6A = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS
THURSDAY,FEBRUARY 20,2003
7A
Orchestra to play new composition
By Lauren Bristow
ibristow@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Performances this week at the Lied Center included a comedian, a Broadway musical and a children's play. Tonight's performance—orchestra.
The KU Symphonic Orchestra will be playing a special Latin American-inspired composition by Gabriela Frank, the University of Kansas' composer in-residence during its 7-50 performance tonight in the Lied Center.
Ian Hankewich, interim director for the KU Symphonic Orchestra, said the orchestra would perform four parts of Gabriela's five-part composition. The second part of her composition features work by Ernesto
Frank's composition, "Five Latin American Dances for Orchestra" showcases salsa, Cuban salon, tango, Andian and Peruvian coastal music, Frank said.
"The composition was inspired by different types of Latin-American art," she said. "It is designed to celebrate different cultures and art pieces."
The orchestra will be playing Frank's composition along with a work by Samuel Barber during its first part of the performance "Music of the Americas." After intermission, the orchestra will perform more traditional symphonic music, Hankewich said.
"This is different from normal orchestra," Yeh said. "For example, some of the dances represented don't have strings in them. We have to use strings to imitate the percussion."
Frank said her residency was sponsored by a grant the Spencer Art Museum received from the Museum Loan Network, an organization that facilitates and funds the long-term loan of art and objects among U.S. institutions.
Frank uses orchestra instruments to imitate Latin-American music and instruments, said Geoff Yeh, Taipei, Taiwan, doctoral student and violinist in the orchestra.
Lecuona, Cuba's version of George Gershwin. She has taken pre-existing tunes and melodies and put her own personal stump on them," Hankewich said.
The museum received two grants totaling nearly $40,000 from the network to research and obtain 10 pieces of Latin-American art for an extended loan, as
well as commission a composer in residence, said Sally Hayden, public relations director for the museum. The art is on loan to the museum until August.
Frank's residency was originally slated to last one year, but because of unforeseen circumstances, such as the events of Sept. 11, her residency has been extended to about a year and a half, Frank said.
Frank lives in the San Francisco bay area. As composer-inresidence, she makes periodic visits to the University. This trip is her fourth visit to campus. During previous visits, she talked in music classes and Latin-American studies classes. Frank will return again in April.
Edited by Andrew Ward
High fuel prices may affect cost of services
The Associated Press
At Eagle Communications in Hays, rising gasoline prices are boosting the costs of driving the cable television and Internet company's service trucks. But Eagle isn't planning to pass that cost along to its customers.
"We can't cut service." Eagle president and chief executive Gary Shornman said. "Our customers expect a high level of service. The best you can do is be aware of that excess cost."
With a gallon of gas in Kansas now at $1.61 — about 51 cents more than a year ago
Eagle and other Kansas businesses are sucking up the extra
costs, at least for now. It's not likely to last forever, and people already paying more to fill up their own cars are likely to also face higher prices for goods and services.
Shorman said the company couldn't avoid the cost of fuel; its trucks had to roll. Eagle has a fleet of about 15 vehicles and offers cable, digital cable and high-speed Internet service to a sprawling area in western Kansas, stretching about 170 miles from Goodland to Russell.
He said there was no immediate cost to Eagle customers, but a price increase could come if gas prices stayed high.
Religious freedom bill wins House approval
The Associated Press
The measure, titled the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, advanced to final House action on a 65-58 vote. It would go to the Senate next.
TOPEKA — A bill making it easier for individuals and groups to challenge state or local laws for violating their religious freedoms won tentative House approval yesterday.
detention facilities or when the government could show a law or rule was the least restrictive means of serving a "compelling government interest." Anyone aggrieved by a law could challenge it in court.
Patterned on a federal law that was struck down in 1997, the bill provides that the state and local governments "shall not substantially burden a person's or group's exercise of religion" — even with a law unrelated to religion.
Exceptions would be allowed only for jails, prisons or other
Twelve states have adopted such statutes since the U.S. Supreme Court throw out the federal law in 1997, ruling that it unconstitutionally usurped the power of federal courts and the states.
During yesterday's House debate, some critics questioned the need for the bill and said such a law would probably be found unconstitutional.
A few House members said the measure could make it harder to prosecute some cases of child abuse.
Legislators say more school aid 'dim this session'
TOPEKA — Legislative leaders told more than 200 local school officials yesterday that prospects for additional state aid and for serious effort to consolidate districts were dim this session.
The Associated Press
The comments were offered during a two-day governmental relations seminar by the Kansas Association of School Boards, many of which were grappling with budget cuts and declining enrollments.
"We'll get through it," said Kerr (R-Hutchinson.) "It may not be desirable, but it won't be catastrophic."
House Speaker Doug Mays and Senate President Dave Kerr said despite the state's economic woes, Kansas must position itself for good budget years certain to come. That position, they said, must include a sound education system.
Kansas spends $2.3 billion in state revenue each year on elementary and secondary education, although the appropriation for the current budget year was cut by more than $17 million in August. Neither Kerr nor Mays would say if further cuts would be avoided in fiscal year 2004, which begins July 1.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius told the KASB members yesterday evening, "i will leave no stone unturned until I find ways to bring more resources to Kansas schools."
Under her proposed budget, spending on public schools would remain at $3,863 per pupil in fiscal 2004 — $7 per student less than the amount for fiscal 2002. Sebelius said "nuts and bolts" costs for districts continued to increase.
But she gave no indication that she would propose a tax increase for education in the current legislative session, which reached its halfway point yesterday.
KASB President Dick Short of Goodland said school board members were faced with making substantial cuts in programs.
Short said economic conditions made it difficult for local boards to ask their taxpayers to pay more, especially in rural communities hard hit by drought.
Kerr said the tough times allowed all levels of government, including schools, to redouble efforts to be efficient. However, insurance and other rising costs put districts in a financial bind, he added.
Mays (R-Topeka) said the budget crisis contributed to the House debate about consolidating school districts.
"In northwest Kansas, if we ask farmers for more money, we are going to be in trouble," Short said.
"I don't know if it gets very far this session," Mays said. "It's too big an issue to get your arms around."
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