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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Monday, April 23, 2001
Sports: The Kansas track and field team grabbed 15 medals at the Kansas Relays.
SEE PAGE 1B
(USPS 650-640) • VOL. 111 NO. 127
Inside: African- American groups dedicate scholarships to two students killed in car accidents.
SEE PAGE 3A
For comments, contact Lori O'Toole or Mindie Miller at 864-4810 or editor@kansan.co
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Lawmakers yank KU budget subsidy
University would have received $2.8 million
By Cassio Furtado
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The University's budget woes are still up in the air.
Friday, the Kansas Senate budget-writing committee rejected Gov. Bill Graves' amendments to the state's budget, which would have given the University of Kansas $2.8 million to pay utility bills and to restore the instructional technology fee that Graves originally had planned to eliminate.
The amendments to Graves' Jan. 8 budget would have given the six Board of Regents universities a total of $9.37 million, including $5.5 million more to pay utility bills and $3.87 million to restore the technology fee.
Provost David Shulenburger said he was encouraged by Graves' amendments. He said the
Graves: included money for technology fee, utility bills
University had significant needs and would continue to lobby the legislature in Topeka.
"We will let our friends in Topeka know what our needs are," Shulenburger said. "Not getting the technology money would be devastating. We hope they'll find the money." Committee members who voted against Graves' amendments Friday said they opposed them because they would force legislators to a tax increase.
The technology fee was first added to the state budget three years ago. Students paid $1 for every credit hour, and the state paid the University $2 more for each credit hour. Last year, the
"Not getting the technology money would be devastating. We hope they'll find the money."
David Shulenburger
provost
University received $1.8 million in revenue from the fee.
Don Brown, the governor's communications director, said Thursday that Graves had recognized the reality of the universities' financial situation in light of increased natural gas prices and recommended the additional money for utilities.
Brown also said student input was a factor in the governor's decision to reinstate the instructional technology fee.
After Graves' original budget recommendations in January, KU administrators announced in February that all schools, departments, academic units and administrative offices would have their budgets cut by 0.57 percent in fiscal year 2001, causing a halt on hiring faculty and staff.
For fiscal year 2002, the cut would be closer to 1 percent — 0.98 percent, which amounts to almost $ 2 million.
Edited by Malinda Winter
Drag show earns pledges from protest by Fred Phelps
By Erin Adamson and Danny Phillips
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writers
About 400 people sat in the sun and humidity to watch the Eighth Annual Brown Bag Drag Show at the Kansas Union plaza Friday afternoon.
Queers and Allies sponsored the event as part of Lawrence & KU Pride Week. In conjunction with the show, the group sponsored the first Fight Hate-A-Thon, a fund-raising event which was in response to the Fred Phelps supporters who have made picketing the show an annual tradition.
During the show, Queers and Allies earned $9.04 every minute Phelps stood on the other side of Oread Avenue. By the end of the weekend's festivities, almost $1,500 was raised to cover the week's expenses.
"This is the only place in the world they do this," said Buck Rowland, host of Queer Radio on KJHK. 90.7 FM.
"We're out here to have the same old great party we always do," said Jennifer Person, a co-organizer of the event. "This event is not about them."
Eight drag queens braved the midday heat in full costume and makeup. Sometimes dancing and sometimes playing to the crowd, the queens performed as top-40 tunes blared over the speakers.
"I love you baby, and I will never forget you," she said as she ripped her pant leg, a Jewish tradition.
Later in the afternoon, Banks honored her late boyfriend, who died last week in a car wreck in Israel.
More colorful performers followed.
Roland acknowledged the important role that queens had played in the gay community as performers for fund-raisers.
Kahuta, making a final appearance in drag, performed with an entourage of eight dancers from the theater department.
Robin Banks, co-organizer and emcee of the show, performed the first number wearing a midriff-bearing, metallic purple pants outfit.
"This event is about pride," Kahlua said. "It's about being yourself. Most importantly, it's about having a good
See SHOW on page 3A
CONDEMNED but keeping the faith
story by Livi Regenbaum, Kansan staff writer photos by Jamie Roper
Many guys have felt condemned by members of Christian churches. Some try to "heal" themselves, some leave the church altogether and others try to find more accepting communities. Photo illustration
Alienated by traditional churches, Christians with alternative lifestyles find alternative ways to worship God
John Hankins sobbed uncontrollably as he sat in the fundamentalist Four Squares Church in Tucson, Ariz. Eight people surrounded him, praying that Jesus would "heal" him of his homosexuality.
