Friday inside
Learning faculty Faculty from universities around the country will participate in the seventh annual Symposium on the Recruitment & Retention of Students of Color. About 20 University of Kansas faculty will attend. PAGE 3A
It's not 'pretty'
Eric , an artist from New York City, showed his work last night
at the Kansas Union. Drooker said he avoided creating "pretty" or abstract art. PAGE 6A
Weekend series Kansas' baseball team heads to Waco, Texas this weekend for a three-game series with Baylor. The Jayhawks will look to rebound from a recent losing streak. PAGE 1B
Sooner showdown Kansas will play against Oklahoma twice this weekend and get an opportunity to move closer to making the playoffs. PAGE 1B
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KANSAN
April 23, 2004 IN ITS 100TH YEAR AS THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Vol.114 Issue No.137
KU COLLEGE REPUBLICANS
Group chair censured
Board irked by Taff support
By Patrick Cady
pcady@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
With the elections for the board of the University of Kansas College Republicans less than a week away, chairman Justin McFarland has been censured by State Board of the Kansas Federation of College Republicans.
Among the charges in the statement ratified on April 15 were claims that McFarland, Lenexa junior, made false statements and violated a rule of neutrality. The board also found McFarland remiss in sending information to members of the group regarding issues of scholarships, internships and free travel, Laura Findley, communications director for the federation said. The board also held him accountable for his alleged support of 3rd-District congressional candidate Adam Taff.
"To be honest we were very reluctant to give the censure, but we felt it was
unavoidable," Findley said.
McFarland said he thought the censure was personal.
"With our elections coming up next week, it's kind of an attack on me," McFarland said. "They don't want to get me re-elected."
Findley said that a member of the College Republicans came to the board last week with a list of complaints.
"This is basically a very formal way of saying we disapprove of what you are doing." Findley said.
Within the KU College Republicans, Matt Flynm, Lenena senior and treasurer of the College Republicans, was particularly upset with McFarland's actions. He said that he didn't think McFarland would take the censure to heart. He saw the censure as a warning to McFarland.
SEE REPUBLICANS ON PAGE 6A
Group members have said that McFarland devoted an excessive amount of time to Taff causes during meetings,
Kansan File Photo
Jenni Valadez, Kingston alumni; Felicia Orozco, Kanopolis alumni; Kristy Croom, Independence junior; Rosie Lopez, Kansas City, Kan.; junior; and Melanie Dallas, Dallas junior, of Sigma Lambda Gamma sorority competed in the step competition last year at the Lied Center.
Seven groups will step it up
By Anna Clovis aclovis@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
Members of the University of Kansas National Panhellenic Council are preparing to sing, dance and step their way into the Lied Center on Saturday.
The KU Greek Step Show will take the stage at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6.
Nikkii Dolce, NPHC president, said seven groups are scheduled to perform with the possibility of others being added today.
Dolce said some organizations had been preparing for the show since the beginning of the semester.
Awards are given for the best fraternity and sorority performances.
New comedy embraces creativity
SEE STEP SHOW ON PAGE 6A
Dan Ryckert, Olathe sophomore, displayed the "beer bong of awesome" for his sketch comedy Foghat Live, which will run on KUJH-TV. Ryckert directed and produced the sketch.
Annie Bernathy/Kansa
By Dave Nobles
dnobles@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
In front of a huge white screen in a studio Wednesday night, Dan Ryckert created art.
And he did it carrying a time-traveling beer bong while wearing a wizard costume with Adidas sandals and a fake beard.
"I am Oron of the six sages," Ryckert said in full costume, at Oldfather Studios, 1621 W. Ninth St. "Behold. This is the beer bong of awesome."
The Olathe sophomore is the primary director, editor and writer of a new sketch comedy show on KUJH TV, Channel 32, called Foghat Live. and the outfit was for an upcoming episode.
In the sketch, a guy steals another guy's girlfriend. The guy without a girlfriend travels through time assembling an "army of the ages" to get revenge.
The "army" consists of Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, a raptor and giant grapes from the Garden of Eden.
Jason Sachse, Leavenworth junior, helped set up the lighting during the shoot. Sachse, who is in an intermediate lighting class, said the show was unlike anything he had worked on before.
"It's a pretty creative idea," Sachse said. "I mean, having a 6-foot-8 black Abe Lincoln and the beer bong of awesome, how can you go wrong?"
The show, which premiered April 15, is filled with outandland sketches such as the one filmed on Wednesday. The first episode featured parody sketches of Eliminate and Room Raiders, as well as various shots of "guerrilla comedy" similar to Jackass.
Ryckert got the show's name from a
Foghat record he bought with the same name.
"It was confusing enough, and I knew people would remember it," Ryckert said. "Plus, I think it would be hilarious if Foghat sued me. That'd be the best story ever."
Standing next to a shark-costumed Ryckert at the beginning of the first episode, Wayne Simien, Leavenworth junior and forward on the men's basketball team, said that shows like Chappelle's Show and Saturday Night Live better watch out.
But Foghat's budget resembles that of Wayne's World, Ryckert said.
"That's exactly what it is," Ryckert said. "Just like them, we just wanted to have a TV show."
Dominic Ward, Topeka freshman, is part of a group of about six students who act in the sketches and brainstorm ideas with Ryckert.
Ward said Ryckert was very focused.
“Dan puts lots and lots of time into this.” Ward said, “It’s all he thinks about.”
All the sketches are filmed using his digital camcorder and whatever resources he can scrounge up.
He said that he appreciated all forms of comedy, but Foghat Live was more along the lines of ridiculous humor with clever lines thrown in.
"As long as you know it's stupid humor, it's funny," Ryckert said. "It's not like Mad TV where it's stupid, but they don't know it."
Ryckert said that he was concerned about the content of the sketches at first, but after the initial reaction, those feelings were put to rest.
"I haven't heard a negative reaction
SEE FOGHAT ON PAGE 6A
Senate's 'crazy glue' holds office together
By Andy Marso
amarso@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Delta Force, KUnited agree: Diana's the best
Student Senate secretary Diana Rhodes was behind her desk Wednesday, in the middle of four or five different tasks.
It was National Secretary's Week, but she was letting the pot full of white flowers next to her do the bragging.
"I don't like toooting my own horn." Rhodes said. "The moment you profess a certain competency level for yourself,
that's when you're going to fall right on your butt."
The Student Senate executives who depend on Rhodes every day don't have any problem professing her competency. Take Catherine Bell, student body vice president:
"Diana is an amazing person. She's always helpful in the office, always positive, and she's a great resource for historical insight."
Or Andy Knopp, student body president:
"Diana is the crazy glue that holds our office together."
Hundreds of pages of paperwork and legislation come through the Senate office each week and many of them make a 'stop on Rhodes' desk. She's
responsible for compiling and typing the weekly legislation, paying the office bills and putting together applications for the various executive positions, among other things.
She also handles the payroll for the office's 22 paid employees, takes care of the paperwork for all the Senate travel expenses and handles refunds for KU on Wheels, which is operated out of the Senate office.
Rhodes faces scores of students coming in to get lost and stolen bus passes replaced every week.
"It isn't exactly supposed to be part of the job, but it's not possible to get around it." Rhodes said.
SEE SECRETARY ON PAGE 5A
Annie Barnethy/Kansan
Diana Rhodes, Student Senate secretary, worked at her desk Wednesday morning. This week is National Secretary's Week. Rhodes has worked for the Student Senate for five years and does a lot to keep Senate running smoothly.