FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20,1995
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
NEWS 864-4810
ADVERTISING 864-4358
SECTION A VOL.102.NO.145
(USPS 650-640)
TODAY
KANSAN
SPORTS
'Hawks to storm into Norman
No. 7 Kansas takes its 6-0 record into Sooner country tomorrow. Page 1B
CAMPUS
A parking compromise
KU parking board could combine a park-and-ride system and an indoor garage into a new parking plan. Page 3A
NATION
Peering into the darkness
Astronomers have found evidence of a previously unknown planet orbiting a distant star. Page 7A
WORLD
A nuclear nightmare
A new book says that South Africa was closer to a nuclear arsenal than previously thought. Page 7A
WEATHER
COOL
High 50° Low 38°
Weather: Page 2A
INDEX
Opinion ... 4A
Nation/World ... 7A
Features ... 8A
Sports ... 1B
Scoreboard ... 2B
The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is free. Additional copies of the Kansan are 25 cents.
Human biology program may evolve
By Noveida Sommers
Kansan staff writer
Suzanne Steel, Lawrence senior,
was a little perplexed when she first
heard the rumor that the human biology
program might be dissolved.
"I've always considered the human biology major as a weed-out for students who want to go to medical school," she said. "They can't just take away our maior like that."
Steel's fears echo those of many other human biology majors who have heard that the major could be eliminated.
But Sally Frost-Mason, dean of liberal arts and sciences, said there were no plans to eliminate the program. She said the program was to be reviewed because human biology students had approached her with concerns about the program.
"I won't ignore students, and I have heard from enough of them that it is time to bring this out and get it on the table," she said.
WHAT'S HAPPENING: Sally Frost-Mason, dean of liberal arts and sciences, plans to create a task force to evaluate KU's human biology program and decide whether it needs to be revamped.
Jerome Yochim.
Jerome Rochman professor of biology and adviser of the human biology program, said Frost-Mason and other administrators with faculty appointments in biology wanted to end the interdisciplinary nature of the human biology program.
Yochim said students in the program must take courses in the following departments: anthropology; biology, psychology; pharmacy; sociology; and health, physical education and recreation.
He said Frost-Mason had commissioned a report in August by Dean Stetler, professor of biology and director of undergraduate biology, that would end the autonomy of the program and give students fewer options to take courses outside the biology curriculum.
"Modifications proposed in the report would require human biology to be brought into the division of biology, thus ending the interdisciplinary nature of the program." he said.
Frost-Mason said inclusion in the biology department was an option for the program.
Jennifer Brown, Overland Park junior, said she was concerned that students had not been informed of the review.
Brown, a student
liaison in the anthropology department and anthropology and human biology major, said she found out at a department meeting.
"I am basically upset that it has been done in an underhanded way," she said. "They say that students don't like the program, but they don't have any way to prove this."
The advisory board for biology and human biology faculty met with Frost-Mason yesterday to discuss the program's future. No students attended the meeting.
She said she would form a task force soon of faculty and students to examine the program.
"We don't know what's going to happen, and until we talk to students, we won't know." she said.
Frost-Mason said students in the program who had discussed their concerns with her did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation from professors.
"Students can graduate from the program without taking a course above the 300 level," she said. "The faculty in the program advise them not to do that, but the fact that it can happen makes students nervous."
Also, because other science majors have a more strictly defined curriculum, she said, it is difficult for human biology majors to switch to another science major without losing a semester or a year.
'Like a big party'
Brian Flink / KANSAN
Members of the Aman International Music and Dance Company performed a dance from the island of Samoa yesterday for elementary school children at the Lied Center. The dance is similar to the Hawaiian hula dance.
Cultural group dances into town
By Hannah Naughton
Kansan staff writer
The Aman International Music and Dance Company is participating in the largest, longest and most complex residency that the Lied Center ever has sponsored, but that isn't the only reason the company is unique.
Brian Flink / KANSAN
Aman, a company that performs the dance and music traditions of cultural groups from all over the world, is in residency from Oct. 8 to Oct. 28, the date of its performance at the Lied Center. Sixteen members are in Lawrence now. Aside from the 120 educational activities planned, they also are eating in restaurants, inhabiting coffee bars, meeting people and falling in love with Lawrence — something most performers in residency usually do not do.
A Turkish gypsy dance is a style that will be performed Oct. 28 by the Aman international Music and Dance Company. The dance stops when the woman drops a white handkerchief.
