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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PO BOX 3585
TOPEKA, KS 66601-3585
Kansan
Tuesday
December 2,1997
Section:
A
Cooling trend begins with mostly cloudy skies
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Vol. 108·No.71
Raef LaFrentz and the No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks will try to avenge last season's loss to Mike Bibby and the No. 4 Arizona Wildcats at 8:30 tonight.
SEE PAGE 12A
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Oklahoma second
Baylor third
Texas A&M fourth
Texas Tech fifth
Colorado sixth
(USPS 650-640)
Kansas State 10th
Malik Abdul-Aziz, Kansas City, Kan., senior was recruited to attend the University. He said that during recruitment he received an impression that there were more minorities at the University than he discovered when he arrived. Photo by Dave Morantz/KANSAN
School colors
Percent of minorities per Big 12 school
Source:Public relations departments and Websites for Big 12 Conference universities.
KU melting pot slowly simmering
By Mike Perryman and Matthew Friedrichs
Kansas staff writers
The University of Kansas began the Fall 1995 semester with aspirations of increased minority student enrollment. At his first faculty convocation, Chancellor Robert Hemenway set a goal of increasing the number of minority students to 10 percent of the incoming freshman class.
Two years later, the University has achieved only part of its minority recruiting goals.
In Fall 1996, 350 students, or 9.6 percent of the freshmen, indicated that they were American Indian, Asian, Black or Hispanic.
This fall, the number increased to 374 students, but minorities still made up 9.6 percent of the freshman class.
"We are heading in the right direction," he said. "Everything is geared toward increasing numbers, but an institution this size must produce better numbers."
Minority enrollment at the University rose from 2,639 students in Fall 1996 to 2,688 students in Fall 1997, an increase from 9.6 percent to 9.75 percent.
The number of minority students enrolled is not high enough, said Alan Cerveny, director of admissions.
When compared with other Big 12 Conference schools, the University ranked sixth in total minority enrollment and ninth in the percentage of minorities in the student body.
The University of Texas at Austin led both categories with 13,316 minority students, or 27.74 percent of the student body.
The University also ranked low among its peer institutions, which are the University of Colorado, the University of Iowa, the University of North Carolina, the University of Oklahoma and the University of Oregon. The University of Kansas ranked fourth in total minority enrollment, and only the University of Iowa had a lower percentage of minorities in its student population—9.5 percent.
Hemenway said the University had to bring more minorities to campus in order to represent the state.
The University, however, does not compare well with national statistics. According to the U.S. Statistical Abstract, in 1995 the United States was 0.73 percent American Indian, 3.32 percent Asian, 12 percent Black, 10.3 percent Hispanic and 73.65 percent white.
"To me the issue is not diversity, it's democracy," Hemenway said. "The University of Kansas is a public university, and as a public university it ought to be representative of the society that surrounds it."
This fall, the University's enrollment is 0.95 percent American Indian, 3.4 percent Asian, 3 percent Black and 2.38 percent Hispanic.
The University almost represents Kansas. According to 1990 U.S. Census data, 9.9 percent of Kansans indicated that they were minorities.
For the University to reach Hemenway's goal, the number of minority students would
Who's KU?
Alan Cerveny director of admissions
diversity on campus First in a three-day series
"It is difficult to convince students that this University is the place for them when they come here, look around and wonder, 'Why would I want to enter into an environment where I would be in the minority?'"
In light of recent discussions to require a three-credit U.S. Cultural Diversity class in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the "Kansan" staff decided that it would be timely and appropriate to take an in-depth look at diversity at the University.
cult to define diversity.
Diversity is about sexual orientation, religion, political viewpoints and cultural traditions. It is about coming from Chicago vs. coming from a small Western Kansas town.
When writing about as broad a concept as diversity, some things are inevitably omitted. We at the "Kansan" acknowledge that there are important aspects of diversity that will not be addressed.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to define diversity.
Despite diversity's many facets, diversity discussions often center on racial issues in the United States and at the University.
For this reason, the "Kansan" decided to focus on race in the series.
have to better approach the levels of minorities in society.
"Kansas University should be a university where all stakeholders of the democracy we live in are represented and have an opportunity to participate." Hemenway said.
Representatives of the admissions office visit communities across the state and region in an attempt to attract a diverse student population. One of the students attracted to the University through that process was Malik Abdul-Aziz
The recruiting experience was so positive that he didn't know what the negative or more challenging aspects of the University were until he actually enrolled and began attending, he said.
The Kansas City, Kan., senior said the University was extremely aggressive during his recruitment.
Some of those aspects included academic demands and responsibilities, as well as coping with the social and cultural transition into the University environment, he said.
"I don't think anyone is naive enough to believe that they'll be walking into some perfect environment," he said. "But I just think it would have been more helpful if the challenging aspects of the University were addressed."
