CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Thursday, February 20,1997
3A
Third generation keeps KU tradition alive
Men share same name,but have different majors career goals
By Umut Bayramoglu
Kansan staff writer
Some come to the University of Kansas to get an education. Some only come to party.
But Cordell Meeks III has an additional reason—a family tradition. Meeks, Kansas City, Kan., senior, is a third-generation KU student and is majoring in communication studies.
"We are a family of Jayhawkers," Meeks said.
Meeks is also African American. Sherwood Thompson, director of the Office of Minority Affairs, said that the University was one of the few campuses nationwide that had second and third generation African-American students.
Meeks said that the fact that both his father and grandfather had positive experiences at the University helped him decide to come to KU.
"Our first African-American student's graduation date goes back to 1800s." Thompson said.
Although he continued the family tradition by attending the University, he made a few changes in his experience.
Meeks' grandfather, Cordell Meeks Sr., received an undergraduate degree in political science in 1937 and graduated from the KU School of Law in 1940.
Cordell Meeks Sr. later became the first African-American judge in the state of Kansas.
Cordell Meeks Jr. followed in his father's footsteps. He received a bachelor of arts degree in political science in 1964 and graduated from the School of Law in 1967.
But Meeks has no intention of touching either subject.
"Id like to do my graduate study on communication studies and become a professional motivational speaker." Meeks said.
Not only did Meeks' grandfather and father choose the same major, but they also were in the same fraternity.
"Ironically, we were the president of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity during our years at KU," Cordell Meeks Jr. said.
Meeks broke another tradition and chose to join an all-white fraternity, Sigma Chi.
"I didn't see any restriction. They were all nice guys," Meeks said. "I thought I'd add diversity."
Meeks' father said that he was not at all upset about his son not joining Alpha Phi Alpha.
Cordell Meeks III will be the third generation to graduate from KU in May. Meeks' grandfather graduated from KU in the 1930s, and his father graduated from KU in the 1960s.
Tyler Wirken / KANSAN
Cordell Meeks III Kansas City Kan., senior
"He was a pioneer in what he did, and I was proud of him," he said.
Mickey Venerable, Kansas City, Kan., junior said that Meeks' decision to join Sigma Chi comforted other minorities like himself who wanted to join all-white fraternities.
"I felt a lot better joining the fraternity myself, after Cordell did," he said.
Being an activist in diversity and desegregation is also part of the Meeks family tradition.
Cordell Meeks Jr. said that his father protested against the Kansas Union for not allowing African-American students in the same lobby as whites. He also protested that Robinson Gymnasium had separate pools for white and African- American students in the 1930s.
Cordell Meeks Jr. was part of the KU Civil Rights Corps from the mid-1960s to the end of the '60s.
"We were marching all the time,
and that made us visible," he said.
continue the family tradition.
Meeks said that he was proud to
"I glad to be part of an ongoing process," he said.
His father said that he wished more African-American families started a tradition like theirs.
attract more students and keep them there," Cordell Meeks Jr. said
Thompson said that the faculty should encourage existing minority students to continue the tradition.
"I'd like to see current students' sons and daughters attending KU someday," he said.
"The more African-American students KU has, the easier it will be to
McCollum residents learn truth about consequences
By Harumi Kogarimal
Kansan staff writer
Commit a crime, and you'll do time.
That was the message that a panel of legal experts presented to McColum Hall residents in their After the Arrest program.
About 50 residents came to the program to learn what happens when someone is arrested for a felony. District Attorney Christine Tonkovich, Assistant District Attorney Marlon Williams, associate law professor Roscoe Howard and KU police community education and media officer Gayle Reece explained the effect of a felony record on a person's life.
Howard said that the record of a crime would follow individuals until they died. He said that companies would never want to hire any individual with a criminal record.
"Any arrest, no matter when, will stay with you forever," Howard said.
Tonkovich stressed in her speech that crime would cost individuals.
She said that if someone was convicted of a DUI for the first time, the person was required to spend at least 48 hours in prison or to do 100 hours of community service. With either option, the person would have to pay from $200 to $500 in fines and receive alcohol counseling.
