THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday June 8,1988
Published since 1889 by the students of the University of Kansas
Vol. 98, No.146 (USPS 650-640)
Frat may be charged for violating fire code
Bv Karen Boring
Kansan staff writer
City Prosecutor Jerry Little said yesterday he would file charges against the Triangle fraternity next week for failure to comply with city fire codes.
Jim McSain, Lawrence fire chief,
said in a videoedump press conference
on May 5 that after the April 26, 1987,
fire at the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity
house, the Lawrence Fire
Department developed a program to
bring all KU greek houses into compliance with the fire code.
The department inspected the 37 active Greek houses in June and July 1987, said Fire Marshal Rich Barr. The corporation board of each house was given a list of violations and was required to turn in plans of compliance, including a schedule for completion, by January 1988. A corporation board is a group of alumni that acts as landlord of the house.
The Triangle board turned in a statement to Barr, asserting that all required changes had been made, Little said. However, when the fire marshal inspected the Triangle house on May 2, he found that none of the changes had been made.
the changes had been made.
"The only course of action that the
fire department is interested in with the Triangle house is prosecuted," Little said. "The next step is filing charges against that fraternity."
Ron Gast, Triangle corporation board president, said a new board, including himself, was elected in February and that the original plan of compliance had been submitted by the former board. Gast said he and other board members learned of the fire-code problems from the house's student officers after the May inspection.
The board is taking bids so it can make a new plan of compliance, Gast said. He anticipated no problems with meeting the December deadline.
"We want to get costs in mind first," he said. "I think we will have a firm plan by this summer and have some of the work completed by September."
Five other Greek houses also are under investigation by the city prosecutor.
The Alpha Kappa Lambda andLambda Chi Alpha fraternities and theAlpha Chi Omega sorority have not come to agreement with the fire department on plans of compliance with the fire code, Little said. The
Tau Kappa Epsilon and Phi Kappa
Tau fraternities also have been submitted for investigation.
"The they either have not submitted plans of compliance or the compliance time frame is not acceptable." Little said. "What I'm trying to do is to open the lines of communication."
The project involves obliterating grandfather clauses, under which older structures do not to have to comply with fire codes enacted after they were built, he said.
Normally, the fire department inspects greek houses twice a year to ensure that existing fire equipment is working properly. Barr said. The present fire-code project, however, involves seeing that the existing equipment adequately complies with today's fire code.
"If they do not involve sprinkler systems, because sprinkler systems are a very large project from a structural standpoint, we are requiring those plans of compliance to be completed by December 1988." Barr said at the press conference. "If they involved sprinkler systems, then we extended that deadline by one year."
Dave Niebergall/KANSAN
Give it a twirl
Terri Maness, Lawrence resident, twirls batons with glow sticks attached to the ends. Maness entertained golfers during the Moonshine Night Golf Tournament on Saturday night at the Orchards Executive Golf Course. The tournament was a benefit for the Achievement Place Boys' Home.
Water safe, tests indicate
Cancer-causing chemical no longer present at Lindley
By Monica Hayde
Kansan staff writer
For two weeks, signs were posted inside and outside Lindley Hall warning people not to drink the water in the building. On Friday, they were removed.
Warning notices were posted in the building on May 20 after state and University inspectors found high levels of a cancer-causing chemical in the water in Room 107. But no further action was taken, exists, a University statement released Saturday said.
inspectors from the Kansas Department of Health and
Official reverses Hoch ruling
"Tests have not been run campus-wide, but they are in the process of being run," he said. "However, the water coming into Lindley Hall is of acceptable quality, so the assumption is it's probably of acceptable quality going into all the other buildings."
Steve Cater, University environment, health and safety officer, said no one knew why such an elevated level of ethylene dichloride was in the water.
Bearse said it was unlikely the water in any other campus buildings was contaminated.
never know where it came
It's quite possible we'
Bv Paula Messbarger
A state fire official who said in April that Hoch Auditorium might have to be closed because of fire hazards now says it is a safe building.
Kansan staff writer
Park Markley, who is chief of the fire prevention division for the state fire marshal's office, said after his April inspection of Hoch that the 61-year-old building was too dangerous to use because of fire-code violations.
