4A
Thursday, May 2, 1996
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIEWPOINT
Men displayed courage support at women's rally
This is about real men: men who support, protect and respect women,men who take responsibility for being part of an oppressive group by demonstrating an effort to understand and stop violence against women.
They are the men who attended the eighth annual "Womyn Take Back the Night" rally on April 25. About 20 male participants applauded a woman's effort to speak out against violence as opposed to attaching it to male bashing.
Advertisements for the event may have intimidated those men who are unaware of its purpose. It is not to blame, bash or denounce males but to share experiences and support one another's attempts to understand and stop the threat of violence.
It is men and women working together to combat violence, not women vs. men.
Jason Schreiner, WaKeeney junior, said he attended the rally to recognize the efforts of women and to celebrate a woman's courage to speak out.
THE ISSUE:
Womyn Take Back the Night
The support from these men promotes women to continue expressing courage.
Connie Burk, house manager of Women's Transitional Care Services, said that men always had been an integral part of the event and said she appreciated those who supported the surviving women.
Jeni Schmidt, Leawood junior, said her father had attended the event to show his support.
She said that it was nice to see men participate because women couldn't do it alone.
We can't.
The more effort that is made to help each other, the stronger our shield will become against violence.
Men who support and help women to "take back the night" are displaying their strength, courage and ability to protect for the good of their fellow man, or in this case, woman.
ERIN KRIST FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Joining student organizations can add experience to your résumé
Today is the perfect opportunity to take a step above your classmates. The University Daily Kansan, Student Union Activities and many other worthwhile organizations are asking for a favor. They want you to be part of their staffs.
This might seem like a novel idea,but we are sure you,the normal college student,will ask,"What's the catch?"
The only catch is that applying will bring you a step closer to pursuing your dream. If you are interested in journalism, what better way to get more involved than by being on the student newspaper? The summer Kansan still is looking for reporters and staff.
If your niche isn't journalism, then there are other things that you can do.
SUA has at least nine student committees set up to choose events ranging from live music events to feature films. The first step is to find one that you think would intrigue you and pursue it.
Most professional schools' clubs are changing
THE ISSUE:
Student Involvement
their executive boards. Ask friends, advisers or teachers if they know something about the club. You also can get more information from your school's dean's office.
If you decide not to join a professional club or fill out an application for a committee,you might be denying yourself a prime chance to set yourself up for future engagements.
Many students get discouraged during the summer because nobody is willing to hire a student without any experience. But opportunities such as the ones mentioned can give you an edge. This experience can lead to internships or to professional jobs.
But it is time to move. Usually, organizations receive the bulk of their applications at the beginning of the fall semester. If you turn in your fall application now, you could have a slight edge over the competition.
DOUG WEINSTEIN FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
By Paul Todd Photo by Matt Flickner
ike many KU students, Julie Harris spent the Spring Break of her final year at KU in a far off place. She, like most stu-
in general have even considered. Students can learn from Harris' devotion to community service.
dents, wanted to do something fun. So she packed a bag, grabbed some friends and headed to sunny El Paso, Texas.
In El Paso she worked on public projects projects for citizens, helped feed and clothe El Paso residents and led her group in an effort to understand the problems in that part of the country. Not your typical Spring Break, but Harris and her comrades are not your typical students.
Harris is one of the coordinators of the Center for Community Outreach, a branch of the University of Kansas' Student Senate, and was the recipient of this year's Student Senator of the Year award from her fellow senators. She has organized more projects, seminars and field excursions that benefit the community than most students, faculty or people
Harris, Mission Hills senior, and her co-coordinator, Lorraine Claussen, organized the Spring Break trip as part of the University's Alternative Spring Break program. Harris and Claussen secured funding for the trip from Breakaway, a national Spring Break community service program partially financed by the federal government. Three other groups, totaling 26 students, went to Washington D.C., Fort Collins, Colo., and Cape Charles, Va.
The University's program was different from those at other universities because it was curriculum-based, something Harris said she felt was vital to getting students involved with community service.
She said that the participants in the program researched areas of their own interest, such as
migrant worker issues and the North America Free Trade Agreement, shared their findings with the group and then saw firsthand what they were studying and researching.
