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the university daily kansan 3A
Students get guidance, friendship in casual setting
By Jodie Kraftt
jkraftt@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Taking a break from his duties in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, associate director Tony Daniels is in the office lobby reenacting the final play of an intermural basketball game, complete with dribbling, spinning and shooting.
After entertaining the group of students in the lobby, he talked with them about their classes and the weekend before returning to his office.
Unlike most campus offices, this one offers a professional yet comfortable environment for students, said Robert Page, director of the office.
on the office.
"We offer an environment that's what I call being at home," Page said.
age said. The office works with multicultural organizations throughout campus to coordinate events and activities. The main goals of the office are to retain and graduate students.
are students.
At any time during the day, students can wander into 145 Strong Hall and hang out with other students or do homework. Occasionally music will be playing, and the noise level will steadily increase until a staff member usually Keenya Echols reminds students to keep it down
remains students to keep it down.
Echols, administrative specialist,
said she worked in banking and the
Bursar's Office before coming to the
Office of Multicultural Affairs.
Office of Nathaniel
"It was different for me. I
haven't worked in an office like
this before, but it's a fun office."
Echols said.
Echols says hello to everyone who comes into the office, and follows the greeting with the student's name in most cases.
"I know most of the students
who come in," Echols said. "I think it helps to promote a more welcoming atmosphere."
welcome daily duties. Seven students work as student-hours at the office. Echols said their duties were based around customer service, greeting visitors, answering the phones and cleaning the office as needed.
In addition to being a convenient spot for students, the office is a good place to find out information about activities and events, said Anniesha Scott, Junction City junior.
City junior. "Everybody's there for one thing, and I can find out what's going on with the different organizations," Scott said.
Page said all aspects of the office were geared toward enhancing and supporting the academic mission of the University.
"There's a fine line of balancing academic support and an environment that allows students to
feel comfortable," Page said.
Although it's sometimes difficult to maintain this balance, it's necessary to build relationships with students and make them feel welcome, Page said. Page also said he required his staff to keep their doors open at all times and to allow students to stop by without appointments.
Scott said she comes to the office every day between classes to talk with fellow students and the staff. She said people such as Page and Daniels served as her advisers and mentors.
"We all have comfortable relationships with everybody." Scott said. "They really care about us."
Daniels said students having discussions together in the office was necessary for the staff to hear how they feel about different issues on campus. And although they never say it, Daniels said he knew students enjoyed coming to the office.
Jeff Brandsted/Kensan
Anniesha Scott, Junction City junior, laughed as Denisha Jones, Kansas City Kan., sophomore, told a story in the Office of Multicultural Affairs yesterday.
"People make decisions with their feet," Daniels said. "We want the laughter, we want the discussion. We want the students in here.'
Edited by Paul Kramer
By Patrick Cady pcady@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
Group gathers for inter-faith dialogue
A movie that has been one of the most divisive in recent cinema became an instrument of unity Monday night.
Representatives from three different faiths — Roman Catholicism, Judaism and Protestantism — gathered at the Jewish Student Center, 940 Mississippi St., to discuss the moral and the theological implications of Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ.
"It was a very good start and we hope to have more inter-faith dialogues in the future," said Polli Kenn, program director of the University of Kansas Hillel Foundation.
The film has been in theaters for more than a month and chronicles the final three days of the life of Jesus Christ.
"I thought it was a really beautiful story about Jesus, but there were a lot of scenes that got in the way and some very anti-Semitic scenes."
Melissa Horen
Overland Park freshman
Christ suffered under the hands of the Romans has moved many and shocked more.
"I thought it was a really beautiful story about Jesus," said Melissa Horen, Overland Park freshman and participant in the discussion. "But there were a lot of scenes that got in the way and some very anti-Semitic scenes."
Horen said she found scenes depicting the Jewish pharisees, or elders, antagonistic treatment of Christ and the portrayal of the
Roman governor Pontius Pilate particularly upsetting.
particularly upsetting "I didn't expect it to be so violent," Horen said.
The violence in the film also sent shock waves of worry to others in the Jewish community.
"My fear is that it could spread anti-Semitism in such a way that hasn't been seen in 50 years," Jeremy Krashin, Overland Park senior, said.
Such backlash made the need for such an inter-faith dialogue clear.
clear. Kenn said she was sad it took an event for people to gather, but thought the dialogue was a success.
cess. The three groups spent two hours discussing various aspects of the film through the lenses of their individual faiths, Horen said.
"It was a very calm atmosphere;" Horen said.
She said the Jewish students were able to explain what they
considered anti-Semitic in the film, such as the actions of the pharisees.
The Catholics, on the other hand, looked past some of the violence and noted the beauty of the story while the Baptists listened and offered their own Protestant perspective.
"All sides were enlightened." Horen said. "The talk helped us understand each other better."
Rev. Steve Kawiecki, American Baptist Student Fellowship associate pastor of student ministry, said he was glad to hear the divergent viewpoints.
"I think it helps to learn to listen to other people," Kawiecki said.
Horen said that once The Passion of the Christ comes out on video the groups plan to have another inter-faith discussion and will analyze the film scene by scene.
- Edited by Stephanie Lovett
Wal-Mart could sue city over property
By Laura Pate
lpate@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Wal-Mart representative Owen Buckley warned city commissioners last night not to downsize the amount of land that Wal-Mart could use at Sixth and Wakarusa streets.
streets. If it did, it would face a lawsuit for infringing on Gwak Land Investment's property rights, Buckley said.
6Wak Land Investments first applied for a building permit on May 6,2003. The city issued a
But four of the five city commissioners voted to allow 6Wak Land Investments to use 80,000 square feet of the land rather than the 132,000 square feet Wal-Mart requested. The 80,000 square feet would not be enough room for a Wal-Mart.
building permit moratorium six days later.
days at
Jim Bowers, attorney for 6Wak Land Investments, said he plans to file the lawsuit within 30 days
Commissioners could not comment extensively on the issue, because the city is undergoing litigation from six other lawsuits issued by 6Wak Land Investments.
Martha Perala, who lives on Colonial Circle, south of Sixth and Wakarua streets, gathered signatures from 500 families in opposition to the building of Wal-Mart. The store would ruin the character of her neighborhood by creating traffic problems, she said.
Darren Cauton, Lawrence resident, said that the city should not try to protect its citizens from stores.
Edited by Henry C. Jackson