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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
THURSDAY
JANUARY 24, 2002
ISSUE 78 VOLUME 112
Activist craft circle to help knit ideas
By Leah Shaffer Kansan staff writer
Karen Keith wanted to start a club that would be a place for many of the activist groups at the University of Kansas to meet and share ideas.
But the Tulsa, Okla., junior, felt overloaded with the other club meetings she already had to attend.
Instead, Keith looked to one of her hobbies — knitting — for the answer. With the help of friends, Keith formed the Activist Craft Circle this month.
"A couple of people kind of joked about it last year," said Keith, who is a member of
groups such as Amnesty International and Students for a Free Tibet. "We'd talked about just getting lots of fun people together."
Keith said she and activist friends decided there needed to be a place where members of activist organizations at KU could catch up. The craft circle would be a place where people could share ideas, relax and catch up on their craft projects.
The Activist Craft Circle had its first meeting Tuesday, and Keith said that members of KU Greens, Amnesty International, KU Environs, Delta Force and Young Democrats attended.
She said that the repetitive motions of knitting relieved stress, which was an
added bonus to the discussions.
Andrea Dyche, Shawnee junior, said it was relaxing to learn how to knit.
"They're teaching me how to knit, then we'll try some other projects," said Dyche, who is also a KU Greens member. "But for know we're starting slow."
Dyche said that some other future projects might include making jewelry and T-shirts.
Keith said that the Activist Craft Circle meets at 6:00 p.m. the first and third Tuesday of every month at the fourth-floor lobby in the Kansas Union.
Alumna celebrates King legacy
Contact Shaffer at shaffer@kansan.com.
This story was edited by Justin Guenley.
SARA SHEPERD/KANSAN
Julie Robinson, U.S. District Judge for Kansas, listens to a question from one of about 45 audience members after giving a talk yesterday at ECM. The event was sponsored by ECM, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and United Methodist Campus Ministry in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.
By Caroline Boyer Kansan staff writer
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s strong faith has had a "phenomenal impact" on Julie Robinson's life.
Robinson, U.S. District Court Judge for Kansas and KU alumna, spoke of her admiration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. yesterday at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries Noon Day Forum.
"I think he did a very remarkable job of modeling for us, in a very modern era, what it looks like to be a Christian and to live out those ideals," Robinson said.
Robinson kicked off the "Remembering Yesterday, Responding Today" activities in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ECM, 1204 Oread Ave., Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, and the United Methodist Campus Ministry organized the events.
"Everything that is happening really tries to connect us with that history of Martin Luther
King, but also looks toward the future," said Rev. Thad Holcombe, campus pastor for ECM.
Robinson was appointed to the judgeship Dec. 14, 2001, becoming the first African American given a presidentially-appointed judgeship in Kansas. Though this means a great deal to her, she would
rather not be the first.
"It would feel a whole lot better if there were so many people of color that were appointed in the past that it wasn't even a big deal anymore." Robinson said.
Jabari Wamble, vice president of Alpha Phi Alpha and Edmond, Okla., senior, also
spoke at the meeting and requested donations to the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in Washington D.C. King was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha and the fraternity is raising money nationwide for the memorial.
"Throughout the next couple of years there's going to be major fund-raising events for that." Wamble said.
Other MLK events this week:
A civil rights documentary "Eyes on the Prize" will be shown at 7 p.m. at Alderson Auditorium in the Kansas Union.
A candlelight vigil will begin at Wescoe Beach at 3 p.m. tomorrow and proceed to the Union.
Contact Boyer at cboyer@kansan.com. This story was edited by Laurie Harrison.
KU couples get married over break
From traditional to Vegas, students, staff take time off to tie the knot during break
By Summer Lewis Kansan staff writer
Marriage can be planned and filled with tradition or it can be a spur of the moment thought for some KU students and a lecturer, who each married their significant other during winter break.
Melissa Buren, Desoto junior, drove to Emporia to visit her boyfriend for two weeks during winter break.
"One night we were sitting there deciding what to do and he said we should go to Las Vegas and get married," Buren said. "I said sure, so we jumped in the station wagon and two days later we arrived in Vegas."
he wounded by a bullet.
"He said that he had everything figured out and since it was our wedding then we needed to stay someplace nice," Buren said.
"He disappeared for two hours that night. It turned out he had gone and gambled with all of our money, but luckily he won $2,300."
She said they only had $700 of Christmas money to spend and disagreed when he wanted to stay at MGM Grand hotel.
