SPORTS: The Kansas women's basketball team defeats Southwest Missouri State 65-51, Page 9.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
VOL.102.NO.75
ADVERTISING: 864-4358
(USPS 650-640)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9,1992
Plans draw new attention to minorities
NEWS:864-4810
By Mark Martin
Kansan staff writer
A recent proposal by the African American Student Concerns Task Force and a resolution passed by Student Senate three weeks ago have rekindled debate concerning the creation of an administrative position responsible for cultural affairs.
Administrators say they are looking into the recommendations, but many minority students at the University of Kansas wonder whether their concerns are really ever heard.
"It seems like nothing will be done with this until students make some noise about it," said Peter Braithwaite, off-campus student senator and member of the African American Student Concerns Task Force.
Braithwaite pointed out that in 1898, a task force recommended that the University create a new position to oversee minority affairs on campus.
That position was never created
Braithwaite co-wrote the Senate resolution this year, which demanded that the Office of Minority Affairs, which operates within the division of student affairs, be moved up to operate within the executive vice chancellor's office. The resolution also calls for elevating the OMA director to assistant or associate vice chancellor status.
Some think raising OMA's status would allow it to be more effective. Hispanic students have complained that the OMA has been insensitive to their needs and lacks Hispanic resources such as magazines and journals. Most say that with an expanded role, the OMA could serve minority students better.
"The problem with the office currently is that students come there with problems they're having on campus and
said. "They can just make suggestions. We're jr that the office needs more respect on campus power."
Tim Dawson, chairperson of Student Senate's affairs committee and the co-author of the Senation, said that the OMA was lost in the shuffle office was too low in KU's organizational struc
Before 1987, OMA worked within the chancellor and the director reported straight to the chance office was moved into the student affairs division, stands now.
"Right now they have to go through to many chick get anything done," he said. "They have to go to the student life, then to the vice chancellor for student affairs." He added that people should be before people at the top even hear about them.
David Ambler, vice chancellor for student affa the office was moved to student affairs because determined that the office's main function was with students.
"The University is carefully studying the recoerce report," he said. "One of their recommendation to create a University-wide council that could over the programs that deal with minority needs."
Ambler said that because of KU's budget constraint did not think the University would be able to creat position in the administration.
Moving the office to student affairs would all contact with students and with other offices it r work with, such as admissions and financial aid.
Sherwood Thompson, director of minority affa-
tion, has become more multicultural; more woo-
to be done.
"With more and more minority students coming to may be necessary to have a representative at the attative level," he said. "It would help to coordina and assess the needs of minority students in all are
Administrators point to the planned multicultural as an example of KU's commitment to minority And minority enrollment has risen each of the las years.
But a planning committee has yet to be formed a center, and the original opening date of Fall 1993 has pushed back a year. And despite the enrollment incr more than 90 percent of the student body is white.
"Right now, it seems like minority and cultural affair treated as a program at KU, instead of within Unistructure," Braithwaite said. "We need someone o campus with enough power to keep people awa what's going on, and what needs to go on."
See related story, Page 12.
Cashing in on books
After a semester reading and hom work problems, stents can avenge their late-nightstud pain by cashing the 'hextexbooks.
See related story, Page 14.
Knight-Ridder Tribune
See related story, Page 3.
A recent study shows that most health healths in college incoming freshmen worsened after a year in college
Students live unhealth
A member of the U.S. armed forces takes cover after an early morning beach landing near the main airport in Mogadishu, Somalia.
GMAC COLLEGE GRADUATE FINANCE PLAN
COLLEGE GRADS...GET $400 OFF FROM CHEVROLET, GEO OR GMC TRUCK!
That's right. You can get $400 off any new GM car or light-duty truck from Chevrolet, Geo or GMC Truck just for being a college grad.
The GMAC College Graduate Finance Plan gives qualifying graduates of 2- or 4-year degree programs and nursing programs and qualifying graduate students benefits that help make it easy to get a new career on the road. Graduates are eligible from six months prior to graduation through one year after graduation. Here's what you can receive:
- $400 off when your new vehicle is purchased or leased from a participating GM dealer and financed through GMAC.
- Financing that's easy to get
- A low down payment if you purchase.
- The opportunity to defer your first payment for up to 80 days.*
60 days:
• Three convenient financing options — conventional
  credit issued by GMAC or GMAC's SMARTR.
financing, SMARTLEASE™ by GMAC or GMAC's SMARTBUY™
- The opportunity to add your $400 to many other rebates available.
The Plan expires April 30,1993. To find out if you qualify, see your participating GM dealer and get all the details. Then let GMAC help put your career on the road with a new GM car or truck today!
An Equal Credit Opportunity Company.
- This option cannot be used with GMAC's SmartBuy, SmartLease or GMAC, when purchasing in Michigan, or on vehicles with a cash selling price of $10,000 or less in New Jersey. Finance charges accrue from date of purchase.
1992 GMAC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
GMAC FINANCIAL SERVICES