Volume 124 Issue 102
kansan.com
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
TEST OF NERVES
Anxiety hinders students' ability to complete exams
MARSHALL SCHMIDT mschmidt@kansan.com
Forgetting to wear clothes is a common nightmare that people have when they are anxious about something. But, anxiety can have the real effect of causing students to forget the answers to exam questions.
"Test anxiety is experienced by most students," said Ryan Staley, a psychology doctoral student interning at Counseling and Psychology Services. "To what extent it interferes with their performance varies based on how well students manage that anxiety."
Preston White, a graduate student from Overland Park, said he experienced test anxiety during his undergraduate years at the University. Although he would adequately study for exams, White found himself drawing a blank on questions he knew he had learned the answers to.
All the while, he said, his palms grew sweaty, his heart rate increased and his mind raced as he tried to come up with the solution. Unfortunately, White would end up with a less-than-desirable grade as a result.
"As soon as I walked out the door after taking a test, I was able to calm down and remember the answers." White said.
White sees his test anxiety as his body's response to a perceived threat: the grade's potential effect on his future. His body generated a fight-or-flight response, he said, which is the instinctual response to anything posing a threat. However, this stress reaction inhibits one's ability to recall information for an exam, he said, rather than do what nature intended, such as escape from a predator.
White found that calming himself before the test and realizing that the grade for one test was not going to sink his entire future helped him with his anxiety.
"Not caring as much allows you to remain calmer during a test and recall the information." White said.
However, anxiety can occur during preparation as well, which Stephen Vincent, a graduate student from Lawrence, experienced during his undergraduate years.
Anxiety makes test preparation more difficult, because you're on edge and stress out while you're studying, which makes it harder to learn the material." Vincent said.
Gradually, Vincent learned to start studying earlier for tests, to keep up with the material taught during lessons and to not procrastinate, all of which helped alleviate his anxiety.
"All it takes is a few classes where you can't do that to change your habits," Vincent said.
Edited by Corinne Westeman
VOLUNTEERISM
Music mentors work with kids
The Center for Community Outreach program is not just for music majors
KELSEY CIPOLLA
kcipolla@kansan.com
Music has never been easier to buy or hear, but for underprivileged kids, learning to play a musical instrument can seem like an unattainable goal. That's where Music Mentors come in.
Music Mentors, a volunteer program run through the Center for Community Outreach, pairs underprivileged elementary and middle school students who want to learn to play an instrument with volunteer instructors. Most kids want to learn piano, although others hope to play the saxophone, drums, guitar, violin, viola, flute or trombone.
The mentor meets with the student for at least 30 minutes a week. Some group members mentor multiple students for longer periods of time, teaching in practice rooms at Murphy Hall or at the child's house, said Karina Burda, co-coordinator
Sarah Duarte, a senior from Hutchinson, began mentoring kids two years ago as a way to stay involved with music without having to major in it. This year, she is teaching a brother and sister in elementary school in back-to-back hour-long lessons once a week. Balancing her hectic schedule with the kids' and parents' schedules can present challenges.
"Sometimes it's tough because I'm busy with classes and I work two part-time jobs," Duarte said. "But once I'm actually there in the lesson, it's fun. It's great to see the kids."
for Music Mentors and a junior from Overland Park.
Duarte, who learned to play the piano when she was in the fourth grade, said that learning to play an instrument at a young age is a valuable experience.
"For one, it teaches you discipline because you have to go practice when you're at home so you're ready to come to your lesson," Duarte said.
For Rebecca Smith, a junior from Lake Zurich, Ill., working with children has helped reinforce her plan for the future. She originally wanted to study clinical laboratory science but realized that music was her true passion. Smith is now studying to become an elementary school music teacher.
A mentor for more than two years, Smith has continued to teach her first student and now teaches two others how to play the piano each week. All the kids are under the age of 10, which has helped prepare her for the challenges of teaching music to young children.
One of the hardest parts is making abstract musical concepts seem relatable and fun, Smith said. Sometimes, it requires creativity. To teach her students the difference in dynamic levels — how loud or soft the
"As a college student, you kind of forget how much fun it is to be a kid," Smith said. "So when you get to work with someone every week, it sort of re-instills that childlike mentality."
music is — Smith related each level to a facial feature. The forehead was loud because it is positioned highest on the face, followed by the eyes, nose and mouth. Getting to think about music as a child does is one of her favorite parts of being a mentor.
She also enjoys being the person who is able to provide a music education to kids who might otherwise never get a chance to learn to play an instrument.
