Wednesday, April 5, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 3
Williams stresses value of reading
Coach uses picture book, not play book
Roy Williams, men's basketball coach, reads to children to help raise awareness of illiteracy. Yesterday's activity was part of Into the Streets Week, a program trying to promote community awareness of social issues ranging from homelessness to environmental issues. Photo by Aaron Lindberg/KANSAN
By Jessie Meyer
writer kanson.com
Kanson staff writer
About 60 pairs of eyes looked up in absolute amazement as Roy Williams entered the room, a children's book in hand.
And so story time began.
the members of the camper-style-seated crowd were focused and weren't going to miss a word of Archie, Follow Me. But of even greater importance were the pictures, and before the story written by Lynne Cherry could begin, the audience insisted the drawings be shown.
To promote literacy-awareness and help children understand the benefits of reading, Williams and Reggie Robinson, counselor to the chancellor, volunteered to read to the attentive crowd from the Hillop Child Development Center in the Kansas Union yesterday. Other students and employees read at sites throughout the community.
"I think that the earlier they get interested in reading, the easier it will be for someone else to teach them later in life," said Williams, who also said he used to read bedtime stories to his children every night. "Reading is extremely important because it just opens up a world of opportunities."
The children sat attentive and enthralled in the stories. And when the Kansas men's basketball coach
turned the last page of the book, he explained the importance of reading. When he finished, the little hands immediately flew into the air to tell Williams that they, too, could read — even if it was only one picture book
Robinson, who chose to read Goodnight Opus by Berkeley Breathed because it was one of his favorites, said reading was important because it allowed children to
express their imaginations.
"It's one of those things you can't start early enough," Robinson said. "It is the magical key that unlocks so many different doors, and it's such an important way to learn and engage your imagination."
The literacy-awareness day was part of Into the Streets Week, which is a weeklong event promoting community involvement and awareness
of societal issues ranging from homelessness and hunger to environmental concerns and illiteracy, said Michelle Black, co-coordinator of Into the Streets Week and Lawrence senior."
Anneliese Stoever, co-coordinator of Into the Streets Week and Overland Park sophomore, said she didn't think people realized the prevalence of illiteracy in America.
More than 20 percent of adults read at or below the fifth grade level, according to the National Institute for Literacy. The 43 percent of people in the lowest category of literary skills live in poverty.
"It is a problem in our society, and it really shouldn't be," Stoever said. "There is no reason why in America there are so many people who can't read."
Multicultural Week celebrates diversity
By Ryan Bloeth
writer@kanson.com
Kansan staff writer
Multicultural Week at the University of Kansas begins today with foreign film night and ends Friday night with a party at Jack Flanigan's.
Cynthia Malakasis, Leukada,
Greece, sophomore, and a
member of the University of
Daily Kansan editorial board,
said that the International
Students Association had
sponsored the week for nearly
40 years at the University. She
said the purpose of the week
was to educate University
students about other cultures.
Malakasis, who is one of the organizers of the week, said the week also worked to increase diversity at the University.
Ali Taghavi, president of the International Students Association and Tehran, Iran, junior, said the week provided students from lesser known parts of the world an opportunity to show off their cultures
Tomorrow, a fashion show will display traditional cos-
tunes from around the world
At the World Expo on Friday, student ethnic groups will discuss facts about their cultures. Later that night, the Festival of Nations Culture Show will showcase traditional singing and dancing by ethnic students.
Most events are free, except the party at Jack Flanigan's 804 W. 24th St., where there is a cover charge of $6 for 18 to 20-year-olds and $2 for anyone older than 21.
EVENTS
Today
Foreign Film Night, ISA will be showing Time of Gypsies and Children of Heaven: 8 p.m., 330 Strong Hall
Thursdav
Monday International Fashion Show:
Noon, Kansas Union Plaza
Friday
Multicultural Week Party: 10:30 p.m., Flanigan's, 804 W. 24th St.
World Expo: 11:30 a.m.
Kansas Union main lobby
■ Festival of Nations Culture Show:
7:30 p.m., Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas Union
Metered locations, garages to cost $1 per hour next fall
By Doug Pacey
writer @ kansason.com
Kanson staff writer
Students will have to pay $1 an hour to park in some spots on campus next year.
