CAMPUS
Symphonic bands from across the nation will perform at KU this week during a bandmaster conference. Page 3A
FEATURES
Pinball once again is all the rage in Lawrence.
SUNNY High 35° Low 5° Weather: Page 2A
Page 10A
KS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
TOPEKA, KS 66612
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
VOL.104, NO.114
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 1995
ADVERTISING: 864-4358
(USPS 650-640)
NEWS: 864-4810
No vote on ordinance change
Angry supporters say commission bows to Compton
By Sarah Morrison Kansan staff writer
Supporters of the proposal to add the words "sexual orientation" to Lawrence's human relations ordinance expressed outrage at the Lawrence city commission meeting last night, saying the commission had dealt with the proposal unfairly and by doing so had sent a message of city-sanctioned discrimination to the community.
The change would extend anti-discrimination protection to people on the basis of sexual orientation.
Following the commission's decision not to place the item on the agenda and put it to a vote, Ben Zimmerman, co-chairman for Simply Equal, the coalition that proposed the change in November, said the group wanted a public hearing so members of the coalition and their supporters would have a chance to present their arguments.
The 15 minutes given to the coalition to present its arguments during a January study session on the issue was insufficient. Zimmerman said.
If the item had been placed on the agenda, a public hearing would have
been conducted.
"Simply Equal has been denied a fair, unbiased open hearing." Zimmerman said. "We think human rights are not issues to be taken lightly. Simply Equal is about people and the quality of life in Lawrence. We are here today to express our indignation at the way this important issue of human rights has been handled by city hall."
If the item was voted on by the current commission, it would not pass. Commissioners Bob Schultze and Bob
After Commissioner Doug Compton's announcement at last night's meeting that he would not vote for the amendment, the commission decided not to put the item on the agenda for a vote because it would be a waste of time.
Moody have said they would join Compton in voting against it. Commissioner John Nalbandian and Mayor Jo Andersen have said they would vote for the change.
Lorraine Moore, president of the Lawrence chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, blasted the commission for changing its course of action after it had decided to wait until after a staff study on the issue was completed in April to decide.
Moore accused the commission of caving into the wishes of Compton, who is running for re-election April 4, by allowing him to influence their course of action in an attempt to help his campaign.
Compton had no comment.
Marci Francisco, Lawrence resident, spoke at last night's city commission meeting about her disappointment in the way the commission has handled a proposal to amend the human relations ordinance.
Kathleen Driscoll /
KANSAN
A member of the Lawrence Fire Department enters the charred remains of a trailer home at 1908E. E 19th St.. W-4B. The home, occupied by KU graduate students Norm Vavriek and Loretta Pyles, caught fire just after 8 a.m. yesterday morning. No one was injured in the fire, but the students' cats died.
Jarrett Lane /
KANSAN
Blaze causes $10,000 in property losses to trailer apartment
Fire destroys students'home, tests
By Teresa Veazey Kansan staff writer
Two KU students were left with little more than the clothes on their backs after a fire destroyed their trailer home yesterday morning at 1908 E. 19th St, W-48.
The fire was caused by an overloaded electrical cord that ignited, said Dan Morrow, battalion chief for the Lawrence Fire Department. The location of the overloaded cord was unknown.
Norm Vavricek, Waterville graduate student, was returning from campus shortly after 8 a.m. when he discovered the fire. He had just dropped off his girlfriend, Loretta Pyles, a western civilization graduate teaching assistant. As he drove down the street, he noticed smoke coming
from the side of the trailer.
"It looked like dryer v e n t s t e a m," Vavric k ea s ied. "I got closer, and I saw it was too much and too high."
Vavricek got down on his stomach and crawled just a few feet inside.
Vavricek said he
"I knew I had my guitar, ampli
"Right now, Ifeel a little nauseous. And I miss my cats."
opened the front door and was hit with a tremendous blast of heat. Smoke had filled the trailer, and only six inches of open air was left above the floor.
Loretta Pyles
Western Civilization
graduate teaching assistant
her and a speaker that were close by." he said. "I managed to pull them out."
tal. Asya, another cat who had been with Vavricek and Pyles for only three weeks, died in the fire.
Vavricek said he grabbed his injured cat, Bruno, who later died at a veterinary hospi-
With the exception of
Vavricke's music equipment and some photographs, nothing in the trailer was salvageable. Property loss was estimated at $10,000. Morrow said. The trailer was uninsured.
At this point, Pyles' main concern is the Western Civilization I class she teaches on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Many of her notes and exams were destroyed in the fire.
