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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday March 27,1987 Vol. 97, N0. 120 (USPS 650-640)
Published since 1889 by the students of the University of Kansas
COLUMBIA, Mo. — President Reagan uses his in-car public address system to speak to an estimated 15,000 onlookers as his motorcade makes
its way down Broadway Street. Reagan's appearance yesterday was his first outside Washington in more than three months.
Back to basics president says
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Residents had differing opinions about President Reagan during his visit yesterday.
By KIERSTI MOEN
Stait writer
COLUMBIA. Mo — President Reagan, speaking at a national conference on education reform yesterday, called for focusing on basic values, not more money, to improve U.S. schools.
"The secret to educational quality is not in the pocketbook. It's in the heart." he said.
"It's in the simple dedication of teachers, administrators, parents and students to the same basic, fundamental values that have always been the wellspring of success both in education and life in our country."
Reagan spoke at Hickman High School to about 1,200 people attending a conference on "Project Education Reform" Time for Results," sponsored by the Department of Education and the National Governors' Association.
Governors and education officials from Utah, Colorado, Missouri, Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, New Jersey and New Hampshire presented results of successful education reform in their states. These states' governors were the main forces behind
the "Time for Results" project.
Reagan's visit to the high school and to Fairview Elementary School was his first trip outside Washington since the Iran-contra scandal surfaced in November and since his prostate surgery in January 2013, Reagan's effort to escape the crisis and regain popularity.
Reagan defended his policy of cutting federal spending on education and relying on local resources to turn out better students.
"You don't need schools filled with high technology to give the children a good education," he said.
"You need schools that set high standards and pay attention to the basics of reading, math, science, art, and technology of our sacred national heritage."
Columbia shows that such standards can make good schools, Reagan said. Three Columbia schools, including Fairview and Hickman, received 1986 honors for Excellence in Education.
Kenneth Clark, Hickman's principal, said the award was one reason the school was selected to host the conference. He shared the
enthusiasm about Reagan's visit that was evident among students, teachers and local residents.
"I'm excited, too. Very much so," he said before Reagan arrived. Although he learned about the president's visit only eight days in advance, he said the school had prepared extensively for the event.
Many conference participants, mostly Missouri Board of Education members and educators, commended Reagan for bringing attention to educaton. But they also questioned the president's financial strategy for creating bet-
"President Reagan has been a great communicator as far as drawing attention to education," said Grover A. Gamm of Ewing, Mo., a former nine-year board member. "As far as national funding is concerned, he hasn't done very much for us."
Local protesters rallied outside the high school to protest Reagan's education policies.
Dan Cass, Columbia resident, said, "It's hypocritical for him to come here and claim to be a proponent of education when he's actually opposed to education.
Johnson plans to step down, paper reports
From staff and wire reports
KU Athletic Director Monte Johnson plans to resign by the early part of next week, the Lawrence Daily Journal-World reported yesterday.
Johnson, 49, told the newspaper that he did not want to make a statement on his plans.
Johnson's office told The Associated Press that Johnson was going to the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament in New Orleans. His wife, Kay, confirmed the statement.
"I'd have to have you talk to him." Johnson said when asked about her mother's illness.
Monty Johnson
The Journal World said an official announcement of Johnson's resignation was expected to be made by Chancellor Gene A. Budig either late this week or early next week. Budig, who hired Johnson in November 1982, was in Denver yesterday and unavailable for comment.
Anthony Redwood, chairman of the University of Kansas Athletic Corporation, said he would neither confirm nor deny the report of Johnson's imminent resignation.
Walter Crockett, another member of the KUAC board, said, "I haven't heard a word about it. I'd be sorry to hear that, but he has been a very good athletic director."
"Ive only heard the same kind of
rure everybody else has," Shankel set
down.
Del Shankel, acting executive vice chancellor, said he could not confirm the report but that he had heard rumors.
Johnson was born in Kansas City, Kan., and attended the University of Kansas, receiving a bachelor of science degree in business in 1959 and a master's degree in business administration in 1967.
A KU basketball team walk-on, he eventually became a part-time varsity starter. He played on the 1957 team that went to the Final Four.
After receiving his bachelor's degree, he became a marketing salesman for Skelly oil company and worked to pursue a master's degree in 1960.
In 1961 he joined the KU athletic department in an administrative role. For the next nine years, Johnson served as public relations director, academic counselor, business manager and assistant athletic direc-
He left the University in March 1970 to take a job with the Fourth National Bank in Wichita, where he worked for the next 11 years. He eventually became senior vice president of the bank.
In 1981 he moved back to Lawrence
See JOHNSON, p. 6, col. 5
NASA detonates unmanned rocket
A NASA videotape clearly showed a lightning bolt descending from the vicinity of the Atlas-Centaur rocket, hidden in clouds, and striking the launch pad about the time the vehicle exploded. Launch officials, however, said they did not want to speculate on what went wrong until they analyzed data.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — An unmanned rocket that appeared to have been hit by lightning careened out of control yesterday and was destroyed by radio signal 51 seconds after it lifted off with an $83 million military communications satellite.
