monday, September 22, 2003
news
the university daily kansan 3
3A
Nada Al-Wadi listened to Tom Volek, professor of journalism, discuss the differences between journalism in the United Sates and her native Bahrain. Al-Wadi and fellow journalist, Kuwaiti Rana Kamshad, visited the University of Kansas on Friday.
Arab journalists visit University
By Meghan Brune
mrbruce@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Two Middle-Eastern journalists stopped at the University of Kansas on Friday to broaden their knowledge of media in the United States.
Rana Kamshad, Kuwait, and Nada Al-Wadi, Bahrain, came as part of the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Program.
The program provides funds for young journalists from around the world to visit professionals in the United States.
Kamshad's eyes widened as she told a story from her San Francisco trip.
"They asked us if we had the Internet vet," Kamshad said.
Kamshad said while she was surprised by the Internet question, she was not shocked to find that many Americans didn't
know about her country.
The paper that Kamshad works for, Al Seyassah, has 12 to 14 pages of international news daily. The United States papers she saw had two to four pages of international coverage.
She said Americans were more concerned with their local governments, while national governmental decisions affected everyone in Kuwait.
The women started their 21 day tour of United States media Sept. 6 in Washington, D.C., then moved to San Francisco before coming to Kansas. Each city had a different focus — politics in Washington D.C., youth journalism in San Francisco and independence in the media in Kansas City.
On campus, they spoke with journalism classes and visited The University Daily Kansan and KUJH-TV. They visited other Kansas media outlets as well.
They will finish their trip in New York.
Al-Wadi said she was curious about the media and how it ran in the United States.
"I thought that American media would be so independent," Al Wadi said, "but I see that it is very similar in many ways to what is in our own countries."
Her goal is to become more open-minded, learn more about the United States and then take it back to her country, Al-Wadi said.
The paper that Al-Wadi works for, Al Wasat, has little history because it began in 2002.
Both journalists plan to use their experience to educate the people of their countries about the United States. Kamshad and Al-Wadi will write stories for their newspapers about their trip.
Al-Wadl, who is visiting the United States for the first time, said her stories would clear up some misconceptions from peo-
"I had the idea that I would face so many problems for wearing my head scarf," Al-Wadi said. "But people accept me as I am; no one took a second look."
Journalism professor Tom Volek escorted Al-Wadi and Khamshad at the University.
"International contacts are very important, especially with what is happening in the Middle East." Volek said.
Volek said their visit gave American students a chance to break down their stereotypes and learn something themselves.
Kamshad said that it was her country's responsibility to communicate with other nations, but she advised students to take the initiative.
"If you are interested, you have to look for it," Kamshad said. "Don't wait for it to come to you."
Edited by Ashley Marriott
Panel eliminates Miss Kansas early
By Abby Mills almills@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
About 20 women gathered at the Kappa Alpha Theta house
Saturday night to see Angela Busby compete as Miss Kansas in the 2003 Miss America competition. They didn't see her for long.
Busby was eliminated in the first round
Busby
and was only on stage for the introductory portion of the event.
"It's ok," said Amy Schaeffer, St. Louis sophomore. "We're here for her."
Busby is a senior at the University of Kansas from Lenexa and a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. She was crowned Miss Kansas in June.
Those watching Saturday said even though she didn't win the contest, they were proud of her. Stephanie Dorr, Topeka sophomore, said she had boasted to people all week that her "big sister" in the house was going to compete for Miss America.
When Busby came on the
screen, girls at the party cheered for her. They said they were excited to see someone they knew competing on national television.
"It's really neat because there are all these famous people there, and there she is," said Megan Sweet, Hutchinson sophomore. "We're used to hanging out with her here at the house."
Busby was the featured baton twirler for the Marching Jayhawks and used that talent in her pageants.
She was also recruitment chair for her sorority and involved in several other campus organizations before she was selected Miss Kansas.
"It's amazing," she said. "I know how much she's involved in. I don't know how she got there."
Sydney Martens, Leawood freshman, said she was impressed Busby had done so well with such a full schedule.
After Busby was eliminated, women at the party rooted for Miss Hawaii, Kanoelani Gibson, who won first runner-up. Miss Florida, Ericka Dunlap, took the Miss America title. She also received a rhinestone tiara, $50,000 in scholarship aid and a yearlong national speaking tour.
Edited by Doyle Murphy
Miss America crowned
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Practice makes perfect. The new Miss America can attest to it.
Ericka Dunlap, 21, of Orlando, Fla., who has been competing in beauty pageants since she was a child, saw the preparation pay off Saturday when she was crowned Miss America 2004.
Dunlap, a senior at the University of Central Florida who hopes to become a lawyer, captured the title by beating out 50 other
women, including a physician, two Harvard University graduates and a half-dozen other women either in law school or headed there.
The youngest of five children, she got into pageants at 6, when her mother gave her a program book from one. Dunlap stayed up into the night reading it and was hooked.
She won her first pageant at age 8.