CAMPUS / AREA
University Daily Kansan / Monday, February 17, 1992
3
Rock Chalk Revue 1992 approaches curtain time
By Katherine Manweiler
Kansan staff writer
Kansan staff writer
People dressed in egg costumes, evening gowns and circus outfits gathered at Lawrence High School yesterday.
It was not a costume party. The Rock Chalk Revue dress rehearsal was in full swing.
More than 300 students are preparing for the debut of Rock Chalk Revive 1992 on Friday night. There will be six performances of the show Feb. 21-23 and Feb. 27-29.
Rock Chalk Revue is a KU student-run variety show, which raises money for the United Way of Douglas County.
This year, Rock Chalk has had to make some adjustments.
In previous years, the show had been performed at Hoch Auditorium. When fire gutted Hoch last summer, part of the Rock Chalk tradition was destroyed as well.
With three more performances than last year, Rock Chalk Revue 1992 is building the foundation for a new tradition. For the first time, Rock Chalk will be performed during two weekends instead of one and will be staged at Lawrence High School.
Andy Martin, executive producer, said it was necessary to split the performance run into two weekends.
"It's a matter of supply and demand," he said. "With limited seating available at Lawrence High, we needed to make it convenient for the most people to come to the show."
Todd Miller, executive director, said that he expected the others to sell out also.
He said the sellouts would benefit the revue's casts.
"Playing six nights to a sold-out house will be a real energy-high." Miller said.
"I think the show will be a lot more intimate due to the fact that it's a smaller theater. In Hoch, if you were in the balcony, you couldn't see the audience from your ear well because the acoustics were distorted."
Shannan Fisher, director of the Delta Delta Delta/Sigma Phi Epsilon show, said splitting the performance run into two weeks had drawbacks.
"People might get burned out a little bit,"
said, "but we have to raise the money.
This炎热."
Scott Iverson. business manager. said Rock
Chalk would not make as much money from ticket sales this year as in previous years.
He said Hoch Auditorium had 9,300 seats available for the three performances. The Lawrence High School auditorium has 1,000 seats, 6,000 seats available for the six performances.
"We had to scramble and think of new ways to raise revenue because of the loss of seats," Iverson said. "Ticket sales used to be our main source of revenue."
Rock Chalk sent "Friends of Rock Chalk" brochures to 3,800 KU alumni in November who had been involved in the revue. The brochures asked the alumni for donations.
Also for the first time, Rock Chalk has corporate sponsorship to help raise revenue.
Last year, Rock Chalk raised $32,000 for the United Way of Douglas County.
Rick Zikes, production manager, said the move to Lawrence High had given Rock Chalk Revue more independence.
"I think it's been a positive thing in one respect," he said. "This year, we have minimal University involvement. It's completely student-run."
In the middle of an all-day rehearsal for Rock Chalk Revue, Rebecca Proffitt (center)
Lawrence sophomore, and friends perform their act, which is a pun on the Madonna song
"Vogue" and is titled "Phone." They rehearsed vesterday for the revue, which begins Friday.
Counties hurt by indecision
By Greg Farmer
Kansan staff writer
Indecision by statelawmakers has left Kansas counties scrambling to prepare for the April 7 Kansas presidential preference primary, said Patty Jaimes. Douglas County clerk.
"When the Legislature couldn't make a decision, it threw us off," she said. "If we had known we were going to have a primary, we would have planned right along. We were sort of hung up."
"When the Legislature couldn't make a decision, it threw us off," she said. "If we had known we were going to have a primary, we would have been planning right along. We were sort of hung up."
The Legislature decided last year to conduct a primary but did not appropriate funds to pay for
Gov. Joan Finney recommended $1.5 million for the primary in her fiscal 1993 budget proposal, but the appropriation was sidetracked in the Senate by attempts to cancel the primary.
Those attempts apparently failed Thursday when the Senate voted to concur with a House of Representatives decision to require that the primary be conducted for $1.5 million.
No money has been allocated to pay for the primary, but anti-primary lawmakers, led by State Sen. Lana Olean, R-Manhattan, are conceding that the April 7 election will take place.
Jaimes said the five weeks the Legislature should debate the question of whether they should have briefed their election preparations
Jaimens said absentee ballots for overseas militiamen personnel has to be mailed 45 days before the election.
"We have requests from military members who are overseas and want absentee ballots," she said. "We need to have those ballots in the mail by Friday in order to meet the deadline."
She said she also was concerned about paying election costs.
"When we were preparing our fiscal-year 1992 budget request, there wasn't a great deal of interest in having a presidential primary." Jaimsaestud. "We justdidn'tbudgettoavfor it."
She said she would be less concerned about paying for the election if she were guaranteed a share of the votes.
She also said she would use the money Douglas County allocated for the November election to pay for the primary.
"Then we'll just have to wait and see if the state decides to appropriate money for the primary election," Jaimes said. "If not, we'll look to the general fund for some help."
Julie Denesha/KANSAN
Sweet 16
Clyde Lovellie accepts the jersey that was retired in his honor Saturday at Allen Field House. Lovellie was KU's second leading all-time scorer behind Danny Manion. He is a former senior team member B. H. Born, who was named Big Eight All-American in 1951 and 1952
Destructing the tradition African Americans break down historical skin-color definitions
By Svala Jonsdottir
Kansan staff writer
When Benita Reed was growing up, she was called names because of the shade of her skin.
