CAMPUS: A multiculturalism speaker warns students about jumping on the "diversity bandwagon." Page 5.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOL.103.NO.61
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
ADVERTISING: 864-4358
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15.1993
(USPS 650-640)
Statehood rejected in Puerto Rican vote
Citizens prefer commonwealth
NEWS:864-4810
The Associated Press
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Supporters of continued commonwealth status for Puerto Rico defeated those who wanted statehood in a vote yesterday that turned back the strongest movement this century for full union with Washington.
"The people spoke and I will obey them," said Gov. Pedro Rosello, who spearheaded the statehood campaign, in acknowledging defeat in a speech to thousands of supporters.
But he added, "This is a struggle that will go on."
With votes counted from 99.7 percent of the precincts, official results showed continuing commonwealth status receiving 821,235 votes, or 48.4 percent; statehood 783,843, or 46.2 percent; and independence 75,034, or 4.4 percent.
The remaining ballots either were left blank or were disqualified.
might be lost if they remained a commonwealth.
Ethnic pride and economic concerns were among the main issues in the nonbinding referendum. Statehood supporters said it would bring billions of additional dollars in federal aid and played to Puerto Ricans' fears by saying their U.S. citizenship
But commonwealth supporters contended that the island's culture and language might be lost in statehood and noted that it would also mean paying federal taxes.
Political status has been hotly debated in Puerto Rico since the moment U.S. troops captured the
Although the margin of victory for commonwealth status was less than 3 percentage points, "this was a clear repudiation of statehood," said Miguel Hernandez Agosto, leader of the pro-commonwealth Popular Democratic Party, at a celebration following the vote.
Caribbean island from Spain in 1888. Despite heavy rains, about 75 percent of the 2.3 million eligible voters turned out.
Although the referendum was not binding, President Clinton said he would respect whatever position the voters favored.
The race was closely watched by District of Columbia residents, also in line for statehood, as well as the U.S. mainland's 22 million Hispanics, 2.6 million of them Puerto Rican.
Currently, Puerto Rico elects a nonvoting representative to Congress and has no vote for president. Statehood would have given it at least six Congressmen and two senators.
MAKING FRIENDS
Valerie Bontrager / KANSAN
Mike Bault, Sailt Ste. Marie, Mich., junior, checks the head size of Nick Fritts, 14, Lawrence, to fit him for an Indian-style head band. The Kipappa Alpha fraternity, 2000 Stewart Ave., invited Fritts and other youths involved with Big Brothers/Big Sisters to the fraternity's annual fall carnival yesterday.
Organization matches adults, youths for serious fun
Kansan staff writer
By Liz Klinger
"Usually, we go play basketball or something," Kinnamen said. "But it was just kind of a gross day."
Mike Kinnamen, Overland Park senior, spent yesterday morning eating doughnuts and playing video games in his apartment with 11-year-old Blake Danner.
The two were brought together about a year ago by the Douglas County chapter of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, a program that pairs adults with children needing role models.
About 70 percent of all adult sponsors in Douglas County are students, said Mary Beth Karlin, program case manager.
Each week, Kinnamen and Danner, who are both the only child in their families, enjoy going to the movies, running errands and grocery shopping together.
"We have fun everywhere we go," Kinnamen said. "I like the perspective. I like looking at thing's through Blake's eyes."
The KU chapter of Public Relations Student
Society of America and Jayhawk Promotions are sponsoring Big Brothers/Big Sisters Awareness Week. The event began Saturday with the Great Turkey 8K and a one-mile fun run, which awarded turkeys to top finishers.
"We're trying to really draw on the University community to help the kids of Lawrence and Douglas County," said Kevin Grace, president of PRSSA.
Grace said Kinnamen, a PRSSA member, suggested they organize an event sponsoring Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
Most KU students are involved with a division of the program called First Friends, in which they spend from six to nine months with the child for three to four hours a week.
Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Douglas County, 982 Massachusetts St., opened two years ago this month and made its first match in January 1991, Karlin said.
"He knew they needed all the help they could get," Grace said. "They have a real hard time finding guys to be big brothers."
"First Friends is more geared toward KU students," Karlin said. "They do a real good job for
us.
Big Brother/Big Sister applicants must attend an informational meeting, fill out an application, take a psychological test, provide three references, undergo three background checks and a home visit and be interviewed about their lives and interests. The application process is not intended to intimidate applicants but to ensure the needy child of a well-matched and appropriate role model, she said.
"We've got a waiting list right now of about 35 children and most of those are boys."
Jodi SMIT, Lenexa senior, was paired with 10-year-old McKenzie McElhannay, whose mother, a firefighter, is raising McKenzie and her sister alone.
Smith said she and McKenzie went bowling, grocery shopping and share an interest in gymnastics. Smith said celebrating McKenzie's birthday in July with a cake Smith made with her roommates is a favorite memory of their time together.
"I think they did a good job pairing us up," Smith said. "She has a lot of the same hobbies as I do."
SUA regrets speech goers turned away
Massive turnout at Chomsky lecture surprises planners
By Donella Hearne Kansan staff writer
David Stevens, Student Union Activities forums coordinator, said he learned a valuable lesson Friday night at Noam Chomsky's speech, where hopeful audience members grew angry when they were turned away.
"We had no earthy idea the crowd would be so large until today," Stevens said. "I am very sorry that we had to turn people away. One thing I've learned is that we need a bigger facility."
