CAMPUS/AREA UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday, March 29, 1994
3
FACES
Librarian to close the book on Watson
Jennie Zeiner/ KANSAN
By Ashley Schultz Kansan staff writer
A national librarian shortage brought Eleanor Symons to the United States.
"He made the University of Kansas and the job sound very, very attractive," Symons said.
Symons left Southwest Cornwall, England, behind to respond to an ad in the London Times literary supplement in September of 1957. The ad was from KU's director of libraries.
"I wanted to see how American university libraries were run. I didn't plan, when I came, to stay for 36 years. But I stayed, and I think that says something about this library."
Symons had attended Oxford University and had trained at the University of London School of Librarianship before coming to KU.
After working at Watson Library for almost 37 years, Eleanor Symons will retire in August. She said she planned to "just hang loose" for a while and spend more time doing volunteer reading as a service to the blind.
"I was always interested in getting people in touch with the information they need," she said. "But I prefer my people one at a time. I didn't want to be a teacher conveying information to large groups."
Symons will leave her job at the Watson library reference desk and her job as a bibliographer — working with four departments to decide which books are needed and which are attainable — when she retires in mid-August.
She said one of her job's challenges was keeping up with new library materials and equipment, such as computer-related compact discs, on-line indexes and the early stages of the information superhighway.
"I'm running hard to keep up," Symons said.
She said that the librarians try to teach students how to use the computer system while answering questions, so that students eventually would be able to help themselves.
Librarians have less time to help students toward the end of the semester. Symons said.
"There's a certain amount of frustration when we are busy, and we don't always have time to give people the attention they need," she said. "You do the best you can for as many people as you can."
Students are not the only people Symons helps.
Students are not the only people who ask
She wants to hang on to her English citizenship and her
English accent, which comes and goes. Reading aloud
may contribute to her accent's survival, she said.
Symons began recording material for KU's radio reading service in 1971, the year of its first broadcast, said Janet Campbell, director of the audio reader program, 1120 W 11th St.
During her Saturday morning shifts, Symons records poetry and books to be broadcast to 6,000 Kansas listeners who are reading impaired. Campbell said.
It's just her beautiful voice and her genuine love of
reading," she said. "She has a real talent to read and make it come alive, which is hard to do."
She also reads aloud at her church and traditionally reads selections aloud at the library's staff holiday parties, Symons said.
At the end of August, she plans to take a trip to England.
"After that, I don't know," Symons said. "I don't want to tie myself down to too many things before I have a little bit of leisure time. Completely doing-nothing time."
Speech addresses democratization of South Africa
By Denise Nell Kansan staff writer
The African National Congress is most likely to win control in South Africa's elections later this month, said Surendra Bhana, professor of history and African-American studies, in a speech last night. About 10 people attended Bhana's
About 10 people attended Bhana's speech, "The Democratization of South Africa," which opened the celebrations of
Professor predicts loss for President de Klerk
African Awareness Week. The week started yesterday and will continue through Saturday. Bhana is a native of South Africa and worked as a professor of history there for 15 years.
Victory for the African National Congress and its leader, Nelson Mandela, would mean the first Black-controlled national government for South Africa.
Bhana said he thought that President F.W. de Kierk's nationalist party, which now controls South Africa, was not likely to retain power after the elections.
"He needs a very substantial Black African vote, and that's what he's not going
to get," he said.
Fetsi Ngopee, Tembisa, South Africa, graduate student who attended the speech, said he hoped to vote in the elections to show his support for the African National Congress. Ngopee said that South Africans in the United States would be permitted to vote April 26 in Chicago.
Ngopee said he thought the speech was educational, especially to those who might not understand the complexities of South African politics.
"I think it was a good speech," he said. "If you're from South Africa, you probably know that it's much deeper than that."
Sandrine Lisk, second-year law student from Sierra Leone and treasurer of the African Affairs Student Association, said that this year's celebration was the seventh observation of African Awareness Week, which is designed to educate people about the African culture.
Bhana's speech was an appropriate way to begin the observation of African Awareness Week, she said.
"I am happy that we had this, especially with the events taking place in South Africa," she said. "It would have been a gross oversight not to cover the event."
Performer brings art to center
Laurie Anderson's show will feature music, stories
By Susan White Kansan staff writer
Laurie Anderson will bring her unique vision to KU students and Lawrence residents in the Lied Center tonight.
