WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1996
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS 864-4810
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
SECTION A VOL. 102, NO. 91
Cyclone warning
CAMPUS
First place is at stake as No.3 Kansas and No.21 Iowa State meet tonight. Page 1B
ADVERTISING 864-4358
Rock Chalk preview
In-between acts give students a glimpse of this year's event. Page 9A
NATION
Taxpayers pick up book bill
Hillary Clinton promotes her new book, and taxpayers pay for the trip. Page 11A
WORLD
Peace may pause
WEATHER
WARMER
The Bosnian government may indict two senior Serb officers for war crimes. Page 10A
High 55° Low 32°
Weather: Page 2A
INDEX
Opinion . . . . . 4A
National News . . 11A
World News . . 10A
Scoreboard . . 2B
Horoscopes . . 6B
The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is free. Additional copies of the Kansan are 25 cents.
Hell hath no fury...
Church alters idea of afterlife
By Jason Strait
Kansan staff writer
Going to hell just isn't what is used to be.
On Jan. 11, the Church of England altered the traditional meaning of hell in a report, The Mystery of Salvation. In the report, the notion of a fiery hell where sinners are eternally punished was redefined as an absence of God and a state of non-being.
Although hell's eternal burning fires have been quenched by the Church of England, KU staff and students disagree about the new definition. Traditionalists stand firm by the Bible's literal meaning of a hell, while others accept liberal interpretations of the Bible as a reflection of the times.
Anglican Bishop Alec Graham of Newcastle, Northern Ireland, who drafted the report, said the commission attempted to define salvation and sin in ways that would make the Christian faith easier to understand.
The concept of reading the Bible in an interpretive way has been debated for the last century, said Paul Mirecki, associate professor of religious studies. Bible views between nonliteralists and literalists have differed between using the stories as examples of human life and taking the Bible's stories and text literally.
"In the past, the imagery of hell-fire and eternal torment and punishment have been used to frighten men and women," the report said. "Hell is not eternal torment, but is the final and irrevocable choosing of that which is opposed to God so completely that the only end is total nonbeing."
"We have mythic concepts, such as Adam and Eve, that explain what it is to be human. It's an error to take them literally," he said. "What the Church of England is saying is 'Hey folks, let's be adults and live in the 20th century.'"
Mirecki said the church was de-
mythologizing the Bible, reading the Bible as poetic language rather than as science.
Father Vince Krische of the St. Lawrence Catholic Center, 1631 Crescent Road, said that by making hell into a simple state of nonbeing, any incentive to lead a good and moral life would be taken away. In addition, the notion of an eternal soul, which is central to many faiths, no longer would exist if hell were simply a state of nonbeing.
Students were asked yesterday whether they agreed with the Church of England's redefinition of the sinner's afterlife.
But for others, taking the Bible literally is the only option.
"This idea of people going to a state of non-being is contradictory to two things that we believe in," he said.
"They are either ignoring what the Bible says, or it's an attempt to interpret it in a way that is inconsistent with traditional Bible interpretation."
"I would agree with not reading the Bible literally,
Students discuss Anglican Church's evolution of hell
Donny Rausch, Hoyt freshman,
agreed.
more as metaphor.
For hell as nonbeing, it
"It's a cop-out," he said. "It may sound vengeful, but I think that there is a punishment for those who don't lead good lives."
Jason Theel, Lawrence senior
would be difficult to comprehend for someone who has existed."
"The classic conception of Hell, fire and brimstone.
I find that pretty ridiculous.
It could be true though.
Mehdi Rlazikermani,
Havs senior
Who's to say? And it could be fun. I've never been kicked in the balls real, real hard by a demon before. That might be kind of fun."
"I do believe there is an afterlife.
With heaven and hell,
when you're tempted to do something you shouldn't
Choyenne Graves, Lawrence graduate student
you might have a second thought.
it's a discipline you must follow."
"I think if the Bible helps someone to lead a moral life,
It's definitely a good thing.
(USPS 650-640)
Corey Johnson, Emporia sopho-
Everyone should be
able to interpret the Bible for themselves. For the Church of England and others to do it for them is wrong."
Students might get to vote on rec center
By Nicole Kennedy Kansan staff writer
A student referendum about a proposed $21 million recreation center soon may be put to the test.
