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The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is paid through the student activity fee. Additional copies of the Kansan are 50 cents. Subscriptions can be purchased at the Kansan business office, 2015A1 Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnside Avenue Lawrence, KS, 66045.
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The University Daily Kansan (ISSN 0745-4967) is published daily during the school year except Friday, Saturday, Sunday, fall break, spring break and exams and weekly during the summer session excluding holidays. Annual subscriptions by mail are $250 plus tax. Send address changes to The University Daily Kansan, 2051A Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue.
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The Weekly Weather Forecast
MONDAY
HI: 26
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2015
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TUESDAY
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Partly cloudy with a 0 percent chance of rain. Wind Nat 8 mph.
Sunny with a 0 percent chance of rain. Wind W at 15 mph.
THURSDAY
HI:27
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Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain. Wind E at 13 mph
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Elden Tefft, sculptor and University professor, passed away last week at age 95. Tefft's most notable work was the Jayhawk sculpture in front of Strong Hall.
CHRIS BRONSON/KANSAN
Professor publishes book on racial issues
SKYLAR ROLSTAD
@SkyRolNews
American studies Professor Clarence Lang is releasing a new book, titled "Black America in the Shadow of the Sixties," which highlights the differences between the 1960s Civil Rights Movement and contemporary racial issues in the United States.
"I'm offering an appeal for us to push ourselves to think about political frameworks that are more suited to where we are today," Lang said.
Lang's new work will be released Feb. 28. It is his second book.
LANG
His first book, "Grassroots at the Gateway: Class Politics and Black Freedom Struggle in St. Louis 1936-75," included many primary documents and opinions from others, but his new book reads more like an essay, Lang said. Lang's new book took about two years to complete.
"What I'm arguing is that because [the 1960s were] such a significant period in our relatively recent past, because it's been mythologized in media and in scholarship," Lang said, "we tend to read the present or interact with the present against the backdrop of that period."
Lang's argument is that contemporary issues on race are often compared to the 1960s, based on an inaccurate account of the 1960s Civil
Rights Movement. The wellknown nonviolent protests were not the only methods of activism happening at the time.
"If we look at the '60s as a model for how black protest should work, that gives us a very narrow conception of what that is, because nonviolent direct action was not the only strategy during the 60s," Lang said. "In the broader span of African-American history, nonviolent direct action has not been the dominant strategy."
Another misconception Lang pointed out was that black clergy — figures like Martin Luther King Jr. — did not play the central role in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement as media and scholarship often portray. Lang said that many other factors, including the legal system and even armed self-defense, played parts in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement.
Contemporary issues Lang's book focus on are the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012 and the political unrest over the past year in Ferguson, Mo., surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown.
As for how these issues relate to the University, Lang said he believes universities around the country must continually strive to achieve diversity among those who study or work within the institution.
"We have to continue to push ourselves and others to make sure that the University as an institution is something that is accessible to the many and not to the few." Lang said. "That means that we have to be mindful of making sure that the University is a place where, for example, people of color are present as students, staff, faculty and administration."
"In other words, part of our
task is to make the University work like the society it claims to represent."
The University's Black Student Union President Josh Robinson said he did not feel that the University has done a good job of representing that society.
"The University struggles with allowing minority students to have a voice. KU is a very accepting university, but a lot of African-American students have not felt welcomed here," Robinson said. "I think where the racial issues come in is that students of color, not just black students, are not feeling included or welcomed.
The University has to make strides to help make students of color feel accepted here."
Robinson said he viewed America as a diverse country, but he did not believe that the University mirrored that.
Edited by Mitch Raznick
Associate vice provost responds to KUJBS tweet
ALLISON CRIST
@AllisonCristUDK
Frank DeSalvo, associate vice provost of student affairs, has responded to the negativity toward the Jayhawk Buddy System program after a controversial tweet that left students upset on Sunday, Feb. 8.
DeSalvo would not release the name of the person who made the tweet, nor describe how he or she was dealt with, because it is a personnel matter. He provided no comment as to whether that person still has access to the account. But he did mention there has been a marked reduction in tweets that have gone out since the controversial tweet.
"We've looked into the matter and addressed the situation in regards to the tweets that were issued," DeSalvo said. "We all say things we wish we hadn't or that we want back. The first tweet, regardless of the intention, we want that
DeSalvo added he was much more disappointed in the second and third tweets that followed because he found them disrespectful to those who were offended or upset.
back."
"We generally are respectful, and this is one of those times where we could've and should've done better," DeSalvo said.
"In the future, we will continue to narrow our focus on the positive behaviors of students," DeSalvo added. "We will be supportive of all students and focus on the positive behaviors, like staying together, checking on each other and agreeing to stay together, as the norm for jayhawks."
Completely separate from the current incident is a tweet that was sent out by the KUJS Twitter account on New Year's Eve and recently
This isn't the first time the Buddy System account has deleted a controversial tweet.
"Hoping you might get lucky tonight? Nobody gets luck in a hospital ER or city jail. Ok maybe in jail, if that's your idea of a good time," @KUJBS tweeted, only to delete it shortly after.
After being asked about the additional tweet from New Years Eve, DeSalvo said, "This is another one of those where we probably could've said the message in a better way. When we realized that, we took it down."
submitted to the Kansan.
DeSalvo wanted to reiterate his regret about the situation.
"We've worked very hard
785.832.8228
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to create a very positive image for the Buddy System, and folks have received it well. We just want our followers to know that we will continue to increase our awareness and sensitivity to these kinds of issues and continue to support them in ways that will allow them to be successful," DeSalvo said.
Freshman Kaycee De Graaf from Marseilles, the ill., who responded to the original
tweet, was glad to see that the matter was brought to the attention of someone at the administrative level.
"It's nice that they can see how it was wrong," De Graaf said. "I hope something like this shows that, [because] they are an account directly correlated with the University, [the tweets] are a representation of KU."
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