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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 Sunnyside Lawrence, KS, 66045.
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Student denied entry to Obama's speech
ALLISON CRIST
@AllisonCristUDK
Junior Freddy Gipp from Lawrence was fortunate enough to be nominated by two different groups to stand on the risers for President Obama's speech two weeks ago, but he didn't even end up attending the event.
First, the Office of Multicultural Affairs nominated Gipp to attend Obama's speech, followed by a nomination from the William Allen White School of Journalism. The Sunday before Obama's speech, Gipp was notified that he had been selected among 11 other students to represent OMA.
FRANK WEIRICH/KANSAN
Three days later, just one day before the speech, OMA Director Blaine Harding called Gipp and told him that after the mandatory background check, his name came up as a red flag, despite his perfectly clean record.
Gipp said Harding was notified by the Office of Public Affairs.
Freddy Gipp, a junior from Lawrence, was nominated to join President Barack Obama on stage during his Jan. 22 speech. However, Gipp was told he was denied entrance to the event because he didn't pass a background check.
"All I was told is that something came up as a red flag," Harding said. "I would assume the University doesn't know what determined it either, because Secret Service made the call, and they don't have to give up the reason."
Gipp was perplexed, especially since it was referred to as a national security issue.
"It was so quick, and there was nothing," Gipp said. "No word or indication of why 1
wasn't chosen — I never even saw anything in writing."
"He was shocked, too," Gipp said. "He tried his best to find out what happened, but [he] and Blaine were on the same boat, [because] the Secret Service wouldn't release any information."
Gipp said he went to talk to Dan McCarthy, academic adviser in the School of Journalism.
Gipp only grew more confused; he had never been in trouble with the law and had passed background checks before. Additionally, both of his parents work for the government.
Gipp is also involved here on campus. Just this past December, he received the Man of Merit award. He's a member of Alpha Tau Omega, and has served as both vice president and president of the First Nations Student Association, where he eventually set up a panel to obtain education equality for Native Americans.
"This was a once-in-a lifetime opportunity," Gipp said. "To sit behind the standing president and listen to him speak is something you can tell your future kids, friends, and family about; then, all of a sudden, [it was] taken away."
"My main question is, what if I want to work for the government some day?" Gipp said.
Although Gipp still wants to know the reason behind why he was denied attending the speech, there is an even bigger problem that remains. Harding said he believes he should let the speech incident go and focus on the bigger issue: his future.
"Freddy has done so many
things with the Native community." Harding said. "If he wants a federal job, is this going to stop him? There's only so much digging
he can do when it comes to the Secret Service, $ ^{77} $ Harding said.
Edited by Mitch Raznick
Bob Dotson to receive notable journalism award
Bob Dotson, a university alumnus and NBC correspondent will receive the William Allen White Foundation National Citation on April 23. Dotson is most known for his series "The American Story with Bob Dotson."
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
LANE COFAS
@OttoVeatch
Dotson added the award is particularly special to him because his grandfather, Paul Bailey, lived in Hiawatha and was the first on either side of his family to earn a college degree and graduate from KU Law in 1910.
University alumnus and NBC News correspondent Bob Dotson will receive the William Allen White Foundation National Citation on April 23 at the University.
The William Allen White Foundation award is a medal meant for journalists who represent "outstanding journalistic service," according to the School of Journalism's website. The inscription on the back of the award reads, "An American journalist who exemplifies William Allen White ideals in service to his profession and his community."
Dotson graduated from the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications in 1968 and received a
"I've won a few awards in my life, but never anything like this." Dotson said.
master's degree in film from Syracuse. He is best known for his ongoing series "The American Story with Bob Dotson," which focuses on ordinary Americans and each of their unique stories.
After graduating, Dotson spent two years working in Oklahoma City at WKYTV, currently known as KFOR, where he began "The American Story." He then started working for NBC News, where he has been for 40 years. Dotson realized that instead of mindlessly going out and getting a story to bring back, it needed to be solely about the individual being interviewed.
He said journalists are in the business of storytelling, and the story is always about the subject.
A humble Philadelphia police officer, Bill Sample, is an example one of these stories.
"I found that it was more interesting not to just [cover] politics and hot issues, but interesting people who look like us and talk like us," Dotson said.
Sample made a habit of going to a local children's hospital and would ask chronically ill, physically
challenged and abused children to tell him of a dream they've always had. He would then make those dreams come true. Dotson said Sample started out dressing up as Batman and having snowball fights. Eventually, he was able to take children to Disney World.
"I looked for the universal traits that unified all of us," Dotson said. "Their stories were fascinating; immediately, everyone watching realized they were exactly like us."
Dotson kickstarted his career in journalism by producing a documentary entitled "Through the Looking Glass, Darkly," a film about black history during a time when it was not discussed, or even acknowledged, by media.
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Dotson is also a New York Times bestselling author with his book, "American Story: A Lifetime Search for Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things," which is similar to his "American Story" series.
Through that, he discovered that audience could closely relate to the stories of other average Americans.
@UNIVERSITYDAILYKANSAN
Edited by Mitch Raznick
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