Tuesday, March 13, 2001
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 3
As host of KJHK's first show from its new studio in the Kansas Union, Phil Cauthon, Lawrence graduate student, leads a discussion about the Black Student Union's protest of the Kansan's minority coverage last Thursday afternoon. KJHK's new studio is on the third floor of the Union. Photo by Selena Jabara/KANSAN
KJHK opens studio in Kansas Union
Station's second site offers visibility
By Sarah Smashr
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff write
KJHK, 90.7 FM, broadcast yester day the first show from its new stu dio in the Kansas Union.
Real Alternative Radio, a talk show, was the premier program for the radio studio, which is located in the dining commons near Pizza Hut on the third floor of the Union.
From the dining area and through a large outside window, about 20 students watched the broadcast—a discussion about the Black Student Union's protest last week of the University Daily Kansan.
Brandon Garner, Kansas City, Kan., senior, experienced the show visually while a nearby boom box provided the sounds. He said the opportunity for students in attendance to pose questions to members of the discussion panel was a positive change.
"I think it's a better format for interaction from the public," Garner said.
Phil Cauton, Lawrence graduate student, was the host of the broadcast. He said the new location provided more visibility for KJKH than its main studio north of Memorial Stadium.
"It's out of the students' sight.
They don't see it, so they don't
We need to have some sort of physical presence on campus and there's not better place than Pizza
Phil Cauthon
KJHK Real Alternative Radio host
think about it," Cauton said of the original studio. "We need to have some sort of physical presence on campus, and there's no better place than Pizza Hut at the Union."
The new studio includes basic equipment — a sound board, CD player, tape deck and microphones. Caution said the first show was a success from a technical viewpoint.
"Things went as smoothly as you could expect from a first run," he said.
C. J. Wilford, St. Louis junior and KJKH disc jockey, said the location would continue to be used for special events or any broadcast that might garner a physical audience.
"This benefits our campus relationship," Wilford said. "It puts the face with the voices."
- Edited by Leita Schultes
J. R. Roland, president of the Big 12 Council of Black Student Government, talks about his disappointment about the Kansan's coverage of the Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government, while Danny Phillips, Kansan reporter, and Courtney Bates, Black Student Union president, listen. The discussion was broadcast on KJHK from 3p.m. to 4 p.m. yesterday. Photo by Selena Jabara/KANSAN
Groups discuss recent tension on KJHK
Black organizations Kansan staff gather
By Sarah Smarsh
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Members of the Black Student Union, Black student organizations and the University Daily Kansan staff met to discuss the media's coverage of minorities during a live broadcast on KJHK, 90.7 FM, yesterday.
The discussion, broadcast as KJHK's first show from a new studio at the Kansas Union, was in response to recent tensions between the two campus groups.
Last week, the Black Student Union protested the Kansan's coverage of the Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government, a three-
The Black Student Union's protest, the first formal protest of the Kansan in 10 years, objected to a story's focus on a fight that erupted at a party during the conference.
day event emphasizing leadership and attended by more than 1,000 people.
Natalie Lucas, Kansas City, Kan., senior and co-chairwoman of the conference, said the coverage of the fight was factually accurate but misrepresentative of the conference, which included speakers, a career fair and other positive events.
J. R. Roland, president of the Big 12 Council of Black Student Government, accused Kansan editor Lori O'Toole of "twisting" quotes to validate her side of the story in the opinion column she wrote in response to the controversy.
"You obviously misquoted a number of people, and one of those people was me." Pol兰 said.
O'Toole, Wichita senior, denied any intention to misconstrue points made on behalf of her critics.
She said the newspaper had afforded extra attention to getting the story right.
"There were several discussions as it made its way through the newsroom," she said. "We were aware that this story would be taken more sensitively."
Danny Phillips, Spring Hill junior and multicultural reporter for the Kansan, said he had no racial agenda but felt the fight was newsworthy.
Lucas said the pairing of the words "fight" and "minority" in the headline was a poor move by the newspaper.
