TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 1996
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
NEWS 864-4810
ADVERTISING 864-4358
SECTION A VOL.102, NO.139
(USPS 650-640)
TODAY KANSAN
SPORTS
"Dear diary..."
Kansas senior middle distance runner Erin Howerton chronicles the Kansas Relays. Page 1B
CAMPUS
Flat-tax proponent
A Nobel prize winning economist advocated tax-code reform yesterday. Page 3A
NATION
Erma Bombeck dies at age 69
The well-known humorist suffered from complications after a kidney transplant. Page 7A
WORLD
Guerrilla leader emerges
Abdul Abbas apologizes for the killing of an American after years on the run. Page 6A
Weather: Page 2A
INDEX
Opinion . . . . 4A
Nation/World . . . 6A
Features . . . . 8A
Sports . . . . 1B
Scoreboard . . . 2B
The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is paid through the student activity fee. Additional copies of the Kansan are 25 cents.
A spark of interest
Tyler Wirken / KANSAN
James Abbott, Andover junior, works on a welding project for his Sculpture II class yesterday afternoon in the basement of the Art and Design building.
First broadcast successful for KU's Channel 14
News program will air at 5:30 5 nights a week
By Nicole Kennedy Kansan staff writer
It sounded as if they were launching a space shuttle.
At 5:30 p.m. yesterday, KU students from the School of Journalism broadcast their first newscast on the University's television station, Channel 14.
Crowded in the station's control room at the Dole Human Development Center, about 20 students watched as John Katich, director of the school's radio and television sequence, paced and prepared for the broadcast.
"The transmitter is on," Katich said. "We do have contact. We have 10 seconds and you're on the air. Standby to roll A."
The students watched patiently as the newcast aired. When the transmitter was shut down at about 5:40, they applauded.
But late yesterday afternoon, the mood was tense. At 4 p.m. yesterday, the station's editing lab was buzzing as students ran in and out delivering tapes, checking addresses and discussing the news.
Brad Weaver, a graduate teaching assistant in the advanced broadcast reporting lab, created the graphics for last night's broadcast.
"I didn't save it," Weaver said. "I'm going nuts."
"This is more than an assignment now, it's a functioning newsroom," he said.
Although Weaver was stressed, he also was excited for the KU students whose work was seen by viewers instead of professors for the first time.
"This is more than an assignment now, it's a functioning newsroom."
Brad Weaver
portinglab GTA
Advanced Broadcast Reporting lab GTA
The school has been working on getting the TV station up and running for about 10 years.
"The last three years have been full court press," Katich said.
The University spent about $125,000 on the station's broadcasting equipment.
"We think $125,000 is responsible," he said. "It's a start; it's a beginning, and that's what matters."
Tiffany Alaniz, Tulsa, Okla., junior, reported for the newscast. Her story was about how the School of Fine Arts purchased an organ from a Canadian company, instead of from a Lawrence company that builds them.
"I'm excited and nervous," Alaniz said. "I'm glad that I made deadline."
Chad Sloan, Altamont senior, helped produce last night's newcast. He said having news broadcast would make his job easier.
"It does help when you go out and report, and they ask, 'Where can I see this at?', and you have to explain that it's for a class project," he said. "Now you can say, Channel 14."
The station will be broadcasting news at 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for the rest of the semester. Eventually, the station plans to implement full-time programming, but Gary Hawke, Channel 14 general manager, said viewers will have to wait a while.
"It's a milestone by lots of means, but it's still in the infancy of what we're doing," Hawke said.
Prank no joke to Kappa Delta
Five Sigma Nu members face criminal charges
Charges were reduced to criminal trespassing yesterday for five Sigma Nu members allegedly caught breaking into and rummaging through personal items in a local sorority house Sunday morning.
Reportedly, the five men tore a window screen and broke into the Kappa Delta sorority house, 1602 High Drive, at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday.
Police arrested Paul Dasso, Palatine, Ill., junior; Fred Dasso, Long Grove, Ill., junior; Michael Ambrosio, Topeka freshman; Jeremy Smartt, Wichita freshman; and Miles Rost, Lawrence junior, on charges of aggravated burglary, theft and criminal trespassing.
