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Panellenic awards The Greek Recognition Night honored individuals and entire chapters for their accomplishments in 2003. The Chapter Excellence Award, the evening's top honor went to five chapters that excelled in categories from community relations and alumni relations to risk management and scholarship programming. This marked the 15th annual ceremony. PAGE 3A
Time for oil change Depending on your car and the type of oil used on your oil change, prices could range from $15.88 to $50. Some students opt to change their own oil and save money. PAGE 5A
Reserve power
Jayhawks combined efforts brought them a 79-58 victory over
Oklahoma. Wednesday, they will face the Cornhuskers. PAGE 12A
Breaking records
Kansas sprinter Leo Bookman broke the national best time in the 200 meters at the Big 12 Conference Championship last Saturday. The women's team placed seventh and the men finished ninth. The team's next meet will be Saturday at the Iowa State Invitational PAGE 12A
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N ITS 100TH YEAR AS THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Vol. 114 Issue No. 103
March 1,2004
Basketball coach retires after 31 years
Marian Washington received a bouquet of flowers during a ceremony honoring her time as women's basketball coach before the women's basketball game on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse. Washington retired Friday after 31 seasons.
Jeff Brondsted/Kansa
By Jesse Newell jnewell@kansan.com Kansan sportwriter
With a wave and a kiss to the crowd, an era of women's basketball officially concluded Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
After 31 years at the University of Kansas, women's basketball coach Marian Washington announced her retirement, effective immediately.
"I am retiring from coaching to address health issues that are not life-threatening, but that need my immediate attention," Washington said in a released statement. "I cannot address these issues and at the same time devote the time it takes to lead a major college basketball program."
Washington took a leave of absence four weeks ago for undisclosed medical reasons. Assistant coach Lynette Woodard has guided the team in her absence.
The Kansas Athletics Department honored a tearful Washington before the team's final home game Saturday against Nebraska. The veteran coach, who will
Uniform design chosen
SEE RETIRES ON PAGE 6A
By Jodie Krafft
jkrafft@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The prototype for the new Marching Jayhawks band uniform is out, and some donors are angry.
The uniforms have a crimson, blue and white reversible overlay, crimson cape and black pants, gloves, shoes and hat. This is too much black, said Susan and Gary Fincham, Lawrence residents and donors.
"The black just doesn't seem right. I would like to have our true colors," Susan Fincham said. "And Gary says they're hideous."
The campaign has exceeded its goal of raising $150,000 for 300 band uniforms. Excess money will go into an endowment fund to provide band members with stipends to defray costs such as dry cleaning.
The couple each donated between $1,000 to $2,999 to the Feather the Flock campaign, a joint effort of the Lawrence Journal-World, the School of Fine Arts, Kansas University Endowment Association, Athletics Department and the Topeka Jayhawk Club.
Jim Hudson, director of the marching band, said he and a committee of members from the school had worked on designs since January. He said the chosen design was a combination of past designs done in a more contemporary style.
"Every part of the uniform can be traced back to what the Marching Jayhawks have worn in the past 100 years." Hudson said.
For example, Hudson said the black hat was a direct reflection of the hat that Russell Wiley, former band director, placed on President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the '50s. Hudson said that a few minor revisions and touch-ups had to be made, but he doubted the colors would change.
"When you see the uniform in person, the black sets off the crimson and blue really well." Hudson said. "A lot of people worked really hard to create something that was going to honor the traditions of the band and give it a little more modern look."
Harry Johnson, St. John resident, said that when he was in the band in 1939, the uniforms were crimson, blue and white. This was before the almost completely black uniforms of the '50s.
Speaker to promote hate-crime awareness
By Dave Nobles
dnobles@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Judy Shepard will speak about an issue close to her heart tonight at the Lied Center to kick off Into the Streets Week.
Sean Pauzauskie, Topeka senior and Forums Coordinator for SUA, said that Shepard was the perfect example of someone who actively supported her cause, which stemmed from a personal tragedy.
Judy Shepard
Shepard's son, Matthew was the
victim of a hate crime in Wyoming five years ago. He was killed after being lured out of a bar by two men, led to a remote field and beaten to death with the butt of a gun.
Shepard's speech will focus on encouraging every individual to make change in their community.Pauzauskie said that he thought the event would inspire onlookers to get involved with Into The Streets Week events.
"We hope that it will galvanize their spirits." Pauzauksie said.
Pauzauskie said he thought that Shepard's presence would draw a considerable crowd.
Admission vouchers were available from the SUA office but interested individuals could still gain admission at the door.
Laura Heidbreder, vice president of university relations for SUA, said that Shepard had a powerful message.
"She has made herself a leader by going public about an issue people try to hide behind," Heidbreder said. "She represents what Into The Streets Week is all about."
Into The Streets Week is a series of events sponsored by the Center for Community Outreach and is designed to motivate students to find causes and promote awareness and activism.
Into The Streets Week will also hold a voter registration drive, a hunger banquet and a sleepout to increase homeless awareness during the week.
Pauzauskie said that Shepard was receiving about $10,000 to speak at the University of Kansas. The money comes from SUA and CCO budgets.
Originally, Michael Moore, director of films such as Bowling For Columbine, was scheduled to speak.
Pauzauskie said that miscommunication issues with Moore's agent was the reason why he was not secured as a guest speaker.
The event, co-sponsored by Student Union Activities, is the opening event of Into The Streets Week. The event is free and begins at 8 p.m.
Edited by Cindy Yeo
Uninsured students have more options
By Matt Rodriguez
mdrrogrique@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
IT
Brieanne Comacho turned 23 this year. But in addition to receiving birthday presents, she had one of her longtime possessions taken — her health insurance. The insurance company told her that her family plan would no longer cover her because of her age.
The Overland Park senior is now batting a cold and needs new contact lenses. Without insurance, Comacho feels that her options are limited.
"It's a gray area," Comacho said. "I have no idea who will cover my medical bills or help me pay for my prescriptions."
For the second consecutive year, the number of uninsured Americans rose in 2002, according to the United States Census Bureau. The percentage of uninsured Americans rose from 14.6 percent in 2001 to 15.2 percent in 2002, meaning 43.6 million Americans are without health insurance.
The bureau also found that Americans age 18 to 24 represented the highest uninsured population with 29.6 percent.
The 25-to-35-year-old group followed with 24.9 percent.
Young adults, mainly students, are at a high risk for losing health insurance. College students are in and out of full-time and part-time status and, like Comacho, are becoming too old for their parents' policies.
Most insurance companies will stop insuring children under their family policy when they reach a certain age. The age insurance companies drop dependents can be anywhere from 19 to 23 years old. Research done by the Kansas Insurance Department has shown that 19.8 percent of Kansans age 19 to 24 are uninsured.
The study also provided the state's overall all uninsured number, dividing the state into 10 regions. Douglas and Shawnee counties were one region. It found that 16.5 percent of people age 19 to 24 in this region were uninsured, which rated as the second highest of all regions in terms of percentage insured. The lowest percentage region of the same age group was southwest Kansas, which covered 25 counties.
Conacho is just one student who fits
SEE UNINSURED ON PAGE 6A
Insurance sources for college-aged adults
The employer-dependent category represents students whose parents' employers cover their health insurance. The other coverage category represents students who are individually insured. Many part-time students are dropped from their parents' insurance plans because they are not enrolled in 12 credit hours.
Adults ages 19-23
Source: Analysis of the March 2022 current population survey by S. Glied and K. Jack for the Commonwealth Fund.
Sean Smith/Kensan
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