October 12, 2009 WWW.UNEWS.COM Vol. 77, Issue 8 St. Nick spotted near campus Continuing campus crime posses threat Tyler Allen Assistant News Editor Crime is a looming problem on campus. Last year alone, there were 142 crimes reported at UMKC. “Even though UMKC is sur- rounded by some bad streets I always felt safe here,” student Kelsey Gos- sen said, “but now that I’m hearing about everything going on, I worry and I try to watch my back.” Other students are not too wor- ried. “I’m not concerned about crime on campus, quite simply because I know exactly how to avoid it,” stu- dent Rachael Herndon said. Unfortunately, not everyone on campus can avoid crime. In the past month, there have been two burglaries at 4747 Troost Ave., the building that houses the In- Blistery, cold weather blew into Kansas City stitute for Entrepreneurship and In- novation. The first incident occurred on Saturday morning and along with it around noon on Sept. 21 when a victim’s money was stolen out of his came a jolly Christmas spirit. desk. painted interior and exterior walls, laid The second incident occurred on Alexia Stout-Lang News Editor carpet, pulled weeds and even moved Sept. 25 and involved Cary Clark, some furniture. Sam Walton Fellow and director of pproximately 20 stu- “This is just such a blessing,” Freddie Students in Free Enterprise. dents, staff and faculty from UMKC bundled up Slaughter, one of the homeowners, said and faced the chill to par- as tears ran down her cheeks. “I just don’t “It’s just sort of random ticipate in the second an- know how to thank you all.” crime. It’s sort of hit and nual UMKC Christmas in October. Slaughter, her three grandchildren (Ty- A alor, Craig and Corey) and her daughter miss.” Two homeowners were selected to receive help around the house for the See CHRISTMAS page 16 MICHAEL BONGARTZ morning. The volunteers removed trees, I UMKC Police Chief “I was up front doing some copy- ing and I walked out toward the In- novation Center,” Clark said. “As I was walking toward the Innovation Center, I saw a gentleman who didn’t seem like he had a destination.” Clark said hello to the man and the two exchanged some quick small talk. The man continued down the hall as Clark proceeded to the Inno- vation Center to pick up his mail. When Clark returned, he found the man he had seen in the hall ear- lier in his office. “He sort of jumped and very quickly said, ‘I was using your phone’ and pushed me aside to get through the doorway very quickly,” Clark said. Photos ALEXIA LANG Clark checked his office and (Clockwise from top right) Freddie Slaughter and her grandchildren (Tyalor, Craig and Corey) meet Santa. found his cell phone was missing. He Slaughter’s 5-year-old neighbor, Damon, stopped by to see St. Nick. immediately phoned campus police Marvin Wright, who retired from UMKC, spoke with Santa while a team worked in his yard. to report the crime. Graduate Pharmacy students took a break to laugh with the man in red. “They estimated that I got there Staff from Campus Facilities Management cut down a tree in Slaughter’s yard. right in the middle of whatever he was doing and that if I’d been an- other few minutes, my laptop would have been gone,” Clark said. “That is INSIDE THE USED page 7 KILLER JOE page 9 WIZARDS page 13 See THEFT I page 16 2 News October 12, 2009 www.unews.com Politics shape the Supreme Court Kelley Kates Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor. Tom Clark, his attorney general. Court has now, such as the tenures Staff Writer President Harry S. Truman had Atkinson noted the position of at- that keep justices on the bench, cre- During the last 65 years, the Su- the luxury of appointing four jus- torney general is usually a stepping ating less change, raising the stakes preme Court has been dominated tices to the Supreme Court during stone to the bench. for a seat and acquiring more promi- by appointments of friends and col- his two-term presidency. His first According to Atkinson, Clark nent people. leagues of the president. appointment, Harold Burton, was a was a sort of “you do for me and I’ll Atkinson also said agenda groups Last Monday evening, the Plaza pick that allowed Truman to reach do for you” appointment, consider- are creating problems by having an Branch Library hosted a forum out to the Republican Party, Atkin- ing Clark worked “feverishly” to get intense interest in who gets appoint- where Dr. David Atkinson, UMKC’s son said. Truman elected. ed. Curators’ Distinguished Teaching In 1946, Truman replaced Chief Another problem lies within the Professor of Political Science and Justice Harlan Fiske Stone with his “The process remains as Senate Judiciary Committee. It is Law, discussed the controversial ap- close friend and Treasury