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THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
LITERATURE
Reading outside the classroom provides numerous benefits
When was the last time you read a book? Not the common book, or any book assigned in a class, but a book that you picked up of your own volition to enjoy. Has it been a while?
Now let's exclude all those bestsellers like Game of Thrones, Fifty Shades, or Twilight; those that are thick in the hand but flimsy in the mind. Has it been a long time? How long has it been since a book inspired new ideas, challenged your deeply-held assumptions about life or changed the way you think? Have you ever experienced this? If so, that's great — send your recommendations my way. But I feel that for many of us, these experiences
Let me explain how reading has enriched my life. I liked to read when I was a kid; I tore through fantasy and sci-fi novels, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and more. But when I entered high school, that genre lost its appeal and my interest in reading waned.
are few and far between. I admit that college students today don't read enough, and we suffer for it.
It wasn't until the summer before my senior year that a hyper-literate friend of mine introduced me to an author named David Foster Wallace. Reading DFW revealed a brilliant new facet of literature to me beyond the page-turning thrillers of my childhood and the formulaic
By Jason Bates jbates@kansan.com
analysis of high school English. The power and beauty of his mastery of language and syntax astonished me; more importantly, I discovered the potential of literature to be a place of deep connection between reader and author, new ideas, and human experience. It can be fall-out-of-your-chair hilarious, joyful, melancholy, revelatory, or provoke any combination of emotions. I have laughed out loud at Ignatius Reilly's antics in A Confederacy of Dunces, felt Kate's deep loneliness in Wittgenstein's Mistress and
loved Mario Incandenza like a little brother in Infinite Jest.
You can guess the rest of the story. Since then I've read DFW's entire body of published work and branched out to a host of other authors that bring the same level of connectedness. I make it a point to read a little even when classes get stressful and my time feels stretched to the limit. I think that taking this time to allow narrative, characters, and ideas wash over and envelop me has helped me to be more open to others' ideas, accepting of their viewpoints, and willing to listen to their stories.
Maybe this subjective assessment of my experiences doesn't
fully convince you of the beneficial effects of reading. I'm an engineer, too. Let me appeal to your logic and present some numerical data. When I took the ACT in April 2009, my lowest-scoring section was Reading Comprehension. In contrast, my August 2013 GRE scores came up with a verbal score that was higher than my quantitative score (very uncharacteristic of an engineering major). These data suggest that my ability to read and understand complex presentation of ideas improved overthose four years. While simple maturity may have contributed, the time I spent reading was the primary cause of this significant reversal.
In each of my subsequent columns I'll focus on a book that has changed my way of thinking. I'll introduce it to you and explain why I think it's worth reading, then discuss something it caused me to think seriously about. The meat of the column will be in this latter section — I hope to incite discussion about those everyday challenges that we often overlook.
I don't want my columns to sound didactic or offer some saccharine moral; I want to make you think. Maybe you'll even want to read a few more books.
Jason Bates is a senior majoring in chemical engineering from Overland
TIPS
Experienced staffer gives advice to incoming students
Park, KS.
Welcome students, to another year at the University of Kansas. As my first column of the year, I would like to give you a guide to succeeding here. Even if you have attended the University for all your college years, you may not know about the awesome 24-hour bakery or the process to get some of the best seats in Allen Fieldhouse.
This is where I come in. Now, I'm not saying I know all about L-town; these are just a few of my favorite eateries and ways to get information on campus.
Firstthing's first: food. Ever heard of a cream cheese donut? If you want to delight in its deliciousness, then Munchers Bakery is the place
for you. Be aware that those cream cheese donuts go fast, despite the bakery being open 24 hours. As for other great places to dine: Dempsey's Burger Pub, Encore Café, Burger Stand at the Casbah, La Parrilla, Zen Zero, and Wa among others.
My advice: go explore and be willing to surprise your taste buds.
The most important spot to remember is good ole Sylas and Maddy's Homemade Ice Cream shop. Always go on Tuesday nights because it's "buy one, get one free" with your student ID. My favorite flavor is Pumpkin Pie during Thanksgiving time.
By Jordan Warren
jwarren@kansan.com
studying and eating, my favorite place to visit is Java Break. It's a quaint 24-hour coffee shop located just off Mass St. with the greatest cereal bar known to man. Seriously, if you love cereal as much as I do, you will love selecting three different cereals, tippings and milk to mix together in a Chinese takeout box. And the best part, it doesn't leak!
If you want to get involved on campus, I suggest looking at all the organizations on rockchalkcentral.com. It's a new website for finding the perfect club for you. If you
are athletic, try out for one of the many sports clubs on campus. Visit recreationku.edu to learn about all the teams, KU Fit classes and intramurals to keep you happy and healthy. If sports are not your thing, try looking into clubs in your major. Engineers Without Borders, KU PRSSA, Student Senate, SUA, and Asian American Student Union, are just to name a few. Get out there and get involved.
Now, I'm speaking directly to the new students on campus: Parking stinks. Be mindful of the signs when entering a parking lot. If it's not past the time limit for that specific permit, you probably will get a ticket. The good thing is
you can pay your tickets online at parkingku.edu.
In addition, learn the bus schedule now and learn to anticipate when a bus will be full. When winter comes, everyone will be using them, and you don't want to be "that guy" who makes everyone else squeeze to fit you past the yellow line. On the other hand, try skipping the bus from time to time. That way you are sure to miss out on the "freshman fifteen."
Finally, if you don't have a Twitter account, get one. If you want to know where to go on campus for the free cupcakes, follow @ FreeFoodATKU. If you want to read all the stalker-ish thoughts of your
secret admirer, follow
@KUSecretAdmirer. If you want to learn the know-how on snagging the best seats in the Phog, follow
@KU_BBallCamping. Of course,
you must follow all the UDK's accounts for news @UDK_News,
play @UDKplay, sports @UDK_Sports,
and opinions @UDK_Opinion.
And if you want, send a follow my way. That's about all I have for you at this moment.
Cheers to the new school year.
Jordan Warren is a senior majoring in journalism from Overland Park.
Follow her on Twitter @jordan_mechele.