Friday, October 21, 1988 / University Daily Kansan
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
After 20 years,BSU keeps King's dream alive at KU
In the annals of black history, page after page is devoted to the black student movement at predominantly white universities in 1968. The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Chicago came a cobblestone step across the country. The mobilization to fight for change
Much has happened in its 20 years of existence.
true black students at KU were no exception. Black Student Union was founded to give blacks a political outlet on campus, an avenue through which a minority could speak with a unified voice to affect changes within the University.
The civil rights movement that galvanized students in the late 1960s is quieter today. It has taken a back seat on the national agenda to issues such as abortion, AIDS and the death penalty. The Civil Rights Movement therefore does not command the attention it did two decades ago.
The fact that civil rights does not command the spotlight makes the role of BSU all the more important. Without protests, boycotts and sit-ins that characterized its early days, it is easy for non-minorities to forget that racial problems still exist. Sensitivity to these problems lessens because most people aren't confronted with it on a daily basis.
Without organizations like BSU, most students wouldn't think about the implications of the dropping enrollment of blacks at KU; we aren't reminded of the disturbingly low number of white students enrolled. We don't think that blacks in KU's Greek system are still an exception.
BSU helps us to focus our attention on these issues when we otherwise would overlook them. When it speaks with its original unified voice, BSU reminds us that fight for civil rights is still a long way from being a color-blind college campus.
Michael Horak for the editorial board
Beating a dead hound dog
Elvis is dead. Now please, let the man rest in peace
The editorial board
The editorial board consists of Michael Merschel, Mark Tilford, Todd Cohen, Michael Horak, Julie Adam, Julie McMahon, Tony Balandran, Muktha Jost and Christian Martin.
Alcohol warning labels will work
Other Voices
First came cigarette warning labels.
Nobody was certain they would work, but they have. Alcohol warning labels appear to be next. They could help make a dent in the number of lives torn apart and snuffed out by alcohol abuse.
Alcohol is a drug. It deserves to be treated as one. And as the warning labels on cigarettes have proved, education is the first step in reducing the harmful effects of dangerous consumer consumption.
Legislation expected to pass through Congress would require labels on all alcohol beverages sold in the United States.
Information is rarely found where it counts — where people drink. The proposed short message would be hard to ignore.
Opponents of the labeling, led by the liquor industry, question its effectiveness. They believe the labels would confuse people with a short unclear message on a complex medical issue. Yes, they are medically complicated, but the effects of it are all too clear.
Alcohol abuse poses a worse threat to health and safety than cigarette smoking. Smoking destroys mainly the lungs while excessive drinking can affect many areas of the body.
Alcoholism causes gastrointestinal disorders and heart disease. About 5,000 babies are born with birth defects and development problems because their mothers drank too much while pregnant.
And according to federal statistics, alcohol contributes to more than half of U.S. highway deaths each year.
People need to be more responsible when they drink. A first step toward helping people realize their responsibility in drinking is providing them with facts where people will see them often — on the bottle.
Indiana Daily Student University of Indiana Bloomington, Ind.
News staff
Todd Cohen Editor
Michael Horak Managing editor
Jill Adamson Associate editor
Stephen Wade News editor
Michael Merschl Editorial editor
Noel Gerdes Campus editor
Greg Anderson Sports editor
Scott Carpenter Photo editor
Dave Eames Graphics editor
Jill Jess Action features editor
Tom Siemon General manager
Business staff
Opinion
Greg Knipp Business manager
Debra Cole Retail sales manager
Chris Cooper Campus sales manager
Lulu Proofing National sales manager
kurt Messmerstaff Promotional manager
Sarah Higdon Marketing manager
Brad Lenhart Production manager
Michelle Garland Asst. production manager
Michelle Giselle Marketing manager
Jaine Hines Sales and marketing adviser
**Letters** should be typed, double-spaced and over 200 words and must include a heading. Letters written in a standard font are affiliated with the University of Kansas, please include class and tomorrow, or a title for your letter.
Guest columns should be bulky, unobstructed and less than 700 words. The
writer will be photographed.
The Kansan reserves the right to reject or edit letters and guest columns. They can be mailed or brought to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Stuart-Finn Hall. Letters and columns are the writer's opinion and do not necessarily reflect the university's Daily Kansan. Editors are the option of the Kansan editorial board.
The University Daily Kannan (USPS 650-640) is published at the University of Kansas, 118 Stuffer-Fair Hall, Hawley, Kan. 66034, during the regular weekdays and on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during Wednesday during the summer session. Second-class postage is paid in US dollars. First-class postage is $2.00. Student subscriptions are $3 and are paid through the student activity fee.
