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University Daily Kansan/Tuesday, September 17, 1991
OPINION
Kansas athletics
Athletic director deserves credit for success
With one of the best college basketball coaches in the country and a rapidly improving football program, it is easy to overlook the person who is responsible for making the difficult decisions that brought Roy Williams and Glen Mason to KU. Bob Frederick, Kansas' athletic director, is clearly an invaluable asset to Kansas athletics.
Unlike many athletic directors across the country, Frederick emphasizes the "student" half of the term "student-athlete." His work to improve the Athletic Department's academic support services and establish drug testing for athletes has provided models for national programs. Moreover, Frederick is willing to work with students at KU on issues that directly affect them, such as seating at Allen Field House.
But Frederick's contributions to KU go beyond hiring coaches and making decisions within the department for which he is ultimately responsible. Frederick also serves on a number of University and community committees and boards, including ones concerning Special Olympics and the Big Brothers and Big Sisters programs.
Frederick's tenure as athletic director
has included some of the most difficult problemsKansas athletics have faced in the University's long history. Ranging from replacing a national-championship basketball coach to working with the NCAA's rapidly changing rules regarding every aspect of college athletics, Frederick has performed in an exemplary manner. Frederick is truly worthy of the title given him by Dick Vitale after KU qualified for the Final Four last year. Vitale called him the most valuable person in Kansas athletics.
Pat Warren for the editorial board
Let me begin this column by saying that I am not mehr a student senator, nor am I extremist. I am, however, a student at this University who is appalled that a person like Darren Fulcher can remain in office, having the gall to believe he can still be an effective leader when he has accomplished his apparent short of demonstrating his apparent absence of morality.
Fulcher and his supporters have maintained that the issue of his having battered his then-girlfriend is a personal matter, and one that has been adequately resolved. They also maintain that because the incident occurred before the election, it should have no bearing on his ability to govern the Student Senate and, in turn, the student body of KU.
Some supporters of Fulcher are concerned that the uproar now surrounding their leader is the result of bias on the part of the Kansan and JKHK. I agree that the coverage of Fulcher has been mostly one-sided and that the Kansan has not presented the important facts in a timely fashion. Upon hearing the rumors and after reading the various articles, I decided to check things out for myself, as anyone could. Here are the things I have discovered about our student body president.
First, Fulcher is a paid public official. He is paid $400 a month for being president. That is essentially money from our activity fee, paid when we enroll. Therefore, we should, indeed, have a say in what he does. He is a reflection of this University, and I am concerned that the image he is casting is not the one I want representing me to the Legislature or to the surrounding communities.
Meg
Mullan
Guest
columnist
Just because we expect him to be as near to perfection as he can be and to possess all those qualities that enable us to believe in him and to respect him does not mean that Darren Fulcher should be beyond reproach. Yes, things would be different now if this incident had occurred, say, two years ago. And the supporters would like us to believe, Fulcher officially announced his candidacy exactly one day before he went to court to answer charges that he battered his girlfriend. Yet, Fulcher said nothing of his actions throughout his
entire campaign to members of his own coalition — people who ran on his ticket because they believed in him and were able to persuade them and their constituency honestly.
Perhaps what is most disturbing to me is that Fulcher still has the audacity to believe he can be an effective leader. How can he possibly consider his term in office to be productive when two-thirds of his own senate voted that he should resign from office? His subsequent refusal to step down is another sign of his lack of concern for the University's well-being. How many chances are we willing to give this man who, evidently, believes he should not be held accountable for his mistakes? Last year, in fact, while the campaign was in full swing, it meant for him that the signature of a supervisor at the Salvation Army, where he was working, Senate, who pays for service to community organizations, agreed that if Fulcher would pay back the money they paid him — based on a time card signed not by his supervisor but by Fulcher himself — then all would be forgotten.
Similarly, when the proceedings that brought battery charges against Fulcher began, it was arranged to have him participate in a diversion
program, in which he is given the opportunity to make monthly payments of restitution to the injured party. However, even when he was granted this opportunity, which is a privilege and not a right, he broke his diversion agreement when he failed to make his June payment. If he had trouble fulfilling his agreement with the state, who is to say it won't happen again at this University?
Darren Fulcher, it seems, no longer has this University's best interests at heart. He misrepresented himself to his own coalition and to us, and his reasons for maintaining his position as student body president appear to be purely selfish ones. This is why other concerned students and I are forming the organization Students for Justice. We want to make sure our voices are heard on this campus and that proper actions are taken in seeing that Fulcher is recalled from office.
KU is a university of adults who can think and act for themselves. We should all form our own opinions. Think about this issue. It does affect you, and, yes, you can make a difference.
Meg Mullan is an Albuquerque, N.M. sophomore majoring in psychology.
LETTERS to the EDITOR Fulcher is victim of feminist attack
Well, I hope you're happy now, feminist, anti-men special interest groups. With Darren Fulcher's expulsion, you have achieved a goal on your part, but the wrongs of society. It was our crucifixion of a man. That's my agenda.
Darren Fulcher made his restitution. He had counseling. He met with the young lady's parents and apologized. He publicly announced his wrongdoing and asked for forgiveness. He asked to continue to do a job we had voted him to do and at which he showed great toromie.
