Basketball camp: Marian Washington has her 23rd annual girls' camp. Page 12
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
*******************3-DIGIT 666
KS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY2
PO BOX 3585
TOPEKA, KS 6601-3585
3
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
NEWS 864-4810
VOL.103.NO.152
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 1997
ADVERTISING 864-4358
(USPS 650-640)
Former KU student dies of gunshot wound
A former KU student died Sunday at a shooting range in Overland Park from a gunshot wound to the head.
Guan Cy Teoh, 22, was found dead at the Bullet Hole shooting range. Teoh and his roommate had been target shooting at an indoor range where they had rented guns before.
Overland Park police Sgt. Joe Reed said that the shooting occurred at 4:35 p.m. There were no witnesses.
"We don't know if the wound was inflicted intentionally or unintentionally," Reed said.
Teeh's roommate said he noticed something strange out of the corner of his eye, and saw his roommate lying on the ground, Reed said. Each man had been shooting from stations that were separated by partitions.
Jane Tuttle, administrative assistant for student life, said Teehad not attended the University since 1994.
Firefighters' proposal doused by commission
City administrators defeated a proposal to change policies that would have affected wage hiles and employment policies for Lawrence firefighters at last night's Lawrence City Commission meeting.
The commission passed the city administrators' proposal because it was able to agree on more of the issues that were included in that proposal.
Ashleigh Roberts / KANSAN
"I'm sitting here dealing with two proposals that I disagree with," said Erv Hodges, a Lawrence city commissioner.
The International Association of Firefighters, Local 1596, wanted a 2.5 percent wage adjustment for all firefighters, plus a reclassification system that would raise all employee's salaries to the labor market average.
Firefighters' also wanted to get rid of "employment-at-will," which gives the city the ability to terminate any employee for any reason.
In addition, the IAFF wanted to retain the current rules and regulations that govern the department's employment procedures.
"By restricting rules and regulations, we're restricting management's ability to change in response to new environments," said Rod Bremby, assistant city manager and lead negotiator for city administrators.
The 2.5 percent wage adjustment was included in the proposal that passed, but city administrators liked the idea of the "employment-at-will." The city administrators' proposal also refused to reclassify the department's pay structure.
None of the commissioners thought the decision was easy.
"We are in a very difficult position," said John Nalbandian, Lawrence commissioner.
According to Nalbandian, the IAFF did not offer the commission a proposal that could be agreed upon.
"We should pay a competitive wage; all we've been talking about tonight is a comparable wage," Nalbandian said.
Erv Hodges agreed.
"Unfortunately we have to select," Hodges said. "I have the utmost respect for the fire department and those serving there."
The public agreed with the firefighters' proposals.
"Every job with the city of Lawrence is valuable and deserves respect. However, not every job involves a life risk," Lori Wagner, a Lawrence school teacher, said.
Firefighters said they thought that the IAFF's proposal would lift morale and would give the city a better fire department.
"Every day these men and women put their lives on the line for every one of you; and all we ask for is fainness. Doug Green, a firefighter, said.
—Kausan staff reports
Tossing his clubs
A Circus Pages juggler entertains Lawrence residents yesterday at the Kansas National Guard Armory. The one-day show included elephants, cotton candy and tightrope walkers.
Student remembered as humorous,unique
By Ann Marchand
Kansan staff writer
Members of Phi Kappa Tau plan to keep the memory of their fraternity brother James R. Park alive.
Park, 21, Overland Park senior in broadcast management, died last Wednesday in a car accident in Gunnison. Colo.
He was in Gunnison for a summer internship with KWSB-FM radio at Western State College.
Trooper Pat Averett of the Colorado State Patrol said June 11 was a clear, sunny day, and road conditions were normal. The accident occurred when Park's vehicle, traveling west-bound on Colorado
James Park
Highway 50, drifted into the eastbound lane and collided head-on with a 15-passenger van. Averett said there was no indication of why Park's vehicle crossed the center line.