But Markley said Monday Hoch is safe and can be used by the University.
E D U C A T I O N
Students in manufacturing-related fields learn in a 'factory of the future': Welding with a robot
Partly to convince taxpayers that they should support more funding for community colleges, the Spokane system maintains a strong connection to local industry. At SCC, for instance, where about 70 percent of the students pursue vocational training, school officials opened an innovative computer-integrated manufacturing center—a "factory of the future"—in 1986. Students in manufacturing related from home to work and data to process and business learn their fields by working with a product from the time it is designed or refined on a computer to the time it reaches the customer.
The two colleges even have the west side of campus. FCC campus has two story buildings. SCC is
located in the center of town, where the cavernous hangarlike buildings easily accommodate automotive equipment, robots and other large machinery. By noon most students on both campuses have finished their classes and have left for work—leaving the campuses nearly empty until the evening students arrive.
commuter schools: Since the Spokane colleges are commuter schools, campus life is hard to maintain: "Nobody lives on campus, so if we get 100 people at a dance we'd be really happy," says Eric Russell, president of the student government at SFCC, which has a nationally recognized jazz band. The biggest issue on campus may be the state's decision to cap enrollment in all of Washington's community colleges, which has meant a decrease in the number of class offerings and cutbacks in services such as library hours. But with so much turnover in the student body, students complain that there isn't enough continuity of leadership to get much accomplished.
Spokane funnels every student through an assessment program. Those who have any thought of moving on to a four-year college deal with a counselor and a detailed work sheet each semester to be sure they are earning credits that fit transfer requirements. Students also take advantage of a variety of remedial and skill-development programs, including preadmission literacy clinics for those who cannot read or write but want to earn a high-school diploma by taking the GED examination.
Aside from the teaching, it is the nurturing environment in the classrooms that students say they like most about community colleges. Sue Pemberton, 52, decided to attend SCC after her marriage of 20 years failed. "At the time of my divorce I thought I could make it. Then I got out there in the working world and discovered that I was about 15 years behind," says Pemberton. At first she just wanted to attend a technical program that offered some skills. But the supportive atmosphere gave them the opportunity to go for an A.A. and then try to transfer to Eastern Washington. "The classes are so much smaller at a two-year school, and you have the opportunity to be a person rather than a number. I decided that I don't care if I am 52," says Pemberton. "I have a future ahead of me."
CONNIE LESLIE in Spokane
Value Received
Paul Markley
teaching can be a special challenge. "Some teachers have an idea of standards below which they will not go. Others are very talented in teaching to a wide range of abilities," says Hanke at SFCC. Since they don't have to conduct scholarly research or publish, the Spokane teachers insist that they can concentrate their energies on teaching. A group from the faculty, for example, is seeking funding for an experimental program to teach critical thinking in the liberal arts classes at SFCC.
Hoch Auditorium once was used as the home court for the Jayhawks basketball team until Allen Field House was dedicated in 1955. Hoch has had a long history of safety and leadership at University and has University's decision to build a new performing arts center within the next few years.
"There is an emergency lighting system, and its been there for at least 15 years!" he said. "The problem was, no one asked the right person."
state fire marshal's office
College Costs
main concerns when inspecting a building; fire alarms, clear exits and emergency lighting that comes on during a fire. Hoeh has all three. Markley said.
emergency lights are in operation.
'Hoch is safe as is. The
Despite soaring fees, most students think they get good educational value for their money. They also have clear feelings about how colleges should and should not cut costs.
22 NEWSWEEK ON CAMPUS
How would you compare the edu-
cation of the students that in
your parents' generation
62% Better 7% Worse
25% About the same
How reasonable is your tuition
commission with the education you
are receiving?
48% Reasonable
32% Not as reasonable as it should be
14% A bargain
14% A bargain
5% Arip-off
Should the federal government provide more scholarship money for students who show need? Even if it means releasing federal taxes?
James Modig, campus director of facilities planning, said his office and a committee appointed by Judith Ramaley, executive vice chancellor, are reviewing possibilities for using Hoch once the new performing arts building is completed. Modig said some suggestions were offices, classrooms or an addition to the new science library.
If colleges had to cut costs to lower tuition, what area would you most favor cutting back? Which would you least favor?
70% More even if higher taxes
70% More even if higher taxes
22% More only if no higher taxes
5% Should not provide more money
Should the federal government make available more money to back student loans?
65% More even if higher taxes
21% More only if no higher taxes
more often
class size 5% 42%
MULTIPLE ANSWERS ACCEPTED
Eliminate collegiate sports such as football and basketball
Cut down on campus food service
Reduce books and software purchases for libraries
Cut down on repairs and maintenance
Give professors little or no salary increases
Reduce the number of faculty and increase
MOST FAVOR 5% FAVOR 42%
33% 7%
25% 1%
10% 12%
9% 7%
5% 25%
5% 42%
For this Newswire On Campus Poll, the Guild Organization conducted 542 face-to-face interviews with college students who attended Nov. 2-18, 1997. The margin of error is plus or minus 6 points "Don't know" responses are eliminated. The Newswire On Campus Poll results are based on a sample size of 1,000.
He said not having a sprinkler not made necessary to close HOA.
MAY 1988
ect the lack of
a spinker-
mark. Rea-
l be closed
rected the
However,
ity officials
rmed there
r at Hoch,
that con-
emergency
irkley said.
'e in opera-
"The sprinklers are there to protect the buildings," he said. "We care about the buildings, but our main concern is getting the people out."
e has three
illhano/KANSAN
delete this er, because alternative
22
yed during
it another
Tom Anderson, director of facilities operations, said the problem with the original inspection probably was a result of a KU Facilities and Operations employee who was sent with Markley on the inspection. Anderson said it was common practice for KU employees to assist the fire marshals during inspections. He said the employee probably was not familiar with Hoch and its lighting system.
"We're looking for the general needs of the campus." Modig said.
10 potential music in the
erson, I've open," he concerned,
.. I have no
r and disc
e was not
sion would
As for the near future, not much will be done to Hoch, he said. Some of the stonework will be repaired this year under the fiscal year 1988 budget. But there will be no projects for the fiscal year of 1989 because the Board of Regents did not approve the requests.
Dukakis finishes with nomination
Michael Dukakis clinched the Democratic presidential nomination with a four-state flourish Tuesday night and forecast a "golden opportunity" to win the White House in 1988. Republican George Bush labeled himself the underdog heading into the fall campaign but said, "I'm fighting back."
Dukakis dominated Jesse Jackson coast to coast on the final night of a grueling Democratic primary marathon. He was winning primaries in New Jersey, Montana, New Mexico and California by margins of 2-to-1 or more.
The Associated Press
The three-term Massachusetts governor began the night needing about 150 delegates to achieve a mathematical lock on the nomination. He was winning more than 131 in New Jersey, Montana and New Mexico combined, and early returns from California showed him ahead for more than 200 delegates.
Dukakis emerged as the winner of the Democratic primary marathon and owner of a lead over Bush in the nationwide public opinion polls. But Bush, who wrapped up the GOP nomination six weeks ago, holds formidable Electoral College advantages in the South and West, and Republicans have won four of the last five presidential elections.
Thus, the prospect is for a close general election, and Bush and Dukakis seemed to share an eagerness to begin.
"My friends, what a golden opportunity this is for us," Dukakis said as he savored his nominating triumph in a speech in California. He pledged to use his campaign to stand up for factory workers thrown out of their jobs with no warning, to ease the burden of families hit by medical bills and to "share the rage" of those living in neighborhoods threatened by drugs.
"Every day between now and November, the American people will want to hear how we intend to build a strong and vibrant future for our country," he said. "They aren't interested in slashing attacks. They want to judge our positive ideas for change."
Bush pushed uncontested primary victories in all four states and said, "I think I can overcome this deficit (in the polls)," he said.
In a television interview, he likened Dukakis to Walter Mondeale, the landslide Democratic loser in 1894, for refusing to rule out a tax increase. "I'll rule it out," Bush said in an interview with CBS, and rely on a spending freeze to reduce the deficit.
He decried the "gloom and doom" that he said was emanating from the Democrats and said the polls would change as he began to establish his own political identity. "When we get through in the fall talking about opportunity and peace and numbers of jobs and how much better things are and what I'll do to keep it that way, I think I can overcome that deficit," he said.