SPORTS
The Ultimate Frisbee club is gaining more interest on the KU campus. Page 1B
CAMPUS/AREA
A Lawrence resident protesting a get-well card has ended his 15-day hunger strike. Page 3A
MOSTLY CLOUDY High 85° Low 57° Weather: Page 2A.
KS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
TOPEKA, KS 66612
A cloudy day.
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
VOL.104,NO.22
ADVERTISING: 864-4358
Wednesday, September 21, 1994
(USPS 650-640)
NEWS: 864-4810
Former KU student may sue University
Dan Murrow asks for housing refund
By David Wilson Kansan staff writer
A former KU student says he will sue the University of Kansas if administrators do not grant his request for a tuition reimbursement for being kicked out of Templin Hall in Spring 1994.
Dan Murrow, who was a freshman last year, was given a notice to quit the premises on March 14, 1994, after a string of incidents at Templin that included Murrow's posting of
signs on his door that read, "Homosexuals suck," and "F.A.G.G.O.T.," which stood for "For Abolishing Gay Guys of Templin."
Incident reports were filed by resident assistants for both signs in Fall 1993, prompting housing administrators to ask Murrow to move to Oliver Hall after the Christmas break.
Murrow refused, and after an additional incident report was filed by a female security monitor who said Murrow dropped his pants in front of her, he was asked to leave University housing altogether.
He now lives with his parents in Kansas City, Kan.
council. The board still is reviewing Murrow's request.
Last week, Murrow brought his request for a tuition reimbursement to the Judicial Board, University governance's highest arbitration
"If they don't give me what I want, I'll sue for both semesters," he said from his home last week.
"What's common decency to one person may be different for another," he said. "The rule is too vague."
He also is asking for an apology from the Association of University Residence Halls and a revision of housing rules regarding common decency, which housing administrators said he violated with his actions.
Murrow said that during the proceedings with housing administrators that lead to the cancellation of his housing contract, his right to privacy was violated because his incident
reports were made public, which is against the law.
"There's a lot of laws that have been broken," he said. "Incident reports are confidential."
The resident assistants who wrote Murrow's incident reports agreed, and said they could not comment on Murrow's case.
Jim Schmaedeeke, who was complex director for Lewis and Templin Halls last year, also said he could not discuss any part of Murrow's case.
In addition to the violation of privacy complaint, Murrow said being disciplined for posting signs on his door was a violation of his free speech.
"I think I should have the freedom to do
that," he said. "But they've told me that I can't."
David Ambler, vice chancellor for student affairs, said the Judicial Board would make a recommendation to the chancellor about Murrow's requests.
"We have policies about refunds, but those are usually about illnesses or things beyond students' control," he said.
Ambler said the University had not confronted a case like Murrow's before. But by bringing his case to the Judicial Board, Murrow said he hoped to set a precedent for student rights.
Professor to start Russian Budget Office
"I guess nobody fought them before," he said. "They were trying to go above the law, and I caught them."
Mohamed El-Hodiri plans to head up U.S. team to Russia
By Colleen McCain Kansan staff writer
Although one person cannot affect this change, El-Hodiri said he hoped he could help.
Mohamed El-Hodiri thinks Russians deserve a better economic system than the haphazard system that plagues Russia today.
El-Hodri, professor of economics, will travel to Russia in January to help the Russian parliament establish the Russian equivalent of the General Accounting Office and the Congressional Budget Office.
"Institutions don't evolve overnight," El-Hodiri said. "The Russians hope that we can perform magic, but I just hope to set a good example."
El-Hodiri will serve as chief economist for a team of seven American economists which will work with the parliament. Two other teams of American economists will work with Russia's ministry of finance and Moscow's government.
The economic teams, which are sponsored by the U.S. State Department and organized by Peat Marwick Policy Economics Group, will try to make gradual improvements in Russia's economy. El-Hodiri was selected to be chief economist by the Peat Marwick group and now will spend the spring semester in Rus-
Richard Devinki / KANSAN
See ELHODIRI, Page 7A.
Mohamed El-Hodiri, professor of economics, will be leaving for Russia in January to help the Russian Parliament with its economy. El-Hodiri plans to be in Russia during the spring semesters for the next three to five years.
Russia's economy in turmoil; crime is rampant
KU economics professor to aid Russian parliament in its transitional period
By Colleen McCain Kansan staff writer
Russia's economy has so many problems, it is hard to know where to begin to make changes, Leslie Dienes said.
had degenerated into a sort of jungle capitalism.
"Right now, there are too many forces straining against each other," Dienes said. "It's become a very difficult balancing game."
