Diving Team: Coach Don Fearon announces his resignation. Page 1B
Endorsements: The editorial board announces its choices for Senate elections.Page 4A
***********3-DIQT 666
KS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY 3
PO BOX 3585
TOPEKA, KS   66601-3585
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
NEWS 864-4810
ADVERTISING 864-4358
MONDAY, APRIL 7,1997
SECTION A VOL.103,NO.129
(USPS 650-640)
Officials beg for peace in Middle East conflict
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials pleaded yesterday for Israeli and Palestinian leaders to shed their hardline stances and renew face-to-face consultations as President Bill Clinton prepared to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat insists that building must stop on an Israeli housing project in east Jerusalem before long-standing disagreements can be resolved.
The U.S. government, meanwhile, urged the two sides to agree to a face-to-face meeting to salvage the shaky Middle East peace process.
With the peace process stalled since last month amid increasing violence in the Middle East, U.S. officials have suggested it may take another Camp David-like negotiating session to force both sides to resolve their differences.
Higher cigarette taxes proposed by Senators
WASHINGTON—Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Orrin Hatch, R-Rutah, two of the Senate's more ideologically contrasting members, said yesterday they are joining forces on a bill to provide health care for children by raising taxes on cigarettes.
The their bill, to be introduced tomorrow, would add 43 cents in federal taxes to the sale of a package of cigarettes, with two-thirds of the revenue going to provide health insurance for the 10 million American children currently uninsured. The other third would go toward reducing the federal deficit.
Kennedy, who joined Hatch on NBC's Meet the Press, said their legislation would have the added benefit of discouraging kids from taking up smoking.
Hatch said a user fee on smoking was appropriate because tobacco was the single most preventable cause of premature death and illness in America.
Gingrich faces criticism from some Republicans
WASHINGTON — Two Republicans who have been highly critical of House Speaker Newt Gingrich said yesterday that his leadership job remains in jeopardy but that he can redeem himself by moving forcefully to achieve such conserva
Newt Gingrich
dive goals as a major tax cut.
"I believe that unless Newt Gingrich dramatically reverses his positions over the last several months, he will have to go," said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.
Also, if Gingrich doesn't show he can be an effective leader, Rep. David McIntosh, R-Ind., said there might be a call for a secret ballot on the speakership. King said there should be a party vote after Gingrich lays down his strategy to GOP House members this week.
The Associated Press
TODAY
INDEX
Television...2A
Opinion...4A
Horoscopes...4B
Classifieds...5B
SUNNY
Weather: Page 2A
University supports new child-care center
Construction plan has 220-child limit
By Sean Demory
Kansan staff writer
After months of vacillation about University child-care, administrators pledged Friday to support the construction of a new child-care center.
Provost David Shulenburger said that the center would hold 220 children and be financed by a combination of student fees, University funding and payments from parents using the center.
Some students and staff said the University's pledge was a step in the right direction, but others called it a half measure.
The previous plan for construction, which was presented by a task force on child-care, was not financially feasible. Shulenburger said.
He said the majority of the funding for the accepted proposal, drafted by Student Body President Grey Montgomery and members of the administration, would be provided by the center's users. Space available for the
children of students would be allocated proportionally to student funds.
Shulenburger said construction of the center would be completed two and a half to three years after the proposal was accepted by the Student Senate. The proposal will be presented later this week.
"I expect it became evident that the issue is of very high importance with a large amount of the KU community." Pisani said.
Pat Pisani, director of Hilltop Child Development Center, said that the administration's new stance was a welcome change.
The University's acceptance of the proposal has been seen by some as a victory for grassroots activism. A petition circulated by the Child Care Action Committee has spurred a referendum on child-care, which will be voted on this week during Senate elections. Students will have the opportunity to support a fee increase for child care.
"It's definitely useful as a starting block," Sullivan said. "More child-care on campus can be nothing but positive."
Scott Sullivan, Leawood junior and presidential candidate for the Unite coalition, said that the distribution of fees among students, clients and the University was the only acceptable means of funding.
tial candidate for the Delta Force coalition, agreed that more child-care was a positive but said he was wary of the administration's proposal.
Jason Fizell, Olathe senior and presiden.
"We've been at this point before. After the Child Care Task Force gave its proposal, the University promised to do something about it and didn't follow through," Fitzell said. "It's important to keep pressure on the administration. I'm just concerned that they'll back down."
Michael Yaghmour, independent candidate for student body president, could not be reached for comment.
Jen Keltner, Wichita senior and vice president of the Child Care Action Committee, said that the smaller center was phase one of a two-phase proposal that would accommodate 300 children.
She said that, although useful, the new center would not solve the community's child-care problems.
"There's a 200-child waiting list right now," Keltner said. "If we just do phase one, then we'll still have a waitlist."
Pisani agreed.
"It isn't as sufficient as the larger facility would be," she said. "At this point, however, we're very happy that the administration is acknowledging the importance of child-care."
Eric R. Howell / KANSAN
Hanging in there
Ben Brown, Leawood sophomore, searches for the next grip on his way to the top of the rock wall at Robinson Center. Brown, a member of the KU Rock Climbing Club, has participated in various climbing competitions.
All candidates want more KU minorities
By Umut Bayramoglu Kansan staff writer
Diversity important on campus, they say
Michael Yaghmour, Pittsburg junior and independent presidential candidate, said that recruiting more minority students would be advantageous to all students.
