(BOTTOM MARKER)
1.38
DOG FOOD 18 LB. AND LANGEN
ALL GRADE "AA" EGGS DOZEN PACK
TAYSTEE
OLD FASHIONED
BREAD
--career fair
$12^{50}
ADDITIONAL PURCHASE
BUDWEISER BEAR
24 P.I.U. COB 018
NATIONAL BRAND BEER
24 PAGE 12 OZ. CANE
BONELESS BEEF K.C.
OVER SLCER-SHAWER
BONELESS
HAM
Christmas CASH
CARRIER DEPTTION
CARRIER DEPTTION
212-454-8700
ZINNAMALA DISTRICT COUNTY
HOLIDAY
EVER
CARE
MONEY
MILD MEDIUM
YELLOW
RED OR WHITE
SEEDLESS
GRAPES
WE WOOD FOOD SUMPS
FOOD SUMPS
WASAN LABORATORY
COOPERS
78¢ LB.
US. NO. 1
RUSSET
POTATOES
10 LB. BAC
OPEN
24
HOURS
EVERY DAY
BONELESS BEEF
ARM CHUCK
STEAK OR ROAST
ECONOMY PAK
98¢ LB.
FAIRLAND JUMBO
DELI FRANKS
COUNTRY STYLE SPARE RIBS
IMPORTED FROM HOLLAND $ 388
SMOKED GODA CHEESE
LB.
MINUTE SAID
ORANGE JUICE
15 OZ. PROPANE
88¢
VIDEO SPECIAL
3 MOVIES/GAMES
3 DAYS $3.00
NEW RELEASES
NOT INCLUDED
PRICES EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER '95
BASIS BASIS TW BASIS TW TW TW TW DAT
17 18 19 19 16
Now accepting receipts from the Spring 1995 semester for rebate payments
Receipts from cash or check purchases are eligible for a 7% rebate at the Customer Service counters of the KU Bookstores.
Ks. Union 864-4640
Burge Un. 864-5697
KU student I.D. required.
Spring semester rebates (period 97)
are available until Dec. 30, 1995.
Computer hardware purchases are not
eligible. Other restrictions may apply.
KU Bookstores Kansas and Burge Unions The only store that offers rebates to KU students
ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
1.00 - 6.00 p.m.
Lawrence Holidome
200 McDonald Drive