"For a lot of kids, music is their escape or the fun part of their day," Smith said. "And so to give them the opportunity, I can't even put into words how it feels."
CRIME
Indecent exposure rises on campus
RACHEL SALYER
Edited by Katie James
rsalyer@kansan.com
This month, reports of indecent exposure on campus have been more frequent than usual.
Since 2009, only three cases have been reported to the University Office of Public Safety, and two of those cases occurred this month, in which four people were cited for indecent exposure.
The first incident occurred Feb. 2 at Oliver Residence Hall, when three female students were streaking down the hallway. The second incident occurred Feb.12, when a victim saw a man masturbating in a car parked near GSP and Corbin Halls. University police located the suspect a few days later based on the victim's description of suspect's
vehicle and cried him for the offense.
All suspects were issued municipal tickets from the city for violating its offenses against morals and decency ordinance.
The ordinance is defined in Lawrence city code as "any person who
willfully exposes his or her person or private parts in any public place or from any place which is reasonably calculated to be viewed from a public place, shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor."
"Any person who willfully exposes his or her person or private parts in any public place,or from any place which is reasonably calculated to be viewed from a public place, shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor." The ordinance specifies private parts as "male and female genitalia, buttocks and female breast."
Bailey said it can be potentially harmful to students whose future careers may include a background check.
The ordinance specifies private parts as "male and female genitalia, buttocks and female breast."
"If caught and convicted, it goes on your criminal record," Bailey said. "Whatever you do after the age of 18 can stay with you."
Connor Moyland, a senior from Overland Park, said he thinks there should be various degrees of punishment for indecent exposure offenses.
Schuyler Bailey, University police captain, said indecent exposure may be a funny joke to students, but it could have serious consequences.
"It could come back and keep you from doing something that you really want to do," Bailley said. "Potential employers can look at that, especially if you're doing something that needs a security clearance or going into the field of education."
"I don't think it's fair that all cases are treated the same," Moyland said. "I could've been in trouble for mooning someone in high school, but I think a warning would work
in some cases and then a ticket on the second offense"
Bailey said the suspect reported to be masturbating may have been charged with breaking the state's lewd and lascivious behavior law, applicable to suspects exposing a sex organ in public with the intent to gratify a sexual pleasure, but University police did not have enough evidence to do so.
Eric Wong, a senior from Lenexa, said that the punishment for indecent exposure may not be ideal for all situations, but laws need to be followed.
"The law is the law," Wong said. Nothing can be perfect in all situations, but they work in most, and I don't really think there's a better way to deal with indecent exposure."
Edited by Caroline Kraft
CAMPUS
Students, crews adapt during power outage
A power outage that shut down half of campus and lasted for more than an hour yesterday was triggered by an unexpected cause: a mouse.
ELISE REUTER
ereuter@kansan.com
According to University News and Media Relations Director Jill Jess, the connection from one of the campus' buildings to the power plant was affected, causing 10 buildings to lose power, including the Kansas Union, Watson Library, the Spencer Museum of Art, several buildings on the east side of campus and some scholarship halls.
Index
The power went out at 2:10 p.m. and was fully restored at 3:30 p.m. Several shops in the Union were closed because of the lack of power, but the building was not evacuated because generators provided sufficient power for lights, computers and KJHK to continue working.
While maintenance resolved the issue, stores closing their doors lost some business. Casey Bear, a junior from Baldwin, was working at Pulse Coffee and Smoothies when the power shut off.
The routine during a power outage is to have technicians and maintenance staff for the Union meet and discuss the situation, said Wayne Pearse, the director of building services. The elevators are checked immediately after a power outage to make sure no one is stuck, then emergency fire doors are checked to make sure they are still open.
"The Internet is down, our phone lines are down," Bear said. "We have two coolers, and the ice cream freezers in The Market downstairs are also turned off. Our gates are automatic, so we can't close them. We're just stuck here for a while."
The process of bringing the building back to power afterward can be even more complicated; turning everything on at the same time could cause another lapse in power.
"The real fun starts when the power starts back up, and you are making sure everything is working." Pearse said. "I think technicians on this campus are the unsung heroes when things go wrong."
CLASSIFIEDS 9
CROSSWORD 4
CRYPTOQUIPS 4
OPINION 5
SPORTS 10
SUDOKU 4
— Edited by Taylor Lewis
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2012 The University Daily Kansan
Don't forget
Today's Weather
Sunny, breezy and incredibly toasty.
Work up a sweat at Campus' Largest Workout. The event takes place at the Ambler Recreation Center from 4 to 5 p.m.
HI: 70
L0: 43
.ookin' like it's time for shorts.
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