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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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MONDAY, NOV. 16, 2015 | VOLUME 130 ISSUE 24
NEWS ROUNDUP »
YOU NEED TO KNOW
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THE CHANCELLOR ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS AND OTHERS responded to discussions of racism and discrimination on campus.
News >> PAGE 2
ALEX ROBINSON/KANSAN
ART IN FOCUS:
Mark Raymer, a printmaker and University graduate student.
Arts & Culture >> 5
ZOE LARSON/KANSAN
ATHLETICS may change the way students get in to volleyball matches after some said they were told they might not get in. Sports >> PAGE 10
KANSAN.COM »
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KANSAS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL kicked off its season with a 72-65 win over Texas Southern. Kansan.com
A RECENT GRADUATE SAID HE STARTED A HUNGER STRIKE. He said he would not eat until the University responds to Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk's 15 demands. >> Kansan.com
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Top Senate leaders called on to resign
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STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS/KANSAN From left, Chief of Staff Adam Moon, Student Body Vice President Zach George and Student Body President Jessie Pringle.
CASSIDY RITTER
@CassidyRitter
The Student Executive Committee called for the resignations of Student Body President Jessie Pringle, Vice President Zach George and Chief of Staff Adam Moon at a meeting on Friday.
What happened?
Pringle, George, Moon, Communications Director Isaac Bahney, Development Director Tomas Green and Government Relations Director Stephonen Alcorn were in Texas at the Big 12 conference student government meeting, but attended the Committee meeting via Skype. Members of Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk, a campus group, also attended.
At Friday's meeting, the Student Executive Committee voted to reduce the general elections spending cap to $1,000. This vote will move the bill to full Senate.
There was also a "motion of no confidence in the leadership" of Pringle, George and Moon, according to a statement presented by the Committee.
"We demand that all three resign their positions by 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 18, 2015. If they fail to submit their resignations, we ask that the Full Student Senate body take up a bill of impeachment and adopt the measure according to Student Senate Rules and Regulations Article V Section 16.4," read the statement. At the meeting, Tyler Childress, the finance committee chair, said the Student Executive Committee supports Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk.
"I'm first proposing that we support Rock Chalk Invisible
Hawk and the 15 demands that they have made to the University," Childress said. "I think they're really quite simple and tame demands. They could be demanding a lot more, and I think we need to get behind them now on these."
One of the reasons calling for the resignations was that students at Wednesday's town hall "spoke of the disconnect between Student Senate and its black constituents," according to the document presented to attendees.
The conversation Friday then divided into other issues listed in the document, including Pringle and George not standing when white students were asked to stand and proclaim that black lives matter at the town hall meeting. Another issue was the silence from Senate in regard to Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk's demands. Bahney said Pringle and George stood at that time, but did not stand
when the audience was asked to stand in support of Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk's demands.
"We are pissed, and we are livid, and you guys are incompetent," said Kynnedi Grant, president of Black Student Union and a member of Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk. "Zach even said he didn't know that all these multicultural organizations that he cares so much about are having a food drive. How do you not know when you are constantly engaged? I don't understand. Please tell me."
"I really need you to engage about everything else that you haven't done for the rest of these students for the entirety of the semester. I really don't care anymore about whether or not you were standing up at this one event. You've been absent at literally every other conversation," said Shegufa Huma, vice president of University Senate
George, who was on staff last year, said this Student Senate has exceeded what was done last year. He mentioned that Student Senate has regular meetings with the Office of Multicultural Affairs and president roundtable meetings.
"You have an entire group of the student body that don't think that you represent them anymore and that the Senate is illegitimate in their eyes because the Senate doesn't represent them anymore," Childress said. "That threatens the integrity of this institution. And quite frankly, if you think that you've done enough when you have students at a forum, students on social media, students talking to other senators saying that we aren't doing enough, but you think that we are because you are meeting with some administrators, but you're really not going out and mixing with students
that are facing these concerns on a day to day basis, that's the premise of why I have no confidence in your leadership anymore."
Pringle said she agrees with a lot of the demands from Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk but would like to know more about the demands. Pringle said the problem is that campus isn't educated and that some people do not believe there is racism on campus.
"I think it's about taking every step to eradicate that," Pringle said.
Pringle also said that talking to Precious Porras, interim director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, and Nate Thomas, vice provost for diversity and equity, is a step toward a solution.
