Campus/Area
University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, April 17, 1990
3
Ombudsman, students tackle minority issues
By Eric Gorski
Kansan staff writer
Students who met yesterday with the KU ombudsman said they were encouraged by potential steps discussed to improve the racial climate at KU.
But it is only the beginning, they said.
Three members of minority groups and Ombudsman Robert Shelton discussed forming an action team that would field student questions about minor issues, said Michael Diggs, chairman of Student Senate's Minority Affairs Committee.
The ambudman advises people who have trouble voicing complaints through the usual University channels.
Diggs said the action team would consist of faculty, staff and students. It would not be associated with the University of Kansas administration. The team would make recommendations to faculty in handling racial incidents at KU.
Shelton would not comment about the specifics of yesterday's discussion but said it was a very hopeful meeting. He expected plans to proceed this week.
Diggs said the action team proposal had potential but needed to be expanded.
Andrea Katzman, facilitator of Students Concerned About Racism,
Katzman said the group's plans involved a minority student service, which would sponsor programs for minorities and serve as an advocacy group for minority concerns. It would be separate from the Office of Minority Affairs.
attended the meeting and said she would take the expanded proposal to a meeting Friday with administration, Ramalea executive vice chancellor.
"I think the idea of having an action team not connected with the administration is an excellent idea," she said. "By expanding it, we are solving the problem of bad communication between the administration and minority groups on campus."
Diggs said if the proposed service was separate from the administration, there would not be administrative pressure on the service. The service instead could pressure the administration to take action.
Diggs said the meeting with Shelton was recommended to minority group representatives by Ramaley.
Shelton said that as University ambusdman, he also worked with the administration to pursue appropriate university response to student com-
bined.
Liz Ltobert of Gay and Lesbian Services of Kansas also attended the meeting with Shelton but could not be reached for comment.
Pioneer in gay politics encouraged openness
Activist 'represented all people'
Bv a Kansan reporter
When Harvey Milk became a member of the Board of Supervisors for San Francisco during the 1970s, he was one of the first openly gay elected public officials.
Milk has been referred to as a martyred pioneer of gay politics and recognized as a trailblazer of out-of-the-closet activism.
"Harvey Milk was an interesting man in that he was very forward, and he was very honest," said Henry Schwaller, member of Gay and Lesbian Services of Kansas. "He would not dance around the issues. He represented all people."
Schwaller described Milk as a great role model and powerful individual.
Milk and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone were assassinated Nov. 27, 1978, at City Hall in San Francisco. Dan White, an ex-member of the Board of Supervisors, was convicted in the slayings.
"He felt that until gay and lesbian people could be honest with their sexuality — come out of the closet — we would not be able to end discrimination." Schwaller said.
Milk reportedly predicted in a personal tape recording that he might be killed. He said that if that happened, gays should turn anger and frustration into something positive so that gay doctors, lawyers, judges, bankers and architects would step forward.
Harvey Milk
Born: May 22,1930
Died: November 27, 1978
(assassinated)
Occupation:
Board of Supervisors San Francisco, Calif.
Contribution: Milk was the first avowedly gay elected public official. He encouraged all gay officials to "come out of the closet."
Bob Mikesic (left), of Independence Inc., leads second-year architecture students through campus.
Gratchen Pippenger/KANSAN
Students roll out new perspective
By Carol B. Shiney Kansan staff writer
'We tried to get through the stacks and realized you can't get through without knocking things off.'
Kansan staff writer
Carla Rabb, St. Louis junior, does not have a physical disability, but yesterday she spent about 30 minutes maneuvering around campus in a wheelchair.
"We left from the bridge under Marvin Hall and went from Watson Library to Fraser Hall either with chairs or blindfolds," Rabb said. "We had to open doors and get into the bathrooms."
Rabb is one of about 120 second-year architecture students who learned what it was like to have a physical disability. Alpha Rho Chi, the professional architecture fraternity, sponsored the day so the students would be more aware
of the needs of people with physical disabilities when designing buildings.
— Carla Rabb
All of the students spent about 30 minutes each in wheelchairs, and some students walked around campus blindfolded with a cane.
