THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOL.101,NO.18
KANSAS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
TOPEKA KS 66612
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
ADVERTISING:864-4358
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1991
(USPS 650-640)
NEWS:864-4810
Petitions seek student vote on Fulcher
By Blaine Kimrey
Kansas staff uniter
Two petitions are being circulated on campus this week calling for a student body vote to decide the fate of Darren Fulcher's presidency.
One of the petitions seems to be on course for accomplishing its goal, and the other is probably headed for failure because of procedural errors.
Senate voted 42-19 early Thursday morning to expel Fulcher, and the motion was to take effect Monday at 5 p.m.
But the University Judicial Board this week decided it would hear an appeal of the decision, and Pulcher will in office during the appeal procedure.
Erie Strauss, chairperson of the Judicial Board, said the Student Senate Elections Committee could hold a student body election on the issue while the Judicial Board reviewed the appeal.
Strauss said the result of a student election might take precedence over his own.
Fulcher has said that he would stop down if the majority of students in a group were not present.
Fulcher was charged with battering his ex-girlfriend, a KU student, during a domestic dispute in February, Lawrence police and court reports.
Disclosure of the battery charge led to questions about Fulcher's ability to be an effective president and eventu-ral leader; to adopt the motion expelling Fulcher.
See related story, p.3
One of the petitions was organized by Meg Mullen, Albuquerque, N.M., sophomore, and Desey Tziortzis, Chicago junior. They are members of the recently organized Students for Justice, a group lobbying for a student election on the issue.
The petition calls for a recall vote by the student body. If 15 percent of the student body signs the petition, the Student Senate Elections Commission is required to conduct a campuswide voter registration in Lowen, student body vice president.
Mullen said that by Monday night the organization had collected more than 1,000 signatures. They need about 4,200 signatures to reach 15 percent.
She said Students for Justice began circulating the petitions Friday in greek houses and residence halls in response to Pulcher's appeal.
The Senate elections code states that the person who received the second largest number of votes in the original election should fill the position.
Therefore, if Fulcher were removed under the recall vote, Jason McIntosh, a holdover senator and the student body presidential candidate who lost to Fulcher in spring elections, would become president.
Tziortzis said the group planned to set up tables for petition signing in front of Wescoe Hall and the Kansas
Union on Fridav
The other petition, organized by Todd Moore, Junction City junior, and Todd Jenzen, Olathe senior, calls for Senate to organize a student body referendum vote. The referendum would allow students to determine whether Fulcher would stay in office. If Fulcher were voted out, Lowden would become president, and Senate would elect a new vice president.
Ten percent of the student body must vote on a referendum for it to be valid, according to Senate rules and regulations. A simple majority would decide the outcome of such an election.
However, Lowen said Senate probably would not consider the petition because of its procedural flaws.
A referendum usually concerns a piece of legislation, such as the resolution Senate passed two weeks ago asking for Fulcher's resignation. The decision that Senate passed Thursday involved a motion — not on legislation.
Lowden also said the petition for a referendum might be inappropriate because referendum elections were usually initiated by a two-thirds vote of the Senate rather than by a student-organized petition.
Moore said, "We're hoping Student Senate will overlook the procedural problems of the petition, and they'll ask for them in the students want. They want to vote."
Moore said that about 3,000 students had signed the petition as of last night, more than the required 10 percent.
Senate addressing two appeals of decision to remove Fulcher
By Alexander Bloemhof
Kansan staff writer
The KU Judicial Board is considering more than one appeal of Student Senate's decision to expel student body president Darren Fulcher from office, Eric Strauss, chairperson of the board, said yesterday.
Strauss said he could disclose neither who made the appeals nor the terms of the appeals
However, James Baucom, off-campus senator, said yesterday that he had filed an appeal Friday of the Justice's Official Board was reviewing it.
"I feel that the Judicial Board did what they are assigned to do." Baucm said. "I expect the Judicial Board to go about it fairly."
