THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
INSIDE LPD approved to get body cameras by end of 2018 p. 2
The University Daily Kansan
A Lawrence author’s dig into a 100-year-old murder case p. 8
vol. 135 // iss. 23 Thurs., Nov. 9, 2017
Some students can win tickets in lottery Student Senate and KU Athletics partner to give first-generation, Pell-Grant-eligible student free basketball tickets HAILEY DIXON @_hailey_dixon With rising tuition costs in mind, Student Senate recently partnered with Kansas Athletics to create a program that gives out 20 free tickets to every home men’s basketball game to a specific population of students. First-generation college students or students receiving the federal Pell Grant are eligible to enter into a lottery system to possibly win a ticket to attend a basketball game beginning immediately. If eligible, students must apply through Rock Chalk Central.
“We really want everyone to be able to take part in the KU tradition.” Mady Womack student body president
“We really want everyone to be able to take part in the KU tradition,” Student Body President Mady Womack said. The initiative was announced via Twitter on Oct. 30. Womack said the initiative was previously agreed to last summer. Student Body Vice President Mattie Carter said she is excited about this initiative. “I think it’s going to do great things,” Carter said. Kansas Athletics is providing the tickets for students. According to the tweet, students only need to opt in once and choose the games they would like to be considered for to win a ticket. Students are able to win a ticket more than once, as it is just a random lottery, Womack said. Students will be chosen through the lottery system and then notified if they are selected, the tweet said. Those who win a ticket are notified the day before the
Illustration by Missy Minear/KANSAN basketball game occurs, according to Womack. Womack said the idea was continued from the previous Student Senate administration, and she worked with former Student Body President Stephonn Alcorn through joint meetings to smoothly transition the lottery sys-
tem program. Womack said one of the reasons the program was started, in addition to “maintaining the Jayhawk experience” for all students, is to retain enrollment of Pell-eligible and first-generation students. In regards to working with Kansas Athletics,
Womack said it has been great partners on this. “It’s important to them, too,” she said. Right now, Womack said, they are trying to build interest for students and let them know about the lottery system. The program has already given students tickets to the first basket-
ball game against Pittsburg State last week, though Womack didn’t specify the total amount given. Kansas Athletics did not respond to an email from the Kansan for comment by time of publication.
Lawrence election puts more women on city commission
KATIE BERNARD @KatieJ_Bernard
With turnout over 25 percent higher than the August primaries, the City of Lawrence has voted in a new city commissioner, chosen two new school board members and approved extensions on three city sales tax measures. Unofficial results announced around 9 p.m. Tuesday showed that about 22 percent of Douglas County residents voted in this year’s local elections for city commission, school board and sales tax questions. This turnout was higher than expected after the August primary only saw a 16 percent turnout. Jennifer Ananda, a Title IX coordinator for the University, took second in the city commission race with 6,875 votes, earning a four-year term on the commission. Ananda ran on a platform of sustainability and was the only newcomer elected to the commission. Current Commissioner Lisa Larsen came in first with 8,405 votes, also earning a four-year term. Her fellow incumbent commissioner Matthew Herbert came in third with 6,619 votes, just 200 fewer than Ananda. Herbert’s term will only last two years. According to Mayor
Bettina Buggato/KANSAN The Douglas County Courthouse, located at the intersection of 11th and Massachusetts streets, is the location for various criminal court hearings.
Illustration by Sarah Wright/KANSAN Leslie Soden, Ananda’s election to commission will mark the first time Lawrence has ever had three women on the commission at the same time.
“I feel like we’re really looking at a representative democracy.” Leslie Soden mayor
“I feel like we’re really looking at a representative democracy,” she said as results came in around 9 p.m. Tuesday. When Soden was elected to commission before serving as mayor,
she was the only woman and was joined by Larsen after former mayor Jeremy Farmer resigned. Incumbent Melissa Johnson came in first in the race for Lawrence School Board. She was joined by Kelly Jones with the second most votes and GR Gordon Ross who received the third most. In another major vote, the city approved three separate sales tax extensions. The extensions will preserve a .55 percent sales tax to be used on transit, infrastructure and affordable housing. Each of these measures was approved by well over 50 percent of the vote. Soden said this form of voting provides the citizens with a bit more
power in regards to how they want the money to be spent. “I really like how we have these separate votes for different issues because it leads to more of a participatory budgeting which I think is very healthy for democracy,” Soden said. Ultimately, all three measures received overwhelming support from the voters meaning sales taxes in Lawrence will not change. These results, which were announced about two hours after polls closed, won’t be finalized until later this week following the arrival of votes sent in via absentee ballot.
Evidence from shooting to be heard Dec. 7 EMILY WELLBORN @EmWellborn
In court on Wednesday, the three men charged in connection to the Oct. 1 shooting appeared before Douglas Country District Judge Paula Martin, to set a date for an evidentiary hearing. All three men appeared with representation. Dominique McMillon, 19, was charged with aggravated assault and battery, and Ahmad Rayton, 22, was charged with attempted second degree murder and criminal possession of a firearm by a felon. Anthony Roberts Jr., 20, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, one count of first-degree murder and one count of attempted second-degree murder. This no-go preliminary
hearing was continued from it’s original date on Nov. 1, so that Roberts could obtain representation. He appeared before the court with Attorney Jennifer Chaffee as representation. “We have not received any discovery. We set the contract today,” Chaffee said when asked if she and her client were ready to set a date for the next preliminary hearing. McMillon is represented by J.C. Gilroy and Rayton is represented by Michael Clarke. The next hearing will be a joint evidentiary hearing on Dec. 7. “I assume this will take close to an entire day,” Martin said.
— Edited by Brianna Childers