THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
MONDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2008
NEWS
9A
MUSIC AND ART
Tap dancer dances outside of the box
Rachel Anne Semvour/KANSAN
Bill Evans watches the rehearsal of his choreographed dance in Robinson Center on Friday. His dance will be performed at the Lied Center on April 17 and 18.
BY ANDREW WIEBE
awiebe@kansan.com
"Some guy was tap dancing on the screen." Evans said. "It wasn't a conscious decision, but that's when I said, 'ah, people can dance,' tap dancing specifically."
When Bill Evans was 13, he was teaching dance to students more than four times his age. At 22, he was performing professionally. Today, he is recognized as a pioneer in his field and one of the most talented tap dancers alive. None of it may have been possible without a trip to the movies when he was 3 years old, which opened his eyes to the possibilities of human movement.
In the 64 years since witnessing tap dancing for the first time, Evans has become a legend is his field. In 2004, the Lehi, Utah, native was voted one of the top-three tap dancers in the United States by Dance Magazine. For the past week and a-half, Evans has been at the University passing his knowledge of tap and modern dance to students.
Evans taught master's classes during the day and rehearsed with a select group chosen to perform with him at night. On April 17 and 18, he will return to perform at the Lied Center with the 14 students who worked with him from Feb. 1 to Feb. 10 as part of the Elizabeth Sherbon Centennial.
"It's very meaningful to me personally to have opportunities to come back here because I care about this place," Evans said. "I've seen the dance program from its inception really. I'm always delighted to see how the program continues to grow."
The performance in April will honor Elizabeth Sherbon, a University alumna and former member of University faculty with whom Evans worked with for decades.
It isn't the first time Evans has worked with University students. Evans said his relationship with
Kansas went back 40 years to 1968, when he choreographed the performance of a group of high school students that was performed at Hoch Auditorium.
In the years since, Evans said he had developed relationships with University faculty and that he was always happy to have the opportunity to renew.
Janet Hamburg, dance professor, has known Evans since 1976 and worked at the Bill Evans Summer Dance Institute for more than a decade. She said the opportunity to work with such a decorated and influential member of the dance community was a priceless experience for both students and faculty.
"What he brings is decades of professional experience both as a teacher and professional performer," Hamburg said. "It has been so enriching and inspiring for our students to study with him. He is truly a master teacher who is internationally recognized."
After discovering a love of teaching at 13, Evans said he relished the chance to work with students to encourage their growth as both dancers and individuals.
"It's about affirming life for me, trying to improve, enhance and deepen ones awareness of life itself," Evans said. "It's a process during which people open themselves to growth and change. It's not just their dancing that changes. It's their way of thinking, sensing and feeling and understanding who they are."
His pupils are just as grateful to receive his guidance.
Nora Burt, Chicago sophomore and one of the 14 students who will perform in April, said having Evans at the University, even for a short period of time, had helped her change the way she thought about dance. Burt said Evans' teaching style had challenged students to think about how they felt as they danced
rather than how they looked.
"It allows us to sort of relax, breath into our movement and just sort of enjoy dancing rather than worrying about making the shapes that we sometimes do in our classes," she said.
Although he will be 68 in April, Evans said he never felt as vibrant and alive as he did on stage. He said he had organized his life around dance and in return had found fulfillment from performing and teaching future dancers.
"I feel fully alive," Evans said. "To me, the opportunity to perform is kind of a sacred experience, my spiritual practice. I believe that parts of myself - my thinking self, feeling self and intuitive self - are all fully alive when I'm performing."
In April, Evans and 14 students will show the Lied Center audience what it means to be truly alive.
—Edited by Matt Hirschfeld
STATE
Study reports on same-sex relationships
BY ANDREW WIEBE
awiebe@kansan.com
A study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law released in January shows same-sex couples in Kansas increased by almost 68 percent -3,973 to 6,663 - from 2000 to 2005. Researchers used statistics collected in the U.S. Census to show the distribution of same-sex couples throughout the state as well as the difference in income between themselves and their traditional counterparts.
Adam Romero, public policy fellow at the Institute, said the study was intended to provide accurate information about same-sex relationships in order to encourage discussion and debate about sexual orientation and gay rights. The Institute has conducted similar research in every state.
Romero said the fact that there was at least one same-sex couple reported in every county showed how widespread same-sex relationships are. More disconcerting is the wide gap between the income of same-sex couples and those in heterosexual relationships. Although a higher percent of individuals in same-sex couples are employed, they earn substantially less than married individuals.
"Ultimately, what I think this shows is that people in same-sex
couples, and gay and lesbian people more generally, could stand to benefit from protections from employment discriminations or some type of relationship recognition," Romero said.
