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Kansan
Today: Partly cloudy with a high of 37 and a low of 26.
Tomorrow: Cloudy with a high of 42 and a low of 34.
Sunday: Scattered showers with a high of 48 and a low of 30.
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Friday, December 8, 2000
Sports: The Kansas men's basketball team lost to Wake Forest 84-53 last night in Winston-Salem, N.C. See page 1B
See page 1B
Inside: Students fast to raise money to ship clothes to Tibet.
SEE PAGE 3A
(USPS 650-640) • VOL. 111 NO. 67 For comments, contact Nathan Willis or Chris Borniger at 864-4810 or e-mail editor@kansan.com
Teen-ager charged in fatal crash
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Boy,16,drank at frat house police say
By Lauren Brandenburg
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
A 16-year-old boy faces an involuntary manslaughter charge after a highway trooper's investigation revealed that he caused a fatal accident Sept. 16 on Kansas Highway 10 after drinking at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house and the Wheel.
Sean Michael Scott of Shawnee was charged Wednesday in the juvenile division of the Johnson County District Court. He first appeared in court yesterday morning, which was continued to Monday, Jan. 8. His bond was set at $50,000.
"We allege that he — through the traffic accident — unintentionally killed Felicia Bland," said John Fritz, Johnson County assistant district attorney. "The elements of involuntary manslaughter as it applies to this case are that the killing was done
while he was driving under the influence. We believe he was driving under the influence."
Richard Ramos, brother of 39-year-old Felicia Bland, who was killed in the accident, said he and his family were glad the case was moving alone.
"We would like to see justice served," he said.
Mathew Heffley, Kansas Highway Patrol trooper, worked the accident.
Two weeks after the accident, Hefley said Scott lost control of his car, crossed the median and hit Bland's car 15 miles east of Lawrence.
Bland was killed instantly, Hefley said. Scott was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected through the rear window of his Camaro. He was transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center with a broken wrist.
Scott told emergency crews he had drunk a lot that night, Heffley said.
How the evening unfolded...
Heffley said Scott attended a party at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house, 1540 Louisiana St., where Scott's brother Mike was a pledge. Heffley said Sean went to meet Mike at the house, and a fraternity member drove them to the Wheel, 507 W. 14th St., where Sean drank. Sean and Mike then walked back to the fraternity
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol
Sean Scott goes to Phi Gamma-Delta fraternity at 1540 Louisiana St. to meet his brother, Mike Scott.
See POLICE on page 3A
A fraternity member drives the two to the Wheel at 507 W. 14th St.
Sean Scott drinks at the Wheel.
Sean and Mike walk back to the fraternity, where Sean drinks more.
Sean is supposed to go to Memorial Stadium with his family to watch the football game. Instead, he decides to drive to Lenexa to see his girlfriend.
Sean takes K-10 toward Lenexa. He crosses the median and hits another car about 15 miles east of Lawrence. The driver of the other car dies at the scene.
Jason Elliott/KANSAN
Editor's note:
The story's opening narrative was based on facts given to the reporter but fictionalized some details. Although Miller was an employee for BarBWire Steakhouse more than a year ago, he no longer works there.
The story "Raving about ecstasy" in Wednesday's Kansan contained re-creations of certain events based on information Kevin Miller, a former University of Kansas student, gave the reporter.
The part of the story about Miller attending a rave was also re-created from past events.
These stories were told in the present tense for narrative effect, though the events they were based on happened months ago.
In addition, the musician Moby has not endorsed the use of ecstasy.
From left to right, seniors Eric Taylor, Tulsa, Okla.; Eric Wendling, Topeka; Dave Jack, Andover; Nathan Tyler, Topeka; and Dave Dietierich, Overland Park, sit in front of their Christmas wonderland at 1305 Tennessee St. The group decorated its house in response to a challenge from neighbors down the street. Wendling, a friend of the group, helped in the decorations. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
Christmas challenge heats up
By L.D. McKee
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
A Christmas challenge may end up being an expensive proposition for residents of two houses on Tennessee Street.
Taylor cited 26,000 imported Italian twinklers used by Chevy Chase's character in the classic holiday film "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" as the inspiration for the decoration.
"We had to out-do them on lights," said Eric Taylor, Tulsa, Okla., senior. "We had to beat Clark W, Wresold, too."
After receiving a Christmas card from their neighbors challenging them to a contest of Christmas lights, the residents of 1305 Tennessee St. bombedard their front yard and house with Christmas lights.
Residents of 1238 Tennessee St., from left to right, Jake Thomas, Tulsa, Okla.; Michael Neitzel, Dallas; Johnny Kennyhertz, Lenexa; and Brian Allen Provo, Overland Park, all seniors, admit they have been outdone by the decor of their neighbor's down the street. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
Eric Wendling, Topeka senior and resident of 1305 Tennessee St., said he expected the light bill to be $400 to $600 a month. Only five people live in the house, but Wendling said that six of their friends were pitching in to help pay the bill.
