TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1996
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS 864-4810
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
SECTION A VOL.102.NO.145
ADVERTISING 864-4358
TODAY KANSAN
SPORTS
Jayhawks sitting pretty
The 'Hawks sit atop a competitive Big Eight conference this season. Page 1B
CAMPUS
Staying awake keeps you safe
KU and Lawrence police teach students how to avoid dangerous situations. Page 5A
F-14 fighter kills five
NATION
An F-14 fighter plane crashed into a Nashville home, killing five people. Page 6A
WORLD
Killing the competitor
Armed men ambushed a car parts factory in Johannesburg. Page 7A
WEATHER
VERY COLD
High 7°
Low 0°
(USPS 650-640)
Weather: Page 2A
INDEX
Opinion. .4A
National News. 6A
World News. 7A
Scoreboard. 2B
Horoscopes. 4B
Dilbert. 4B
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.
Mind over matter
Darcv Coles / KANSAN
Jon Sides, Tecumseh senior, stretches during a KU Karate Club practice at Robinson Center. The club meets every Monday at 5:30 p.m.
Senate to vote on bus bailout
By Nicole Kennedy
Kansan staff writer
KU on Wheels' routes could grind to a halt if the Student Senate fails to approve a financial bailout, warned Kim Cocks, student body president.
Cocks said if Senate rejected a $140,000 loan and a $2 per semester campus fee increase, KU on Wheels wouldn't be able to operate all its routes through the rest of the year.
"This is a solution so that next year we can keep running the buses the same way we have been this year." Cocks said.
Senate meets at 6:30 p.m. today in the Big Eight Room at the Kansas Union to discuss the bus system bailout plan. Transportation board members asked Senate for the loan and fee increase to replenish the KU on Wheels reserve account and cover
future operational costs.
Cocks said she didn't expect senators to approve the loan and fee increase without debate.
"I think they'll be a lot of discussion on it because people want a lot of answers," Cocks said.
At the finance committee meeting last week, Gustavo Alvarado, senator and finance committee member, criticized the transportation board for failing to start planning initiatives with the board, administrators and city officials.
Transportation board members have met with University administrators and Lawrence city officials separately this semester, but have been struggling to get the administration and the city to come together and commit to talking about the issue.
tionship where the three groups sit down and begin discussing the issue," said Dan Hare, transportation board member and student body vice president.
But Lawrence transportation planner Fred Sherman said he didn't know what future commitments could be made to the board.
"Everyone's waiting for the others to make a commitment toward the future of KU on Wheels," Sherman said.
"Right now we want to begin that rela-
However, Cocks said the board was committed to KU on Wheels and would continue to try to bring the three groups together to discuss the future of the bus system.
"We're not running away from the talks, we're initiating them." Cocks said. "We can't do everything alone. We'll continue to work with the city and the administration, but we need help."
Bill No. 1996-053; $2,500 to the Senate's internal account to finance the performance of Branford and Ellis Marsalis as part of Chancellor Hemenaw'v inauguration.
To be considered today:
SENATE BILLS
Bill No. 1996-054: Amend Student Senate Rules and Regulations, Art. VII, Secs. 7.3.1, 7.3.2.2 and 7.3.1.1, to make the campus transportation fee separate from the Senate activity fee and increase the transportation fee
from $12 to $14.
Bill No. 1996-056: Amend Student Senate Rules and Regulations, Art. III, Sec. 3.2.6, to include additional times for reports on the agenda. Amend Student Senate Rules and Regulations, Art. V, Secs. 5.4.3.2, 5.4.3.2.1 and 5.4.3.4, to change the duties of the head of the transportation board.
Bill No. 1996-055: $140,000 loan to campus transportation to replenish its reserve account.
Bill No. 1996-057: $1,000 to the KU Environs to fund the Dave Foreman lecture.
Bill No. 1996-05B; Amend the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities, Art. 22, Sec.A, to address discrimination and harassment.
