Section A·Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Monday, April 19, 1999
Dressed up in drag
Her stage name is Shauntay, but off stage the Lawrence resident is called Chad Morrell. Morrell was part of the Queers and Allies 'sixth annual Brown Bag Lunch in which members dressed up as drag queens and performed for a large audience. The event was held at the Kansas Union plaza Friday afternoon.
Photo by Ruben Noguera/KANSAN
YOU denies pro-greek bias
By Nadia Mustafa
nmustafa@kanson.com
Kanson staff writer
Students tell stories of coercion, pressure
Although many members of the greek community said that they voted for the YOU coalition during Student Senate elections last week, pressure to support the "greek" coalition seemed to be more apparent among sorority members than their counterparts in fraternities.
Korb Maxwell and Dede Seibel, student body president and vice president-elects, said YOU was not focused on the greek community. They consistently denied it was a "greek" coalition and pointed to many of its members who were representatives of various campus organizations.
The YOU coalition is not officially greek, but many sorority and fraternity members identified YOU as the "their" coalition—allegedly evidenced by the many Greek houses that sported YOU campaign banners, many of the coalition's supporters who were fraternity or sorority residents and the small number of Greek residents who ran with Delta Force.
Whether justified or not, many senators said the coining of coalitions as "greek" or "anti-greek" was a tradition that spans many years within Senate and the student body at the University of Kansas. Many students who are unaware of campaign issues use the stereotypes as their gauges on election day, and even many students who are knowledgeable about Senate and the issues feel pressured to vote for a certain coalition.
This year, there was some controversy about Delta Force's allegedly "anti-greek" stance. Members of Delta Force denied this claim just as Maxwell and Seibel denied charges that YOU was the traditional "greek" coalition. Campaign season revealed that it was not a one-way street — allegations flew both ways, and often it was found to not be the fault of coalition members, but of other student supporters.
Nonetheless, incidents within the greek community revealed some sorority residents' disapproval that some of their sorority sisters were Delta Force supporters.
Meg Peterson, Lenexa freshman and Kappa Delta member, is a Corbin Hall resident. She said that during a visit to the hall, Kappa Kappa Gamma residents forced her and her floor mates to remove Delta Force signs from their windows and urged them to support YOU.
"All the girls were really, really upset and didn't know what to do," Peterson said.
No one from Kappa Kappa Gamma could be reached for comment.
In addition, Peterson said she received a letter from YOU about Kappa Delta members who were candidates.
"They were trying to persuade me just because there were girls in the house that were running and a big sign that said 'YOU' in front of the house," Peterson said. "It's that kind of pressure."
Katie Regan, Shawnee freshman and Chi Omega member, said it was assumed that members of the greek community would vote for YOU. She said she felt uncomfortable when a sorority member and YOU coalition member confronted her about the Delta Force material on her floor at Corbin.
"I was a little bit torn because on my floor we had an RA on Delta Force and four or five girls running for YOU," Regan said. "I was torn about who to listen to or who to choose."
Katie Harpstrite, Andover freshman and Alpha Gamma Delta member, lost her bid as Delta Force candidate for Nunemaker senator. She said there was a lot of pressure to vote for YOU within the Greek community through letters, posters and verbal disapproval.
"In Corbin, they freak out if you don't vote for YOU," Harpstrite said. "It's a big anti-greek-greek war out there, and they don't really get into the issues. If you're around all those people who tell you to vote for YOU, you do."
She said members of the greek community were surprised that she was friends with Delta Force members. One of the effects of the pressure to vote "greek" during elections, she said, was that Delta Force did not win any Nunemaker seats.
"They didn't win because they all campaigned harder," Harpstrite said. "Nunemaker was a straight ticket because of the greek influence. It was pretty evident to everyone in the Greek system that YOU was the coalition of choice."
rony Bichelmeyer, DeSoto junior and Delta Tau Delt member, said he did not feel pressured to vote for the "greek" coalition. He said he based his decision on what he learned about the coalitions' campaign issues on campus.
But, he said he had accepted a ride to campus in a van from individuals who might have been YOU supporters in turn for promising to vote.