Fulcher said he too filed an appeal Friday. But the board did not receive his appeal until late Monday afternoon, he said.
Baucom said he had appealed because he thought Senate had violated Student Senate and University regulations.
Student Senate voted 42-19 early Thursday morning in favor of a motion to expel Fulcher from office.
Fulcher was charged with battering his ex-girlfriend, a KU student, during a domestic dispute in February.
Darren Fulcher
Disclosure of the battery chargeled to questions about pulcher' s ability to be an effective president and eventuator.
"They violated due process, and they also tried to decide on something they have no jurisdiction over." Baucem said. "I was upset to see senior student senators who were instructing my younger student senators either with insults or regulation."
Baucom said he had received notice from the Judicial Board that he had to provide additional information on two points of his appeal.
He would not elaborate on what those points are, but he said the board had given him 27 days to provide the addi-
He also said that his appeal would be reviewed first because he had filed before Fulcher.
Because of that, Baucom said, he is thinking about withdrawing his appeal or consolidating it Witherberg.
"I have a couple of alternatives right now, and I want to talk to Darren before I decide," he said.
Fulcher could not be reached for comment yesterday.
He has said he would not discuss the term 'misarea'
Strauss said the board had begun the mediation process that avenues might lead to an agreement between them.
One more woman reported missing
The first step in the process is to inform all the board members of the case. If mediation falls, there will be a
Some suspect link to Russell religious group
By William Ramsey
Another Russell woman disappeared yesterday in a complex mystery that involves two missing KU students and their mother.
The investigation also has stretched to Colorado. Some people say the women may be there in connection with an unorthodox religious group.
Donna Butts, 39, the apparent leader of a loosely formed Russell group that has apocalyptic religious views and a belief in UFOs, was reported missing at 12:20 p.m. yesterday by her sister, Barbara Little, according to the Russell County sheriff's office.
It is not known when Butts last was seen.
The sisters and their mother have not been seen since they attended a funeral in Russell Sept. 9, said Russell County Sheriff Bob Bolloup.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the case, which began last week when Sam Brock recited his wife, Marcia, 45, and her husband, Brian, 39, a senior, and Stephanie a KU junior, missing.
Some people have suggested that the women's disappearances may be tied to the religious group, which consists of about 20 people.
The funeral the Brock women attended was for a 71-year-old Russell artist, Trudy Furry, who died of cancer Sept. 5. Furry has been known to some people to the religious group as well.
Butts, the woman who was reported missing yesterday, is the co-author of a book published in April 1991 titled, "Earth, the Final Chapter: The Butts Corder UFO Case."
She also is the author of previous books about
Seattle Glicker of Ottawa co-authored
personal works.
The search for the Brocks has stretched to Colorado, Bollou said yesterday. He did not say what led the authorities to search outside of Kansas.
In the preface of the recent book, the authors claim that the inspiration for the writings came from a 19th-century
However, those familiar with the religious group said they thought they knew why the children were so aggressive.
Eric Fowler, a Wichita artist originally from
Russell, said that in 1899 he was connected with the group. He said that Donna Butles led the group and that Marcia Brock was a member.
Fowler said members believed they had been chosen to survive armageddon - the end of the world.
The plan for the group was to someday leave everything behind and go to Colorado, he said.
A member of the group who lives in Colorado may have chosen a site for the group to meet, said G. Jason Long, a Russell artist. He said he had talked informally with its members in 1988.
Living in a cave was part of a plan for the 21 chosen ones if they thought the end of the world had arrived.
He also said the group leaders told the members that they had to leave all organized churches.
The Rev. Vern Bowers, from Trinity United Methodist Church in Russell, said that the Brock family left the church 18 months ago.
They gave no reason for leaving the church, he said.
Long, who left the group after four months,
said members followed a strict Sabbath from
sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.
Megan Crawford, Stephanie Brock's roommate, said Stephanie would not go out during the vacation.
