CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Thursday, October 1, 1992
3
Student art league loses Senate fight
Group gets half of funds sought
By Stacy Morford
Kansan staff writer
The KU Art Students' League had to fight for financing from Student Senate's finance committee last night and came away with approval for only half the amount it requested.
Courtlandt McQuire, fine arts senator and a member of the league, presented the bill, requesting $1,654 to pay for student art shows in the Kansas Union and in galleries in Kansas City and Chicago. The finance committee cut that amount to $916.50 before it passed the bill.
"This money would allow students to have their work seen; it's an outlet for all students." McQuire said.
"Once again, fine arts is getting the gavel."
McQuire pointed out two other bills to finance artist's groups which had recently been cut by Senate; the alternative magazines Pinch, which no longer exists because it was denied funding, and KIOSK, which will put out fewer copies this year because its funding was cut.
Eric Medill, Nunemaker senator, defended the committee's decision to cut Art Students' League's financing. Few KU students would actually be able to attend the Chicago show, Medill said. He also reminded the committee to beware of allocating too much money so soon in the year.
"It isn't that we're sticking it to the art department or the art students,"
But McQuire said he thought the senators were missing the point entirely.
He said $1600 was not really a lot considering where the money went and the students it helped.
He said the students participating in the shows would be representing KU, and the art shows would attract recognition for the students and make other artists aware of the art school at KU.
Other bills passed by Senate committees last night included:
University Affairs unanimous support for safe harbor, which allows students to play songs with indecent songs on JKHK between 8 p.m. and 6
$2000 to fund Native American Heritage Month, sponsored by the Native American Student Association.
$389.50 to finance Homeless Awareness Week
$1648 to finance a KU Cultural India Club.
By Stacy Morford
Kansan staff writer
Senate to provide forum for students
Student Senate has begun a series of question and answer forums designed to bridge communication gaps between senators and their constituents.
Student body president Brad Garlinghouse and student body vice president Lance Wright plan to visit each living group and organization where they camped last spring, while senators will meet with the students in their designated schools.
"It doesn't matter what it goes as long as someone gets out there and lets students know how to reach us," said Kristin Lange, student
executive committee chair.
Garlinghouse, Wright and Lange made their first appearance Tuesday night at Gertitude Sellards Pearson-Corbin Hall. They explained Senate's role on campus and discussed current issues with about 20 students. The team will meet with GSP-Corbin's hall government again on Sunday.
Lange said the best way for students to discuss their suggestions or complaints with Senate representatives was to attend the forums or to call or visit the Senate office in the Kansas Union.
Most of the forums will be held in organized living halls and buildings associated with the senators' schools.
"It could be that we haven't provided the service we should, and a lot of students will show up at these sessions," Lange said. "Once people get into office they don't represent the groups well at all. It's just very difficult to talk to people regularly and they can't reach everyone."
The upcoming forums will provide the senators an opportunity to explain Senate's responsibilities to discuss the issues facing campus.
Marc Wilson, liberal arts and sciences senator, is organizing the first of these forums for juniors and seniors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences on Oct. 12 at the Walnut Room in the Kansas Union
Paul Kotz / Special to the KANSAN
Hemp harmony
Todd Moore, Lenexa senior, plays an original song, "Green Grows the Wonder Weed" in front of Wescoe Hall. The song about marijuana was delivered yesterday at the weekly "Soapbox" forum sponsored by KJHK.
KU minority enrollment up
Asian-American numbers post greatest gain
By Christine Laue Kansan staff writer
The number of minority students enrolled at the University of Kansas this fall increased 5.4 percent, KU officials said yesterday.
The Asian-American student enrollment showed the largest increase, 66 students, for a total of 768, while the American Indian student enrollment decreased the most, 21, for a total of 191.
Enrollment of African-American students also increased, 28 students, to 754. Hispanic-American student
David Skeeter, president of the Native American Student Association, said he thought last year's American Indian enrollment was lower than the number recorded this year. This would refute the University's statistics. The discrepancy could be caused by people who identify their race on enrollment sheets by incorrectly marking Native American, Skeeter said.
enrollment rose by 42 students to 546. According to the head count on the 20th day of classes, the total number of minority students at the Lawrence campus was 1,978, and 281 at the KU Medical Center. KU's overall enrollment this fall increased by 11 students to 29,161.
"First I would take the numbers and verify them, because we have had some problems with people marking Native American." Skeeter said.
He said that if there had been a
decrease, it could be attributed to students who left because of financial problems.
"I don't think it is a University problem, but is is hard to say," Skeeter said.
Money problems are a significant reason why the number of African-American students is not higher, said Elliott Bailey, vice president of the Black Student Union. Bailey said that he was happy to hear about the increase of 28 African-American students but that more efforts were needed to retain them at the University.