and address changes to the University Daily Kaisan, 118 Stauffer-Fint Hall, Lawrence, Kan. 60045
'Tis the season for new TV shows Here's help for writers after their brain vacation - uh, strike
OK, my goose bumps got a wake-up call when Florence Gloriosa Joyner left the rest of the world's women behind sniffing exhaust fumes, and the judging of the amateur boxing did remind me of what they said from right. It made for great, dramatic TV. But if you're like me, you're glad the Olympics are history so that we can get to the nity-gritty: the start of another fall television season. Despite the competition in Seoul, another batch of concoctions created by the masterminds of network programming are up to us. As usual, there are some gems and some clinkers in the bunch, but as I see it, with a few exceptions, most of them could be the best new fall schedule in prime time history. Let me give you some examples:
"Mission: Impossible" has returned to the tube after 15 years. Peter Graves is back as Jake Phelps, the leader of the Impassible Mission Force, but the rest of the crew is populated with newcomers. Big chunks of debris are strewn across the floor of them have hit the age of 90 yet. Imagine the heightened suspense when elderly Willy feels a crack in his joints as he carries a heavy tank of plutonium up a staircase, dodging Harney has thrown at him. The bomb he's defusing, and sensible Paris forgets that foreign despot he 'imponcent this week'
"Dear John" stars TV favorite Judd Hirsch as a woman finds solace in a single group after his wife
Bill Kempin
Staff columnist
leaves him. Solid premise, but a mite too predictable for my money. I'd prefer "Dear Mike," starring Mike Tyson as a heavyweight boxing champ getting divorced from his wife who really was a bit overweight. And then the humiliated on national television by the missile while Barbara Walters looks on.
show to find out why contestants begin each and every game going to Joan Rivers in the center square, when every expert of tie-tac-toe will win a prize. The game a starting game off with that bonehead move.
"Midnight Caller" deals with an ex-cop who still manages to fight crime and corruption as an all-night radio talk show. Too darn improbable, wouldn't you say? My version of "Midnight Caller" deals with a fanatic listener of slash music with lyrics pertaining to dead presidents and busting the jaw of your date for the evening. The call is even more time than to call the local campus radio station constantly through the night and rag about the station's change of music format.
"TV 101" features a man returning to his high school alma mater to transform the school newspaper into a video magazine. My idea would be to keep the print motif in place, have Rupert Murdoch's face on it, and then turn it into another one of his sleazy tabloids. The paper would have weekly contests on which female teacher had the shortest hemilines, and grisly headlines about a careless sophomore who absentminded has named his door, too son and dad to chew his candy in order to get to class on time.
increble Sunday" is the all-new version of ABC's once-popular series "That's Incredible." In a coming episode, returning host John Davidson investigates the "New Hollywood Squares" game
"Dirty Dancing" tries to capitalize on the magic of that runaway-hit motion picture. Just like the film in "A 60s Cattski-like resort, boy meets girl, girl likes boy, boy dances with girl in seductive fashion to music that doesn't sound at all like the tunes of old country music. The clothes, doing things pay attention to Johnny and Baby anymore, and they have to find real jobs like everybody else.
Bill Kempin is a Lawrence graduate student in journalism.
K A N S A N
MAILBOX
Commandos canceled
At the Oct. 11 University Events Committee meeting, Student Union Activities submitted a petition to President David Commando. The Comedy Commands are two nationally known comedians who perform on college campuses for $500. The reason the fee is not paid is because Corporation pays most of the production costs.
■ The policy specifically states consumption of ceral malt beverage. It is true that the Coors brand is a popular option along with the SUA logo because of their financial contribution. However, it is my opinion that a logo does not promote the consumption of ceral malt beverage as an advertising. The focus of the advertising would
At the meeting, the committee denied the event. The justification was provided for in a statement that read: "The committee of January, 1984 University Events guidelines. the sentence reads, 'Other than at licensed locations, advertising for approved campus events shall not advocate the consumption of cereal."
There are several issues and inconsistencies I wish to address.
going to provide or serve alcohol at the event.
■ The inconsistencies relating to alcohol use and marketing are flagrane among campus events. At such an event, Events Committee has a page and a half of guidelines relating to alcohol use on campus. It states that "Cereal malt beverages may be served at group events that are held in the event room." At such an event, Committee" it goes on to list several guidelines on how to promote and serve cereal malt beverages at these events. Why is it OK to have beer at parties but not OK to program events using beer company sponsors? Why is it OK for Kansas to advertise beer and wine cokes.
■ Are we unfairly holding a prejudice against beer companies that would like to provide social or educational programming? The committee has been appointed as sponsor, the event would have been approved.
Personally, I agree that students, faculty and staff need to drink responsibly. But is it the University's function to make the decision on advertising students can be exposed?
I would like to encourage the University Events Committee to review the alcohol regulation on page 22 of the January 1944 Guidelines and explain why it is not in bookslet booklet as it relates to students' rights.
Susan Levinson Overland Park senior
The cost of plus/minus
There is one more aspect of the plus/minus grading system that deserves mention, the rule that all students will create a new class of academic casualties in the 2.0 range. If we change the rules, some people who were doing fine under the old system may not be doing well on their way to suspension on the basis of a single C. Some may have to stay in school an extra semester or two to graduate because of their poor grades.
Not all of these people are in this situation because they don't care about school. For example, some of them may be having to work their way through college and or support families. In the latter instance, plus/minus offers us the chance to trash several lives for the price of
My question is, who is going to represent their interests in this issue?
It won't be the student representatives who vote for plus/minus. Although a lot of them are willing to vote for this in secret, there won't be many who will be willing in a letter to the editor. But at least they should write to say good-bye to their classmates.
William E. Bayne
Lawrence sophomore
BLOOM COUNTY
by Berke Breathed
7