"I think it was very important since right now the things we are designing need to be handicapped accessible," she said. "And I think it helped to find out that the
2nd year architectuo student
current standards don't work well. We should design better than the standards."
Rabb said it was frustrating trying to get around campus. She said it was difficult to get up the wheelchair ramp at Watson Library and to maneuver around in the library.
"We tried to get through the stacks and realized you can't get through without knocking things
off." she said.
Kevin Ciabati, St. Louis junior,
said he also maneuvered a wheelchair yesterday and used a blind-fold and cane.
"If you didn't have anyone to guide you, you really felt alone," he said.
Clabatti said he had trouble with the basic things such as getting through doors.
"I learned a lot from the ramps, how they were designed," he said. "A lot of them are too steep."
Cabatatti he would use what he learned for a class project. In an assignment for his studio class, students are required to design a museum that will be accessible to visually impaired people.
Elections Review Board gets complaints about Senate race
By Matt Taylor
Kansan staff writer
Several complaints about last week's Student Senate election have been filed in the Senate office, said Tom Poer, vice chairman of the Election Committee.
The Elections Review Board, which monitored the election, will meet at 7 tonight in the Kansas Union to discuss and act upon the complaints, Poer said.
He did not say who filed the complaints, but he said some of them dealt with campaign violations, distribution of filers and writing campaign messages on campus sidewalks.
Aaron Rittmaster, chairman of Senate's Rights Committee, said yesterday that he filed a complaint because he thought the board had overstepped its boundaries.
their appropriate seats in Student Senate," said Jo Hardesty, chairman of the board. The board's decision would increase the number of senators from 66 to 74.
"I filed because the Election Committee's decision to deal with the ballot problems is beyond the realm of what they can do." Rittmaster said.
While the election is being reviewed, the Senate Office is in transition.
On Friday morning, because of some ballot inaccuracies and inconsistent polling procedures, the board "granted all affected candidates
Mike Schreiner, president-elect, and Aimee Hall, vice president-elect officially take office tomorrow. Senate rules state that elected candidates take office no earlier than five days after the polls open.
They have started orientation discussions with Senate leaders, said Jeff Morris, sudent body vice president. Schreiner is meeting this week with B. Jake White, student body president, and Hall is meeting with Morris.
"They go through a new orientation that shows what goes on in Senate," Morris said. "It helps them get used to the day-to-day procedures in the office."
Later this week, Schreiner and Hall plan to choose Senate's administrative assistant, treasurer, executive secretary, Student Executive Committee chairman and Associated Students of Kansas director. Their
nominations will be voted on when the new Senate meets April 25, Morris said.
Senate also will elect three holdover senators at the meeting, Morris said. Holdover senators must have held seats this academic year in order to be nominated.
Holdovers help maintain continuity in Senate. Morris said.
Senate does not have a swearing-in ceremony, although Morris said he considered the first meeting more formal than the others.
In other Senate actions, a coin toss Friday broke a tie for a seat on the Engineering ballot. Kirsten Hoglund of Fast Break won the toss, defeating Steve Randall of New Blood for the seat.
Hoglund said she did not like the coin-toss rule.
"I would like to change it," she said. "I don't think it's fair."
She said the toss was witnessed by Poer and Carl Damon, Senate treasurer. Senate rules state that ties are broken by coin tosses.
Also on Friday, Christine Lynn of Fast Break won a coin toss against Dean Newton of Fast Break and claimed the Nunemaker seat.
FCC likely will renew KJHK license
By a Kansan reporter
The 30-day public notice period for student radio station KJHK ended yesterday, and the station's license probably will be renewed, a Federal Communications Commission spokesman said.
KJHK's application for renewal was processed March 15, after which the station was placed on the standard 30-day public notice.
During that time, KJHK listeners were invited to submit complaints or comments about the station to the FCC. Any public comment would be considered in the license renewal process.
No complaints were received, the FCC spokesman said. If no complaints postmarked before April 15 are received within the next week, the new license probably will be granted May 17.
Mike Ulin, KJHK operations manager, said he had not expected problems in the renewal process.
"We were sure the license would be renewed," he said. "We haven't gotten anything from the FCC. We're just looking forward to getting our license in the mail."
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