Wednesday, March 1, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 3
Alton Scales, director of multicultural affairs, participates in a roundtable discussion regarding leadership in the African-American community. Members of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity sponsored the discussion as a way to celebrate the conclusion of Black History Month. Photo by Craig Bennet/KANSAN
Group focuses on leadership issues
By Ryan Blethen
By Ryan Blethen
writer@kansean.com
Kansan staff writer
A group of students gathered at the Jayhawk Room in the Kansas Union last night to discuss African-American leadership, affirmative action and where leadership in the African-American community will come from in the new millennium.
"Leaders of the New Millennium," a discussion sponsored by Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, was the last event of Black History Month.
Conway Ekpo, Lawrence senior and a Kappa Alpha Psi member, led the discussion.
The first topic he tackled was affirmative action. Ekpo asked the group why affirmative action had come under fire in states like California, Washington and Florida.
Many things have caused affirmative action to be questioned, said Dion Jones, St. Croix, Virgin Islands, senior.
"I think it has to do with several things," Jones said. "Number one, if you admit to affirmative action, you are admitting you did something wrong."
Jones said many companies promoted just a few minorities but put those few in the spotlight to show that they had complied to affirmative action laws.
Ekpo then asked the group if African Americans had achieved equality as a people in American
societv.
Ekpo pointed out to the group that the number of African Americans at the University of Kansas had decreased during the years.
Jones said part of the problem with the decline in enrollment was the inferior schooling African Americans received when they were young. Another problem, he said, was the lack of role models other than sports figures for young African Americans.
The discussion then drifted into why more African Americans on campus did not show up for events or participate in the community.
One problem Tiffany Williams, Kansas City, Kan., junior, said she had noticed was a tendency for people to complain but never do anything about what was bothering them.
The African-American community has a tendency to come together when things are bad, but it doesn't pay attention to issues when times are good, she said.
Lorraine Tolbert, Lawrence graduate student, said junior and senior African Americans at the University needed to take leadership positions and show the younger students the way.
At the end of the discussion, Ekpo told the group they were leaders for showing up.
"Each one, teach one," Tolbert said.
"You are all leaders of this new millennium in one way or another," he said.
Pulitzer winner to speak about crisis of masculinity
By BriAnne Hess
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
The football fan, the deadbeat dad, the laid-off stockyard worker.
For six years, author Susan Faladi examined men in American society to analyze the problems they faced. The result culminated in the 608-page book, Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Male.
Faludi will speak about "The Crisis of Masculinity" at 8 p.m. tonight at 120 Budig Hall. A book signing will precede the lecture at 7:15 p.m. in the atrium.
"I knew this was the perfect opportunity for SUA to bring in someone different because we typically have male speakers," said Nicole Skalla, Student Union Activities forums coordinator and Salina senior.
Skalla said the book release was also an opportunity to have a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist come to the University of Kansas. She said she had read almost half of the book and had enjoyed it so far.
Skalla said she enjoyed Faludi's work because Faludi approached the issue of the male crisis from a journalistic standpoint and was able to admit that some of the assumptions that she had made at the beginning of her research were invalid.
However, Partha Mazumdar, Pittsburgh, Pa., graduate student, said the perception that Stiffed was a book about men's reaction to the feminist movement was not accurate.
"It's about how the post-war consumer culture has sold man this promise that it cannot deliver," Mazumdar said. "Women are almost irrelevant to the story. It's not about how
"...I'm thrilled that such an acute observer had turned her eye to the male perspective as well."
Lisa Bitel Director of women's studies
men are beating their wives because of feminism."
Mazumdar also said the book was extremely well done but it lacked academic research.
"She asks someone to get the answers instead of doing her own research," Mazumdar said.
He also said that some blame for the breakdown in society should also fall at the feet of the American mom.
"She places too much blame on the American father, and
that drives me crazy." Mazumdar said.
Faludi also authored the best-selling book, Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women, in 1992.
