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OPINION
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PUBLISHED DAILY SINCE 1912
CRAB LANG, Editor
SUSANNA LOOF, Managing editor
KIMBERLY CRRAFTER, Editorial editor
TOM EBLEN, General manager, news adviser
MARK OZIMKE, Business manager
DENNIS HAUPT, Retail sales manager
JUSTIN KNUPP, Technology coordinator
JA STEINER, Sales and marketing adviser
Thursday, April 24, 1997
Amy R. Miller/ KANSAN
Editorials
University should be active in helping disabled students
Mary Drouin is angry, and she has a right to be. She is a student with a disability at the University of Kansas, and she claims that the University has not been in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. What does this mean for Drouin? It means that she is unable to effectively study for her classes, and her grades have suffered.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the University is required to provide services for students who have disabilities, which will enable them to do their best at the University. Such services include note-taking for deaf students and students unable to write, audio recording of textbooks for blind students and various other services. Droouin's lawuit, as well as other complaints to the department, have brought forward the fact that in many cases these jobs are being insufficiently staffed and sometimes completely neglected.
The University must do whatever is necessary to comply with the ADA.
The bottom line is that under federal law the University is required to provide necessary services for such students. If these needs are not being sufficiently met, then it is time for the University to take a more active role in seeing that such programs are implemented and continued.
As it is, many of the responsibilities of dealing with students' special needs are being left up to the students, their teachers and volunteers. Judging from student complaints, it appears that the University isn't doing enough to see that these students' needs are met.
Right now, students with disabilities are asked by the University to find help with note-taking. The responsibility for this work getting done is placed on the teacher of the class, the disabled student and the volunteer note-taker.
In other cases, the University is directly in control of dealing with the situation, as in the case of having textbooks recorded for blind students. However, as Drouin's complaints make clear, the services provided in this area also have not been sufficient.
The answer to this problem is clear and unavoidable. The University must step up its interest in these students and take whatever actions are necessary to see that students' needs are being fulfilled. If this means hiring and paying note-takers, or paying someone to oversee the production of audio taping of books, this is what the university must do.
BEN SHOCKEY FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Students need benefit of services
At the University, Student Senate serves as the voice of the student body. Although Senate is a microcosm in the theory of American government, the same principles of American democracy still apply. Or do they?
On certain issues, the University administration has stripped Senate of democratic authority and imposed its own will. Legal Services for students is a great example of this. Legal Services is financed completely by Senate, which in turn is financed by student fees. However, students are restricted as to how they may use Legal Services. The primary restriction stipulates that Legal Services may not assist students in cases against the University. This means that when students like Mary Drouln bring suit against the University for not complying with federal regulations, they must find their own legal representation and that Legal Services for Students can't help them.This is a formidable barrier to students who are financially hampered by expensive
Students pay for Legal Services and they should be able to fully use them.
court costs when filing suit against the University. So who restricts what student services can and cannot do?
The University has imposed this policy upon Student Senate, thereby bending Senate to serve it rather than the students who elected their Senators. Thus, students who want to defend themselves against false claims filed by the University will have to do so without the aid of a legal service that they pay for.
Many students wonder why the University is allowed to dictate what student services, such as Legal Services, are used for. Grey Montgomery, former student body president, said the Department of Student Life considered Legal Services a subset of that department and thereby subject to University control and regulation. Technically, Montgomery said, the University allows Senate to exist and therefore the University has control over Senate actions.
The University may allow Student Senate to exist, but students will not allow the University administration to become like a dictatorship that expects the democratic principles of Senate to be subservient to its wishes. Students should voice their outrage at the administration for not allowing students to use a service that they pay for in a manner that would greatly benefit them.
The debate of whether Legal Services should be used to aid students in cases against the University has broad implications. It implies that the University administration has the final say over all Senate actions. If this is the case, then Senate is just a facade of democracy shielding the University from its dictatorial control. Students must strengthen their voices in opposition of the administration strictly regulating services that they pay for.
