FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2004
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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"We're saying the rights of adults are more important than the rights of children," she said.
Kevin Boatright, interim executive vice chancellor for University Relations, speaks in the Kansas Union about an integrated marketing strategy to advance the University's identity. The meeting was to discuss ways to come up with a new central identity for the University.
DEBATE: Ongoing issue
CONTINUED FROM 1A
Wood also said many proponents of gay marriage were interested in protecting marriage as a right everyone should be able to enjoy, but many of them, including Rauch, didn't think that right should extend to polygamists. Wood said this was a dangerous, slippery slope.
"On what legal grounds would we tell other groups they don't have those rights as well?" she asked.
Rauch called the gay marriage debate "the most important social policy debate of our time."
He cited studies that said married people were physically healthier, wealthier and happier than those who aren't, and suggested that society would benefit if gays had these rights as well.
"Society is strongest when everyone has a family," he said. "Marriage improves lives."
Rauch said his arguments were many of the same ones conservatives used to defend the institution of marriage.
"The problem with marriage is not that gay people want to join the club, it's that straight people are backing away from the challenge," he said.
Megan Storm, social issues coordinator for SUA, said she was pleased with the way the event turned out, though she would have liked to see more
people in attendance.
"I'm so happy with the content for the people who did come," she said.
Blake Huff, Lawrence senior,
said he went to the event
because he thought it was going
to be an ongoing issue.
"We're going to have to vote on this someday, so we're going to have to know both sides," he said.
Jimmy Balough, Overland Park freshman, said he thought that the crowd was skewed toward Rauch's perspective, but that Wood held her own.
"I thought both sides did a really good job," he said. "I guess Jonathan won the debate, but they both had really good ideas."
— Edited by Marissa Stephenson
ENROLLEES: Stats show effort
David Shulenburger, provost and executive vice chancellor, said the record enrollment numbers were a sign that the University was succeeding.
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"There's so many things going right at this University and students are recognizing that," Shulenburger said.
Shulenburger said it was not clear from the enrollment numbers if any extra money would be brought in because the greatest increase came from resident students.
"We don't have the final tabs on the revenue, but there won't be much of a change," he said.
said she was excited about the record numbers and was proud of the Office of Admissions and Scholarships staff for its recruitment efforts. She said the numbers showed the reputation of the University was as strong as ever.
Lisa Pinamonti, director of admissions and scholarships,
"It truly shows the message is being relayed about the opportunities available to students at the University of Kansas," Pinamonti said.
Pinamonti credited the combination of the largest incoming freshman class since 1998 and the highest retention rate in University history were the main reasons enrollment reached record highs this year.
The University also saw a 4.2 percent increase in minority stud
dents enrollment from Fall 2003. Robert Page, director of multicultural affairs, said the University's definition of a minority student was an American-born ethnic minority. Page said minority students at the university included African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, Native Americans and Asian Americans. Members of the Student Senate were excited about the enrollment numbers.
Arthur Jones, Dallas, Texas, junior, and StudEx Committee chairman, said the numbers proved the University was doing something right.
"I think we should have a larger enrollment," Jones said. "We're doing our job with recruitment and retention."
Edited by Ashley Doyle
DIVERSE: Retention rate high
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exactly where we need to go," he said.
Shulenburger said the University needed to focus on minority enrollment because of the growing minority population among Kansas high school graduates. He said the Hispanic high school graduate population was growing significantly larger. The Kansas State Department projected that, of the 60,000 overall Kansas high school graduates, the number of Hispanic students would be close to 8,000 in the next 12 years, he said. Shulenburger said it will be important to focus on recruiting Hispanics because of their growing population in Kansas.
ing population in Kansas. Shulenburger emphasized that University officials were recruiting all minorities, but the Office of Admissions and Scholarships particularly focused on Hispanics, African Americans and Native Americans. Shulenburger said these groups were important because most other universities also focus on those groups. He said the goal of the University was to enable minority students to persist and be able to achieve academic success at the same
level as the majority student population. Shulenburger said it was important for all students to be on the same playing field, and he did not want low-income students to struggle more.
Page also credited the high number of minority enrollment to the HAWK Link program. Started in 1999, HAWK Link has maintained a retention rate between 82 and 84 percent over the past three to years, said Page.
She said the program had an open-door policy and a home away from home feeling.
"It helps make the University smaller for minority students," Bailey said.
HAWK Link is an academic-based retention program for first-year students located in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, 145 Strong Hall.
Students who went through
Though the program is open to all freshmen, it is primarily focused on students of color, said Rebecca Bailey, HAWK Link program assistant. She said the program involved teaching students how to use resources already available to them, like the Office of Financial Aid and the Freshman-Sophomore Advising Center, in order to help them succeed at the University.
the program last year said HAWK Link helped them adjust to University life, meet new people and start their academic path.
TaMisha Banks, Newton sophomore, said the academic workshops helped her adjust to enrollment and making the transition from her freshman to her sophomore year.
Rona Remmie, Kansas City, Mo., sophomore, said the only person she knew at the University when she came here was her cousin.
She said HAWK Link gave her the opportunity to meet new people, many whom she could see herself networking with in the future. She said achieving success was a guarantee for students who went through the program.
"I can't see anyone failing in the HAWK Link program," she said.
Overall, Page said more minority students were coming to and staying at the University because the campus atmosphere was welcoming and minority students felt more comfortable than onpressed.
"Students are willing to explore their diversity at KU," Page said.
Edited by Ashley Doyle