Grant said she sat down with other students to discuss what needed to be done in hiring a new OMA director. Pringle was present for two conversations and one conversation with the entire executive board in May on what needed to be done, Grant said.
"This same rhetoric of plan of action and, 'We're going to do this' and, 'We're going to do that' was given to us," Grant said. "So let's not act here. Let's not act like all of a sudden this has happened because that's context that's also very important. So Tyler is saying y'all have three days. I would argue that y'all have had six months."
George and Pringle released a statement on Saturday regarding the vote of no confidence and the lack of response to the town hall meeting.
"We recognize our failure to respond to the town hall in a timely manner, and we sin-
SEE SENATE PAGE 2
French flags fly on the first of three days of national mourning in Paris on Sunday. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for Friday's attacks on a stadium, a concert hall and Paris cafes that left 129 people dead and over 350 wounded, 99 of them seriously.
What it was like to be a KU student in Paris during Friday's terrorist attacks
PETER DEJONG/AP or Friday's attacks
CONNER MITCHELL
@connermitchellO
More than 120 people were killed and more than 350 were wounded in a series of terrorist attacks in Paris, France, on Friday. The shootings and suicide bombings in restaurants, public spaces and a soccer stadium constituted the worst attack in Europe since 2004, according to The New York Times.
In an email, Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, director of news and media for the University, said she did not know of any University students that had been affected. Students studying in Paris have said the Office of Study Abroad reached out to them to make sure they are safe.
The Kansan spoke to four University students who are studying abroad in Paris and were in the city during Friday's terrorist attacks. They shared their experiences of getting in touch with family and friends and the University's response.
Clinton Webb, a senior from Leawood majoring in French
studying abroad?
The past couple of days have definitely been a bit tumultuous. I found out what happened when I was with my friends at one of their apartments. It was initially very shocking because you really never think you'll be in a city where something like this happens. Definitely the most disturbing thing about the whole thing is seeing these things happen on the news and they're not across an ocean and thousands of miles away. They're just 10 or 15 minutes away. You know people who live around the corner from what happened who are locals here. You're directly affected by the events because you aren't able to get home on what was supposed to be a normal night.
What were Friday's events like as a student
How did the University check in to make sure
you were safe?
My study abroad program has been great in keeping in contact with me and making sure I'm safe, and the Office of Study
Abroad at KU sent all of us an email making sure we were safe and where our current location was.
Lauren Adamson, a junior from Overland Park majoring in economics
What were Friday's events like as a student
studying abroad?
I first heard about the shooting at the restaurant from a classmate who posted in our program's WhatsApp group. I honestly didn't think much of it, I think probably because I'm desensitized to sporadic shootings having grown up in the U.S. I then got the CNN alert on my phone that a bomb had gone off [near] the stadium where the France/Germany soccer game was going on. There was lots of misinformation flying around, people kept reporting different shootings and bombs without really knowing what was going on. After that, I definitely realized it was more than a sporadic shooting and that it was a full blown terrorist attack.
How did you let your family, friends, as well as the University know you
I called both of my parents to tell them that I was at home and safe before they had heard about it on the news so they wouldn't have to worry, and I checked in with all of my friends here in Paris to make sure they were OK. The KU Office of Study Abroad did a great job of trying to get in touch. A bit after midnight they both Facebook messaged and emailed me to ask where I was and if I was OK. They had sent the same message to everyone studying in France. I was definitely more impressed by that than by the U.S.State Department. I got an email from them at about 1 a.m. just updating me on the situation, which was basically over at that point
Blaise Cannon, a graduate student from Lawrence
What were Friday's events like as a student studying abroad? My wife and I were at a restau
rant with friends in the 18th arrondissement when we started receiving texts from friends checking on us. We quickly figured out what was going on, and the only news at that time was at Stade de France and one restaurant shooting. Every person in our restaurant were in a panic, on their phones, and leaving as quickly as possible. Taxis or Ubers were extremely difficult to come by, but we finally got an Uber to pick up. The streets were packed and chaotic with emergency vehicles flying around. Our driver tried multiple routes and finally got us home. Throughout this time, we were all doing our best to get in touch with everyone we could via text or American family and friends through WhatsApp. My friends and professors emailed me to check on my safety as well. My colleagues at my internship had a group text going the next morning to ensure everyone was safe.
Alexander Dang, a junior from Shawnee majoring
SEE PARIS PAGE 2
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