NICK ZALLER FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
KANSAN STAFF
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LATINA SULLIVAN . . . Associate Editorial
KRISTIE BLASI . . . News
NOVELDA SOMMERS . . . News
LESLEY TAYLOR . . . News
AMANDA TRAUGHBER . . . News
TARA TRENARY . . . News
DAVID TESKA . . . Online
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BRADLEY BROOKS . . . Campus
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ANDREA ALBRIGHT . . Wire
LZ MUSSER . . Special sections
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HEATHER VALLER . . . Assistant retail
JULIE PEDLAR . . . Campus
DANA CENTENO . . . Regional
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DENA PISCIOTTE . . . Production
ALLISON PIERCE . . . Special sections
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DANA LAUVETZ . . Public relations
BRIAN LEFEVRE . . Classified
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How to submit letters and guest columns
Letters: Should be double-spaced typed and fewer than 200 words. Letters must include the author's signature, name, address and telephone number plus class and hometown if a University student. Faculty or staff must identify their positions.
Guest columns: Should be double-spaced typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run.
All letter and guest columns should be submitted to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Stauffer-Fint Hall. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Kimberly Crabtree (opinion@kansan.com) or LaTina Sullivan (lisulfian@kansan.com) at 844-6810.
As of 9 p.m. April 22, I, Chad S. Perlov, officially resigned as the 1996-1997 elections commissioner.
Commission's actions are behind resignation
Guest Column
I am making this decision with a heavy heart but a clear conscience. When I accepted this position, I did so with an understanding that the elections commission would operate in a manner that
would allow for the fairest,
most impartial elections process
possible. On Tuesday,
April 22, it did not.
The bottom line for making this decision rests with the fact that even if I had publicly protested the commission's actions, remaining on the board, for me at least, would have signaled my acceptance of the commission's course of action and its overall approach and attitude.
I tried my hardest to create an atmosphere where there would be an election carried out in good faith, free from scandal and ill will. My door was always open for both students and candidates, and I diligently made sure I was doing my job in a manner that was even-handed and impartial.
If I blame the elections commission and candidate actions should rest on my shoulders, then so be it — the best I can do for those who may feel this way is offer my most sincere apologies.
Also, members of the Student Life and Student Affairs staff will always have my most profound respect and thanks, even if I disagreed with one or two from time to time, for their help and dedication.
With feelings that this very same system was not being run in a fair, unbiased and ethical way, I could not do this — I could not go to sleep at night knowing that I would have been a part of something that was fundamentally wrong while people, especially those who were not spoken for, were depending on this body to do what was right.
I also refuse to accept my role in an organization that, despite rules that may dictate otherwise, will absorb the wishes of the few in a way that endangers the needs of the many. Never did I agree to associate myself with a group that would intentionally back away from this responsibility because of reasons such as convenience.
This episode, in the context of life, will not dim my optimism nor squelch my life-long ambitions and goals. My four years here have been a blast, and I'll be taking with me thousands of wonderful memories when I graduate in May. My best wishes to all and thank you, KU, for giving me the opportunity to have the time of my life.
The concept of an elections commission has tons of merit, and I believe that it is possible for this body to perform its duties in a positive way. I
I also learned that while I still firmly believe that one person can make a difference in changing the world around him or her, it is apparent that sometimes it just doesn't happen every time someone tries.
Did I learn anything from this experience? I learned what it took for me to throw down my arms, stop fighting and walk away — this is the first job or activity I have ever resigned from.
have no disparaging words for any commission members in particular, as they all sacrificed a great deal of time and effort in performing their tasks.
Chad Perov is an Englewood, Colo., senior in political science and American studies.
Letters
Campaigns will never be completely flawless
In the April 21 edition of The University Daily Kansan, Lisa Meinen wrote a letter to the editor that suggested the elections commission approves of candidates who violate rules. Well, if Meinen were more informed, she would realize that Delta Force also violated a number of elections codes. You can't expect a campaign to be flawless. Last time I checked, politics could be rather involved, and it could be easy to make a few mistakes. We need to remember that the people involved are still students, and running for office is a learning experience. Besides that, being required to pay a fine and place a full-page ad in the Kansan doesn't scream approval to me. So Meinen, next time you decide to criticize the elections commission, make sure you're educated about all sides of the issues.
Rod Speer Arkansas Citu sophomore
Watkins Hall residents need rent committee
This is in response to Cody Simms' editorial, Scholarship hall fund causing fuss.
The uproar you refer to began in 1984 when Watkins Hall residents, requesting repairs to the hall, were told by Housing that repairs could only be made if their rents were increased. At the time, the University was holding almost $900,000 of Watkins/Miller monies, which the University was planning to use to build another dorm. When residents were unable to learn the identity of the rent-setting committee, they called in alumni. Plans to build another dorm were scrapped and Watkins and Miller halls were repaired.
