Kentucky Kernel JAN 1‘9 1990 Legislators react cooly to Wilkinson’s ‘people’s budget’ By MARK Fl. CHELLGREN Associated Press FRANKFORT, Ky. -— Gov. Wallace Wilkinson outlined a "people’s budget" yesterday to an audience of legislators who ap- peared cool to his claim that it pro- vides a historic opportunity for Kentucky and its children. “In my opinion, this is our best and maybe our only chance to ad- dress these concerns," Wilkinson said. The speech, which lasted almost an hour and 15 min- utes, included a recapitulation of the high- lights of Wil- kinson's pro- posed $8.5 billion General Fund budget WILKINSON for the coming two fiscal years and the $1 billion tax increase the governor said is needed to provide the services. The speech was Wilkinson’s first shot at face-to-face selling of his budget and tax ideas to the General Assembly since they were introduced. yet the reaction from the senators and representatives as- sembled for a joint session was little more than polite. “I think it's fair to label this bud- get a people's budget," Wilkinson said. “After two years of common sacrifice, I can now report that our commonwealth is on sound finan. cial footing and that our budget's priorities truly reflect our people's priorities." Only twice was Wilkinson‘s speech interrupted by applause. and in neither case was it prompted by legislators. Major gubematorial addresses in the last decade have received warm, sometimes even raucous responses from legislators Legislators speculated that the response may have been muted be- brary yesterday afternoon. A” true amass/w Sufi WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY: Lexingtonian Leslie Powell. a UK medical student, studied on the second floor in Margaret i. King Li- ‘Buddy Program’ keeps ‘at risk’ students in school By JONATHAN MILLER Staff Writer Jane consistently missed her see- ond—grade classes last year at Max- well Elementary. When Donna Renfro, the school's community liaison, visit- ed Jane‘s home, she found the cause of the problem. “Jane's parents hadn‘t finished school," Renfro said. “They felt that there wasn‘t a need for Jane to go to school since the school sys- tem failed them." In an effon to keep more stu- dents like Jane in school, Renfro developed the “Buddy System." The program matches potential drop-out students with UK stu- dents. The student meets with the UK volunteer on a regular basis and discusses his or her progress in school. About 100 UK students visited the school last spring, Renfro said. “Some children (at the school) needed some attention," she said. “All children need someone to like them for just the way they are.” UK has been involved for several years in reaching out to “at-risk" students, according to Wayne Har— vey, UK's director of educational services. “At-risk" students are those whom educators say may drop out of school because of various socio- economic factors. including family problems and poverty, Harvey said. Renfro said that the “Buddy Pro- gram“ has been a success in target- ing potential drop-outs. “Teachers have told me that the grades, attendance and overall atti- tude of the kids who have buddies visit them have improved," she said. Although the Maxwell program was focused at first on children from low-income homes, it was expanded to include other stu- dents. Carole Devine, Renfro‘s daugh- ter, is a UK family studies graduate student and has been involved with the “Buddy Program" since its in- ception. “I got so much satisfaction when Jessica (3 sixth-grader) wrote me a letter thanking me for helping her with problems," Devine said. Elizabeth Heath, an education senior, buddied-up Wlll'l Joni, a See ‘BUDDY Program’, Page 8 cause details of the budget had been doled out by Wilkinson over the past two weeks. Still, Wilkinson took pains to point out what he believed were the highlights of his spending plan as well as to begin lobbying for its adoption. “I welcome your interest, con- structive revision and improve— ments,” Wilkinson said. “I believe we have a sound package that must be enacted. We shall not soon have this opportunity again. We cannot afford to squander it." Wilkinson emphasized his bud get's new funding for education at all levels, and recommended a school reform package that reflects his Iongaheld advocacy of school- based management, performance standards and curric ulum changes. “This is the beginning of a great day and a great session tor educa- tion iii Kentucky." Wilkinson said. Roads. especially his proposal Sec lil [Nil-IT, Page X UK’s black population rose slightly since 1978 Assoclated Press and Staff reports FRANKFORT, Ky. — The L'tii— versity of Louisville is the only state school to dramatically in crease its black student population since 1978, according to the Ken- tucky Council on Higher Ezduta uon. L‘K’s number was only slightly higher than its mark that year. “My feeling is that I‘m not that concerned with the number of stu- dents we get, but what we do after we get them," said UK Vice Chan- cellor for Minority Affairs Wil- liam Parker. Parker said that 79 percent of liK’s black students graduate, “and that's a rate that exceeds white students.