SPORTS: The Kansas baseball team wins its 24th game of the season, defeating Missouri 5-4. See Page 9.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
KANSAS STATE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
TOPEKA KS 66612
VOL.102,NO.133
Thursday, April 8, 1993
ADVERTISING: 864-4358
(USPS 650-640)
Committee regulates computer bulletin board
NEW$:864-4810
Architecture to split signed, anonymous opinions into two files
By Terrilyn McCormick Kansan staff writer
The Blackboard, an open computer file in the School of Architecture created by a student to voice complaints, has been regulated by administrators and students after problems with the original setup.
Eric Marko, Kansas City, Mo., senior, set up
to publish anonymous material, and I objected to that," Domer said. "We would be responsible for what was written on that bulletin board."
the board March 31 to allow students and faculty to voice their opinions about problems in the school and have them published.
Advertisements for the computer file, which were immediately taken down from the school bulletin boards, said that everything that was written on the computer board would be printed in a publication titled "Diseasinations" even if they were written anonymously.
"The original plan of the bulletin board was
The other file, titled Suggestion Box, will accept anonymous opinions.
The administration's complaint with the open file was the anonymous sources, said Dennis Domer, associate dean of architecture
The revised Blackboard will have two folders for students and faculty to leave their comments.
One file, titled Chalkboard, accepts only comments that are signed. It will be open for students and faculty to read what has been written in the file. The plan is to publish in "Disseminations" the opinions on a weekly or monthly basis.
The opinions will not be accessible by other students and faculty. The comments will be directly sent to Mike Cummings, Overland Park senior and president of the KU chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students.
He said he had not received any suggestions since the file started a week ago.
The revisions of the original open file were
made by a committee comprising administration, faculty and students.
Matt Edmonds, University City, Mo., senior and member of the committee, said that the decision to create the two folders for opinions was made by all the committee members.
"Collectively we decided that this was the best way to do it because of the liability involved with anonymous opinions," he said. Cummings said he was content with the new setup of the open computer file.
"It will act as an everyday forum for issues in the school," he said. "It will allow people to voice their opinions every day if they want to, not just at the school forums."
Artist to speak at KU
Piss Christ' photo sparked debate about censorship
By James J. Reece Kansan staff writer
After his photograph "Piss Christ" brought him fame in 1987, Andres Serrano did not stop making controversial art. But the New York City artist, who will speak at the University next week, said controversy was not his aim.
"I'm not interested in speaking out on censorship." Serrano said.
The trademark work, a photograph of a crucifix surrounded by the golden, rosy glow of illuminated human urine, will be part of his speech and slide presentation at 7:30 Wednesday night in the Spencer Museum of Art Auditorium.
After the photograph won an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, it prodded 1989 congressional hearings on obscurity in art led by the testimony of North Carolina Republican Senator Jesse Helms.
But though long at the center of debate over censorship, Serrano said his KU speech, and a slide presentation of 36 of his photographs, will not address the topic.
he instead will speak about his art and the evolution of his artistic voice. "I mean, 'Piss Christ,' that controversy was something totally unexpected and totally out of my control."
Serrano said. "People were verymoved.
"It was submerged in urine as a means of simplifying the work I had done before," he said. "You can't necessarily see the linear progress-
sion. It just sort of came about."
He said it sprang from his work with fluids like blood, milk and urine — media he will talk about Wednesday. He will also discuss and show slides of his works on the homeless, the Ku Klux Klan and his latest series called "The Morgue (Cause of Death)," showing the intricate, often gruesome detail of cadavers in a morgue.
One picture in the new series shows a foot lying limp on a table, with a slit cut into the flesh on the top of the foot.
"That's called 'Rat Poison Suicide II." Serrano said. "They make those cuts to see if there is bruised tissue beneath the skin."
"I decided to do this work many years ago," Serrano said. "I think the mystique is a mysterious, hidden place where few people are admitted. But the ironic part is most of us go there."
Serrano said he will keep secret the location of the morgue and the identities of the bodies.
He said the work was not, another attempt to stir up controversy.
Serrano's visit is sponsored by the museum and the department of art
and design.
It happened during lunch with Andrea Norris, director of the museum, he said.
Roger Shimomura, professor of art and last year's head of the committee that brought Serrano, said a minor conflict already has come from the artist's visit.
"We discussed money for a visiting artist," Shimomura said. "The subject of censorship came up, and we were at odds. Half kiddily suggested we get Andres Serrano, to see who would come to the front."
He said Norris agreed and then he brought the idea to the committee.
"I threw his name into the hat, and it very quickly floated to the top," Shimomura said.
"He did not just happen to be controversial," Shimomura said. "I think it's a legitimate thing. Unfortunately, it will probably disgust four out of five people who see it. But I don't think that means it shouldn't be done."
He said that despite the controversy, he thought Serrano was not just a sensational artist.
Shimomura said he didn't think Serrano's visit would cause any problems on campus.
