THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10.2008
NEWS
ANSAN
0,2008
3A
ASSOCIATED PRESS
People gather before marching on the Mormon Temple in protest Friday in Salt Lake City, Leaders of the successful Proposition 8 campaign said an unusual coalition of evangelical Christians, Mormons and Roman Catholics built a majority at the poll Tuesday by harnessing church's organizational muscle to promote a message about what school children might be taught about gay relationships if the ban failed.
PROTEST
Same-sex marriage ban stands, protests erupt
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN DIEGO — As many as 10,000 people took to the streets in San Diego, and similar numbers marched in Los Angeles Saturday to protest passage of an anti-gay marriage ballot initiative, authorities said.
Demonstrators began marching through central San Diego at noon, according to police Sgt. Diane Wendell. The event lasted about 90 minutes and was peaceful, with no arrests.
The march in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles began at Saturday evening and lasted about four hours, said police Sgt. Jake Bushy. No incidents were reported as demonstrators marched down Sunset Boulevard carrying signs and waving banners.
The demonstrations were the largest of several marches that followed Tuesday's passage of Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages and overturning the state Supreme Court decision that legalized such unions in May.
A candlelight vigil in Laguna Beach Saturday evening drew about 1,000 people and police reported no incidents.
On Friday, tensions flared at a vigil at Palm Springs City Hall when a supporter of the gay marriage ban carrying a plastic foam cross clashed with protesters, according to The Desert Sun. The
crowd ripped the cross from her hands and stomped on it. About 2,000 people gathered in Long Beach Friday night and there were three arrests.
"Separate church and state" and waved rainbow flags outside the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which encouraged its members to work to pass the amendment by volunteering for the campaign.
In Salt Lake City Friday night, a crowd of about 2,000 chanted
INTERNATIONAL 20 suffocate,21 injured in Russian naval accident
MOSCOW — The fire safety system on a brand-new Russian nuclear submarine accidentally turned on as the sub was being tested in the Sea of Japan, spewing a gas that suffocated 20 people and sent 21 others to the hospital, officials said Sunday.
Yet it was Russia's worst naval accident since torpedo explosions sank another nuclear-powered submarine, the Kursk, in
The Russian Navy said the submarine itself was not damaged in Saturday's accident and returned to its base on Russia's Pacific coast under its own power Sunday. The accident also did not pose any radiation danger, the navy said.
The submarine being tested had 208 people aboard, including 81 seamen, according to Russian navy spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo. Yet Russian news agencies said a sub of this type normally carries only a crew of 73.
the Barents Sea in 2000, killing all 118 seamen aboard.
Associated Press
RESEARCH
Professors'liberal influence'a myth Students'political beliefs are formed long before college
BY RYAN MCGEENEY
rmcgeeney@kansan.com
In the days leading up to the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama buttons and T-shirts nearly overtook campus as the fashion du jour. But those looking to hold professors responsible for the overwhelming popularity of the Democratic candidate find themselves increasingly at odds with research on where students' beliefs originate.
Ellen Jensby, Wichita thirdyear law student, said that by the time students reached the university
prised by the results of the recent studies.
"We live in an era when people are suspicious of institutions," said Cigler, who has taught at the University since 1970. "Much of the talk is about media bias, and you saw it with the presidential election. Well, universities are institutions, too, and there's just a general suspicion that because the
"... it would be very,very difficult to actually change people's minds about their values. They're simply too ingrained."
ALLAN CIGLER Professor of political science
had already formed their political beliefs.
The article "Indoctrination U? Faculty Ideology and Changes in Student Political Orientation" published in the journal's October issue, examined almost 7,000 students at 38 institutions of higher learning and found that students' political views were not swayed by their professors' political leanings. A second study, which reached similar conclusions, is slated to run in the journal's April 2009 issue.
"I think, at this point, we're pretty much set in our ways," Jensby said.
That attitude was supported by two recent studies accepted by "PS: Political Science & Politics," the quarterly journal of the American Political Science Association. Researchers found that the political leanings of professors had no measurable influence on the political attitudes and opinions of their students.
Allan Cigler, professor of political science, said that while he was familiar with the conventional wisdom of "liberal indoctrination" on college campuses, he was not sur-
faculty tend to be overwhelmingly Democrat that somehow there is this deliberate attempt to indoctrinate people."
C i g l e r said a body of research already existed that suggested
students weren't especially affected by their professors' beliefs.
