CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, September 7, 1994
3
Beers continues to elude authorities
Local sightings prove futile in arrest of fugitive
The Associated Press
Authorities searching for an escapee from an Arkansas prison were still looking yesterday after someone called a Topeka police officer and said he wanted to surrender.
The person who called did not show up, and authorities were unsure whether the call was a hoax or whether it was really Chad Beers, and he was scared off for some reason, said Pete Nagurry of the U.S. Marshal Service.
Police have been searching with helicopters and dogs for Beers, 24, who was shot by a mobile homeowner about 4:30 a.m. Sunday while trying to break into the eastern Lawrence residence.
Someone called a Topea police officer Monday and offered to surrender. Nagurny said that the officer knows Beers and that Beers may have feared for his safety because of an extensive helicopter and dog search and wanted to give himself up to someone he knew.
The caller said he would turn himself in at Clinton Lake at 7:30 p.m. Monday. But no one showed up.
Beers has been seen repeatedly in the Lawrence area but has eluded authorities.
Beers was shot at a mobile home in east Lawrence Sunday, police Lt. Kevin Harmon said. Authorities did
not know how badly Beers was hurt but said Beers' father had called in about three hours later to report that his son was shot.
Harmon said Beers should be considered armed and dangerous.
"He poses a much greater danger to the general public under these types of circumstances," Harmon said.
Beers and another man escaped on the evening of Sept. 1 from the Sebastian County Jay in Fort Smith, Ark. The men apparently crawled through the roof of an exercise room of the county jail, jumped off the top.
of the building and met a woman who drove them to Chouteau, Okla., Sebastian County Sheriff Gary Grimes said.
The woman was arrested after dropping the men off, authorities said.
The other escapee, Scott Scanlon, was captured in Wilson County on Thursday.
Coffey County, Kan., authorities found beers' father in a semi-truck at a truck stop on Interstate 35 about 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
in the morning, in his front yard in Lawrence, "said a representative for the Coffey County sheriff's office.
"He said he'd last seen his son early
Beers was in Fort Smith awaiting transfer to federal prison after being sentenced in U.S. District Court to 14 years in prison for transporting a kidnapped victim across a state line, after he abducted a Clarksville, Ark., man last September.
He was sentenced on state charges in the same case to 25 years for aggravated robbery and 20 years for kidnapping.
President of Haskell speaks to group about assimilation
Minority students choose between home and society
By Nathan Olson Kansan staff writer
Retaining a cultural identity is vital to surviving as a minority in the United States, the president of Haskell Indian Nations University said in a speech last night.
Bob Martin spoke to the 12 people who attended the speech in the Daisy Hill Room of the Burge Union. The speech was organized by the Minority Business Student Council, a group of minority students interested in business.
Martin said that Haskell had changed its views about American Indians assimilating into mainstream society.
"In older generations, American Indians were tracked into a vocational education," he said. "Haskell
administrations actually rewarded students for assimilation."
Assimilation does not always help minorities adapt to mainstream society, Martin said. At the University of New Mexico, the freshmen dropout rate among American Indians and Alaskan Natives is about 80 percent, largely because of cultural differences, a lack of academic preparation and financial problems, he said.
"If we increase the number of American Indian teachers, we will be more successful at educating American Indians," he said.
Martin said that minority students encountered difficulty when choosing between their home environments and mainstream society. At home, students are surrounded by people who share their cultures. But more opportunities often are available in mainstream society.
"Often, when American Indians leave home, they are not accepted when they come back because they are perceived as different," he said.
overcome this conflict if they felt comfortable with their cultural identities. Part of Haskell's philosophy is to help American Indians become successful in either the Indian world or the American world, he said.
Gayla Guess, Bonner Springs senior, said that she enjoyed Martin's speech.
Martin said that students could
“It’s important that we have exchanges with Haskell,” she said. "We learn a lot about other cultures that way."
Jacinta Carter, president of the group, said that it invited Martin to speak in an attempt to add diversity to the group. In the past, she said, the group had been looked upon as an organization for Black males.
Carter said the group also had invited Shirley Cooper, a black female and a system development project manager at Hallmark, to speak.
Carter said that in addition to speakers, the Council provided peer advising, tutoring and enrollment help for its members.
Julianne Peter / KANSAN
Bob Martin, president of Haskell Indian Nations University, speaks to the Minority Student Council about Haskell's role in American Indian community.