The Student Senate finance committee passed a bill unanimously and without debate last night calling for a referendum on whether to increase campus fees $30 per semester to finance the center.
The bill will face the full Senate Feb. 13. If the bill is approved, a referendum would be held Feb. 27 and 28.
Dan Hare, student body vice president and a member of the recreation facility program planning committee, warned finance committee members that they were not voting for or against building the recreation center.
Some finance committee members said there was no debate on the issue because many members favored letting students decide whether they wanted to pay the fee increase.
"I think it's a very good idea," said Girish Ballolla, graduate senator and finance committee member. "I just hope that all the students realize this and come out and vote."
With a referendum, 10 percent of the student body would have to vote on the issue. A simple majority of those voters would have to approve the proposal for the project to continue.
If approved by the student body, the proposal then would have to be approved by Chancellor Robert Hemenway, the Board of Regents and the State Legislature.
Though the finance committee passed the bill, some senators said they were worried that less than 10 percent of the student body actually would vote.
"I think it will pass through Senate, but I'm more concerned about getting voter turnout," said Art Yudelson, graduate senator and finance committee member.
Other senators, however, said they were confident that 10 percent of the student body would vote.
"I'm sure we'll get 10 percent," Ballolla said. "I definitely hope that people get to know about the issue."
The proposed recreation center would be built on West Campus. Admission to the center would be free for students.
The center would include seven gymnasiums, an aerobic center, an indoor jogging track, a combative arts room, a rock-climbing wall and free weight, circuit training and cardiovascular areas.
In other action, the finance committee passed a bill to pay $8,000 for a lecture series. The lecture series board is trying to sign filmmaker Spike Lee as the premiere speaker.
Sleeping at youth hostels can help students sleep for cheap
Editor's Note: This is the second of five stories on affordable travel alternatives for students.
Most students have heard of youth hostels as inexpensive alternatives for lodging while traveling.
By Sarah Morrison Kansan staff writer
But what most students don't realize is that staying in a youth hostel doesn't necessarily mean crowded rooms and dirty beds.
Students can find hostels in light houses near San Francisco, chalets in the Swiss Alps and castles in England — and for only a fraction of the price of a hotel room.
Toby Pyle, press manager of Hostelling International in Washington D.C., said lodging in hostels in the U.S. and Europe could cost between $7 and $22 a night.
The price varies with the type of sleeping quarters students choose. The large shared rooms are cheaper than private or double rooms.
Hostels are dormitory-type lodgings where patrons pay cheaper rates but bring their own bedding, cook their own meals, and sometimes participate in light cleaning at the location. Some hostels have an age limit, but most do not.
Sara Donnelly, Kansas City, Mo.
juniar, said she shelled out a meessy $12 a night for lodging in the Pink Palace, a hostel on Corfu, an island off the coast of Greece.
"It was almost like a resort," she said. "It was incredible, and it was amazingly cheap. It was like paradise island. We stayed there for 10 days."
The style and condition of the hostel varies from location to location.
Donnelly stayed in hostels in Greece, Amsterdam, Paris, Munich, and Prague. She said that the hostel
in Greece was the best and that the location in Amsterdam was the worst.
Despite the sacrifice of personal space, Donnelly said she recommended that students stayed in the larger, shared rooms if the hostel looked like a nice, clean location.
"We stayed in
"If you're on a budget, hostels are really the only place you can stay." Sara Donnelly Kansas City, Mo., junior
double rooms most of the time," she said. "But the dorm rooms are
half the price. We didn't realize how fun they were until the end of the trip."
The chance to interact with travelers from all over the world made
y
in the room," Donnellay said. "Be conscious of your stuff, but not
But the shared space also can lead to security problems. It is important that students keeping an eye on their baggage when staying in a hostel.
the shared space worth while, she said.
overly conscious. Some people would bring bike chains to lock their backpacks to the bed if they were worried."
Pyle said many hostels had security rooms or lockers where travelers could store their belongings.
Donnelly said she would recommend hostels as an affordable option for other students traveling abroad.
"If you're on a budget, hostels are really the only place you can stay," she said.
For more information, students can contact Student Union Activities in the Kansas Union or call Hostelling International at 202-783-6161.
There are 150 hostels in the U.S and thousands abroad. Students traveling between June and September should make reservations in advance to ensure space at a hostel, Pyle said.
I