SPORTS: The Kansas women's basketball team defeats Southwest Missouri State 65-51, Page 9.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOL.102.NO.75
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 9.1992
(USPS 650-640)
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NEWS:864-4810
Plans draw new attention to minorities
By Mark Martin
Kansan staff writer
A member of the U.S. armed forces takes cover after an early morning beach landing near the main airport in Mogadishu, Somalia.
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 1989, a task force recommended that the University create a new position to oversee minority affairs on campus.
That position was never created.
Knight-Ridder Tribune
Brathwaite 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.
"The problem with the office currently is the come there with problems they're having on it that office has no power to change policies," said. "They can just make suggestions. We're that the office needs more respect on campu power."
Tim Dawson, chairperson of Student Senate affairs committee and the co-author of the Sertion, said that the OMA was lost in the shuffle if 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 stu then the executive vice chancellor. Things before people at the top even hear about them."
Before 1987, OMA worked within the chancel and the director reported straight to the chan office was moved into the student affairs divisic stands now.
David Ambler, vice chancellor for student g the office was moved to student affairs beca determined that the office's main function w with students.
Moving the office to student affairs would a contact with students and with other offices.
Ambler said that because of KU's budget con did not think the University would be able to cr position in the administration.
"The University is carefully studying the r force report," he said. "One of their recommend to create a University-wide council that could the programs that deal with minority needs."
Administrators point to the planned multicall as an example of KU's commitment to minor And minority enrollment has risen each of the years.
Sherwood Thompson, director of minority a that as KU became more multicultural, more w be done to coordinate minority affairs.
But a planning committee has yet to be form center, and the original opening date of Fall 199 pushed back a year. And despite the enrollment more than 90 percent of the student body is whi
"With more and more minority students com-
may be necessary to have a representative at
trative level," he said. "It would help to coord-
and assess the needs of minority students in all
"Right now, it seems like minority and cultural treated as a program at KU, instead of within structure," Braithwaite said. "We need somec campus with enough power to keep people what's going on, and what needs to go on."
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NEWS & NOTES
NEWSBRIEFSS FROM CAMPUSES ACROSS THE WEST
NEWSSRIEFFS FROM CAMPUSES ACROSS THE NATION
An end to boogers on Ren & Stimpy?
The television flickers to life and the videotape is shoved into the VCR. For months the Ren & Stimpy Show marathon has been a tradition in Oklahoma State U.'s Bennett Residential Hall. This young tradition, however, may soon come to an end.
With the recent firing of show Director and Producer Bretney Larson,
With the recent firing of show Director and Producer John Kricfalus, many fans are wondering if they'll have to go elsewhere to find this quirk型 of entertainment. Some fans think the future of the shows bleak.
"I think you'll have a bunch of corporate suit types that are going to try to make it wacky," says Rantz Hoseley, a senior at Washington State U.
Nickelodeon introduced Ren and Stimpy, an ornery asthma-afflicted Chihuahua and his trusting, bloated feline sidekick in July 1991. Since then, legions of college students have tuned in with cult-like furor for the latest misadventure.
"Happy. Happy. Joy. Joy." senior joy Dresser
"Happy. Happy. Joy. Joy," senior Joe Dorman and the other Oklahoma State watchers chant with the show, "I say that all the time. I even put it on all of my notes." For the past year, college students have tuned in to hear
German voice, courtesy of Kricatlan.
But then Nickrafalu's no longer with the show. Nickelodeon fired the animator because he died deadlines for new episodes, say Ivai Alexander.
For the past year, college students have tuned in to watch animation that tests the limits of taste. Some students say the show creates the ultimate childhood fantasy - boogers and farts being program staples.
"People compare me with Ren," says Oklahoma State's Dorman. "I share a headache."
That comparison might not seem like a compliment to most. Ren is a slobbering, paranoid, vermin-infested canine who gained a reputation for his unique Mexican-German voice, captured in this film.
Nickelodeon tried the animator because he didn't make deadlines for new episodes, says Linda Alexander, vice president of West Coast Publicity for MTV networks. And now one of Krfalusi's former partners, Bob Camp, is in charge of ensuring the show's continued success. Camp is working on nine new episodes for this season. "We're going to continue to fulfill our commitment for 13 new episodes," Alexander says. This season *Ren & Stimpy* is on Saturday nights and Sunday morning on Nickelodeon.
Nickelodeon released several new kinder, gentler adventures of the mismatched duo in August. To many Ren & Stimpers, including U. of Kansas graduate student Mark White, the new releases were pale imitations of the real thing.
"I was really disappointed," White says. "The show used to be a great mix of sight gags, sound effects and tasteless humor. The first show of the new season just had childish humor. The charm of Ren & Simpson is the unique art style with the right sound effects and music." ■ Kyle A. Miller, The Daily O'Collegian, Oklahoma State U.
Movies you just gotta see
When Joel Heller, a New York U. senior, takes his screenplays to producers, he hopes they'll already have his Must-See Movie calendar on their desk.
centers the ultimate video renter's companion" - was created by student entrepreneur Heller and 11 other writers and movie viewers.
Heller expects the calendar, published by Random House, to be a "hot" holiday gift item this year. At least one film producer has ordered 300 of the nationally selling calendars.
His 1993 Must-See Movies daily calendar -
Each on-page includes the movie's rating, running time, suggestions for similar movies and a synopsis of why it topped the list. With such diverse films as The Graduate, Pump Up the Volume and Viva Las Vegas, the main criteria for selection were entertainment value, he says.
"We want people to trust the calendar like a friend who knows everything about movies," Heller says.
And Chuck Dresner, Heller's editor at Random House, says it's a gift that lasts well beyond a year. "Not only does this use both sides of the paper, but there is incentive to save it and use it," he says. ■ Donna Ragsdale, *The Breeze*, James Madison U.
Spreading holiday joy
Many college students — famous for partying and all-night cramming — put aside their books and beers during the holidays to spend countless volunteer hours in the communities surrounding their campuses. "The
"The campus here is a very giving community and almost everyone participates in different fund-raising activities like food and clothing drives," said Aaron, a senior fraternity member of Beta Theta Pi at the U. of Kansas.
The Chabah House at the U. of Massachusetts offers students a place to mingle and learn during the holidays, says Yocheladelin, co-director of the house.
Bouncing for bucks at Vermont
variety of religious backgrounds volunteer their time at the U. of Washington
"We've participated in an annual food drive for about five years to get food out to those in need," says Travis Messer, assistant social service chairman for Alpha Tau Omega.
"The brothers learn a lot about themselves, others and different cultures when they spend time helping other people." ■ Stacy Malone,
Deciy Collegian, U. of Massachusetts
U. THE NATIONAL COLLEGE MAGAZINE DECEMBER 1992