Volume 124 Issue 144
kansan.com
Friday, April 27, 2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LOVE:
Kansas graduate does reality TV show, "Sweet Home Alabama."
CAMPUS & TOWN You walk past Liberty Hall on Mass Street all the time, but how much do you really know about it?
ENTERTAINMENT:
No money, no problem: the limited life of an independent flim maker.
PLAY:
Do you believe in magic?
Metaphysics and the paranormal.
PLAY:
Do this...boudoir photos: the art of a tasteful naked photo.
PERSONAL ESSAY:
One Jayplay writer's journey through coping with a loss while studying abroad.
Cover photy by Travis Young Hal Schultz and Lisa Barcus
Monarch
...
portunity servation, species,"
the unsea- is bring- is earlier owers are
hs' liveli r will all
s that we is going illination, ice back,"
Westeman
FILM
Documentary prompts race discussion in schools
XIN LI/KANSAN
Patrick Monroe, a senior from New Berlin, Wis., looks through a lens to focus a shot for his documentary. The documentary features the "Can We Talk" program at Free State High School, which focuses on racial issues in public schools.
"Since we started, we were focusing on funding and didn't have
XIN LI
editor@kansan.com
Yimer said the program was meant to facilitate understanding of different races and reduce the academic performance gap between white students and students of minority groups. She said she was surprised by how unrecognized the program
Sylvia Yimer, a graduate student in the School of Social Welfare, went to visit the program "Can We Talk" at Free State High School. "Can We Talk" is a localized part of a national program. Yimer said her visit was driven by her interest in race equality in public schools.
A group of University students is producing a documentary called, "Courageous Conversations about Race," a program encouraging high school students to face racial issues.
Last September, Yimer brought the documentary idea to a University student club, the Documentary Film Society. The student club was just established by then. The president of the club, Patrick Monroe, a senior studying film, was excited to hear about the idea.
Monroe said it was great to know that Sylvia was as dedicated as he was to filming and directing.
"Film can be used to make change and be the outlet for voices that are marginalized to be heard," Yimer said. "These kids wouldn't get an opportunity to get their stories heard without someone giving that to them necessarily."
was. Yiner decided to make a documentary to raise awareness of the program.
SPORTS 8
SUDOKU 4
The program is inspired by the book "Courageous Conversations about Race — a Field Guide for Achieving Equity in Schools," by Glenn Singleton and Curtis Linton. In February, Yimer and Monroe flew to San Francisco to interview and film Singleton.
Yimer said Singleton was person- able. The author set aside more than four hours of his day to meet exclusively with Monroe and Yimer.
Index
"It was easy to tell how passionate he was about his work and how eager he was to help us," Yimer said. "The interview with Glenn is by far the most important interview for the film."
CLASSIFIEDS 7
CROSSWORD 4
anything solid to work on," Monroe said. "Then Sylvia called me with this golden idea."
During spring break the team conducted an interview with a Free
CRYPTOQUIPS 4
OPINION 5
Monroe said a lot of work needs to be done to make the documentary successful and he hoped they could eventually send the documentary to film festivals. He hasn't yet announced a release date.
Monroe said the project would expand through the school year and develop into a 70-minute feature.
"As a filmmaker, I hope this will be a calling card not just for me, for the club, but for KU," Monroe said. "We want to show people what KU students are capable of."
All contents, unless stated otherwise; © 2012 The University Daily Kansan
Edited by Anna Allen
Don't forget
Today is the Brown Bag Drag Show sponsored by SUA, Queers & Allies and Kicker. This is the last Tunes @ Noon of the year.
Today's Weather
Showers and thunderstorms are likely, otherwise mostly cloudy.
X
(4)
HI: 67
LO: 54
Don't get struck by lightning