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WARNING
KS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
TOPEKA, KS 66612
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
VOL.104,NO.138
TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1995
ADVERTISING 864 4358
(USPS 650-640)
NEWS 8644810
Taxing time for late filers
Some students struggle with filing their tax forms on time
By Paul Todd Kansan staff write
A college education is of no use at tax time.
Amanda Haase, who graduated from KU in December, walked into Lawrence's Main Post Office at 645 Vermont St.. wet from the rain.
"Does anyone know how to do their taxes?" she asked. She spotted a man working on his tax forms and asked, "Can I covy?" The two began filling in the boxes.
It was all over in 10 minutes.
"I just decided not to do them," she said, walking out the door. "I just say I thought my mom did them."
Haase was one of many KU students who were rushing to get their taxes filed by last night's midnight deadline. Some of the students were on the ball, but others had to bring their forms with them to fill them out in line at the post office.
"Aside from the fact that I already had my name on it, I'm just startling," said Mel Nowak, Lawrence sophomore. "Most of us only make about $1,500 a year like me, so that's why I wait."
Lawrence's main post office stayed open until midnight last night to accommodate tax procrastinators.
Some students, however, know how to work the tax system to their advantage.
Jade Shopp, Estes Park, Colo., junior, was not at the post office mailing his tax forms. Instead, he was mailing a request to the Internal Revenue Service to extend his deadline.
"I won't have to file for four months now — not until I go home and have someone help," he said. "It's increasingly complex this year because I'm using forms I've never seen before."
KU students confused by Uncle Sam's tax processes do have a place to go for help.
Jo Hardesty, director of KU Legal Services, said her office had been swamped with students needing help on their tax forms since January. She said many students had questions because they had income from several states or because they were international students who had to fill out different forms.
Hardesty said students should do the best they could with their taxes. Then, if they use KU Legal Services, she said, they can review their taxes and amend them.
"If people haven't filed by now, they may have to pay a penalty," Hardesty said. "And if they owe, they may have to pay interest."
Maria Buszek, Detroit graduate student, received her completed tax forms in the mail from H and R Block yesterday.
"I just paid $90 to get them done." she said.
Simpler payment processes would be easier — and less expensive, she said.
"I don't mind paying," she said. "But if they had a ratio from person to person, it would be easiest.
Rockers 'jam' at bar
Eddie Vedder in Lawrence?
Yes, the rumors were true. The sold-out Mike Watt and the Foo Fighters show at The Bottleneck last night featured much more than Watt, former bassist for the Minutees and Firehose.
The Foo Fighters featured Vedder, lead singer for Pearl Jam; drummer Dave Grohl, formerly of Nirvana; and Pat Smear, formerly of the Germus and occasional Nirvana guitar player.
Watt is touring in support of his "Ball Hog or Tug Boat" album, which features more than 30 other artists, ranging from Vedder to Mike D and AD Rock of The Beastie Boys. The Bottleneck show was Watt's second stop on a 16-date tour. The show sold out last week.
Look for a review of the show in tomorrow's Kansan.
Kansas junior pitcher Beth Robinson has battled academics and injury to become a motivating force for the Jayhawks.
Page 1B.
Rain fails to dampen turnout
ABOVE: Loretta Pyles, graduate teaching assistant in Western Civilization (left); Henri Blan, GTA in Spanish; and Miranda Harris, member of the Kansas Association of Public Employees and the American Federation of Teachers; help monitor the GTA union election in Strong Hall.
GTAs vote on the state of the union
RIGHT: Darren Lawson, graduate teaching assistant in communications, casts his ballot in the GTA union election.
By Virginia Marghelm Kansan staff writer
Edmee Rodriguez / KANSAN
Yesterday's weather was bad, but it did not stop a large number of KU graduate teaching assistants from voting in the GTA union election.
Christina Sharp, Lawrence graduate student and a Western Civilization GTA, spent the day monitoring the elections. Although the votes were not counted, she estimated that half of KU's about 1,000 GTAs voted yesterday.
