Section A · Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Monday, April 3, 2000
Journalists jaunt to Italy for studies
By Amanda Hay Special to the Kansan
The School of Journalism will go global this fall.
The school will offer classes at a campus 25 miles north of Venice, Italy, as part of an international studies program organized by the School of Business.
The University of Kansas coordinates and 30 member universities of the Consortium of Universities for International Business Studies. These students travel to Italy to take classes at Consortium International University (CIU). All classes are taught in English, but Italian language courses are offered. Tim Shaftel, professor of business, said the program allowed students to stay on track for graduation.
Since its inception in 1991, the consortium has offered business classes for graduate students. The program became open to undergraduates in the summer of 1988, but this semester is the first full semester that undergraduates could participate.
"We knew it was an opportunity we wanted to make available to the rest of campus." Shaftel said.
Shaftel said the School of Business invited the School of Journalism to participate.
Linda Davis, associate dean of journalism, will be the first of four journalism professors to teach in Italy. Chuck Marsh, associate professor of journalism, will teach there next Spring.
The program will offer advertising and business communications classes during the first year, because business students have an interest in those classes, Davis said. She said the school wanted to build a base of interested students and then branch out to include the news and information side of journalism.
Davis said she welcomed the chance to teach abroad. She said one of her goals was to integrate the Italian system of mass communications into her class sessions. The most important lesson students will receive is learning how things are
done in another country, she said.
"It's the best possible place to talk about the globalization of mass communications." Davis said.
"I want them to observe the professional world close up," she said.
Davis said students would read Italian newspapers to familiarize themselves with Italy's professional world in order to get internships there.
Students also will get a taste of Italian culture on the weekends. Shaftel said guest speakers were scheduled to talk about etiquette and culture on Saturdays. One cultural program had sent students to a wine-tasting event.
"It's definitely a hallmark of the program," Shaftel said of the cultural experience.
Davis said she looked forward to the small-campus environment and motivated students. She said that she thought the experience would raise the level of learning and that she hoped the school could develop a miniature journalism school in Italy.
At the Italy campus, students attend classes for three four-week blocks with a one-week break in between each block. Students often travel during the break, Shaftel said.
Though the program is in its early stages, Shaftel and Davis said they were confident that interest would grow. There are 51 undergraduate business students in the program this semester, and Shaftel said 100 to 150 were going in the fall, including journalism students.
"Students will sell to each other." Shaftet said. "They come back charged up about education. A significant number want to stay and get a job."
KU club relaxes with meditation
The program costs $7,250 for the fall semester and $7,400 for the spring semester and includes room, board, tuition and fees. Davis and Shafel said the price could be significantly higher for similar programs at other universities.
"Part of our goal is to make the program accessible for public university students." Shaftel said.
By Mike Hoffman
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Relax and meditate.
This is what the KU meditation club, a secular organization that promotes the practice of meditation, does at 6 p.m. every Thursday at the Daisy Hill Room in the Burge Union.
"We do silent meditation to accommodate people of all different faiths and backgrounds," said Beng Beh, club president and Penang, Malaysia, graduate student.
Members of the KU Meditation Club practice group meditation during a club meeting. The club meets at 6 p.m. every Thursday at the Daisy Hill Room in the Burge Union. Photo by Craig Bennett/KANSAN
A typical meditation club gathering starts with the ringing of a bell three times, and is followed by 30 minutes of silent meditation. Breathing techniques are emphasized. Among the benefits of meditation are self-discipline, improved concentration, clarity and insight, relaxation and stress reduction, according to the club's Web site, www.rsl.ukans.edu/ ~pkanagar/meditation.
"For me, meditation is a time to relieve the tensions of the daily course of life," said Dilip Tammana, Hyderabad, India graduate student.
There is no one subject that people think about when they meditate. Tammara said.
"I will not think about any projects or anything else going on in my life — just on God" he said.
Tammana said meditation gave him more energy.
Although the meditation club meets as a group, individual meditation also is encouraged.
"In a group setting, though, there are people who find it easier," said Pannir Kanagaratnam, Shah-Alam, Malaysia, graduate student.
Kanagaratnam said the group's sessions provided opportunities for people with common interests to get together.
Meditation club organizers said that generally three or four people attended the weekly sessions.
Police may be increased for Black Reunion
The Associated Press
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Kent Brown had his car door open as he drove down the clogged beachside street and tried to woo women inside Saturday.
He got a $78 traffic citation instead of a young lady. It was just another example of how law enforcement officers were being tougher on visitors to Black College Reunion than other events in Daytona Beach, such as Bike Week and spring break, he said.
"I came here two weeks ago during white spring break and they didn't have roads blocked and police everywhere," said Brown, a 21-year-old University of Central Florida student from Orlando. "[Black College Reunion] comes, and they treat us like animals."
Local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) officials said they were concerned that law enforcement officers were making excessive arrests and issuing citations
for insignificant infractions during Black College Reunion, a threeday celebration that attracts more than 100,000 young Blacks to Daytona Beach.
There were 289 arrests by 8 p.m. Saturday, most for misdemeanors such as disorderly conduct and possession of small amounts of drugs, said Sgt. Al Tolley, a spokesman for the Daytona Beach Police Department.
Tolley acknowledged that officers were making more arrests for misdemeanors this year in order to remove potential problems before they developed.
"Our police are more diligent at spotting people who could be problems," Tolley said. "It's a diligent effort by officers to make sure that the other 99,000 people here have fun."
There were 330 arrests during last year's Black College Reunion. Local leaders of the NAACP said this year's attendance appeared to be larger than last year and larger compared with other special
events.
"There are too many police officers stopping cars," said Posie Elliott, an official with the Daytona Beach chapter of the NAACP "There are patrol cars everywhere."
Patrols cars were parked on every block in the center of State Road A1A, the main beachside drag during Black College Reunion. Many beachside side streets were closed to traffic.
NAACP leaders were on hand to report any signs of discrimination, and they passed out pamphlets on how to interact with police officers.
"The NAACP is in the house. Call us if you need us." Cynthia Slater, the group's first vice president, told young women in bikinis and young men in tank tops as she walked by crowded sidewalks.
In past years, businesses have closed during the event, spurring charges of racism. Most beachside businesses were open Saturday, although dozens of pizza joints, arcades and T-shirt shops were
closed Fridav night
"It's better this year — all the businesses are open," said Stephanie Madison, a 21-year-old student from Tuscaloosa, Ala. "Last year a lot of them were closed."
Last year, information gathered by local NAACP officials during the event led to two lawsuits against the Adam's Mark hotel. The hotel chain, which was accused of discriminating against black guests, recently settled the lawsuits for $8 million. The company, which has a hotel in Kansas City, Mo., denied wrongdoing.
But state officials who came to monitor Black College Reunion this year said law enforcement officers were only doing their jobs and they didn't see anything wrong.
"The interaction between the crowds and law enforcement has been friendly," said George Sheldon, deputy attorney general for Central Florida. "Law enforcement is supposed to enforce the law."