Secretary, highly partisan, formalized and ritu- pointments of Supreme Court Jus- Fred Vinson, after Fiske collapsed it was when Lincoln chose alistic, he said. tices. on the bench and died. Salmon Chase as Chief The committee offers little infor- The lecture, “Appointing the Atkinson said Truman felt Vin- mation to the public and the nomi- Supreme Court: From Truman to son was ideal due to his time spent Justice” nees are prepped before appearing in Obama,” focused on the appoint- in the House of Representatives and front of the committee. He also said ment process and what types of con- his tax expertise. Vinson was a key DR. DAVID ATKINSON the nominees are now less likely to siderations are made and the recent player in developing the Social Se- UMKC’s Curators’ Distinguished answer difficult or policy questions Teaching Professor of Political Science history of politicking involved in curity Act. as if they have no policy. nominations. Vinson entered into an uneasy He used the example of Marshall Atkinson has been a student of situation because the Court was di- saying the abortion issue was never the Court for more than 40 years and vided and Robert Jackson had been Yet, after Clark voted against discussed at Yale Law School. teaches several courses focusing on promised the Chief Justice position Truman’s decision to seize steel When discussing the current the Constitution as well as past and by Roosevelt before he died while in mills in the Youngstown case, Tru- Court, Atkinson said, “There can be present Supreme Court Justices and office. Jackson also believed Justices man commented, “Tom Clark was a number of appointments without their decisions. Photo KELLEY KATES Hugo Black and William Douglas my biggest mistake.” much change.” “The process remains as it was Dr. David Atkinson. were undermining him to Truman Atkinson quoted Truman regard- He said it is likely the five con- when Lincoln chose Salmon Chase Atkinson said political affiliation while he was in Nuremberg, Germa- ing his feelings on Clark, “It isn’t so trolling justices will stick around for as chief justice,” Atkinson said. will determine who the president ap- ny prosecuting Nazis. Atkinson said much that he’s a bad man, it’s just a while, but the Court is impacted This nomination exemplified points to the Court, but other factors the Court was quarrelsome during that he’s such a dumb s.o.b.” every time a new justice joins. how a president may choose a can- are also examined. Age, geography, Vinson’s reign. The last Truman appointment The popularity of the present didate based on their political issues. race, religion and sex are also fac- Lighting the room with a little was Sherman Minton, who rose Court is fairly high with a 67 percent Atkinson said Lincoln was con- tors. humor, Atkinson noted that Justice quickly to leadership in the Senate approval rating. cerned with two areas: slavery and President Lyndon B. Johnson Felix Frankfurter responded to the and campaigned for Truman and for It remains to be seen if Justice paper money. Chase’s ideals fit with appointed Thurgood Marshall, the death of Vinson by saying, “This is his investigative committee for de- Anthony Kennedy remains a swing Lincoln’s, yet Chase voted against first African-American Supreme the first indication I have had that fense activities. vote that generally concurs with the Legal Tender Act to Lincoln’s Court Justice and President Reagan there is a God.” Atkinson ended the discussion Chief Justice John Roberts. disappointment. appointed the first female Supreme Truman’s next appointment was by elaborating on some problems the [email protected] Foreign language students AMERICORPS PUTS SERVICE FIRST win big Melissa Cowan languages (students),” said Alice one in the state for foreign lan- Staff Writer Reckley, from the Foreign Lan- guage fairs.” Learning a foreign language guages Department. “That’s one Many of the students are cur- isn’t just doing book work and of the great things about this fair.” rently taking UMKC credit cours- practicing conversations. You’ve es in high school, Reckley said. got to have fun, too. Approximately 1,000 students The Foreign Language Fair was “You often think of the from 24 different high schools at- held at the University Center last football team getting tended the event. Tuesday. trophies, but not languages “(The fair) truly introduces stu- Missouri high school students dents to one of Kansas City’s best interested in German, French or (students). That’s one of kept secrets – UMKC,” said Lynne Spanish gathered at UMKC to the great things about this Clawson-Day, director of the na- compete in poetry, skits, music, fair.” tionally accredited UMKC High Photo ALEXIA STOUT-LANG dance and cultural jeopardy.