Thursday, April 22, 1993
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
The Early Childhood Autism Project (ECAP), a non profit organization serving young autistic children is looking for student volunteers to coordinate fund raising and awareness programs on campus and in the Lawrence community. Opportunity to develop skills in:
*Public Relations *Promotions
*Management *Fund Raising as well as establish valuable contacts all while working for the benefit of children with autism and their families.
Interested persons contact 841-2633, leave a detailed message
17th Annual Minority Graduation Banquet
Saturday, May 15, 1993 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Kansas Union Ballroom
Minority graduates from Spring '93 Summer '93 or Fall '92 are welcome to attend. Pick up your FREE ticket in the Office of Minority Affairs, 145 Strong Hall, 864-4351.
Parent and guest tickets may be purchased from the office for $16.00 each.
Changing English focus of lecture
Dictionary editor to speak on campus
By Ezra Wolfe
Kansan staff writer
By Ezra Wolfe
Lexicographer Anne Soukhanov's latest creation almost has reached out status in the United States.
That creation, "The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Third Edition," was a best-seller on the New York Times, Boston Globe and Washington Post book lists after its printing last year.
Souphanuk, editor of the dictionary, will speak at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the Spencer Museum of Art Auditorium. Her speech is titled, "Changing American English in an Era of Change: A Lexicographer's View."
Soukhanov said the dictionary was very popular because of its attention to words in transition. Words in transition are words that develop as society changes.
The dictionary staff keeps up with new and changing words with a computer database program that scans newspapers for words that didn't appear in the second edition of the dictionary.
The American Heritage Dictionary also is popular because of its usage panel, Soukhanov said.
The panel is a diverse group of people known for their excellent use of the English language. Garrison Keillor, Kurtal Kursal and Endora Wetla are some of the better-known members of the 173-member board.
The panel votes on and writes opinions about word usage.
The panel's opinions reflect the growing emphasis on cultural diversity in the United States, Sukanhow emphasis is apparent in the dictionary.
One change is the shift away from gender-based words.
"The usage panel came down hard on words where a male-tagged pronoun was used to represent a mixed gender group," she said.
An example would be "men" to mean the entire human race. In other cases, new words have evolved to nongender specific roles.
For instance, instead of using "waiter" or "waitress," the dictionary uses "waitron," a nongender specific word for one who serves restaurant clients. "Womyn" did not make it in the dicnalism because of its usage panel and because of its attention to words in transition.
"Womyn" did not make it in the dictionary.
Soukhanov said that if the dictionary gave in to every group that wanted to change or remove a word, the dictionary would be cleansed and free of all vulgarities and obscenities.
"We have to be fair and objective and not give in to censorship," she said. "That is a link between lexicographers and journalists."
That link is appropriate, considering Soukhanov is presenting the John Bremner Memorial Lecture. Before his death in the summer of 1987, Bremner was the Oscar S. Stauffer distinguished professor of journalism at KU. He wrote "Words on Words," a dictionary of word usage and derivations.
"Ithink Bremner would be ecstatic," said Paul Jess, professor of journalism, about Soukhanov's lecture.
Jess said he and Bremner had chosen the American Heritage as the official dictionary of the school of journalism because of its usage panel and because of its attention to words in transition.
Word definitions
Anne Soulashuk, editor of *The American Heritage Dictionary*, where her job to find and chronicle words. Here are some unusual ones:
- Motte: In the Midwest, a small group of trees on the prairie. In the South, a small turtle of human or animal hair.
Full Cleveland: A middle-age Midwestern tourist in male hire has a sunburned head, a white belt, white patent leather shoes and a navel shirt.
Shiwaree: A noisy mock serenade for newlyweds. Known as a belling, a homing and a serenade in a region of the country.
Dope: In the Northern United States, a syrup or sweet sauce poured on ice cream. In the South, a cola flavored milk. Probably derived from the inclusion of minute amounts of cocaine in Coca-Cola.
Glork: An interjection of mild surprise.
KANSAN
Commissioner proposes change in noise laws
"Bremner liked for students to not just look up spelling and meaning, but also the word's derivations," Jess said.
Bv Todd Selfert
Kansan staff writer
When Jim Chappell, Douglas County commissioner, heard complaints from citizens in the county about public nuisances, he decided to see how the county's noise laws were enforced.
rew was surprised by what he found.
"It came to my attention that there is no way for the sheriff to enforce anything regarding nuisances," Chappell said. "I thought needed to be
something in place so citizens would have the right to have their complaints known. That's why I requested a resolution to be drafted."
Citizens could make complaints by calling the Douglas County Sheriff's
According to the proposed resolution, which still is being revised, a nuisance is something that violates another person's health, peace or welfare.
The only recourse a citizen currently has is to take the person causing the nuisance to civil court.
office. After an excessive number of complaints, the Douglas County Commission would hold a hearing in which the parties involved could present their sides of the argument. The commission then could choose to file an injunction in Douglas County District Court and force the offending party to comply with the resolution.
Chappell said court action would be used as a last resort.
Bob Fairchild, county counselor, said the hearing process would be necessary when enforcing such a res-
olution.
"If you're speeding, you're either going 45 miles per hour or you're not," he said. "Being a nuisance is different because what may be a nuisance to one person isn't necessarily a nuisance to another."
The commission will conduct a public hearing on the proposed resolution during its next meeting at 7 Wednesday night in the Douglass County Courthouse, 11th and Massachusetts streets.
EXERCISE
SUMMER
$55
Student
Special
(bring in this
ad for $5 off)
ALVAMAR NAUTILUS
FITNESS CENTER
1421 Clinton
Parkway
call for appt.
842-7766
Watkins Health Center
April 22, 6:30 p.m.
Dean Meek will be speaking.
The pieces are coming together!
Pre-Med Meeting
KU Students
Kick off Day on the Hill with a Sneak Preview of the new Lied Center, (15th and Crestline)
Saturday, May 1, 1993
Don't miss your chance to see the nearly completed new home for concerts, performances, and forums at KU11!
Special guests: Chancellor Budig and Lied Foundation Trustee Christina Hixson.
Tours of the building from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Music by Bob Foster and KU's dynamic Symphonic Band at 2:00 p.m.
Come anytime!
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