Double drizzle
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday
Details, page 2
Published since 1889 by the students of the University of Kansas
March 25, 1987
Vol. 97, N0. 118
(USPS 650-640)
House OKs 3 bills to trim KU budget
Staff writer
By CHRISTOPHER HINES
TOPEKA — In a six-hour nonstop session with much heated debate, the Kansas House of Representatives yesterday gave preliminary approval to eight bills that would reduce the state's 1988 budget by about $13 million.
But three of the bills designated to reduce KU's budget by about $2 million for fiscal year 1988 were approved in about 15 minutes, with no amendments offered to reinstate the money and with little debate.
Some Lawrence representatives said opposition to the bills would have been wasted in the House.
"I know there is stronger support on the Senate side for Regents institutions," State Rep. Jess Branson, D-Lawrence, said. "I had an amendment ready to reinstate the faculty and classified employee cuts. But I don't think it had the necessary votes in the house."
State Rep. John Solbach, D-Lawrence, said, "I don't think the University administration wants us to make those amendments on this side of the Legislature. It's a tactical decision."
The House is expected to give final approval to the new budget cuts today. If approved by the Senate and signed by Gov. Mike Hayden, the bills would reduce KU's 1988 operating budget, cut faculty and classified employees' salary increases from 2.2 percent to 0.75 percent and reduce expenditures for capital improvement projects.
The budget-cutting process was taken one step further when legislators accepted an amendment sponsored by State Rep. Robert J Vancrum, R-Overland Park, that would reduce by two-thirds the money that the state allocates for travel.
Gareth Waltrip/KANSAM
The University receives most of its $1.1 million annual travel budget from federal grants and research funds, but the cut would be a $181,214 loss to KU.
The cuts made yesterday are part of a new budget austerity plan sponsored by House Republicans to
carve about $25 million from Hayden's fiscal 1988 budget.
Except for the tactical maneuvering by Lawrence representatives, the majority of Democrats refused to vote on any of the proposed measures during the first two hours of yesterday's session. The Democrats were protesting the new round of budget cuts.
"What we're saying is that we don't support the new budget cuts, and we don't want to be responsible," said State Rep. Marvin Barkis, D-Louisburg. House minority leader.
The new fiscal austerity program is an effort by the House leadership to replace money lost by the House's rejection two weeks ago of two revenue-transfer bills.
Hayden supported the two rejected bills because they would have meant $50 million in additional revenues for the state in the next three years.
State Rep. Bill Bunten, R Topeka, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said the lost revenue and Hayden's overly optimistic revenue projections for 1988 left his committee little choice but to recommend the cuts.
"Unless we don't want to avoid a disaster next year, we have to take precautions." Bunten said.
Hayden has said the new cuts are not needed to keep the state financially stable. But Bunten said Hayden had based his estimates on a large tax windfall expected from the new federal tax changes and increased state revenues.
"He's expecting a $30 or $50-million bonus for next year," Bunten said. "It's far from sure that these prodsms will generate that kind of income."
But some Democrats maintain that Bunten and other Republican leaders are using the rejection of the transfer bills as an excuse to make new cuts and wrangle party leadership from Havden.
"Why don't they support their own governor?" Barkis said. "I can't believe we have Democrats supporting a Republican governor's budget."
Dry dog
Joe Triggs, York, Pa., graduate student, and his seeing-eye dog, Tristan, walk home in the rain. Triggs dressed Tristan in a raincoat yesterday to keep him dry.
Mall developer says Sears shows interest
Staff writer
By TODD COHEN
The developer of a proposed downtown Lawrence mall revealed yesterday, two weeks before a public vote on the proposal, that Sears, Roebuck & Co. wants to locate a store in the mall.
The developer, Jacobs, Visconsi & Jacobs of Cleveland, also announced that it would begin an advertising campaign to win a pro-mall referendum vote.
Don Jones, JVJ vice president of real estate, said the Sears announcement was made now to influence the company's decision to be naive to think otherwise, he said.
Lawrence residents elect three city commissioners and vote on the mail referendum April 7.
Pat Kehde, co-chairman of Citizens for a Better Downtown, a group opposed to the current mall site, said
JVJ should not try to influence voters.
