Thursday, November 6, 1997
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 5
Senate funding bill passes after emotional meeting
By Tim Harrington thorrington@kansan.com Kanson staff writer
A funding bill for the Native American Student Association debated during last night's Student Senate finance committee meeting evoked tears, accusations of grave cultural insensitivity and one senator's near resignation before finally being approved.
Ironically, the controversy had nothing to do with the bill's $8,577 price tag. It had to do with one word not found anywhere in the bill — honorarium.
According to Student Senate Rules and Regulations, an honorarium is any event in which a group or person is paid to come perform a service at the University.
The traditional Native American definition involves a person or group that performs a service and is not paid but given to honor that individual or group.
The cultural difference is slight and possibly one of semantics but was enough to create a near-circus atmosphere during the committee meeting.
The bill, the largest funding request of the night, was to fund a powwow and writer's conference to be held at the Kansas Union and Anschutz Science Library.
Native American Student Association (NASA) did not submit an events form to the honorariums committee for approval as required by Student Senate.
Because of this, Jordan Edwards, Since
In the past
finance committee chair,
ruled the bill out of order,
making it unable to be considered by the committee.
In the past when NASA had asked for funds from Senate for this event, which a NASA member said the group had done for at least the past five years, they were never required to submit an events form to the honorarium committee.
The finance committee was unable to determine whether this past practice was a mutual understanding of cultural definitions or an oversight.
Regardless, it was technically corrected when Edwards ruled the bill out of order, offending the group of five or six NASA members present.
Rochelle Votaw, CLAS senator and the bill's sponsor, came back and addressed the committee.
"You have made a grave offense to their culture," Votaw sald, holding back tears. "I'm ashamed to be a Senator right now."
After Edwards ruled the bill out of order, a five-minute recess was called.
Votaw said that what Native Americans believed to be an honorarium was considered a very sacred thing to which the finance committee was insensitive. She said later that she seriously considered resigning from Student Senate.
Upon reconvening, the committee produced the two-thirds vote needed to bring the bill back up for consideration, and it was passed.
"Obviously, I'm happy that they passed it, but still I'm very concerned and ashamed," Votaw said. "I have a lot of interest in the student diversity issue on campus. It's an indication of how far this University has to go."
Outdoor lovers to explore Backwoods
Company plants seeds in downtown Lawrence
By Ann Premer
.apremer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
The Backwoods has found a new home in downtown Lawrence. Backwoods Equipment Co., a store that specializes in outdoor activities, opened Saturday.
The store, 916 Massachusetts St., offers customers technical gear and clothing for backpacking, mountaineering, climbing, sailing, fishing and other outdoor sports.
"We are a specialty retailer," said Matt Rogge, a KU graduate and store manager. "What we do is more customer-service oriented. Lawrence is a town that has a lot of active people in it. We thought it
was a good fit."
Although Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop, 844 Massachusetts St., offers many of the things that Backwoods does, Rogge said that there was a need for both stores in Lawrence.
"We don't overlap 100 percent of what we do," he said. "We are bringing in some more options. I think we are going to compliment what they already have been doing here."
Lee Collard, manager of Sunflower, which has been in Lawrence since 1971, said that he thought that there was room in Lawrence for Backwoods.
"Competition is always healthy," Collard said.
Lawrence's Backwoods is the ninth in a chain. The company was founded by Lewis Mull in Wichitain 1974. Michael Burns, president and co-owner of Backwoods, said that Mull started the original
Burns said the company decided to open a store in Lawrence because of the town's size and that other Backwoods stores in larger cities such as St. Louis had been undercut by larger corporations.
"We've been looking in new markets," Burns said. "We are looking at college towns."
Burns said that Backwoods had been trying to get a store in Lawrence for a year and a half. He said that the company wanted to be located on Massachusetts Street, so it had to wait until a space was available.
Backwoods moved into the building where Terraplane Bicycles and Goods previously was located.
"We are excited about being in a youthful market," Burns said. "We think it's going to be great. Main Street America, it feels good."
2 Forms of Contraceptives Ultra-Sensitive, Lubricated Male Latex Condoms PLUS
PLUS Vaginal Contraceptive Spermicide Inserts
Packaged together for Double Protection Careplus gives you 2 simple-to-use methods to help prevent HIV (AIDS), sexually transmitted diseases (STD's), and Pregnancy, when used together, each time you have sex. Now available at leading stores. For more information: 1-800-899-SELF
JOIN THE STUDENT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AND BE A KU TRADITION KEEPER
FALL CALENDER
August 17 Hawk Week Begins
18 Football Pep Rally ...AAC 5:30 p.m.
21-22 Info Fair... KS Union 8-3 p.m.
27 Info Fair-Wescoe Beach/Stauffer-Flint... 8-3 p.m.
SAA Kick-off Meeting...AAC 7 p.m.
28 KU Football-UAB
29-Sept. 1 SAA/SF National Convention Notre Dame
September 6 KU Football-TCU (Band Day0
9 Celebrate KU/KHP Sign-up/War Drum Meeting..AAC 7 p.m.
12 'Celebrate KU! ...Wescoe 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
13 *War Drum Exchange* KU Football-Mizzou
24 Stalk-A-Hawk Meeting... AAC 7 p.m.
October 4 KU Football-Oklahoma (Family Day)
15 Homecoming Meeting... AAC 7 p.m.
25 KU Football-Nebraska
31 Homecoming Parade Strong Hall
November 1 *HOMECOMING* KU Football-Iowa State Tent Decorating...Stadium8:30 p.m. Homecoming Tours... AAC 10:30 a.m.
4 Bonfire Meeting... AAC 7 p.m.
6 Bonfire... Stadium
18 Survival Kit/Stalk-A-Hawk Meeting... AAC 7 p.m.
27 Be thankful you are an SAAer!!
December 5 Survival Kits... AAC 5 p.m.
6 Holiday Affair.. AAC 6:30 p.m.
11 Finals Begin
- Pick up membership applications at Adams Alumni Center (Third Floor),8 a.m.-5p.m., Monday through Friday.
- Fill out the membership application below!
Join Today!
Name___Class Year___Major__
KU Address___Zip___Phone__
Home Address___Zip__
Enclosed is my check for $15 payable to SAA.
Return to: Student Alumni Association
Kansas Alumni Association
1266 Oread Avenue
Lawrence, KS 66045-1600
Or drop in Campus Mail
NEW STUDENTS!
- Football Pep Rally!
- Bon Fire.
- Coaches and players will speak.
- Meet Faculty and other students.
- Sing "I'm a Jayhawk"and other traditional songs.
South end of Memorial Stadium
Thursday, November 6 7:00 p.m. A Homecoming Week Tradition
SAA OFFICERS
President ... Wendy Rohleder Vice President ... Ann Feeney Special Events .. Casey Liebst Activities ... Leslie Vink
Membership ... Aroop Pal and Katy Moses
Adviser ... Cassie Roth
Athletics ... Kendall Day
Career/KHPs ... Brandon LaBarge
Homecoming ... Troy Dinges
Publicity ... Coleen Stewart
Rock Chalk Ball ... Dawn Wormington and Shelly Miller
Web site. www.ukans.edu/kualumni/student-alumni.htfl SAA Phone: 864-4760