Now, with the Student Senate cateing to feminist, anti-men interests, we have lost someone who was a capable leader regardless of his past sins.
Here you go womyn. Here's Darren's head on a plate. That's what you really wanted — RIGHT?
Michael Noland
Leawood sophomore
Fulcher's dignity
will survive ordeal
As I walked down from the Kansas Union to my car early Thursday morning, I found it quite ironic that I spotted a falling star off in the distance. I drove home and reflected over what had transpired over the past month concerning Darren Fulcher. At this point, I feel that it serves no justice to anyone to reiterate that we are responsible. The purpose of this article is to publicly present a letter of respect to Daren Fulcher.
Through hours of debate, Darren maintained his composeure and respected the rights of all parties involved in the incident on both sides of the debate. In the preceding weeks, he has maintained the respect of the administration, adhered to his agenda and continued to present minority legislation. Had Darren not taken such a major blow to his credibility he would have been one of the best student body presidents this campus had seen in a long time. However, it is a student senator's job to uphold the opinions of constituents. It was perfectly clear that the student body had lost faith in Darren. I am sorry this happened.
In closing, I want Darren to know that I respect him greatly, and I know that many other student senators and representatives from the student body do, too. I don't expect Darren to fade away, as did my falling star. Instead, I expect hope and expect to see his leadership shine through in the years to come.
Timothy McManus
Student senator
It is not wrong
to hit a woman?
I recoiled in horror and revulsion as I read the comments of James Baucom, an off-campus senator, in Thursday's front page story of the University Daily Kansan. "It is not necessarily wrong at all times to hit a woman," he said. I struggled, to no avail, to placate my anger by assuming that the Kansan, in the spirit of tradition, simply misquoted Baucom. If, in fact, that is not the case, and we may assume that Baucom did such a thing, I have only one question. James, when EXACTLY it would be considered RIGHT to hit a woman? I suspect that you may have some difficulty in answering such a question, so I have compiled a list of The Top Five Occasions When It Is "Not necessarily Wrong" For A Man To Hit Woman:
1. When she does not do what you tell her to do.
2. When she raises her voice while speaking to you.
speaking to you.
3. When she is "hysterical," a condition to which women are innately prone, I'm sure.
4. When she tells you a lie
4. When she tells you a lie.
5. When she unduly provokes you in any way.
As I reflect upon this list, I realize that, yes, there might be certain times when it is OK to hit a woman. Thank you for the Saucom, for your infinite wisdom.
Julie Durling North Carolina Graduate Student Students should make the decision
The students on this campus have a right to have more say in this issue, and to exclude individual student opinion was a poor judgment on the part of the 42 senators who voted for the motion.
As a student who voted in last year's Student Senate elections and has a vested interest in the outcome of Darren Pulcher's term as president, I feel that the fact that he represented fairly when the Student Senate decided to expel Pulcher.
I think the opinions of a few vocal students for or against Fulcher have created the illusion that all 20,600 KU students have the same opinion. As an African-American woman and a student, I can say this is not true.
Without debating the issue, I think the real problem is that students were not given a chance to individually learn about the subjects, and therefore, have been chached.
As for those senators who made the decision of Fulcher's fate by a secret-ballot vote, if I had known that you were not willing to make a decision and face the repercussions or negative opinions, I would not have voted for you. If you are so ashamed of your failure to make a publicity vote, maybe you made the wrong choice when you decided to run, and perhaps, so did I.
Students deserve the right to have a vote in this issue, or, at least, to know how the representatives they elected voted.
And to those people who were such great supporters of Fulcher during last year's campaign and have suddenly changed their tune, you appear to me to be people who were not really for him in the first place.
Tracie Moore
St. Louis senior
Use referendum
to resolve issue
Leslie Lancaster, student senator, commented on Darren Fulcher's expulsion: "I hope it is finally resolved. I hope it is so." It do I. The farce has gone long enough. Everybody involved has come out stinking from this affair — most notably the Kansan and our Student Senate.
The Kansan has been very irresponsible in its reporting. The Kansan is apparently most interested in sensationalism and wants to make news, not report it. This is clearly evident by the way it exploited the affair during the week of classes like a cheap tabloid.
The Student Senate has failed because it was not acting in the interest of those it represents, the students, in expelling Fulcher. While Fulcher's crime was serious, he has paid his debt to society. Indeed, policies which would improve the position of women that the Senate could enact would have gained Darren Fulcher's support because he is vulnerable. Instead, all puffed up with self-importance, the Student Senate has victimized Fulcher. Ah, isn't it nice to find somebody to kick around, Troy Radakovich? Alas, the student body has also been kicked around. How do the senators know we want to replace Fulcher? Surely not through the Kansan. Thank you for dragging us through the mire, Student Senate and the Kansan. Senators, reverse your ill-considered decision, or, at least, let the students decide on the issue through a referendum.
Marcell Clark Lawrence senior
KANSAN STAFF
HOLLY LAWTON
Editor
JENNIFERREYNOLDS Managing editor
TOM EBLEN General manager,newsadviser
Editors
Editors
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Editorial ... Karen Park
Planning ... Sarah Davis
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Classified mgrs | Jennifer Jacquint
Business Staff
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Last Hurrahs
by Mike Romane