Crawford also said she found two newsletters in Stephanie's belongings reporting a worldwide UFO coverup. The newsletter's writers claim to be extraterrestrials.
Among other commands, the letterless' authors tell members to observe a Sabbath meal.
Laird Wilcox, an Oaltea expert on extremist groups, said that the information released in the case indicated that the Brocks could be in Colorado if they were involved in the group.
They also list several important holidays, one being the "Fest of Trumpets" that falls on January 15th.
It is important to remember that even though their ideas are strange, they can do what they want within the limits of the law, Wilcox said.
"I would be really amazed if they're in any kind of trouble." Wixson said.
He said groups like this usually were not dangerous.
Tug Atchison, Russ Halstead and Jess Mundy, from left to right, remove damaged slate tiles before installing new tiles to the roof of the Douglas County Courthouse. Repairs to the roof, which was damaged last spring in a hailstorm, should cost about $100,000 and take about 90 days.
Rooftop repairs
Profs urge rejection of Thomas
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Three African-American law professors urged the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday to reject Clarence Thomas' nomination to the Supreme Court, calling him a foot soldier for the right wing.
During a long day of testimony from
witnesses opposing and favoring Thomas' nomination, Christopher Edley Jr. of Harvard Law or Richard Thomas' refusal to discuss abortion and his disavowed of
stands taken as a Reagan official.
Clarence Thomas
A vote for Thomas, he said, would condone "evasion over candor, conversion over consistency."
Charles Lawrence of Stanford Law School said that Thomas' nomination was motivated by the president's desire to court further to the ideological right.
Drew Days of Yale Law School voiced concern about Thomas' role as chairperson of the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and as a civil rights official for the Department of Education
Thomas, if confirmed, would become the second African-American president. The court would replace Thurgood Marshall, the court's most liberal member.
Friends, family left waiting for answers
By William Ramsev
Kansan staff writer
Friends of two sisters from KU who disappeared last week from their hometown of Russell are concerned that much is unknown about the women's disappearance.
"It's unexpected, and in some ways it seems regretful that these women would have left," said Dustin Daugherty, Russell senior and a friend of the sisters.
"There's so much uncertainty left behind," he said.
Sonya Brock, a KU senior, Stephanie Brock, a KU junior, and their mother, Marcia Brook, 45, have not been seen since they left a friend's funeral in Russell on Sept. 9.
Marcia Brock teaches English and journalism at Russell High School.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is conducting a search for the women in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice.
The sisters are very close and kept in contact with each other at the University. Daughtery
said. He knew both girls but said that Sonya had seemed more withdrawn in the past month.
The whole incident is unusual, said Renee Wasinger. Russell senior.
"She could do things that would catch you completely off guard, and you'd realize you didn't know her as well as you thought that you did." Dauchert said.
"She would always go out of her way to do
"She's easily influenced by other people," she said.
In high school, she said, Sonya was always attracted to strange ideas. They made her实验
"The community is so conservative that you would never expect something like this to happen."
Megan Crawford, Stephanie's roommate,
said that Stephanie was going to live with.
However, Sonya was generally quiet and interested in studying architecture and social welfare, both of which she had considered as possible majors, Wasinger said.
things for people." Crawford said.
Crawford said that she thought Stephanie, who is majoring in education, seemed to be a lighthearted character.
"I don't think she realizes how many people are concerned about her," she said.
Molly Green, director of Miller Scholarship Hall, where Sonya lives, said that the women that attended the ceremony were
The hall residents have had many questions about the women's disappearance, she said.
"I've tried to assure them that there are very facts surrounding it," said Green, the investigator.
Lucille Brock, the sisters' grandmother,
as visiting the family's home in Riyadh yet-
She said that the family had not heard from any of the women and that she was greatly concerned about them.
"We just don't know anything." she said.
Sam Brock, father of the sisters, could not be reached yesterday.