"It's completely inappropriate for a Cleveland developer, which stands to make millions and millions of dollars on this project, to get involved in the city election," Kehde said.
Jones said that Sears' decision to let VJJ reveal its interest was an important step toward Sears signing a lease.
"They are very sensitive about
their user name. The other developer
use their name." Jon
Sears' decision was only an indication that the company was ready to take action.
"This is not an absolute, 100 percent, unequivocable commitment," he said.
JVJ announced last year that Dil-
See MALL, p. 6, col.3
Chemist, benefactor Higuchi dies
By PEGGY O'BRIEN
Staff writer
Takeru Higuchi, a KU pharmaceutical chemist who has been described as a great figure in the history of the University, died yesterday morning.
Dr. Higuchi, Regents distinguished professor of chemistry and pharmacy, and former chairman of the department of pharmaceutical chemistry, died at the University of Missouri-Columbia hospital complex, where he had undergone cardiovascular bypass surgery March 18.
He had become ill at a conference at the Lake of the Ozarks last week. Dr. Higuchi, 69, had open heart surgery in 1979.
Howard Mossberg, dean of pharmacy, said Dr. Higuchi had been a colleague and friend for 20 years, a relationship that Mossberg enjoyed and cherished.
"I looked upon him as one of my teachers." Mossberg said. "He was one of the true giants of his specialty.
and his accomplishments will go down in history.
"His generosity and loyalty to KU will be hard to replace."
Chancellor Gene A. Budig said in a
statement that Dr. Higuchi was one of the great figures in KU history.
"As a teacher, scholar, entrepreneur and benefactor, he leaves an
indelible mark on KU. His time and enormous talents he gave unsparingly to KU, to his students and to colleagues throughout the world." Budig said.
Dr. Higuchi was chairman of the board of Oread Laboratories, a corporation established to market technological discoveries by KU's Center for Bioanalytical Research. He directed the center from 1964 to 1985.
Dr. Higuchi, an internationally known scientist, developed pills that allow medicines to be released slowly into the bloodstream, such as those used in over-the-counter cold medicines.
groundbreaking ceremonies for the lab's site near 15th Street and Wakarusa Drive were canceled last because of Dr. Hughich's illness.
Dr. Higucci was born Jan. 1, 1918, in Los Allos, Calif. He earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry at the University of California-Berke-
See HIGUCHI, p. 6, col.
Iran warns against U.S.attack
The Associated Press
NICOSIA, Cyprus — The speaker of Iran's parliament said yesterday that Americans around the world would be in danger if the United States launched an attack in the Persian Gulf, where U.S. Navy forces have been strengthened.
Hashemi Rafsanji also renewed Iran's offer to intervene with pro-Iranian Shiite Muslim kidnappers in Lebanon to release of Americans if Washington returns an estimated $20 million in Iranian assets frozen in 1978.
The United States says Iran has deployed anti-ship missiles in the Strait of Hormuz, the 40-mile-wide southern gateway to the Persian Gulf through which 20 percent of the non-communist world's oil passes.
This has revived fears that the Iranians will try to close the strait. The United States has vowed to preserve free navigation in the gulf, which has been a battleground since the Iran-Iraq war began in September 1980.
By "the events of Lebanon," Rafsanjani appeared to be referring to the 1983 suicide bombings of the U.S. Embassy and Marine headquarters in Beirut, in which more than 300 people were killed, and to the abductions of Americans.
"The events of Lebanon could be repeated for the Americans around the world" if the United States attacks, Rafsanjani said. "If, God forbid, such a thing takes place, Americans will be unsafe throughout the world."
"Of course, we don't want this to happen. We're not making threats, but we are warning the American people to tie the hands of their leaders."
Eight Americans are among the 24 foreigners missing in Lebanon and presumed held by Muslim kidnapers. Most are believed to be captives of extremist Shiite groups backed by Iran.
Lliyds of London's Intelligence Unit reported that Iraqi warplanes attacked the Iranian tanker Dena in the northern gulf Monday, setting the 176.000-ton vessel afire.
Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger said Sunday the United States is ready to protect oil tankers against Iranian attacks and is making contingency plans for military action.