Bill No. 1996-301: Resolution that the Senate encourage the administration to release the information accumulated through instructor evaluations to the student body.
Fraternity dismisses pledges
Sigma Alpha Epsilon members accused of aggravated assault
By Amy McVey Kansan staff writer
Four Sigma Alpha Epsilon pledges have been dismissed from the fraternity because of of an alleged aggravated assault against a 45-year-old Lawrence man early Sunday morning near Potter lake.
KU police are investigating the possibility of a hate crime.
Reportedly, the four suspects harassed the man with homophobic comments and then threw a rock through the passenger-side window of his car.
But the victim, who was parked on Memorial Drive and was smoking a cigarette when the rock came through his window, said he didn't hear the comments.
"When they went by my car, I didn't hear anything but the rock hitting," the victim said.
Pete Getz, president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, said he spoke with each of the suspects and felt it was appropriate for them to leave the fraternity.
"Our decision will s t a n d whether this was a hate crime or not. he said. "It is still an intolerable act."
According to KU police, the information on the incident will be forwarded to the Douglas County District Attor.
"Our decision will stand whether this was a hate crime or not."
Pete Gotz Sigma Alpha Epsilon president
University of Kansas officials also are investigating the incident.
ney for possible pursuit of aggravated assault and criminal damage to property.
David Ambler, vice chancellor for student affairs, said that he was determining whether the students were acting individually or as part of the fraternity.
"This appears to be people acting on their own," Ambler said.
"The University is not going to sit back and watch," Kitchen said. "We're going to take this seriously."
The victim feels that the suspects should be punished for their actions.
"I feel that they should be responsible for the damages of my car and the hardships that they're caused me," he said. "They figure they got money and they're going to get away with what they do.
"It makes me wonder what kind of mentality students have," he said.
Used bikes becomes 'hot' bargains for students
By Amy McVey
Kansan staff writer
Jarrod Ramer always locked up his bike because he didn't want to get it stolen.
When facilities operations and a KU police officer arrived to snap his bike lock, they discovered through a routine check that the bike had been reported stolen last October.
Ramer, Tulaa, Okla., senior, discovered he owned a stolen bike on Thursday when he couldn't open his bike lock and called for assistance.
But as it turned out, the bike was already stolen.
The police officer then confiscated the bike, and Ramer walked home.
Ramer had purchased the bike in September with birthday money at Play it Again Sports, 1029 Massachusetts St.
"I'm pretty angry," Ramer said. "Who knows, anything could be hot there."
Dave Wright, owner of Play it Again Sports, said it was only the second time in 21/2 years that the store had sold a stolen bike.
"We know most of the time when something is stolen," he said. "And we've had people hauled out of here in handcuffs."
Wright said they try to combat theft by requiring persons selling merchandise to provide identification. The store also refuses to buy anything that has been reported stolen.
But Play it Again Sports does not check serial numbers with the police department, Wrightsaid.
"We stopped doing that because less than one percent of our bikes had problems with them," he said.
KU police Sgt. Rose Rozmiarek said the police department tried to notify stores that buy used goods when merchandise had been reported stolen. But that doesn't always protect the customer.
You basically have to go in there
that way a possibility is possible.
ity," she said.
Although Wright agreed that someone runs the risk of buying stolen property, he said it wasn't the store's fault.
"The movement of stolen goods is inevitable," he said. "The fact that we are here is not stimulating theft."
Lawrence police Sgt. Rick Nickell said although there has been an increase in the number of both used merchandise buyers and in thefts, buyers were not to blame.
Although Ramer didn't get his bike back, Play it Again Sports refunded the $192.41 that he paid for his bike.
"It might be one way people attempt to get money, but it doesn't cause the crime," he said.
However, Ramer said he planned to walk to class instead of buying a new one.
"This bike stuff is too much of a hassle,"he said.
Avoiding Bike Theft
6
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