FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2004
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 3A
Partnerships aid minority recruitment
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BY NIGELA ROWE
nrowe@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITE
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Krysdanell "Krys" Cole is passionate about recruiting multicultural students. The Topeka senior and member of the Multicultural Recruitment Team said it was her opportunity to give back. She remembers not wanting to come to the University of Kansas at first.
Cole went to Shawnee Heights High School where she said she was a minority and felt like one too.
"It was a struggle for me to go to KU because it was the same minority mix as my high school," Cole said.
She met Claudia Mercado, associate director for admissions and scholarships, during her junior year in high school when the University sent representatives to her school.
"If those people hadn't been there and been so nice to me, I would not be here." Cole said.
Minority enrollment numbers increased this fall from last year. First time minority freshmen to the Lawrence campus increased from 512 students to 561. Each minority group had a percent increase except for the Asian-American population, which had a 8.1 percent decrease.
Cole not only recruits multicultural students. She works to keep them at the University through her other job as a student coordinator for stEp Students Together Excelling in Education as Peers, a program that helps minority students adjust to college.
A lot of students come to the University unprepared Cole said, but with stEp they can have help with their school work and their personal lives.
Through the program, Cole helped one Denver native decide to come to the University.
"She didn't want to come because it was a long way from home." Cole said.
MINORITIES ON LAWRENCE CAMPUS
997 Asian Americans
881 African Americans
844 Hispanic Americans
347 American Indians
Source: Kansas Board of Regents Fall 2004 enrollment figures
Through personal e-mails and phone calls Cole convinced her to choose the University.
Once she arrived on campus, Cole worked with her through stEp and is now hiring the student to work for the program.
"It's great to see her personal growth," Cole said. "I got to recruit her, keep her and then hire her."
Partnerships help the minority recruitment and programming work. Mercado said.
"These students really want to help." Mercado said.
The recruiting team started in 2000 with just volunteers and has grown to a paid position for the student peers.
Mercado said the students were paid because it helped retain the group since all students are busy and some pay bills.
"It shows a global perspective for students and gives a better representation of our nation, which gives better opportunities for our students here," Mercado said.
These students help increase diversity on campus by recruiting students with from all different nationalities and backgrounds.
The increase of minority groups at the University is a joint effort between recruitment practices and retainment practices, Mercado said.
"They work hand in hand to increase students and help out with the students' success," Mercado said.
Rebecca Bailey, program
HEARD ON THE HILL
Do you think the University of Kansas is diverse? Why or why not?
t is, but not what it could be.
The percentages are still out of whack."
Dominic Collins, Kansas City, Kan., sophomore
"I t's a diverse as a university can be.By
definition universities aren't that diverse because you have to have a certain income to be here.The
"I think it is because I
have met people from a lot of different places, people that are natives and from different origins.
University of Kansas is more diverse than the average Kansas town, which is a plus."
Kyle Hickman, Olathe senior
and that gives a good mix "
Pavithra Rajagopal, Olathe junior
"I t depends on how
you define diversity. International students don't count as
minorities but
they represent diversity. It is reasonably diverse given the fact of where we are geographically situated."
assistant for the Office of Multicultural Affairs, said that the multicultural groups were growing and thriving.
Paul Markham, associate professor in teaching and leadership
"We're getting students involved when they get here," she said. "The students are more
active within their groups and with other groups on campus."
The Office of Multicultural Affairs tries to plug new students into resources on campus so they feel more comfortable and know where to go, Bailey said.
"You can only bring in so many students a year," Bailey said. "If you don't keep them here then you are starting all over again."
- Edited by Anna Clovis
Soldiers charged in Iraqi murders
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT RILEY — Six soldiers from one infantry regiment based at Fort Riley have been accused of murder in three separate incidents.
It seems clear something has gone wrong, but the Army and mental health professional aren't sure what it is, or why this unit has been so troubled.
The soldiers are from 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry. About 750 are serving their second tour in Iraq, where four men from Charlie Company have been charged with murdering Iraqi civilians.
Two others, both who served during the invasion of Iraq with Bravo Company, are charged with murdering two other men from the unit at a rural Clay County, Kan., house.
Few details are known about the killings, but officials said they were unrelated.
The four soldiers of Charlie Company now in Iraq were charged in two separate incidents. Sgt. Michael P. Williams of Memphis, Tenn., and Spc. Brent W. May of Salem, Ohio, are both charged with murder of three Iraqis.
Staff Sgt. Johnny M. Horne Jr. of Winston-Salem, N.C., and Staff Sgt. Cardenas J. Alban of Inglewood, Calif., are charged with murdering one Iraqi.
The mother of one of the soldiers charged with the Kansas killings said war changed her son significantly.
"It seems that he was not healthy," said Pennie Macdowell, mother of Sgt. Aaron Stanley of Bismarck, N.D., who is charged with with first-degree murder.
If you pick the winning teams, and beat The Kansan sportswriters, you could win free textbooks from UBS, Wheat State Pizza gift certificates, and a T-Shirt!
Read Jonathan Kealing's picks in Friday's Kansan. Winners will be published in Tuesday's Kansan.
Submit picks to UDK business office in 119 Stauffer-Flint hall by Thurs. @ 4 pm Name:
phone:
Kansas @ Nebraska o #13 LSU @ #3 Georgia o
6 Ohio State @ Northwestern o Texas Tech @ #2 Oklahoma o
Colorado @ Missouri o Iowa State @ Oklahoma State o
15 Purdue @ Notre Dame o Kansas State @ Texas A&M o
Rutgers @ Syracuse o #14 Utah @ New Mexico o
10 California @ Oregon State o Division III
7 W. Virginia @ Virginia Tech o University of Chicago @ DePauw o
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