Laurle Anderson
I will be reading some of my adventure stories, including one about a trip to the North Pole and one about hitchhiking," she said. "I will also have some keyboards and violins along because it is hard for me just to read. I want the show to be a mental movie for the evening."
Anderson, a performance artist, said she planned to read selections from her new book, "Stories from the Nerve
The book contains about 20 different themes, including pyromania, but her performance will be a memorable one.
selections from her new book, "S
Bible: 1972 A Retrospective 1972," and to play music in between.
stripped-down version of it, Anderson said.
Jackie Davis, director for the center, said Anderson was invited to perform as part of the center's Fine Arts New Directions series, which is a program for artists who created works during the last five years.
snippet down version. It matters, the author says,
"I plan to do some jump-cutting around in the book throughout the evening," she said. "I will just move from topic to topic, kind of like in a movie."
Anderson was popular with KU students when she performed at the University in 1990, Davis said.
"The last time she was here, she filled Hoch Auditorium," she said. "There have been several requests since then from students and faculty to bring her back. We decided by bringing her back, other students would have the opportunity to experience her work."
Anderson said she preferred to do shows at universities because she was able to talk with people on a more personal level.
"I get to see what is really on people's minds," she said. "I usually have a question-and-answer session after the show, so I can talk to people one-on-one. I prefer these intimate evenings more because it gives me more of a chance to improvise."
Anderson said her visits to KU had a bonus. It gives her the chance to visit with her friend William Burroughs, a writer who lives in Lawrence.
"We danced a tango together in the movie 'Home of the Brave,'" she said. "He is the most interesting voice in America."
Anderson started recording a new album, "Bright Red," later than she anticipated because her retrospective took a year to write rather than the three months she expected.
After Anderson finishes her album, she will start working on new visuals for shows she will perform in the fall.
Tickets for tonight's performance are on sale at the Lied Center Box Office, 864-2787; Murphy Hall Box Office, 864-3982; and Ticketmaster, 234-4545. Tickets cost $17 for KU and other college students, $18 for the general public and $9 for senior citizens.
ATTENTION“PRE-EDUCATION"STUDENTS
Applications for admission to open programs Middle/Secondary or Secondary only
programs in:
Math
Science
Foreign Languages
are due April 1
APPLICATIONFORMSARENOWAVAILABLEIN117BAILEYHALL
Native American Student Association
Alderson Auditorium Kansas Union March 30,10 am-1 pm Frontier Room Burge Union April 1,10 am-1 pm STUD
STUDENT SENATE
African Awareness Week '94
Tonight: MOVIE
"SAARABA" contrasts village and city life in Senegal, West Africa while illustrating the two distinct subcultures.
Time: 8:00pm Admission: FREE Place: 2092 DOLE
Tomorrow March 30
PANEL DISCUSSION: "African & African-American Relations"
Time: 7:00pm Place: Ecumenical Christian Ministries
Admission: FREE 12th & Oread
FORUM: "Female Circumcision; Mutilation or Culture"
Time:7:00pm Place: Ecumenical Christian Ministries
Admission: FREE 12th & Oread
Thursday, March 31
Friday, April LECTURE: "Africa in the New World Order"
Time: 7:00pm Dr. Amii Omara-Otunnu, Director
Place: Alderson Auditorium Center for Contemporary African Studies
Admission: FREE University of Connecticut
Saturday. April 2: CULTURAL & FASHION SHOW and DINNER
Time: 4:00pm Place: First Christian Church Fellowship Hall 1000 Kentucky, Lawrence, KS
Students $6.00; Adults $8.00 (advance); Children (12& under) $3.00 ADVANCE TICKETS ON SALE AT SUA
PARTY: 9:00-2:00am Admission:$5.00
Place: The "School House," 1510 N.3rd St. Lawrence, KS
$3.99 NO LIMIT ON NUMBER OF ROLLS Standard size prints only.Not valid with any other coupon or offer.
STUDENT
SENATE
Sponsored by the KU African Affairs Student Association & Student Senate
TWIN PRINTS
ANY SIZE ROLL C-41 PROCESS ONLY
Now Thru April 3
Jayhawk Bookstore only at the top of Naismith Hill!