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University Daily Kansan
Friday, Nov. 7, 1952
CLAY INTO POTTERY—A piece of fired pottery is removed from the kiln by William B. Hladik, ceramist, during tests run on Kansas clay by the State Geological survey.-Kansan photo by Maurice Prather.
Greeks Battle Independents On Campus Political Scene
By JIM BAIRD
From the beginning of campus politics right down to the present, one of the outstanding differences—one might say the outstanding difference—on which parties are divided is that of the Greek and the independent.
Until 1943 there was another artificial differentiation, that of the sexes. However, the University's student body went to the polls in the spring of that year and voted 15-1 to unite the two existing organs of student government into the present All Student Council.
The present ASC was thus conceived in a time of national crisis, in which the affairs of campus politics were subordinated to thoughts of the "guys over there." Only a relatively small portion of the student body went to the polls on that historic April Fool's day, 1943.
There was little for the new Council to do for the duration. Uncle Sam was thoughtfully providing activity for the men's spare time
Prior to that time, there had been a Women's Student Governing association and a Men's Student council. Immediately following the 1943 voting, ASC passed an emergency measure which allowed a woman from the major campus party to take the helm "for the duration of the war."
BY MAURICE PRATHER
If you are a Kansas, then you are probably familiar with good old Kansas clay. To you, it probably has no value whatsoever, except maybe to give you trouble.
Survey Finds Use for Kansas Clay
By MAURICE PRATHER
There is, however, a special division of the State Geological survey which makes a specialty out of proving that Kansas clay can be and is of excellent value to Kansas industry.
The Ceramics and Chemistry laboratory is the name of the division of the survey which is responsible for proving the value of clay to Kansas. Norman Plummer, geologist and ceramist for the survey, is the director of this laboratory in 132 Lindley hall.
then, too. The regularly enrolled students at that time—most of them were women—were too sobered by the import of the war, to overly concern themselves with the trivialities of student government.
Recently, two Kansas brick making companies had need of a new supply of clay for the manufacturing of structural bricks. The Ceramics and Chemistry laboratory helped them find the needed material.
Natural History Museum Offers Many Varied Exhibits
After V-J Day, however, interest in student politics again picked up, and the Pachacamac party dominated the political scene. Working quietly through its marvelously efficient organization, "Pach" managed to deliver fatal blows to two opposing parties within the space of about four years.
Bv JERRY KNUDSON
The Museum of Natural History has a past as colorful and varied as the kaleidoscope of exhibits which it contains.
That past begins even 10 days before the first University classes were held 86 years ago. Francis H. Snow, one of three professors to instruct at the newly founded university, on the suggestion of Chancellor R. W. Oliver, hunted nearby game until classes began.
After becoming a professor at the University, Dyche became nationally famous for his western mammal mountings in natural habitat backgrounds. More than 100 examples of his work were displayed in the Kansas building at the Chicago's World Fair in 1893.
Prof. Snow became so interested in Kansas birds that he began to catalogue them. Later he organized a zoology class and started a bird survey. One of the young men in his class was Lewis L. Dyche.
But he attained international prominence in 1895 for his part in the rescue of Commodore Robert E. Peary, stranded Arctic Explorer. As a result of the World's Fair displays and speaking tours which Dyche made after his return from the Arctic, Dr. Snow—then chancellor—asked the Legislature for appropriations for a museum.
It was completed in 1902, costing $75,000. In 1932 it was condemned as a fire hazard and the interior was replaced with steel and cement. Because of the depression, though, the museum remained closed until 1941 for lack of funds to finish the inferior.
Since its reopening in 1941 it has become the showplace of the University, attracting thousands of visitors from all parts of the country every year.
From the flourescent mineral display and palentology exhibits on the sub-basement floor to the mammalogy, herpetology (snakes), and ornithology (birds) research laboratories and storerooms on the top floor, the museum offers wonders with each glance.
On the main floor is the largest single unit group of mounted animals in the world—arranged in a huge 550-foot panorama of "life-zones," moving from the arctic to the tropical zones.
The background for this center of attraction of the museum covers 11,000 square feet of wall space and took 300 pounds of white lead paint.
Comanche is stabled in the anthropology section, on the mezzanine floor. It also includes the family tree of man depicted with representative skulls, and four exhibits showing the Java, Peking, Neanderthal, and Cro-Magnon men in their characteristic environments. Dioramas of birds, many temporary are on the second floor.
One of the most popular exhibits is Comanche—the preserved horse, sole survivor of Custer's last stand. In 1948 University authorities refused to transfer Comanche to Fort Riley—and won out.
He said, in part: "Public morale, of maximum importance under the grim threats of war, is fostered by such mental relaxation (as this museum will provide)."
Roadbed preparations for the Normandy invasion unearthed fint artifacts used by prehistoric men in England, and from the South Pacific came emu eggs, snakes, a huge Varnized lizard—and many more.
World War II had a stimulating effect on the museum's ever-growing collections as former students and faculty members were sending in materials from all corners of the globe.
On June 6, 1941, Dr. Alexander Wetmore, then assistant secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, spoke at the dedication for the reopening of the museum.
His words could be equally true today.
Pottery companies in Kansas often bring their clay problems to the University to be solved in the Ceramics and Chemistry laboratory.
Any individual or company seeking information about clay in a certain area in the state can obtain it from the laboratory.
When the laboratory receives a request for a study of the clay of an area, it first obtains approximately 50 pounds of the clay to be studied. This is usually obtained by drilling a test hole and extracting the material from the hole.
Independent parties characteristically spring up as the handwerk of a few non-Greeks who, morally incensed at fraternity domination of a situation which should never be dominated, pull a small nucleus of their followers together and start out on a campaign to clean out a few of the cobwebs in that situation.
