WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 1995
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS 864-4810
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
ADVERTISING 864-4358
SECTION A VOL.102, NO.9
TODAY KANSAN
SPORTS
Diving Dynamo
Kansas senior Michelle Rojohn didn't begin diving until she was a high school junior. Now she's an All-American. Page 1B
(USPS 650-640)
CAMPUS
Gesundheit!
Fall allergy season is here, and that means more suffering KU students headed to Watkins. Page 7A
Free State Brewery is showing terrible films on Wednesday nights — and people like it. Page 10A
Good beer bad movies
FEATURES
NATION
Fuhrman calls policemen 'God'
Mark Fuhrman's tapes were played in public for the first time yesterday. Page 8A
WEATHER
SUNNY AND HOT
High 95°
Low 73°
INDEX
Opinion . . . . . . 4A
Features . . . . . . 10A
National News . . . . 8A
World News. . . . . 9A
Scoreboard. . . . . 2B
Horoscopes . . . . . 4B
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.
Jenny Brannan / KANSAN
Drag queens steal the show
Cross dressers have face-off at SUA movie
By Sarah Wiese
Kansen staff writer
When Alex Doll put on his blue polyester dress, pink and blue barretes and eyeliner last night, he knew what he had to do.
Doll was trying to win the drag contest before last night's showing of "The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert," something he'd been working toward all his life. The unique look was everything, so he chose red and blue striped athletic socks.
Derek Dauma, Kansas City, Mo., freshman, and J.D. Liggett, Overland Park freshman, talk before the SUA film, "The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert," begins.
"I kind of ruled out the white knee highs for tonight," said Doll, a Lawrence resident.
Actually, it was the hire of getting into the movie free that made him don such attractive attire and compete in front of about 75 onlookers at the event sponsored by Student Union Activities.
To win, Doll would have to beat out J.D. Liggett, an Overland Park freshman clad in a black, lacy bustier, vest and suede miniskirt. Liggett said he'd never done anything like this before, but was
The competition grew stiff as 17 other contestants strolled into Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas Union for the 9:30 p.m. contest.
confident in his ability to come out on top.
Evidently, the drag contest was the place to be. Contestant Wesley Clow, Pittsburgh State University freshman, was in Lawrence on his way to Seattle.
Clow admitted that he was a novice when it came to cross-dressing. He borrowed a stylish white tank top and blue-checked skirt from a female friend who convinced him to compete.
"I think they're all a bunch of trash." Liggett said. "I've got them all beat."
The contest included a dance competition and interview questions. One contestant answered a question by saying
that not wearing underwear helped preserve the environment.
Prizes for the contest were definitely fitting. The first-place winner received two Cake concert tickets and a pair of edible underwear. The second-place finished winner two free SUA movie passes and a garter belt. The third-place contestant received two free movie passes.
Umut Bayramoglu, spectrum films coordinator for SUA, said she was amazed by the large turnout.
The drag contest was a promotion for the movie, an alternative comedy about two cross-dressers who travel across Australia in a bus.
Lecture series not feasible for University
Speakers' hefty price tags and overbooked schedules a problem
By Sarah Wlese
Kansan staff writer
Starting a lecture series to follow in the prestigious footsteps of Kansas State University's Landon Lecture Series on Public Issues is a difficult task.
Putting together a series would require the assistance of an influential contact who could call upon his or her personal friends to begin a lecture series of national acclaim.
For Kansas State, it was Alf Landon, former governor of Kansas, who had personal friends such as Ronald Reagan. For the University of Kansas, identifying someone with similar influence is a challenge.
The KU Office of International Studies two years ago came up with the idea for the Eisenhower Lecture Series as a way to bring international speakers to the area, said Terry Weidner, associate director for the office of international studies. At this point, the idea is still in the planning stages, and the office is looking for a high-profile speaker to launch the lecture series, Weidner said.
But such individuals usually come with high price tags and overbooked schedules. Weidner said the office did not have money set aside for a speaker and had not secured funds from any University entity.
"We would probably have to do it all with donations from corporations and community supporters." Weldner said.
Although the series is important, providing for the office itself is more important, he said. Improving the curriculum, for example, is a much higher priority.
The Landon Series has a reputation for top-notch speakers that dates back to its inception in 1966. Within the first five years, Kansas State hosted former California Gov. Ronald Reagan, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and President Richard Nixon.
Chuck Reagan, chairman of Landon Lectures, said Landon and James McCain, who was president of Kansas State at the time, created the series to bring major political speakers to the middle of the nation.
The series is supported by 400 Landon patrons who each give $125 annually. But it is past speakers, not the money, who attract figures like Ross Perot, Tom Brokaw and Colin Powell, Reagan said.
"Our list is what sells the lecture series to prospective speakers," Reagan said.
Most of the people don't even require an honorarium or speaker's fee. he said.
But that probably would not be the case with an upstart series at KU.
Reagan said starting a similar program would require good networking and connections.
"People like William Perry or Ross Perot get hundreds and hundreds of speaking requests," he said. "You need someone who can put in a personal word."
Calling on the chancellor and influential alumni might be a place to start, he said.
Scott Jarboe, Olathe senior and forums committee coordinator for KU's Student Union Activities, said Kansas State was fortunate to have the Landon Series.
"I think it's something KU is jealous of," Jarboe said. "There are certain people who we can't afford to get that will lecture for the Landon Series for free because of its reputation."
Jarbole said it took his committee two or three months to secure a speaker. Attracting international figures would be much more challenging, he said, especially without much financial support.
Even though the series is on hold indefinitely, Weldner said he was optimistic.
"There are a lot of opportunities now with a new chancellor who's interested in internationalizing the University." he said.
Professors help stop dash after financial-aid cash
Students with loans need to attend the classes they enroll in to keep their aid --- and their eligibility for future loans.
By Novelda Sommers
Kansan staff writer
Last spring, Shawn Vanross, Kansas City, Kan., junior, almost didn't get his financial aid.
"When I went to the financial aid office to collect my aid, they said I wasn't enrolled in enough hours," he said.
"I chose a class I didn't really want, then went back and changed it later," he said.
Julie Cooper, associate director of the Office of Student Financial Aid, said students like Vanross didn't slip through the cracks easily. But sometimes students collect financial aid and then stop going to class, she said.
The solution was simple, Vanross said. He went to the enrollment center and added a class to his schedule.
The Office of Student Financial Aid has enlisted the help of professors in
monitoring whether students are meeting financial aid requirements.
A financial aid form was sent out with each class roster. Professors and instructors were asked to document if a student stopped attending class.
Cooper said federal auditors needed the information to determine how much financial aid was collected by students who misused the money.
This system also worked to notify students who didn't know they were still enrolled in a class, said Rachel Rademacher, associate director of financial aid.
Once the forms are turned in, someone from the office contacts the students to make sure they know they need to drop the class. Students who do not withdraw could receive a failing grade. For some students, that would ruin future chances to qualify for financial aid because many of the federal
programs have minimum grade point average and course load requirements, Cooper said.
Robert Minor, professor of religious studies, said the policy helped weed out students who did not intend to stay in the classes.
In the department of religious studies, students who missed the first day of classes were dropped from the roster if they did not talk to their instructors before the next class session.
For example, students with Stafford Loans must be enrolled in six or more credit hours. A minimum 2.0 GPA is required for students who have completed four semesters or more. For fewer semesters, the GPA requirement is lower.
"In a few weeks, people will start dropping. Some of them enrolled knowing they would substitute other classes." Minor said.
"When I went to the financial aid office to collect my aid, they said I wasn't enrolled in enough hours."
Shawn Vanross Kansas City, Kan., junior