"Once I got here, there weren't as many minority students as I had expected," he said. "It wasn't necessarily harder for me to get involved, but it was something to think about."
Abul-Aziz said that during recruitment, he received the impression that there were more minorities at the University than there actually were.
See PUSH on page 3A
Student Senate debates diversity requirement
By Tim Harrington tharrington@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
For the past few months, campus diversity has been the topic of choice on the Student Senate listserv, an online forum for students and student senators.
Through weeks of online debate ranging from the philosophical advantages of diversity to the down-to-earth practicalities of achieving it, Senate agrees that racially and ethnically diverse campus and curriculum are good ideas.
How the University of Kansas can reach that goal is another matter.
So far, Senate's most significant push for diversity has come in the
There are 13 student groups formed on the basis of race, ethnicity or sexual orientation. Combined, these groups receive more than $43,000 from Senate, 6.4 percent of Senate's budget.
form of generous funding for campus student groups.
In addition, minority affairs programs also receive money from the educational opportunity fund, into which KU students pay $6 per semester.
Aside from the allocation of funds, Senate has been unable to come to a consensus on what, if anything, it should do to directly affect the racial and ethnic diversity of the KU campus.
See SENATE on page 3A
Black Student Union-
Page | ond 34 graphics by Kristi Ellison/KANSAN
Black Student Union - $20,800
Hispanic American Leadership Organization - $9,385
Native American Student Association - $7,577
Chinese Student Scholarly Friendship Association - $1,490
KU Cultural India Club - $1,238
Vietnamese American Student Association - $1,087
Queers and Allies - $853
Asian American Student Association - $554
African Affairs Student Association - $502
Malaysian Student Association - $367
Hong Kong and Macau Student Association - $314
International Student Association - $307
KU Circolo italiano - $282
KPL explosion claims third life since Nov.24
By Corrie Moore
cmoree@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The explosion and fire that occurred at the Kansas Power and Light Lawrence Energy Center on Nov. 24 claimed another life vesterdav.
Ron Guy, a 57-year-old Lawrence resident, died Saturday at 1:25 p.m. from burns, and Duane Tenpenny, a 48-year-old Topeka resident, died at the scene.
Danny Bolden, a 37-year-old Lawrence resident, suffered smoke inhalation and was treated at Lawrence Memorial Hospital on Nov. 24.
Charles Price, a 35-year-old resident of Kansas City, Mo., died at 15:08 a.m. at the University of Kansas Medical Center, according to a University Relations representative at the Medical Center. Price suffered from third-degree burns covering 90 percent of his body.
Last week's incident occurred at 4:43 p.m. at the coal-fired plant operated by KPL, a subsidiary of Western Resources Inc.
The sheriff's office, Douglas County rural fire department and KPL are investigating the incident.
Price, Guy and Tenpenny were doing maintenance work on a 4,160-volt breaker when an electrical failure caused the explosion and fire. Bolden came to assist the three maintenance workers and suffered smoke inhalation as a result.
Carl Koupal, executive vice president for Western Resources Inc., said counselors were available for employees at KPL.
"To lose co-workers in an incident like this can be very difficult times," he said.
Price worked for ABB Services Co., a contractor for KPL, Guy, a maintenance coordinator, and Tenpenny, an electrician, both worked for the KPL plant.
Associate director promoted to head KU public safety
Mary Corcoran
mcorcoran@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Ralph Oliver, associate director of the Department of Public Safety at the University of Kansas, was named the department's director Wednesday. He will officially take the position Dec. 11.
"I'm honored to be taking the position from an individual who has dedicated 23 years to the department. It is an honor to replace him." Oliver said.
Oliver will replace James Denney, who has been the department's director since 1993. Denney will become the coordinator of emergency communications for Douglas County. Denney has worked with the KU police
Denney has worked with the KU police department for more than 20 years.
"I'm pleased that we will continue to have the opportunity to work with Jim in his new role," said Rodger Oroke, director of facilities management. "KU is fortunate to have a highly qualified and experienced person in Ralph Oliver to appoint to this important position serving the University community. I anticipate a smooth transition."
The director of public safety oversees the KU police department, its building security department and the University's emergency communication division.
Oliver said he did not expect to make many changes in the department.
Oliver has a history of public safety service. He became a patrol officer at the KU Medical Center in 1977 and was named assistant director of the KU police department in 1984.
A reception to honor Denney will be held 2 to 4 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Adams Alumni Center.
CLARIFICATION
In an article in yesterday's "Kansan" about Queers and Allies' observance of World AIDS Day, comments made by Kevin King, the organization's publicity co-chairman, were misrepresented. King's intent was to convey an appreciation that heterosexuals are becoming more aware of the AIDS crisis, which will help prevent further proliferation of the disease.
J5