VOL. 100, NO. 127
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1990
(USPS 650-640)
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NEWS:864-4810
Georgians protest Soviet occupation
The Associated Press
TBILSI, U.S.S.R. — Thousands of Georgians chanting "Occupiers! Occupiers!" rallied outside a Soviet military base yesterday, capping a wave of arrests and clashes that sparked their republic's independence movement.
The day of commemorations drew almost 200,000 people to three separate rallies. It served as a show of strength by independence activists who have scored several major victories in the past month.
Soldiers assaulted a peaceful pro-independence protest in front of government buildings in Tbilisi on April 18 and killed gas and gas. Nineteen people died.
The attack unleashed bitter criticism across the country. Several investigations have placed the blame for ordering the attack as high as the Communist Party Politburo, but no one has been blamed officially.
Protesters near the Caucasus Military District headquarters posted signs reading, "Get out of Georgia!" and depicting a hooded executioner wearing a military star and holding a bloody shovel.
Early yesterday morning, about 100,000 people gathered in candlelight on Rustavelli Boulevard, the site of the clash. About 70,000 more nearly filled the republic's main stadium yesterday evening in a similar rally.
Eldar Shengelaya, a well-known Georgian director, addressed the soldiers as esteemed occupiers and warned that the army could turn them into breachers.
"Think!" he said. "This is your last chance to turn into people!"
At an intersection outside the walled military base, about 10,000 people gathered in the afternoon and stormed across to the soldiers to abandon their posts.
There was no visible reaction from the few soldiers seen on the base. Authorities did not interfere with the occupants of the Morgan policeman helped keep order.
Protests in other Soviet republics have included anti-military elements, among them calls to boycott the draft, but yesterday's demonstration was one of the largest directed specifically against the Soviet military.
Death toll hits 170 in North Sea blaze
The Associated Press
LYSKIL, Sweden — Police reached the midship cabins of a burned-millhouse ferry yesterday and many families who died together at the heart of the fire.
Inspector Leif Skoglund raised the estimated death toll to 170 in the suspicious weekend blaze that destroyed the Norwegian North Sea ferry Scandinavian Star. He said that one victim in every four was a child.
"It it was incredible," he said, groping for words to describe the scene. "They are so badly burned."
The bodies of parents who desperately attempted to protect their children lay on top of the children.
Police in Oslo, Norway, said the death toll could reach 200. Spokesman Arne Husee said the figures were unreliable and constantly were changing. A conclusive count might not be available for davs.
"We may never find out how many there were because some bodies are in such bad shape that not even dental records may help," said Tom Brokopp, leader of the medical rescue team.
In Britain, police began an arson investigation of a fire on the Irish Sea car ferry Norrona that killed one man early yesterday and injured 32 people in carrying 297 people from Milford Haven, Wales, to Roslare, Ireland.
Group turns down mediator
Bv Jonathan Plummer
Kansan staff writer
After open- and closed-door meetings last night with a U.S. Justice Department official, members of Black Men of Today said they did not see a need for another mediator in airing their concerns to the University.
The Justice official, William Whitchcomb, spoke to more than 50 people last night in the Kansas Union. He said he came to the University of Kansas after being notified by a newspaper in Kansas that he had been charged with an incident at the Sigma Alpha Epifanio fraternity.
According to police reports, a member of the fraternity struck and made a racial insult to a KU student who was delivering a pizza March 30 to the SAE house, 1301 West Campus Road
Whitcbomb said he would help Black students organize their concerns to present them to the administration. But he added that he would get involved only if the students wanted his help.
"There is a need for sensitivity so that people can come together without litigation and prosecution," Whitebom said. "That would be my function if you all so decide tonight."
"The extent of my reaction involves the extent of what you want. There is no Santa Claus. You have to involve yourself. I can't make the problem go away."
Daren Fulcher of Black Men of Today said, "It seems we have to go outside the University to get inside the University, and we get bogged down in the process of committees."
Whitcomb asked whether the students had explored all the avenues available to them within the University. He recommended some student leaders join together to go before the administration.
He asked that students who thought they had time for such an effort talk with him in a closed-door meeting.
After the closed meeting, Mark Mccormick, a member of Black Men of Today, said he did not see what Whitcomb's presence would add to their discussion with administrators.
"We hold the key to all the doors we need to unlock," McCormick said. "Anytime we can get out a number of concerned students is good, but he did not tell us what we need to do. (Black Men of Today) has an agenda, we have the research, we have met with the
William Whitcomb
administrators.
"We don't need more people between us and the administration, but we always need more people behind us."
comb did not seem optimistic.
"I came to offer a way to maintain discussions, if that is what you need, or based on the frustration I saw tonight, may this or may not occur."