Iranian vessels regularly stop cargo vessels and search them for war material bound for Iraq, but there are no reports of warships intercepted
Rafsanjani said the United States warned Iran through the Swiss Embassy in Tehran against using the mobile Chinese-made HY-2 missiles deployed on the northern shore of the strait. He said the message also concerned "affairs in Lebanon and hostages in Lebanon."
He did not elaborate, but he said, "We've told the Americans before. 'If you really want the hostages freed and expect us to help — though we have no responsibility toward you and it (the hostage-taking) has nothing to do with us — our condition is the return of our assets which have been blocked for the last seven or eight years.'"
Former KU baseball standout Steve Zeltt has found a spot as the Philadelphia Phillies starting shortstop. See story page 13.
Award winner
High black drop-out rate concerns KU officials
Play ball
KU graduate and KCTV 5 news anchor Wendall Wandell Anschutz will receive the Radio-TV Alumni Honor Citation from the William Allen White School of Journalism today. The award is given annually to KU graduates in broadcasting who have been outstanding in their field.
See story page 7.
By ROGER COREY
The average drop-out rate for black students from 1978 to fall 1985 was 53 percent, compared with 33 percent for white students in the same time period. Asian students dropped out at a rate of 35 percent, according to figures from the office of institutional research and planning.
Since 1978, the drop-out rate for black students at the University of Kansas has averaged 20 percent higher than that for white students, and KU officials and faculty are concerned.
Staff writer
Jacob Gordon, associate professor of African studies, said many factors were involved in the high attrition rate among black students.
"Black students are two to three years behind white students in educational preparation," Gordon said. "It's a problem that begins in the home."
Robert Sanders, associate professor of biochemistry and chairman of the Black Faculty Council, said many black students dropped out of school for financial reasons.
"It is a question of financial problems for the "student or the student's family." Sanders said.
Dorothy Pennington, associate professor of African studies, said black students were not always aware of how to obtain information that could benefit them. They aren't familiar with
the keys to success
"I think of it as a cultural problem," Pennington said. "These students have a different mentality toward education."
"They don't have dictionaries or encyclopedias in their homes." Gordon said. "How are the children expected to learn?"
Gordon said many black parents weren't aware of the importance of education for their children.
By the time black students go to high school, he said, they suffered from a high level of educational deficiency and had a lot of catching up to do.
"We have tutorial programs at KU," Gordon said. "But you can't tutor someone who doesn't know the fundamentals. Until we can address the problems of basic skills, these students aren't going to progress."
Three years ago, Gordon conducted a study among black KU students to discover how much they knew about the available education opportunities and the results of the study were disappointing.
"They knew more about what was happening at the union than at the library," Gordon said. "They didn't know who the black faculty members were."
He said that black faculty members tried to be role models for students but that it wasn't
always easy.
"If the students don't know who the black faculty members are, how can those faculty serve as role models?" Gordon asked.
Gordon said he had noticed a direct correlation between social interaction and academic problems among students. Black students are not in the mainstream of campus life so they feel isolated, not accepted, creating what he called "de facto segregation."
"It isn't legal segregation." Gordon said. "There is still an element of social interaction, but there is segregation just the same."
The Black Faculty Council recently assigned a committee to study the problem of black attrition. The committee, headed by Pennington, presented a report to the council last week. After being reviewed by the council, the report will go to Chancellor Gene A. Budig's office for further consideration and will be available to the public after the committee meets with Budig on Tuesday.
Pennington said the committee did not specifically study the drop-out problems of black students at the University. Instead, it tried to look at national trends to determine the main causes of attrition.
She said the study was the first organized
"There's no one answer or factor that attributes to the high drop-out rate," Pennington said. "It's a combination of problems."
Gordon said, "The University hasn't adequately addressed the problem of black attrition."
Education in the United States always has been considered a moral obligation, he said. But after studying the data on population trends, he concluded that it was no longer a question of moral obligation but one of national security.
effort by the University to retain black students.
"In 50 years, half the American population will be made up of minorities," he said. "The white population will be substantially reduced. And if that is the case, then I won't be worried about moral obligations, I'll be worried about national security."
The United States can't take the risk of having a group of functional illiterates running the nation, he said. Improved education for minorities now could solve the problem of future national risk.
"The threat of communism is always greater in a country where the people are poorly educated." Gordon said.