Although minority recruitment and retention is not on any of the Student Senate presidential candidates' platforms, all three said that they were concerned about the issue.
Yaghmour said that recruitment and retention of minorities could be accomplished through a joint effort by the University of Kansas and by students.
"Minority students bring a lot of different ideas, and I think everyone would benefit from this," he said.
"Retention is a problem with all students," Yaghmour said. "We need to get students involved so that the campus becomes
"Diversity contributes to educational experience," he said. "Everyone needs a wellrounded education, and we need to be surrounded by people from different backgrounds for a healthy education."
Jason Fitzell, Olathe junior and Delta Force presidential candidate, said that his coalition believed the University needed more recruitment of minority students.
smaller, and everyone, including minorities. feels at home."
Fitzell if he were elected, he would work with the Office of Minority Affairs and the Multicultural Affairs Committee to
"KU needs to be a welc oming place for minority students," he said.
improve minority recruitment.
Fizell said
4
that the University needed to provide more scholarships that would attract and retain minority students.
"Student Senate has the responsibility of telling the administration how important it is to have more diversity," he said.
Fitzell said that when he worked with the Vision 2020 Committee, several faculty members had mentioned the minority retention issue.
"I think it's already in their eyes," he said. "We just need to pressure more."
Scott Sullivan, Leawoodjunior and Unite presidential candidate. agreed.
"The chancellor said that it's an important issue," he said. "It's just a matter of money and manpower."
Michael Yaghmour
"One thing the University is about is diversity." Sullivan said, adding that this diversity could help students better understand others.
said that the University did not have a good record of minority recruitment but that the work of the Multicultural Affairs Committee provided hope for the future of minority recruitment.
Sullivan said it was Senate's responsibility to make all students feel more comfortable on campus.
"This is an area with a lot of room for improvement," he said. "I think if we work on it, we can improve."
Delta Force planning to file complaint against Unite
Sullivan, Walden also intend to file grievance against Fizell
By Dave Morantz Kansan staff writer
Both Student Senate coalitions could have complaints filed against them for allegedly violating the elections code.
Stevie Case, former running mate of Unite presidential candidate Scott Sullivan, and other sources allege that Harrod has had extensive involvement in the Unite coalition's attempt to win Wednesday and Thursday's Student Senate elections.
Meanwhile, Unite presidential candidate Scott Sullivan and vice president candidate Mike Walden claim that they, too, intend to file a complaint against Fitzell, claiming that he took money from his parents and did not report it.
Delta Force presidential candidate Jason Fizell plans to file a complaint today to the elections commission alleging that the Unite coalition has received professional campaign help from Travis Harrod, former KU student, and failed to report his services in their expense reports.
Sullivan and Mike Walden, Leawood juniors and Unite Coalition presidential and vice presidential candidates, claim Harrod is simply a friend and only provides information about past Senate elections. The coalition did not report his services in their expense reports.
After receiving the complaint, the student commission will ask Perlov to investigate the issue. Perlov said he could begin his investigation as early as today. Depending on Perlov's findings, the commission will hold a hearing next Tuesday to discuss the allegations and decide a punishment, if necessary.
Chad Perlov, Englewood, Colo., senior and elections commissioner, said if the allegations proved to be true, the United coalition could be punished for deliberately withholding information from the elections commission and intentionally failing to file reports required under the code elections. Punishments for such an offense range from a fine of up to $50 for each coalition candidate to disqualification from the elections or removal from office.
Although such a hearing would occur after the elections, Perlov said the commission would not officially certify elections results in the case of a pending investigation.
Walden said he believed the commission would find the allegations to be false.
"I think the allegations are unfounded, and we will oppose them," he said. "The focus of the election should return to the issues and the people running and away from rumors and accusations."
Despite their wishes to focus the election on non-trivial disputes, Sullivan and Walden said yesterday afternoon that they plan to file a complaint against Fizell and Delta Force alleging that Fizell has received money from his parents and not reported it to the commission.
Perlov said such accusations would have to be investigated but may not carry much weight.
"If the charges are petty, just like in a court of law, they'll be dismissed," he said.
Attempts to reach Fizzell about the allegations were unsuccessful.
But Fitzell said he and Delta Force had wanted to avoid filing complaints and counter complaints, as has happened in previous elections. But he said that Unite's alleged advising warranted investigation.
"People can look at this and see the way Student Senate has been run in the past and why the same people are on Senate every year," he said. "We really didn't want to get involved with complaints about trivial issues but we feel this is very important."
Perlov and Fitzell both said they had discussed Harrod's possible involvement in the campaign with Sullivan. Perlov said he recommended to Sullivan that the Unite coalition report Harrod's services no matter how minimal they might be.
Sullivan and Walden said they did not report his services because he did no more for the campaign than other candidates.
Under the Senate elections code, a retail value must be given to any service donated by non-students and reported to the commission.
The Unite coalition has spent about $2,350 so far in the campaign. The coalition had originally set its limit at $3,300. But because all members of the coalition had not signed the expense limit, Perlov reduced it to the commission's recommended spending limit of $2,980, leaving the coalition with $630 for the final days of the campaign.
If the coalition exceeds its limit by more than $10, the range of possible punishments is similar to punishments for failing to report donated services.
Delta Force has spent about $770 so far. Fitzell said the coalition set its limit at $33,582,367.23 to point out the absurdity of self-imposed limits. He said the coalition favored strict campaign limits and did not plan to spend much more money in the election.