Monday, April 16, 2001
The University Daily Kansan
Section A·Page 3
Rhythm defines Haitian celebration
By Danny Phillips
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
"Voodoo" chants filled the top floor of the Ecumenical Christian Ministries on Saturday afternoon as a five-member ensemble supplied the rhythm on homemade drums during a Haitian music and culture celebration.
The rhythms were derived from the Roots movement — Mizik Rasin — which sprang from Haitian villagers unhappy with Haiti's political climate in the late-1980s.
The two-day event, "nanlakou a," was the brainchild of Kiran Jayaram, an Overland Park graduate student whose master's thesis focuses on Haiti.
Nan lakou a means "in the courtyard," a reference to Haitian villages that center around Voodoo temples.
As the band opened its first set, an audience member — one of about 60 at the performance — dressed in a
tied-yed T-shirt and wearing a West African war necklace, jumped out of his chair and began dancing while playing the air drums.
"I'd never felt like that before," Brian Mitchell later recalled. "I just had to start moving."
Matisou Legba, a Haitian native who lives in Chicago, leads members of his audience in Haitian folk dance. Legba was at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries building Saturday to participate in the Haitian celebration. Photo by J. E. Wilson/KANSAN
That's when Matisou Legba sprang into action. Wearing black boots fitted with silver buckles and red flames shooting from the toes, Legba began setting the rhythm by taking a turn on each drum.
Annie Petterson, Topea sophom-
more, was one of Legba's pupils.
In no time, all the drummers had the beat, and the 25-year veteran of Haitian dance invited audience members to follow her dance steps.
"When we start to dance, it's like I'm with family," she said. "I didn't realize I could share the same ideals as people I don't speak the same language as."
Jayaram said one of the reasons he organized the celebration was because vooodoo culture usually didn't get positive publicity.
"It's a beautiful mentality, a beautiful way," he said. "I think it's more
than a religion. It's its own mindset and way of life."
—Edited by Doug Pacey
Weektouts queer artists,issues
By Amanda Sears Special to the Kansan
An established KU tradition continues as members of Queers and Allies prepare for the KU and Lawrence Pride Week, which begins today.
Pride Week, as the name suggests, gives members of the Lawrence queer community the opportunity to celebrate their diversity.
Stan Handshy, Erie junior and Queers and Allies student senator, said the week was an opportunity to bring people with different backgrounds, opinions and perspectives together.
"We come together to let the community know we're here, we're glad to be here, and we're proud," he said. "We hope others are proud for us to be as well."
Handshy said Pride Week events had different meaning for each individual participant.
"Pride Week events are geared to entertain as well as inform," he said. "We want to deal with issues involving the queer community in a manner that won't turn people off."
Tara Wolfe, Lawrence senior and Queers and Allies treasurer, said the events were an extension of the
Pride WEEK2001
group's overall goals—unity, visibility and education.
Pride Week 2001 will have a different tone from previous years. Some members of Queens and Allies intend to address the recent homophobic message written on two group members' room door in Lewis Hall.
Wolfe and others will be holding a speak-out on Wescoe Beach at 12:20 today.
"We've got to say something about the gay-bashing," she said. "It's for visibility and education on the issue. It's very telling of the tone of Pride Week."
Queers and Allies has planned diverse activities to attract a variety of tastes, including Friday's popular noon drag show.
"It takes real guts for a student to dress up in drag and perform for his peers." Handshy said. "I love it."
A "Fight Hate-a-thon" fund raise will raise money by collecting pledges for the amount of time Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church members spend protesting the Drag Show and the Pride March.
Edited by Matt Daugherty
PRIDE WEEK
Today; Comedian Jan Einarson will perform at 8 p.m. at the Kansas Union Ballroom. Tickets are $10 at the SUA Box Office.
Tomorrow: Singer/songwriter
Skott Freedman will give a free lecture at 4 p.m. in the Spencer Art Museum. He will perform at 8:30 p.m. at Hashington Hall Auditorium.