I was taunted for my se darker than anyone in my
family," said Reed, Wichita senior. "But my parents taught me that it is not your skin color which makes you beautiful. It is you yourself; who you are."
She realized as she grew older how impor-which makes you beauti-ful. It is you yourself; who you are."
She realized as she grew older how important it was to be proud of
who she was and not look to white society to define beauty, she said.
"It is all in how you view yourself," Reed said. "If you are confident, people will treat you with respect."
Jacob Gordon, associate professor of African-American studies, said the concern with the shade of skin of African Americans had its roots in slavery.
"The lighter you were, the more valuable you were as a slave," he said. "The lighter slaves received special treatment and worked in the house, while the darker skinned worked in the fields."
This idea continued through history, where lighter-skinned African Americans were considered less threatening by white Americans and allowed to succeed and become leaders of their race. Gordon said.
"I would say that more than 80 percent of the great achievers in African-American history were light-skinned," he said. "This is
simply a reflection of American values. "
In the 1660s, the rediscovery of African heritage changed the way African Americans viewed themselves, he said.
"The idea of 'Black is beautiful' was born and continued through the '70s and into the '80s," Gordon said. "I think now the movement is that Black people prefer to be Black. That I see as a trend, and it is a good one."
Angela Newman, Kansas City, Kan., senior, said white society was more accepting of lighter-skinned African Americans.
"I have an aunt who could pass for white, and that made her more acceptable in her job and in society," she said. "The other Black senior, said white society was more accepting of lighter-skinned African Americans.
"I have an aunt who could pass for white, and that made her more acceptable in her job and in society," she said. "The other Black women in her church hated her because she was more accepted."
Newman's generation is less concerned with the shade of their skin, because they grew up proud of being African-American, she said.
"I never wanted to be lighter," Newman said. "I never wanted to be darker. I just wanted to be me."
James Madison, Kansas City, Kan., senior, said economic competition made African Americans value lighter skin.
"The darker youare, the more youareassociated with Africa, which to white peoplemeans being inferior, subhuman and lesscapable," he said. "Lighter-skinned Blackscan utilize their skin color economically,since they are considered more capable."
Madison said apart from trying to be accepted by society, there was no real conflict between lighter and darker-skinned African Americans.
"There is only the competition for the advantages of white society," he said.
Barbara Ballard, acting dean of student life, said she did not think African Americans today dwellled on the issue of skin tone.
"I am sure people think of it, in the same way that some people prefer blondes or brunettes, but it is not an important issue to most people," she said. "Things have changed, and people look at beauty according to their own culture, not someone else's perceptions."
"I think the question is whether you let society tell you what is beautiful," she said. "I
Self-esteem and confidence play a big role in how African Americans view themselves, Ballard said.
Self-esteem and confidence play a big role in how African Americans view themselves, Ballard said.
"I think the question is whether you let society tell you what is beautiful," she said. "I agree with Dr. Martin Luther King, when he said that it is not the color of your skin, but the content of your character that matters."
Desire Brumsey, Santa Ana, Calif., sophomore, said that because she had light skin, some people thought she felt superior to other African Americans.
The idea that lighter is better is fostered by society. Brumsey said.
"For me, that is not true," she said. "I know I have African blood. I know that I am Black, and I am proud of being Black."
"It has a lot to do with what we see on television," she said. "You hardly ever see dark skinned Black women, or even men, on television."
In spite of the beauty ideals displayed by popular culture, Brumsey said all African Americans should feel proud of who they were.
"I think when they said Black is beautiful, they meant all shades of skin," she said. "All in all, Black is Black, and we are all Black and proud."
Project leads student to testify in state Senate
By Ranjit Arab
Kansanstaff writer
What started as a class project for Sherry Clayton ended in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday in Topeka.
Clayton, Topeka junior, said she was assigned a project for her Social Work 521 course, which required students to identify a proposed bill on social policy, go to a hearing on the bill and write a legislator expressing their views.
But when Clayton decided to follow the proposed Victim's Right Amendment, she took the assignment one step further.
She collected 200 signatures for a petition which supported the proposed amendment.
The amendment would entitle victims to be informed and present at all critical stages of the criminal justice process. Aside from the initial testimony, victims would be notified of bond, arraignment, sentencing and parole bearings.
She said the proposed amendment was
meaningful to her because she was the victim of an assault and attempted kidnapping 17
The assailant eventually was caught and convicted, but Clayton said he was freed four years later.
"I picked up the paper and read that he had raped a woman," she said. "It was frustrating to read about this criminal getting out early about any notification or voice in the system."
David Barney, social welfare graduate
State Sen. Wint Winter Jr., R-Lawrence, who heads the committee, said it would be about 10-20 points each in the race.
teaching assistant, assigned the project. He said it was unusual for a student in the class to become involved in the policy-making process.
If the proposal passes the committee, it will be sent to the Legislature for approval.
Winter said that Clayton's testimony and petition were impressive, but that he wanted to be sure the proposal did not infringe on the constitutional rights of defendants.
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February 29 is SOLD OUT!
Buy your tickets today at SUA
Dates: February 21, 22, 23,and 27,28 at Lawrence High School
Times: All shows 7:30 pm, Sunday, the 23rd 2:00 pm only
Prices: First weekend: $8,$10,$7
Second Weekend: $8,$10
SUPPORT KU'S PHILANTHROPY FOR THE UNITED WAY!