University Daily Kansan. December 2,1983
CAMPUS AND AREA
Page
Beauty contest sincere, winner says
By GINA K. THORNBURG Staff Renorter
Elizabeth Johnson, like many people,
has questioned the sincerity of beauty
"You see Miss America and they run and hug each other," she said. "You think there has to be eye-cratching and they hate her because she won."
But Johnson, Prairie Village freshman, said that it was not that way at all in the Miss Kansas USA contest. The judges encouraged camaraderie and mutual support among the contestants, she said.
"To get there, the girls have to be sweet," she said. "There wasn't one girl there who was a snob or who told you give it something that was hers."
EARLIER THIS month, Johnson was selected to represent Kansas in the 1984 Miss USA pageant next spring. She won the title after a less than interviews and stage presentations at the Double-tree Inn in Overland Park.
Winning the Miss Kansas USA pageant was a surprise for Johnson, who almost did not accept the invitation to participate in the first round of interviews in the Kansas Union Ballroom, she said.
The interviews were late on a Friday evening, she said, and that made her think they were not very important. But she did not care if that if she did not go she would regret it.
Two people, who remain anonymous nominated her for the contest
During the weekend contest, the 43 contestants were not allowed to see or telephone family and friends, she said. The contestants had to devote all of their energies to the contest until the 12 finalists were named on a Sunday afternoon in front of a crowd of about 600 people.
IN THE PAGEANT. Johnson won a banner, a crown and several other
Elizabeth Johnson
gifts, she said. And being Miss Kansas means that Miss USA officials will pay for any cosmetics, clothes or jewelry that she needs to make appearances in her new role.
in the pageant, six judges evaluated a 60-second impromptu speech that the contestants gave on the pageant's last day, she said. Although she had intended to speak about her career plans. Johnson said she spoke about her experiences at the pageant during her speech.
She said that she had been so nervous during the speech that afterward she did not even remember what she said and still is not too certain.
The moments Johnson spent on stage before the pageant's judgments and audience of about 600 people were not her only stage moments.
WHILE ATTENDING high school in
Miami, Chris played the leading
feeling roles she has
Although Johnson has not decided on a major at KU, she said, she would like to study something in which a person's presentation and appearance were important. But she would rather major TV-film or pre-law than in theatre.
She said she would like to be a TV news anchorwoman someday.
Johnson began modeling two years ago, she said, after someone who saw her in a St. Patrick's Day Parade suggested that she give modeling a try.
If acting was Johnson's main extracurricular high school activity, working as a model on the weekends occupies much of her free time now.
Johnson has had a taste of acting on television.
SHE HAS since modeled for Macy's in Kansas City and has done nine in the NBA.
"I've been doing a little here and there for extra money," she said.
Modeling, however, will not be her career, she said.
Now that she will represent Kansas in the Miss USA pageant in May, Johnson has considered whether she wants to continue her studies at KU.
“A lot of the past Miss Kansasses took a semester off,” she said. “I wouldn't want to sit home and wait to see what happened. I'd rather be up here and go to school.
She plans to participate in sorority rush before next semester, she said.
But if she wins the big pageant in May, she probably would not have to worry about finals the following semester.
"You definitely can't go to school if you win," she said.
Crime rate is down in state, up in Lawrence
By Staff and Wire Reports
Crime in Lawrence, however, increased 6.9 percent.
Crime in Kansas dropped 6 percent in the first nine months of the year, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said yesterday.
KBI Director Thomas E. Kelly said violent crimes in the state dropped only 1.3 percent. However, rape increased by 4.7 percent from the same period in 1982.
Only three more murders were
committed in Kansas from January through September of this year compared with the same period in 1982. In January, for example, this year through the end of September.
In Lawrence during the first nine months of 1982 there was one murder and during the first nine months of this year there were three murders.
of 1982, and 16 rapes were reported during the first nine months of this
In the first nine months of 1982, there were 466 rapes in Kansas compared with 506 in the first nine months of this year.