She said the next morning they went to find a place to do the "wedding thing."
Everything in the wedding chapel was pink and tacky, and it had Sammy Davis Jr. and Elvis Presley impersonators, she said.
"I don't know where they found a Sammy Davis Jr, with a real glass eye but it was great," Buren said. "Sammy walked me down the aisle and Elvis married us."
She said they were able to stay one more night because of their big winnings, then drove back to Emporia the next day.
Bunten married Norman Friedman, a Kansas City architect, on Jan. 5 at the St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Kansas City, Mo. Her parents were married at the same church in 1960 and are still together 42 years later.
"We just hung out in Emporia the rest of the time," Buren said. "We haven't gotten it annulled yet but probably will. Most of all it was a big gag and it turned out to be free because we won back what we spent and then some."
Mary Bunten, lecturer in the English Department, flew into Kansas City International Airport from her honeymoon in Rome, Italy, the night before classes started this semester.
Bunten and Friedman met one another 12 years ago when they were in a wedding. After the wedding they went to lunch, but lost touch after that—he lived in Austin, Texas, and she attended graduate school at the University of Houston.
"It's just a coincidence that we both ended up in Kansas City," Bunten said. "A mutual friend who worked at Norman's architecture firm realized that we knew each other, and that's how we hooked up. And the rest, as they say..."
She said that she hadn't changed her name yet because he had to change his also.
"I told him I would change my last name to Friedman if he would change his middle name, Kenneth, to Bunten." Bunten said. "Tradition isn't enough for me."
Changing names is such a legal hassle especially if you are a professional, she said.
Kristin Valentine, Lawrence junior, and Jacob Willard, 21, a former KU student, met in Oliver Hall during their freshman year. They got married Jan. 5. 2002 at Danforth Chapel on campus.
Valentine said people told them that they should wait, but her parents were married while her mother was still in high school and had been happily married for 35 years.
"It was special for us to be married at the Danforth Chapel because we had met on campus," Valentine said. "My mom made me a traditional pearl bracelet made of pearls from her wedding dress."
She said that they wanted to get married during break because they didn't want to wait any longer.
Contact Lewis at slewis@kansan.com. This story was edited by Jeremy Clarkson.
ABROAD DURING ATTACKS
JON NESTERUK/KANSAN
Senior Ben Armour copes with changes in America after studying abroad in Australia.
Students return, find patriotic homeland
By Mike Gilligan Kansan staff writer
Molly Casey noticed things had changed in the United States when she visited her grandmother in Texas during winter break.
"My Grandma had a huge American flag hanging in her window," Casey said."She never had it hanging there before."
Casey, Sioux Falls, S.D. junior spent last semester studying in Florence, Italy, and Paris as part of the Humanities and Western Civilization Program.
According to the Office of Study Abroad, 213 University of Kansas students were overseas last semester
Casey, who left a week before the attacks, said she came home and found the United States different than when she left.
"There were huge billboards that had American flags and one with the words 'United We Stand,'" she said. "Everyone seemed so patriotic."
Ben Armour, Merriam senior, who studied abroad in Newcastle, Australia, last fall, said he thought people were more patriotic.
"There are American flags everywhere, and people seem to be taking more pride in being American," he said.
Maureen Perry, St. Paul, Minn., senior, who also studied abroad in Newcastle, Australia, said she noticed differences as well.
"Air travel has been a lot more time consuming than before the attacks," Perry said. "Everyone has to stand a lot longer in line dealing with security."
Perry also said friends of hers had become more patriotic.
Armour also said people were watching more CNN and other news channels.
"My parents only used to watch the news at 10 p.m.," Armour said. "Now it seems like they watch it all the time."
"A friend of mine had downloaded songs like 'Proud to be an American' and 'God Bless America.'" Perry said.
Amy Donnelly, Leawood junior, said she was surprised at the amount of coverage the war was getting in the United States.
INSIDETODAY
"Iwas studying in Edinburgh, Scotland, and we didn't really get much coverage over there," Donnelly said. "Here it seems like every channel is covering it."
COMING IN TOMORROW'S KANSAN
STATE NEWS ...2A
HOROSCOPES ...2B
WEATHER ...4B
CROSSWORD ...4B
Contact Gilligan at mgilligan@kansan.com. This story was edited by Justin Gunley.
NEWS: A STATE BUDGET SHORTFALL MAY AFFECT ROBINSON HOURS.
RELIGION: LEARN WHAT MEMBERS OF THE BAHAI RELIGION BELIEVE.
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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