“ “There are some plans to in- crease the number of (black) stu- dents on campus but the best way to recruit students is to take care of the ones we have,“ Parker said. “And I think we do that very suc~ ccssfully." While most state public llllth’F sities have experienced a shght steady increase in minority student enrollment during the past I? years, the increase is not necessary ly a sign of success. other leaders say. Black enrollment has not kept pace Wllh the increases in white enrollment. said Gary Cox, CXCQU' tive director of the council. “I think we would have to say we‘re standing still." said John Frazer, executive director of the (.‘ouncil of Independent Kentucky Colleges and l'niversities. “And that means, in effect, that we're probably slipping backwards.” Kentucky is still ahead of the rest of the nation, though. The an- nual survey of the American Council on Education, released earlier this week, found that black college enrollments nationwide have significantly declined Since the mid-1970s. In contrast to l of L, both Ken- tucky State L'nivcrstty and West» em Kentucky L'riiversity have dra- matically lost black students suite the ‘i‘Ji‘tis. There were small, consistent gains for Morehead State, Murray State and Ntirthem Kentucky and for L'K‘s )4 community colleges since l9”, And at Eastern Kentiitky L‘ni- \‘CfSll, the black student popula- tion peaked slightly in the early I980s before falling back to about W70s‘ levels. EKL' is slightly on dcr its I978 figure A shortage of funding may be preventing greater black crimllriicnt. write .- \i} ilief‘e‘ti\t‘\ Ifl .iii. slits "When state desegregation mori- e) was being distributed we ha! very high black :rirollr'ient,“ said Howard Baiiey «it-an of student life at \VKI' where biaik t‘nrol‘i iricnt went down "so we ill ~t \er‘» little liltifiij; for i‘i.l.ik leis r; crtiitmcnt ‘.lii.i reteriiii it "s "it ‘.\_"t‘ iigtt’w" 7.1,!“ ctilll;"t‘lt‘ \Aill‘, ',:’l‘.‘\‘c' ‘~K.".t‘ J"! ’i“.‘ big ii. inc) 1'. K .I"‘j[ of Y and uz-‘rt' ;i'l ll'\lll‘ it» rttrw' 'bq saute students " ‘~\ *‘Lil has till!\‘\"i f i3‘i"\ bhiek students at other am. has benefited I i‘.’ I .i. ‘w'tiitiif lt‘ Ralph Fit/patrit k w ho .twrdinatcs minority affairs at the st ‘\ v! L‘Y‘Ii’.“~ Retritise many :t.inoritx schoiar- ship programs prm ide niuitex oiil\ for tuition and sometznies‘ for books. r’it/patrtek said, Louisville residents tiright be choosing to attend I' of I and Il'st‘ with their parents one w.i\ to avoid the housing costs of regional universities \-"Irt‘ I of I recruiters also have great— er access to .i mam potential \‘l'tl- dents because of Louisville's large black population, Fit7patrick said Amendment protects when journalists fail, C-J editor says By GREGORY A. HALL Staff Writer Courier-Joumal Editor David V. Hawpe said yesterday that “the First Amendment is an enormous grant of privilege." But Hawpe said that a 1989 Su- preme Court decision allowing censorship of high school newspa- pers causes him to be concerned about the future of the First Amendment. Hawpe, a UK alumnus, ad- dressed about 30 people for 45 minutes in the First Amendment Speaker Series before taking ques- tions. His lecture, given in the Enoch Grehan Journalism Build- ing‘ First Amendment Center, was titled “Why The First Amendment Is First“ The Supreme Court based the right of a principal to sensor on “reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns," Hawpe said. Hawpe, who was elected yester- day as the president of the Ken- tucky Press Association, said that the Student Press Law Center sta- tistics show that requests for legal aid are higher since the court‘s de- cision. The decision “has made a dis- turbing pattern,” Hawpe said. “It is clear that the decision in the case has caused those who saw an opening in the First Amendment to move through that opening and ex- ploit it in respect to student news- papers." Hawpe said that 85 percent of the news in one high school paper in Washington state has to be “school-related or teen-age type activities." “I am mystified over what ‘teen- age type’ information is,“ saic Hawpe, who has teen-agers of his own. Hawpe also mentioned a Lexing- ton high school paper, whose edi torial urging teen-agers to be re sponsible in deciding about sex, was censored. “My experience is that no one has to condone sex for teens. They are fully able to do tha themselves.“ Hawpe said that while he was 2 staff member of the Kentucky Ker» nel during the 19603, then-UK President John Oswald tried tc censor the paper. The Kernel did not become inde- pendent from the University until 1971. “An attempt was made to re- move me from the staff of the Ker- nel by Dr. John Oswald," Hawpe PHOTO COURTESY OF ED mum David Hawpe, a UK graduate and ediotr of The Courier-Journal, spoke to about 30 people yesterday Sec AMENDMENT, Page 8 afternoon in the Enoch Grehan Journalism Buildings First Amendment Center. Wildeats face tough'Voltititeers. [versions UK Opera presents ‘Carmen.’ Story, Page 3.