Degree helps graduates lend a helping hand in Peace Corps
By Shannon Newton Kansan staff writer
KU graduates help begin environmental and health programs around the globe
For Sara Cullen, every day is Earth Day.
Cullen, a 1993 University of Kansas graduate and now a Peace Corps volunteer in Hungary, has spent a year working as an adviser on environmental education at a teacher's college in Esztergom, Hungary.
"As an adviser, I add a different perspective," said Cullen, who is back in the United States for a month before finishing her two-year commitment. "They use me as a resource."
Cullen, who earned her degree in environmental studies, said that when she returned to Hungary on
Sept. 15, she would begin working on a project called Eco Yard. This will be a series of projects showing environmentally beneficial ways people can live.
"I am working on a display to teach people about composting, gardening and recycling." Cullen said.
She said the most positive aspect of her work in Hungary was allowing her skills to benefit people of another culture.
"I am able to give Hungarians the skills that I have gained about the environment," Cullen said.
Cullen is not alone in working on environmental projects for the Peace Corps.
Corps Public Affairs Specialist.
Environmental programs have become the fastest growing area for the corps nationwide, with about 14 percent of the volunteers working on these programs in more than 60 countries, said Philip Lesniewski, Peace
Peace Corps environmental volunteers work with agencies in different countries on a wide level of environmental programs that include national park management, reforestation and environmental education, Lesniewski said.
Five KU Spring 1994 graduates are going into environmental programs this fall, he said. Lesniewski works in Kansas City, Kan., and oversees Peace Corps operations for Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas. He said KU had the highest number of environmental volunteers from one school in the four-state region at this time.
The five graduates, all with degrees in environmental studies, are Meade McFarlane, Tim O'Brien, Karin McCoy, Holly Gobbler and Anne Seay.
mitment and others are preparing for their trip. McFarlane and O'Brien left for Costa Rica; McCoy will go to Guatemala, and Gribble will be going to Paraguay.
Ana Sey is leaving for the Ivory Coast on Jan. 5.
Some of these KU alumni have already left for their two-year com-
She will be working with the people of Ivory Coast on urban management.
"I will be working with the community's concerns on health and hygiene," she said.
Seay said that she wanted to go to the Ivory Coast because she speaks French, the country's primary language.
Once there, she said that she would work on projects to educate citizens about malaria and intestinal diseases. Seay said that she is both nervous
"I'm nervous about leaving by family," she said. "At the same time I am thirsty for change."
Seay said that she is both nervous and excited to go.
Peace Corps info
After the application is
Applicants are encouraged to apply nine months before they are available to work.
After the application's received, the applicant is interviewed to determine skills and qualifications.
Applicants then are matched with countries that need their skills.
Volunteers undergo an intense three-month training period after arriving at a site.
Volunteers are on assignment fortwo years
For more information, contact Barbara Hiltman at 1-800-424-8580
Source: Kansan staff research KANSAN
Committee gives advice to advisers
By Colleen McCain Kansan staff writer
For Jared Harsin, finding an adviser in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has been a daunting task.
But the Topea sophomore says he hopes he can help make advising a more personalized experience for himself and other students.
Harsin is one of three student representatives on a newly-formed advising committee for the college. He said he could impart what students experienced during advising to the seven faculty members who served on the committee.
"The committee will first provide a systematic look at advising in the college," he said. "Advising is always difficult to do right, but I hope that the committee will come forth with workable improvements."
Students in the college are not assigned a specific adviser. Instead, each semester, students see faculty members in their departments during the advising period.
"I think that students should be assigned to specific advisers so that they can get to know a particular adviser and feel comfortable talking to them," Harsin said. "Right now students must find advisers in huge departments, and some of the advisers could care less."
The committee, which met for the first time Friday, was formed by James Muwksens, dean of the college. Muwksens said the committee was charged with improving the quality of advising in the college.
Muysksen said he wanted the committee to make its initial recommendations by Spring 1995. Ideally, some minor changes in the advising system could be implemented next fall, he said.
Training advisers is a priority for committee member John Michel. Michel, professor of speech, language and hearing, said he thought faculty advisers should be provided with a booklet detailing advising procedures.
Kathy Hall, head of the committee and director of the college's advising support center, said the committee's first task would be to prioritize its goals.
If you don't need it,don't toss it Recycle
"I think that faculty members should receive credit for advising," Michel said. "Advising should be considered in giving tenure and promotions."
Horoscopes
"Advising is a very important function of the University, but right now it's just one of those things you're expected to do," Michel said.
Everyday in the Kansan!