Volume 124 Issue 42
Thursday, October 20, 2011
kansan.com
the student voice since 1904
NOT YOUR ROUTINE AWARENESS
COMEDY FOR DISABILITIES
KELSEY CIPOLLA
kcipolla@kansan.com
Disabilities are no laughing matter. Unless they are being discussed by comedian Josh Blue, who focuses his stand-up routine on his cerebral palsy. Blue won NBC's Last Comic Standing in 2006 and performed in Woodruff Auditorium last night as part of Disability Awareness Month.
Blue started off the night reminiscing about being born in Africa and traveling as a child.
"I got to see other parts of the world and see how other people are living," he said. "And I realized that just because I have this physical disability doesn't mean I don't have a ton of spectacular things going on in my life. Like food and shoes."
He then turned his attention to Lawrence and the University of Kansas sports teams.
"You guys have an awesome basketball team, by the way," Blue said. "But I could play for your football team."
Some of the biggest laughs of the night came courtesy of the sign language interpreters who sat on the corner of the stage and at times attempted to recreate the unusual position of Blue's right hand caused by his cerebral palsy when it was part of his jokes.
"I've got palsy," he said after catching the interpreter mimicking him. "I'm not blind."
Ryan King, a freshman from Omaha, Neb., was a fan of Blue's before the show thanks to "Last Comic Standing" and said that he enjoyed his live performance, too. King was impressed by how the comedian embraced his disability and turned it into the subject of his stand up routine.
"I think it's awesome," said King. "A lot of people would be embarrassed, but he uses it to his advantage."
Throughout the night, students laughed at Blue mocking his own disability. Getting people to see the disabled in a new way is a goal of Blue's and of Disability Awareness Month.
"It's not about making people feel guilty," said Mary Ann Rasnak, director of the Academic Achievement and Access Center, which co-sponsored the event with SUA. "It's about recognition."
Edited by Jennifer DiDonato
Rasnak said she would like everybody on campus to become more aware of staff, faculty and students with disabilities and recognize how they contribute to campus and the community.
CAMPUS
Tell-all actor comes to campus screening
CAITLIN DOORNBOS editor@kansan.com
Editor's Note: Caitlin Doornbos is the KJHK news director. She was given extended access to the actor Andy Dick when he was in Lawrence earlier this week. This is her first-person perspective of her time with him.
Andy Dick brought his mix of the profane and heartfelt onto campus Monday in a brief stop along his road to a comeback.
KHK reporter Cattin Doornbos poses with Andy Dick after his screening. Doornbos had the chance to get to know the "real" Andy for a day...
CONTRIBUTED BY TED GIANOPULOS
Traveling to colleges all over the U.S. on a screening tour, the notorious actor may have seemed an odd fit at a university, given his troubled past. Nevertheless, SUA brought Dick in Monday night for a screening of his new film, "Division III," which was followed by a Q&A.
A Twitter request for an interview received a near instantaneous reply. I told him to look for a blonde college girl hunting him down after the screening of the movie.
“@kjhknews No, you look for me, Andy,” he wrote. “The skinny, blond, faggoty idiot who was in the movie you just saw.”
That was the Andy Dick I was expecting. My mother warned me before meeting with him. "Careful, he has a crime record," she said.
And indeed he does. In addition to roles on the NBC show "NewsRadio" and ABC's "Less Than Perfect" and appearances on Comedy Central Roasts, he has also played the role of jail inmate. Police have arrested the actor multiple times for drug use, possession and public intoxication. Dick has also been arrested for sexual battery.
What I found, however, was an individual immersed in his own insecurity. He admitted that he believes the same openness that he has always held with his fans led to the public intoxication and media scrutiny. But this openness was the same element that al-
SEE CELEBRITY PAGE 3
LOCAL
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN word from city officials
One of multiple banners hangs near Occupy Lawrence's camp in South Park. The movement received word from city officials.
Wednesday afternoon that they'd have to leave the park by 11:30 Thursday night.
Occupy Lawrence protest will remain in South Park
LUKE RANKER
Iranker@kansan.com
The City of Lawrence informed the Occupy Lawrence group camping in South Park Wednesday afternoon that they would have to obey city ordinance and leave the park after hours.
Toni Wheeler, director of the legal department, visited the group with Parks and Recreation interim director Ernie Shaw, superintendent Mark Hecker and chief of police Tarik Khatib. The city delegates informed the group that after 11:30 p.m. Thursday night they would consider Occupy Lawrence in violation of city park hours.
According to a city ordinance all city parks except Burcham Park are closed between 11:30 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Burcham is closed after 10:30 p.m.
"It was a cordial meeting,very cooperative," Wheeler said. "I am hopeful they comply."
After a three-hour debate, the Occupy Lawrence group decided that members could make individual decisions about staying in the park past 11:30 p.m., but as a group they "stand in solidarity" with those who stay.
"It's about respecting that some can't deal with legal action," Lydia Gibson, who facilitated the groups assembly Wednesday night, said. She said she hadn't personally made a decision about whether she would stay or not.
Wheeler said the city expects the group to have a decision about whether they'll stay by 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning.
approach the city at the 8:30 a.m. with a question about how they could continue 24-hour occupation.
Wheeler said that earlier in the week the group had a 24-hour permit which expired, but they have been working with the Occupy group.
"Our plan is to remain in communication with them," she said.
Jennifer Dillon, a group member acting as legal liaison with the city, spoke to a member of the police department via phone during the debate. She said the member had assured her that no arrests would be made Thursday night, but it was still a possibility that police would write citations to those trespassing in the
The movement also voted to
Index
CLASSIFIEDS 7
CROSSWORD 4
CRYPTOQUIPS 4
OPINION 5
SPORTS 8
SUDOKU 4
SEE OCCUPY PAGE 3
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2011 The University Daily Kansan
Don't forget
Decorate your own cupcake at SUA's Tea at Three in the Kansas Union today.
4
Today's weather
HI: 56
L0: 29
Forecast, done by University students. For a more detailed forecast, see page 24.
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two months this will be warm.