4A - THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
MONDAY,OCT.8,2001
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KNIGHT RIDDER TRIBUNE
EDITORIAL Commission must not repeat history's mistakes
Minority recruitment faces many challenges that spelled doom before
In 1990, a task force was created at the University of Kansas to increase the number of African-American students on campus. Despite continued efforts, the group fell well below its goal for four straight years.
Despite this former group's failure, the Commission on the Status of Minorities of KU was formed this year. It's a team comprised of approximately 15 professors and students that combines the different multicultural organizations on campus into one cohesive unit. Its goal is simple: increase the number of minority students attending the University.
Professor Fred Rodriguez, commission chairman, describes the effort as a never-ending struggle. He said there was no level at which KU would have an acceptable number of minority students and that recruitment should not end.
justin Mills, one of the commission members, explained that the first goal was to raise the percentage of minority students at KU to the percentage in the state. With about 10 percent of KU's 28,000 students listed as minorities compared to the 15.5 percent in the state this is indeed a lofty goal.
It seems unfair to critique an organization that has, so far, had only one meeting. Yet potential problems and issues must be addressed before they continue toward their goal.
First, the commission is pushing for changes by the 2002-2003 school year, but they don't plan to have anything set in motion until late winter/early spring. By then, it will be too late. SATs need to be taken in December or January and applications for next year's class are due by April 1. If this commission cannot get out of the planning stage and into full swing quickly, they will have missed their window of opportunity for 2002.
Second, this commission has no power to offer scholarships or grants. Further, they have no actual influence over the admissions committee. Rodriguez stated that he wanted to pull some money out of the Coke scholarships to offer to potential minority students, but there is no guarantee that money will be so allotted. Without those things, the commission will have no way to persuade minorities to attend KU, nor will it have any way to ensure those who do wish to attend will be accepted.
Third, the commission's definition of minority excludes Middle Eastern students. Mills explained that those students fall under the "international" category. This ignores the fact that many Middle Easterners were born in the USA. Besides, the commission's goal is diversity and, in light of recent events, having more students of the Islamic faith on campus can be of great benefit.
The aspiration of this commission is clearly a worthy one. But the potential problems need to be addressed or it will fail as surely as did its predecessor in 1990.
PERSPECTIVE - HOW AMERICA RESPONDS
Dan Osman for the Editorial Board
Dissent, discussion and diplomacy the civilized response to terrorism
I write this column to clarify several misconceptions regarding the actions and convictions of Lawrence-area peace activists.
The purpose of our efforts is to engender awareness of pacifism through open discussion and nonviolent protests. We do not think, as was recently asserted by the KU Objectivists' president, that the terrorist attacks were victories for "anti-capitalistic" causes, nor do we think of peace as "sitting on one's hands" and "resigning oneself to forever cleaning up after the wreckage of terrorists and mourning the loss of loved ones."
Rather, we view the September 11 terrorist attacks as crimes against humanity, which should be righted through extradition, international diplomacy, sensible nation-building, and comprehensive humanitarian efforts.
It is easy to adhere, particularly in the wake of adversity, the repugnant juggernaut of fervid nationalism neatly dividing the world, to borrow the president's terms, into "us" and them." This is easy, but it belies the truth.
Commentary
Ethan
Fosse
Guest Columnist
opinionkanan.com
Afghanistan is a nation of extreme poverty, having endured ruthless wars for over two decades, with most of the population living in dilapidated shacks with no basic amenities. Millions of refugees, with nothing more than the rags they wear as property, are spilling over to Pakistan and Tajikistan. The average annual family income is a mere $178. Each year 293,000 children under the age of five perish from war, malnutrition, and disease. Eighty-eight percent of the population does not have access to clean drinking water. The worst drought in 30 years is plaguing the country, and forecasters anticipate an unusually bitter winter. Are these "them?" Are these our enemies?
Certainly we are not so naive to think that armed conflict is always
unwarranted, but we are not so unmerciful or reckless to assume that it is necessarily the most effective solution for promoting the greatest common good. We must harden our emotions with reason and pragmatism, so that we do not kill innocent men, women, and children by the impetuosity of our actions.
To this end, we espouse reasoned understanding over knee-jerk xenophobia, tempered passion over unbridled fury, international diplomacy over national bellicosity, civic discussion over political equivocation, and guarded pacifism over rash jingoism. Our actions and convictions are not based on ethnocentrism or bigotry, but are grounded in a most profound and sincere love of our country, the rights of dissent and discussion that it secures, and our forbears who had the temerity to uphold such freedoms. It is for these reasons that we protest, and for this reasons that we will continue to do so.
Fosse is a senior in anthropology from Manhattan. He is secretary of KU Greens.
PERSPECTIVE - HOW AMERICA RESPONDS
Terrorists don't understand diplomacy: Armed force the only way to reach them
Robert Chamberlain's commentary ("Professors are wrong - War is an option," Sept. 28) was a thoughtful reflection on the challenges that lay ahead of us. I am a progressive who seeks to avoid war and violence when possible. I favored some of the suggestions that were offered at the student forum that Robert and I attended sponsored by the Womyn's Empowerment Action Coalition.
