11-21-16

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SPORTS

Kansas defeats Texas 24-21 for first conference win in two years. Page 12 MONDAY, NOV. 21, 2016 | VOLUME 132 ISSUE 28

THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904

International Student Services holds march HAILEY DIXON @_Hailey_Dixon

DOES PROTESTING WORK? Following the election of Donald Trump, thousands of Americans, including Lawrence residents, took to the streets to protest. But is it enough to create change?

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LARA KORTE @lara_korte

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n the days after the election, people poured into the streets. In some places, they came out by thousands: droves of people with signs, bullhorns and flags. From major coastal cities like New York and Portland to the heartland metropolises of Kansas City and Chicago, the American people, horrified at the election of Donald Trump, raised a ruckus. But with the protests came disapproval. At the Nov. 12 protest in Lawrence, some bystanders joined in or clapped along with the rhythmic chants, but others just watched — with looks of incredulity and disgust on their faces. “I just think this is spreading hate,” said Jackson Brungardt, a local high school student who happened to encounter the protestors. “And it’s a bit ignorant as the way I see it.”

TOOLS FOR DEMOCRACY Although not everyone has agreed with the consequential uproar following the election, public assembly and dissent are constitutional rights, and according to David Farber, “as American as cherry pie.” “Goes all the way back to the beginning,” said Farber, a history professor at the University who studies political culture and social change movements. “It was so important to the founding fathers that it’s enshrined in our constitution.” More than just a fundamental pillar of the country, Farber said protest is a democratic tool, just like voting. However, he said it’s only a small part of making a change. “The purpose of that kind of street protest is to show other Americans that you’re not happy with the political climate. It’s to show your friends, your colleagues, your peers that you think something needs to be done,” Farber said. “But if that’s where things end, it’s not very

effective.” During the Lawrence protests, many marchers said they were speaking out for those who might suffer under a Trump presidency, or said they were standing in solidarity with minority groups.

It was so important to the founding fathers that it’s enshrined in our constitution.” David Farber History professor

It’s hard to turn feelings into concrete action, Farber said, but a public display of dissent can be a good starting place. “We live in a democracy in which most people never act politically, most people don’t even usually vote,” Farber said. “So to move from apathy to concern is

not an easy thing for most people, so most people need ways and means to do that.” If the first step is public display, Farber said, the next is organization. HOMEGROWN ACTIVISM The University is no stranger to protests, sit-ins or activism, according to KU History. The Vietnam era, in particular, was a catalyst for many student demonstrations. In 1970, a firebomb set the Kansas Union ablaze, resulting in $1 million worth of damage. In July of that year, a black student, Rick “Tiger” Dowdell, was shot and killed by police in downtown Lawrence, resulting in several days of conflict between civil rights protestors and law enforcement. That fall, Rusty Leffel was beginning his first year as a law student at the University. In a 1973 letter to fellow activists, SEE PROTESTS PAGE 2

Resolutions support undocumented students ELLE CLOUSE @elle_clouse

Three resolutions regarding undocumented immigrants were passed during Full Senate on Wednesday evening, along with a resolution requesting the support U.S. Representative Lynn Jenkins. Abdoulie Njai, director of diversity and inclusion, said that the idea for the three resolutions stemmed from a recent meeting. “During our last board of advisors meeting we had a representative from KU Dreamers, which is an organization that supports undocumented students, they came and told us about their experiences and

concerns that they have with the University, and we started to look into that,” Njai said. Communications Director Connor Birzer said the resolutions were generated quickly because of the recent presidential election. “It was kind of a time-sensitive issue with everything with the election going on, so those were generated in the last few days,” Birzer said. Birzer said the first resolution is a call for solidarity among the University, while the second is a call to action for the Kansas legislature, and also a “thank you” for providing in-state tuition for undocumented

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immigrants, under certain qualifications. “What that resolution did was not only thank them for that, because it’s actually pretty progressive,” Birzer said. “But we also implore them to go further. Because they’re given in-state tuition rates, they actually aren’t given the ability to get financial aid.” The third resolution asks that Lawrence becomes a sanctuary city, according to Birzer. All three resolutions passed, along with a resolution for a national revenue-neutral fee and dividend policy, which will support bipartisan action on climate change. Student Environmental Advisory Board

Baxter Schanze/KANSAN Alejandra Garcia Brenes, president of KU Dreamers, speaks on Nov. 16 about a resolution to protect undocumented students.

Chair Tomas Green advocated for the resolution, which urged Jenkins to support the initiative by joining the Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus. The caucus is a bipartisan effort within the U.S. House of Representatives to explore governmental

KANSAN.COM GALLERY Check out the gallery from the Jayhawks’ upset win against Texas on Kansan.com

options regarding climate change, according to its website. “It’s something that we believe really can have bipartisan support,” Green said. ”This would hopefully build a stepping stone to getting her onto that committee.”

Jayhawk Boulevard was flooded with over 200 people marching in solidarity with international students Friday afternoon. The march started out at the Sabatini Multicultural Resource Center at 2 p.m. and ended at Wescoe Beach. The march was arranged by the Office of Study Abroad and the Office of International Programs, Melody Stratton, outreach coordinator of the Office of Study Abroad, said in an email. The International Student Services office also helped, Charles Olcese, director of ISS, said. Olcese said that many students were reaching out to the ISS office with fears of walking on campus and going to class following the controversial election of Donald Trump. Olcese said the department recruited student volunteers to walk other students to class. It grew from 200 volunteers to 702 volunteers in less than a week, according to Olcese. “It was a people movement,” he said. With it being International Education week, Olcese said that he wanted to gather people to walk across campus to make a silent statement. He said that ISS wanted to thank the volunteers for stepping up, as it meant a lot to both the department and international students. Sanjay Parashar, a senior from Overland Park, said that he wants students, including international students, to know that there are people that care for them on campus. “I hope as a student, if you feel afraid, you can always reach out to the KU community,” he said. For some like senior Trinity Carpenter, the march is only part of the solution to a wider problem she believes the University should address. “Walking to Wescoe does not translate to the needs of these students, or any marginalized students, on this campus at this time,” Carpenter said. “I need [the University] to take a, not just a position, a strong position in favor of marginalized students right now.”

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