mondav.march 29.2004
news
the university daily kansan 3A
3A
'Crossfire'co-host to speak
Speaker will touch on topics of war, upcoming elections
By Patrick Cady
pcady@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
The Ragin' Cajun cometh.
James Carville, a nationally renowned political analyst, whose fiery rhetoric garnered him that nickname, will speak at 7:30 tonight at the Lied Center
Carville
as part of the 2004 Student Lecture series presented by Student Senate and Student Union Activities. Tickets for students are $7.
Sean Pauzauskie, Topeka senior and SUA representative, said Carville is diverse and entertaining and will be an informative and exciting speaker.
People might know Carville most for his position as the co-host of CNN's news talk show Crossfire, his cameo in the Dreamworks SKG college comedy Old School with Will Ferrell or for his success as a political strategist.
His first major political victory came in the 1986 Pennsylvania gubernatorial race.
He then found continued success with the back-to-back presidential elections with Bill Clinton as his campaign manager.
"He orchestrated and had an amazing success with that," Pauzauskie said.
During his talk, Carville will cover topics ranging from the upcoming election to the War on Terror and misunderstandings between political parties, Pauzauskie said.
The Road to Carville
What: James Carville
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Lied Center
How much: $7 for students,
faculty and staff; $13 for non-
students
Source: www.suaevents.com
"He values winning and taking a stand," said Burdett Loomis, professor and chairman of the political science department. "He sees worth in defining issues in ways that help his candidate."
Speakers for this event in the past have ranged from Archbishop Desmond Tutu to Gloria Steinem to Ralph Nader.
This year, before obtaining a commitment from Carville, SUA courted independent filmmaker and political independent Michael Moore.
— Edited by Ashley Arnold
Former KU student pleads not guilty to arson charges
The Associated Press
OLATHE — A former KU student suspected of setting 15 fires in Johnson and Douglas counties before driving to California pleaded not guilty Friday to two arson charges.
David Ryan Jay, 23, of Olathe, is being charged in John s o n County District Court with one count of aggravated arson and one count of arson. Jay also
could face a federal charge for the March 8 fire at Watson Library, said Paul Morrison, Johnson County district attorney.
Iav returned from California to
Olathe on Thursday with the Johnson County sheriff. At his first court appearance Friday, Jay appeared via video. His attorney, Alex McCauley, entered a not guilty plea on Jay's behalf; Jay was not required to speak during the brief hearing.
Jay
District Judge John Anderson III scheduled Jay's next court appearance for April 1. Jay is being held on $1 million bond.
Investigators said the fires stopped about the time Jay abandoned his apartment and headed west.
One of the two fires in which he is charged occurred in the clubhouse of the apartment complex where he lived. The other fire he is charged with setting was at a 144-unit assisted-living center that was being built in Olathe. Investigators say a similar accelerant was used at all of the fires.
None of the fires caused serious injury, though they have resulted in more than $8 million in damage.
Morrison said Jay had been a "lower priority suspect" before turning himself in to authorities in the San Bernardino County town of Fontana.
Olathe Fire Marshal Kent Harris said Jay did not look like the man pictured in a composite sketch released after the Watson Library fire.
Jay attended the University in Summer 1998 until Spring 2001, Morrison said.
Fontana authorities knew nothing about the Kansas fires, but Jay provided enough information that police there contacted Johnson County officials, Morrison said.
Morrison suspected Jay may have believed he eventually would have been caught anyway.
Blended ethnicity a natural fit for Arab-Hispanic sophomore
By Samia Khan
skhan@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Every face in the crowd and every name in the phone book has a story behind it. Every week, Kansan staff writer Samia Khan tells the story of a randomly selected KU student.
Most people can't guess Sarah Kadhim's ethnic background.
friendships, but she said it wasn't something that made her stand out. She said she has connected to both sides of her heritage equally.
"I've never met anyone else with my background, but it's not weird to me," Kadhim said.
The Colorado Springs, Colo., sophomore said it took five months for her roommate to figure out she was of Arab and Hispanic descent.
Since she cam to college, Kadhim has joined the Hispanic American Leadership Organization, or HALO. She said the organization has connected her to people with a common background and helped her make friends. Melinda Benavidez said she wanted to learn more about Kadhim's background when she met
Kadhim's mother is of Mexican descent and her father moved from Iraq when he was a teenager. She said many people have been surprised by her unusual dual ethnicity. Kadhim is able to bring a unique cultural perspective to her
her. Benavidez, treasurer for HALO, said the organization embraced everyone with interest in Hispanic culture even if they weren't fully Hispanic.
Kadhim said she wanted to learn more about the Arab culture
by exploring Arab organizations at the University. She wants to take advantage of Arabic language classes while she is in college.
"I got mad at my dad because he never taught me Arabic," she said.
Kadhim has never met anyone from her father's family. Someday she wants to meet her father's family in Baghdad but has to wait until it is safer to visit. Kadhim said when the war in Iraq began it was difficult to think she might lose family that she had never met.
At Kadhim's high school, there were not many Arab or Hispanic students. Now in college, she has more resources to explore her cultural background. She said she hasn't received any ridiculous questions or ignorant comments in college. In high school she met people who mistook Iraqi for Iroquois or asked if she ate camel.
Instead, people are interested in learning about her heritage. She said her dual cultural background is a natural part of who she is. She has never felt like she had to pick a side of her ethnicity to identify with. Her mother, Sandra, said her children have always
felt strong about who they are.
Brent Carter/Kansan
When she lived at home she was used to having enchiladas one day and her father's Arab lamb dish the next.
Sarah Kadhim, Colorado Springs,
Colo., sophomore,
has parents who are of two different ethnic backgrounds. Her father is of Arab descent and her mother is Mexican-American.
"I feel part of both cultures and a part of the American culture without losing anything," she said.
— Edited by Meghan Brune
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