Aggravated assaults increased 52.9 percent to 10G from 70.
Thirteen rapes were reported in Lawrence during the first nine months
Property crimes in the state fell 6.4 percent
The greatest crime drop — 10.7 percent — was in burglaries.
Burglaries also declined in Lawrence. During the first nine months of 1982 there were 622 burglaries compared with 611 burglaries through September of this year, a 1.8 percent decrease.
Savor the flavor, and the savings! Minsky's offers you the tastiest pizza at the lowest price compared to the three other major full-service pizza shops.
Classic never cost less!
we deliver 842-0154
... for a slice of style.
6 packs to go
2228 Iowa
School funds lacking, group says
Public schools in the United States need more money but also need a stronger commitment from parents, teachers and students, a group concerned about the future of public education told an Associated Students of Kansas conference in the Kansas Union last night.
By BRUCE F. HONOMICHL Staff Reporter
Among the speakers at the conference, titled "A National at Station," were Rep. Jim Slattery, D-Kan., State Seen Wint Rep. Jr. Wrance, J.R. Harold Blackburn, the new Kansas commission of education; and Wendell a former state representative who is a member of the Board of Regents.
Winter, a member of the Senate Education Committee, said that more money was needed for teachers' salaries and maintenance of buildings but that fixing schools' problems took time.
"IF WE'RE looking for a quick-fix solution, we're not going to find it," he said. "We can't ask for a three-part
"We need leadership from a number of areas. Our schools aren't that bad. There are many things that our schools can be proud of. We educate students in the world of nation in the world. But there is a challenge to improve on the system."
program to magically make our schools better.
After opening remarks from Carl Knox, Lawrence USD 497 superintendent, and Connie Menninger, member of a parental action group in the conference broke into small groups to discuss specific problems in education.
Slattery told a group of about 50 people that the United States had met challenges during several times of the crisis and needed to do so again.
"Vocational education after World War I, the G.I. Battery after World War II and the push for education after the launch of Sputnik were some of the most important things that have ever happened in this nation," he said.
Lady, who was appointed to the Regents last winter by Gov. John Carlin, said that secondary and
higher education were entwined and that teacher salaries needed to be raised to a much better level.
Lady said that average teachers' salaries in Kansas were low.
"This state ranks 80th in the nation in teacher salaries — $18,231, even though we rank 18th in money spent per pupil — $1,094. he said." And the percent spent in the education budget was down to 18.6 percent. It was down to 18.6 percent in this fiscal year. And next year, it will be down to 18.4 percent.
LADY SAID that until teachers' salaries were raised, qualified teachers would leave Kansas rapidly.
Blackburn criticized the "management efficiency" administration theory for school principals. He said that this emphasis on management took school principals a lead in teaching and took them into less efficient management-oriented positions.
"You lose what should be your most efficient teachers," he said. "They should return to being what they once were. The Robert McNamura multimedia department at all levels has taken school principals at all levels away from the kids."
COUPON
Large Pizza Medium Pizza Dining Room • Take Out
$ 100 OFF
$1 50 OFF
Room • Take Out • Delivery
Small Pizza
749-4244
544 West 23rd
Pastorius
HURRY
WHILE SELECTION IS GOOD!
$19.95
Available in: white, navy, red orange, green lt. blue and pink.
1601
W. 23rd.
749-2630
What are "FUNFLOWERS?"
FUNFLOWERS' today or any day this week at a special price that adds to your fun, too!
they're flowers
just for fun. By the
colorful bunch for
you to arrange and
enjoy. Put a little
weight on it. Pick up
a pickup of buch.
Our nice fresh casual bunch of
1601 W.23rd Southern Hills Center "Next to Gammons"
Kansan Classifieds Work For You!
GRANADA DOWNTOWN
TELEPHONE 843-578-6211
COMMONWEALTH THEATRES
Christmas Story
Eve. 7:30, 9:15 Mat. Sat., Sun. 2:15
VARSITY DOWNTOWN TELEPHONE 843-1085