Monday, August 21, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section C · Page 19
Students expand horizons
Haskell class offers chance to learn other culture, get KU credit
By Heather Young Special to the Kansan
Each semester a small number of University of Kansas students can take classes at Haskell Indian Nations University for credit.
Usually five to 10 students from the University are approved for the academic exchange, said Carol Prentice, assistant to the provost.
Some of the classes offered are History of Native American Indian Tribes and Contemporary Issues of the American Indian.
Prittice said priority was given to upperclassmen and to those whose studies will be enhanced by the exchange. For example,
English literature majors who apply to take a Native American literature class would be given preference over a math major.
A student is can take one class a semester at Haskell.
Fellicia Mitchell, Topeka sophomore, took Contemporary Issues of American Indians at Haskell last spring. She came across information about the exchange program while surfing the Haskell Web site. Mitchell said she's always been interested in taking classes at Haskell, so she looked into it.
"I went in and was told I probably wouldn't get in because I was a freshman." Mitchell said. "But I filled out an application anyway. The office of the provost called and said they'd let me do it."
To apply for the program, students apply at the Provost's office in Strong Hall. The decision is made within a week whether he or she will be able to take the class.
Once students are granted permission, they are given a closed class opener to enroll in the class. This process must be completed before early enrollment. To take a class at Haskell in Spring 2001, students must turn in a petition early in the fall.
The Haskell classes available to KU students are in the timetable under the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and under the subheading Liberal Arts and Sciences. Prentice said the times in the timetable were not correct but were listed so students would know the classes were available.
Students who take classes at Haskell pay KU tuition and fees and receive KU credit.
"It was a great experience," Mitchell said. "We learned about the relationship of the government to the Native Americans, past and present."
The writing on the wall
Stephanie Fox, Marshfield, WI graduate, examines a piece from the Chinese calligraphy exhibit, Brushed Voices: Calligraphy in contemporary China, at the Spencer Art Museum. The exhibit features 60 works by leading contemporary calligraphers in the People's Republic of China. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
Natural History Museum houses panorama,bee hive
By Stephanie Twewito
Special to the Kansan
Most students don't realize it, but they routinely pass by a 65-foot long sea lizard, a famous horse and live venomous snakes.
These creatures are in the Natural History Museum, located on the north end of Jayhawk Boulevard next to the Kansas Union in Dyche Hall.
Visitors to the Natural History Museum are met by a more than 65 feet-long sea lizard, or mosaasaur, that hangs from the ceiling above the museum's entryway. It is one of the most popular attractions, according to Jason Wolvington, visitor services coordinator.
The mosasaur, which is the largest one of its kind found, lived in Western Kansas between 65 and 90 million years ago, at the same time the dinosaurs roamed the earth. This was during the Cretaceous period when an ocean covered Kansas, Wolvington said.
The mosaasaur bones were discovered in 1911 by a KU researcher in Sharon Springs, Wolvington said.
Once past the hanging Mosasaur, visitors are surrounded by the museum's Panorama of North America. It is a display of various North American animals, plants and natural environments—from the Arctic Circle to the tropics.
The Panorama is a taxidermy display behind glass that follows the length of the museum's west wall and extends three stories to the museum's sixth floor ceiling.
The display features dozens of animals, from Arctic walruses and seals to Western moose and bison and tropical spider monkeys. The display also features numerous plants from all different regions and is the largest diorama display of its type.
Wolvington said most of the animals in the display were collected and taxidermied by L.L. Dyche, the first curator of the Natural History Museum. Dyche collected and displayed the animals in Chicago during the 1893 World's Fair.
"It was a hit at the fair back then, people didn't travel as much and had never seen all the animals," Wolvington said.
The building that holds the museum is named after Dyche and was specifically constructed to house the Panorama, Wolvington said.
Dyche is also responsible for another of the museum's big attractions; the horse named Comanche.
Comanche was the only cavalry horse found alive at the Little Big Horn battlefield. The 1876 battle between George Custer's 7th U.S. Cavalry and Sioux and Cheyenne warriors is also known as Custer's Last Stand.
Wolvington said that although Comanche was not Custer's horse, he was a horse in Custer's 7th Cavalry.
"When the reinforcements made it to Little Big Horn, the only thing left standing was Manchech," Wolvington said. "When they found him, they treated him like a hero. feeding him the best oats and hay that money could buy."
The rumor is that after Comanche died in Fort Riley in 1891, Dyche did taxidermy work on him and when Fort Riley refused to pay its bill, Dyche kept the horse, Wolvington said.
the Natural History Museum.
Wolvington said that Comanche was now property of
If the mossaur, Panorama and Comanche aren't reason enough to visit the Natural History Museum, Wolvington said many people come to look at the live Bee Tree.
"It is an actual honeycomb bee hive. There are thousands of bees in there," Wolvington said.
The Bee Tree is a six-foot tree cast that has the hive inside of it. Attached to the树 is a clear plastic tube leading to a sixth floor window.
"This allows the bees to go outside, find their food—nectar and pollen from
flowers—and bring it back to the bive." Wolvington said.
Inside the hive is a "live from the hive" video camera that shows the innerworkings of the hive on a TV near the Bee Tree. Just past the bees, museum visitors can be surrounded by 17 live snakes. All of the snakes are Kansas natives and four are venomous.
Wolvington said the snakes were a big attraction simply because they were alive.
"All of the museum is stuffed dead animals. People associate with the snakes. They are in Kansas and they see them in their backyard or while they are camping or hiking," Wolvington said.
"The they are also an opportunity for people to learn about the snakes. They hear about venomous snakes and now they can see what they look like and know to avoid them if they see them," he said.
The Natural History Museum is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. It is free for KU students.
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