Multicultural Affairs to honor women's basketball coach, outstanding students

LAWRENCE -- University of Kansas students active in multicultural organizations, as well as women's basketball coach Marian Washington, will be honored at the women's basketball game with Ball State University at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, at Allen Fieldhouse.

All multicultural student organizations and friends are invited to the game as VIP guests. This is the first time recognition ceremonies for multicultural students have been conducted during a women's basketball game.

At 6:45 p.m., the Inspirational Gospel Voices with lead singer Megan McCluney will sing the national anthem. During a first-half timeout, individual students will be honored for their academic and leadership achievements.

At halftime, the president of KU's Black Faculty and Staff Council, Anthony "Tony" Daniels, will give Washington a bouquet of 31 roses representing her years in coaching and honoring her induction into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

Also during halftime, Unity Dancers, a group of students who celebrate their different backgrounds through dance, will perform. Representatives of student organizations will participate in a basketball challenge.

KU's Office of Multicultural Affairs and the KU Athletic Corporation are co-sponsoring the recognition ceremonies.

In all, 16 multicultural organizations will be recognized. They are: Asian American Student Union, African Student Association, Black Student Union, Black Graduate Student Association, Diversity Peer Education Team, First Nations Student Association, HawkLink Program, Hispanic American Leadership Organization, Initiative for Minority Student Development, Latino Graduate Student Association, McNair Scholars, Multicultural Scholars Program, NAACP, National Pan-Hellenic Council, sTep Program and Vietnamese Student Association.

Students being honored and their hometowns, majors, parents or guardians, high school alma maters and their accomplishments are listed below.

BUTLER COUNTY
From Whitewater
Rachel R. Balzer, junior in sociology with plans to study law, daughter of Mike and Kathy Balzer; Remington High School graduate. Balzer is being recognized for her work with the Diversity Peer Education Team.

FINNEY COUNTY
From Garden City
Bruce Cao Luong, sophomore in human biology with plans to study optometry, son of John and Melissa Luong; Garden City High School graduate. Luong is being recognized for coordinating the Vietnamese Student Association's basketball tournament.

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Lenexa
Thomas Ryan Red Corn, senior in design; Shawnee Mission Northwest High School graduate. Red Corn is being recognized for coordinating the First Nations Student Association's annual pow wow.

From Olathe
Jonathan Darryl Ashley, freshman in engineering, son of Darryl and Diane Ashley; St. Thomas Aquinas High School graduate. Ashley is being recognized for being named an SBC engineering scholarship recipient. The award is given to outstanding minority engineering students.

From Overland Park
Anna Kowalewski, sophomore in political science, daughter of Jan Kowalewski; Shawnee Mission East High School graduate. Kowalewski is being recognized for her role in coordinating the Asian Student Leadership Conference, which featured Eric Liu, a former policy adviser to the Clinton administration.

Thailam John Tran, junior in electrical engineering, son of Doan Nhuong Tran; Shawnee Mission South High School graduate. Tran is being recognized for his role in coordinating the Asian Student Leadership Conference, which featured Eric Liu, a former policy adviser to the Clinton administration.

From Shawnee
Casey O. Collier, senior in communication studies, daughter of Janice Collier; Shawnee Mission North High School graduate. Collier is being recognized as a 2003 ExCEL award winner.
Kriston Joseph Guillot, sophomore with plans to study business, son of Joyce Johnson; Shawnee Mission Northwest High School graduate. Guillot is being recognized as one of KU's delegates to the Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government.

SEDGWICK COUNTY
From Wichita
Samuel Peter "Trey" Allen III, sophomore in atmospheric science, son of Samuel Allen; Wichita High School East graduate. Allen is being recognized as one of KU's delegates to the Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government.

Lisa Thi Huynh, junior with plans to study optometry, daughter of Toan Tan Huynh; Wichita High School Southeast. Huynh is being recognized for coordinating the Vietnamese Student Association's basketball tournament.

SHAWNEE COUNTY
From Topeka
Krysdanell L. Cole, junior in Spanish and biology with plans to study medicine, daughter of Sarah Guesby; Shawnee Heights High School graduate. Cole is being recognized for her work with the Diversity Peer Education Team.

Linh Boi Ly, junior in biology with plans to study medicine, daughter of Chuong and Trinh Luu Ly; Highland Park High School graduate. Ly is being recognized for her role in coordinating the Vietnamese Student Association's basketball tournament.

Renita Janell Norman, sophomore with plans to study pharmacy, daughter of Esther Norman; Highland Park High School graduate. Norman is being recognized as one of KU's delegates to the Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY
From Bonner Springs
Megan Lee McCluney, sophomore with plans to study accounting, daughter of Vernice McCluney; Bonner Springs High School graduate. McCluney is lead singer for the national anthem and the Inspirational Gospel Voices.

From Kansas City
Mark Anthony Dupree, senior in political science with plans to study law, son of Alvin and Linda Dupree; Wyandotte High School graduate. Dupree is being recognized for his role in coordinating KU's Black Leadership Symposium, which featured Emanuel Cleaver II, a former mayor of Kansas City, Mo. Dupree is also the president of the Big 12 Black Student Government.

ALASKA
From Anchorage
C'Nea Marchane Hatches, sophomore in communication studies with plans to study law, daughter of Barrett and Ann Hatches; Serv-Hanshew High School graduate. Hatches is being recognized as one of KU's delegates to the Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government.

ILLINOIS
From Naperville
Jeffrey Alan Dugas, sophomore in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, son of Lynn Boone; Nequa Valley High School graduate. Dugas is being recognized as one of KU's delegates to the Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government.

MINNESOTA
From Minneapolis
Melva Marie Landrum, sophomore with plans to study journalism, daughter of Janet Odugunwa; Henry High School graduate. Landrum is being recognized for her role in coordinating KU's Black Leadership Symposium, which featured Emanuel Cleaver II, a former mayor of Kansas City, Mo.

MISSOURI
From Kansas City
Brandon Charles McDowel, junior in biochemistry and African and African-American studies, son of David and Twyla Fauntleroy; Pembroke Hill School graduate. McDowel is being recognized as one of KU's delegates to the Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government.

Roma Princess Remmie, freshman in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, daughter of Chea Tardey; North Kansas City High School graduate. Remmie is being recognized as one of KU's delegates to the Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government.

Jennifer L. Sweeton, senior in psychology and French, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stan Sweeton; Olathe East High School graduate. Sweeton is being recognized for her work with the Initiative for Minority Student Development , for being named a Biosciences Initiatives Scholar at KU, for advancing to the state competition for a Rhodes scholarship, for receiving a U.S. Department of Homeland Security scholarship and other achievements, including founding the Cognitive Science Club at KU.

OKLAHOMA
From Pawhuska
Laura Olivia Standing-Bear, junior in anthropology, daughter of Eugene and Patricia Standing-Bear; Pawhuska High School graduate. Standing-Bear is being recognized for coordinating the First Nations Student Association's annual pow wow.