THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
SPORTS
INSIDE Q&A with Antonia Okafor, vocal advocate for concealed carry on campus p. 3
How a KU student and his football poster spread across social media The University Daily Kansan
vol. 135 // iss. 27 Mon., Nov. 27, 2017
Downtown shop Ruff House Art named “fabulous” by Midwest Living p. 9
SEE MEME • PAGE 11
Charlie Rose’s journalism award revoked CONNER MITCHELL @connermitchell0 The William Allen White Foundation officially voted to rescind the national citation it awarded to now-former CBS journalist Charlie Rose. According to an email from Julie Adam, communications coordinator for the School of Journalism, the “recent reports detailed sexual harassment and a pattern of unprofessional behavior by Mr. Rose during his career, the William Allen White Foundation decided that Mr. Rose does not exemplify the ideals of this award.” “The trustees’ vote reflects the inscription on the citation,” Ann Brill, dean of the School, said in the email. “William Allen White was an important journalist who also felt that it was important to make a positive difference in the community.” According to the Foundation website, 81 individuals serve as trustees. It is not clear how many of those people voted on awarding or rescinding Rose’s citation. The Washington Post reported Nov. 20 that Rose “made unwanted sexual advances toward [the women],
Kansan file photo Following allegations of sexual harassment, the William Allen White Foundation, linked to the School of Journalism, has rescinded the national citation it previously awared to Charlie Rose. including lewd phone calls, walking around naked in their presence, or groping their breasts, buttocks or genital areas.” In a statement to the Kansan, Brill, who serves as foundation president according to its bylaws, said the report on Rose was the latest in a line of disturbing
behavior. “The allegations against Charlie Rose are beyond disturbing. I admire the women who have the courage to speak out and say, ‘No more.’ We have to make it safe for everyone to do their jobs,” Brill said. The foundation is a complement to the school
and awards a William Allen White Award citation each year to “An American Journalist Who Exemplifies William Allen White Ideals In Service To His Profession And His Community,” according to the inscription on the back of each award. Rose, who hosted an evening show on PBS, co-an-
chors “CBS This Morning” and contributes to “60 Minutes,” won the award last year. Due to health concerns, CBS journalist Bob Schieffer accepted the award on Rose’s behalf. Previous winners have included Gwen Ifil, Cokie Roberts, Candy Crowley and Bob Woodward.
In the Post’s story, Rose said he has prided himself over his 45-year career on being an advocate for the careers of the women he worked with. He added, however, that he “learned a great deal” from the accusations and he hoped others would too. “It is essential that these women know I hear them and that I deeply apologize for my inappropriate behavior,” Rose said in a statement to the Post. “I am greatly embarrassed. I have behaved insensitively at times, and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that all of these allegations are accurate. I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings, even though I now realize I was mistaken.” “I have learned a great deal as a result of these events, and I hope others will too. All of us, including me, are coming to a newer and deeper recognition of the pain caused by conduct in the past, and have come to a profound new respect for women and their lives.” Shortly after the story broke, Rose was fired from his roles at CBS and PBS.
Transfer students offer perspectives, insight
EMILY BECKMAN @emilybeckman7
While all transfer students share a common identity, their experiences at the University can differ from individual to individual. According to the Office of Institutional Research and Planning, there were 1,136 total undergraduate transfer students in fall 2016. A number of these students come from Kansas community colleges and regional universities, with the majority typically coming from Johnson County Community College, according to Abby Coffin, director of the Undergraduate Advising Center.
PREVIOUS TRANSFER
For Shelby Rayburn, a senior psychology major from Shawnee, the University is a place that feels inclusive and provides opportunities. “It’s just, it’s wholesome, and it’s holistic and inclusive,” she said. “And that’s just really the vibe that I get from KU, and that’s why I’ve loved being there, because I don’t ever have to worry about being judged.” Prior to transferring as a sophomore, she attended the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth for the first semester of her freshman year and Kansas State University for the second semester. “At the other two schools, I felt very excluded from certain groups. I didn’t feel like I fit in on any front,” Rayburn said. “And at KU,
it’s like everyone wants you to be a part of what they’re a part of. They don’t care about who you are, what you look like or where you’re from or what kind of experience you have.” Hanna Hayden, a senior economics major from Manhattan, also transferred to the University as a sophomore. Prior to transferring, Hayden attended Wellesley College, a private women’s college in Wellesley, Massachusetts. “Just the year I was there I realized, while it was a really good fit inside the classroom, I wasn’t very happy outside,” Hayden said. She began looking to transfer schools during her freshman year, she said, and ended up deciding on the University of Kansas. While she said she misses the academic aspects of Wellesley, she feels she has found the independence she sought in her college experience at the University. Overall, she said she feels that she has a “much healthier balance” now. The positive aspects of being a transfer student at the University, she said, have not necessarily been due to the University’s academics, rather than the social atmosphere. “KU has been nice, but the biggest changes I’ve seen have kind of been byproducts of coming to the University, instead of the University itself,” she said. A major challenge she faced after transferring, she said, was a lack of information. She said he felt “out of the loop” about resources
know, it was a lot more intensive and teachers expected more out of you, which is of course what you should expect from a university.” While she said it was rough starting out, she feels like she is settled in at this point in the semester. “I’m exactly where I want to be,” she said.
FUTURE TRANSFER
Sarah Wright/KANSAN According to the Office of Institutional Research and Planning, numbers for new transfer students increased between 2015 and 2016, but are generally down from previous years. and opportunities available at the University. “It really just felt kind of hands off compared to like the deluge of emails and brochures and notifications that I was getting as like a senior in high school from KU,” she said. According to Coffin, one reason that some students might feel that they lack information is due to the number of entities that work with transfer students. In different phases of the transfer process, admissions, the Office of First Year Experience, and advising all work with students, she said. “I think transfer students especially sort of feel the differences in approach from those different offices,” Coffin said.
RECENT TRANSFER
Julia Montoya, a junior from Garden City, transferred to the University this fall. Prior to transferring, she stayed in her hometown and earned her associate’s degree from Garden City Community College. She decided to go that route, she said, in order to save money while taking general education courses. But said she has wanted to attend the University since she was a freshman in high school. Montoya only spent one year at GCCC as she had already earned a number of college credits while in high school. She is majoring in English rhetoric and writing and minoring in Spanish. She plans to finish her
college education in three years, she said, as she hopes to teach and travel. “I want to teach English to immigrants, and I really want to experience going to a different country and meeting people of different ethnicities and like experiencing different cultures before I get to do that,” Montoya said. According to Montoya, she faced several challenges during her first semester at the University, including learning to navigate campus and learning how to use Blackboard. “When I came here, my first couple weeks of classes were definitely really hard because they were a lot different than in Garden City,” Montoya said. “There was a lot more homework, you
Gannon Miller of Columbus, Kansas, is currently a sophomore at Labette Community College in Parsons. He is preparing to transfer to the University for the upcoming spring semester and plans to major in general studies in psychology and minor in applied behavioral science. Like Montoya, he wanted to complete some of his general education courses prior to transferring. While he recalls that the process of transferring seemed daunting at first, he said it has been smooth overall and is excited to come to the University primarily because of the diversity on campus. “[The] University of Kansas just has a bunch of diversity and just so many opportunities I feel like I haven’t had anywhere else,” he said. He does, however, anticipate that coming to the University will be a “big step” since its population is higher than that of his high school and community college. “I think for the most part, I’m just ready for move-in day,” he said.
— Edited by Danya Issawi