For those involved in the gay and lesbian community, the study's findings are no surprise. Maggie Childs, chair of the local chapter of the Kansas Equality Coalition and sponsor of the University's Queens and Allies, said the rapid increase in people reporting being in a same-sex relationship probably had more to do with their comfort in admitting their lifestyle rather than the emergence of new couples.
Ryan Campbell, Queer and Allies president, said he was surprised at how much progress had been made during the Bush administration. He said the rise in couples reporting is a direct result of the gay rights movement and the increased acceptance and visibility of nontraditional lifestyles.
"Like the community always says 'we are everywhere,' Childs said. "A lot of people don't realize it because we can blend in. A lot of people in rural areas feel safer if they blend in so they stay in the closet. It shows that there are people who feel safe enough to tell that they are there on the census."
son who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transsexual," Campbell said. "The more people there are that are comfortable around the community, the more people are willing to accept the fact that they can be in a relationship of some kind."
"it's kind of getting to the point where everyone knows another per-
Despite the presence of couples throughout the state, the overwhelming majority of couples are concentrated in cities and urban areas. Sedgwick County and Johnson County have the highest number of same-sex couples. Douglas County has the fifth highest total with 239 same-sex couples reported. Childs said the concentration was due to the fact that there is more anonymity and diversity in urban areas.
"Lawrence has been forever known as a liberal enclave so people looking for a more open environment come here," she said. "The city prides itself on that, and it's a magnet for people who are living out of the ordinary lives."
Despite the increase in couples reporting their status, Romero and Childs both said they felt the community was still being underrepresented. Each said progress must continue to be made in the battle for equality.
She said it wasn't surprising that Lawrence had a particularly high concentration of same-sex couples.
In 2000, there were 3,973 same-sex couples living in Kansas.
State Statistics
In 2005, that number increased to 6,663 same-sex couples out of a total of 72,557 gay, lesbian and bisexual people.
In 2005, 52 percent of same-sex couples were female while 48 percent were male.
Same-sex couples constitute 0.7 percent of coupled households and 0.4 percent of all households.
Edited by Katherine Loeck
Those in same-sex couples are, on average, 39 years old while married couples are 48 years old.
In 2005, an estimated 1,797 children were living in households headed by same-sex couples.
Source: Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law
INTERNATIONAL Suicide bombings increase as Pakistan elections near
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Mourners wep Sunday as villagers buried the victims of a suicide bombing at a Pakistani political gathering, an attack that killed 27 people and stoked fears about security ahead of this month's crucial parliamentary elections.
Saturday's blast devastated a hall where about 200 people had gathered for a rally in the town of Charsadda, located in the turbulent North West Frontier province, where Islamic extremists have been battling government forces.
The rally was organized by the Awami National Party — a secular group that competes against
No group claimed responsibility but suspicion fell on Islamic extremists linked to the Taliban and al-Qaida. Police recovered what they believe was the head of the bomber and planned DNA tests to try to establish his identity.
Islamist parties for support among the ethnic Pashtun community.
Mohammed Adeel, secretary general of the party, said 27 people died and 50 were wounded. Eighteen of the wounded were in serious condition, he said.
The suicide attack underscored the deep tensions in Pakistan as the nation heads toward the Feb. 18 elections, which are meant to restore democracy after eight years of military rule. But campaigning has been overshadowed by the Dec. 27 assassination of opposition
Concern is mounting in both Pakistan and the United States about the rise in violence in the volatile border area, where American officials believe that al-Qaida and the Afghan Taliban are regrouping after being driven out of Afghanistan.
leader Benazir Bhutto, which U.S. and Pakistani officials blame on Islamic militants.
The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen told reporters in Islamabad that the recent increase in suicide attacks shows that "certainly tie threat is going up."
About 100,000 people gathered Saturday in a sports stadium in the southern city of Thatta as Bhutto's Pakistan People's party resumed its campaigning
In an emotional speech, Bhutto's husband, Asif Ali Zardari, asked the crowd to "give me strength so that we can serve the country." He vowed to carry on his slain wife's mission.
— suspended for the traditional 40 days of mourning after her death.
"This is our country and we have to save it." Zardari said.
Zardari claimed his wife had been murdered by an establishment that she wanted to change. "That is why they were against us," Zardari said. "If they try to stop me, I will destroy them and I hope you people will support me."
SCIENCE
Associated Press
Alumnus discusses genes
BY MARY SORRICK msorrick@kansan.com
That's what Randy Scott, University of Kansas alumnus and bioscience entrepreneur, encouraged students to do Saturday when he visited the University.
