Friday, October 20, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section B·Page 3
As the University of Kansas gears up for its 89th homecoming game tomorrow, the University Daily Kansan takes a look back at milestones in KU history.
photo courtesy of University Archives
Sept. 12, 1866 - KU officially begins classes at the now nonexistent North College building. The first class has 55 students, and college tuition is $30 a year.
Jan. 9, 1873 — The first fraternity on the KU campus, Beta Theta Pi, opens its doors. The first sorority, Pi Beta Phi, is soon to follow, opening Anil 1 of the same year.
Feb. 4, 1886 — The famous KU chant,
"Rock Chalk, Jayhawk, KU," is recorded in print
for the first time. The reporter mistakenly
recorded it as "Rock Chock, Jayhawk, KU." The
yell was so new that the writer failed to recognize
the significance of "chalk" as a part of the
natural geography around Lawrence.
Jan. 28, 1909 — A member of the Board of Regents introduces a resolution abolishing the playing of football at the University. Another regent encourages improving the game instead.
Nov. 23, 1912 — First homecoming football game against Missouri. The Jayhawks are victorious with a score of 12-3.
1926 — Watkins Scholarship Hall, the first KL scholarship hall, is built for $75,000.
1930 - KU staff members take a 10 percent pay cut as the troubled times of the Great Depression set in.
1946 The KU population almost triples as returning WWII soldiers enroll with the GI Bill. In 1940, there were twice as many male as female students. As the war progressed, the enrollment of women increased until, in 1944, there were twice as many women as men.
May 27, 1951 — The bells of the Campanile ring across Mount Oread for the first time. The tower, which is 120 feet high and cost $399,000, keeps track of the hours in memory of the 276 KU alumni and staff who died during World War II.
March 8,1965 Students hold a sit-in protest of University-sanctioned discrimination. The sit-in was successful and marked a turning point in the civil rights movement at KU.
photo courtesy of University Archives
April 1970 — The Kansas Union burns in a devastating fire believed to have been arson. The main structure survives, and renovation begins in 1971.
1988 — Roy Williams signs on as KU's basketball coach.
1993 - Construction is completed for the Lied Center, which is for theater, dance, and the arts.
2000 — The University sets a new record with the enrollment of 114 new National Merit Scholars. The students will be honored in a ceremony during tomorrow's homecoming game.
— Compiled by Adam Pracht, Kansan correspondent
— Source: University Archives
Black Student Union leaders want to see student, alumni involvement
By Saiu Na'alla
Kansan correspondent
Black Student Union selected Destinee Maxwell as its homecoming queen Monday night as part of its homecoming activities. The tradition of selecting a homecoming queen goes back almost 10 years, when Tanya Sanchez was the organization's first homecoming queen.
Black Student Union is the only organization on campus that still continues the tradition of a homecoming queen.
"For most people, homecoming queen goes hand in hand with homecoming," said Courtney Bates, president of the Black Student Union and Chicago sophomore. "It is just a tradition that is carried over from our high school days and is fun for the students."
Black Student Union had its homecoming queen pageant Monday. Maxwell, Kansas City, Kan., freshman competed against fourteen other women to win the crown. The contestants had to choose a song and dress and explain to a panel of judges the significance of their choices. The contestants were also given questions to answer.
Maxwell will be the centerpiece of the organization's float in the parade this afternoon.
Unlike Maxwell, Tanya Sanchez did not win her homecoming crown in a pageant. Sanchez said when she went to KU, winning the crown was more of a popularity contest and candidates were voted on.
Bates said the change from students being voted on to a pageant system was made to level the playing field. She said outgoing and popular students had the advantage under the old system of selection.
Destinee Maxwell, Kansas City, Kan., freshman, was voted the Black Student Union's Homecoming Queen. She will be officially crowned at a ceremony tonight. Photo by Matt J. Daugherty/KANSAN
"We decided to change the criteria so that there would be more emphasis on the character of the girl," Bates said.
Sanchez said that was not the only change she had noticed in the Black Student Union. Sanchez, a '93 graduate who teaches at Lawrence High School, said during her years at KU, African-American students were quick to protest against social injustice on campus.
"It was a very exciting time for Blacks, because we decided that we were going to stir things up on campus, to make KU more suitable for Blacks," Sanchez said.
Bates said, at this point, she was concerned about the recruitment and retention of African-American students. She said BSU's main role was to provide services to help African-American students succeed in their college careers and to provide a social outlet.