"They're trying for the Griswold effect," said Michael Neitzel, Dallas senior and a resident of 1236 Tennessee St., the house that made the challenge.
neezed sure he wasn't planning on paying that much for the lights. He said he and his roommates turned the lights off every night before they went to bed to keep the cost down.
"We had a budget, but I don't know if we've gone over it yet," he said. "We understand it's the holidays, and we have to step it up a notch."
Neilzel said the competition was all in good fun, but added it was still a stiff rivalry.
Both houses are participating in a competition called "Light Up Lawrence," sponsored by Westlake Ace Hardware, 601 Kasold Drive and 711 W. 23rd St. People can submit their addresses at either Westlake store in town and members of Channel 6 News will pick the finalists. Beginning Thursday, a finalist will be shown on the evening news on Channel 6. The winner will be announced on Dec. 22. Five finalists will receive $500 gift certificates to Westlake.
"We started putting up lights and then they started putting up lights trying to one-up us," he said.
Taylor said he would do whatever it took to
win the competition.
"Were playing for pride," he said. "I don't care what we get — we'll give it to charity. We want that say what for once in our lives, we were men."
Taylor said that it took three days to put up the lights, and that neighbors told them they could plus extension cords into their outlets.
"At this point, our microwaves are in our bathroom," Wendling said.
Taylor said he didn't mind the expenses for the lights.
"It's Christmas," he said. "It only comes once a year."
Edited by Shawn Hutchinson
Wrapping up... The freshman experience
Editor's note: During Hawk Week, the Kansas asked a group of new students who were just moving in to start recording their experiences and thoughts about their new lives at the University of Kansas.
The Kansan was looking to see the University through the eyes of students from different backgrounds to gauge initial reactions to the University and the people here and to experience the transition that comes with life at a university.
What follows are excerpts from the journal entries of five freshmen as they prepare for finals.
Rea Judilla
Thanksgiving break was perfect. I didn't realize how much I had missed my high school friends until I saw them again. My friend's father died the week before break, so a whole group of us drove down to go to the rosary. It's amazing how tragedy can bring people together. Hugs and tears turned into laughter and crazy stories from college life. It was hard for us to leave each other after that.
Everyone has grown up so differently. Somehow our circle of friends matured, too People realize exactly how much their friends mean to them. Some fall away, but my dearest friends are always there for me My best friend from home talks to me almost every day. He knows when to listen to my problems, make me laugh and offer advice He made a huge part of my college life easie ...
My friend had another death in the family only two weeks after her father. I am so lucky in ways I don't even think about. If I were in her shoes, I don't know what I could possibly hear from a friend to comfort my pain. My mother's dad died when she was in high school. That really must have hurt her. Having a parent die while you start college must make a person into an adult very quickly ...
Brandon Tobias
Even on a campus of 25,000 people, we sometimes find cliques or sects to be a part of. Thus, we are in our place. I'm a scholarship hall guy. I'm an "archie." I didn't necessarily ask for those labels, but I've accepted them for what they are: fairly accurate, but still innocuous. No matter where they came from before, who they were, how they acted, or what they did, people come to college and are filed away rather quickly and accurately. Frat boys, sorority girls, queers, Bible-beaters or even your "typical" college student is categorized ... Some people could say that because I'm an architecture major I use speed to stay awake for my projects, but that is completely false ...
My planner probably has a total of four entries in it, which consist of my birthday, my girlfriend's, our anniversary, and the last day of school. Organized? Not exactly. As disorganized as I am, I find myself with 15 cards to keep track of Two IDs, a debit card, a copy card, movie card, blood donor's card, Blockbuster card, calling card, etc. I used to think it would be cool to have so many cards. Now I just realize it makes my wallet fat enough to hurt my ass when I drive for more than 10 minutes ...
While I'm on completely random crap, who else likes the FedEx commercial in which the crocodile hunter gets bitten by the poisonous snake without the antvenom? Do I use FedEx now? No, but I still get a kick out of that commercial ...
do the guys that play basketball at Robinson realize they're playing at Robinson and not at Allen Fieldhouse? It's not the Final Four or the Big 12 Conference Championship, so don't take it so seriously! Have fun! Screw around! ... Another thing that blows my mind is how some classes revolve around the final. Just another way of proving that school doesn't prepare you for college...
See FRESHMAN on page 3A
Brandon Tobias,
Osage City freshman,
reshelves books while he works at the Art & Architecture Library in the Spencer Museum of Art. This week marks the end of Brandon's first semester at the University.
Photo by Craig Bennett/KANSAN