friday, march 5,2004
news
the university daily kansar
3A
Alumni group looks to increase members, services
By Jodie Krafft
jkraftf@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The Black Alumni Association has a small database of alumni contacts and an even smaller group of members, but Jimmy Banks knows the group has the potential to make an impact at the University of Kansas.
Banks, president of the association, created the group two years ago to serve African-American alumni and students at the University. Right now, the association has only 10 paying members, but about 150 names are in the organization's database.
Hesaid the numberswould significantly increase with a membership drive in the fall. When the association met last September,
"My intention is to gain as much information as possible on how to be successful and to get tips for my career."
Melva Landrum
Minneapolis, Minn., junior
60 alumni came to show their support, and Banks said he expected the same number or more this year.
"We have to show people the value that our organization can add to the University." Banks said.
Last year, the Black Alumni Association tried to become affiliated with the University Alumni
ASSOCIATION DUES
Dues for Black Alumni
Association: $25 individual,
$40 couple
Dues for University Alumni Association:$50 single, $60 couple
Dues for University Alumni Association recent graduates (within three years): $25 single, $30 couple
Source; www.kubblackalumni.org and www.kualumni.org.
Association. Banks described his vision of the association's role within the University as a special interest or an affinity group.
Banks said the Black Alumni Association could benefit from the
University association in terms of resources. He said the Black Alumni Association could also recruit more African Americans to the University's association.
the University alumni Association Fred Williams, president of the University Alumni Association said the association's limited resources and staff prevented the Black Alumni Association or any other association from joining the University Alumni Association
The two groups also have different purposes, Williams said. While the University Alumni Association primarily deals with records and coordinating reunions among alumni, the Black Alumni Association deals with both alumni and current students.Banks said he understood the difference.
"Our focus has been on putting
the infrastructure in place and getting the mentoring program off the ground," Banks said.
In addition to alumni interaction, Banks wants alumni to serve as mentors to students to improve student retention.
Banks said he thought focusing on students was something the organization needed to do and could do with its current members and resources.
Right now, eight students are in the program, an increase from last year's number of three. Banks said he wanted the program to benefit both students and alumni.
"At the end of the day, we just want to make sure the program is a positive experience for them and a positive experience for the mentors as well," Banks said.
Having a successful, African
American as a mentor is easier to relate to, said Melva Landrum, Minneapolis, Minn., junior Landrum's mentor lives in South Africa, and the two plan to communicate through e-mail.
"My intention is to gain as much information as possible on how to be successful and to get tips for my career," she said.
Banks said although the mentoring program was the main focus now, his organization would not stop trying to become affiliated with the University association. He said the group would contact the University Alumni Association after it becomes stronger and more organized.
"Our intent is not to operate separately," he said.
Graduate student hopes for peace of mind in Peace Corps
— Edited by Henry C. Jackson
By Samia Khan
skhan@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Shane McCall used to tell people to recycle everything. Now he'll tell you if it takes five or 10 minutes to wash a tin can before recycling it, you might as well throw it away.
Shane McCall, Kansas City, Mo., graduate student, studies sociology at the University of Kansas. He will take a year off his studies to teach environmental studies in the Caribbean for the Peace Corps.
"It's just not worth everything else you're wasting, like the water and the soap," he said. "I used to think anytime you could avoid sending something to the landfill it was good, but I'm a lot more moderate now."
McCall, Kansas City, Mo. graduate student, has been involved in environmental issues at the University of Kansas since his undergraduate days.
"Everyone is an activist to some extent unless you don't talk to anyone."
He was environmental chairman of Battenfeld Scholarship Hall and the All Scholarship Hall Council. He served as co-director of KU Environs and worked for the City of Lawrence's Waste Reduction and Recycling Department. After finishing his first year of graduate studies in sociology, McCall will take a break to work for
Shane McCall
Kansas City, Mo., graduate student
the Peace Corps. He will be in the Caribbean for two years working on environmental education.
He said his duties could involve anything from working on pamphlets to teaching people about reforestation. McCall wants to learn if the theories and solutions that he has spent five years learning will work in the real world.
Mark Lyda, a close friend of McCall, said McCall's experience would make him an asset to the Peace Corps.
"He doesn't flaunt his knowledge but he knows how to use it," said Lyda, Denver junior. "He's the old guru of the environmental crowd."
"I can't tell people not to consume at all," he said. "That's just what people do."
The farmers he interviewed were frightened of the risk of developing health problems from the chemicals they used, but were also frightened of ruining their businesses if they didn't use chemicals. McCall said he wants to understand what actions have the least cost and most environmental benefit.
McCall is also continuing
During his undergraduate days, McCall was involved in spreading awareness and solutions.
research for his master's thesis on the environmental beliefs and practices of local farmers. He has interviewed 13 farmers and said his research has shown him that people and issues are more complex than he thought.
As reluctant as he is to call himself an environmental activist, McCall still hopes make a difference. He considers anyone who influences others based on their beliefs to be an activist.
As environmental chairman of the scholarship halls he reduced the number of newspapers sent to some of the halls and organized an inter-hall energy conservation contest. Now he is preparing to learn more about environmental work through research and the Peace Corps.
"Everyone is an activist to some extent unless you don't talk to anyone," he said.
Lyda said McCall isn't the typical partisan activist most people might think of. He knows more about the environmental issues he is studying than anybody else, Lyda said, but he is open-minded.
Lydia said, "That's typical Shane," Lyda said. "He's humble, in that he knows what he doesn't know. He's a lot like Socrates."
McCall said he was trying to find a balance between what he knows and what he has yet to learn.
Through his research and Peace Corps work, he is trying to gather more information about the issues he cares about.
McCall said he had high standards for activism. He said there were two ends of the activism continuum: those who completely devote their lives to a
cause and those who try to make the small changes. Both are beneficial, but right now McCall places himself in the second category. He doesn't want to make the wrong decision, but he knows waiting too long to make the right
one would destroy the point of having an opinion at all.
"There's a place in the world for people who think slowly like me," he said.
Edited by Danielle Hillix