CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday, March 11, 1997
3
Candidates share stances at forum
By Paul Eakins Kansan staff writer
Candidates for the Lawrence City Commission gave their views about issues like recreation centers, city growth and tax abatements last night during a forum at City Hall.
In their opening statements, candidates gave their qualifications and addressed the issues that were most important to them in their campaigns.
Jo Andersen, incumbent commissioner and a kitchen designer, focused on the work she had done as a commissioner and mayor. She said her time in office had helped improve the infrastructure, begin Douglas County Area Transit and create more recreation centers and playing fields.
A public bus system was the main concern for candidate Alan Black, who said his qualifications were being a member on various urban planning committees and being an urban planning professor at the University of Kansas.
"I want to push for expanded public transportation here." he said.
Lisa Blair, administrator of Downtown Lawrence Inc. said she wanted to create better community planning and stop growth that outpatched Lawrence's financial base.
"Growth is not bad," she said, "but it does not nav for itself."
She also said neighborhood improvements and preservation were important.
Born and raised in Lawrence, retire Erv Hodges said his experience in making million-dollar deals at Grinnell Corporation in Kansas City, Mo., would help him handle the city's financial situation.
"Fiscal responsibility will be a key component." he said.
he said Lawrence would remain strong if the government and the people worked together.
Marty Kennedy, also a lifelong Lawrence resident and co-manager of Kennedy Glass Inc., said he wanted to keep neighborhoods strong and develop them as the city grows.
Bob Moody, incumbent commissioner and advertising representative for the Trading Post, said that he had learned a great deal about the city during his term and that listening well to the people had led to sound public decisions.
The candidates are running for three open spots on the five-member City Commission, and elections will be held on April 1.
Election turnout low
By Paul Eakins
Kansan staff writer
The City Commission and School Board elections are rapidly approaching, but many KU students seem to be oblivious to them.
Some students may not vote because of their indifference to the issues. Others may not vote because, as non-residents at the University of Kansas, they think they cannot vote in local elections. They're wrong.
Any person who lives in Lawrence, whether or not they are a permanent resident, may register and vote, said Jo Dalquest, deputy county clerk.
"All you need is an address," she said.
Registering in Lawrence is fairly simple because it takes only a few minutes and there are 10 registering locations.
Dalquest said voter turnout among KU students usually was low.
A person cannot be registered in two places, though. When registering in Lawrence, students must remove their registration from their hometowns by filling out a form.
Allen Field House was a polling place which served mainly students, including those in the Daisy Hill residence halls, but the county removed it for city and county elections because less than 25 people usually voted there. Dalauget said.
"It's not economically feasible to pay someone to sit there for 12 hours for only 25 people to come in and vote." she said.
As a result of the turnout, students rarely play a large role in election results. However, KU students have the potential to be a factor.
According to the Office of Institutional Research and Planning, of the 23,230 people
Registration Outposts
Douglas County Clerk's Office, 1100 Massachusetts St.
Lawrence City Clerk's Office, 6 E. Sixth St.
Independence Inc., 1910 Haskell Ave.
Kindergarten, 233 Greetling Drive
Douglas County Health Department, 336 Missouri St.
Kansas Veterans Commission, 745
Vermont St.
Social and Rehabilitation Services, 1901 Delaware St.
Audio Reader Network, 1120 W. 11th St.
St.
Cottonwood. Inc.. 2801 W. 31st St.
- Love Garden Sounds, 936 1/2 Massachusetts St.
who attend the University at the Lawrence campus, 92.5 percent of them live in Lawrence and are potential voters.
Comparing this to the current number of registered voters — 52,974 and the number of those who voted in the primary election in February — 10,450 - KU students could be a significant factor in the elections. Dalquest said.
Allan Cigler, professor of political science, said students did not vote because they believed their lives were not affected by the local government's work.
"Most students don't believe that those decisions are salient in their lives," Cigler said.
Cigler said students often considered other issues in their lives to be more important.
Students who want to register to vote have until March 17. The general election is April 1.
Hoop dreaming
GR Gordon-Ross / KANSAN
Lawrence resident Adrian Twombley holsts his 23-month-old son Austen up to the basket as Lawrence resident Norris Hunter awalts the rebound.
Fraternity seeks good standing
By Harumi Kogarimal
Kansan staff writer
The national fraternity of Zeta Beta Tau suspended the KU chapter last fall
In an effort to reorganize its chapter after an alleged hazing incident last fall, Zeta Beta Tau passed a resolution designed to keep the fraternity in good standing.
Andy Strauss, president of Zeta Beta Tau and Minneapolis, Minn., sophomore, said that during the last four months, chapter members have reevaluated the purpose of their chapter.
"We have learned from the mistake in the past," Strauss said. "We will start everything over, reorganize everything and establish moral values in the chapter."
In the resolution, Zeta Beta Tau made it clear that the fraternity members would conform to a risk management policy and would promote academic excellence. The chapter also reaffirmed the no-pledging policy that the national Zeta Beta Tau fraternity established in 1989, which allows new members to be initiated into the fraternity after 72 hours.
after an alleged hazing incident.
The chapter now has only 13 members. Bill Nelson, associate director of the Organizations and Activities Center, said the chapter's membership dropped partly because some members refused to do the community service required by the national fraternity for an incident involving improper behavior during sorority rush.
Since then, new executive board members have been appointed, Strauss said.
Strauss said that before the alleged hazing incident, some chapter members did not know how to eliminate the potential of hazing.
David Eichler, assistant chapter adviser for Zeta Beta Tau, said that because of the reduced size of the chapter, the members did not reside in the former address, 1942 Stewart Ave.
He said that a new risk management chairman had been appointed recently, which Straus hopes will reduce the potential for hazing.
"For the past seven years, nobody taught us how to run the chapter," Strauss said. "One thing we want to emphasize is to make sure everyone knows what's going on."
"We have learned from the mistake in the past."
Zeta Beta Tau president
Brett Herback, director of chapter development at the national fraternity, was sent to the University to educate the chapter's remaining members about the basic policies of Zeta Beta Tau. Strauss said.
Herback said that because most members in the chapter were freshmen, he would have to teach them how to run the chapter.
Jordan Strauss, Riverwood, Ill., freshman, said the resolution would lead the chapter in the right direction.
"The 13 guys left in the house are all a good group of people," Strauss said. "People are getting confused that there is no ZBT, but there is ZBT. We have a no-pledging policy, and we aren't going to have any hazing."