THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2008
NEWS
CAMPUS
3A
Discussions begin Women's History Month celebration
Hip-hop forum focuses on racy lyrics
BY JESSICA WICKS
jwicks@kansan.com
Skanks, bitches and big-booty hos. The creative validity of these words in hip-hop lyrics will become an object of contention tonight during a panel discussion that is part of Women's History Month.
The event will address whether ethnic women should fight against these terms used in popular music.
Adrianne Nunez, Lawrence senior, said she thinks it is a woman's responsibility to not allow others to talk about women that way.
"The labels are bad, but you don't see women fighting it either," Nunez said.
Maxwell Hinman, Wichita sophomore, said the songs can have a positive effect on women.
"I think that songs like 'I like big butt' has actually done a lot for women," Hinman said.
He said the stick figure image of beauty changed after that song.
"Now women with figures like Beyonce are considered beautiful, when before people didn't see those women as attractive," Himman said.
Kathy Rose-Mockery, director of the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center, said women have made progress, but they still have a ways to go before gender is not the primary focus.
"We need to critically look at the images in the media and what they say about the value of women in society;" Rose-Mockery said.
Jonathan Robinson, Oklahoma City sophomore, said he sees rap in some of the poems in his poetry class.
"A word can mean one thing, but have the façade of something else," Robinson said.
Ashley Sanders, Kansas City, Kan., junior, said, "Sometimes a rapper will say this is my bitch, but they mean this is my woman. My main girl."
Robinson said that some hidden lyrics can be worse than what they sound, like in Soulja Boy's "Superman."
"It's a two-way street," Robinson said. "Songs can be degrading in any style."
Robinson said people should judge songs instead of labeling genres.
Hinman said that when he listens
to rap and hip-hop he enjoys the more old-school rap.
"It is more explicit. It will come right out and say bad things, but it doesn't hide anything." Hinman said.
Jasmine Turner, Kansas City, Kan. freshman, said hip-hop is like a business.
"It is always adjusting to what people want to hear," she said. "It is not always, good, but it is necessary."
To become famous, you have to push boundaries, Robinson said.
"You have to be on the edge to set yourself apart and get people's attention." Robinson said.
Nunez said that women have the responsibility to be careful about where they place themselves in the music industry.
"It is getting better," Nunez said. "Some women in hip-hop are making women look strong, and that is good, but they still have a long way to go."
The panel discussion tonight is one of several events being sponsored in March by the center, which serves as a resource for gender issues and sponsors programs about issues such as body image and sexual violence.
The event, which is being put on with help from Sigma Lambda Gamma and Kappa Alpha Psi, is tonight at 7 p.m. in the Sabatini Multicultural Resource Center.
Edited by Nick Mangiaracina
Women's History Month calendar
March 11 "Language in Hip-Hop and Rap; Degrading Women?" 7 p.m., Sabatini Multicultural Resource Center
Critical Conversations:"Women's Roles in the Military: The Challenges of Leadership," noon to 1 p.m., Jayhawk Room, Kansas Union
March 13 - Women in the Legal
Match 15-3 Women in the Legal Profession, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Green Hall, Room 203
March 24 "Feminism, Whiteness,
and Power: Cultivating Account-
ability" 3:30-5 p.m., Hall Center
Conference Hall (open to KU)
graduate students and faculty)
- Women's Service Project: "The Word
Women's Service Project: "The Words We Use. Think. Respect. Speak," Wesco Beach
- Movement (Revolution Africa): Film and Discussion, 7 p.m., Liberty Hall
March 26 - "America's Art in a Global
Age: New Direction in Leadership"7:30 p.m., Alderson Auditorium, Kansas Union
March 27 - University of Kansas
Women's Recognition Program, 7:30 p.m., Big 12 Room, Kansas Union
March 28 and 29 -Vagina Monologues, 7 p.m., Hashinger Hall Theater
April 3  SUA Annual Student Lecture,
Speaker : Lisa Ling, 7 p.m., Lied
Center
Seminar explores leadership roles in the military
BY MARY SORRICK msorrick@kansan.com
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Panelists will discuss women's leadership roles in the military today as part of Women's History Month.
Oliver said she thought women in the military would be a good topic because of the war in Iraq.
from Fort Leavenworth, would bring a unique perspective to the panel discussion because both have achieved higher-level leadership positions.
The Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center is sponsoring the seminar, "Women's Roles in the Military: The Challenges of Leadership." The seminar will take place today from noon to 1 p.m. in the Jayhawk Room of the Kansas Union.
Second Lt. TiCondra Swartz, scholarships and admissions adviser for the KU Army ROTC, will be a panelist at the event. She said the number of women in leadership roles in the military could be higher.
Angela Oliver, assistant director of the Student Involvement and Leadership Center, coordinated the event. She said the seminar was one of three in a series this semester to focus on women in leadership roles.
The event will feature two panel members from Fort Leavenworth and two members from the University of Kansas Army ROTC program.
According to the Women's Research and Education Institute, women currently constitute about 15 percent of all military officers. That number has increased since 1948, when women could not legally constitute more than two percent of the military force.
She said Maj, Marne Sutton and Maria, Elizabeth Sweeney, both panels
Lt. Col. Sandra Leiker, adjunct professor in the KU Air Force ROTC, said the opportunity for women to occupy leadership roles in the military has changed significantly in the past 20 years.
Currently, most military occupations are open to women, according to the Women's Research and Education Institute. But the Department of Defense has restricted combat positions to men.
Swartz said many women think they are as capable as men to fill many of these restricted leadership roles.
"There are so many people that look up to women in leadership roles," Swartz said. "I think it's good for them to set an example for our younger female and male soldiers."
Panelists will discuss these and other topics, which Oliver said would be relevant to KU students.
"We don't want to focus entirely on the negative aspects," Oliver said. "We also want to highlight a lot of the progress that has been going on."
"There are a lot of females that are like, 'Hell, I can do that,'" she said. "If they want to do it, I think we should give them an opportunity."
Edited by Mandy Earles
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