Election 195
SUNNY
High 70°
Low 47°
Weather: Page 2A
KS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
TOPEKA, KS 66612
VOL.104,NO.135
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
ADVERTISING: 864-4358
THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 1995
(USPS 650-640)
NEWS:864-4810
Discussion held about GTA union
Administrators debate teaching assistants
By Paul Todd
Kansan staff writer
Leaders of the movement to form a union for graduate teaching assistants held a forum with KU administrators yesterday afternoon to discuss the consequences of forming a union.
The forum, held in the Kansas room of the Kansas Union, was organized by the graduate student council.
The panel of four GTAs sounded scholarly in their defense but didn't convince the panel of four administrators, who quoted facts and figures and comparisons of peer schools.
Nor did the administrators, led by David Shulenburger, vice chancellor for academic affairs, convince the GTAs that a union would be ineffective in the Legislature and hurt collegiality.
The crowd of about 70 people were mostly GTAs who supported the union idea. KU has 1,069 graduate teaching assistants.
The main issue for the administrators and the GTAS was whether a collective bargaining unit for GTAs would be beneficial to GTAs at KU, especially when it came to the Legislature.
"I believe firmly that in the Legislature, the label 'GTA union' is going to be poisonous," Shulenburger said.
He said that GTAs at KU were paid slightly more than GTAs at KU's peer schools, even though regular faculty were paid slightly less. He said that administrators were in the process of cutting $2.9 million from the KU's budget. Covering all GTAs on the University's health care plan would cost the University about $2.6 million, he said.
But David Reidy, one of the leaders of the GTAs, said GTAs could collectively use a private health insurance plan which would cost less — and cost the University nothing.
University Judiciary Reidy said the the Kansas Association of Public Employees, the union with which GTAs would affiliate, would give GTAs more influence in the Legislature. When the GTAS received full tuition waivers in 1992, it was partly because the association had lobbied on their behalf, Reidy said.
Kathleen McCluskey-Fawcett, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and professor of psychology, said the recent discussion about the possible unionization had distanced her from the GTAs in the psychology department because neither the faculty nor the GTAs knew, to what extent they could talk about the issue. The Kansas Public Employer-Employee Relations Act prohibits faculty from discouraging or assisting in the formation of employee organizations.
"To think it won't create an adversarial relationship is naive," McCluskey-Fawcett said. "You can already feel the tension in this room."
However, the GTA side recruited the help of Jon Curtiss, president of the graduate employment organization at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Curtiss said he thought the GTAs would vote in favor of forming a union Monday, despite the administration's arguments.
REAL coalition hits sidewalks for campaign
By Robert Allen Kansan staff writer
The REAL coalition hit the pavement early yesterday morning to campaign on the first day of Student Senate elections.
"We hit the ground running at 7:30 this morning," said David Stevens, Wichita junior and student body presidential candidate.
Some members woke up before sunrise to get some campaigning in before classes. Gretchen Graham, Harrisonville, Mo., freshman and a candidate for Nunemaker senator, stood near Wescoe Hall and handed out REAL fliers.
Kathleen Driscoll / KANSAN
"I got up at 4:30 this morning and started at 5," she said. "We hung up door hangings on off-campus apartments. Then I went to class at 7:30. At 8:30 I started, and I've been here ever since. I'll probably be here until 4:30."
Stevens said that it was important for candidates to be visible on campus during elections.
"I think the last two days are very important," he said. "People have been barraged with information. These two days are when people can come to terms with the issues. They need to be aware that the polls are out there—the day is now."
Terry Hueter, Lake Quivira sophomore and a candidate for Nunemaker senator, also realized the need for candidates to be accessible during the elections.
"I know that for the REAL coalition to win, we need every person we've talked to go out and vote," he said. "I know apathy runs deep and wide."
Voter apathy was also a concern of Stevens, but yesterday he had reason to doubt his concern.
"I'll be out there again doing the same thing," he said. "Sacrificing two days of classes is worth it when you sacrifice three weeks of intense campainting."
Almost 2,000 students voted yesterday,a higher turnout than last
"I am elated because I've talked to so many students who have told me they never voted in a Student Senate campaign, but they have this year," he said. "It's like building a toy car and having it run."
Stevens said that the REAL coalition was inexperienced in running a campaign, but he was impressed with the efforts of the other members.
"We just told people,'Look, you need to be out there if you want to get elected."
