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VOLUME 121 ISSUE 28
ATHLETICS
Perkins addresses incidents before game
BY JAYSON JENKS jjenks@kansan.com
In an impromptu press conference before Kansas' game against Southern Mississippi on Saturday morning, Athletic Director Lew Perkins publicly addressed the incidents between members of the football and basketball team.
In his 20-minute exchange with members of the media, Perkins called the incidents "a black eye" for the University and said he was "embarrassed" and "hurt" by the events that transpired during the week.
"I've heard from a lot of people who say, 'Boys will be boys,' Perkins said. "But let me tell you, this is not boys will be boys. This is much more
serious and much more complicated than boys will be boys."
Perkins said that he had received hundreds of e-mails and text messages from people regarding the situation. And he said that each message had contained a slightly different opinion on how to handle the incidents.
"This might be the most complicated thing that I've ever dealt with," Perkins said. "There are all kinds of different issues involved, all kinds of different people involved, and every time I think we kind of get where we are, another thing pops up."
Tuesday night, sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor dislocated his thumb in a fight between members of the team.
On his Facebook page, Taylor revealed that the injury occurred when he threw a punch, while also adding much-publicized statuses that he later said were song lyrics.
Perkins said he has had multiple speakers talk about social media sites and that the athletic administration will continue to increase athletes' accountability and behavior in some manner in the near future.
He said there was a "culture gap" between himself, the coaches and the student athletes.
"You can recruit from a small little farm town the kid could have different kinds of problems and different cultural problems," Perkins said. "We have 600-plus kids here. I can honestly look everyone in the
eye and say if we have 600-plus kids,
600 of our kids are awesome kids.
"And then we have some kids that are probably not as awesome. Don't
take that as a statement that just because a kid got in trouble he not an awesome kid. My only cliche is this: There's a reason people put erasers on pencils because
people make mistakes."
Then, on Wednesday morning, members of the football and basketball teams started another alteration between Wescoe and Budig
Perkins
Halls. The police were called and Perkins said all parties were still working and cooperating to uncover the specifics.
At this time, no players have been suspended.
"I've always had a policy that I've allowed our coaches to handle the discipline the way they want to with their teams," Perkins said.
He added, though, that he — or the University — have the option at stepping in at any time.
Wednesday afternoon. Perkins assembled each player from both teams in the Anderson Family Football Complex.
While he wouldn't discuss the specifics of what he said during the meeting, he did say his point was
very well-understood.
"I'll say this: There was no mistaking what I said in there," Perkins said. "There was no mistaking where I was coming from. I'm 64 years old and I've been doing this for 40 years, I can honestly say that's as mad as I've been in a long time. And I was embarrassed."
Multiple times during the 20-minute conversation with the media, Perkins discussed the future, noting that the damage is done and now the steps must be taken to prevent anything similar from happening again.
Perkins said that he's always been a "cup half-full" person, and that's
SEARCHING FOR UNDERSTANDING
SEE PERKINS ON PAGE 3A
Lori Messinger, associate professor at KU's School of Social Welfare, recently published an article on how activists in a number of universities changed discriminatory policies for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Messinger said many people misunderstand what it means to be bisexual.
Bisexuals face additional challenges
Students struggle for acceptance in LGBT groups
BY MEGAN HEACOCK mheacock@kansan.com
Karianne Howard was 14 when she told her parents she was bisexual.
She told her mother first — they were really close. Her dad was less predictable. Howard said she didn't really know how he felt about anything because he was quiet man who didn't share his views. She had her mom there for support when she finally told him.
"When I told him and he saw that I was really worried about telling him, he just cheered up and said 'Well, I'm really glad that you told me. You're still the same person and I love you all the same."
Because of the support from her parents, Howard considers herself lucky. Growing up in Tucson, Ariz,
As she grew older, Howard faced struggles of a different kind. Being bisexual had its consequences, and not just from the straight community but from some gay men and lesbians, as well. As Howard was exposed to more people in the gay and lesbian community, she began to see there was a negative connotation to bisexuality that was separate from being gay or lesbian.
Rachel Gadd-Nelson, Kansas City, Kan. junior and educational outreach coordinator for Queers and Allies, said the stigma about bisexuality was born out of ignorance and a general lack of understanding from both gay and straight communities.
her coming out process was relatively painless. Except for a few of her religious friends, she found that most people were accepting.
"A lot of people can understand
gay and lesbian a lot better than they can wrap their mind around bisexuality," she said. "Even in the gay and lesbian community, there's still a lot of misconception, and maybe even stereotyping, for bisexual people and for transgender people."
COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE
Howard came to the University for academics, without any regard for its level of acceptance of her sexual identity. For the most part, her first impression was positive. She was introduced to many gay and lesbian people on campus and became involved with Queers and Allies, an organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and supporters.
The stigma, however, still had an effect on some of her relationships.
- Rachel Gadd Nelson, Kansas City, Kau, junior,
educational outreach coordinator for Queens and Allies
IS 'QUEER' DEROGATORY?
"The cool thing about the word queer is that you can really use that word however the heck you want. You can identify yourself as queer and your definition of queer is completely different than how your next-door neighbor identifies as queer. I like the word because it's a reclaimed word and has more of a political sense to it."
"Queer, fag, dyke — those words are all being reclaimed because they were all derogatory and I feel like people are taking it and turning it around and making it something powerful for themselves. If you can use it for yourself, then it takes away the negative power to it."
— Karianne Howard, Tuscon, Ariz., senior, member of Queers and Allies
After one lesbian friend learned Howard was bisexual, Howard never heard from her again.
the fact that you're a minority, you feel like you should be helping or be supportive of other people in the minority."
SEE BISEXUAL ON PAGE 3A
"I was definitely surprised," Howard said. "Especially within the gay community, if you can sense
HOSPITAL
Rape victims turned away
BY BRANDON SAYERS AND ALEX GARRISON
bsayers@kansan.com
agarrison@kansan.com
Four victims of alleged sexual assault went to Lawrence Memorial Hospital on Sept. 19 looking for treatment. They also went to have evidence of their attacks collected.
Though all four were treated for injuries, the short-staffed hospital told two of the victims, both KU students, that they would have to travel elsewhere for the evidence collection that is necessary to prosecute an attacker.
"It takes great courage for a survivor to come forward," Branson said in the letter. "For them to suffer yet another indignity at being turned away from the emergency room is unconscionable."
Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson criticized the hospital for this act in a letter sent to the hospital and members of local government last week.
The victims turned away, including the student who reported she was raped in her Oliver Hall room, were told after several hours of treatment and waited that they would have to go to a hospital in Topeka to have doctors collect the evidence needed to prosecute a suspect.
Chelsea Mertz, Topeka senior, is a trained volunteer advocate with the GaDuGi SafeCenter, 2518 Ridge Ct. Suite 208, a Lawrence advocacy organization for victims of sexual assault.
Advocates are called in cases of rape or sexual assault to provide support to victims throughout the examination process.
Mertz said that she had been present on several occasions when a victim she was working with was turned away because of staff shortages.
"We have had several cases where victims can't drive themselves or police officers were unavailable and they have gone unexamined." Mertz said.
Janice Early-Weas, director of
index
SEE RAPE ON PAGE 7A
Classifieds...5B Opinion...9A
Crossword...8A Sports...1B
Horoscopes...8A Sudoku...8A
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2009 The University Daily Kansan
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Dog returns to U.S. with soldier
The Marine and his unit had adopted the animal while serving overseas PET | 3A
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