"It gave them the opportunity to apply what they've learned, especially the way this class was set up," Harris said.
Harris' devotion to public service, however, has not just been at vacation time.
The Center for Community Outreach was not Harris' brainchild, but it has been her passion for the last year. The Center was started seven years ago. Its original intent was to match students who wanted to serve in the community
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
KU Alternative Spring Break participants plant a garden for elementary school students in El Paso, Texas. Student Senate's Center For Community Outreach co-sponsored the program.
with local service agencies. But the center's coordinators saw a problem.
"It was more of a clearing house," Harris said. "They decided that the Center shouldn't just place students with other agencies, and they made a big jump last year."
The Center began using its own resources instead of depending on non-University agencies to get students involved in the community. It became an umbrella agency that KU community service groups could use for guidance and recruiting.
"The Center wanted to directly utilize the strengths of students," Harris said. "Before, students were isolated as far as who was interested in volunteering. The Center organized a sort-of movement on campus."
It has been Harris' job to increase the number of students involved with Center groups and activities financed by Senate, and increase they have.
"Last year we had 70 students who made a semester or year-long commitment to help with a service," she said. "This year we had about 200."
With Harris' help, the Center has become a powerful and relatively non-political branch of Senate.
“It’s hard to pick your battles,” she said. “This year we expanded so much, but we still need to work on awareness — students still need to understand what CCO is.”
Harris isn't new to Student Senate. She has been active in Senate for three years and has been a CCO director twice. She knows the University political system, and, in the past year, has used the system to the Center's advantage.
"I give my support to other senators, but I'm pretty apolitical," she said.
Jamie Johnson, newly elected student body vice president, said that Harris was extremely influential to other senators.
"It's an implicit power," he said. "If she gets up and says something, people are inclined to listen."
Increasing funding and more firmly linking the Center with Student Senate have been two of the co-coordinator's goals this year. Higher status in Senate means more funding for Center programs, and more funding means more programs in which students could get involved.
"We tried to sell Senate on CCO as a really positive thing." Harris said. "Moving the Center closer to Senate has strengthened and expanded it."
Harris has been fighting for the past year to make the Center an organization that students could use to get involved in the Lawrence community. Whether they get involved is up to them.
Harris is realistic, though, about student community service. She doesn't preach service as a moral duty. Instead, she calmly explains that community service provides an opportunity for students to apply their education and to understand other peoples' lives.
"Cultural exchange occurs in any volunteer experience," she said. "It is the most effective way to break down barriers."
Most students sit idly and watch the days go by, completely oblivious to what is going on around them. Getting them interested in helping in the community is an impressive task, especially when it is done by another student.
"Students need to recognize how important giving back to the community is," she said.
"It's part of being a community member. I'm hoping that, even if it's just a few people, to instill in them the importance of community service. It creates empathy for others instead of anaphy."
If one student can be such a factor in the community on a daily basis, then surely all KU students could find the time to help themselves and others, even if only once in a while.
Students who want to know more about volunteerism at KU can call the Center for Community Outreach at 864-3710.
KANSAN STAFF
ASHLEY MILLER
Editor
VIRGINIA MARGHEIM
Managing editor
ROBERT ALLEN
News editor
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
Campus ... Joann Birk
    Philip Brownlee
Editorial ... Paul Todd
Features ... Matt Hood
Sports ... Tom Brokken
Photo .. Andy Rabinstein
Graphics ... Falkenrick
Graphics ... Noah Musser
Special sections ... Novella Bommers
Wire ... Tara Trenary
Illustration ... Mitch Leaker
HEATHER NIEHAUS
Business manager
KONAN HAUSER
Retail sales manager
JAY STEINER
Sales and marketing adviser
JUSTIN KNUPP
Technology coordinator
Business Staff
Business director
Campus mgr ... Glensear Gersen
Regional mgr ... Kelly Connelye
National mgr ... Mark Oxlmkel
Special sections mgr ... Korm Blow
Production mgr ... Rachel Cahill
Heather Vallier
Marketing director ... Cary Bresløst
Art Director ... Annette Ackerman
Creative director ... Ed Kowalski
Classified mgr ... Stacey Weygarten
Internship/co-op mgr ... T.J. Clark
HUBIE
By Greg Hardin