thursday, September 11. 2003
news
the university daily kansan 5A
Multicultural success focus of conference
By Johanna M. Maska
jmaska@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Hemay have four years of school to go, but Addam Fulson is already preparing for the job market.
The Lenexa freshman was one of about 200 students who came to the Multicultural Student Success Conference yesterday afternoon at the Kansas Union ballroom.
More than 30 organizations showcased opportunities for minority students. Speakers, break-out sessions and food were also part of the package.
The conference's keynote speaker was Rickey Jones, C.E.O of the Way Group, a global church support group.
Affirmative action and quotas are a thing of the past, Jones said. The Supreme Court's decision abolishing the University of Michigan's admissions standards overturned programs that had helped minority students, he said. Michigan had used a point system allotting points to under-represented minorities. Now they have to help themselves, Jones said.
Sometimes companies won't be racially discriminating, but they hire someone based on fam
lv or friend connections, he said.
Matthew Stafford, a Merck pharmaceutical representative, discussed employment opportunities with Robin Zazove, Arlington Heights, Ill., senior, at the Multicultural Student Success Conference yesterday. Held at the Ballroom of the Kansas Union, the event featured speakers, activities and a job fair with corporate booths.
"Students have to arm themselves to compete," Jones said.
Z. Gordon Straus/Kansan
tony Daniels, associate director of the office of multicultural affairs, was the man of the evening. Daniels has worked to prepare the conference since the first conference last year.
"It's good, real good," he said with a smile.
Before Jones spoke, an Inroads representative attracted about 20 students seeking applications, and Fulson was among them. Inroads seeks minority applicants for various corporate internships. After Fulson turns his application in, the company will contact him with available opportunities.
Philip Morris, ROTC, Sears,
Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Teach
for America also sent representatives. Most representatives showed a diverse team.
John Cathcart-Rake, Teach for America representative, came last year. He said the conference had grown. Teach for America is a program that recruits graduating seniors to teach for two years in areas with struggling school systems. Although Teach for America targets those graduating, interested freshman still picked up pamphlets.
are getting information and they may not have known of the opportunity" Daniels said.
"We have a lot of students that
Mark Dupree, Kansas City, senior, said the conference showed the University's commitment to minority success.
At the conference Dupree chatted with a Philip Morris representative. Though he may not be working for Phillip Morris next year, he said the conference was a success.
"The Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Multicultural Resource Center are doing a great job," Dupree said.
- Edited by JJ Hensley
Bill gives all senators opportunity to speak
By Paul Kramer
pkramer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
A resolution passed last night that will encourage Student Senators to hear every senator's voice during debates.
The bill, which will be voted on at next week's full Senate meeting, was brought up at committee meetings last night.
bill was rushed.
Kevin McKenzie, University affairs committee member, said there had been many instances already this year where pro and con speeches went unheard because a motion to vote on the
"With last week's election bill, I had something to say that I thought was important that didn't get heard," McKenzie said.
A similar bill was proposed and passed last year. McKenzie said that although the bill was passed every year, it was a good reminder for senators to make sure all opinions could be voiced at Senate meetings.
In other Committee news:
failed the student rights committee. Scott McKenzie, CLAS senator and co-author of the resolution, said he was disappointed that senators failed
Leonard Peltier, jailed Native American activist, will not receive support from the Senate. A resolution to support Peltier
senators failed the bill.
"Some of them just don't understand the facts of the case and don't have the background," McKenzie said.
The Scooter Hawks group, which advocates the use of motorized scooters for environmental reasons, received $431
for advertising. Luke Middleton, member of Scooter Hawks, said the majority of the money would go to advertising an Oct. 4 rally scheduled to go down Massachusetts Street that will be open to all scooter riders. The rally will begin at South Park, 12th and Massachusetts streets, at a yet-to-be-determined time.
- Those students making a dash from the Allen Fieldhouse parking garage to Green Hall, east of the Burge Union, may soon have the luxury of a crosswalk. An amendment to a crosswalk bill mandated that a study be done on
the effects of the crosswalk. James Owen, Law School senator and author of the bill, said the increased safety of crossing Irving Hill Drive via a crosswalk, outweighed the possibility of a minor inconvenience to traffic flow.
Students wishing to speak on an issue at full Senate meetings will still have to go through a senator to gain the privilege. A bill to allow all students speaking rights at Senate meetings, without deferral from a recognized senator, failed in the University affairs committee.
—Edited by Neeley Spellmeier
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community.
"We Are One Community" Group photo on May 3,2003
Organizations present:
African Students Association
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Phi Alpha
Asian American Student Association
Association. of University Residence Halls
Black Student Union
Colors of KU 2001 and 2002
Delta Delta Delta
Delta Gamma
Delta Sigma Theta
Diversity Peer Education Team
First Nations Student Association
Hawk Link
Hispanic American Leadership
Organization
Inspirational Gospel Voices
Interfraternity Council
International Student Association
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Delta
KU Hillel
Multicultural Recruitment Team
celebrating diversity at ku
Sigma Lambda Beta
Sigma Delta Tau
Sigma Lambda Gamma
Spirit, Pride and Tradition
Student Senate
Student Union Activities
Students Together Excelling in Education through Peers
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
Vietnamese Student Association
Zeta Phi Beta
Zeta Tau Alpha
For updated information, check out our websites: www.ku.edu/~oma & www.ku.edu/~mrc
Sponsored by the Multicultural Resource Center and Office of Multicultural Affairs
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