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The University Daily Kansan
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Monday, February 26, 2001
Sports: Kansas basketball stays in the hunt for a Big 12 title with a win against Nebraska.
SEE PAGE 1B
Inside: City commission candidates explain their platforms.
(USPS 650-640) • VOL. 11H NO. 98
SEE PAGE 8A
For comments, contact Lori O'Toole or Mindie Miller at 864-4810 or editor@kansan.com
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Computers seized in porn sting
Child pornography possibly distributed by KU employee
By Lauren Brandenburg
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Detectives from the Lawrence Police Department and the KU Public Safety Office seized computers from a KU employee's home and office Thursday afternoon on suspicion they contained child pornography. Lawrence police said.
Police obtained search warrants after a
two-month investigation indicated the employee possessed child pornography and had transmitted it over the Internet, Lawrence police said.
Sgt. Mike Pattrick said the examination of the computers would depend on the forensic examiner's schedule. Pattrick said he did not know when the examiner would have a chance to look at the computers. Police will not refer the case to the district attorney's office until the investigation is complete.
Patrick would not release the suspect's name or gender because the suspect has not been arrested. When the police investigation is complete, District Attorney Christine Tonkovich will decide whether to file charges.
Patrick would not disclose the suspect's occupation at the University, but he said
administrators were aware of the investigation.
Kathleen McCluskey-Fawcett, associate provost, said the police told University officials they were going to search the employee's office. She said police always inform the University before conducting a such a search.
McCluskey-Fawcett said that she could not comment because it was a personnel matter and that the University was not conducting an investigation.
Lynn Bretz, interim director of University Relations, said the University was cooperating with law enforcement officials but could not comment about the investigation.
Police would not say how they learned that the employee possessed and had transmitted child pornography or how the investigation started because they were still gathering evidence. Patrick said.
Part of the investigation would try to determine if others were involved in the distribution of child pornography. Pattrick said sometimes people involved in this type of crime worked with other people.
Philip Kissam, professor of law, said the Supreme Court ruled in 1982 that state regulations of child pornography did not violate people's free speech rights. He said he was not aware of any cases that dealt with employers and employees.
Child pornography may not be uncommon, Pattrick said, but the people who deal in child pornography tend to operate in small circles.
"It doesn't come to public light very often," he said.
— Edited by Doug Pacey
Parents at the University
Heather MacQueen, Lenaxa junior, and daughter Bryn, 4, check out Bryn's artwork on a bulletin board at Hilltop Child Development Center. Bryn attends Hillsboro each Tuesday and Thursday while her mother attends classes at KU. Photo by Selena Jabara/KANSAN
Child care convenience comes at a cost
By Michelle Ward
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Bryn MacQueen visits the Cottontail Room each Tuesday and Thursday at Hilltop Child Development Center. While her mother, Heather, attends classes at the University of Kansas, Bryn, 4, goes to preschool — painting, drawing and cooking with other 3-to 5-year-olds.
The two commute from Lenexa. Both Bryn and Heather's educations wouldn't be possible without Hilltop.
The center provides child care for students, faculty and staff of the University. The on-campus location allows parents to stay close to their children, but the convenience spurs a long waiting list.
It also comes at a price, which some students say is too high. Although Hilltop charges on a sliding scale, those on a fixed income pinch their pennies to keep their children in day care.
"I wasn't going to leave my child far away at a day care," said Heather MacQueen, a junior. "Had I not gotten her into Hillton. I wouldn't be here."
The two receive help for their academic pursuits with a scholarship from Student Senate.
The idea of only being a few minutes from her daughter comforts MacQueen. She said she was lucky enough to get Bryn into Hilltop after it moved into its new and bigger building on Irving Hill Road south of the Burge Union. While Bryn learns at her school, her mom works toward a degree in elementary education.
"It helps." MacQueen said. "It's not a whole lot, but there are so many people applying and a set number of funds. They do what they can to help."
Financial assistance available
Scholarships are provided to Hilltop parents through a variety of sources. Senate has given $25,000 each of the last two years for student families alone. The United Way of Douglas County gives a smaller amount for all parents with children attending Hillton.
Financial Aid and Social & Rehabilitation Services also provide limited scholarships for parents, sald Pat
Pisani, executive director of Hilltop.
Jeff Moran, assistant professor of history and father of two, said it was important to have a day care center on campus. It builds a sense of community and recognizes the changing nature of the working world as both parents work, he said.
The center works to keep the prices reasonable, Moran said. He likes the idea of a sliding scale with those who can afford it paying more than others.
Although he is part of the higher-paying group,he said he felt good about the payment system and those who helped enlarge Hilltop.
"People are very grateful to the Student Senate for helping fund this," he said. "I think it shows something about the char-
actor of KU students."
The center is licensed to hold 212 children, compared to its old building, which was licensed for 146.
Although more children can attend, the waiting list doesn't seem to be shrinking. The list for 1-to-3-year-olds is still long, but things look better for 3-to-4-year-olds, Pisani said.