"It comes down to values," Cigler said. "You certainly can affect the students' ideas about who important candidates are, or what major policy issues are, but it would be very, very difficult to actually change people's minds about their values. They're simply
too ingrained. Cigler also dismissed the notion that students were particularly vulnerable to being subconsciously manipulated.
a recipient of a 2008 Kemper Award for Teaching Excellence. "We ask them to see eight sides of the story. The idea is to make sure they have the room to explore the intellectual merits of multiple perspectives. I think that's the training we've all been given, and it's something we believe."
"Peopleknow when people are trying to force individuals in there"
Britton identified the idea of indoctrination at public institutions as a "societal myth."
Actual incidents of indoctrination at the University seemed to be in short supply among students.
"They definitely encourage students to examine their beliefs," Shriwise said. "To look at their thoughts and make difficult decisions — that's been huge in an election year."
Mandy Shriwise, Overland Park senior, said that she typically felt challenged, rather than directed, by professors when it came to her own preconceived notions.
values on them," Cigler said.
Israel Interiano, Wichita graduate student, said that in his coursework this semester, political parties had essentially been presented as hypothetical catalysts for the future of U.S. tax code, the subject of Interiano's graduate work.
"I think, at this point, we're pretty much set in our ways."
"My professors basically say, if the Republicans remain in office.
Hannah Britton, associate professor of both women, gender and sexuality studies and political science, said that she avoided issues of bias in her classes by not narrowing students' discussions to arbitrary right-or-wrong arguments.
"We never ask students to see two sides of the story," said Britton.
ELLEN JENSBY Third-year law student
this is what will happen. If the Democrats come into office, this is what will happen," Interiano said. "It's not to influence us — it's just 'this happens' or 'that happens'"
Jensby said that the political leanings of most of her professors had largely remained a mystery.
"More than anything, it's the students who show their political affiliation" she said.
Edited by Rachel Burchfield
THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS November 10,2008
Probably at least 1500 miles from Lawrence. Why should this matter to you?
KNOW WHERE YOUR FOOD CAME FROM?
Come And Find Out What Local People Are Doing About It!
LAWRENCE'S LOCAL FOOD AND LOCALVORES
Presentation by DAN NAGENGAST of the Kansas Rural Center
Open discussion moderated by SIMRAN SETHI With local growers, entrepreneurs, and educators.
6:00 PM Thursday Nov.13th ECM 1204 Oread
Sponsors: KU Environs, E.A.R.T.H, Oxfam KU, Lawrence Fair Trade
Homework for Friday:
Attend services in Woodruff Auditorium at 6 P.M.
Enjoy dinner in the Ballroom at 7 P.M.
ROCK CHALK SHABBAT
Extra Credit:*Bring non-pershables for (Museum or) donations for hair extensions
*Stay the whole night and receive prizes from the annual raffle
envirors Oxfam
Kansas Union November 14,2008
definition: (rok chawk sha-baht)
1. the largest Shabbat celebration ever at KU
2. a time spent with over 900 family and friends
3. the place to be on November 14th*
KU
Hillie
PLATFORM COMMUNITY
THE FEDERALIST SOCIETY
Presents...Professor Robert Turner, University of Virginia School of Law "Resolved: The 1973 War Powers Resolution is Unconstitutional, Unnecessary, Unwise, and ought to be Repealed."
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12,2008 4:00-5:00pm Green Hall (Law School Building) Room 127
THE KU MARKETING CLUB PRESENTS
The 7th Annual Career Development Conference Friday, November 21, 2008 at the 4th floor of the Kansas Union 12:30 - 5:00pm
Open to ALL KU students, free of charge Attend interactive workshops, compete in a case competition, and gain valuable knowledge from a panel of speakers.
KU Cultural India Club
diva
---
Come experience a night of Indian culture by celebrating ' Diwali' with us. In case you have any questions for further information, please contact us.
When. Nov. 16th, 2008 (6:00 pm)
Where: Woodruff Auditorium.
Kansas Union
Russell Cohen
1301 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence KS 66045
Lawrence, KS 66045
Admission: FREE
Indian Dinner: Members: $7 / Non-members: $10 Dinner tickets can be bought at the venue
Visit us : http://groups.ku.edu/~kuiindia/
Alternative Spring Break with Lutheran Campus Ministry
Everyone is invited to come and learn about this opportunity to join in community service and to sightsee in the Big Apple.
Informational meeting Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 8:00 p.m.
Lutheran Campus Ministry • 18 East 13th St.
Interested? Email: juliejh@ku.edu