Laumer Sentenced

Augustatta Ittirror Mandl 11, 1993 Volume 79 Josue ittax F:1 Laumer sentenced Student to share his tragedy Jason Laumer knows that drunk driving kills and hopes MifitfeIWAir- that, in the next three years, students will take his story to heart. Laumer was involved in a drunk driving accident last summer which cost him the life of his good friend, Ronald Leisinger. Laumer was driving at the time and was safely buckled in when the two boys missed a curve in the road near the Minnehaha-Lincoln county line. Leisinger was not wearing his seatbelt and died instantly when the car flipped over. Laumer stood trial for charges of vehicular homicide and second degree manslaughter in January, and the circuit court came to a decision Monday. Laumer will serve 138 days in jail over the next two and a half years, but more importantly he will be lecturing to area high school students about his tragic experience. Laumer first knew of Leisinger from eighth grade football, and the two remained on the team up until Laumer's senior year. They shared adjoining lockers and both wrestled for Lennox High School. After graduation, the two boys went their separate ways. Leisinger attended classes at the University of South Dakota and Laumer came to Augustana. This last summer Laumer and photo by Kim Butler Leisinger met after work to lift weights in the Lennox High School gym. Seniors Michelle Goebel and Tania Drexler are just a few of the Augustana students who use the library for study- ing purposes. "We saw each other a great deal that summer and got togeth- er on weekends," Laumer said. "[Ron] is probably the person I saw the most last summer." July 24, the two men agreed to attend a bachelor party for a friend Leisinger had met in softball. Laumer and Leisinger ended up staying for only a half hour or so, during which time Library faces increased use they had three or four beers. The two left the party and drove to Lennox in hopes of run- in the library. First, the Despite these challenges, the ning into some high school friends. Though they were driving library has gained an excel- staff manages to provide rep- 1...... Laumer's parents' car, Laumer and Leisinger would often take POrttrf lent reputation for research, utable service without leaving turns driving. On this particular evening, it just happened that which draws students from the library in the hands of Laumer took the wheel. With the advent of on-line other schools. work study students, as some Once in Lennox, the two ran into a friend who bought them searches and other technolo- Second, there have been other colleges do, depriving a bottle of Peppermint Schnapps and a twelve pack of beer. gy, Mikkelsen Library has new programs at USD and users of the benefit of a pro- Laumer said the two drove around, passing the bottle back and faced a significant increase in SDSU drawing non-tradition- fessional librarian to aid in forth. the number of reference ques- al students from the Sioux research. Shortly after 10 p.m., Laumer and Leisinger talked to some tions for the professional staff Falls area. Many of these stu- The understaffing and the friends who had converged in the Lennox high school parking to field. dents work and consequently increased use of the library lot. Laumer's memory became blurred at this point, and even Many of these questions do not have time to use the make it increasingly difficult today he is not exactly sure who he talked to. are coming from non-Augus- libraries in Brookings or Ver- for Thompson and her staff to Laumer and Leisinger left the group and went driving. tana patrons, which not only million. Since the library at balance their ideal of open- Leisinger had been hanging out the window earlier that night, strains the library staff, but Augustana is open during ness with granting Augustana yelling to friends, and Laumer thinks Leisinger might have raises the question of whether their free hours, they come students the attention they bumped his head. Augustana students are given here. need, said Thompson. "The last thing I remember was hearing a 'thud.' I looked enough attention. "We care about making One potential solution to over and noticed [Ron] was slumped over," Laumer said. "The Mikkelsen Library users sure that [the library] works the problem, and the one last vivid memory I have is yelling his name and trying to get include Augustana students, for people," said Thompson. Thompson said that she him to respond, while I was driving. I remember thinking that I faculty, and alumni, Regental She said that during her hopes for, is a contract had to get him to a hospital." students (students from other tenure, the library has been between Augustana and the Laumer tried to take the exit on Tea-Ellis road at approxi- colleges in the state, such as open to the public and has Regental schools. To meet mately 11:17 p.m., at which time the car flipped over and even- South Dakota State University maintained fair treatment of the library's needs, Thompson tually landed on its tires. Laumer does not remember the acci- and the University of South all patrons, regardless of said that the contract would dent, nor does he remember the ambulance ride to hospital. Dakota), and Sioux Falls where they are from. have to involve enough When the police arrived at the scene of the accident, five community members. This not only provides money to hire another profes- cans were missing from the twelve pack of beer. Laumer does Statistics obtained by the quality service, it shows "on sional librarian and maintain not remember starting on the beer and thinks that they may library between September the fence" high school stu- resources for the increased have given a few cans to their friends in the parking lot. Inves- and December 1992 estimate dents who visit with their use that can be expected as a tigators determined that both Laumer and Leisinger were legal- that 32.6 percent of the time schools that they can succeed result of the contract. ly drunk when they jumped into the automobile. the librarians spend helping in college, and also encour- When contract proposals Lamer will serve 90 days of his jail sentence this summer patrons is spent with non- ages them to attend Augus- have been made in the past, and with the start of the school year, he will serve two days a Augustana patrons, and that tana, Thompson said. they have not been very suc- month for the next twt years. Laumer hopes that this summer's 31.1 percent of reference A larger problem is cessful either because interest time will be spent in a work release program. questions come from them as staffing. Library statistics in the proposal was lacking or As for his lectures, Laumer will be returning each September well. show increases in the number because the proposal was not to Lennox High School and high schools in small towns. Ronelle Thompson, direc- of overall reference questions considered thoroughly Through telling of his experience, Laumer hopes to break stu- tor of the library for the past September through December enough. These proposals dents' disillusionment that it couldn't happen to them. ten years, gives two reasons in each of the past three. years, must be made through the "If you were in [our] high school and were to ask who you'd for slight increases in the while established standards Board of Regents, and further think this would happen to, I think Ron and I would be very number of reference questions for college libraries show work on a contract is not near the bottom of the list," he said. "We were both honor roll from non-Augustana patrons Augustana's staff to be about expected until the 1993-94 students... we weren't rowdy partiers. You didn't see us every half the size it should be. school year is underway. weekend causing trouble. If it could happen to us, it could happen to anyone." Thursday, March 11, 1993 page 2 Opinion A college education no Polka Man by Erick J. Hendrickson longer guarantees LASt WEGr. eco(A /Pm PAGED anything IAN INTERRUFTIO1J;Now7HE RESULT! Last Friday, I seized the opportunity to skip out of a day of classes to attend my sister's graduation ceremony at St. Cloud State University. VILLAGE OPTHE DAMEt My sister, Sara, managed to graduate Magna Cum Laude BY WYNI2AM. with a degree in applied psychology. She made it through FINE'. i 3.o0 ItryEtESI: *MOO SCSU in four and a half years, which is pretty standard if you (co,..eou4DED Co,J00 know anything about trying to get into classes at SCSU. As my sister's graduation date approached, she was faced Eni q3 with some tough decisions. Should she try to get into grad school? Where could she do her internship? How should she pH 93 O get an internship? DOWN Bic, Sara was rather fortunate in that she was offered two 'POLKA mAN 1 s YOU internships. She turned down one offer because it involved a A N COED Tfvfq long commute, and accepted another one in St. Cloud. After BOOK WAS Kt-Tukkb VAN T TO X16 Kr time months she had completed her internship and was ready YEm\u ss-rTE,:pADIAi. Fr: -1-k\1s l3ILL, YOU to graduate. 1-1f■vE TO FIc.1“..

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