Michael, a closeted homosexual who asked that his real name not be used, prays every night that God will forgive him for being gay. He grew up thinking that being gay was a sin in the same category as adultery.
Stan Handshy left the Catholic church because he and other gay Catholics were told they must remain celibate. Now Handshy is an agnostic whose faith has been torn.
All three are among KU gays and lesbians who grew up in Christian religions that condemned their sexual orientation. Some have reacted by trying to "cure" themselves with prayer and the help of fundamentalist ministers. Others have remained silently in the closet, continuing to view their own sexuality as a sin. Some have rejected religion altogether because of its rejection of them. And still others have joined more accepting church communities or even churches dominated by homosexual members.
Doubting God's love
At a time when many religions still view homosexuality with varying degrees of disfavor, gays say it is a struggle to keep the faith.
Hankins, Tucson, Ariz. sophomore, anguished over the conflict between his homosexuality and his loyalty to his church. He tried to be "healed" from his sexuality after his lover of 11 years died.
"I started to doubt whether God loved me because of my sexuality," he said. "I was searching for an answer, and I got involved with a very right-wing, fundamentalist church in the Southwest that was open to recruiting ex-gay people who wanted to convert."
He said the pastor of Four Squares Church welcomed him and worked to change his homosexual tendencies. Hankins said he was vulnerable at the time, so he was open to the idea.
"It was at a point in my life where I was having addiction problems and loneliness issues," he said.
The group put tremendous pressure on Hankins to change. Then they gave him an ultimatum — if he didn't change, he would have to go elsewhere.
Hankins recalled a meeting with the pastor of the church. The pastor became emotionally upset about Hankins' involvement with another man.
"I had another relapse and I went to him and told him," he said. "He got down on his knees holding me and crying, telling me that he loved me, but if I didn't change, I was going to die and go to hell. I didn't have a response. I am sitting there thinking, 'How can you love me and say at the same time that I am going to hell?'"
Hankins grew frustrated with
See GAYS on page 6A
Shannon Ross, Cherokee, N.C., resident, left, and Dwight Whitebuffalo, Siseton, S.D., resident, dance to drum beats and music at the First Nations Student Association Powwow. Photo by Aaron Showalter/KANSAN
Music, drum beats, dances ignite powwow
By Danny Phillips
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Beads of sweat collected on Jeff McClellan's round face as he waited for his turn to take the dance floor.
Dressed in full regalia, dancer McClellan of the Sac Fox tribe in Oklahoma stretched out on the bleachers at Haskell Indian Nation University's gymnasium and watched the First Nations Student Association's 10th Annual Powwow unfold.
The powwow capped off a weekend of firsts for the KU chapter of FNSA. It hosted the American Indian Big 12 Student Conference, which had never been held in Lawrence, and included events at both the University of Kansas and Haskell. It held its powwow at Haskell's Coffin Complex Saturday night.
"It's a feeling you have," he said. "It makes you feel better spiritually."
"We were glad we were able to share this with Haskell," said Felicia Mitchell, FNSA president and Topeka sophomore.
Usually the powwow is held at Anschutz Sports Pavilion, but because of a scheduling conflict, that venue was unavailable this year. Still,
"It was a good opportunity for people out of state to see both campuses," Mitchell said.
Powwow participants came from all over the continent, including Oklahoma, South Dakota and Canada. Northern Wind, from Lake of the Woods, Ontario, kept the rhythm, both vocally and with its drums, for the powwow's opening.
"My voice really hasn't come along yet, but the drumming is there," he said. "It was good up to puberty."
The group was a family from the Ojibway tribe, and it was the second time Northern Wind member Rodney Crow had visited Kansas.
the focal point of the powwow, the
the organizers weren't disappointed.
Men's dance categories included southern straight, northern traditional, fancy and grass. Women competed in southern cloth, northern traditional, fancy and jingle. Children under 8 years old were in the tiny tots category.
dancers, were divided along gender and age groups.
"It just keeps getting better year by year," said Shelley Bointy, powwow co-chairwoman.
Grass dancer Nyron Oddbull, Crow tribe member from Montana, summed up the celebration.
"It's never really about competition. It's about being native," he said as he pumped his fist. "Being proud."
— Edited by Laurie Harrison