The suggestions, outside of military action, that have most promise are ones now being used — cutting off financial resources of terrorists and providing assistance to civilian groups, similar to the Marshall plan. This plan would siphon off civilian support for the Taliban and other terrorist-sponsoring states and terrorist groups. It would care for the needs of peoples not responsible for destruction in America or in their countries and have been devastated by totalitarian rule and neverending warfare.
Robert is right. The West has been fighting terrorism for decades, and it has only seemed to spread rather than abate. The days of violence and warfare to achieve political ends, and of justifying such warfare against democratic governments, are over. This war, if it comes to that, signals an end to both this kind of violence and the
However, the final result of spending millions to rebuild a country before that country is clearly ready to join the civilized world is unclear. And for this reason, war seems an appropriate option.
Commentary
Ben Sutherland
Guest Columnist
pinionakansan.com
dramatic rhetoric that sustains it and seeks to give it intellectual legitimacy, whether in Northern Ireland, Palestine, Afghanistan, or in compounds even in compounds here at home.
Revolutions to achieve utopian fantasies are now no longer in bounds for democratic discussion. They threaten too much of what is good in democracies to be given legitimacy. There are many grievances between various factions in this war and in previous wars. But the lesson that we should all focus on immediately is that those grievances must be settled democratically — with military force if necessary, but by deliberation and persuasion when possible.
Too many progressives have rationalized the attacks around democratic grievances such as wealth inequalities, U.S. treatment of Iraqis during the Gulf War, stationing of troops in Saudi Arabia and Israeli treatment of Palestinians. There are some potentially legitimate grievances among these. But there are clearly legitimate grievances against the Afghanis, Palestinians, and Iraqis who have engaged in campaigns of terror against their
neighbors and their own peoples. There are also legitimate grievances against those who rationalize violence by cynicism about U.S., European, and Israeli actions.
But we resolve legitimate critiques democratically, either by persuasion or by the rule of law, not by rationalizing terrorism.
As someone who has spent much of his adult life working on issues of economic equity, progressive priorities are very important to me. But I know better — and others should know better — than to substitute violence for persuasion to address these needs.
America's effort seeks to retaliate, to end further violence by those terrorists who engaged in it and to signal to terrorists around the world that the days of violent revolution against democratic countries are over. It is a purpose we should all be supporting.
As a Democrat, I am very aware of our right and duty to dissent when we disagree with Administration policies. But we should exercise our dissent carefully and be sure that we consider the real consequences of our opinions before we implore others to act as we desire.
As a member of the armed forces, Robert may end up risking or giving his life for our right to debate this issue and even to stir the pot with dramatic rhetoric. We should all take care that he does not risk or give his life in vain.
Sutherland is a graduate student in special education from Wichita.
FREE for ALL
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I know I smell, but hot chick, will you come back to the volleyball game on Saturday?
Is throwing apples on the ground considered littering? And if so, can trees be arrested?
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This is for the genius who put the sprinkler on the front lawn of Murphy so it squirts on the sidewalk. Thanks a lot.
KJ basketball. Wobble wobble. Enough said.
The way to a man's heart it through his stomach so make him some damn cookies.
The sex column needs to go.
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I've been a vegetarian for awhile now and it still freaks me out how much fake meat tastes like real meat. It really does.
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Thanks to Mghan Bainum's sex column, I asked my roommate last night if she would look at my genitalis. Let's just say now I'm homeless.
I am crestfallen that Starburst do not come in beef flavor.
Stop bashing KU Info.
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I'm a single girl and I don't smoke.
My roomate read Meghan Bainum's article the other day and he started exploring my genitalia and now I can't get him to leave me alone. And the horse you rode in on.
Thanks for the mulch, Hemenway. Now our campus smells like poo.
I'm sick of calling the Free For All When is it going to call me?
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I just wanted to say thanks to the guy that picked me up off the curb while I was waiting for the bus that was never going to come because that is probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me in my entire life.
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Friday is the night my girlfriend's and I's nine-month anniversary and I'm broke so if you could put this in there at least she'd know. Thanks.
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I wish non-smokers wouldn't come out of nowhere, walk into my cloud of smoke and give me dirty looks. That makes me feel very low.
I just met the girl of my dreams about four weeks ago. Yesterday, I found out she has a boyfriend. How cool is that?
I bought a girl a few drinks at the Hawk last week and I was just wondering, is that considered paying for sex and can I still give blood if it is?
This is for the poor students who only read the FFA. You people call in about the basketball players and other stupid things but people like Justin Mills and all the other student organizations are the ones who really work to try to make KU better for even those who will never realize it.
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Help, my roommate's trapped in the closet and my other roommate's trying to give her a backcub through the door.
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