As a result of the 1984 affair, alumni began asking questions. Elizabeth Miller Watkins built Watkins and Miller halls for financially needy but academically talented women. However, sometime before 1980 financial need was no longer required to receive a Watkins or Miller Scholarship of Residence.
Simms' opinion is that deviation from Watkins' instructions are mere technicalities and that the establishment of a Federal Reserve System, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Social Security Act somehow justify ignoring Watkins' deeds and will. I would appreciate further explanation to understand how these acts justify disregarding a donor's explicit wishes and what the investment techniques of our nation have to do with the Watkins/Miller funds meant to help financially needy KU women.
We believe that a rent-setting committee, independent of the Housing Department and the University, would be a helpful
first step for assuring the Watkins' monies are being used as she envisioned. It is very obvious that without resident and alumni interference, beginning in 1984, Watkins and Miller halls would have long ago been denied use of at least $900,000 of Watkins/Miller monies.
I also find it amazing that Simuns' said that the most absurd aspect of the ordeal is that the two alumnae who are the most adamant abut the supposed mismanagement do not even live in Lawrence. I can assure you that there are more than two alumnae not living in Lawrence who are also adamant about our concerns. I can also let you know that living in Charlotte, N.C., doesn't prevent me from being called or written to regularly by the Endowment Association asking for money. But more important is that living in Charlotte doesn't lessen one bit my immense gratitude to Elizabeth Watkins and the KU personnel who helped me find the means to attend the University when none was available from my family.
KU personnel have been more willing than I detected in years past to help us understand a complex situation. But this administration will not always be around to watch after Watkins' funds. I see no reason why the independent rent-setting committee should not be reestablished to ensure abuses don't happen again.
Joyce Klemp Browder Class of 1958
KU depersonalizes graduation too much
As a graduating senior, I was outraged when I read Gerry Doyle's April 15 editorial about specific majors being excluded from the diplomas of students graduating from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. How much further will the University go to personalize graduation?
During the commencement ceremony, it is understood that students will graduate by school, not by name. This is a reasonable method, for it would take hours to list the few thousand names. However, a diploma is something that we will have for a lifetime, to reflect upon as one of our great accomplishments. Therefore, the University should personalize this accomplishment more by having each student's specific major printed in addition to the name on the diploma.
Now that my time at the University of Kansas is coming to an end, I am happy to say I wouldn't trade my time here for anything. I am proud to be the first from my family to graduate from college and am proud to have accomplished this in four years. Because this may be the only time I or anyone else will see this in print — I am graduating from
Jill Newport Bakersfield, Calif., senior
the university of Kansas with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies.
Jim Ryun and family are only true friends
So much has been written about Jim Ryun and his family, and so much of it negative, that I felt it was necessary to write about who they really are, from the perspective of friends who know them personally.
For the past nine years, Jim Ryun and his family have displayed genuine kindness and generosity to my husband and I.
Each person participated in our wedding because they wanted to show their love and excitement for us. They attended football games, choir concerts and track meets to support their children, us and teammates.
The kind of love they have for the people around them can only be described by John 15:12 from the Bible: "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just I have loved you." They have lived exemplary lives of integrity and sincere love for others based on Jesus Christ. They are not perfect people, yet they have been perfect friends.
We eat dinner together, sing together, pray together, laugh and cry together.
When my father-in-law passed away at age 52, they were the first to console and pray for us. They made a point to attend the funeral to support our whole family.
Their family continues to be close to ours. Whenever they are all in town, we make an effort to spend time together.
i'm proud to be their friends not because of who they are, but because of their character. It's funny that they have never asked us for any money, but we never asked for simply an autograph, only true friendship.
Darian and Nicole Lockett Lawrence residents
Concealed weapons may escalate conflicts
Last fall, I observed an enraged driver get out of his car and threaten to beat up a woman who had taken his parking space. That same week, I also read about a residence hall occupant who was smashed in the head over a food fight and a man who intentionally hit a woman with his car because she scratched his vehicle when she entered the parking lot. How many of these could escalate into shooting incidents with a concealed weapons law?
Are these the rattings and ravings of a die-hard, anti-gun liberals? No. I have hunted and been around guns all of my life and I own a gun. However, I am not willing to trust my life to the emotional mood swings of my fellow citizens.
Chris Waters Lawrence senior
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