After the closed meeting. Whit-
Student leaders to get diversity training
By Eric Gorski
Kansan staff writer
A cultural diversity training program for student organization leaders will be formed in Fall 1990. A conference, a KU official said yesterday.
The program will attempt to improve race relations at KU, said David Ambler, vice chancellor for student affairs. He also said a new Office of Minority Affairs group in the Office of Minority Affairs would be formed.
In addition, an advisory panel will review the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity's attitudes and cultural values. The panel, Ambler said, the panel will
submit a report to Caryl Smith, dean of student life, by the end of the academic year.
According to police reports, a member of the fraternity struck and uttered a racial insult to a KU student who was delivered pizzas March 30 to the SAE house, 1301 West Campus Road.
Smith said the panel, which will include students, University faculty and staff, would not be disciplinary. The panel will not deal with the March 30 incident but with the overall racial and cultural environment at the SAE house.
Mark McCormick of Black Men of Today said that Ambler's ideas were a good start but that the
University needed to take further action.
McCormick, who with other student group representatives met with Amber last week, said that Black Men of Today would submit an agenda to Amber this week that propose ways to improve race relations at the University. Increased minority recruitment, more minority faculty, improved ties with Black alumni and a Black cultural center will be listed on the agenda.
Marshall Jackson, interim director of minority affairs, said that Ambler's ideas would help and that planning was needed before any action was taken.
"It's a necessary step." Jackson said. "We need to say on it. We can't relent. It's slow, but if you're going to make some lasting changes, it has to start here."
Michael Diggs, chairman of the Student Senate minority affairs committee, said he was not optimistic about whether the plans outlined by Ambler would succeed in improving KU's racial atmosphere.
He said fraternities should be punished under the University code for the actions of their members so that situations like the incident at the SAE house would not occur.
Time out at Riverfront
Shoppers take a break at the food court in the newly opened Riverfront Plaza at Sixth and New Hampshire streets.
KU student is treated for measles at Watkins
By Steve Bailey
Kennon staff writer
Kansan staff writer
After weeks of reports of measles throughout the state, the first case of suspected measles has hit the University of Kansas.
Charles Yockey, chief of staff at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said a KU student was treated yesterday for what was thought to be measles. Confirmation of the blood sample is taken after seven to 10 days.
"With all the measles around us, we figured we would see a case at some point," Yockey said. "We don't want anyone to panic, but students who have been in contact with them should be come down and get an MMR to protect themselves."
The student was sent to his parents' home vesterdav
until confirmation of the illness can be determined. The student's roommates have been instructed to receive the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.
Yockey would not release the name or hometown of the student.
The student's professors will be notified and likely will make an announcement in class recommending that students who have not had the vaccination since 1980 receive one.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that is spread much like the common cold.
Symptoms of measles include sore throat, headache and muscle ache, fever, cough, watery discharge from eyes and nose and a red, blotchy rash that usually first appears on the face and spreads.
Senate coalitions expect large turnout by voters
By Eric Gorski
Kansan staff writer
Last year, 2,575 ballots were cast in
the day's election, down from
3,876 in the previous year.
Student Senate coalition members are expecting a larger and more diverse voter turnout than in previous years for Senate elections tomorrow and Thursday.
Members of the five coalitions running for positions this year said they thought that campaigns targeting the entire student population would result in a more representative turnout.
Aaron Rittmaster, campaign manager for Jayhawk Praise, said the greek turnout had been large in past elections. "We were Greeks we were organized to vote."
"The residence halls have the same potential," said Rittmaster, who is an off-campus candidate. Historically, they haven't done it. "We've been increasing emphasis on residence halls and off-campus voters."
He said campaigning this year was especially comprehensive because of the support he received.
Almee Hall, vice-presidential candidate for YOU, agreed that turnout would be larger for the elections. She
said coalitions had made it a priority to speak to individual floors in residence halls.
"It could be the highest turnout ever," Hall said. "The five coalitions have worked all year."
Brad Sanders, presidential candidate for New Blood, said off-campus students were a large, untapped group of voters. He also expects a large voter turnout because of the coalitions' comprehensive campaigning.
The turnout has always been low," Sanders said. "People don't realize that one vote counts for a lot when that happens."
Kelly Bibb, off-campus candidate for Real Representation, said she also expected a large, diverse turnout.
"In the past, coalitions haven't mobilized the vote," Bibb said. "It's the specific goal of our coalition."
Martie Aaron, campaign coordinator for Fast Break, said turnout was larger when there were many coalitions in the Senate race. She said that voters would be slightly more diverse but that they probably would not affect the outcome of the election.
Polling places
Besides the places marked $ \bigcirc $, students can vote at the front courtyard of Learned Hall or in the main lobby of the Burge Union.
More election coverage pp.3 and 6
Voting for Student Senate
* 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tomorrow and
Thursday
* Students must present their KUDA before voting.
KANSAN graphic
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