Wednesday, April 12. 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section A • Page 5
5
African literature conference to begin
Participants to examine contemporary trends of practice, theory
By Ryan Blethen
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The African Literature Association conference begins today with the Langston Hughes Lecture.
The conference, which is titled "Enduring Trends and New Directions in African Literatures: Theory and Praxis," ends Sunday. Some events are open to the public. Those that are not can be attended by paying an $80 registration for ALA members and $55 for nonmembers.
Peter Ukpokodu, professor and chair of African and African-American studies, and one of the organizers of the meeting, said the ALA was using the meeting to review what had happened and what was happening in African literature in practice and theory.
The ALA is an influential force in African literature, Ukpokdu said.
"The ALA is the primary body that governs all forms of literature in Africa and the African
Diaspora." he said.
This is the 26th year of the meeting. Every year it meets in a new place. Last year it was in Morocco and next year it will be held in Richmond, Va.
Arthur Drayton, professor of African and African-American studies and co-organizer of the meeting, said the ALA began at the University of Texas at Austin as an association for African scholars.
"It is an association of scholars," he said. "Writers, of course, are also members."
The meeting is broken down into different panel discussions. The panels range from teaching African cinema to female authors and the issues with which they deal.
Emmanuel Obiechina, visiting Langston Hughes professor of English, African and African-American studies, will deliver the lecture called, "Common Themes in African Diaspora Literatures."
The lecture will focus on the narratives of the Africans who were taken off the African continent as slaves and endured the middle passage slave-trade route, Obichnea said.
He said most of the themes from the period had carried to the present day.
"Many of the themes of the narra
7:30-9:30 p.m., Alderson Auditorium, Kansas Union
Transportation
AFRICAN LITERATURE CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
today
Location: Higher Lecture and Reception
Conference Book Exhibition
Conference Book Edition
10 g.m. 5:30 p.m. Layhawk Room, Kansas Union
10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Jaynavik Kosh, Kamalshree College
■ Special Lecture, Simon Gikanid: "Literature and Moral Considerations; The
Ethical Basis of Law"
Special lecture, Simon Graham, Entrance Hall
African Example*
5. 7 p.m., Woodruff Auditorium, Kansas Union
Formal Opening Ceremony and Fanon-Nichols Awar
3:30:4:45 p.m., Alderson Auditorium, Kansas Union
Ceremony, Enrollment and Engalan Awards
A kaiser in the sun
7:30 p.m., Lawrence Community Theatre, 1501 New Hampshire St.
Conference Book Exhibition
9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Jayhawk Room, Kansas Union
9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Jaywah Room, Kandis Union
Kuwait Lecture, Wolle Sovinka
Keynote speaker: Workout
6:15:37:30 p.m., Woodruff Auditorium, Kansas Union
8 p.m., Ecumenical Center, 1204 Oread Ave.
Conference Book Exhibition
Conference Duck Hunting Room 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Jayhawk Room, Kansas Union
African Literature Association Banquet
tives have continued to occur in African-American narratives up to this point," Obiechina said.
African Literature Association Bahquier 6-8:30 p.m., Regency Ballroom, Holiday Inn Halidome, 200 McDonald Drive
The meeting does not just focus on literature. Tomorrow, Friday and Saturday, book publishers and filmmakers will display their
works at the Kansas Union.
Drayton said that he thought the conference would accomplish its mission.
"We have set something in motion that will fulfill itself," he said.
Commission debates keg, house party laws
By John Audlehelm
By John Audelheim
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The City Commission last night took the first steps toward restricting house parties and cutting down underage drinking.
After discussion and some public comment, the commission asked city manager Mike Wildgen to draft disorderly house nuisance and keg registration ordinances.
Charlotte Muckey, resident of Tennessee Street, spoke in favor of a disorderly house nuisance law, which could create new restrictions on noise and messy vards.
"I must do the clean-up work." Muckey said.
She said that she lived close to apartment complexes on Ohio Street and did not mind loud parties or underage drinking but did mind the mess partygoers made in her yard.
Commissioner Mike Rundle said he supported the idea because the city needed to maintain single-family districts.
There was no public comment on the keg registration issue, but commissioners said they liked the idea.
the idea.
Commissioner David Dunfield said that such a law created awareness of the problem and identified the person who bought — and was therefore responsible for — each keg.
Wilden said that if Lawrence alone were to pass a keg registration law, people could buy unregistered kgs in Eudora and bring them back. He recommended the
County Commission also look at keg registration.
Commissioner Marty Kennedy said he thought a series of city and county laws would be piecemeal and ineffective.
"I believe it needs to be statewide," he said.
In other action, the City Commission:
Approved a site plan and agreed to plat the site of the American Eagle Outfitters Inc. distribution center, which would be located east of the East Hills Business Park.
Received a report from David Corliss, director of legal services for the city, about a proposed ordinance that would require landlords to give reason when they terminate residential leases.
He said that he doubted the city had the authority to pass the law and that the task was better left to the state.
Debra Housworth, resident of Gaslight Village trailer park, 1900 W 31st St., had proposed the ordinance, complaining she had been legally evicted without cause.
Bush unveils health care plan
The Associated Press
CLEVELAND — Continuing his outreach to independent and moderate Democratic voters, Republican George W. Bush yesterday rolled out a five-year, $42 billion plan to help the working poor move into the middle class.
The biggest share of money, $55 billion, would be used for tax credits to help people who don't get health insurance from their employers but earn too much to qualify for government programs like Medicaid. They
An additional $5 billion would be used to provide health care through medical savings accounts.