The change will affect all metered spots, the parking garage near the Burge Union and the garage near the Kansas Union that has not opened yet.
The Parking Board did not want to increase the hourly rate but was forced to because it needed the money to pay off bonds used to build the new parking garage, said Morris Faiman, board chairman and professor of pharmacology and toxicology.
"I don't agree with the dollar an hour raise," he said. "The rate increase reflects the monies needed to pay for the bonds."
The garage near the Burge Union costs 50 cents an hour to park. Fees for meters across campus vary.
Faiman said he was not the only one concerned about parking situations.
"Two things upset faculty and staff at this University—KU basketball and parking," he said. "I think people would give up their spouse before they give up their parking."
expressed concern. Graham said that the majority of the events the department of continuing education brought to the University were at the Kansas Union and that if rates increased, the department would have trouble attracting groups to the University.
David Mucci, Kansas Union director, and Sharon Graham, associate dean of continuing education, expressed concern about the new rates.
margin," she said. "I strongly believe that a number of events will go off campus or to another university if they have to pay $1 an hour to park in the new garage."
Graham said the University used to be the location for Kansas Bankers Association's annual conference, but when parking became permit-based, the event left campus for the Holiday Inn & Holidome, 200 McDonald Dr.
"The University lost not just potential parking fee income, but business to the Union, business to continuing education and, perhaps more important, goodwill among current and potential clients," she said.
win among current and potential students. Mucci echoed Graham's sentiments, and in a letter, he asked the parking department to institute a special system for conferences.
"Many academic conferences operate on a very thin group of students."
system for commuter In other action, the board unanimously voted to return six parking spots near Blake Hall to the residents of Miller and Watkins Scholarship halls.
depts of winter after winter. The board decided to return the spots because the scholarship hall residents had been watching the spots and said most of them usually were open.
Students will have to pay $1 an hour to park in some spots next year. The change will affect metered spots, the parking garage near the Burge Union and the garage near the Kansas Union that has not opened yet.
Jason Williams/KANSAN
New survey will measure discrimination at University
By Ryan Devlin
writer@kanson.com
Kansas staff writer
The Equity Study Survey, which will measure the extent of sexual and ethnic discrimination at the University of Kansas, will hit the mailboxes of faculty and unclassified staff this week.
Susan Twombly, professor of education and chair of the Equity Study committee, said the committee had hoped to find specifically where discrimination occurred at the University.
"We hope to identify, if they exist, areas where ethnic or sexual discrimination exists within the University community," Twombly said. "Once those areas have been pinpointed, we will make recommendations to the provost concerning action that could be taken to improve the situation."
She said the committee tried to be as encompassing as possible when developing the survey. She said the committee would be distributing separate surveys that were specific to faculty and unclassified staff.
"Most universities that have studied the problem haven't studied the degree to which it affects unclassified staff, so we don't really know what issues might be unique to them," Twombly said.
Twombly said.
The survey is divided into four different areas — university practices, immediate work environment, individual considerations and resources and working conditions. Twombly said the study covered issues such as promotion and tenure, merit-based salary increases, the distribution of rewards and access of benefits. With each question, the respondent is asked whether they think inequity exists both for themselves and for others in their work environments.
their work environment.
Sandra Gautt, assistant provost, said the provost's office commissioned the survey shortly after the Board of Regents commissioned a similar survey that studied equity issues concerning faculty salaries. That study, which was completed in December, concluded that although systematic salary discrimination did not occur at any of the Regents Universities, isolated incidents could occur.
"The Provost was interested in broadening our knowledge of equity to include issues other than salary," Gautt said.
Deb Teeter, director of the Office of Institutional Research and Planning, which compiles information on campus studies, said that to her knowledge, a broad-ranged study of equity had never been done before.
Twombly said the committee hoped to have the results from the study by April. She said the committee would analyze the data by sex, race and primary affiliation. She said the committee would conduct focus groups in the fall with members of faculty and staff to gain feedback before making recommendations to the provost.
Twombly said she didn't have any predictions in terms of results,but she said she thought that on the whole,the University was an equitable environment.
"I think KU does a better job than most places when it comes to equity, but we can always get better." Twombly said.