6A
Thursday, August 22, 1996
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Resource center to mark first year next month
By Nicholas C. Charalambous
Kansan staff writer
The Multicultural Resource Center turns one year old this September.
The center's facilities are used by staff, faculty and student organizations who are interested in multicultural issues and want to increase awareness of diversity on campus.
A women's studies class and a minority student leadership seminar will meet at the center this semester. Groups such as the Asian-American Student Union and Native-American Student Association will hold committee meetings there. On any given day, about 25 students will use the center's computers, books and periodicals, said Evan Heimlich, graduate assistant at the Office of Minority Affairs and Marlboro, N.J., doctoral candidate.
But because of the center's out-of-the-way location, many students still are unaware of the center, said Gloria Flores, assistant director of the office of minority affairs.
"We try to provide a comfortable atmosphere for people to come in," she said. "Once they are introduced to the center, we think they'll come back."
The center, a gray-colored building between Summerfield Hall and the Military Science Building, assists the department of student life and the
Semester events
The Multicultural Resource Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This semester the center will present a brown-bag lunch series, Hot topics, at noon on Wednesdays, featuring issues in multicultural affairs.
The series begins Sept. 11, with Music of the Jewish New Year, noon to 1 p.m. at the center. The discussion and demonstration of Jewish music will be led by Western Civilization instructor Richard Buck, who often leads services at the Lawrence Jewish Community Center. For more information, call 864-4350, or send e-mail to:
http://ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu/cws/units/
oafacts.
department of human resources with diversity training, Flores said.
"I'll talk to the person or group who brings the issue to the table, diagnose the problem and give a general talk about diversity and the importance of communicating." Flores said.
Issues of racial conflict often are issues of human conflict, she said.
harassment, race, sex and disability.
Marc Adin, director of human resources, which provides staff training for all institutions on campus, said sessions were well-attended and that training dealt with issues such as
"Flores also has visited residence halls and Greek houses to talk about diversity issues.
"More groups could be soliciting us." Flores said. "People need to be challenged when it comes to being aware. We still have some students who are not comfortable with being at KU."
The center houses an auditorium for 40 people, a conference room, a reading room, two study rooms, four Power Macintosh computers and an image scanner.
The center plans the following improvements this semester:
A recorded information line that will give time, day and place details of multicultural events sponsored by University and student organizations.
A diversity peer education program, where students will speak to other students about diversity. The program was developed by Grey Montgomery, student body president, and Amy Turnbull, co-director of the Center for Community Outreach.
But Flores said the center was underfunded and understaffed. The center relies heavily on volunteers, and the staff at the Office of Minority Affairs does double duty at the center. Ideally, there should be a full-time staff member assigned to the center, with student assistant support and a secretary, she
Students at the Multicultural Resource Center scramble for their chairs during a game of said.
KANSAN PHOTO
James Kitchen, dean of student life, said there were no plans to increase funding to the center. He added that all department budgets were frozen this year. The Multicultural Resource Center receives an annual allocation of $20,000 from Student Senate.
Flores said she that would like more
"I have never" and musical chairs during an orientation yesterday.
students to use the center's resources, and that she urges faculty to consider scheduling classes at the center. She welcomes contributions such as research, books and videos on diversity themes.
"We know there is a vast wealth of information related to multicultural issues on campus," she said.
FREE BAR-BQ!
Saturday, August 24th
5:00-6:30 p.m.
followed by a:
FREE CONCERT
at 7:00p.m.
The Frontline Continentals will present an energetic performance of contemporary Christian music.
EVERYONE WELCOME!! Immanuel Lutheran Church & University Student Center 15th&Iowa 843-0620
BETTER BUY YOUR BOOKS NOW.
WHO KNOWS WHEN YOU'LL BE ON CAMPUS AGAIN.