Park was semi-conscious when the state patrol arrived at 1:00 p.m. He was airlifted to St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, Colo., and was pronounced dead at 3:15 p.m.
Park's friends and family were quick to establish a memorial fund through the fraternity, where Park was vice-president. He also had served as the membership orientation officer and rush chairman.
Three passengers in the van suffered injuries.
"Jim was a very big part of the infrastructure of the fraternity," said Chris Cruce, Leavenworth graduate. "Both Jim as a person and what he did for the chapter will be hard to replace."
The fraternity will move into its new house at 1100 Indiana St. in the fall. Chad King, Overland Park park senior. house manager and
Writer leaves mark on many
An Overland Park native, Park attended Rockhurst High School before attending the University of Kansas. Cruce said Park was shy when he first arrived at the University, but quickly grew comfortable around his new friends.
treasurer for Phi Kappa Tau, said a room in the new house would be dedicated to Park.
"He just did so much, from serving as vice president to just the intangibles, just being there," Ham said. "They say that you're supposed to find some good in this. I think it will bring the chapter closer."
Friends said they would remember Park as uniquely "stoic and loquacious", the two words he used to describe himself.
Trey Ham, chapter adviser, said Park made many contributions to the chapter.
"Jim was the only man I knew who could wear this white Hawaiian shirt he had," King said.
Park's sense of humor使 him the fraternity's prankster award two years in a row.
"No matter what he did, you couldn't get mad at him." King said.
And Park's gentle demeanor absolved him of guilt after pranks occurred.
His kind demeanor and his height — Park was 6-foot-6 — made him a memorable figure to those who knew him.
"He was very believable," Cruez said, time he convinced a lot of people Cindy Crawford was his third cousin on his mother's side."
"He had a very imposing presence, but once you got to know him, he made you laugh," said Juan Heath, Paola senior. "Some teachers from high school called him the gentle giant."
Students, faculty shocked by loss
By Lindsey Henry
Kansan staff writer
Brian Grass, St. Louis, Mo., senior and social chairman of Phi Kappa Tau, had been Park's roommate for the past year. Grass said he was shocked to learn of his friend's death.
A memorial service will be held at 5:15 p.m. tomorrow for LaTina Sullivan, Memphis, Tenn., senior, at Alderson Auditorium in the Kansas Union.
"It's just very tragic," Grass said. "I mean, this was a guy who was probably going to be the best man at my wedding."
Funeral services were held yesterday in Memphis for Sullivan, who police said died in the early morning hours of June 11, after suffering a severe asthma attack in an apartment complex seeking life.
Both services allow friends, family and colleagues to remember LaTina, or Tina as her friends called her, as an intelligent woman, an opinionated writer and a dedicated survivor.
One of eight children from a predominantly black area of Memphis, Sullivan came to the predominantly white University of Kansas in the fall of 1993 to earn her college degree.
LaTina Sullivan
"I was a little wary; both of us were very uncertain about the other," Lester said. "Tina told me later that nobody at her high school would ever believe she was having this kind of a relationship with a white woman."
As a participant in the McNair Scholars program, Sullivan was assigned a faculty mentor. Cheryl Lester, associate professor of English and American studies, was selected as Sullivan's mentor, an assignment both doubted.
But the relationship clicked, and the women remained close throughout Sullivan's time at the University. Many friends and colleagues refer to the relationship as maternal, and in the spring of 1996, Sullivan became Lester's teaching assistant, building the syllabus for Lester's English 203 African-American Cultural Studies class.
Despite her intense schedule, Sullivan always managed a smile. Amanda Traughber, recent graduate and former editor of the Kansan remembered her colleague's constant good nature.
Outside of classes, Sullivan worked in Watson Library, wrote and copy edited for the University Daily Kansan, and spent nights as a nanny. At the time of her death, Sullivan was the editor of the summer Kansan and a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
"She would always smile at you or start a conversation," Traugher said in a phone interview from Washington D.C. "She was not afraid to greet you, and that went a long way."