"Everyone in the company is ready to move here," said Barry Glass, artistic director of Aman. "The people are so nice. More and more, we are involving ourselves in the community so that when we are on stage, everyone there will have a vested interest in the performance. We like our performance to be like a big party."
Aman, which means, "what I just said, I really meant," is in its 32nd season and is based in Los Angeles. It is a repertory company, which means its performances change for each show.
The final show will be presented by 30 members of Aman. The musicians will play 10 to 15 instruments each in the course of the show. The dancers perform 11 numbers, and they have to be able to change everything from costumes to the songs' different languages. Glass said.
"There's nothing we won't do." Glass said. "We're always on the lookout for what makes a culture tick, and then we present them on stage."
The members already have performed for elementary school students and teachers. They have taught a cooking class and have given lessons to senior citizens and an advanced folk dance group, said Jennifer Jacquinot, assistant to the educational director at the Lied Center. Their handmade costumes are on display at the Lawrence Aris Center, and the Anthropology Museum is displaying their masks.
They will be teaching their dances to anyone who wants to learn at 5 p.m. tomorrow night in the Frontier Room at the Burge Union, Jacounot said.
"It's more difficult than I thought to get students involved in something as wonderful as Aman," Jacquinot said.
But even with the group's busy schedule, members still make time to help out with the little things.
"They are extremely generous," said Jeannie Mellinger, education director at the Lied Center. "We were right in the midst of a huge mailing for Willie Nelson, and they came in and stuffed envelopes. I've never run into any artist as generous and giving as these people."
One of the goals of the company is to teach people about the beauties of different cultures. Glass said.
"When I was a kid, people stressed racial, ethnic and cultural tolerance," he said. "I don't want to be tolerated. This world is about learning to understand each other in a deeper way than tolerance implies."
RAs upset at reversal on tuition
By Phillip Brownlee Kansan staff writer
KU resident assistants got a surprise in the mail yesterday. And some of them aren't happy about it.
And some of them aren't happy about it. The 109 RAs in the University's residence halls received a letter from Jonathan Long, assistant director of student housing, informing them that they would not be eligible for in-state tuition after this academic year.
But earlier this fall, Long told the RAS they would receive tuition benefits as long as they remained employed with the Department of Student Housing.
"It was pretty much out of the blue," said Joe Sands, Maha, Neb., junior and Hashinger Hall RA.
At fall training, Long told the RAs that although the University of Kansas no longer gave tuition ben-
effits to student employees, they would continue to receive in-state tuition as long as they were RAs.
Now he is saying he made a mistake.
But apologies don't pay the bills, and several RAs now are concerned about whether they can afford to be RAs next year.
"I apologize for this error in communication, and hope that it has not placed anyone's academic status in jeopardy." Long said.
After next semester, KU resident assistants no longer will receive in-state tuition, despite student housing promises that the tuition benefits would not change.
"There's a lot of us
There's a lot of us that love the job, but there's a financial reality," said Brian Muellner, Rochester, Minn., sophomore and McCollum Hall RA.
Jen Hufford, Bartlesville, Okla., junior and Lewis Hall RA, said she was disappointed by the news because an RA's job was important.
"I hope it doesn't keep good people from doing the job," she said.
International RAs were especially upset by the news because many of them have limited resources and don't qualify for federal financial aid.
"I don't think it's fair," said Gabriela Godoy-Manchini, Asuncion, Paraguay, junior and McCollum Hall RA. "Most of the international RAs came to the United States without scholarships, and now they don't know what they are going to do."
Sem Song Perk, Batu Pahat, Malaysia, senior and McCollum Hall RA, said that it now may be financially impossible for international students to stay as RAs.
"For what we sacrifice to be an RA, we deserve more," he said.
But Fred McElhenie, associate director of student housing, said he doubted that the announcement would drive away many RAs.
"I don't have a crystal ball, but I don't think that it will have much of an effect." he said.
Jonathan Long also said he thought MRAs would stay, because the benefits package was excellent even without tuition reduction. RAS receive free room and board, plus an $825 stipend for the year.
Long said students often became RAs because they wanted to be role models, leaders, or help people — not just because they need the money.
"I'm optimistic that we have a great number of students on this campus who would want to be RAs for those reasons," he said. "Those who are in it just for the benefits typically don't have good second years."
But Brian Muellner wasn't so sure.
"It's not that I don't like the job," he said, "but it's a large amount of money."
---