"There's just nothing there."
Pyles said. "It's just a big mess."
Vavricek and Pyles said they would stay next door at a neighbor's house. Pyles said the two were unsure about the immediate future.
"Right now, I feel a little nauseous," she said. "And I miss my cats."
"My student's midterms were in there," said Pyles. "They just took them last night."
Day on the Hill cut from budget
By Ian Ritter
Kansan staff writer
Day On the Hill, the day-long concert that brings bands to Campanile Hill, may not be financed by Student Senate in 1996.
Monday night, the Student Senate finance committee recommended that Student Union Activities, which organizes the event, receive $6.560.
Even though the finance committee thought that SUA should receive more money than any other group it considered, SUA's initial request was for $22,190, and money for Dav On the Hill was cut
completely from the budget proposal.
The finance committee's decision will go to Senate tonight for approval.
Paul Wolters, president of SUA, said that Day On the Hill would go on regardless of whether Senate supports SUA, but other SUA programs might be cut back.
Wolters said that there may not be a comedy show next year.
Wolters said that it took more money to get bigger acts to play the event.
Last year, Senate allocated $3,500 to SUA to finance the stage used for Day On the Hill.
"SUA has a huge budget all on its own and giving it huge chunks of money denies other groups that need money that aren't even funded by the Memorial Corporation," said Stephanie Guerin, finance committee chairwoman.
SUA is given $88,000 each year by the University of Kansas Memorial Corporation.
"What I have a problem with is that SUA thought Day on the Hill was so great that we have to fund them."
Guerin said that when Day On the Hill first started, the event was
Alan Pierce
Senate finance committee member
"Since we've been funding them, it seems that the quality of the bands has gone down," he said.
and the amount and quality of films that SUA presents may be cut.
"I would challenge the finance committee to find out why they don't feel this is in the best interest of students," Wolters said. "It's kind of confusing when it's one of the most popular events for the students."
Alan Pierce, finance committee member, said that the quality of Day On the Hill had been lacking recently.
financed completely by SUA.
Senate first helped finance Day On the Hill in 1994.
"I have no problems with funding concerts," Pierce said. "What I have a problem with is that SUA thought Day On the Hill was so great that we have to fund them."
Pierce and other finance committee members said that Day On the Hill was more of a regional event than a student event, making it an event that Senate shouldn't be responsible for financing.
But Jamie Plesser, SUA live music coordinator, said that the organization was working to change that.
"I think that this year, the focus of the event is not going to be to entertain the entire Midwest," he said.
Performers for this year'S Day On the Hill have not yet been chosen.
Three of the last four home games for the Kansas baseball team have been postponed or cancelled because of inclement weather. Page 1B.
Snowbound hawks
Big Eight title makes T-shirt sales big business
Brian Vandervliet / KANSAN
Paul Mills, Salina junior, examines a Big Eight Championship T-shirt that he bought for a friend in Nebraska. Local stores have sold hundreds of the championship shirts since Monday.
By Brian Vandervilet
Kansan staff writer
Rick McPherson likes to show his pride in KU basketball.
McPherson, who graduated from KU in 1975, was so inspired by KU's victory Sunday that he bought four Big Eight Championship T-shirts — one for each member of his family.
"I always buy 'em when they do something good," he said. "I'm just trying to keep those college memories alive."
The fact that big games translate into big sales is not something that has gone over the heads of local stores selling KU merchandise.
Swalm said the most popular style of championship shirt was the one worn by the players
"When the Jayhawks do well, we do well," he said. "When there is something special like the Big Eight Championship, the sales pick up dramatically."
Mike Swalm, assistant manager of the Jayhawk Bookstore, 1420 Crescent Road, ordered 600 Big Eight Championship T-shirts. Since Monday, more than 400 of those shirts had been sold.
"Everyone in the community wants to feel like they're part of the success," he said.
"KU has very loyal fans," she said. "People love to follow Jayhawk basketball whether they're from here or not."
Sales clerks at the KU Bookstore in the Kansas Union have received phone-call orders from all across the nation for Big Eight Championship T-shirts, said Jennifer Day, supervisor of gifts and clothing. One optimistic fan from Texas placed an order Friday, before the game was even played.
Day said that although 300 shirts were preordered with a local screen printing company about a week ago, they weren't actually printed until after the game. Since Monday morning, when the shirts were put on the rock, about half had been sold
Kari Vanoort, Le Mars, Iowa, sophomore said she bought her championship shirt because of pride for the team.
"I want to show that I'm from KU when I go home," she said. "I'll probably wear it a lot."