Lisa Bitel, director of women's studies, said she had read Backlash and thought the book was an excellent critique of society in the 1980s.
"She was writing the novel at a time when people were asking 'Why is feminism still necessary?' and her response was 'Of course it is,'" Bitel said. "I'm thrilled that such an acute observer has turned her eye to the male perspective as well."
A question and answer session will follow Faludi's lecture which is open to the public. Tickets are $3 for students and $5 for the public. The event is co-sponsored by the SUA, the School of Journalism and Panhellenic Association.
City approves new downtown hotel
Commission denies plan in which city would receive a portion of the tax revenue
By John Audlehelm
writer @kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
The Marriott hotel in the Riverfront Plaza downtown is a go — but the question of meeting space is still up in the air.
Developers came before the City Commission two weeks ago with a proposal to put a SpringHill Suites hotel in the north side of the plaza.
They asked the city for reduced lease payments on the grounds, which the city owns, 138 parking spaces and — to compensate for putting in meeting space instead of a more profitable restaurant — a portion of the guest tax the hotel would generate.
Even after developers watered down the proposal, the commission last night approved the first two requests 4-1 and denied the latter 2-3.
The hotel is set to open in late 2000.
A proposal by Bill Newsome, owner of Southwind Capital Limited Liability Corporation, one of the members of Riverfront LLC, which owns the Riverfront Plaza, limited the reduced ground lease payments to the time it would take to build the hotel.
The commission voted to waive the payments for nine months, absorbing a loss of $14.400.
On the issue of parking spaces, commissioner David Dunfield said that he didn't see why the city should reserve spaces for Marriott and that if there were too many parking spots in the area, Marriott should buy them.
But Newsome said it was Marriott's policy to have spots reserved before building a hotel.
"The deal will not be approved by Marriott if they can't count on spaces being there," he said.
The commission voted to grant the developers' request and lease the spots for $96 per year. The city will negotiate with developers the exact locations of the spots.
However, the commission wasn't willing to grant the developers' request to keep part of the guest taxes that the hotel would generate.
Commissioner Mike Rundle said he was worried that granting the request would set a bad precedent. Commissioner Jim Henry said he was worried that giving guest tax dollars to hotels would chip away at the funding for the Convention and Visitors Bureau, 734 Vermont St.
Dunfield said Newsome was not under any obligation to build meeting space in the hotel, and Newsome said putting in something besides meeting space would make the hotel much more competitive.
In other action, the City Commission:
Authorized city officials to work with the proposed bike patrol for the mountain bike trail at Riverfront Park.
Commissioner Jim Henry said that the patrol was an excellent idea and that he appreciated the initiative.
Received the Traffic Safety Commission's recommendation not to put bike lanes on Sixth and 11th streets.
- Received the commission's recommendation that bike lanes are not practical on Ninth Street without removing parking spaces on both sides. The commission discussed removing parking on the south side of the street only.
■ Received a request from owners of the Eldridge Hotel, 701 Massachusetts St., to lease parking spaces near the hotel. The commissioners said the owners of the hotel should continue working with city staff members to reach an agreement.
Women in 1900:
Embracing the Future
March 2, 2000
With:
Dr. Angel Kwolek-Folland
Associate Professor of History
With:
Dr. Angel Kwolek-Folland
Associate Professor of History
and
Dr. Kathryn Nemeth Tuttle
Director, Freshman/Sophomore Advising
Lunch: 12 Noon, Kansas Room, Kansas Union
Kansas Union Cost: $13.00
Reservations: 842-6131
Program: 12:45 p.m. (public invited)
Hear about women in the Progressive period and
about KU Deans of Women and faculty
OWL SOCIETY Junior Class Honor Society Applications are due March 10 Available in the O & L Office in Nunemaker
--graduate in December, May, or August of 2002
Need cumulative GPA of 3.5
- Classified as a junior in 2000-2001 school term or
---
Questions? Call Laura at 832-6112