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
By 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 videoated 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 only course of action that the
fire department is interested in with the Triangle house is prosecution." 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's office, Barr said.
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.
"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."
Give it a twirl
Dave Niebergall/KANSAN
rerri Maness, Lawrence resident, twirls batons with glow sticks attached to the ends. Manes 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.
Official reverses Hoch ruling
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 heatl' hazard exists, a University statement released Saturday said.
Inspectors from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment found, high levels of 1,3,2-dihydroxaphene
Bearse said it was unlikely the water in any other campus buildings was contaminated.
"Tests have not been run campus-up, but they are in the process of being run," he said. "However, the water coming into Lindley Hall is of acceptable quality, so the water 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.
"It's quite possible we'll never know where it came
By Paula Messbarger
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 Hoch is safe and can be used by the University.
'Hoch is safe as is. The
emergency lights are in operation.
Paul Marklev
state fire marshal's office
main concerns when inspecting a building; fire alarms, clear exits and emergency lighting that comes on after the alarm is off. Hoch has all three. Maple坪 said.
He said not having a sprinkler system above the stair would not allow him to access it.
"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 academic achievement. University's decision to build a new performing arts center within the next few years.
THE MAIL
Engineers Vs. Humanists?
Congratulations to Mark W. Keller on both his choice of degrees and his choice of words in "Can Engineers Be Humanists?" (MY TURN). As an English and communications major who is constantly under attack from more "practically majored" friends asking what kind of job I think I'll get, it's wonderful to see a "practical" student turn his back on the majority's choice of money and opt for the minority's choice of the mind. It will be interesting to see where Keller is in relation to his engineering colleagues 20 years from now.
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.
the college, the major, the future career,
the other students or the faculty. To be
human, one must think. The engineers and
the scientists are thinkers; they are
the builders of this world. Can Mr. Keller's
"humanists," whatever they are, claim the
same? He reminds me of kiss-and-tell people,
born-again people and drop-out-tofind-myself people—all fools.
AGNETA EHRENSTROM Sophomore in English University of Tennessee Knoxville, Tenn
DANIELLE Mc WILLIAMS
James Madison University
Harrisburg, Va.
"The sprinklers are there to protect the buildings," he said. "We care about the buildings, but our main concern is getting the people out."
and experience which already exists. This understanding and discipline is the first step to creativity in any field.
EDWARD SCHLECKER
B.S.E.E. and B.A. Notre Dame 87
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, Calif
I, too, attended a small liberal arts college and majored in chemistry. There is, however, no need to abandon the human-
Mark Keller's turn was another attack on engineers as plain nerds unable to understand and relate nonmathematical ideas. But engineering students don't go to college to learn the meaning of life; we go to learn the skills necessary to contribute to the technological growth of society. We're geared toward problem solving, whereas in most of my humanities classes I've noticed
"We're looking for the general needs of the campus." Modig said.
As a political-science major, I looked upon science majors as narrow, mechanical people, and urged them all to take courses that would make them "think." After reading Keller's article, I feel vindicated but am also willing to concede that there is more to this issue than meets the eye.
there is a discussion of problems but no action. We're the part of society that keeps it going and growing.
IVAN CIMENT New York, N.Y.
Can Engineers Be Humanists?
What about those humanists who cannot be engineers? While all science majors are able to form a reasonable sentence, not all humanities majors are able to derive the function of an equation. Physics majors are labeled in "the" way humans are labeled in "the".
I can't talk math to the people in my core classes; it's like telling ajoke to someone who doesn't get it
THOMAS J. DOHERTY Washington, D.C.
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.
I am a metallurgical-engineering undergraduate in one of those big engineering "factories." I also that "sensitive humanist" with a desire to broaden my education beyond the scope of engineering concepts and laws. Many engineering students are more human than you'd think. Just give them the right training.
gen. Lichtenberg says, "I would be sightful." For once, I'd like to be thought intelligent—even though I may not understand quantum mechanics.
CHRIS BOHLMANN
University of Wisconsin-
Madison
Madison, Wis.
BY MARK W KELLER
BRUCE K. ARONOW Colgate University Hamilton, N.Y.
KAREN E. COURTNEY
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Mass.
. . .
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.
Keller has answered his own question; yes, of course, engineers can be humanists, as is quite evident by his "leap" to pursue an education inclusive of both humanities and engineering. Furthermore, I'm inclined to believe that his verbal process and ability to make a thoughtful and critical decision answer a more important question; was it worth it?
Mark Keller is not only a fool but a brainwashed humanist. One goes to college to learn how to think rationally regardless of
4 NEWSWEEK ON CAMPUS
ties for science, or vice versa. I'm currently a T.A. at Marquette University, earning my masters in organic chemistry. Now I not only teach chemistry to more than 50 freshmen but find myself answering questions ranging from the Peace of Westphalia to Freud's "Interpretation of Dreams."
JOSEPH LEONE
Kenyon College 87
Marquette University 89
Milwaukee, Wis.
Keller's perception of engineering is at fault. The act of opening one's mind to "allow associations of new and old knowledge" which Keller finds so readily in his literature classes is precisely what is necessary to solve more advanced and intricate engineering problems. A German-literature major must first master the language before exploring the works of Goethe and Hesse. An engineer must speak the language of mathematics and physics in order to digest the wealth of knowledge
When industry recruits an engineer, it isn't looking for someone to design the ideal transformer but for someone who knows how to find logical solutions to technical problems. Similarly, when an English or psychology major is recruited, the employer doesn't want someone to analyze Chaucer or lecture on personality disorders; he wants someone to find logical solutions to communications, business or organizational problems. The common denominator here is that the college graduate has learned to think.
HACK HEYWARD
B.M.E., Georgia Tech '78
Atlanta, Ga.
Keller misses an important point. We're in a battle for our economic life with the Japanese and the West Germans. They produce the cars, electronics and other products most of us buy for their high quality and reasonable prices. Unless educated individuals understand the trade-offs impor-
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4
Dukakis finishes with nomination
The Associated Press
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 2-10 or more.
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.
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 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 Dakuski 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 posted 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 Mondale, 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 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.