2A THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2005
THINK?
BV NICOLETA NIOSI
editor@kansan.com
KANSAN CORSPONDENT
What do you like best about KJHK?
"Recently I've liked the music choices a little bit better. In the past, it was a little too out there for me, but lately I've really enjoyed the new rotation.
* Ann Liu, Lawrence senior
"I probably have to say the variety of music that they play. I really like it.
* Kyra Kelley, Chester, N.J., senior
"The different music that they play and the announcers, because they always sound stoned whenever I listen to it. I guess mainly the music is what it's all about, the variations.
Alex Karwas, St. Louis junior
"it's introduces me to a lot of music I wouldn't have heard otherwise.
- Kevin McKenzie, Salina senior.
STATE
DJ who introduced Elvis to Kansas dies
WICHITA — Lee Nichols, who spent more than 20 years as a broadcaster in Wichita, has died. He was 99.
Nichols died Saturday in Spearman, Texas, where his funeral was held Wednesday.
A native of Amarillo, Texas, Nichols came to Wichita in 1951 as a disc jockey at KWBB. He became one of the first Kansas disc jockeys to play rock 'n' roll music, and in 1956 he introduced Elvis Presley to more than 4,000 screaming fans at a Wichita concert.
Nichols later became manager at radio stations KSIR and KFRM, staying in Wichita broadcasting until 1974.
"Wichita is where he really hit it big," said his son, John. "He'd do a morning show on rock and roll where he was known as Big Daddy Lee Nichols, and in the afternoon have a couple of hours of country western."
Nichols is survived by his wife, Melva, of Pueblo West, Colo.; his son John, also of Pueblo West; his daughter, Marilyn Davis of Conway, Ark.; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
In 1965 Nichols wrote a song, "I'm Gonna Tie One On Tonight," that became a Billboard No. 1 country and western hit for the Wilburn Brothers, who also used it as the title for an album. Ernest Tubb also made a recording of the song.
The Associated Press
Kneading attention
Bob Garrett, co-owner of Great Harvest Bread Co., 807 Vermont St., kneads dough in front of the Spencer Museum of Art, west of the Kansas Union, during the Watch Us Work exhibit. The art museum features local workers displaying their talents in front of the building every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Jared Soares/Kansan
EDUCATION
Colorado to review standards
State forms academic council
BY SANDY SHORE
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER — Gov. Bill Owens formed a state commission Monday to recommend ways to close the gap between high school standards and college entrance requirements and better prepare graduates for higher education and the work force.
The Colorado Education Alignment Council is composed of 30 education and business leaders who will spend the next year reviewing academic standards to determine how to make a student's move to college easier.
About 25 percent of high school graduates are placed in remedial classes as college freshmen, according to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.
That number jumps to 31 percent of recent graduates
from the Jefferson County School District, the state's largest, and 49 percent in the Denver Public Schools District.
"It's clear that too many students in Colorado still leave high school unprepared for college, and too many students still leave high school unprepared for the work force," he said. "To truly boost student achievement, we realize we must work together and we must work with the business community."
The council will determine if high-school academic standards meet expectations for higher education and the general work force.
It also will determine if higher education admissions
The Colorado Education Alignment Council is composed of 30 education and business leaders who will spend the next year reviewing academic standards to determine how to make a student's move to college easier.
guidelines are what high school graduates expect to find.
Owens said the council would not look at whether the kindergarten-12th grade system and the higher education system should be merged but would focus instead on academics.
Joyce Bales, superintendent of Pueblo School District 60 and a council member, said high school graduation requirements should be the same as the college entrance guidelines. "There has to be a better connection," she said.
Co-leaders of the council will be Rick O'Donnell, executive director of the higher
education commission, William J. Moloney, state education commissioner, and Nancy Tour, president and chief executive officer of Kaiser-Hill LLC.
Other members include schooldistrict superintendents, heads of businesses, universities and colleges and economic development councils.
"At a time when we universally recognize the need for a larger proportion of our children to move on to higher education, we are seeing before them major barriers to their achievement." Moloney said. "Our focus on the achievement gap is absolutely the right message."
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