UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Monday, March 11, 1996
5A
Greek group promotes responsible drinking
G.A.M.M.A. makes members aware of alcohol risks
By Scott MacWilliams Kansan staff writer
Greeks Advocating Mature Management of Alcohol promotes responsible drinking habits to students in the KU greek system.
But Matt Tessier, greek programs alcohol and risk management educator and G.A.M.M.A adviser, said G.A.M.M.A.'s success had been difficult to quantify.
"There's no real formula for finding out if we're doing any good," Tessier said. "We don't have any statistics on whether there has been any reduction in alcohol-related incidents in the Greek system on campus."
Tessier said G.A.M.M.A.'s activities included co-sponsored Safe Break Week, March 18-22. Safe Break activities include distribution of condoms in the Kansas and Burge Unions, distribution of red ribbons for Mothers Against Drunk Driving
and an evening game show modeled after "Studs" or "Singled Out" that students can participate in.
G. A.M.M.A. also conducts presentations in greek houses to discuss alcohol and other risk-management issues.
"I think they've had one presentation this semester, and I think they've got about six or seven more planned," said Rick Vanderslice, Lenexa senior and G.A.M.M.A. president.
Jill Misler, Overland Park sophomore, said she had become involved in G.A.M.M.A. this spring and had been enthusiastic about the organization.
"I'm helping plan the Safe Break Week activities," Misler said. "Some of the freshmen in our house were going to the meetings, and now I'm really active with them. I think there were about 60 people at the last meeting."
But many KU fraternity and sorority members know little about G.A.M.M.A.
"I know it's something about alcohol control," said Dan Mellott, Boner Springs sophomore and Alpha KappaLambda member. "They
"I know it's something about alcohol control."
Dan Mellott
Alpha KappaLambda member
haven't been to our house, but I think they might be coming here in a few weeks."
Nick Forti, St. Louis sophomore, and Lambda Chi Alpha member, said he had not seen any G.A.M.M.A. activities in his house.
"We've had house meetings about risk management, and they talk about underage drinking and driving." Forti said. "We also have B.A.D.D. duty on weekend nights, where a brother is assigned to designated-driver duty, but it wasn't done through G.A.M.M.A."
Although it had been difficult to know if G.A.M.M.A. met its goals, Vanderslice said the effort still had been worth it if the group could keep one person from abusing alcohol.
Historic house to become museum
The Associated Press
TOPEKA—The city's historic Ritchie house, once used as a refuge for runaway slaves, may escape demolition now that a citizen-led preservation group has claimed it.
The home, which belonged to Col. John Ritchie, has faced razing or relocation but now is in the hands of the Shawnee County Historical Society.
"As best as we can tell, the house was built in the spring of 1856 after Ritchie immigrated here in 1855," said Bill Wagonn, treasurer of the society and coordinator of the Ritchie House Preservation Task Force.
The group plans to turn the house into a museum by restoring the interior to the early 1860s. That was when Kansas left territorial life to become a state.
"We see this as a state gem," Wagnon said of the house. "It's of historic significance because of its early identity with the state's founding and history. We see the Ritchie house as Shawnee County's representation of the free-soil alternative. We don't have anything else like it in Shawnee County."
The society hopes to finish the restoration by the year
2004, in time for Kansas' 160th year as a United States territory.
Ritchie was a member of the Wyandotte Constitutional Convention, which led Kansas to statehood in 1861. During the convention, he voted against anti-Black resolutions and helped write the Kansas Constitution.
A friend of abolitionist John Brown, Ritchie killed a proslavery deputy U.S. marshal who tried to cross the threshold of his home and arrest him for his anti-slavery actions.
When Black people began moving to Topeka following the Civil War, Ritchie gave land on which to build homes and a Black cemetery.
Ritchie also helped found Washburn University in Topeka.
Wagnon said a top priority now was to insure the house's security.
"We are nominating the property to the State Register of Historic Places." Wagonn said.
The society hopes to raise $300,000 for the restoration. The Ritchie family of Wichita donated $5,000.
Pluto still a planet, town says
The Associated Press
Astronomer and Burdett native Clyde Tombaugh discovered the ninth planet of the solar system on March 13, 1930.
BURDETT — Some residents in this western Kansas town are grumbling about recent space discoveries via the Hubble Space Telescope that are endangering their claim to fame.
But in June, pictures from the space telescope led some scientists to believe Pluto was part of a comet belt at the edge of the solar system.
The 250 Burdett townfolk don't want to add an asterisk to the bronze plaque erected under the water tower commemorating Tombaugh's accomplishment as one of only four human beings to be individually credited with discovering a planet.
If Pluto was demoted to an asteroid, it would no doubt take away from the town, said some residents at the Burdett senior citizens' center Friday.
"If Pluto's withdrawn as a planet, we'll withdraw from the Union," Betty Sell said.
Tombaugh, now 90, said that he thought the new discovery would just fade away like it did in 1950 and 1987, when others tried to undermine his discovery.
"Somebody wants to cash in on a little publicity, I think, to improve their ego," said the retired astronomer, who now lives in Mescilla Park, N.M. "It's just a small minority. Most people won't agree with them."
He said the new pictures of Pluto did not prove anything.
"There's no doubt it's a planet," Tombaugh said. "It is round, it has an atmosphere part of the time, it has a satellite and it has polar caps."
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