TODAY'S WEATHER: Mostly Clear and nice with a high of 68. SPORTS: Kansas Relays cut short by lightning.SEE PAGE 1B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN
TALK TO US: Contact Leita Walker, Jay Krahl or Kyle Ramsey at (785) 964-4810 or editor@kansan.com
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
MONDAY APRIL22, 2002
WWW.KANSAN.COM
ISSUE 135 VOLUME 112
'Pride of Africa' displays cultures and traditions from 15 nations
By Leah Shaffer
Kansan staff writer
With drums booming and audience members clapping, a mock traditional African wedding ceremony was held Saturday as part of "Pride of Africa" night, an event designed to educate people about African cultures.
More than 250 people attended the event at the Knights of Columbus building, 2206 E. 23rd. The African Students Association sponsored "Pride of Africa," and for the $5 ticket price, guests were treated to a dinner of traditional food from a variety of African countries, dancing, singing and the wedding ceremony.
Julius Oben, president of the African Students Association, said the purpose of "Pride of Africa" night was to expose students to African culture and dispel stereotypes. The Yaounde, Cameroon junior said that many students did not know enough about Africa and lumped all its cultures together.
During the event, audience members were exposed to dances and food of more than 15 African nations.
"We just want people to know about all African culture," Oben said. "We want to show off costumes, we want to show what good food we eat."
Food served at dinner included; mukimo wa irio, a potatoes and peas mixture; deje, a stirfry of plantains; and couscous.
Ephantus Kimori, lecturer in African Studies and Swahili at the University of Kansas, attended the event with his family. Kimori, who came to KU three years ago from Nakureu, Kenya, said events such as "Pride of Africa" were good at breaking down cultural barriers.
After dinner, students from the organization performed African dances and held a candlelight vigil.
Oben said the vigil was in remembrance of the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and all innocent people who had lost their lives in wars around the world.
The wedding ceremony, which was the evening's final event, was the one thing that Oben said many of the African cultures had in common.
Contact Shafter at lashafter@kansan.com.
This story was edited by Brandon Stinnett.
AARON SHOWALTER/KANSAN
African Students Association president Julius Oben, Yaounde, Cameroon junior, prays that a new bride and groom will have a prosperous future during a dramatization of a wedding ceremony at the ASA "Pride of Africa" dinner and cultural show Saturday.
De Klerk talks world politics
By Cassio Furtado
Kansan senior staff writer
F. W. de Klerk, the last South African president to rule under apartheid and the man who freed Nelson Mandela in 1990, told a crowd of close to 500 — according to Student Union Activities estimates — that the international community should strive to eliminate poverty, misery and repression in underdeveloped countries if it wanted to eliminate terrorism. De Klerk spoke Saturday at the Lied Center
De Klerk, who was the speaker at this year's annual Student Lecture Series, said he analyzed what happened on Sept. 11 as a "sympathetic outsider" and that for terrorism to end, tackling its roots should be a priority. He said developed countries like the United States shouldn't ignore the
realities of poorer countries, where two billion face poverty, misery and repression. Unless that was addressed, he said, not only would terrorism grow, but globalization itself would suffer the consequences.
"Globalization will stumble unless it finds a way to include these people," he said. The former president said that because we now live in a global community, "we can no longer ignore problems and grievances in other distant countries."
He remarked that 11 of the world's 30 poorest countries have recently faced conflicts, while only one of the richest 20 — Northern Ireland — has.
De Klerk said the international community should take action to reduce inequalities among countries and within countries, and advocated solid and sustainable economic growth and democratization as solutions for ending terrorism and conflicts around the world.
De Klerk was only questioned about the apartheid regime and its legacy when a KU student from Zimbabwe asked him how he could justify the killings of millions of innocent people during apartheid and if he thought he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize, which he shared with Mandela in 1993.
F. W. De Klerk
"I don't justify the killing of innocent people," de Klerk said. "It's a fallacy to say that I justified it." But he said he had apologized for the regime and worked to change it. About the Nobel Prize, he replied, "Ask that question of the committee who
decided to give it."
Tarek Al-Baghal, Leavenworth graduate student, said de Klerk was able to tie in so many aspects of international politics and relate them to terrorism, which made his lecture worthy.
"In America, we don't talk about why it really happened or how to solve it without military action," Al-Baegal said.
Before the lecture, he said the criticism he sometimes received was unfair because he didn't ask for any credit for ending apartheid. Instead, he said he initiated the transition to a multiraciad democracy out of "inner conviction." Otherwise, he said, "I could still be president today."
Contact Furtado at cfurtdo@kansan.com. This story was edited by Sarah Warren.