"That' s going to reinforce a stereotype," she said.
"I didn't want to bury it in the story," Phillips said. He added that 15 of his 36 stories this semester had
been about African American issues, events or people.
Courtney Bates, Black Student Union president, said multicultural reporters should make every effort to understand the entire scope of minority events.
"It's all a matter of doing your research," she said.
Phil Cauthon, Lawrence graduate student and host of the discussion, asked O'Toole whether the Kansan would do things differently, given another chance.
"All the editors have agreed that we would give the conference more coverage." O'Toole said.
Other members of the discussion panel included Cassandra Young, conference co-chairwoman, Mindie Miller, managing editor for the Kansan and Chris Borniger, Kansan opinion editor.
— Edited by Jennifer Valadez
Library thefts victimize sleeping students
Students should watch belongings at all times, police say
By Amanda Beglin writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
the Murphy Library.
A University of Kansas student fell asleep last Monday in a peaceful room where the hum of computers and fluorescent lights were the loudest sounds.
But when she woke up just 20 minutes later, her backpack was gone. Fear replaced her lingering sleepiness, and she wondered how $300 worth of her belongings were stolen within minutes and without a sound.
Since last Monday, more than $500 worth of cash and personal belongings have been stolen from University libraries. A wallet containing $59 was stolen from an unattended backpack in Watson Library last Monday and $65 was stolen from a Watson office. Last Tuesday, $55 was stolen from a student's purse in
And with midterms sending swarms of students to campus libraries to study, it may just get worse, said Sgt. Troy Mailen, KU Public Safety Office.
"Lots of students means lots of textbooks," Mailen said. "Textbooks especially are going to be valuable this spring. People can steal them from students in the library and resell them as their own."
Even backpacks are fair game to library prowlers. Maileen said.
"Look at all the people on this campus who have dark blue or black backpacks," Mailen said. "No one is going to question any walking out the door with a backpack like that."
Mailen said that although students might not consider libraries as a haven for thieves, the incidents of the past week proved otherwise.
Mailen suggested not leaving backpacks and purses unattended, even for a couple of minutes while making copies or using the restroom.
"Any unattended property is fair game. There's lots of traffic there."
"It's very convenient to just
Sgt. Troy Mailen KU Public Safety Office
KU Public Safety Office
leave your things on the table and walk off." Mailen said. "It's a pain to collect everything and spread it out again when you get back, especially if you're only gone for a couple of minutes. But put everything away. Because the sad truth is, if you don't, when you get back, it may not be there."
Whitney Gilliland discovered this firsthand. Someone stole her wallet when she fell asleep studying on the fourth floor of Watson.
ent from a classroom or hallway. A minute or two — that's all it takes."
"Any unattended property is fair game," Mailen said. "There's lots of traffic there. It's no differ-
put it in my bag," Gilliland said.
When she woke up, it was gone.
She said it had been right next to her arm on the table.
Fortunately, it takes less time for a library alarm to sound when students try passing through the exit with library materials that aren't checked out.
Mailen said the Public Safety Office responded to alarm calls if necessary.
"We step over to the circulation desk with the person and ask them to remove all their books from their bag." Malen said. "We interview them if they let us, then we make the determination to cite them or not."
Mailen said that persons caught with library texts would most likely be charged with misdemeanor (less than $500) theft of property, which might lead to paying a small fine or doing community service.
However, if labels were removed from the books in an effort to pass the alarms undetected, a charge of criminal damage to property could be added.
— Edited by Jay Pilgreen
MADD educates about the dangers of binge drinking
Alcohol task force to combat social norms of drinking
By Livi Regenbaum
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
With spring break approaching, Mother's Against Drunk Driving is focused on educating students about the problems caused by binge drinking.
MADD reported that 44 percent of college students binge drink. They define binge drinking as having five or more drinks in a row for males and four or more drinks for females during the past two weeks.
noism was a major concern in society because it relates to safety issues.