The plan also would include $1 billion to help low-income
The so-called New Prosperity Initiative continues the presumed Republican presidential nominee's outreach to independents and moderate Democrats by talking about subjects often ignored by GOP candidates.
renters buy homes and another $1 billion to give tax credits to banks that match the savings denosits of poor people.
In recent weeks, Bush unveiled environmental and educational proposals. Last Wednesday, he was speaking to a St. Louis audience about additional health care plans. Aides said Bush also would unveil proposed spending
Bush: $42 billion plan would help the working poor
Arriving in Missouri later in the day, Bush noted for the 1,000 people gathered in an airport hangar in Columbia that the state was a bellwether that could help choose the next president.
"If that's the case, I think you're looking at the next president," he said.
While announcing his newest proposals for the poor, Bush was criticized for the lack of progress on health care at home in Texas, where he is in his second term as governor and where up to one-fourth of the population lacks health insurance.
"Our newspapers and television programs praise and profile all the winners in our high-tech economy, but we must never become a winner-take-all society," Bush told about 250 community and church leaders at the West Side Ecumenical Ministry on Cleveland's heavily Democratic West Side.
"Our economy must also honor and reward the hard work of factory and field, of waiting tables and driving cabs — not just enterprise, but sheer effort, not just technology, but toil," he said.
His opponent, Vice President Al Gore, immediately pounced on the proposal.
"Perhaps Bush calls this proposal his 'New Prosperity Initiative' because fixing health care, affordable housing and lifting people out of poverty are all 'new' to him, since he has failed to address these issues in Texas," a campaign statement said.
On health care, some 1.4 million of the nearly 11 million children nationwide without health insurance are Texans, according to state health officials.
The City of Lawrence & The University of Kansas
ur History
Kansas University: How did the institution come into being? The reasons behind the decision to locate the State University here in 1863 will be reviewed. Through Francis H. Snow's letters back home in 1866-7, the earliest days of KU will be brought alive as seen by one of KU's first professors.
From 1866-1889, Kansas State University, as it was known in the nineteenth century, struggled to become a college to say nothing of university because of scarce state funding and ill prepared young men and women. The $100,000 voted by Lawrence residents in February of 1870 along with other formative developments in Kansas higher education will be justified.
Tuesday, April 18th
KU High School? College?
Tuesday, April 25th
KU at the turn of the last century. Life atop Mt. Oread with a thousand students and thirty faculty members will be reviewed. It was at this time that critical steps were taken to make KU an actual university. Lewis Lindsay Dyche's fame as KU's leading public figure will be discussed.
Presenter: Steve Jansen
Tuesday, May 2nd
KH at the turn of the last century.
Where:
Time:
6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Watkins Community Museum 1047 Massachusetts
Open to the public To register please call 864.4798
FREE LIGHT SUPPER WILL BE PROVIDED
Hollywood Theaters
SOUTHWIND 12 3443 IOWA
Sponsored by The University of Kansas Hall Center for the Humanities
1 Road To El Dorado (1:20) 4-10) 8-50, 9-40
2 Brooklyn Brooklyn (1:20) 6-50, 9-40
3 American Beauty (1:25) 4-20) 7-30, 8-50
4 Mirail to Mars (1:25) 4-20) 7-30, 8-50
5 Return to the City (1:25) 4-20) 7-30, 8-50
6 Ration of Engagement (1:25) 4-10) 7-15, 9-50
7 High Fidelity (1:10) 4-55) 7-15, 9-50
8 Ration of Engagement (1:10) 4-55) 7-15, 9-50
9 Erin Brockwell (1:40) 4-55) 7-15, 9-50
10 Road to El Dorado (1:40) 4-55) 7-15, 9-50
11 The Road to El Dorado (1:40) 4-55) 7-15, 9-50
12 Ready To Rumble (1:35) 4-10) 7-30, 9-55
BARGAIN MATINEES INDICATED BY ( )
STADIUM SEATING • ALL DIGITAL
PLAZA 6, LLC - Managing the Facility for the
2339 DWA
111-8000
Sat & Sun Dairy
1 Whatever It Takes™ (1.50) 4:30 7:10 9:40
2 Cider House Rules™ (1.45) 4:35 7:00 9:30
3 Doreen Don't Cry™ (2.00) 4:35 7:10 9:40
4 Final Destination™ (1.55) 4:45 7:05 9:35
5 Romeo Must Die™ (2.00) 4:25 7:05 9:50
6 Black And White™ (1.50) 4:35) 7:15 9:45
- NP VIP + PASSES + SUPERSAVERS
SH WWW.SUPERTODAY ONLY
Become a MASSAGE THERAPIST! Now enrolling Summer class.
Lunaria Bodywork Institute
841-1697, www.lunaria.net
--while supplies last
All Shows Oniy2 Purchase Tickets at the SUA Box Office Level 4, KS Union
The Etc. Shop
928 Mass. • 843-0611
Brighton sunglasses
9th & Iowa
May 4,5 & 6 Clinton Lake State Park Lawrence, Kan.
Free open vending • Pets on leashes • Camping Fireworks Fri. & Sat. night • No corporatesponsor Minimum show 2 1/2 hours • Get tickets at Ticketmaster or Phil Zone • Block tickets available Get a FREE t-shirt w/ticket purchase at Phil while supplies last)
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Call 832-1968
Stay tuned to the Kansan or check out www.omegamusicfestival.com for more inform
2-5 p.m.
April 19, 2000
Wescoe Beach
Limited to 12 groups!
Sign Up Today!
SUA Office, Level 4, Kansas Union.
Refundable Entry Fee of $10
(which will be returned when you show up at the event!)
Win Beach Prize Packs and more!