"I don't want anyone to pity her," Lester said.
"She knew she needed a degree, and it cost her. She was sick a lot and made huge sacrifices. But she saved herself from much worse, and it finally caught up with her."
Asthma
Asthma is a lung disease characterized by airway obstruction or narrowing that is reversible, either spontaneously or with treatment
airway inflammation
airway hyperresponsiveness to various stimuli
An asthma attack refers to sudden increase of symptoms due to increased airway narrowing an inflammation. An individual may be classified as having mild, moderate or severe asthma based on chronicity of symptoms and severity of acute attacks.
cough
Asthma symptoms:
shortness of breath
wheezing, or musical or whistling sounds forced through the lower airway tight chest
Symptoms develop in response to:
■ exercise
cold air exposure
viral respiratory infection
first or second-hand smoke exposure
cat and other animal dander
cat and other animal dander hayfever
haylevel plants
house wood dust
household or industrial chemicals
anxiety of stress
(Triggers vary among individuals and with time for specific individuals)
Asthma treatment is based on the chronicity of symptoms and the severity of attacks
Prevalence of asthma:
Mortality rates:
males are more often diagnosed with asthma
49. 4 per 1000 people ages five to 34 years old report having asthma
annual rate among people ages 5 to 34 in the US is .4 per 100,000 population — US mortality rate is twice as high among blacks as among whites
Source: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
This self confidence and love of news and television are what turned Sullivan on to the field of journalism.
"She was a media junkie," Lester said. "She was bicultural through the news. One of the billion things I regret is that this summer she was going to teach me how to watch TV."
Sullivan's assuredness went beyond her ability to strike up conversations or to write for the Kansan. Karl Woelz, recent doctorate recipient, taught Sullivan in four literature and fiction writing classes, respecting her academic talents.
"Her writing was very honest," Woelz said.
"As a writing instructor I see a lot of crap — cliches we've all heard before. But she got at what was important in her life. She was the
See SULLIVAN, Page 2
Authorities detail events of Kansan editor's death
Few coworkers knew of condition
By Andrea Albright Kansan staff writer
University Daily Kansan editor LaTina Sullivan didn't seem worried last Wednesday when design editor Bryan Volk commented about her cough.
"Oh, it's only a lung," Sullivan told him.
But it was much more serious than she knew. When Volk and Sullivan dropped off the paper at the press in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, neither of them suspected that she would never see those pages in print.
LaTina Sullivan, Memphis,
Tenn., senior, died of an acute
asthma attack before she
reached home.
"We were checking the pages, laughing and having a good time," Volk said. "There was no coughing, none what-soever."
Volk, St. Louis, Mo., senior,
said he and Sullivan left for
the Lawrence Journal-World
just before 1 a.m. Until then,
Volk said he and Sullivan had
spent an ordinary evening
together.
Kansan staff members in the newsroom the night before Sullivan died said they could not recall anything unusual in her behavior.
Security personnel found Sullivan, her heart already stopped, in a parking lot outside of a Meadowbrook apartment building just before 2 a.m. Sullivan was pronounced dead at Lawrence Memorial Hospital before dawn.
That changed as soon as Volk and Sullivan began the drive downtown. Volk said
"It was the kind of cough that sounds like you're trying to expel something," Volk said.
Sullivan started coughing before they left campus, and the cough sounded painful and deep, he said. He told Sullivan her cough sounded bad, but she did not seem alarmed.
After spending less than one minute in the Journal -World building at Sixth and New Hampshire streets, Sullivan proceeded to Volk's apartment in the Meadowbrook complex at 15th and Crestline Drive. Volk said the coughing continued, but no worse than before.
Volk told Sullivan that he would see her the next day, and went into his building. It was 1:40 a.m.
According to Lawrence police reports, Sullivan started
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