Huerter planned to skip classes again today and give it his all.
Adrienne Goodwin, Prairie Village freshman, votes in front of Wescoe Hall on the first day of voting. About 2,000 students voted yesterday. Other locations for voting are the Kansas and Burge Unions, Robinson Center and Strong Hall.
Students wait in line to cast their
votes for Student Senate in front of
Wescoe Hall during the first day of elections. Stu-
ing the first day of elections. Students voted despite the cold weather.
Edmee Rodriguez/
KANSAN
United Students think that hard work is worth it
By Ian Ritter
Kansan staff writer
Candidates Training for Student Senate with the United Students coalition spent the first day of the Senate election campaigning across campus.
Most candidates running with United Students have been working on the campaign for two months. Candidates said that campaigning has required a lot of effort during the last few weeks, but if the end result is victory, the endeavor was worth it.
"I've never had a problem being social," Unruh said. "But approaching people who are in no mood to talk to you has made me take my social skills to a new level."
She said that the cold weather also bothered her while campaigning.
"I'd say the worst thing would be dealing with the chilly, windy conditions being the warm weather person that I am." Unruh said.
But she said that the problems she has faced while campaigning have made her a more knowledgeable person.
"It's made me much more aware of issues here at KU that the students' concern can change," Unnh said.
Julie Harris, Mission Hills senior, was a student senator last year. This year, she is running for off-campus senator.
"A campaign's always exhausting," Harris said. "I've definitely put more effort into this campaign than I have before because it meant more tome this year."
She said that she has sacrificed sleep so that she can accomplish her goal and secure a Senate seat.
"There are quality people running on both coalitions, and I think there is potential for a very effective Student Senate for the next year," Harris said. Dan Hare, Olathe junior and candidate for student body vice president with the United Students coalition, said that the campaign had run very smoothly.
"The thing I've experienced that I've been happiest about this year is the enthusiasm of the people on the United Students coalition," he said.
Crime stats inform students
By Teresa Veazey
Kansan staff writer
Pyramid theft scheme, stalking top list of interesting cases
Numbers don't always tell the whole story.
While University crime statistics is a good indication of what happens on campus, KU police have taken an extra step to inform the University about major crimes. Following all the graphs and pie charts, the KU police department's annual report includes short narratives on cases which occurred last year.
"We discovered a couple of years ago our annual report was full of numbers," said Ralph Oliver, assistant director of the KU police department. "There were certain topics and certain things that happened on campus that the University was interested in, which weren't included in the report."
The biggest case for KU police in 1994 was the pyramid scheme, which involved paying a person in hopes of receiving more money later. said Rose Rozmlarek of
KU police considered the pyramid scheme to be their biggest case last year because it involved high manpower and a high budget, Rozmiarek said. According to the report, KU police recovered $2,060 and turned the case over to the Kansas Securities Commission.
the KU police department. According to the report, each participant gave $150 to the "president" and then had to solicit $150 from eight more people. Once the donations were received, that person would move up the pyramid and eventually profit $1,050.
"We must have had 10 police officers from two to three jurisdictions working on it." Oliver said. "Because of the nature of this crime, a lot of people got educated on pyramid schemes and how to avoid them."
Normally, the pyramid scheme would be categorized as a theft and be buried in those statistics, he said.
KU police do not keep stalking statistics, but last year's report included a brief summary of the only stalking that was reported, he said.
See CAMPUS,Page 5A
"Everyone was aware it occurred, and a lot of people were involved in it." Oliver said.
Rozmiarek said that the stalking was deemed a case of
Day on the Hill bands are set
Kansan staff report
Pop-alternative singer Matthew Sweet will be the headliner for this year's Day on the Hill, which is scheduled to begin about noon April 30. Day on the Hill is an annual outdoor concert that brings bands from across the region to Campanile Hill.
Other bands scheduled to play include Tenderloin, a rockabilly band from Kansas City, Mo.; Bastard Squad, a funk band from Lawrence; and Lou's Revenge, a jazz-bluegrass-blues band, also from Lawrence.
This year, the stage will be set up in a parking lot southwest of Memorial Stadium and will face the Delta Tau Delta fraternity house, 1111 W. 11th St. Jamie Pleisser, Prairie Village Junior and live music coordinator for Student Union Activities, said organizers were hoping to avoid trampling the area where graduates will walk down the hill for graduation May 14.
---