Kappa, Union Board discuss campus issues

Kappa Alpha Psi, together with the Union Board Outreach Committee, sponsored a TV-style panel Tuesday night to raise awareness about sexual assault and racial tension on campus.

Kampus View, held in Whittenberger Auditorium, was led by a panel of four IU students and was modeled after the TV show “The View.”

The conversation focused on the recent attacks on minorities, the incidents of sexual
assault and the importance of prevention and education.

Doctoral student and panel member, Tomika Ferguson said the purpose of Kampus View was to facilitate discussion about issues on campus.

Ferguson stressed the idea that nothing happens overnight, and conversations about
diversity and campus safety need to happen more frequently.

“People are human, and discrimination exists because there are stereotypes out there. If we accept those stereotypes as true, we facilitate even more discrimination,” Ferguson said. “There needs to be an ongoing conversation so we understand other people’s views.”

Junior Laci Boxell, associate director of the Union Board Outreach Committee,
collaborated with Kappa to plan the event.

“It’s really good for students to be aware and present, to have a voice, and to make sure they have a hand in making their campus safe,” Boxell said.

Kampus View was just one part of a week long series of events called Kappa Week that is designed to connect students who wouldn’t normally come together.

Junior and Kappa treasurer Aaron Barnes was the host of Kampus View and central in planning the events for the week. Wednesday night Kappa will sponsor “Dancing with the Greeks: Kampus Kulture,” modeled after the TV show “Dancing with the Stars.”

Representatives from different sororities and fraternities on campus will be paired with IU dance instructors to perform a routine.

Later in the week, there will be an open mic coffee hour in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. and a night for speed networking to bring people together.

Kappa week will also include “Black Diamonds & Pearls II,” a party to celebrate Kappa’s centennial.

Ultimately, Barnes said he wants students to come up with solutions that will make the campus better than it was when they got here.

“If nothing else, I want people to leave with a mentality that they’re going to do something — reach out to our campus and improve it,” Barnes said.