THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2008
NEWS
DIVERSITY
5A
Students celebrate Pride Week
Queers and Allies play host to events to celebrate unique culture
STUDENT SENATE
BY BRENAHAWLEY bhawley@kansan.com
Queers and Allies celebrates Gay Pride Week with rainbow flags flying from light poles, a film screening, speakers, a queer prom night and the popular drag show.
Thursday
calendar
thursday
"Scout's Honor"
A documentary about being gay in the Boy Scouts 7:30 p.m. in Big 12 Room, Kansas Union
Annual Brown Bag Drag Show Noon in front of the Kansas Union
Friday
Taylor Miller/KANSAN
the color of pride
San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker designed the gay pride flag in 1978 as an annual symbol for the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade. Each color of the flag stands for a part of gay life:
Source: www.lambda.org
A Pride Week flag flies on campus. The flags are a new tradition of Pride Week, lining street walls on Jayhawk Boulevard.
Stefan Vogler, Overland Park senior and Queers and Allies treasurer, said the goal of Pride Week was to increase visibility for people involved.
"If we show the community we're here and active, we will educate it," Vogler said.
Vogler organized Friday's Annual Brown Bag Drag Show, which he said the group had put on for longer than he could remember. He said it was a fun way to wrap up Pride Week, especially because it was in front of the Kansas Union and people walking by could stop and see it.
"A lot of the community gets some great exposure to a little bit of our culture," Vogler said.
Vogler said the drag show attracted drag kings and queens from campus and also many from Kansas City. He said they lip sync and some even sang live.
Another new tradition or Pride Week is the hanging of pride flags, which are rainbowstriped flags where each color symbolizes a different aspect of life.
Ashlynn Horras, Knoxville, Iowa sophomore and communications director for Queers and Allies, said the group hung up pride flags last year and they were almost all ripped down by Monday. She said this year, they decided to hang them much higher using a 24-foot-tall ladder.
"We still have people who are ripping down flags, which means we're not accepted," Horras said.
Horras said Queers and Allies was working to give more rights to the gay community by adding gender identity to the
University's employment policy. She said that someone listed as transgender could still be fired or discriminated against.
A movement to give more rights to faculty with same-sex partners is underway in University Senate.
Paul Farran, president-elect of Unclassified Senate, said domestic partners of faculty and staff were not covered by the University's health insurance. He said extending coverage to these partners would benefit the University in recruitment and retention of faculty and staff.
"It would help draw quality applicants who might otherwise not apply," Farran said.
Farran said making a change like this in University policy would probably take place on all levels because the benefits come from the state, not just the University. He said Senate was creating a task force to examine the benefits and that action wouldn't take place until next year.
Edited by Samuel Lamb
Personal profiles of candidates
BY BRENAHA HAWLEY
bhawley@kansan.com
Student Senate candidates submitted their biographies to The University Daily Kansan in anticipation of next week's Senate elections April 9 and 10. They had the opportunity to get their picture taken for the paper. The Kansan edited their biographies for style.
PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT (2 SEATS)
Adam McGonicle
Adam McGonigle
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Wichita
Major: Journalism (Strategic Communications) and Political Science
Coalition: United Students
Geography: I'm running for Student
Senate because I believe United Students will have a positive impact on the daily lives of students. We've presented a balanced platform addressing issues from parking.
McGonigle
to safety, to environmental concerns. We also have an outstanding group of senator candidates - ready for leadership roles on day one. I couldn't be more proud of the United Students team. With United Students, you can be sure that your student government will address issues that matter to you, and protect your fee money with responsible spending.
Michael Gillaspie
rear: Junior
Hometown:
Ashland
Major: Architecture
Coalition:
United Students
Biography: As vice president I would try to
instill a sense of fun, excitement.
Gillaspie
install a sense of fun, excitement, and passion for the work that we do and the University that we love. I am thrilled for the future at KU and look forward to have the opportunity to work with students and faculty to accomplish great things.
Austin Kelly
Year: Senior
Hometown: Lawrence
Major: Geography and Political Science
Coalition: ConnectKU
Biography I have two main objectives for seeking to be your student body president. First, I will make
Student Senators and Senate itself more responsive to student needs by requiring them to meet with student groups and individual students all year, not just during elections.
Second, I want to focus on improving the everyday lives through better e-mail, improved outdoor recreation, and increased off-campus lighting.
Kelly
Jason Oruch
Jason Ortiz
Year: Junior
Hometown: Plano, Texas
Major: American Studies
Coalition: ConnectKU
Biography: I want to be sr
Biography: I want to be student body vice president for many reasons. I like
to say that I want to bring Student Senate back to the students. We are here to represent the students, and that is exactly what we plan to do. We want to make every student on campus
aware of all the resources that Student Senate provides. We have already begun working for you, just imagine what we can do when we are elected.
Oruch
Adam Wood
Year: Junior
Hometown: Lawrence
Major: Not provided
Coalition: Students of Liberty
Biography: When I graduated a semester early from Lawrence High School, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. My first semester, I lived in Hashinger Hall and met my wife
there. My second semester, I had a major medical problem and went into the hospital for a month. There I decided I had to help people which, for me, naturally led to politics. After a
Wood
bumpy two years, I feel that it is time to make my voice heard and help the KU student body by bringing honesty and integrity back to Student Senate.
Eric Hyde
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Lawrence
Major: Political Science
Coalition: Students of Liberty
Biography: I'm committed to reducing student fees and going green at KU.
We can build wind turbines, we can save $250,000 a year, and it will not cost students a dime! We'll start with wind,
move to solar, and talk about geothermal. My vice-presidential salary of over $8,000 will go for the first wind turbine. We can obtain federal grants and other money to build. Students of Liberty will push for the first Bin 12
Hyde
Eco-University. It will save the University and students' money, and history will be made. KU will champion the beginning of this green and golden age!
SEE STUDENT SENATE ON PAGE 7A
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