Wednesday, October 6.1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 5
5
Alton Scales, Director of Multicultural Affairs at the University of Kansas, talks with Kyle Ricketts, Olathe freshman, in the Kansas Union last night. The dialogue was called "The Invisible Minority: Hispanics Livin' La Vida Loc" and was open to all students. Photo by Eric Sahrmann/ KANSAN
Latin-American students debate stereotypes in forum
By Lesley Simmons
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Latin-American students don't automatically know which Mexican restaurant is the best in town. They may not speak Spanish perfectly, or be experts on Latin-American culture. And they do not all have identical cultural backgrounds.
About 60 students gathered at 7 p.m. last night to learn about Latin-American stereotypes at the Kansas Room in the Kansas Union. The diversity dialogue "The Invisible Minority: Hispanic Livin' La Vida Loca" gave students a forum to learn about the racism their fellow students have experienced.
Diversity dialogues are held the first Tuesday of every month. The theme this year is exploring stereotypes.
Three students shared their experiences, and then the audience broke into small groups for further discussion.
Claudia Mercado, Springfield, Mo., graduate student, has lived in Lawrence for about two months. She
was born in Compton, Calif. and lived in a predominantly Latin-American neighborhood in California until she was 7. Then her family moved to a rural town in Missouri with a population of about 300.
"We were the only 'anything,'" she said. "No one else looked like me except my brother, my sister and my parents."
Mercado said she was called "wetback" without realizing it was a racial slur and that other children used the racial slurs in school without getting in trouble.
She said common stereotypes in that town were that all Latin Americans were maids, gardeners, illegal aliens, drug addicts or drug smugglers.
Mercado said her parents told her she would have to act better and study harder because of these prejudices.
Robert Rodriguez's parents are from Argentina. Rodriguez, Lawrence graduate student, said that while growing up in California, people often assumed he came from a Mexican background.
"Of course all the Rodriguez's are
related, right?" Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said in first grade he had to take a test proving his proficiency in English because of his last name. In high school, he had to take another proficiency test even though he was in honors English.
After the panelists spoke the audience divided into groups of about five.
Vincent Edwards, Wichita junior, was a facilitator for one of the groups. Facilitators were assigned before the forum. He is a trained volunteer with the Diversity Peer Education Team, an organization that educates groups about diversity issues including racism, sexism, homophobia and discrimination against people with disabilities.
He asked members of his group what stereotypes they had heard about Latin Americans, why they thought they existed, and how they thought they could be changed.
Gina Wilkinson, Overland Park junior, attended the dialogue for her Spanish conversation class.
"It was interesting to have a dialogue about racism and what it means," she said.
Edited by Brad Hallier
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• The Tour De County: 9:30am Saturday
30 mile ride through pastoral Douglas County then return to Lawrence for lunch at Free State Brewery (optional). Departures
- Ride Start- 8:30am Sunday
The 30th Anniversary 80 mile tour of Northeastern Kansas,
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For more information concerning events, lodging, and registration call Jim Turner between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.at 842-5174
Please share the road with motorists
Attorney would like to talk to witnesses who have knowledge of persons who made rental arrangements with U-Haul, where U- Haul was late in delivering the agreed upon rental, or completely failed to fulfill their promise of suplying a rental vehicle.
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Plans flow for aquatic center
City Commission approves final bid; will break ground
By Derek Prater
writer @kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
The City of Lawrence is diving head-first into construction of a public indoor aquatic center.
Last night, the City Commission approved 4-0-1 the last of the construction bid packages for the center, which is being built adjacent to Free State High School, 4700 Overland Drive. Commissioner Marty Kennedy abstained.
Five bid packages were approved including masonry work, roofing, waterproofing and fire protection. A landscaping bid was rejected as part of the vote.
Mark Green, project manager for Lawrence-based DiCaro/B. A.B. Green Construction Managers, LLC, which is overseeing the construction, said that site clearing was completed and excavation crews would break ground on the center today.
Fred DeVictor, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, said the center was scheduled to open spring 2001.
The project, which is funded by a 1994 voter-approved sales tax, was initially budgeted for $9.5 million, and city officials have said there should not be any problem staying within the budget.
Construction bid packages have totaled $148,014 less than originally budgeted, according to figures presented to the city commission by DiCarlo/ B.A. Green Construction Managers, LLC.
Mayor Erv Hodges said he continued to be pleased with the development of the project.
"Again, I think we've been very
successful." he said.
Tom Wilkerson, assistant director of the Parks and Recreation Department, said last week that the building would hold two pools. One will be a 10-lane, 50-meter-by-25-yard, competitive teaching pool, Wilkerson said.
The other pool, which will be separated by a glass wall, will be a family leisure pool with fountains, a slide and an assortment of features for children to play on.
In addition to the pools, there will be bleachers with the capacity to seat 750 people and locker rooms.
DeVictor said that the pool would be open to the public, similar to the Lawrence Municipal Pool, 741 Kentucky St.
Hours and fees have not yet been determined, he said.
DeVictor said that the center would have a variety of aquatic programs, including swim lessons and lap and public swimming.
The center also will be used by Free State High School for swim meets, he said.
Edited by Jamie Knodel