SPORTS: The Kansas women's basketball team defeats Southwest Missouri State 65-51, Page 9.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
VOL.102, NO.75
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9,1992
（USPS 650-640）
ADVERTISING: 864-4358
NEWS:864-4810
Plans draw new attention to minorities
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 need for 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 Brathwaite, off-campus student senator and member of the African American Student Concerns Task Force.
Knight-Ridder Tribute
A member of the U.S. armed forces takes cover after an early morning beach landing near the main airport in Mogadishu, Somalia.
Braithwaite pointed out that in 1980, a task force recommended that the University create a new position to oversee
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 student
with promises they're making on it that office has no power to change policies," said. "They can just make suggestions. We're that the office needs more on campus power."
Tim Dawson, chairperson of Student Senate, affairs committee and the co-author of the Sedition, said that the OMA was lost in the shuffle office was too low in KU's organizational struc
"Right now they have to go through too many get anything done," he said. "They have to go to student life, then to the vice chancellor for stuccn then the executive vice chancellor. Things before people at the top even hear about them."
Before 1987, OMA worked within the chancell and the director reported straight to the chan office was moved into the student affairs divisic stands now.
Moving the office to student affairs would a contact with students and with other offices in work, such as admissions and financial aid
David Ambler, vice chancellor for student at the office was moved to student affairs beac determined that the office's main function w with students.
Ambler said that because of KU's budget consid id not think the University would be able to create a campus.
"The University is carefully studying the reforce report," he said. "One of our recommendations to create a University-wide council that could do the programs that deal with minority needs."
Sherwood Thompson, director of minority affinity as that kU became more multicultural, more white.
"Right now, it seems like minority and cultural a treated as a program at KU, instead of within U structure," Braithwaite said. "We need someone campus with enough power to keep people a what's going on, and what needs to go on."
"With more and more minority students commi-
may be necessary to have a representative at the
tributive level," he said. "It would help to coordi-
nate and assess the needs of minority students in all
Administrators point to the planned multicultural as an example of KU's commitment to minority And minority enrollment has risen each of the years.
But a planning committee has yet to be re-enter center, and the original opening date of Fall 1993 pushed back a year. And despite the enrollment it more than 90 percent of the student body is white
See related story, Page 12.
Cashing in on books
After a semest reading and he work problems, dents can ave pain in the back pain by cashi their textbooks.
Students live unhealth
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A recent study shows that most health habit in freshmen worsened after a year in coll
See related story. Page 14.