tuesday, february 3, 2004
news
the university daily kansan 3A
Sorority works to dispel stereotypes
Program will discuss meaning of terms like 'bootylicious,' 'luscious'
By Marc Ingber
minger@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The term "bootylicious" may not offend some, but it is a stereotype that Sigma Lambda Gamma wants to educate others about.
Sigma Lambda Gamma will host "Luscious Latinas and Bootylicious Black Women," at 7 tonight at the International Room in the Kansas Union. The program is designed for women to help eliminate stereotypes that Latina and African-American women face in today's society.
Melanie Weiser, Dallas senior and Sigma Lambda Gamma member, said she came up with the title so it would catch people's attention.
"I was reinforcing the stereotypes to bring up their importance
"The outline of the program is to identify the stereotypes we've heard, try to figure out where they came from, and then see how to go about eliminating them."
them."
and the fact that we need to talk about it," she said.
Melanie Weiser Dallas senior
She said that women encountered stereotypes, both good and bad.
"The outline of the program is to identify the stereotypes we've
heard, try to figure out where they came from, and then see how to go about eliminating them," she said.
One of the problems is people tend to make racial stereotypes a black and white issue, said Kristy Croom, Independence senior and Sigma Lambda Gamma president.
"Usually people don't talk about Asian Americans or Hispanic Americans," she said. "They kind of clump the smaller minorities into groups. It's usually because of a lack of knowledge of the different groups."
Weiser said the program was for women of all races even though the focus was on African-American and Latina women.
The program is just one event that is part of the University's celebration of Black History Month,
which has a theme of "Bringing Our Future Into Focus."
Weiser said that it was nice that Sigma Lambda Gamma could hold an event for Black History Month, even though the group wasn't necessarily part of the black community.
we always try to understand all cultures even though we are a Latina-based organization," Croom said.
The sorority will sponsor two more events for Black History Month, "African Americans in the Media" featuring lecturer Jamel Bell on Feb. 16 and "King and Chavez's Dreams" on Feb. 11.
Sigma Lambda Gamma was founded nationally in 1990. It has been at the University since 1997
Edited by Louise Stauffer
Research spending sets new high
By Steve Vockrodt
svockrodt@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The University of Kansas has spent $258 million on research in 2003, more than any other year.
The growth in expenditures passed 2002's amount of $243 million. The record featured an 11 percent increase in funding from sources outside the University.
"It's a record that shows the growth we've had as one of the fastest-growing universities," said Jim Roberts, interim vice provost for research and interim president of the KU Center for Research.
The University received a majority of research funding from outside sources. Industry and state and local governments donated $31.4 million.
The federal government contributed $133.3 million. Roberts said the amount of federal dollars in 2003 was impressive because it came from competitive research proposals.
"It's a record that shows the growth we've had as one of the fastest-growing universities."
Jim Roberts
Interim vice provost for research and interim president of the KU Center for Research
"It comes from the continued outstanding work of researchers, staff and students," Roberts said. "It shows the University is committed to research."
The University spent the
remaining $93.3 million on its own research.
The money was distributed among a broad range of studies, including life sciences, engineering and pharmacy. Roberts said there were more than 16,000 active research studies at the University.
Administrators and faculty were pleased with the record amount.
"Certainly, the growth is the result of productivity," said Stuart Bell, dean of engineering. "It will impact the school and support our students."
Bell said the increase in expenditures will increase the academic quality of his programs and also help improve equipment and facilities at the School of Engineering.
and engineering research. In 2001, the University ranked 45th among public universities with approximately $74.5 million. Of the country's public universities, 100 are ranked based on money spent on science and engineering research.
Another improvement in research came from $91 million of federal money spent on science
Results for 2002 will be released this month. U.S. News and World Report uses the same ranking system for its research list as it uses in its annual "America's Best Colleges" report.
Roberts said he expected research to continue growing at the University and hoped 2004's numbers would surpass 2003's.
"It was a great year for KU," Roberts said. "It's part of the chancellor's vision of getting the University to be a top-25 institution."
— Edited by Amanda Kim Stairrett
Program eases college transition
By Aziza Tafreshi
atafreshi@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Being a college freshman is enough to shake the confidence in even the cockiest person.
First-time students are away from home and surrounded by more than 25,000 other students. Throw in 1,000-person lecture classes and foreign terms such as "credit/no credit," and life might seem downright overwhelming.
That's where Thematic Learning Communities come in.
Starting next fall, students won't have to live in a residence hall to have help from peer advisors in combating these freshman anxieties.
Linda Dixon, interim TLC coordinator, said she wanted the program to affect as many students as possible so students could have a good experience their first year.
Designed for incoming freshmen, TLCs began last fall as academically focused programs to help students acclimate to their first year at the University of Kansas, Dixon said.
Each new TLC will have a maximum of 20 students. They will be enrolled in two thematically related general education courses and a seminar course, taught by a faculty facilitator.
Dixon said although it is not required, students generally gravitate toward a theme that encompasses their major, and TLCs provide a way to meet people with similar interests.
In residential TLCs, offered in McCollum, Ellsworth, Hashinger, Lewis and Oliver halls, students live on the same floor as other students in their TLC
Mary Garavaglia said this arrangement had been a good way to make friends and made her classes easier.
"It was just nice to have someone on your floor that was taking the same classes you were so that you could study with them or ask them questions," the St. Louis, Mo., freshman said.
Students in residential TLCs also live with a peer educator, an upperclassman who serves as both a mentor and an academic resource. Peer educators also organize study groups and activities to supplement the theme.
"High school and college life is so different, so we try to guide them onto the right path," said Shinying Chu, educator for the Mind, Brain and Behavior TLC. "If they need anything, we're here for them."
The Melaka, Malaysia graduate student said as an international student, she wished a program like this had been available when she first arrived.
"I had lots of trouble when I came here. My English wasn't that good, and I needed a lot of help in terms of procedures," Chu said. "I had had a peer educator I could have gone to, it would have made it a lot easier."
Daniel Dykstra, Wichita sophomore and peer educator, said exploring an area of potential interest was a good way for students to determine whether a major was right for them.
"Even if they didn't end up pursuing it, it would give them a really good idea of why they wouldn't want to," Dykstra said.
The list of TLCs offered for next fall has nearly doubled from this year. Dixon said she also wants to eventually have TLCs in GSP-Corbin Hall, as well as in off-campus housing and scholarship halls by next fall.
"There's just so many ways you can have learning communities," Dixon said. "Who knows how it's going to blossom."
Edited by Donovan Atkinson