6A NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY HARY KANSAN
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2007
》 DOCUMENTARY
Film proposes other explanation for Sept.11
'Oil, Smoke and Mirrors' challenges U.S. foreign policy regarding terrorism, oil supply
BY SASHA ROE
sroe@kansan.com
On the sixth anniversary of Sept. 11,2001,a film that questions the attacks and the United States' international response will be shown at Liberty Hall.
The documentary, "Oil, Smoke and Mirrors," takes a look at Sept. 11 conspiracy theories and the connection to the current U.S. government's domestic and international policies. The film contends that the public has been misinformed about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, war in Iraq and the government's motives.
The ideas presented could be extreme for some people. Some of
the opinions expressed in the film suggest that the Sept. 11 attacks were the product of the U.S. government and that the attacks were used to pursue military and economic goals of the U.S. administration. The tagline for the movie reads, "There is no war on terror."
Lawrence nonprofit group Films for Action is sponsoring the screen-
tim Hiersted, Lawrence sophomore and one of the founders of Thomas Hellas, phre
The film's press release said that the information presented was a discouraging yet factual description of the nation's current situation. It is important for the public to be exposed to the information in an effort to change the direction the U.S. is taking with foreign policy; the release said.
ing Tim Tippen more and one o. Films for Action, said the purpose of the film was to provide information that people might not get from mainstream media and to allow them to decide for themselves. Hiersted said the information might be hard for people to believe at first.
"That terrorists did this without many resources and weren't very wealthy, it's frightening. That's when people tend to think there has to be a bigger explanation."
but he said he thought there was solid evidence from scientists and
THOMAS HEILKE Professor of political science
devastating attack.
devstating attack.
"The attacks defied the imagi-
professor of political science, said conspiracy theories arose from people's need to understand and explain overwhelming events. Regarding Sept. 11 conspiracy theories, Helike said people most likely were trying to make sense of such a
nation," Heilke said. "The thought that terrorists did this without many resources and weren't very wealthy, it's frightening. That's when people tend to think there has to be a bigger explanation."
The film also touches on the issue of peak oil, the point at which the world's oil supply will run out. Hiersed said the film did a great job of explaining the situation.
"It it shows that oil equals power," Hjersted said. "And our administration chose to deal with it by going to war with Iraq."
Heilke said the issue tied into more conspiracy theories and "the fog of war."
"The direct connection of what
caused what gets lost." Heilke said.
Heilke said some connections that people made from the war on terror to the global oil situation could be purely speculative. He said it was difficult to say the war on terror wasn't about defending our country from further attacks and was completely about oil.
Hjersted said he hoped the film would give people accurate information to make informed decisions and views that aren't usually presented.
"Oil, Smoke & Mirrors" plays at 7 tonight at Liberty Hall. The $2 admission benefits Films for Action.
Edited by Tara Smith
LAWRENCE
Underage drinkers beware bouncers get fake ID training Police sponsor effort to spot frauds, prevent underage drinking
BY MARK DENT mdent@kansan.com
Adam MacDonald/KANSAN
J. Taylor and Tyler Yeakel, Lawrence seniors, enjoy catered food for a seminar to educate local bar and restaurant employees about fake IDs Monday night at Abe and Jake's Landing, Taylor and Yeakel said it wasn't difficult to away underage drinkers because it was just part of the job. The seminar was sponsored by the Lawrence Police Department and the Kansas Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
It's Friday night at The Wheel, and J. Taylor has to make a choice as he works the door.
A young-looking student stands in front of him with a questionable driver's license stating she's 22. Taylor, Lawrence senior, can let the student in or turn her down.
"It's not too tough," he said after attending an alcohol compliance education training session. "It's not my decision; it's my boss's. I respect who I work for and what it stands for. I don't want to get him in trouble."
The Lawrence Police Department tried to make that decision simpler for about 200 workers from local alcohol-selling establishments by educating them about fake IDs Monday at Abe and Jake's Landing. Police provided the training to help prevent underage drinking.
Karen Price, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, gave tips to the workers about detecting fake driver's licenses. She said the state's font was sometimes smaller than on real licenses, and that the addresses were often in all capital letters instead of mixed lowercase and capitals. She wanted the workers to compare the facial features of the person and the picture — even the smallest differences.