This sample is shipped to the laboratory at the University where it is ground into a fine powder, Mrs. Ethel Owen, laboratory assistant, then takes this powder and grinds it to an even finer form.
Following the weighing and measuring the bricks are allowed to air dry for 48 hours. Kiln drying, which drys the bricks to bone dryness, then follows. Drying at different temperatures determines the correct drying temperature for each type clay.
When it is completely ground, a solution consisting of 20 per cent water and 80 per cent clay is mixed This mixture is then allowed to stand over night.
Water absorption tests are run following the recording of the test brick measurements. The test *bricks* are first placed in cold water for 24 hours, followed by placing them in boiling water for 5 hours. These tests show how well the bricks can resist the elements. Geologists are also able to determine how well the clay will stand up under freezing conditions from these tests.
The following day Mrs. Owen hand molds around six test bricks which measure 1 x1 x7 inches in size. These test bricks are then weighed and all the information is carefully recorded.
Structural clay is now molded into actual bricks, using regular brick making equipment. Pottery clay is molded by several different methods into actual pottery products.
Up to this stage the tests on clay to be used in structural work and in pottery making are the same.
Again, the pottery products and bricks are tested, as were the test bricks before them.
The brick models or the pottery product models, together with a detailed written report are returned to the company or individual requesting the information. At the same time, a report giving the findings of the laboratory are released to the general public.
Independent parties characteristically die because the vast majority of the rank-and-file independents either refuse to take any part in affairs of student government or are too concerned with their own personal affairs to notice what is going on anywhere else. Party leaders seem unable to get across the idea that their group is working on behalf of the non-Greek. This definitely has been the case at KU.
The Progressive Student Government league, which had been a thorn in the Pachacamae side for about 12 years, finally threw in the towel just before the freshman elections of 1947. Its place in campus politics was filled by a strictly independent society under the leadership of Dale Judy.
Judy, a college senior at the time, tried to pull the remains of PSGL together, and was somewhat successful for a time. He resigned, however, in December of the same year, after writing four pages of comment on various phases of campus political activity.
The new party continued to function for a year and a half. On May
2, 1949, it too shouted "uncle." The resolution which abolished the party was simple, direct, and to the point:
"Whereas, it has been evident in the last election that an intense apathy on the part of independent students towards politics does exist, and whereas, it would seem that this party can no longer serve the independent students in an effective manner, be it resolved, that from and after this May 2, 1949, the Independent Men's political party shall be dissolved."
Back in the days of the Men's Student Council and the Women's Student Governing association, the pattern was much the same. The Kayhawk club, which enjoyed about four years of life in the early and mid-thirties, went under in '36 by the traditional combination of "barbarian" (independent) apathy and the assistance of the followers of the Fachamaac.
The same pattern appeared in connection with an independent effort of ten years earlier. Forty-seven independents formed the "Smiling Bill club" in March of 1926 to promote "Smiling Bill" Melander for the then elective post of cheerleader. In May, the club changed its name to the Independent party.
Thus the pattern has been established. Greek organizations traditionally dominate the campus political scene at KU. Independent groups are formed periodically, but soon sputter and die from lack of a centralized organization, and from the apathy of the independent students.
But the various Greek combinations that spring up from year to year can never rest on their laurels. There is always the threat of a political upheaval as new groups organize and make themselves heard.
William Howell, Pach president last year, summarized the uncertainty of the situation when he said "The only way we can be sure of winning an election is to make all the Greeks vote and keep the independents from it."
Art Museum Features Rare, Exotic, Treasures
By ROZANNE ATKINS
The strange, the exotic, and the antique will always appeal to human beings, and this is why the Museum of Art is a KU show place.
The $80,000 structure was built in 1894 with funds from the major portion of a $91,618.03 legacy left to the University by William B. Spooner.
Used first as a library, the build-ing was converted into an art museum April 30, 1928 at which time the Thayer collection of art was dedicated to the University.
In the basement of the threestory structure is a special display room, a fire-proof auditorium and classrooms, as well as a number of show cases of carved jade, ivory, and porcelain. Many of the pieces came from the dynasties of Sung, Yuan, Ming, and Han. A gleaming display of Korean ceramics from the second to the 15th century A.D. is featured also.
South of the entrance is the Greek and Roman provincial art display. An interesting feature of this room are windows of Socrates and Plato.
The ground floor is the main exhibition room. North of the main entrance is a small room devoted to the valuable reference library of art, which contains rare and beautiful books, histories of art, and books on various arts and crafts.
The large central room on this floor is devoted to European paintings and furnishings, while at the east end is the sculpture room. The sculpture room with its huge glass windows on three sides, potted of impressive statues is one of the most attractive rooms in the museum.
In the large center gallery on the third floor is a permanent exhibition of oil paintings by some of the best known American painters. The paintings show the trends in American art between the years 1865-1915. For instance, there is the trend of academic realism by Cox; American impressionism, Robinson; bravura painting, Luks; sober realism, Homer, and poetic stylization, Davies.
The two small rooms at the head of the stairs contain American drawing and paintings, too, especially the work of Gaston Lachaise and John L Farge.
North of the American room is first, the china and silver display room and then the glass display room. South of the American room is another room of American paintings, a room of pewter, and then a room of famous antique clocks.
Some of the clocks are small, some large, some exquisitely carved, some plain, some shaped familiarly, some oddly, but all makes are fascinating "recorders of the march of time." Some of the clocks date back as far as the 16th century.
Throughout the museum Oriental rugs, beautiful vases, carved chests, and other furnishings add richness and charm to the total effect.
The building is indirectly lighted and an even temperature is maintained by walls built in 18 inches from the siding.