Wednesday, October 11. 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 3
3
New arts building will house gallery
By Matt Merkel-Hess writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
Students will have an expanded opportunity to get their creative juices flowing when the new Lawrence Arts Center is completed.
The city commission awarded the bid for the new building to Altmar, Inc. of Topeka, which had the lowest bid of $5.5
million. The new center will be built in a vacant lot on the 900 block of New Hampshire Street.
Ann Evans, executive director of the center, said the building would be complete in two years and will
offer a larger gallery space, classrooms and a 300-seat auditorium. She said the auditorium would give organizations such as West Side Folk or the Lawrence Chamber Players another option for performances.
"It will complement the other auditoriums that are in town," Evans said. "We were real careful when we designed and determined the size of our space."
The new building will be around 40,000 square feet — four times as large as the current arts center. The estimated cost of the entire project is $7.1 million, and the arts
center already has raised $2.5 million of the $3 million it committed to the project.
"It will be great for KU students," Evans said. "A lot more of them can participate because there will be more opportunities."
In addition to taking classes, Evans said students currently do theater productions, gallery exhibits and work at the center. She added that some of the teachers at the center were KU professors or graduate students.
Brian Daldorp, professor of English,
has taught creative writing classes at the
center for eight years. Currently, his
classes are at the Senior Center because there
is not enough space.
"We've been needing this for a long time, and it will allow us to do our job better," Daldorph said. "For a community this size, we just really need these facilities."
Daldorph said he hoped more professors would teach at the arts center.
"I think community-based education is so important," he said. "For me, it just puts me in contact with a different group of students than I teach at KU."
Although the Lawrence Arts Center is a private organization, the city owns the center's current home, the Carnegie Library, 200 W. Ninth St. The city has the same arrangement for the new building.
Evans said it was unusual for a private organization to enter into an agreement for a city-owned building.
Sketch comedy comes to college
A discussion about downtown trash problems ranged from pizza plates to feces at the city commission meeting last night.
Jerry Bottenfield, executive director of Downtown Lawrence, Inc., said he hoped nighttime establishments could work together to clean up the trash other business owners face in the morning. He said feces and the smell of urine were not uncommon on Massachusetts Street or in
Kathryn Dobson, owner of Pyramid Pizza, 1016 Massachusetts St., and Brett Mosiman, owner of the Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St., said they made sure their employees cleaned the areas around their businesses at closing time each evening and said the trash was from patrons who hung around after hours. Both said they had not received any previous complaints.
"I know for a fact that I never leave the establishment if there is trash to pick up," Dobson said.
"It's a problem that continues to get worse," he said. "We ask that we don't have to look at the aftermath of the bar scene every morning."
Trash plagues local businesses
City officials said they had received complaints about trash generated at night. The discussion focused on the 1000 block of Massachusetts Street.
Erv Hodges, city commissioner, questioned why the Granada had not joined Downtown Lawrence, Inc.
Hodges also said he thought the outside vending window at Pyramid Pizza should be closed to reduce trash. That motion was defeated 3-2.
Rv Matt Markel-Hass
Bottenfield said that the group generally focused on daytime issues and only a few bars were members.
Kansan staff writer
allevs.
By Meghan Bainum writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
All parties agreed that something should be done to keep the area clean. The commission asked nighttime business owners to contract an early morning cleaning service and asked that Downtown Lawrence, Inc., Pyramid, the Granada and other business owners report back on their progress in 30 days.
Mosiman said he wanted to be a good neighbor to the other businesses in the area and that the Granada would join the downtown group. He also asked people to be conscious of disposing their waste.
New York has Saturday Night Live.
Canada had Kids In The Hall.
"Trash just isn't a good neighbor," he said. "It's not compatible."
Marty Grusznis wants to bring a blockbuster sketch comedy group to Lawrence and the University of Kansas.
Grusznis, who is the producer of the Sketch Comedy Club, decided that in order to have an award-winning sketch comedy show, the University needed a sketch comedy organization composed of about 20 comedians, writers and producers who would spend the rest of the semester working up sketches.
"KU needs fun stuff like this," Grusznis said. "We just want to give students a creative outlet. Plus, who doesn't want to be on TV?"
Next semester, Grusznis said the comedy group would have a televised show on a local Lawrence channel. To help with money, Grusznis said the Sketch Comedy Club was going to Student Senate this week.
"I wanted to make a show for KU because I knew KU hadn't had a student-run show in a long time," said Grusznis, Chicago senior. "I talked to people about stuff we could do like a talk show and finally decided that sketch comedy is really a lot of fun and probably would be able to get the biggest reaction out of the students."
"The guy I auditioned with was about as funny as a swift kick to the groin," Hardaway said.
David Hardaway, Dallas freshman, was
one of the first to audition. Although his audition was less than stellar, he was accepted into the organization
The audition was rocky, but Hardaway said people should try out if they thought they had what it took.
The Sketch Comedy Club, including (lower left,
clockwise) David Hardaway, Dallas freshman; Eric
Braem, Minneapolis freshman; Aaron Reed,
Larned freshman; John Grimmett, Hiwatha
sophomore; and Marty Gruszniz, Chicago senior,
auditioned students yesterday at the Kansas
Union. Photo by Jamie Roper/KANSAN
- Edited by Amy Randolph
"Anybody who feels they are a funny person and is looking for a creative outlet — it's definitely something to give a try," he said.
Grusznis said the sketch comedy organization needed more people than just actors to make the show.a success.