"But if a situation comes up that warrants political action, BSU is well prepared to take such action," Bates said.
Bates said Black Student Union was still an influential part of KU. However, Bates said she did not expect a great number of African-American alumni to come back for homecoming.
"Unfortunately it does not seem to be a high priority of the Black alumni to come back to KU," she said. "We have virtually no interaction with them."
But the organization is not suffering, she said. Bates said the alumni could be beneficial, especially as mentors and advisers.
"But we understand that once you graduate you really don't want to come back," she said.
Although homecoming is not a big event for the group. Bates said the members were looking forward to participating in the parade.
"We are a big part of KU," she said. "So we will be out there showing our KU spirit."
Tonya Sanchez and Mark Jacobs hug as they hear that they have been selected as KU's 1991 Black Student Union homecoming king and queen. Contributed photo
Edited by Casey Franklin
Spirit of homecoming has withered away
KU students less involved than those at other schools
By Maggie Koerth
Kansan correspondent
The goal of homecoming, according to the Student Union Activities information packet, is to "build excitement about the University of Kansas in the spirit of community with both campus and Lawrence constituents."
But what does SUA do when football games, parades and spirit activities seem unable to induce any kind of excitement in the better part of the student body?
Roy McLellan, Stillwell senior and vice president in charge of alumni relations at Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, said homecoming attendance was down because "people just don't get excited over all the hoopla any more."
McLennan said some KU students were too self-absorbed to pay attention to their school activities and were too trendy to show their school spirit.
"You go to K-State, and everywhere you go you see nothing
but purple," he said. "The only people who really wear school colors much around here are the athletes themselves."
Many students echo McLellan's feelings, at least in action, considering the small percentage of students who turned out to watch last year's parade.
However, student apathy at University has not always been so prominent. John Mullens, assistant director of the KU Public Safety Office, remembers a time when most of the student body was involved in activities that went beyond the parade. Mullens was a KU student beginning in 1967.
At that time, rather than having a parade, students in greek houses and the residence halls built huge yard displays. The displays were two or three-dimensional, often with moving parts.
"I imagine that you are an alumnus coming to the college to reconnect with your youth. You wouldn't want to see this much apathy,would you?"
At that time, from 6 p.m. until midnight, the display route would be full of cars and pedestrians as spectators went from residence to residence viewing the displays. Visiting alumni could attend numerous programs and dinners.
"I remember that year in McCollum, we built a display that took up the entire yard." Mullens said.
Roy McLellan
Stillwell senior
The University also sponsored a concert in Allen Fieldhouse after the game. The featured artist John Mullens' freshman year was Louis Armstrong.
"We almost didn't get to see that," he said. "It sold out real quick. Luckily, they decided to have two shows, and we got tickets to that one. But it sold out too as I recall."
Artists who came to the fieldhouse in other years included Bob Hope, Elton John and Alice Cooper.
Other colleges still have such activities.
Leslie Heusted, program director for the Kansas Union, said that at the college she used to work, homecoming activities included a formal dance, pep rallies and a bonfire in addition to the traditional football game and parade. Large groups of students were involved in the planning and carrying out of festivities,
Heusted said that the biggest reasons behind KU students' apathy were their willingness to let someone else organize events and belief that there was room for them to be involved.
"I've talked to very many students who said that they were interested in homecoming but who don't know how to get involved," she said.
Jonathan Sternberg, Leawood sophomore, said that many students didn't participate in homecoming activities for the simple reason that they didn't know what was being offered or where. He said he did not know where the parade took place. Sternberg also said that homecoming would garner more attention if the University had a better football record.
For next year's homecoming,
Heusted said she wanted to
McLellan agreed.
organize a planning committee soon and work toward the reinstatement of past activities or the creation of new ones.
"Restarting the lawn displays would really raise participation," he said. "It would tap into our campus' feelings of individual expression and get people involved in homecoming activities who otherwise would just not care."
Although at least 13 floats have signed up for the parade along with the KU Marching Band and numerous small floats and banner carriers. Heusted would love to see even more participation from the student body and the Lawrence community.
So would McLellan, even if for no other reason than to make the campus look good.
"Iimagine that you are an alumnus coming to the college to reconnect with your youth," he said. "You wouldn't want to see this much apathy, would you?"
Anyone interested in joining the homecoming 2001 committee should contact Leslie Heated at 864-2436.
"The more people we get involved, the better our ideas will be, and the better our homecoming will be," Heusted said.
Edited by Warisa Chulindra
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