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Volume 128 Issue 92
Wednesdav.March 11,2015
Kansan.com
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
The student voice since 1904
LAUREN MUTH/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Members of the Lawrence and Topeka communities came to support the NOH8 campaign yesterday at the Planting Peace Equality House in Topeka. The NOH8 event lasted from 4-8 p.m., with volunteers coming as early as 2:45 p.m. to help set up the event. Interested members of the community had the chance to buy similar t-shirts and face stickers, as well as get their photos taken.
Photographer brings global NOH8 campaign to Topeka Equality House
KELLY CORDINGLEY
@kellycordingley
A rainbow-colored home sits across from the self-proclaimed opponents of the LGBT community Westboro Baptist Church. The bright colors speak loudly in an attempt by those who live there to drown out the messages posted across the street.
NOH8, a California-born charitable organization, hosted an open photo shoot inside the Planting Peace's Equality House in Topeka on Tuesday. Equality House promotes a message of love and acceptance, while Westboro Baptist Church posts a sign that reads "F*gs Doom Nations." These messages are what the NOH8 campaign aims to combat.
Adam Bouska, co-founder and celebrity photographer for the NOH8 campaign, said his organization aims to overpower anti-LGBT messages of all sorts across the world. The organization has traveled to 47 states and 15 countries.
"Whether it's Westboro Baptist Church across the street or what, there's things like this that still exist today, and we have to make the most of our voices in a positive way," Bouska said. "That's what's so great about Planting Peace and the Equality House. We've turned a negative into a positive thing. This is a great place to truly bring people together."
The campaign began in 2008 in response to the passage of Proposition 8 banning samex marriage in California. The photographic silent protest depicts groups and individuals with duct tape over their mouths and "NOH8" temporary tattoos symbolizing how their voices have been silenced.
"It's become a social equality thing online the way social media has changed and how people have rallied together online," he said. "It's shown it doesn't take an army to make a statement. It's empowering and inspiring, but it wouldn't be what it was if it weren't for everyday people in our
campaign."
T. Craven, a University Medical Center Master's Degree student from Springfield, Ill., said she wanted to come to the Equality House for years because of the powerful message she felt from it.
"For me, this is part of the whole process of figuring out who I am," Craven said. "I think being more public about it is really so cool."
The organization allows people to share what issues are important to them, something Bouska said makes the campaign alluring to a wide range of individuals.
"People are coming forth to share their stories, and we found a way to bring people together in response to something so negative in a positive way," he said.
Francisco Camargo, a 2007 Washburn University graduate and NOH8 volunteer, said that when he lived in Los Angeles, he had to explain that the Westboro Baptist Church is not representative of all Kansans. His involvement in NOH8
began near the creation of the organization, and he's been on board ever since.
"Topeka is known as the city the Westboro Baptist Church lives in, and I'm like 'Yeah, but not everyone in Kansas is bigoted," Camargo said. "Coming back from a very liberal city is a little bit of a shell shock, but at the same time, it's relieving to see the city has progressed and there's a lot more support for the LGBT community."
Craven said the opportunity to contrast something so hateful and vile is important, especially for the photo shoot.
"I think this is about acceptance and love, not about labels, it goes beyond labels," Craven said. "It's really cool how this house is here and so welcoming and warm, and it really challenges what [Westboro Baptist Church] stands for."
To read more about the NOH8 photo shoot, visit Kansan.com.
Edited by Vicky Diaz Camacho
Jameelah Jones, first director of diversity and inclusion, discusses role
Graduate student Jameelah Jones, from Conyers, Ga., was appointed Student Senate's first director of diversity and inclusion in January. Jones sat down with the Kansan to discuss her role with Student Senate.
JAZMINE POLK
@JazTheJournaly
JAZMINE POLK/KANSAN
Jameelah Jones, a graduate student from Conyers, Ga., was appointed Student Senate's first Director of Diversity and Inclusion in January. The position was created after an open forum held last semester in the midst of the Ferguson events. At that forum, minority students voiced their concerns about not being heard or supported by the University. Jones' job is to help make the University more welcoming to minority students and represent concerns of underrepresented groups to University administrators.
KANSAN: Now that you've had a month to get your feet wet, what is your main goal as Director of Diversity and Inclusion?
JAMEELAH JONES: I have a two-part goal system. One is implementing cultural competency training for incoming senators so they can do their jobs while
being culturally competent and being aware of groups that they don't identify with. I also want to implement specific things that underrepresented groups are looking to accomplish. For instance, gender neutral bathrooms are something that students who don't identify with
KANSAN: When looking at minorities on campus, retention has been an ongoing problem at the University. What do you think the institution should do
a specific gender binary have been asking for, and I can help with that.
to help retain more minorities?
JONES: Research shows that retention is not just academic; it's also related to the communities that are formed for students. If
PUZZLES 6
SPORTS 8
OPINION 4
A&F 5
SEE JONES PAGE 3
CLASSIFIEDS 7
DAILY DEBATE 7
Don't Forget
Suspects waive extradition, will return for court appearance
The KU Bookstore's Grad Fair starts today at 10 a.m.
Rachael Hampton and Robert Long, the two triple-shooting suspects arrested last week in Las Vegas, have waived extradition and agreed to return to the Douglas County jurisdiction, according to the Clark County District Attorney's Office in Las Vegas.
by LEE HUGH.
Douglas County authorities are responsible for coordinating with law enforcement in Las Vegas to transport the two back for an appearance in Douglas County District Court within 30 days. The first court date is not yet set.
The two suspects were arrested March 6 by local Las Vegas law enforcement with the help of the U.S. Marshal's Service and Lawrence Police.
The two Lawrence residents will be charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary in relation to the early February shooting that sent three individuals to the hospital, one
by Life Flight.
Kelly Cordingley
The third suspect in the triple-shooting, Caleb Chrismən, is still being held in the Douglas County Jail after being arrested in Missouri on Feb. 24.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/KANSAN
Emmett Till, an African-American teenager murdered in 1955, is the subject of a University professor's new app. The app will tell the story of Till, who was kidnapped and killed after allegedly whistling at a white woman
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2015 The University Daily Kansan
@SkvRoINews
SKYLAR ROLSTAD
@SkyRolNews
The app, titled "Whose Emmett Till," will begin development this summer and focus on the 1955 murder of the African-American teenager.
Prof. develops app with story of Till murder
With a grant from the 2014 Scholars on Site award. University communications professor Dave Tell is working to create an app that tells the story of the murder of Emmett Till.
According to a KU press release, the possessive Whose "stresses that the memory of Emmett Till has never been a neutral historical fact." Till was kidnapped and killed after allegedly whistling at a white woman in a Mississippi convenience store. The app aims to tell the true story of the murder amid false reports from the contemporary media.
SEE TILL PAGE 2
Rock Chalk Revue execs respond to concerns, criticism
The Rock Chalk Revue executive team issued a statement Tuesday apologizing for an "offensive" character in one of the shows held over the weekend.
MACKENZIE CLARK
@mclark59
Paco, the character in question, was part of "These Boots were Made for Dancing," the production by members of Delta Delta Delta sorority and Pi
Kappa Phi fraternity.
"[He was portrayed as] lazy and underachieving, basically, [and] not really
Marilynn Chavez president of the University's Hispanic American Leadership Organization and senior from Manhattan, said Paco was a "stereotypical Hispanic man" wearing a rainbow-striped poncho and speaking in a fake accent.
Today's Weather
SEE REVUE PAGE 3
Sunny with a 0 percent chance of rain. Wind at ESE at 8 mph.
HI: 74
L0: 42
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