TODAY'S WEATHER: Warm and windy with a high of 85. SPORTS: Baseball team wins one, loses two.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
TALK TO US: Contact Leita Walker, Jay Krall or Kyle Ramsey at (785) 864-4810 or editor@kansan.com
KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
MONDAY
APRIL 15,2002
ISSUE 130 VOLUME 112
Off-campus seats for greeks in the hands of Senate
By Sarah Hill Kansan staff writer
A referendum that passed on last week's Student Senate elections ballot will not immediately give residents of greek housing off-campus representation.
Referendum B. a student-generated petition that asked students if residents of greek housing should be included in the off-campus constituency, was passed in last week's election. The referendum passed by a 2,372-1,475 vote, but now opponents of the bill question whether it is binding.
Justin Mills, student body president, said that because the initiative did not go through Senate, the referendum is not binding until Senate passes a bill to change the University Code, the rules by which the University governance operates. Student Senate is a branch of University governance.
"The referendum has to go through Student Senate regardless of how it gets on the ballot," he said.
Molly Mulloy, administrative assistant for University governance, said that Student Senate had modified sections of the code in the past by passing a bill that asks University governance to change sections of the code that only pertain to Student Senate. Senate does not have the ability to change sections of the code that govern all parts of University governance.
The referendum has been mired in technicalities from its beginning.
Andy Knopp, engineering senator and Manhattan sophomore, authored the referendum, which was originally a bill that failed in Senate in February.
After the bill failed, Knopp collected more than 1,000 signatures of students who wanted the referendum on the ballot but did not ask students for their addresses and phone numbers, which is required information for the petition.
Knopp appeared before the elections commission March 27 to discuss if the initiative could appear on the ballot after he added the necessary information to the petition. Elections Commissioner David Mitchell raised concerns about Knopp not following the procedures in rules and regulations.
Mitchell was worried that the petition did not include a line in the referendum that would ask University governance to change the university code. Mitchell also pointed out that Knopp had not taken a copy of the petition to the Student Senate office before it went to the Dean of Students' office, which helps coordinate the elections commission.
The elections commission voted to allow the referendum on the ballot regardless of Student Senate's involvement.
Mitchell said that the elections commission was only worried with the logistics of placing the referendum on the ballot.
"Any conflicts with Senate or whether or not it's binding is up to the author and to Senate." he said.
Knopp said that Mulloy had emailed him about the feasibility of changing the rules and regulations, and that he did not think there would be a problem with changing the university code.
Contact Hill at shill@kansan.com. This story was edited by Brandon Stinnett.
Listserv off-limits to students
By Rachel Keesee Kansan staff writer
Student Senate and other concerned students want to rally for higher education Thursday in front of the state capitol in Topeka.
To get the message out, Kyle Browning, student body vice president, wanted to use Student-L, a University of Kansas list of all registered student email accounts, to encourage students to protest tuition increases while the Board of Regents met.
But University policy says the list is "to be used sparingly for messages from
the Chancellor's Office or the Provost's Office about issue of broad interest to the campus, for transmittal of information regarding University policy, and for 'emergency' messages dealing with power outages, street closings or other public safety matters."
Browning said because the University used the list to send e-mails about the NCAA basketball tournament, then the rally should qualify as well.
"Because Student Senate is the sponsor and because it's about more funds from the state for KU, it clearly makes it University business — and important University business," Browning said.
"If they're serious about getting funding, they should support the rally," he said.
Lynn Bretz, director of University Relations, said students would not want to receive messages constantly from the University through the list-serv.
She said safety was almost always a concern when the list was used, including during the NCAA tournament when students received messages from men's basketball coach Roy Williams and senior guard Jeff Boschee.
SEE LISTSERV ON PAGE 5A
"Because Student Senate is the sponsor and because it's about more funds from the state for KU, it clearly makes it University business — and important University business."
Kyle Browning student body vice president
From left, Michelle Wood, St. Joseph, Mo., freshman, Tina Warinner, Overland Park senior and Caitlin Giddings, Prairie Village senior, enter the crowd with their interpretation of N'Sync's "Bye, Bye, Bye." The three were part of the five-member group "KY" that performed in "Brown Bag Drag" Friday afternoon at the Kansas Union.
JOHN NOWAK/KANSAN
Drag show draws crowd to celebrate Pride Week
By Leah Shaffer Kansan staff writer
With a rainbow flag hoisted, dance music blaring, and dildos waving exuberantly in the air, the plaza in front of the Kansas Union turned into a drag show extravaganza Friday.
The eight annual Brown Bag Drag Show attracted more than 450 students, who gathered to watch the stylings of host Miss Flo and
a cavalcade of drag queens from the Kansas City area. The event was part of Queers and Allies' Pride Week.
Before Miss Flo came to the stage, a comic performer wearing goggles and a Cat-in-the-Hat-type hat got the crowd cheering. He danced around waving a dildo in the air as drag queen Kahlua performed to "Love Shack" by the B-52s.
Let's offend as many
people as possible," said Miss Flo.
The crowd grew as passers-by were drawn into the wild show. Even construction workers on the roof of the Union paused to watch.
Courtney Page Kaytis,
South Windham, Conn..
senior, had not been to a drag
show before and was surprised
by the large turnout.
SEE DRAG SHOW ON PAGE 5A
INSIDETODAY
COMING IN TOMORROW'S KANSAN
CAMERA ON KU ...2A
HOROSCOPES ...2B
WEATHER ...6B
CROSSWORD ...6B
CREATIONISTS: A student group argues against evolution.
PROTEST: KU Environs is up in arms about Citibank's corporate practices
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 25 cents. Subscriptions can be purchased at 119 Stauffer-Flint Hall.
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