tuesday, november 11,2003
news
the university daily kansan 5A
LCOHOL: Anti-drinking committee tries new tactics
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about the cost and nutritional components of alcohol.
One poster, for example, proclaims that for the price of a case of beer, students can buy a week's worth of lattes, a month's membership at a gym or dinner for two at La Parrilla, 814 Massachusetts St. Another poster tells students that six beers have the same amount of calories as five hot dogs.
Melissa Smith, public health educator at Watkins Memorial Health Center and member of the development committee, said the posters were designed to trigger a response from students.
"Different things affect different people," she said. "Are you a calorie counter? Well, count this."
Each poster pack also provides space for students to respond to the information. The Alcohol Education Committee
"But people just make fun of the posters. They don't take them seriously."
Arturo Benavente Lima, Peru, junior
will meet in two weeks to discuss the feedback it receives. From there, it will decide where to go with the rest of the campaign.
"It's cool that it asks questions and gives us new information," he said. "But if they're telling college students to not drink, they should save their breath."
Kyle Twenter, Lee's Summit, Mo., junior, said the campaign was informative, but he worried that it was a waste of time.
Arturo Benavente asked whether a poster campaign was the best way to get information across.
"That stuff is good to know," the
Lima, Peru, junior, said. "But people just make fun of the posters They don't take them seriously."
Robertson said the committee had developed projects beyond the poster series, which she wanted to implement later this year. She did not discuss them.
Robertson did disclose that the University is working with local beer distributors to provide educational and promotional items bearing the campaign's motto. Calling cards probably will be handed out before spring break, she said.
Smith said that whether it used posters or calling cards, the campaign aimed to raise awareness and to offset the pro-alcohol advertising that students so often see.
"Advertising tells students that alcohol will make life so much better," she said. "But too often, alcohol gets in the way."
Jared Soares/Kansan
Edited by Cate Batchelder
RESPECT: Week designed to encourage openness
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The week includes a variety of activities designed to expose the campus to multiculturalism. Last year, the major event of the week was tearing down a wall of hateful graffiti in front of Stauffer-Flint Hall. Although some events focus on hate and the power it entails, students should get a different message from Hate Out Week, Daniels said. Respect is more important, he said.
Yalanda Jackson, Kansas City, Kan., freshman, hands Kyndel Lanning, Winfield freshman, a Hate Out flier in front of Wescoe Hall. This week is Hate Out Week, an annual event that works to promote multiculturalism.
Ohio. He's been coming to
"We'll do this stuff and people will say. 'As a minority, when was the first time you experienced racism?'" Daniels said.
When he thinks of race, Daniels said, he doesn't think of racism. He remembers the people of all races whom he loved. Daniels respects everyone every week, he said. Hate Out Week is one week where he makes it a point to share his respect for all cultures.
Andrade wanted to tell his story, and Daniels was there to listen.
Andrade travels from Bolivia each year for four months to sell sweaters from Washington to
annual event that works to promote Ohio. He's been coming to the University of Kansas for 10 years. He works to take money home.
"We create co-ops so we can sell Bolivian products so indigenous people can have lights and water." Andrade said. "We are working for our basic needs."
Andrade showed Daniels the products, pictures of his family
Daniels wanted Andrade to know he cared. That's the whole point of Hate Out Week, Daniels said. He respects his culture and his clothing. All cultures are fashionable, Daniels said.
— Edited by Abby Sidesinger and Joey Berlin
Shaffer's stay at Alabama would be short-lived as well, however. In February 1956, Authorine Lucy, the first African-American student to be admitted to Alabama, was asked to leave the school by the board of trustees just a month after she was admitted because of student rioting over her presence.
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Outraged over the treatment of Lucy, Shaffer resigned his position at the school and wrote a letter to the editor of the local newspaper explaining his views.
After sending out 75 letters to other universities to try and find a new position, Shaffer chose the University of Kansas. He moved here in June 1956 and taught economics, specializing in the Soviet economy.
"They threw her out without even giving her a chance," he said. "It wasn't right."
Shaffer's social conscience found a perfect home in the largely liberal Lawrence environment. He became heavily involved in the integration movement and was president of the Lawrence League for the Practice of Democracy, an organization that strived for the equal treatment of all people.
SHAFFER: Professor has been teaching for 55 years
Shaffer organized marches and vigils and once gave a talk to more than 3,000 students.
"Lawrence was a very liberal place during that time, especially during the war, even more so than now," he said. "It seems today, and this doesn't apply to everyone, but students seem more concerned with just making money."
Shaffer gets up from the couch and walks toward the large window facing the street. He waves to a woman walking by. A few minutes later, the same woman walks through the door.
"You've been gone 38 minutes," he says. "That's a little longer than usual."
The woman, his wife Betty, of 19 years, has just returned from her morning walk.
"They threw her out without even giving her a chance. It wasn't right."
Harry Shaffer
Economics professor on Authorine Lucy's treatment at the University of Alabama-Birmingham
Shaffer begins to talk about his wife and how they met. The story is a tale straight out of Hollywood.
"It was March 29, 1984. I was going to Harvard University to give a speech on the Soviet economy, and I stopped off in New York first to visit family," he said. "Betty was going to Harvard to visit her son who went to school there, but stopped in New York to visit family as well."
Both had reservations to fly into Boston from New York City at different times and on different airlines, but a snowstorm grounded all the airplanes. By chance, both decided to take the train to Boston instead and met at Penn Station in New York City.
"Now, I'd been divorced for 10 years at this point," he said. "But within one hour of meeting Betty, I knew that was it. I'd found the right lady."
Shaffer said that his next problem was how he would get her to leave her home in California and come to Lawrence with him.
"Once we got to Harvard, she and her son came to see my talk," he said. "After that, I knew I had a chance."
Shaffer pursued her relentlessly after that, sending her roses, writing letters and calling her every night.
"Three months later, she was in Lawrence," he said. "We've been happy ever since."
Surrounded by pictures of Shaffer's four children and two grandchildren and Betty's two children and four grandchildren, it's easy to believe him when he says this.
Sitting on the couch again, Shaffer holds up the 2003 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Career Achievement Teaching Award that the University presented to him in September. It was the fourth one given.
Shaffer had to retire from teaching full time in 1990 because he turned 70, the mandatory retirement age for teachers. He still teaches one class a semester, the introductory economics course for non-economic majors.
***
After 55 years of teaching, Shaffer has pretty much seen it all. He's visited every socialist country, except Albania, which "wouldn't let him in," and has written 10 books on socialism and one on capitalism in U.S. society. Although he's not as active as he used to be with the peace movement, he still attends anti-war vigils now and then. He's got plenty to say about the current state of the American economy, but, in a nutshell describes our current system as one that pretty much only "helps Bush and his wealthy friends."
***
Flipping through them, there are comments like, "smartest man I've ever met," and "cutest professor at KU."
I shut my notebook. We talk for a few more minutes, during which Shaffer shows off some of the student evaluations he got at the end of last semester.
"This is what keeps me young," he says. "My students and my wife."
Shaffer says that he plans on teaching for as long as he can. He never plans to leave Lawrence, his home for 47 years, except to travel.
"Lawrence and KU have been very good to me and my family," he says. "I couldn't have asked for a better place than this."
This sounds important, I think to myself reopening the notebook. Maybe I should write it down.
Edited by Nikki Overfelt