"I suspect that a lot of people don't know who he is," Shimomura said. "And those that do know who he is won't be offended that he is here."
Lori Eklund, program coordinator of the museum, agreed.
"I think that kind of thing comes from without," Eklund said. "And Jesse (Helms) won't be here."
Clinton to send Congress $1.51 trillion budget
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — President Clinton is expected to send Congress his first full-scale federal budget today, a $1.51 trillion spending plan that will be the first budget in 12 years not being declared "dead on arrival" by congressional leaders.
In fact, both houses of the Democratic-led Congress have already approved budget resolutions endorsing its broad outlines.
But the fiscal 1994 budget will not go unchallenged. It has already drawn attention, not for what it will include, but for what it will not include—abortion restrictions, health care financing and the president's new
Clinton's budget is expected to reflect his central campaign vows — cutting defense, cutting the deficit, and increasing investment spending on education, communications and the nation's infrastructure. He had projected that the government would take in $1.25 trillion and spend $1.51 trillion in fiscal year 1994. The result
$1.6 billion aid package for Russia will be nowhere in sight.
would be a $262 billion deficit.
The defense section of the budget, unveiled on March 27 by Defense Secretary Les Aspin, calls for $263.4 billion in spending, which is $10 billion less than last year. Savings would come from a reduction of 108,000 people in active military duty, a pay freeze and modest cuts in the Strategic Defense Initiative, sometimes called "Star Wars."
Clinton's proposal for additional infrastructure spending is expected to be seen most clearly in the Transportation Department budget — which will increase 10.9 percent this year. Total outlays would be $40.3 billion, including $28.4 billion on highways, bus transit systems, railroads,
airports and maritime development.
The Labor Department budget includes new spending for job training and assistance — key Clinton campaign promises. The president is proposing $4.1 billion over four years for such programs.
The budget's largest single item is $2 billion to retrain workers who will lose their jobs because of military cuts, plant closings or the free-trade pact with Mexico.
The administration is also calling for $2.4 billion for jobless benefits for laid-off workers who have exhausted their state-administered benefits.
Clinton's health care proposal is not due out until late May, at which time he is expected to propose both a systen for providing health care for it.
Americans and a way of paying for it.
On the foreign aid front, Clinton is expected to propose an increase of $700 million in aid to Russia. But none of the $1.6 billion package of new aid he announced at last weekend's summit with Russian President Boris Yeltsin in western Canada will be in the budget. Clinton said that those funds will come from previous congressional appropriations.
Israel and Egypt will continue to be the single biggest recipients of U.S. foreign aid, receiving $3 billion and $2.2 billion respectively.
Some other expected details of today's budget:
The $30 billion Space Station Freedom will be fully financed at $2.1 to $2.3 billion, although officials are looking for ways to cut the overall price tag by about half.
The budget is expected to contain money for a pilot program of Clinton's National Service Trust program in which students could repay college loans through public service, although federal money is scarce for other education programs.
Much of a proposed $1.2 billion increase in the budget of the Veterans Affairs Department would go to improving VA hospitals and medial care.
Coalition seeks to unite cultures on campus
Hooked on Phish
As the musical group Phish prepares to bring its bizarre show and cult following to Kansas City, Kan., next week, band member Page McConnell discusses the fans, the tour and the music.
Editor's note: This is the fourth of four articles profiling Student Senate presidential and vice presidential candidates.
By Brett Riggs Kansan staff writer
See story, Page 7.
John Shoemaker, UNITE presidential candidate, said he had an interest in politics for as long as he can remember.
"I enjoy, and at the same time I am accomplishing things." Shoemaker said. "I like sitting in Senate meetings for six hours, and when you get something done, it is the best feeling."
Shoemaker, a Topeka senator, is a first-year student senator. He heads the Senate student rights committee and Legal Services for Students advisory board and is a member of Universitv Council.
Tim Dawson, UNITE vice presidential candidate, is also a first-year senator. He is the head of the Senate multicultural affairs committee and is a member of the Black Student Union and the Office of Minority Affairs advisory board.
Dawson, a Topeka junior, said that the opportunity to affect students lives in a positive way prompted him to run with Shoemaker.
"No other organization allows you to affect students like Senate," Dawson said. "I am running because it is a great opportunity."
One way that Shoemaker and Dawson would like to affect students is by promoting and improving retention of minority students and faculty.
"Minorities aren't graduating, and we aren't recruiting them." Dawson
said. "This country is changing, and this campus is not reflecting that."
Shoemaker said that their plan was to create a better multicultural atmosphere on campus.
Shoemaker said that he liked his coalition's experience, and that its members had as much experience as those on the other three coalitions.
Dawson said that UNITE would try to expand the minority affairs outreach program, a recruiting program that reaches out to junior high and high school minority students, and to continue efforts by the African American Student Concerns Task Force to elevate the office of minority affairs to a position within the executive vice chancellor's office.
"Behind the issues, it is whether or not you can get it done," Shoemaker said.
John Shoemaker, left and Tim Dawson