GTAs, who were declared public employees in October, are voting on whether to affiliate with the Kansas Association of Public Employees/American Federation of Teachers for collective bargaining purposes. Voting will be today from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the lobby of the Computer Center.
David Reidy, former GTA and a leader of the GTA movement to form a union, said that he was encouraged by the high turnout.
"I'd like to see the same amount tomorrow," Reidy said. But the turnout has not made Reidy more confident about the election's outcome, he said.
"I'm more nervous than anybody else," he said. "Neither outcome would surprise me."
Voting GTAs can choose to be represented by the Kansas Association of Public Employees/American Federation of Teachers for collective bargaining or to have no representation. If the GTAs vote not to be represented by the association, they will still technically be a union, but they will have no voice for collective bargaining.
Reidy said that he was unsure of how the administration would affect the outcome of the election.
"The administration has done its best to get no votes out," he said.
Incoming Chancellor Robert Hemenway, who moved to Lawrence last weekend, stopped to talk with several GTAs yesterday, Reidy said. Hemenway was very optimistic and said that he looked forward to having a good working relationship with GTAs no matter what the outcome of the election. Reidy said.
The votes will be counted at 5 p.m. today at the Pine Room in the Kansas Union.
"I'm more nervous than anybody else. Neither outcome would surprise
me."
leader of the GTA unionization movement David Reidy
Flying potato lands in student's room
Spud gun damage estimated at $220
By Teresa Veazey
Kansan staff writer
Police said the window was broken around 2:30 a.m. Sunday after someone shot the glass with a potato gun. Damage was estimated at $220, police reported.
A broken window and a pile of potato mush.
That's what Doug Weinstein, Skokie, sophomore, came home to Sunday morning after someone had broken the window in his room at Alpha Epsilon Pi, 1116 Indiana St.. Lawrence police reported.
Michael Oldham, Deerfield, Ill,
sophomore, was in his room below
Weinstein's when he heard the
shots.
"One went off on the air conditioner of the room I was in," he said. "It just sounds like a loud crashing noise."
Oldham said he looked outside but didn't see anyone in the area.
When Weinstein returned home.
he found his window had been damaged.
"There was glass all over my floor," Weinstein said. "It went through two window panes and hit the back wall in my room."
"I looked all over, and I noticed the fridge had potato gunk on it," he said.
Potato pieces also were found in another part of Weinstein's room.
Weinstein said the holes'in his window panes from the potato were the size of two fists in an oval shape. The green blinds hanging in front of his window were ripped apart.
Police have no suspects in the case.
Rick Nickell of the Lawrence police department said spud guns were usually made out of plastic pipe. The potato is put in one end of the pipe, and an ignitable gas, such as hairspray, is sprayed in the other end.
"You seal it up with a cap you screw on after you spray the fuel in there," Nickell said. "You need something to generate a spark, like a gas grill starter."
Nickell said spud guns, which have been in Lawrence for a couple of years, could easily shoot a potato 200 yards. The guns are dangerous because they could accidentally explode while being constructed. If a person was standing close to a gun, he or she could get hurt if it was set off, he said.
Once ignited, the gas will expand, forcing the potato out at a high speed.
"You can't go to the store and buy one, but all the parts are readily available." Nickell said.
No local injuries due to spud guns have been reported, but there have been other instances of vandalism. Nickell said.
"People probably just make them because they're fun to shoot," he said. "Potatoes are pretty cheap and fairly solid."
Possessing or making spud guns is not against the law in Lawrence, unless the guns were being made to commit a crime. Nickell said.
"Technically, if you fired it off in town, it could be in violation of the city ordinance on missiles," he said.
Don't try this at home, kids!
Potato Bazooka construction ignition mechanism
combustion chamber
The gun is assembled from PVC pipe,
which is sold at hardware stores,
threaded cap