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Volume 126 Issue 92
kansan.com
Wednesday, March 12. 2014
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FRANK WEIRICH/KANSAN
The KU Men of Merit held a reception on March 10 for the 2014 honorees. Recipient Bret Koch, left, celebrates with Tyler Rockers, student alumni president, and Scott Guerrero, assistant director of Financial Aid & Scholarships.
CAMPUS
Men of Merit help define masculinity on campus
CODY KUIPER news@kansan.com
For Michael Detmer, a coordinator for the LGBTQ Resource Center and a graduate student in music therapy, being recognized as one of the University's 15 Men of Merit on Monday was about more than just another addition to his resume.
The sixth-annual honor went out to 15 students, staff and faculty members, like Detmer, who positively define masculinity in their work for the University and community. The group was honored at a reception at the Kansas Union on Monday.
"I think a lot of stereotypes are made off of sexual orientation." Detmer said. "We often make assumptions on gender expression or sexual orientation based off one or the other, so I think being honored as a Man of Merit helps break down those assumptions and barriers and helps with really getting to know people regardless of just their sexual identity or gender expression."
The Men of Merit project is organized by the Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity with the support of the Commission on the Status of Women, who together help sponsor a poster featuring the recipients.
In addition to honoring stand out individuals, the award also seeks to bring attention to issues with men in higher education, like declining enrollment and rising rates of underperformance in school. The American Council on Education says that men only make up 43 percent of the bachelor's degree earners in the country, and the College Student Survey from 2009 also found that only 39 percent of male college students study for at least 11 hours a week while 48 percent of their female counterparts do so.
According to a 2013 study from the journal "Gender & Society," the reason that men underachieve in school compared to women is because they have less involvement in extracurricular activities that are often linked to academic success, like music, art and drama, which can often be labeled as un-masculine.
FRANK WEIRICH/KANSAN
Bryne Gonzales, an honoree who works as a Hawk Link Guide, an organization that assists new students and students of color with their transition to the University, said that his fellow Men of Merit tend to involve themselves in multiple groups and activities around campus and the city. According to him, the award is more about recognition for those groups they are representing, rather than the individuals accepting him.
SEE MEN PAGE 2
"I think this award is aimed to recognize men who challenge the status quo and work with groups trying to do good in the community, so I think by lifting us up and showing the good deeds we do, it helps reaffirm the people we work with and the work they do." Gonzales said. "For me, working with underrepresented populations, obviously it says good things about me, but it
Civil engineering professor Steven Rolfe, center, attends the 2014 Men of Merit reception on March 10.
THE FULL LIST OF HONOREES OF THE AWARD INCLUDE
Schuyler Bailey — captain, KU Public Safety
Perry Alexander professor, electrical & computer engineering and director, Information and Telecommunication Technology Center
Preston Barr — senior in business management and leadership, New Haven, Ind.
Mitchell Cota — junior in marketing and international business. Overland Parl
Will Dale — senior in English, Topeka
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Bryne Gonzales — senior in speech language hearing, Topeka
Michael Detmer — graduate student in music therapy, Breese, III.
Drew Harger — junior in accounting and finance, McPherson
Robert Klein — professor, anatomy and cell biology and vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of graduate students at KU Medical Center
Bret Koch — junior in community health, Tonganoxie
David Mucci director, KU Memorial Unions
Eddie Munoz - office manager, engineering administration
Jorge Perez associate professor, Spanish, and graduate studies chair
Dustin Struble assistant director, Student Involvement and Leadership Center
Phil Wagner graduate student in communication studies, Lynchburg, Va.
FOOD
Students with food allergies face campus dining challenges
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BRENT BURFORD/KANSAN
Students with allergies find it difficult to cope with sensitivities to foods and oils like peanuts and canola oil.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BRENT BURFORD/KANSAN
Before eating anything, Rovaris takes her medication and checks the ingredients list. Before going out to eat at an unfamiliar restaurant, she calls ahead to ask what type of oil the kitchen uses.
YU KYUNG LEE news@kansan.com
For freshman Rachel Rovaris, eating isn't simply about quieting the empty roar of the stomach.
"It if I eat anything with canola oil, I break out in really big welts," Rovaris said. "It started out as hives but now they are becoming huge welts and my eyes will swell and my feet will swell, so a lot of welts and swelling. Over the years, my doctor is scared it can turn
Allergic reactions often come suddenly and with varying severity. Strother said individual students should know how to control their food allergies by watching their diet and knowing what to do in case of an allergic reaction.
"Most people, by the time they come to college, know if they are allergic and know how to deal with that," Strother said.
Index CLASSIFIEDS 9 CRYPTOQUIPS 5 S 10
CROSSWORD 5 OPINION 4 SUBOKU 5
All contents, unless stated otherwise. © 2014 The University Daily Kansan
One of the most common food allergies is a peanut allergy. Common responses can be hives, nausea and difficulty
She is allergic to canola oil.
Rovaris, a freshman from Raleigh, N.C., is one of the few people on campus who have food allergies. Among the students on residential dining plans, only about 40 students reported food allergies or special dietary needs, said Mary Rondon, a dietitian from KU Dining Services.
Students with food allergies typically have a severe reaction because the allergen is consumed.
"It's a systemic effect," Dr. Myra Strother, a physician at Watkins, said. "If you and I breathe in pollen, you are more likely to be bothered in your mucous membranes and eyes and you're going to be sneezing or developing a cough. But you swallow food, it's going to go throughout your bloodstream and that can give you a very exaggerated response."
into an anaphylaxis, so I have to be really careful about everything."
Don't Forget
Midterms aren't over yet.
SEE ALLERGY PAGE 2
Today's Weather
Sunshine and clouds mixed. Winds NW at 20 to 30 mph.
H1: 48
L0: 31
What happened, spring?
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