In January, Mohamed EL-Hodrii, professor of economics, will travel to Russia with a team of seven American economists to help the Russian parliament improve the economy.
El-Hodiri said a basic problem was that Russia lacked an internal ethical system after the fall of communism.
Dienes, professor of Russian and East European Studies, said Russia's economic system
"It is as if you spent your life in a penitentiary, and suddenly the warden is gone," El-Hodiri said. "The warden is gone in Russia, and the
people don't know how to react."
The results of Russia's chaotic economy are rampant crime and suspicion among the people, El-Hodiri said.
"Trust doesn't exist there," he said. "If you talk to people, they don't believe you because they're so used to lies."
Dienes said increased crime, corruption and poverty had resulted from such a rapid transition from communism.
"Americans have advised radical changes too quickly," Dienes said. "In the transition, they have neglected to build institutions."
Speeding up the creation of financial and
legal institutions must be a priority, Dienes said.
"They also must navigate between decreasing the budget deficit and avoiding complete bankruptcy," he said.
Dienes said the Russian economy had continually deteriorated since the fall of communism, but Russians could now begin working toward a free market.
"They have so many problems right now," Dienes said. "The ratios among prices are wrong, and they don't even know which industries are healthy. But they need to begin to change."
SenEx to decide appeals
By David Wilson Kansan staff writer
Repeated appeals by a student who was asked to leave a residence hall last year have prompted an administrator to ask the University Senate Executive Committee to streamline the appeals process.
David Ambler, vice chancellor for student affairs, asked SenEx in August to strike a clause from University Senate Rules and Regulations that allowed students who had unresolved grievances with the Department of Student Housing to present their cases to the Judicial Board, the University's highest arbitration council.
"We ask that recourse to the Judicial Board be deleted because violations of Department of Student Housing policies are also breaches of the housing contracts, which may be litigated in civil courts under applicable landlord-tenant law." he wrote.
In his memo to SenEx, Ambler said housing contract violations were outside the jurisdiction of the Judicial Board.
Ambler said appeals to the Judicial Board were unnecessary because students already had opportunities to appeal within the Department of Student Housing.
Ambler said students could first appeal hall staff decisions to the residence hall director, then to associate directors of student housing and finally to the director of student housing, Ken Stoner.
"To take this on to the Judicial Board just prolongs the process," he said.
But student senator Ken Martin said the proposal to eliminate appeals to the Judicial Board would be an infringement of student rights. Students should have a hearing from a disinterested panel, he said.
Martin said the Judicial Board appeal option should be left in or that a Residence Hall Judicial Board should be established.
Artis is the inspiration for Soundgarden's song "Spoonman." While in Lawrence, he openly talked about his 36-year career in music.
Page 6B.
Student Senate says its salaries are hard-earned
By James Evans
Kansan staff writer
When many students accept the presidency of a campus organization, they expect little more than satisfaction and a good experience.
But the president of the student body and five other Student Senate executives get a little bit more. Each month, six Senate executives take home a paycheck from the state of Kansas.
Each executive is paid for attending and organizing meetings, keeping Senate operations going and keeping Senate finances in order. They are required, according to Student Senate regulations, to work 18 to 20 hours a week depending on their positions.
Sherman Reeves, student body president, said that he usually put in a lot more than his required time for his
Citing a typical week, Reeves said last week he met with the Board of Regents all day Thursday and worked on the chancellor's search Friday. That's in addition to his two weekly meetings and regular office hours.
elected,paid position.
"In my case, I can easily work a 40-hour week," said Reeves, who earns $400 a month. He said that he often took work home from Senate to make sure he kept up with his responsibilities.
Reeves, who is a pre-medicine student, said that he had cut his class schedule down because of his extensive student involvement.
"I'm only taking eight hours of classes." Beevens said.
Some faculty members said it was necessary to pay Senate executives for their time since they could be working at a typical student job.
"If you look at the amount of time
"Some students may feel that they need money and just opt out of participating in Student Senate," he said.
Some student senators agree that the executive officers earn every dollar they receive for their work with Student Senate.
they dedicate to Student Senate, it makes it very difficult to find a job," said Danny Kaiser, assistant dean of student life.
Kaiser, who has worked with Senate in the past, said money could play a heavy influence on whether students could afford to get involved.
"I think the salaries are necessary," said Stephanie Guerin, Senate finance committee chairwoman. "Technically they're supposed to work around 20 hours a week, but they work way beyond that. Most of them don't even make minimum wage."
Source: Student Senate Dave Campbell / KANSAN