"The 28 students per se really isn't going to make a difference," Bailey said. "It's the Black students influencing those students to come back."
Suzanne Racine, president of the Hispanic-American Leadership Organization, was pleased to hear that there were 42 more Hispanic-
American students at KU this fall.
"I think it's good, but it could always be better," Racine said. "I'm expecting it to grow, and I hope it does."
Sherwood Thompson, director of the office of minority affairs, said this year's increase of 115 students was part of an overall steady increase in minority student enrollment. The increase is an important indicator of progress being made at KU, he said.
"We have a long way to go, but at least we're making an appreciable difference," he said. "It's apparent that there are two winners. Those winners are minority students and the University as a whole."
Chancellor Gene Budig said, "KU continues to attract able students of all ethnic backgrounds. The increases in minority enrollment this year are particularly noteworthy given the national trends and the stable enrollment patterns at KU."
Clinton breaks tradition, professor says
Campaign strategy embraces pop media to gain supporters
Bill Clinton's appearances on pop television shows have given him an edge in the 1992 presidential campaign, said Ellen Reid Gold, associate professor of communication studies, at a University Forum speech yesterday.
Rather than using only traditional media methods to disseminate his views, such as televised debates and campaign commercials, Clinton has
turned to such channels as MTV and shows like "Nashville Now" and "Arsenio Hall," she said.
"During the spring and summer, Bill Clinton came into our homes," she said. "We became familiar with the things he was saying, the way he thinks, the way he talks. He is no longer a stranger to us."
Speaking to about 50 people in the Ecumenical Christian Ministries building, Gold said that part of the reason for Clinton's approach was that the Democratic ticket was seeking to lure new constituencies into its camp.
When Bill Clinton and Al Gore appeared on "Nashville Now," a show featuring country music, they were attempting to reach white males who had voted Democrat in the past but
had supported Republicans in recent elections, she said.
"The strategy is to coax those 'Bubbas' back into the Democrat camp," she said.
Gold said that Bush was given an opportunity to appear on "Nashville Now" but had turned down the invitation.
News coverage of the campaign also has changed during this election year, she said. She cited a study indicating that network television was devoting 66 percent more time to substantial coverage of issues than it had in previous election years.
"But since all we're talking about is a two-minute sound bite here, to increase that by 66 percent may still not be all that much," she said.
Part of the media's contribution to
the campaign has been to blur the line between fiction and reality, she said.
Both campaigns have become embroiled in conflicts with fiction, she said, pointing to Dan Quayle's attack on the family values of Murphy Brown, a television sitcom character, and Hillary Clinton's statement putting down a Tammy Wynette song.
Murphy Brown's reply to Quayle during a recent episode of the show was especially confusing, she said.
Candice Bergen, the actress who plays the character of Murphy Brown, acted the part of a television reporter giving a television editorial on family values.
"We have a TV character speaking directly to the audience," Gold said. "It's hard to remember that we're looking at fiction."
PEACE with justice weeks
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1992
7:30 PM
KANSAS UNION
BALLROOM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: FAITH WITH JUSTICE, BY BISHOP THOMAS GUMBLETON, ROMAN CATHOLIC AUXILIARY BISHOP OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF DETROIT.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1992
7:30 PM
ECUMENICAL
CHRISTIANMINISTRIES
1204 OREAD RD.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1992
12:00 - 4:00 PM
ST. LAWRENCE CATHOLIC
CAMPUS CENTER
1631 CRESCENT RD.
MOVIE: BOYZ 'N THE HOOD
WORKSHOP: CREATING PEACE WITH JUSTICE
SUNDAY,OCTOBER 4,1992
7:30 PM
CENTRAL UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH
1501 MASSACHUSETTS
ON THE COLUMBUS
QUINCENTENNIAL. GUSTAVO
PARAQON, PRESIDENT, COUNCIL OF
EVANGELICAL CHURCHES OF
NICARAGUA (CEPAD)
A L L E V E N T S A R E F R E E F R E
SPONSORED BY: THE ST. LAWRENCE CATHOLIC CAMPUS CENTER, ECUMENICAL CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES (PRESBYTERIAN (USA), UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN), UNITED METHODIST CAMPUS MINISTRIES, LAWRENCE COALITION FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE, AMERICAN BAPTIST CAMPUS MINISTRY, SOUTHERN BAPTIST CAMPUS MINISTRY, LATIN AMERICAN SOLIDARITY, FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CAMPUS, LAWRENCE MENNONITE NELLEWISH, CANTERRY HOUSE EPISCOPAL CHURCH & PEACE WITH JUSTICE NETWORK, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES.