Wednesday June 8,1988
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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
Kansan staff writer
By Karen Boring
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 videotaped 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 grey 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 only course of action that the
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.
"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 prose-
sure.
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
fire department is interested in with the Triangle house is prosecution." Little said. "The next step is filing charges against that fraternity."
The board is taking bids so it can make a new plan of compliance. Gast said. He anticipated no problems with meeting the December dead-
"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 obiterating 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 compiles with today's fire code.
Tau Kappa Epsilon and Phi Kappa Tau fraternities also have been submitted for investigation.
"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."
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 the latest tests have shown that no health hazard exists, a University statement released Saturday said.
Inspectors from the Kansas Department of Health and
Bearse said it was unlikely the water in any other campus buildings was contaminated.
"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.
Bv Paula Messharger
Official reverses Hoch ruling
ENTERTAINMENT
Kansan staff writer
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.
Paul 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 Hoe is cared so deeply he used the University
Musically, the album represents both a return
Byrne from the concert movie 'Stop Making Sense': Well suited
10 NEWSWEEK ON CAMPUS
a lush, natural Eden: "If this is paradise," complaims the narrator. "I wish I had a lawnmower." "The democratic Circus" takes a nasty swipe at the American electoral process, calling it a 'bigot imitation of life,' and describing political advertising as "Stealing all our dreams" Dreams for sale / They sell 'em back to you."
Most of the material, however, is open-ended. Some of the details in "Mommy Daddy You and I" seem to be drawn from Byrne's past, but the action of the story is unclear. "Blind" and "Ruby Dear" combine images of decay with the shards of clichés that Byrne seems to collect, twist and recycle. What do they mean? Whatever the listener decides. "I like it when it surprises me," says Byrne. "When it sounds fresh and surprising and I can't quite pin it down and say quite what it is and where it came from. If you can pin it down, often it's not going to get inside of you, like it will when it has some mystery to it."
Expanded band, off and on stage (1800): Frantz, Busta Jones, Harrison, Weymouth above left, rear: Steve Scales, Dolette McDonald, Adrian Belew, Byrne, Bernie Worrell (front)
asses and con-
and a departure. "Naked" moves away from the spare sound of the last two Head amps—"True Stories" and "Little Creatures"—and what Harriet's investigations of American song forms." This record packs sounds and instruments together into the kind of density heard on "Remain in Light" (1980) and "Speaking in Tongues" (1983). Sixteen people play on "Mr. Jones" and "12 on Big Daddy." The tweest on an individual track is six—"The Democratic Circus" and "Cool Water."
The Denon Club. But this album goes far beyond the funkatized music heard on "Remain" and "Speaking." "Naked" was recorded in Paris, using an international cast of guest musicians, including keyboardist Wally Badaroua (from Benin, guitarist Yves N'Dlocjck from Cameroon, percussionist Abduw M'Boup from Senegal and guitarist Johnny Marr (formerly of The Smiths) from England. In addition to simply wanting to hang out in Paris, the band wanted to tap into the city's cosmopolitan music scene. "There was a real cultural exchange," says Weymouth. "We went over there and played their styles and they played our styles. And between the two we created a cultural hybrid that crosses cultural boundaries."
Sometimes the juxtapositions are breathtaking. U.S. meets Africa on "Totally Nude," when the country-western swooping of American Eric Weisberg's pedal-stel guitar intertwines with the joyful chattering of N'Djock's electric guitar. African and Latin percussion flavor the entire album, and "Mr. Jones" uses a sulsa-based horn arrangement. Yet the album definitely sounds like Talking Heads. Unlike Paul Simon's "Graceland," which immersed the singer in the musical context of foreign musicians, "Naked" immerses foreign musicians in the musical context of Talking Heads.
ited the lack of a of a sprinkle area. Marko be closed corrected the ber However, syrility officials informed thereator at Hoch, sen, that con- emergency
Markley said. s are in opera-
Choosing how to record "Naked" was a major decision for the band. Because they create music organically, gradually evolving from starting point toward the final result, Harrison says. "We
ffice has three
MAY 1988
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Paul Marklev
no potential music in the
'Hoch is safe as is. The
emergency lights are in operation.
state fire marshal's office
main concerns when inspecting a building; fire alarms, clear exits and emergency lighting that comes on when the power goes off. Hoh has all the answers.
person, I've s open," he i concerned, K. I have no
10
He said not having a sprinkler system above the stage would not make it necessary to close Hoch.
"The sprinklers are there to protect the buildings." he said. "We care about the buildings, but our main concern is getting the people out."
ior and disc
he was not
vision would
"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."
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 structural problems, which led to the establishment to build a new performing arts center within the next few years.
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.
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.
"We're looking for the general needs of the campus." Modig said.
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.
The Associated Press
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 three-term Massachusetts governor began the night needling 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 earlier, was unopposed by 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," Dukaias 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 posted uncontested primary victories in all four states and said, "I think I can overcome this deficit (in the poll)," he said.
In a television interview, he likened Dukakis to Walter Mondeale, the landslide Democratic loser in 1984, 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 talk 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.