"It is a health issue and a quality of life issue," she said.
recreation services and member of the task force, said that alcoo
Mary Chappell, director of
Rock: said University created alcohol task force
Randall
Rock, physi-
cian
at
Watkins
Memorial Health Center, said the University was responding to the problem of binge drinking with the formation of an alcohol task force headed by Barbara Ballard, associate vice chancellor.
lor for student affairs.
Ballard said one of the task force's purposes was to educate students about how to drink responsibly, but that the problem wasn't unique to the University.
Ballard said the task force had worked to have nonalcoholic programs like Hawk Nights, late night events that provide students with a social event other than going to bars.
The University has also formulated a wellness campaign which includes distributing filers stating that "most KU students drink 0 to 5 drinks when they party."
"Binge drinking is a problem at every university in the nation." she said.
Health Foundation, which donates money to the wellness campaign, said the campaign promoted the social norm that not all students drink heavily.
Mary Campuzano, vice president for programs at the Kansas
Kendall Wetzel, Wichita freshman, said she has friends who had experienced the negative effects of binge drinking.
Still, many students are drinking.
"I have friends who have been affected by drinking to where they dropped out of school and had other problems," she said.
Katherine Microbbie, Leawood freshman, said binge drinking was prevalent at the University
"I do not think that everybody does it, but it is a definite trend at KU," she said. "Most people who I've seen at parties get really drunk."
Candidates say experience important for president
By Brooke Hesler writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
When Laura Halderman, Salina senior, goes to the polls to vote in April's Student Senate elections, experience will be a deciding factor on who wins her vote.
"I would be more apt to vote for someone who has gotten a lot of things done while they were on
Senate," she said.
On the other hand, Ben Mar s h Hal st ead senior, said experience wasn't everything.
Make Yours Heart
"It's experience on the issues they're running on that counts," he said.
This year Jessica Bankston, VOICE presidential candidate, has sponsored 10 pieces of legis-
iation. Hunter Harris, VOICE vice presidential candidate, sponsored two pieces of legislation. Justin Mills, Delta
Force presidential candidate,
sponsored seven pieces of legislation.
Kyle Browning, Delta Force vice presidential candidate,
sponsored 12 pieces of legislation.
All four candidates currently have legislation pending,
which isn't reflected in the numbers above.
Bankston said while experience in Senate was relevant, other things were important too.
"I don't think writing legislation makes you a qualified candidat"
Bankston has been involved in Senate for three years as a senator and committee member and Harris is serving his first year as a senator.
Mills has been involved in Senate for two years, and Browning has served in it for two years as a senator and committee member.
Browning said there were benefits to sponsoring more legislation.
"You learn how the process works." Browning said.
date," Bankston said. "Anybody can write a bill."
Although Harris has sponsored fewer pieces of legislation than the other candidates, Harris said his work outside Senate made him a qualified candidate.
"I have a tremendous amount of experience when it comes to representing other groups," Harris said. "Most of my experience comes from outside Senate, so I have a fresh perspective on things."
Harris cited his experience as the freshman class vice president, sophomore class secretary, junior class president and his work as chairman of a Senate task force seeking student input in the campus master plan.
Browning also his cited activities outside of Senate. He served as president for Amnesty International his sophomore and junior years, is a member of Students for a Free Tibet and is a member of the Lawrence Coalition for Peace and Justice.
Bankston cited her work as Student Legislative Awareness Board director, a member of the University Council, member of the Recreation Services Advisory Board, Recreation Planning Committee, Reserve Account Task Force and Panhellenic Council as some of her qualifications.
Mills is also a University Council member and chairman of the Multicultural Affairs committee. He worked as a resident's assistant in previous years and participated in the Colors of KU conference.
According to Senate records, neither Browning nor Harris have any recorded absences at Senate meetings. Both Bankston and Mills have half of a recorded absence, meaning they left a meeting early.
— Edited by Jay Pilgreen