"One agent absolutely swears by checking the bottom of the nose to the top of the lip." Price said.
Still, bouncers at bars, waiters and waitresses at restaurants and
liquor store clerks must make tough decisions every night. Taylor said he usually turned down 10 to 15 people each shift. Sometimes, Taylor said, fake IDs are as good as real ones. He said bouncers have to notice the person's demeanor to make decisions in those situations.
Angry patrons are another problem. Tyler Yeakel, a Lawrence senior who also works at The Wheel, said people who are turned down often get upset.
Taylor said that he can still do his job well despite the pressure.
"We're the badasses at the bar," he said. "Drunk people aren't that easy to work with, and it's tough to be on top all of the time. But our job is to minimize the error."
The meeting to crack down on underage drinking comes three years after Lawrence police last tried similar efforts, according to Mike Pattrick, Lawrence police captain. He said police were trying to
prevent underage drinking, not to arrest students.
Their first priority is teaching the staff at drinking establishments how to identify minors, Pattrick said. But he also said the police would enter bars and liquor stores periodically to see how many minors were there and to gauge how well their prevention efforts were working.
Edited by Tara Smith
CRIME
Man kills former co-worker, self at Wisconsin factory
By DINESH RAMDE Associated Press
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — A gunman in camouflage killed a former co-worker inside a Wisconsin factory early Monday, then committed suicide in the sprawling building, police said.
She was on the job Monday when she was shot to death around 4:30 a.m., police Lt. Michael Williams said. Her attacker fired one shot, hitting her in the abdomen; then, when she tried to get away, he shot her in the head, said Kirk Engholt, vice president of human resources for Rockline.
Police identified the shooter as Shadow Yang, 40, and the victim as Christina Wollenzien, 28. Both lived in Sheboygan.
Wollenzien was an assembly line worker in Rockline Industries' coffee filter division and had worked in the same area as Yang until about a year ago, a company official said.
As many as 130 other employees were in the factory near downtown Sheboygan at the time and quickly fled as officers cordoned off the area. About 20 tactical team officers searched the block-long building before finding Yang's body; police said it was unclear when he shot himself.
Yang apparently forced his way into the plant, police Lt. Jeff Johnston said.
"A heavy object was used to smash the window on an exterior door," he said.
Employees who witnessed the shooting said it appeared Yang was targeting Wolltenzien, Johnston said. Other employees did an impressive job of evacuating the plant, he said.
One handgun was found at the scene, but Johnston said the investigators were still looking over the factory for possible evidence.
Yang had quit his job in October, after working there as a materials handler for about five years, Engholt said. The only blemish on his work
record was one unexcused absence. he said.
"No problems, no complaints," Engholt said. "That's why we're mystified by what happened here."
Yang drove a forklift and would have come into contact with Wollenzien occasionally, Engholt said. Wollenzien had worked at the plant about nine years, he said. Her mother also worked there, although on a different shift.
Wollenzien's sister, April Heinecke, 25, huddled in the drizzle with about a dozen others outside the plant Monday afternoon. Her mother, who was not at work, had called her in the morning with news of the shooting.
There was no evidence that Yang and Wollenzien were romantically involved, Johnston said. Yang was divorced, and Wollenzien was single.
"She is someone we loved very much, she will be very much missed," the sister said.
Heinecke said that her sister had no relationship with Yang other than as co-workers and that she didn't know of anything he could have had against her.
It was minor, brought quickly under control and caused mostly smoke damage in the duplex's upper unit, said Daniel Pitsch, a shift commander for the Sheboygan Fire Department.
"That's why everybody is baffled," she said.
About 45 minutes before the shooting, firefighters were called to a fire at Yang's duplex apartment, Williams said. The fire was intentionally set, he said.
Before Monday, police said, the only contact they had with Yang was issuing him a citation for unsafe parking.
Rockline Industries, a family-owned company headquartered in Sheboygan, makes items including coffee filters and baby wipes. It does business in more than 50 countries and has more than 1,800 employees worldwide.
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