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THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANS
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WWW.KANSAN.COM
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2009
VOLUME 120 ISSUE 107
THE BEAT GOES ON
Kevin Walter, Glathe freshman, and Jeremy Denham, Reeds Spring, Mo., senior, rehearse Sunday night at Murphy Hall for KU's new Winter Drummel. The group, which is made up of 25 drummers, gives marching band members a way to practice during the spring, as well as provides an opportunity for those who are not in the band to be part of a drummel. Winter Drummel performs at athletic events, as well as private functions.
Rvan Waoooner/KANSAN
Drumline keeps rhythm flowing
BY JENNIFERTORLINE
jtorline@kansan.com
When the Marching layhawks marched off the field after the Insight Bowl in December, some members weren't quite ready for the marching season to end. They decided to form a new group to keep the music going during the offseason.
The group is called Winter Drumline and its members practice and perform during the spring semester to stay in musical shape,
"We play for gigs and for ourselves," said Andy Jackson, Overland Park sophomore and snare drum player. "It's a cool time to do things we don't get to do in the fall."
Greg Haynes, Atlanta graduate
student and drumline instructor, said that the indoor group was working on incorporating electronic music into its performances and that the Winter Drumline's music would be different from that of the Marching Jawhaws drumline.
"Instead of playing music that accompanies the rest of the band, a lot of the music for the drummie can stand on its own," said Haynes, who writes the music for both drumlines. "We have a little more freedom to explore different performances."
Jackson said the idea for Winter Drumline came last March after the KU Drumline was invited to play at the Keith Urban concert at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. The drummers needed a way to keep practicing as a group in
case a similar opportunity arbse.
"We thought it would be the perfect opportunity to start something at KU to sustain and recruit
ship and to do something different and separate from what we as part of the Marching Jay a w k s," Haynes said.
Although many of the 25
"We just get together and play drums for the fun of playing drums."
members of the Winter Drumline also play for the Marching Jayhawks, Haynes said the Winter Drumline was open to any drummer.
Alex Churn, Overland Park junior and bass drum player, said
ALEX CHURN
Bass drum player
the Winter Drumline gave students the opportunity to play on a drumline that didn't require the intense time commitment of
marching band. The Marching Jayhawks practice five days per week, but the Winter Drumline practices for one hour on Sundays.
"There's not really any pressure and that's pretty cool."
"We just get together and play drums for the fun of playing drums." Churn said.
The Winter Drumline recently performed at the Hawks, Cops and Kids event at Robinson Health Center, put together by local police officers and the Athletics
Department.
The drumline will also play at the end of the KU Percussion Ensemble performance on March 4 in 130 Murphy Hall and at the men's basketball game against Texas on March 7.
In the next few years, Haynes said he could see the drumline eventually moving into competing with other drummles.
Haynes said the Winter Drumline would continue to rehearse and perform until late spring or early summer, when auditions for the marching season begin.
For more information about the Winter Drumline, visit www. kansasdrumline.com.
Edited by Chris Hickerson
HEALTH
Students find ways to manage their stress
BY MICOLE ARONOWITZ maronowitz@kansan.com
Every night before Brooke Gibbs goes to sleep, she writes.
Her writings consist of reflections from her day and serve as a way for her to translate her emotions on paper.
According to a book published in 2006 titled "Stress and Mental Health of College Students," the American College Health Association reported college students had named stress as the primary factor affecting their academic lives.
Gibbs, Arkansas City senior, said daily writing was a way for her to process her thoughts. She said consistent writing helped her manage her stress.
"Every time I do it, if I'm stressed, I'll end up feeling a lot better," Gibbs said. "It's benefited me because I always try and find ways to be thankful for what I have. At the end of the day, everything is not so bad and the stress kind of melts away."
John C. Wade, outreach coordinator and licensed counseling psychologist for Counseling and Psychological Services, said the most common sources of stress for students were academics, finances and relationships. He said prolonged stress weakened people's immune systems and made them more susceptible to illness.
Wade said research showed that having a reliable social support system was a factor in handling stress effectively.
"One of the points I would emphasize is that it's not about trying to avoid stress," Wade said. "We will experience stress at times because life has stress, but it is important to be able to manage it well."
Abby Cunningham, Topeka senior, notices she is more relaxed after she spends time in the kitchen. Her specialty is cupcakes, but she
CAMPUS
SEE STRESS ON PAGE 6A
Nursing school faces faculty shortage
Budget problems, increased admissions lead to fewer instructors and tougher enrollment
BY MICHELLE SPREHE
msprehe@kansan.com
msprehe@kansan.com
Hospitals across the nation are experiencing shortages of nurses, but the cause could lie in a shortage of nursing school instructors.
Cynthia Teel, associate dean for the graduate nursing program, said she recognized that the shortages could cause significant problems.
As the majority of teachers across the country will retire within the next 10 years, the KU School of Nursing is preparing graduate students to not only practice, but also fill the empty teaching positions.
toral degree," Teel said. "That's been difficult to enroll students in those because we don't have enough faculty members. So we're worsening our own already challenging problem."
"To be faculty, you really need to have a graduate, masters or doc-
"That's been difficult to enroll students in those because we don't have enough faculty members."
Christina Waggoner, Overland Park junior, has been in the school
CYNTHIA TEEL
Associate dean of nursing
The school is
dealing with a significant budget shortfall, which is affecting its ability to hire new faculty, Teel said.
for one semester. She said her teachers didn't emphasize the faculty shortage as much as the general shortage of nurses.
But students are interested in practicing rather than teaching. Enrollment for the school increased by 126 percent from
"An abundance would not really be as important as having a
12 percent from 2004 to 2008, Teel said.
few really good, available nursing teachers," Waggoner said.
The average salary of a nurse practitioner with a master's degree is about $81,500, and the average salary of a nursing teacher with the same degree is about $73,500. Teel said.
"When we're in a stressed economic market where people are losing their jobs, that salary difference is significant." Teel said.
Kadee Treadwell, Olathe freshman, decided she wanted to be a
SEE NURSING ON PAGE 6A
Jon Goering/KANSAN
Andrea D'Achiardi, Shawnee junior, practices on a mannequin during a skills lab in the School of Nursing at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Nurses are still in high demand, but the Med Center may have to reduce enrollment if proposed budget cuts happen.
index
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