FRIDAY,DECEMBER 6,2002
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 3A
Top administrators busy but available
By Molly Gise
mgise@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
They're those seemingly untouchable men and women in suits who fall under the vague category of "administrators."
But Strong Hall is no ivory tower, and this group of people, which includes top-level administrators such as the chancellor, is available to meet with students — if they're willing to wait for an appointment.
Gay Clock, secretary to Robert Hemenway, said students regularly make appointments to see the chancellor.
"It's not always the next day, of course," Clock said. "That's the hard part. We do try to get them in if there's a need."
Kim Wilcox, dean of liberal arts and sciences, said he frequently met with students, most of whom were in leadership roles, such as student senate positions, within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Like the chancellor, any student can make an appointment to meet with Wilcox. He said his door, like most administrators', was always open.
"The problem is most of those doors are pretty busy," Wilcox said.
Students can expect to wait up to two weeks for an open spot in the calendars of certain administrators like Hemenway or Wilcox. For that reason, Clock said she usually tried to
find someone who could more directly address a student's question.
Administrators such as Richard Johnson, dean of students, regularly set time aside to speak to students.
At 1 p.m. every Wednesday Johnson sits at a table on the fourth floor of the Kansas Union for an hour with Student Body President Jonathan Ng. During this time, students can stop by and ask questions.
Wilcox said discussions between students and administrators could be mutually beneficial, especially when both parties had a common interest or goal.
Maggie Beedles, Lawrence senior, is the co-director of the Center for Community Outreach and a CLAS senator. She has met with Wilcox several times.
She said she was impressed with his willingness to meet with student groups.
"He met with us after his business hours at Yello Sub, definitely after the time he is typically supposed to be home," Beedles said.
Like Wilcox, Beedles said students and administrators could interact and learn from each other, when there is an opportunity to meet.
"If you find a way to access them, usually progress is made, and you make a change for the positive," she said.
Student uses running for relaxation transportation and staying in shape
- Edited by Matt Norton
By Vonna Keomanyvong
kecomanyvong@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Elizabeth Kelsey, Springfield, Mo., freshman, has participated in four races in her life. She said her motivation to compete has been fun rather than competition.
John Nowak/Kansan
Every face in the crowd and every name in the phone book has a story behind it. Each week, Kansan writer Vonna Keomanyvong tells the story of a randomly selected KU student.
Elizabeth Kelsey runs in races, but she is in no rush to win. For her, the rush comes from the run itself.
For the Springfield, Mo., freshman, running is a huge part of her life. She loves it so much that when she has time, she enters herself in races, she said.
Elizabeth has competed in four races since she has been at KU, including "Turkey Trot," a 3.1- mile course held last week in Lawrence. Although she has not won a race, she placed third in her age division two months ago at the "Chili Pepper Cross Country Festival," a 6.2-mile race in Arkansas.
"I don't expect to do very well at these races because I don't train as hard as the people who enter," Elizabeth said. "I want to do well but I don't care. I just love running."
"It relaxes me," Elizabeth said. "It gives me time to think and it
Her love for running began in the fifth grade when she played basketball in Amateur Athletic Union, a sports organization. She continued playing basketball through high school. During her senior year, she ran cross country.
also keeps me in shape," she said.
Her sister, Kathleen Kelsey, said Elizabeth was always a good runner. Elizabeth made it to Missouri sectionals, the race before state finals, for cross country.
"It was a big surprise that she made it because she had never run before," she said.
Kathleen said her sister did not make it to state because of an injury.
Although running is a hobby, it is also Elizabeth's only way of transportation. She ran as far as two miles to pick up film at the Wal-Mart at 3300 Iowa Street.
"I would never walk to WalMart because it takes too long,"
she said, "It's like double-tasking. I can run and get my things at the same time."
Kendall Novick, Houston, Texas, freshman, occasionally runs with Elizabeth. She said Elizabeth was a good partner.
"She never thinks of it as a chore," she said. "When I get tired, she'll talk to me and she kicks my butt sometimes. I get a good workout when I run with her."
Although Elizabeth does not run every day, when she does run, she averages about six miles.
To help figure out how far she runs, Elizabeth calculated the distances from her dorm to places
such as Iowa, Kasold and Massachusetts streets, using a bus map of Lawrence. She said she looked at the scale at the bottom of the map to see how many inches of the map equaled a mile.
"I just like to know how far I've been running," Elizabeth said. "If I turn on certain streets, I'll know how long it is."
Elizabeth said she hoped to run the Chicago marathon, a 26.2-mile course, one day.
"It's a huge race," she said. "It's more exciting when you run shoulder to shoulder with a lot of people. It just sounds cool."
-Edited by Christina Neff
Holiday Vespers to provide audience with plethora of performances
By Vonna Keomanyvong
vkeomanyvong@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
but in Lawrence.
The Fine Arts department will ring in the holidays with its annual Holiday Vespers concert at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Dec. 8, at the Lied Center.
John Paul Johnson, director of choral activities, said the concert had a long standing tradition not just at the University of Kansas
"It's the 78th year that we're having the concert and Lawrence is known for its choir music scene," Johnson said. "Before I came here, colleagues who went to KU would also talk about how great the concerts were. Choir music means a lot to this community."
More than 240 students and faculty will perform other countries' and religions' songs such as
"Ose Shalom (2002)," "Bethelehemu" and traditional songs such as "We Three Kings" and "Jingle Bell Rock."
The concert will also include music written by KU faculty.
Charles Hoag, professor of music and dance, wrote a piece called "Gracious Creator," which will be performed for the first time at the concert.
"Vespers brings out different people," Hoag said. "There is
something special about it. It's just a University wide thing that warms people."
Although tickets for the matinee performance sold out, Lied Center officials said 75 tickets were still left for the evening show.
The concert normally brings in more than 3,000 people, Johnson said.
Lauren Jones, Wichita freshman, said she bought tickets for
ner family last month to ensure that they had seats. Jones, who sings alto in the Concert Choir, said students who were involved in the concert told her the show was a big deal.
"I was a little worried I wouldn't get tickets," Jones said. "I bought the last three tickets that were together for the 2:30 p.m. show. I was like 'Wow, there are going to be a lot of people there.'"
Admission is $12.50 for seats in the orchestra floor and first balcony, and $10 for seats in the second balcony.
Students and faculty who miss the concert can hear it on KANU 91.5, Lawrence's public radio station. The station will air a recording of the concert at 6 p.m. Dec. 20 and will replay it at 2 p.m. Dec. 24 and 9 a.m. Dec. 25.
Edited by Jessica Hood