The men then allegedly rum-maged through the women's underwear drawers and stole a picture.
Lawrence police Sgt. Susan Hadl said the women in the house heard the men and called police.
Ambrosio's, Smartt's and Rost's charges were reduced to one count of criminal trespassing.
All five were released Sunday morning on bond.
Paul Dasso was charged with criminal trespassing and unlawful depravation of property.
Fred Dasso also was charged with criminal trespassing and with
obstruction of justice, because he ran and hid from police when they arrived at the Kappa Delta house, Hadl said.
"They were scurrying about," she said. "One was seen leaving the house and was found nearby...hiding."
"We have law officials wasting their time on silly fraternity pranks when there is serious crime in the world," he said. "Fraternities and sororites have historically been able to have fun with each other without breaking any laws."
Court dates of May 2 were scheduled for the five men.
"The men's intention v. as just a prank, but whether or not you perceive something as a prank depends on which side you are sitting," he said.
Bill Nelson, assistant director of the Organization and Activities Center and greek program coordinator, said that although what the men did was wrong, he thought the incident was exaggerated.
Nelson said that he had had a meeting with the members of the house and that they understood the seriousness of their prank.
Ryan Smartt, Sigma Nu president, and brother of one of the arrested men, couldn't be reached for comment.
Marsha Page, Kappa Delta chapter advisor, said the men mumped through at least ten girls' underwear drawers while the girls were with their mothers for mom's weekend.
Page said although she understood it was a prank, breaking into someone's home wasn't funny.
"We are putting our foot down and saying, 'No, it isn't okay,'" she said.
Playboy begins search for University models
41
Two or three KU students to appear in August 27 issue
Jennifer Novak, Lenexa junior, knocked on the door of a suite yesterday at the Holiday Inn Holdome, 200 McDonald Drive.
Inside, Cynthia Kay, Playboy production coordinator, sat leafing through Playboy's College Girls issue with a bored look on her face.
By R. Adam Ward Kansan staff writer
Novak entered and was greeted by David Chan, a Playboy photographer with long hair tied in a ponytail.
Novak went over her measurements with Chan, a section she had left blank on her application. Chan then started taking Polaroids of the fully clothed applicant seated on a table with a KU pennant and a T-shirt with the universities of the Big 12 Conference pinned up behind her.
Chan asked her about courses and looked over the pictures Novak earlier had submitted.
"Relax," Chan said. "Arch your back. Smile with your teeth now."
Novak was the first of what Chan said would be between 80 and 150 students who would apply to represent the University in Playboy's Women of the Big 12 issue, which will be on sale August 27. Chan said he, Kay and his editor in Chicago would make the final decision on which two or three KU students would be picked to pose in the issue.
Chan, who has been shooting Playboy's college editions for 19 years, said the amount the models would be paid this year hadn't been figured yet.
For the past several years, models have been paid $500 for the single photograph of them that went in the issue.
It usually takes half a day to take the photograph, because of the hours of applying make-up and doing hair, Chan said.
Chan said he was looking for a diverse representation from each university in the Big 12, not any certain type of applicant.
"This being Kansas, it's supposed to be the apple pie, gal-next-door look we are going for," he said.
Tyler Wirken / KAMPAN
David Chan, Playboy photographer, takes a Polaroid of Jennifer Novak, Lenexa junior, for her application to represent the University of Kansas in Playboy's Women of the Big 12 issue. Chan said that there would be between 80 and 150 students who would apply to appear in the magazine.
Chan said women usually posed for the issue because it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
"They want to be able to show their grandchildren how they really looked when they were young," he said.
The Playboy college issues are among the magazine's biggest sellers of the year.
Chan said the college issues also did well locally. Playboy sends distributors in the area of the universities about four times more magazines than other distributors.
Chan said he will be returning to the University in a couple of weeks to take pictures on location.
Regan Cowan, Scottsdale, Ariz., sophomore and member of the Feminist Collective Force, said many feminists were not bothered by magazines such as Playboy.
She believed women should be able to pose for the magazine if they chose to.
Novak said that the ability to choose to pose for the magazine was important to her and that she made the decision to pose for the magazine spontaneously.
"I really don't care what people say," Novak said.
"It's my decision and my body."
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