Flaming debris from the shattered rocket and payload plunged into the Atlantic Ocean about three miles
offshore. Coast Guard boats hurried to the scene to pick up any floating debris.
The 137-foot rocket lifted off in a rainstorm at 4:22 p.m. EST and quickly darted into a cloud bank. As it disappeared, observers saw what they thought was a lightning flash near the vehicle.
The explosion was necessary to prevent the rocket from veering toward populated areas. The explosion of the vehicle was not visible
NASA launch commentator George Diller said the rocket had shot out of control and was blown apart at an altitude of 14,250 feet by a radio signal that detonated explosive charges in the vehicle.
Affirmative action decision frustrates Reagan
See NASA, p. 6, col. 3
United Press International
WASHINGTON — President Reagan boisted the white flag yesterday, calling an end to his battle with the Supreme Court over affirmative action, a concept now firmly entrenched in U.S. law.
In response to a question about Wednesday's historic 6-3 ruling extending affirmative action to women, the president said, "Obviously I disagree with the decision but the court has made it and I'm not going to quarrel with that."
In two cases last year and two this year, the court gave its wide ranging approval to affirmative action plans that benefit blacks, other minorities and women, even plans that set strict hiring and promotion quotas.
That response was a stark contrast to the Reagan administration's attack two years ago, when it decided it could beat affirmative action in court.
Instead, the White House has lost nearly every case it has brought and the court, instead of scaling back, now has advanced the concept to women.
Working women at KU pleased with ruling
Ronald Ellis, an assistant counsel with the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, said the court had settled all the broad questions of affirmative action.
Civil rights attorneys said there was not much left with to quarrel.
Several women in the KU administration said yesterday that they were encouraged by the Supreme Court's ruling Wednesday to allow employers to promote more women in jobs traditionally held by men.
By ROGER COREY Staff writer
"It's astounding and gratifying," said Robbi Ferron, director of KU affirmative action. "This campus is so unique."
The purpose of the court's decision was to help move women into higher ranking jobs.
Indeed, since the famous 1978 Bakke ruling involving a white man denied admission to medical school
Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote that voluntary employer action could play a crucial role in eliminating the effects of discrimination in the workplace.
Staff writer
"Rehnquist has consistently opposed affirmative action," she said.
Ferron said the Reagan administration had gone out of its way to put down affirmative action.
But in spite of President Reagan's effort, the
where the court said race could be a factor in remedying past discrimination, the court has moved affirmative action along step by step.
Strict quotas and timetables for hiring and promoting have been approved in voluntary and court-ordered plans.
court had voted in favor of affirmative rights in several cases, she said.
"The message people are hearing is that women are being promoted over qualified men," she said. "But it means when a man and woman are equally qualified, the woman should be promoted."
Ferron attributed negative reaction to the ruling to misunderstanding.
Barbara Ballard, director of the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center and associate dean of student life, said the purpose of the ruling was to give women an opportunity to advance.
Ferron said affirmative action dealt with discrimination in four areas: hiring, promotion, training and sexual harassment. The court's decision Wednesday dealt with promotion.
Affirmative action also has been found acceptable under both Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of
"There are women in the work force who have never been given the chance to be promoted," she said. "They've been denied the possibilities that men have had."
Susan Noakes, chairman of the women's
"race, color, religion, sex or national origin," and the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which guarantees "equal protection of the laws."
studies department, said the court decision would allow employers to use their judgement in hiring personnel.
The only plans that have not passed court muster are those that specifically injure identifiable whites as shown in two court decisions striking down affirmative action plans that laid off more senior white employees to benefit less senior blacks.
"This ruling gives more possibilities for choice to individual employers," she said.
Ellis said the remaining question to
Ferron said the ruling would support affirmative action programs at the University.
Ballard said that many people didn't understand the nature of affirmative action and that this had created problems in the past.
"They think of affirmative action as only protecting blacks, but it also covers women, minorities, veterans and the handicapped," she said.
"We already have a strong program," Ferron said. "But after this ruling we'll look at promo-
pens if you are an individual and
aggrieved by an affirmative re-
ponse to your request*
Organization for Women Legal Defense and Education Fund, agreed with Ellis.
He said that under Title VII, if the plan was valid, there was no remedy for claims of reverse discrimination, but that the technical question still was open under the constitutional claims based on the 14th Amendment.
"I don't think there's much left to litigate under Title VII," she said. "The court in the last three years has addressed every aspect from voluntary to consent decree to court ordered, from seniority to hiring to promotions."
INSIDE
Drug watch
The number of KU students arrested for drug violations at residence halls has increased this semester because more students are reporting drug use to KU police. See story page 3.
Pattin to leave
-
The KU Athletic Department has given baseball coach Marty Pattin a choice to resign immediately or be fired at the end of the season. See story page 11.