"It's our crisis right now," Pisani said. "We are caught in the middle. We have people who can't or won't pay an increase in child care, but we have our own bills to pay."
Since moving into the new facility in August, Hilltop has a $81,300 annual bond payment.
Braden, 2, goes to work each morning
See CHILD on page 6A
with his mom, Lisa Leroux-Smith, assistant dean of business. To leave her first child in the hands of others was a scary thing. Leroux-Smith said.
She weighed a number of different factors before deciding on Hillop. The center's reputation, its on-campus location and the fact it didn't close when the Lawrence public schools did clinched her decision. Leroux-Smith pays the full rate rate for her son and said it was comparable to other day cares — $530 for four weeks.
"It's awesome," she said of the day care. "When he is sick, I can just run right over and get him."
Candidates propose lofty election goals
Bv Brooke Hasler
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Both Justin Mills and Jessica Bankston have high hopes for this year's Student Senate elections in April. The two are running against each other for the office of student body president
Bankston, Student Legislative Awareness Board director, said she was excited about campaigning. She is running on theVOICE coalition ticket.
"I thought long and hard about running," she said. "I think Senate does a lot for students, but we could still do a lot more."
Justin Mills, holdover senator, had similar sentiments about running for the office. Mills is running on the Delta Force coalition ticket.
The election process is nothing new to Mills. He ran unsuccessfully for vice president last year. He said the experience benefited him.
"I think there needs to be more ethical leadership here at the University," Mills said. "We need to lead by example, and a lot of times I don't think we do that."
Mills: wants to improve minority representation
"It pushed me into a stronger leadership role." Mills said.
Kyle Browning, liberal arts and sciences senator, is Mills' running mate. He described Mills as a down-to-earth person.
"He's really personable, but he's also really on top of things." Browning said. "We need someone like that who is also going to be so responsive to students."
Browning: cited Delta Force's history of clean campaigns
Hunter Harris, Interfraternity Council senator, is Bankston's running mate. He said Bankston was a dedicated senator and would make a dedicated president.
"She's the hardest working woman that I've ever met," Harris said.
Bankston: wants students' opinions heard in Senate
Bankston said the main goal of theVOICE
Harris:said Bankston would be a dedicated leader
coalition was making students' opinions heard in Senate. (VOICE, although all capitalized, is not an acronym.) Bankston said candidates from the coalition were visiting different campus organizations to find out what students wanted on the platform.
See CANDIDATES on page 6A
Fight fails to derail minority conference
Bv Danny Phillips
Kansan staff writer
Participants of the Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government chose not to let a fight that broke out at a party Friday night derail the conference's focus on leadership.
The KU Public Safety Office stopped the party at the Kansas Union ballroom after dispersing the fight. Trevor Cockerill, Union events supervisor, said the ballroom didn't sustain any property damage as best he could tell but he did have to clean up blood from the floor.
The event was open to all college students, not just conference participants. Because there was a question of the role nonconference students played in the fight, the party Saturday night at the Holiday Inn Holidome was open to conference participants only, said Natalie Lucas, Kansas City, Kan., senior and conference co-chairwoman.
incident was unfortunate because it reflected poorly on the conference as a whole.
Courtney Bates, Black Student Union president, helped organize the conference social events. Bates, Lawrence sophomore, said that students didn't allow the fight to overshadow the leadership conference and that she was pleased that participants displayed leadership and positive behavior for the rest of the week end.
Jermee Jones, Topeka senior, described the conference workshops and speakers as phenomenal.
"KU has had a chance to be an impact on 1,000 students from across the country," he said.
"It's sad you just can't come together, interact and have fun." he said.
Iowa State senior Wendell Mosby, who taught an entrepreneurial workshop, said the
The conference not only played host to colleges within the Big 12 and the surrounding region, but participants from as far west as Oregon and as far east as Pennsylvania also descended on Lawrence.
Organizers scheduled 36 workshops during a two-day period, and the topics included diversity, relationships and Affirmative Action.
Mosby, nicknamed "Wimp," owns his own apparel company, Wimp Wear Phations, and led the workshop "Being A WIMP Ain't Easy: Black Owned and Operated."
Mosby said his own experiences trying to launch a clothing line had given him experience he could share with other students.
He invested $10,000 in Wimp Wear Phations last year, and he said he hoped to start earning a profit by next year.
Jones said the highlight of the conference was the keynote speakers, including Bertice Berry, an author and social activist who spoke Saturday night.
"People who don't laugh are constipated." Berry said as she advised students to laugh until it hurts, but not at someone else's expense.
That piece of advice was one of 20 pointers she gave to the crowd that had to do with taking care of one's mind and body and walking in love wherever one goes.
— Edited by Melinda Weaver
Kevin Powell, member of the first cast of MTV's The Real World and an author, emphasized the importance of knowing history, especially Black history, while speaking to a packed room in the Kansas Union Ballroom. Powell spoke Friday afternoon at the Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government last weekend at the Kansas Union. Photo by Seiana Jabara/KANSAN