"We're looking for fun people who want to learn some stuff because obviously there is a lot to do involving producing, editing, directing and acting," he said. "There's a lot that goes into a production like this."
"I'm a full-time student and have full-time work," he said. "I figure if I have something to do I can leave it all behind."
Auditions for the Sketch Comedy Club will be:
■ Tonight at 7 at the Jayhawk Room in the Kansas Union.
Dustin Hall, Baldwin sophomore, was excited about trying out for the comedy organization. He said comedy relieved stress in his hectic life.
Although the organization may seem all fun and games, Grusznis said students who were accepted into the organization should be prepared for an intense comedic experience.
SKETCH COMEDY CLUB
Any questions about the Sketch Comedy Club can be emailed to producer Marty Grusznis at polishnightmare@hotmail.com.
Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Alderson Auditorium in the Kansas Union.
Coordinator wants to unite KU students
Bv Jacob Roddy
Special to the Kansan
Laurie Sisk hopes that, in her new position, she will be able to help students deal with queer issues in the University of Kansas community.
Sisk was hired last week as KU's lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender resource coordinator. This position used to be called the graduate liaison for LBGT concerns and has been vacant since the start of the semester.
Sisk graduated from Pittsburg State University and now lives in Lawrence.
Although Sisk was still familiarizing herself with her new office Monday, she had several ideas about directions she wanted to go as LBGT resource coordinator.
"I'd like to get the straight community more involved with gay issues," she said. "Who out there doesn't have a friend or a relative who is gay or bisexual? These issues affect everyone."
She also said she wanted to work with organizations such as Quers and Allies, the student organization for issues in the queer community, and the Oread Rainbow Alliance to provide a broader web of support for queer students.
"There's a lot of promise with the organizations that are in place to be a great sup
port," she said. "While I'm not a leader in those organizations, I'll get to know about them and direct students to them."
Marshall Jackson, assistant director of the Student Development Center, said renaming the position better defined Sisk's role in the KU community and made her more accessible to students.
Jackson added that Sisk was the best match of all the applicants for the job.
Jackson said Sisk's position provided support and guidance to students in the queer community, helped connect students with services that might help their individual needs, and developed and maintained information about queer issues.
"We're really pleased with Laurie," Jackson said. "She brings a wealth of knowledge and personal experience that relates well to issues that gay students may be experiencing."
Although it's her first semester at KU, Sisk said she was confident she could help students here who have concerns with queer issues.
"Being a lesbian, I know and realize that it is a struggle being a gay college student and dealing with issues in the classroom, in the dormitory and in a new city," she said. "I think it's my job to help smooth that road."
Edited by Amy Randolph
Forum discusses new rec center
Continued from page 1A
Mary Chappell, director of recreation services, said the committee had considered bringing various machines into the Kansas Union Ballroom and gauge student opinion of all the equipment options.
"I hope that once we get the new pieces in, you'll be amazed," Chappell said. "There's been a lot of technological advances."
The students also approved of having a suspended track, saying that it should be designed so runners could see other activities going on in the center while using the track.
The proposal is for a two-story building that will be open 18 hours a day for student use, Chappell said. The building would not have a swimming pool, but the Robinson pool would still be available for student use. Everything else about the facility is up for consideration, she said.
"We have not had one planning committee meeting yet," Chappell said. "We wanted to find out what students wanted first."
Steve Brinker, Washington, Mo., senior, said the new building's design should have more personality than Robinson Gymnasium. "Robinson's kind of like a brick monster," he said.
— Edited by Warisa Chulindra
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LAWRENCE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL presents ENDOWMENT ASSOCIATION
7th Annual Stepping Out Against Breast Cancer Dance
Dance to "The Benders", a 50's and 60's style band dedicated to providing a good time while raising breast cancer awareness.
All proceeds go to providing mammograms for Douglas County women unable to afford medical insurance and to Breast Cancer Action. Because yearly mammograms save lives.
Friday, October 20 8 p.m.-Midnight Lawrence Holiday Inn Holidome 200 McDonald Drive
Tickets are $17.50 each, available at the door or at the LMH Gift Shop, 325 Maine.
Blue Cross
Blue Shield of Kansas
LAZER
CRITICARE HOME HEALTH SERVICES, INC.
Threads 'n Tunes
Clothing Consignment and Used CD Shop
Quality name brand clothing at low prices!
15th & Kasold
Orchards Corners
830 -TUNE (8863)
Hours:
Tues.- Sat. 10am -7pm
Sun. 1-5pm
Expresso Cafe
Gourmet Coffee & Tea
638 MASS. 832-CAFE
Mentors in the Lives of Kids Needs YOU!
Volunteers Needed!
Mentors in the Lives of Kids (M.I.L.K.) places volunteers to work with kids ages six and over. Applications are available in the Center for Community Outreach office, 426 Kansas Union.Call the CCO office at 864-4073 for more information.
Volunteer locations:
- Boys and Girls Club of
Lawrence
- Langston Hughes Elementary
- Pinckney Elementary
Elementary
- Kennedy Elementary
- Cordley Elementary
- New York Elementary
Coordinators Needed!
Help coordinate volunteers for Mentors in the Lives of Kids (M.I.L.K.)! Applications are available in the Center for Community Outreach office, 426 Kansas Union. All applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, October 20. Call the CCO office at 864-4073 for more information.
The Center for Community Outreach 426 Kansas Union 864-4073
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