8 = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
COVER STORY
THURSDAY,AUGUST22,2002
Kansas evolutions
A reserved member of the Quiz Bowl team. A sheltered farm girl.A laid-back party enthusiast. Then they spent some time at KU.As these seniors near the end of their tenure as undergrads,guess who evolved into a wild child,a med school hopeful and a Greek socialite.
By Sarah Smarsh Jayplay editor
Tawnya Bach Jetmore
Back in the day: Bach wore Roper cowboy boots and worked at the local grain elevator during harvest. Covaledictorian of her 28-person high school class, Bach was very religious and rarely drank or went out. "I was kind of a nerd," she said. "Let me put it this way. I was one of six girls eligible for homecoming queen. Three of them were picked as homecoming queen candidates, and I wasn't one of them."
"Whenever I go home to Jetmore, I get this nostalgic feeling."
Who she is today:A former member of the KU rowing team,Bach sports three tattoos and a wardrobe to reflect her pension for clubbing.
Changed...: Traveling across the country with fellow jocks took Bach to worlds beyond her small town. And a wild freshman-year roommate took her to worlds beyond, well, sobriety. "I remember my first night here — I went out and did a lot of things I'd never done before. I was puking in the trash can, and I thought to myself, 'Welcome to KU.'"
Yet still the same: Bach has taught religion class at St. Lawrence Catholic Center, 1631 Crescent Road, and hopes to some day return to rural living despite career plans in broadcast journalism. "Whenever I go home to Jetmore, I get this nostalgic feeling. Especially when I look out and see the wheat fields - I miss that a lot."
J.R. Weber Kingman
Back in the day: As Student Council president at a small high school, Weber was driven but socially reserved. "I was exceptionally quiet in high school." Once a quasicowboy, he served as vice president of the local Future Farmers of America chapter and had stints with the Quiz Bowl team and the marching band.
Who he is today: His Lambda Chi Alpha brothers know him as "Turtle," a nickname he earned with alcohol-
"I'm a more social person now — from going into the house not knowing anybody, having to meet new people every year..."
induced antics. More importantly, he will complete his business administration degree in December and plans to open a restaurant in Lawrence soon thereafter. "I've made a lot of connections through the house," he said. "They're gonna become very valuable in my career."
Changed...:" I'm a more social person now — from going into the house not knowing anybody, having to meet new people every year, going to social events with sororities."
...Yet still the same: Weber now serves as fifth bass drummer for the KU marching band. He said that despite heightened social maturity, he is the same Turtle. Er, person.