SUMMER SESSION KANSAN
49th Year, No.2
LAWRENCE. KANSAS
Friday, June 16, 1961
LOVE WINS OUT—Two young people from opposite sides in the Kansas free state-pro slavery battle compromise by marriage in "Hello, Kansas!" John Hammon-Bruce E. Thompson, Alliance, Ohio, graduate student, and Amy Beaufort—Martha Shirley, Mankato sophomore, are congratulated by Colonel Eldridge—Arden Booth, Lawrence, in the finale of the first act.
'Hello, Kansas!' Is Rousing Tribute To State in Its Centennial Year
By John D. Hackworth
The audience at the University Theatre sat calmly, yet expectantly, listening to the intermittent sounds of drum, oboe, trumpet, and violin as the orchestra composed of both professional and student tuned itself carefully in readiness for the opening curtain of "Hello, Kansas!"
The first strains of music painted the majesty, the stillness, the danger, and the serene invitation of a waiting Kansas territory. The curtain rose, and in three acts a cast composed of KU students and Lawrence townpeople proceeded to enact a historical musical along the lines of the famous Broadway hit, "Oklahoma." They realistically pictured early Kansas life from the 1850s to the late 80s and 90s.
The show is the original and completely new musical written by Prof. Allen Crafton, "Mr. Speech and Drama of Kansas University," with musical score composed by the talented hand of Dr. John Pozdro, new chairman of the department of music theory.
Probably the outstanding performer in the show was Ron Loch, who magnificently portrayed the character of Waddy Ransom, the satirical, slave-stealing-selling, swaggering bootlegger who truly represented the sense of humor of early Kansas. Waddy kept the audience in stitches throughout the show.
Bruce Thompson realistically portrayed the Yankee John Hammond, who had come to Kansas to tame the land and keep it free from slavery. However, John fell in love with Amy Beaufort, played by Martha Shirley, who had come to Kansas to see that it did become slave. This conflict is resolved by the power of love as Bruce and Martha raise
their talented voices in the beautiful duet, "If You'll Teach Me to Remember."
Everybody liked Dave Pickett, played by Jim McMullan. This young settler painted an exaggerated and humorous picture of the hardships of Kansas life as he sang "It's Not All Milk and Honey" in true Broadway fashion.
Miss Su told officers that Tsai twisted her arm, held her on a bed, and poured the acid on her last Sunday morning after the two had met in an apartment occupied by other Chinese students.
Douglas County Attorney Wes Norwood said Miss Su and Tsai were apparently engaged but that Miss Su had been dating another man. Tsai said he came to Lawrence to talk Miss Su out of dating the man, a British student here.
Acid Tossed On KU Girl
A student-instructor from Fresno (Calif.) State College has been charged with assault with felonious intent for allegedly throwing sulphuric acid on the face and body of Shirley Chung-Hau Su, a KU graduate student from Formosa.
Preliminary hearing for James Hwa-San Tsai, also of Formosa, has been set in County Court for 2 p.m. July 7.
In the second act, the audience
Tsai then drove her to Lawrence Memorial Hospital, where her condition is reported as "good." Hospital officials said she probably will be released in a week or 10 days.
was literally "rolling in the aisles" with laughter as Wild Bill Hickok, Wyatt Earp, and Bat Masterson, played by Bob Bettcher, Don McDow and Paul Ackerman, respectively, took the guns away from the three gunslicks who just shot up the town.
Minutes later the mood was severely contrasted as the whole ensemble raised their voices in the singing of a hymn, after which Martha Shirley's beautiful voice "was again heard in the singing of 'Song of the Plainland.' Lives had just been lost in an Indian raid.
In the third act the young lovers Tom and Rebecca, played by Charles Rogers and Sharon Scoville, treated the audience to another beautiful duet. "What We Have in Common Is Love."
The audience experienced other high points in the show when the complete ensemble united in the powerful, rousing group numbers: "We're a State," "The General Store," and the resounding finale to the future, "We're on Our Way."
This is a show that no one should miss. It has moments of sadness, humor, satire, hardship, fun, and even death. It has cowboys, peace-officers, prejudiced Yankee newspaper reporters, radical female reformers, and plenty of just plain, ordinary Kansas "folks." This is the story of early Kansas. No centennial activity will top this production of "Hello, Kansas!"
The show must be seen to be appreciated. It will run through Sunday at the University Theatre. All summer school students can get in free on their student I.D's. Come to the University Box Office in Murphy Hall and get your ticket or call the box office at KU ext. 591.
Girls State Draws Anderson Praise
Gov. John Anderson Jr. told 400 Girls Staters last night that educational programs such as Girls State are of high value in preparing American youth for the responsibilities they must accept in a democratic system of government.
"Only through a sound educational system we insure that we are molding the caliber of citizens capable of preserving the legacy of our forefathers — individual freedom and dignity," Gov. Anderson said.
He described the results of a recent survey in which only one of eight Topeka high school students could name both Kansas senators.
"How can we hope to preserve this nation, and the principles for which it stands, when American youth have not been endowed with an understanding of American constitutional democracy and thus have no yard stick by which to measure the relative merits of freedom as opposed to Communist trivanny."
Gov. Anderson and Bylle Snyder, Scott City, 1960 Girls State governor, assisted in the inauguration of the new Girls State governor, Carolyn Eymann, Atchison.
Miss Eymann defeated Sue Skaggs, Manhattan, in the general elections held Wednesday morning; Rita Krusemark, Pratt, was chosen lieutenant governor. Both victors ran on the Federalist ticket. Their opponents were members of the Nationalist party.
The Girls Staters have spent the week studying the governmental process by mock elections, trips to Topeka and lectures by legislators, professors and other people active in political life.
After the general elections Wednesday the girls went to Topeka to attend the World Food Fair and to see "The Kansas Story," which was rained out. Today state officers and Supreme Court justices went back to Topeka to visit the offices of their real-life counterparts and to have lunch at the governor's mansion.
The first part of the week was spent in intensive campaign activities, with each party battling to take the most offices. Campaign songs, political rallies, posters, sandwich boards and hats all became part of each party's strategy to elect its slate of candidates.
All activities of Girls State are
designed to conform as nearly as possible to the actual situations experienced by politicians on the county and state level.
Miss Eymann's duties are similar to those of Gov. Anderson. She addressed a session of, and considered bills passed by the new legislature. She also will preside over the remaining meetings of Girls State.
Tomorrow a farewell dinner will be held with girls who have come back for the reunion. After the dinner members of this year's Girls State will receive their membership pins, citations and memory books.
Sunday morning religious services will be held and the session will be closed by the new governor.
Music-Art Camp Opens Sunday
Seven hundred senior high school students from 40 states will arrive Sunday for the 24th annual Midwestern Music and Art Camp. The camp will last until July 30.
During this period an affiliated Science and Mathematics Camp for 155 students will be held for three weeks.
The music camp will consist of a band, orchestra, and chorus. There also will be sections of art, ballet, theater, and speech.
Every Sunday the band, orchestra and chorus will present a concert. Art work by students will be displayed in the Union lobby. The ballet students will present one recital, and the theater students will present productions.
This year, for the first time, the camp will offer a junior high camp for seventh and eighth graders. More than 300 are expected. The camp will last two weeks and will offer a band, orchestra, and chorus. The staff will consist of experts in the junior high music field.
MISS GOVERNOR, 1961—Carolyn Eymann, Atchison, who has been elected governor of Girls State.