International students celebrate cultures at World Expo
"Guys don't really talk about it as much as girls do." Brichelme said.
-Edited by Juan H. Heath
By Dan Curry
By Dan Curry dcurry@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Each spring, regions of the world claim a table's worth of space on the front lawn of Stauffer-Flint Hall.
It's not an invasion, though.
International students tending tables will share food, incense, books and other pieces of their culture with the KU community.
This year the World Expo will happen from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday.
It's meant to raise awareness on campus about just how culturally diverse KU really is," said Vladimir Sinkov, president of the International Students Association, which is sponsoring the event.
The World Expo has been coupled with the Annual Festival of Nations, which is at 7:30 p.m.
Friday at Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas Union. The festival will include songs from Russia, dances from India and
Brazil and much more, Sinkov said.
Diana Victor, social chair of the Brazil-Portugal Organization, said her group had been practicing a typical Brazilian dance from the countryside.
"It's just one more opportunity to show a little bit of our culture to KU and the other international communities, Victor said. This year, the Expo and the Festival have been expanded into a whole week of events,
beginning with a treasure hunt and pizza party that begin at 6 p.m. today in front of the Kansas Union.
Tomorrow will be foreign film night, with a showing of "El Flor de Mi Secreto," by Pedro Almodovar, at 7 p.m. at Woodruff Auditorium in the Union. "Cafe au Lait" by Mathieu Kassovitz will be shown at 9 p.m.
On Wednesday there will be an international fashion show, beginning at noon in front of the Union.
Thursday will have an internationally inspired pot-luck dinner at 7 p.m. at the
Ecumenical Christian Ministries building, 1204 Oread Ave.
After the Festival of Nations on Friday, ISS will host an international dance party at the Holiday Inn Holidome, 200 MacDonald Dr.
Cusine from France, Italy, India, South America, Jamaica and Scandinavia also will be served on different days of the week at the Union Square on the fourth floor of the Kansas Union.
— Edited by Amber Stuever
speakers:
Other Activities:
Food and Art Vendors
Headline: Adam Werbach-Act Now, Apologise Later
President of Sierra Club at 23 years old Informational Table
Jorge Soberon-International Interest in Biodiversity
Cynthia Annett-Rive Conservation Around the World
Bruce Plenk-Environmental Racism and the South Lawrence
Traffieway
Charles Benjamin Family Env. Education Activities
Dan Thalmann-New Ideas in Kansas Environmentalism
Bev Worster-SLT: A Double Negative
Wildecare ADMISSION FREE
for more info call
Earth Day Bike Ride 785•864•7325
Sunday April 85 at Broken Arrow Park
Ride (not race) begins 10 a.m.-Registration 9 a.m.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ASSOCIATION PRESENTS
INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS WEEK
Monday, April 19th
Treasure Hunt and Pizza Party Test your knowledge of the world while searching for hidden treasure. 6:00pm in front of the Kansas Union Pizza Party to follow at the EMC 1204 Oread
Tuesday, April 20th
Foreign Film Night Alderson Auditorium, Kansas Union 7:00pm "El Flor de Mi Secreto" by famous Spanish director Pedro Almododvar. In Spanish with English subtitles. 9:00pm "Cafe au Lait" by Mathieu Kassovitz director of "Hate." In French with English subtitles. Films shown in conjunction with Spanish 328 and French 376.
Wednesday, April 21st International Fashion Show Come see the colors and sounds of the world explode through music and dance. 12:00pm to 1:00pm The plaza in front of Kansas Union
Thursday, April 22nd
International Pot-luck Bring a dish to share and join us for a culinary tour of the world. 7:00pm at ECM,1204 Oread
World Expo Experience the magic of the regions of the world. 9:00 to 3:00pm on Stauffer-Flint lawn
Friday, April 23rd
World Expo
47 $ ^{\mathrm{th}} $ Festival of Nations
Experience a festive and colorful display of cultures through song, music and dance. 7:30pm Woodruff Auditorium, Kansas Union
International Dance Party
Get your groove on to music from around
the world.
10:30pm to 2:00am
Holiday Inn Holidome
DISCOVER THE RAINBOW OF CULTURE
.