Wednesday; Alix Olson, slam poet,
will hold a free poetry workshop at 3:30
p.m. at Woodruff Auditorium in the
Kansas Union. She will perform at 8:30
p.m. at the Jazzhaus, $9261\frac{1}{2}$
Massachusetts St. The event will have
a cover charge. A Pride Party at Tremors
Night Club, 729 New Hampshire St.,
will follow the performance.
Thursday: But I'm a Cheerleader will be shown at 9:30 p.m. at Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas Union. Tickets are available at the SUA Box Office and at the door for $2.
**Friday:** The 8th Annual Brown Bag Drag Show will be held at noon in front of the Kansas Union.
Saturday: A Pride March will be held at 11:30 a.m. Participants will meet at City Hall at 11 a.m. and march down Massachusetts Street. The march will end in South Park with a picnic and speech by Lawrence Mayor Mike Rundle.
County police find human remains
Officers from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office found human remains Friday morning in a field northwest of Lecompton in Douglas County, Sheriff Rick Trapp said.
Trapp said officers went to the location, about one-quarter mile south of County Road 2190 and just east of County Road 225, based on an investigation by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the sheriff's office.
Trapp said the remains appeared to have been in the field for at least several weeks, but he did not have a specific time frame.
He did not know the identity or cause of death for the victim.
Lt. Kathy Tate said officers would not have any more information until the autopsy, which she expected would be performed this week. She said the coroner had confirmed the remains were a person's.
Trapp said officers worked at the scene Friday and Saturday, with officers guarding the scene Friday night.
"We are treating it as a homicide investigation until we detect otherwise," Trapp said Friday night.
- Lauren Brandenburg
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Craia Karaes
Ralph Nader
Craig Rarges
Tuesday, April 17, 8 pm
Union Ballroom, FREE vouchers,
available at the SUA Box Office
"The Corporatization of America"
Monday, April 16, 8 pm
Lied Center, FREE vouchers
available at the SUA Box Office
Castaway
Nepal Exhibit
April 18 and 20,9:30 pm April 19,7 pm
But I'm a Cheerleader
April 18 and 20, 7 pm
April 19, 9:30 pm
Brought to you by Queers & Allies
Nepal Exhibit Photography and Artifacts April 16 to 26, Kansas Union Gallery, 4th floor, Kansas Union
Earth Day Open House April 20,11 am-3 pm. Kansas Union Lobby
April 20, 11 am-3 pm,
Kansas Union Lobby
Floating Flicks
The Perfect Storm
Saturday, April 21 at 9 pm
Potter's Lake, FREE
(w/ rain Woodruff Auditorium)
-Coming Soon:
Day on the Hill
Saturday, April 28 at noon
West Campanile Hill, FREE
Featuring Fastball
LAWRENCE
All movies at Woodruff Auditorium, 5th floor of the Kansas Union. Tickets/Move passes sold half an hour before movie times, in front of Woodruff. Movies are $2 or free w/ Movie Card
The SUA Box Office is located at the 4th floor of the Kansas Union. Please call 864-SHOW for more information, or visit www.ukans.edu/~sua.
other events at the kansas union
Kansas Union Renovation April 18, 12:30 pm, Kansas Union Lobby
Kansas Union Re-Dedication Ceremony April 19, 1:00 pm, Kansas Union Plaza
Thursday, April 19, 3-5 pm, Traditions Area Free tea, sweets and conversation
Proposed Route Changes
KANSAS, USA
Afternoon Tea
Lawrence Transit System
Public Hearings
Tuesday, April 17
12 noon to 1 p.m.
City Commission Room, City Hall, 6th & Massachusetts
Saturday, April 21
10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Union Pacific Depot, 402 N. Second
Thursday, April 26
5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Holcom Park Recreation Center, 2700 W. 27th
Hear about proposed changes & offer comments. Route information available at City Manager's Office, Lawrence Public Library reference desk, or online at www.lawrenceeks.org Written comments due April 26 to public transit administrator PO Box 708, Lawrence 66044 (785) 932-3465.
Course conflicts? Need one last course? Begin anytime!
KU INDEPENDENT STUDY
offers more than 140 online and print courses
ENROLL ONLINE
www.kuče.org/isc
Call 864-KUCE Or visit the Continuing Education Building 1515 St. Andrews Drive
raduate and undergraduate courses are available
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