Chomsky's lecture was in the Kansas Union ballroom, which seats 900. An adjacent room was set up for viewing on video screens. Both rooms were filled to capacity.
The event was free, but tickets were distributed in order to keep the number of people in the ballroom at fire code limits.
SUA began distributing tickets at 7
p. m. for the 8 p.m. speech. By 6:45 p.m., the line for tickets snaked through the Union lobby and out the doors.
In the future, SUA will try to improve planning to avoid a repeat of Friday night, Stevens said. In the meantime, SUA will give those who could not attend the lecture a chance to see the video tape of the speech.
Stevens said that when tickets were distributed in advance some people with tickets would not attend and some seats in the auditorium would not be taken.
Many of those who were not admitted asked Stevens and other SUA members why tickets were not distributed in advance.
"The various departments will have access to the video tapes and we will try to televise it," Stevens said.
Stevens said he would ask a local television station to broadcast the speech.
Chomsky gave SUA his permission to use the tape as it wished.
Question answers given by media, Chomsky says
By Donella Hearne
Kansan staff writer
Some students left scholar and philosopher Noam Chomsky's lecture Friday night with a different perspective on society and a different definition of democracy.
Michaela Haves. Dallas senior, said
Chomsky's speech made her think about the demise of democracy.
"He gives a whole different perspective than what the media gives you," she said. "I am orig-
Chomsky origi-
nally had
planned to
Noam Chornsky
"Ask who rules. Why? How do they get their power? What interests do they serve?" he said.
speak on how big business and government manipulate the public through the media but spoke instead on society as a whole. He said a discussion about society would lead to questions about the media.
People often forget to ask the questions that any rational 9-year-old child would ask, Chomsky said.
One of Chomsky's main points was that people seem to accept the information they are given without questioning the source or the reasons.
Chomsky said big business and government formulate answers to those questions through propaganda, a tool that has been effectively used to control Western society since World War I.
Chomsky used his calm reason and subtle sarcasm to deliver his message of the evils of pronaganda.
He used the example of Adolf Hitler's use of nationalistic propaganda and control of the media to create the fanatical Nazi regime.
The danger, Chomsky said, lies in the fact that alternative views of society are suppressed.
Kelly Fallon, Overland Park senior, said Chomsky's exposure of the great power of propaganda was enlightening.
"I was impressed by the way he had of debunking popular myths about the way society works," Fallon said.
Rick Johnson, Kansas State University freshman, said that he thought the most important part of Chomsky's speech was the description of the way society works.
"It's important to know what's going on," he said. "Without people like him I would not hear it."
Johnson and Brandon Fitzsimons, Kansas City, Kan., freshman, both said they read underground publications that contained some of the same information that Chomsky shared in his speech.
Fitzsimons said that he first learned of Chomsky from one of the underground magazines he read.
Chomsky encouraged people in the audience to question what they read and to look for the answers to the obvious questions about who controls society.
After the flames
Professors Cal and Alice Downs are rebuilding their lives after a fire destroyed much of their home last month.
Page 3.
Students watch Notre Dame game, ignore Kansas
But Jayhawk fans are getting pumped up for the coming basketball season and tomorrow's exhibition game.
game.
By Chesley Dohl
Kansan staff writer
Many KU students knew more about the Notre Dame-Florida State game Saturday than they did about the Colorado-Kansas game.
The Kansas game was not televised in Lawrence on Saturday, and some students seemed oblivious to the fact that Kansas was even playing against the No. 21 Buffaloes.
Lauren Schmidt, Austin, Texas,
sophomore, said she did not find out if
Kansas had won or lost until yesterday
morning when she read about it in
the paper.
"Everyone was watching the Notre Dame game," she said. "It was supposed to be a really good game."
Students said they followed the Kansas game by watching halftime scores and game updates. Some said they did not know who had won until
SHOT DOWN: The Jayhawks lose the game and five players against Colorado on Saturday. Page 11.
NO. 9: The Kansas men's basketball team breaks the top 10 in the Associated Press' preseason poll. Page 12.
Saturday night when the game was over.
Dylan Mahoney, Boulder, Colo., sophomore, said he did not even think about the Kansas game Saturday.
"They were playing my hometown team, and I didn't even know the score," he said. "I like football, but I haven't been much into the KU season this year. It's nothing against the team, but it's hard to get excited when it doesn't seem like there's much to get excited about."
James Grau, Leavenworth junior, said he spent Saturday relaxing at
Grau said he did not think that this year's dismal season would negatively affect fan enthusiasm next year.
"I'd rather read comic books or play Legos than watch college football." Grau said. "I like NFL football, but I don't like college football that much," he said.
home without thinking about the outcome of the Kansas game. He said he heard about the 38-14 Kansas loss from a roommate.
Although some KU sports fans still are interested in the outcome of the final Kansas football game at home against Missouri Saturday, other KU students are looking forward to seeing ninth-ranked Kansas begin its basketball season tomorrow with an exhibition game against Marathon AAU.
"I think everyone just thinks it's been an off year," he said. "We've had some injuries and some things not go our way, but each year we've been improving. KU has a name in football and basketball."
"I'd rather read comic books or play Legos than watch college football."
James Grau
Leavenworth junior
Seth Buxton, Overland Park senior, said he always looks forward to basketball.
"Even if KU was having their best (football) season ever, I'd still be glad basketball season was just a week away," he said. "I can't wait for basketball to start. I don't really like football anyway."