CAMPUS/AREA UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, February 17, 1995
3A
Popular SI swimsuit edition makes waves
By Sarah Morrison Kansan staff writer
Tan bodies, white sand and tight-fitting wet spandex. It's that time of year again. No, not spring break, but Sports Illustrated's 31st annual swimsuits edition.
An estimated 50 million adults, including 16 million women, will read the edition this year, according to a Sports Illustrated news release.
the magazine hit some Lawrence newsstands today, including Hastings Books Music and Video at Southwest Plaza. Other bookstores and magazine sellers expect the issue next week.
Heather Laskey, Derby freshman and magazine manager at Hastings, said people had been asking about the release of the edition for a couple of weeks.
"Since we put the magazines out this morning, they look like they have been selling pretty well," Laskey said. "This issue looks pretty tame though, compared to some I've seen in the past."
Patrick Paulsen, Leawood senior said he didnot
you're not embarrassed to buy Sports Illustrated, " he said.
Paulsen said the fact that the models were clothed in bathing suits gave the magazine a classier look and made it preferable to pornographic magazines.
The swimsuit issue has been criticized by women's groups, who say the magazine exploits and objectifies women. But those complaints are declining, said Joan
normally buy Sports Illustrated but does look forward to buying the swimsuit edition each February.
Truscio,Sports Illustrated fashion reporter.
Truscio, along with Jule Campbell, swimsuit issue senior editor, is featured in an article on page four of the magazine. She helped choose the locations where the models were photographed.
"Hate mail has really fallen off the last few years," Truscio said. "We are getting more mail from women who say it is a great issue and that it has inspired them to get into shape."
But others aren't as enthusiastic.
Dennis Dailey, professor of social welfare, said the swimm suit issue reinforced sexist attitudes.
"It's just another reminder that we live in an extremely patriarchal, sexist, objectifying society," Daily said. "The swimsuit edition is just another reminder that things are changing slowly, if at all."
By Virginia Marghelm Kansan staff writer
Don Hawkins isn't sure he knows Anna Butler as well as he thought he did.
When Hawkins, Wichita senior, found out that Butler had won the Miss Black Kansas 1995 Scholarship competition, he was amazed.
Not because he thought Butler, Kansas City, Kan., junior, was not qualified. He just didn't think Butler, who he described as soft-spoken and unassuming, was the type of person to enter a pageant.
Anna Butler
"She's not a person that brags about herself too much." Hawkins said.
Participation in the competition was low this year because the state pageant is changing sponsors.
Butler did decide to enter, and on Feb. 2 she was crowned Miss Black Kansas 1995. The other contestant was Melanie Posey, Kansas City, Kan., junior.
Gayla Robinson, Kansas City, Kan., senior and coordinator for the state competition, said that Butler almost didn't enter.
Now Butler will represent Kansas in the Miss Black USA scholarship competition Feb. 21-27 in Washington, D.C.
Butler had to be persuaded that she was a qualified candidate, but she did well in the competition, said Robinson.
"She spoke very fluently and knew what she wanted to say." she said.
Butler said she entered the competition to try something different.
"I did it out of curiosity," she said.
The contestant who is crowned Miss Black USA will receive a scholarship. Butler also has applied for the pageant's academic award and presidential award, which are based on academic performance, community service and leadership. Winners of these awards also will receive scholarships.
Butler is a McNair Scholar majoring in secondary education in English and science. She plans to be a college professor. The McNair Scholars Program is a University-sponsored program for students who want to go to graduate school and become professors.
Chico Herbison, director of the McNair Scholars Program, said that Butler had a strong academic background.
Categories at the national competition include a question-and-answer session, a personal interview and a creative expression competition.
For the creative expression competition, Butler will dance to a song titled "State of Independence." Butler said she chose the song, which she described as a jazzy, African tribal dance, because it expressed her own independence.
Jennifer Hufford, Bartlesville, Okla., junior, said that independent was a good word to describe Butler. Hufford, who is a resident assistant in Lewis Hall with Butler, said that residents needed a strong, sure, independent RA who could be a role model.
Although the Kansas competition was not too stressful, preparing for the national competition has been hectic, Butler said. The contestants are required to wear business suits and to model evening gowns, so fitings for dresses and clothing have taken a lot of her time.
"I'm just trying to buy time," she said. "I don't think I'll ever be nervous — I'll just be happy to get it over with."
Even though preparing for the trip is stressful, Butler said, she is not nervous.
Valerie Crow / KANSAN
Roger Martin looks through an issue of Explore magazine. Martin is the editor of the award-winning magazine, which will publish its final issue this summer.
Explore research magazine folds will print final issue this summer
By Robert Allen Kansan staff writer
Explore, the magazine that highlights research at the University of Kansas, will publish its final issue this summer.
Staff burnout and changes in the magazine's audience were cited as major reasons, but money was not a factor said Roger Martin, editor of Explore.
Martin said that he was exhausted with producing the magazine, which began in Fall 1981.
"The stories were taking about a month or so to write," he said. "I would read one to six books for background, take hours of interviews and then transcribe them. I began to wonder, is this the best use of my time and the taxpayers' money?"
Martin wondered whether readers were interested in the lengthy stories that have formed the meat of the magazine since its conception.
"The world has gone bonkers since then," he said. "Now we've got e-mail and short forms of communication. Magazines seem a little outdated to me—at least these kinds of magazines."
The quarterly magazine featured indepth articles about research programs at KU.
The magazine originally was created to inform legislators and the people of Kansas, as well as faculty, about
research at KU. But it was mostly read by faculty, said Andrew Debicki, vice chancellor for research, graduate studies and public service.
"It's not the kind of publication that reaches the general public and gives them a quick view on research," he said.
Martin said that the magazine was perceived as faculty-oriented rather than outward looking.
"Professors deeply appreciate it, but it's time now to reach out to the public," he said.
involved with the magazine had parttime, low-level commitments.
Money did not contribute to the decision to fold the magazine, Debicki said. Discontinuing the magazine will make money available for
Debicki said news releases, video
Roger Martin editor of Explore magazine
Few Explore staff members will be affected greatly by the magazine's demise, Martin said. Most people
other outlets. Martin already has begun
writing two to three-minute essays
about KU research and reading them
over KANU. 91.5 AM.
broadcasts and possibly another magazine were some other options for replacing Explore.
Some faculty will miss the publication. John Davidson, professor of physics and astronomy, said both he and his wife, Mary Davidson, a lecturer in the English department, read Explore.
"I am really sorry to see it fold," he said. "I think it's certainly an important thing to tell the people of Kansas what we are doing with their money."
Martin, however, is only slightly sad to see it fold.
"If the magazine served an educational function, awakened curiosity and made people learn more, then it did its job," he said. "I get a little bit sad. I don't know if anyone else will."
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