University Daily Kansan / Monday, December 2. 1991
5
KU geography department to celebrate awareness week
Numerous activities planned to increase students' interest
By Jennifer Bach Kansan staff writer
Students this week are encouraged to pay closer attention to their surroundings both at KU and around the world.
This will be the fifth year the department has participated in the celebration.
The KU geography department is celebrating National Geography Awareness Week in an effort to increase interest in geography.
Curt Sornson, chairperson of geography, said that many geographical activities were planned this week for students.
Faculty from the department will speak at area high schools about geo-
raphy, and experts from other universities will speak at the University of Kansas. The department possibly will have a question-and-answer game for students to play that will test their knowledge about geography.
Sorenson said a great effort was put into promoting National Geographic Awareness Week because so many students had basic knowledge of the subject.
"People still don't know all we need to know about geography, but I think it's improving," he said. "Not being aware of our real problems is becoming less and less of a problem."
But he said the educating of people still had a long way to go.
Terry Slocum, associate professor of geography, said he thought that by
the time students were in college, they should not need to be taught the basics of geography.
"I think we need to get geography into the lower-level schools," he said. "Where countries are located should not have to be taught in college."
Sorenson said many people failed to realize that geography entailed much more than simply being able to locate a state and name the capital. It also deals with soil conditions and different types of terrain.
"The world at large often is not familiar with geography," he said. "It's going to take going out into the community and inviting the community into geography to see what's going on."
HALO elects officers for 1992
Group aims to boost attendance, visibility
By Rochelle Olson
Kansan staff writer
Recruitment and retention head the list of goals for the new officers of the Hispanic American Leadership Organization.
Suzanne Racine, Arlington Heights,
Junior, was elected president Nov.
25, like the other newly elected
offices, will begin her one-year term
in January
Racine was vice president last year and said she wanted the organization to continue in the direction set by outgoing president Louis Lopez.
"I realize he is going to be a really
hard act to follow," she said.
To encourage more participation, HALO plans to change their meetings from Mondays to Tuesdays next semester so we can attend. Some belong to Greek houses that have chapter meetings Mondays, Racine said.
Getting high school students off the streets and into higher education is another goal for Bacine, she said.
HALO members have spoken at high schools throughout Kangas.
"We let them know we've done it,
we made it, and we care about them."
Jose Urdaneta, Topeka senior, was elected vice president.
He said he hoped to increase attendance at HALO meetings and visibility (2).
Cheryl Hernandez, Shawnee freshman, was elected treasurer. Lymne
Lymnae Los Angeles freshman, was
deputy president.
Lyman said HALO should introduce more Latin American culture to the U.S.
"We need to go back to our roots a little more." Lyman said.
She said people ought to have a greater awareness of what was happening in Latin America.
Lyman said she wanted HALO to try to bring great writers such as Octavio Paz and Gabriel Garcia Marquez to KU.
If the organization works really hard, it might be able to get them to come, she said.
"I think our whole crew that got elected is going to be a good team," Lyman said.
Doo Dah Parade lampoons tradition
The Associated Press
PASADENA, Calif. - Cloggers wielding toilet plumbers danced on tortilla-strewn pavement and followers of the Church of the Ornamental Lawn Decorations marched with pink hats in yesterday's Doo Dah Parade.
billeditselfeachyearas"occasional."
Toilet paper rolls plummeted amid the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" dancers as the offbeat parade went on for an 16th year, even though it has
The parade originated as an off-the-cuff spoof of the annual New Year's Day Tournament of Roses but has evolved into a local tradition.
The first Doo Dah Parade was held Jan. 1, 1978, when the RoseParade was switched to Jan. 2 to avoid being held on a Sunday.
Thousands lined the streets to watch a stream of parade entries ranging from the Bagpeipe's Bappie Band to
the Supreme Court Justices In Training, who spent a lot of time lifting their robes.
Participants and onlookers kept a Doo Dah tradition alive by raining the parade with tortillas.
A group called COLD, the Church of Ornamental Lawn Decorations, celebrated the pink flamingo. Actress Elizabeth Taylor's recent wedding was lampooned, featuring a photographer in a parachute.
Happy Holidays & Good Luck on Finals!
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