If it is the second offense, a $500 to
$1,000 fine would be required, and
the person would be jailed for anywhere from five days to one year. The third offense would be considered a felony. The individual would then have to pay a $1,000 fine and stay in jail for a period of 90 days to one year. Tonkovich said there were also additional costs for bond and an attorney.
Wade Belden, Wichita senior and co-chairman of the After the Arrest program, said that the program was organized to let people know that the McCollium Hall staff is working toward crime prevention.
"We just want residents to have all the facts before they commit crimes," Belden said. "Whatever crime they commit, there are penalties. We just want them better informed."
Randy Timm, assistant director for the department of student housing, said that the housing department cannot force all of the 718 residents of McCollum Hall to come to this program. He said that probably those who would commit serious crimes would not be interested in the program, but still the program would be helpful.
"If we wouldn't have done this program, people would not get a chance to know about the consequences of crime." Timm said. "We hope that those who attend the program go back to their rooms and talk about it."
Hall is home to higher crime rate
More residents could be reason
By Stephanie McDuff Kansan staff writer
Eight burglaries, 11 thefts, three batteries and numerous other crimes have been reported this school year by students living in McCollum Hall.
Several of the crimes committed in the hall resulted in arrests, including those of Thomas Sun,
charged with aggravated sodomy, and Steven Hipp, charged with felony criminal damage and theft of the building's master keys.
These incidents, when compared to those happening in other areas of campus, show a much higher concentration of crimes in and around the residence hall.
KU Police Sgt. Chris Keary said that it was hard to pinpoint why more crimes had been committed in and around McCollum than any other area on campus.
Kearay said that one explanation for the higher crime rate was that
the residence hall houses more students than any other living organization on campus.
Jon Long, assistant director of the department of student housing, said that because there were between 200 and 300 more students living in McCollum than in other residence halls, it was more likely that crime would occur there.
McCollum Hall is the largest residence hall on campus, with around 718 students.
Keary said that students living at McCollium Hall might also choose to report crimes more
Long said that the only thing that the housing department could do to change this crime record was to increase awareness of residents through educational programs held in residence halls.
He also said that a sense of community awareness might be beneficial in curbing crime in McCollum Hall. Long suggested that students who see suspicious people or activities should report them to hall staff members.
than other residents. This too, Keary said, might explain the higher number of crime reports from hall residents.
February Sisters mark anniversary
Group helped bring daycare to campus
By Umut Bayramoglu
Kansan staff writer
The right to vote and the opportunity to get an education is not an issue for women anymore, but the feminist battle still continues.
Last night, to honor the 25th anniversary of the February Sisters, a crowd of 50 people discussed feminist activism at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread Ave.
"Feministism and political battle in general is a life-long process," said Christine Smith, member of the original February Sisters.
February Sisters were the women who seized the East Asian Studies Building on Feb. 4, 1972, to make demands from the administration about women's issues on campus.
Mary Coral, Joan Driskill and Christine Smith, who were three of the original February Sisters, were among the eight panelists at last night's forum called "Feminism and Activism at KU: Then and Now."
Christine, Smith said that one event which influenced the group to take action had been the speech by author Robin Morgan on Feb.2.1972.
"We found out at the speech that many women were already taking action," Smith said. "After that we decided we had enough of it."
Coral said that what had led her to activism was the fact that she
wanted to live her life as a real human being.
"I want to live my life compassionately," she said. "I chose compassion instead of money."
A variety of issues ranging from dealing with political apathy to helping improve public transportation in Lawrence were addressed during the panel.
But the issue of childcare stirred the most attention from the crowd.
Among the six original demands of the February Sisters was a free daycare center for students and faculty. Hilltop Child Development Center was established as a result of those demands.
But a member of the audience pointed out that there was a waiting list of 200 children because of the University's decision to delay expansion of Hilltop.
Smith told the crowd to be creative in dealing with bureaucracy.
"Find new ways to put pressure on administration to address your demands." she said.
Some of the demands made by the audience included encouraging activism in high schools, sex education and being more active as parents in school boards.
Kate Turnbull, Lawrence freshman said that she thought the panel discussion was inspiring.
"Feminism faces a lot of backlash," she said," We just need to shake it up."
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FACILITATORS:
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