Parking Jam
KU oversells spaces and its students pay the price
By Leah Shaffer
Kansan staff writer
Most motorists deal with parking problems during the day, but for some student housing residents, the aggravation hits too close to home.
Alexis Archer went out looking for a spot one late Tuesday night. The Dallas freshman and her friend could not find a single place near their residence hall.
"We ended up parking four blocks away, and we walked in the rain," Archer said. "My friend sprained her ankle."
Kelli Pyle, Leawood freshman, returned from a movie and patrolled her lot for 20 minutes in search of a place to park. In desperation, she parked in an apartment lot, only to discover later that her car had been towed.
And Elizabeth Markowitz, Overland Park freshman, is just plain fed up.
"I want to tell the freshmen next year not to buy parking passes," said Markowitz, a Gertrude Sellards Pearson-Corbin Hall resident. "They're just ripping me off."
The University of Kansas is one of many colleges ill-prepared to handle the onslaught of cars that arrive with new students. Parking officials say KU's parking problems are part of a national trend of too many cars and not enough spaces. And with more teen drivers, high costs for garages and concerns that parking restrictions could hurt enrollment, the parking jam is not likely to get any better.
A small neon orange sign in the lobby of the KU Parking Department says: "Purchase of a permit does not guarantee a parking spot." Donna Hultine, assistant director of Parking Services, said she wished more people would pay attention to that warning. The parking department oversold parking permits for every lot this year. Parking officials said this policy ensured that parking lots were always filled, because people parked at different times. But Hultine said she thought the overselling in residence hall lots had grown worse.
"I just think more people bring cars, and maybe bigger cars. It seems like there are a lot of SUV's out there and that makes some spaces unusual sometimes," she said.
Dan Keller, executive director of Campus Parking Management Associates said that KU was not alone
CONTRIBUTED ILLUSTRATION
parking problems. Campus Parking Management Associates is a Kentucky firm that holds seminars to train parking managers and consults for college campuses.
"Rarely do I run across a college or university that his enough parking." he said.
Keller said more students were bringing cars to
SEE PARKING ON PAGE 5A
No Lessons triumphant in band battle
By Jessica Tims Kansan staff reporter
Five bands fought other at the Battle of the Bands Saturday at the McCollum Hall jobb.
No Lessons won first place and a $300 prize. The band's members are Jeff Goldford, St. Louis junior, lead vocals and guitar; Danny Hermmann, Wilmette, Ill. junior, keyboardist, vocals; Aaron Lerner, Mission Hills senior and University Daily Kansan staff member, harmonica, and Chris Cardwell, Lincoln sophomore, percussionist.
JOHN NOWAK/KANSAN KANSAS
Filibuster came in second in the contest and received a $200 prize. Riva won $100 for its third place finish.
The winning bands, as well as Phat Albert and Mayaedus, were chosen out of 24 bands who sent demo tapes to the McColum Hall government to perform in the annual Battle of the Bands contest.
Sean Bartholomew (left) Lawrence resident and Paul Winn, Leawood sophomore, perform with their band, Riva, in the McCollum lobby.
The residence hall's government sponsored the event, said Jason Ranard, Grand Island, Neb., freshman and McCollum Hall vice president. Despite the threat of severe weather, Ranard said 150 people turned out to see the bands go head-to-head first outside McCollum Hall, then later inside the building's lobby.
No Lessons' Cardwell said the competition was tight.
The bands were judged on originality, audience response and style by six judges. Randard said,
which made the show better for the audience.
"It was really stiff," he said. "It wasn't as good last year as it was this year."
Cardwell said after each gig the band normally uses some of the earnings to pay band expenses. He said the remaining money is then split evenly among the band members. But he said this pay day was different than most.
"It was kind of unexpected so we will probably just split
it," Cardwell said. "I am going to pay my utility bills."
Besides the competition, one of the bands battled the weather. Filibuster, the second band to take the stage, preformed for just 10 minutes before light rain began to fall. Battle organizers decided then to move the event from the lawn to inside the McCollum Hall lobby, Ranard said.
"It was amazing," he said. "In 15 minutes, everything was in. The food, the stage and the band's equipment. It was set up in about 10 minutes and they continued to play."
Stacy Reding, Alma junior said she went to the Battle of the Bands because she knew many of the performers and organizers.
"It was a great show," she said. "They put a lot of work in to it. It is a fun and causal event and you get to see great bands."
Battle of the Bands judges included Jonathan Ng, student body president elect; Jim Carroll, Mrs. E's employee; Brad Clover KU public safety officer; John Booth, former All Scholarship Hall Council president; Seth Fishman, complex director for the Jayhawker Towers and Stouffer Place apartments, and Meghan Bainum, Kansan sex columnist.
Contact Tims at tjms@kansan.com. This story was edited by Eve Lambern and Sarah Warren.