Imagine a world where doctors base health care on the affordable mapping of each person's 20,000 genes.
Scott is the co-founder and CEO of Genomic Health Inc., a company that provides health care advice based on the analysis of genomes. The company uses diagnostic technologies to help assign the most successful treatments.
This type of medicine, which shapes a patient's treatment according to their genes, provides vast opportunities for entrepreneurship in biology and health care, Scott said.
Scott said the technology that analyzes an individual's genetic makeup, called genomic technology, has ushered in a new era of personalized medicine.
"The moment when we first sequenced the human genome was a turning point in human history," Scott said.
Medicine based on an individual's genes helps cancer patients get the right treatment, Scott said. Medical professionals can assess the likelihood of a cancer recurring and which treatment, chemotherapy or drugs, would be best.
It's an aspect of medicine, he said, with which the health care system has struggled.
"The pharmaceutical industry has lost its way," Scott said. "It's
He said most drugs prescribed today are effective in less than 60 percent of the patients who take them. The success rate for cancer drugs is only 25 percent, he said.
too focused on Wall Street, not the customer"
Initiative to help the customer has led some students to consider following in Scott's entrepreneurial footsteps.
Other areas that also have big potential for entrepreneurship are in the computer industry, mathematics, green technology and alternative fuels, Scott said.
Entrepreneurship has received greater emphasis at the University in recent years, Kevin Boatright, director of research communications, said.
Matt Leming, graduate student in molecular biosciences, said he would rather work on genomic technology in industry than in a lab.
"Industry focuses on the patients themselves," Leming said. "There are more opportunities for making a difference."
Discoveries related to drug delivery and radio-frequency identification, the method used in security tags on clothing, are among new technologies and technology licenses at the University, Boatright said.
"I would like to eventually have my own company," she said. "Biotechnology is exciting and I want to help make genome sequencing affordable for everybody."
Nandini Mehta, Bombay, India senior, said she was also interested in the business side of biotechnology.
But ultimately, he said, entrepreneurship hinges on people doing work for which they have real enthusiasm.
"For successful entrepreneurs it's not about the money," he said. "It's about the passion for what you want to do and what you want to accomplish."
— Edited by Jessica Sain-Baird
》 LAWRENCE
Hilary Brown, owner of Local Burger, 714 Vermont St., holds up Bon Appetit magazine, which recently recognized Local Burger in its "Hot 10 Eco-friendly Restaurants" for its use of local food. The restaurant serves locally grown organic produce and locally raised meat.
Alex Bonham-Carter/KANSAN
Local Burger in top ten
Hilary Brown, who founded Local Burger, 714 Vermont St., three years ago, said the restaurant's focus on sustainable agriculture and its commitment to sourcing its food locally were what attracted attention from the national magazine.
BY ANDY GREENHAW
agreenhaw@kansan.com
Unlike most restaurants that import their food from farms all over the country. Local Burger receives all of its meat from farms near Lawrence, which cuts down on the distance the food has to travel.
Bon Appetit Magazine featured Lawrence's Local Burger this month as its number 10 most eco-friendly restaurant in the nation.
"When it's sourced locally, you're cutting down on the fossil fuels trucks have to burn in order to travel that far," Brown said.
Local Burger only imports from farms that use sustainable and humane practices.
The farms raise their animals according to their natural, intended diets and don't use chemicals, hormones or anti-biotics. When animals are raised on unnatural diets, they are less nutritious because they have less vitamins, Omega 3, CLA and fatty acids. Brown said
"There are no chemicals and additives in the food we serve and anyone can find any ingredient we
use here," Brown said.
The restaurant also recycles everything its staff uses in the kitchen and composts all of its organic waste.
Bon Appetit isn't the first magazine to recognize the restaurant's commitment toward sustainable agriculture and eco-friendly practices. The young restaurant has also been featured in Gourmet, Relevant Times, My Midwest, Kansas Alumni and Outside Magazine. It was also featured in an episode of Big Ideas for a Small Planet on the Sundance Movie Channel.
Kelly Kearns, Kansas City, Kan. junior, who works at Local Burger, said the eco-friendly concept was what attracted her to the job.
"I really liked what they were about, and I agreed with what they were trying to accomplish." Kearns said.
The two owners of Local Burger plan on opening a second restaurant in the next year. Brown said she wants it to be more energy efficient and sustainable. A couple of ideas she mentioned were more eco-friendly to-go containers and a more efficient water heating system.
Karen Black, co-owner of Local Burger, said she expected the new restaurant to go up in the Kansas City area.
Edited by Sasha Roe
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