Volume 124 Issue 31
kansan.com
Monday, October 3, 2011
Jayhawks have third-quarter blues Three interceptions blow a 20-0 lead PAGES 6-7
Saturday's parade too early for you? See a photo gallery on Kansan.com.
Check it out here: http://udkne.ws/pysphu Don't forget to follow the photo staff on Twitter at UDK_Photo too.
RETWEET
ASHI FIGHT OFF/KANSAN
Erica Greve, a first-year biology student from Humboldt, lets her green-cheeked conure parakeet Susie and Farrah perch on her shoulder. "I have been fascinated with birds since I was little." Greve said. "I was born with a connection."
BIRD IS THE WORD
KU student's love for feathered friends turned into breeding business
ALEXA RUSH
arush@kansan.com
As a child, Erica Greve's classmates referred to her as the "crazy bird girl." She was known for constantly talking about birds while outside for recess. She always checked out books about birds from her school's library, drew countless pictures of them and decorated her bedroom in bird themes.
"As my mom tells the story, 'bird' was my first word. As I grew up, I just became more obsessed. I used to get made fun of a lot, but now it makes me stand out," Greve said.
Not only is she a bird fanatic, but she has created a career of breeding them. Greve is a non-traditional student from Humboldt majoring in biology and working toward veterinary school. Balancing time between classes, work,
her family, the social scene and her birds can prove to be a challenge, but she sees it as a learning experience.
Greve sells her chicks to Pet World on 23rd Street once they are mature and ready to be separated from their parents. Greve feels comfortable selling to Pet World, rather than individuals, because she feels that they will get the best care and attention possible.
"I absolutely love the people at Pet World," she said. "I know and trust the store and I know that when the babies are here, they will get excellent care, which makes me feel really good."
Her motherly instinct tends to kick in when it comes to the health and happiness of her birds. She often refers to them as her "babies" and tends to take care of them as if they really were. She makes sure that her own birds,
two green cheek conures named Suzie and Farrah, receive the right nutrition by cooking pasta, eggs and many other vegetarian foods for them. Greve also makes sure that they get plenty of attention and is even known to walk around Massachusetts Street with the pair perched on her shoulder.
Greve actually started breeding birds when she was just seven years old. Over the years, she has gained experience in breeding parakeets, finches, fan-tailed pigeons, and recently, her green cheek conures. Greve breeds her conures once a year during a warm season.
Greve advises that something someone should consider if they're interested in a pet bird is how long it will actually live under good care; it can be anywhere from 15 to 80 years, depending on the species. People who aren't certain where they will be in the
future might consider waiting on getting a bird. One day she wants to open a bird sanctuary, where she will take care of displaced birds and foster them out to good homes.
"Birds really are sensitive creatures, emotionally and psychologically, so when their families leave them, it hurts them," she said. "That's a big issue with birds that I'm passionate about and want to help with in the future."
To the inexperienced, breeding these birds could seem to be a complex process, but according to Greve it's actually quite simple. All that is needed is a nest box that allows the birds privacy. After a few weeks of poking and prodding the box the birds will start to mate and eggs will soon follow.
"My guys breed easily compared to other birds; if you just
SEE BIRDS PAGE 3
LAWRENCE
Clyde Barrow, played by Shawn Trimble, emerges from the bank with shotgun in hand in Friday's re-enactment of the 1932 robbery of the First National Bank of Lawrence, which occurred in the same location.
MAX MIKULECKY/KANSAN
1932 robbery re-enactment
BOBBY BURCH
bburch@kansan.com
Hundreds of people gathered at the corner of Eighth and Massachusetts streets last Friday evening to watch a re-enactment of the 1932 heist that began Clyde Barrow's bank-robbing career.
Portraying Barrow, Lawrence Theater actor Shawn Trimble waited outside of Teller's restaurant, which was once the First National Bank of Lawrence, with a sawed-off shotgun and two other cronies armed with 45 caliber pistols.
"This is a stick-up, no funny business," Trimble shouted as he pointed his double-barrel at Mayor Aron Cromwell, who was acting as the bank's president.
Theater Lawrence's production began with a cocktail party at the Historic Eldridge Hotel's ballroom where guests could mingle and pose for photos with members of the gang.
Jenna Haugen, a PhD student from Marion, Ky., said she was excited to attend the re-enactment after learning about the Lawrence robbery.
"Seeing the roots of a place is
always interesting," Haugen said. "History was made here and these are the places that make you feel like you might be a part of this history."
Following a reading of the events that led up to the robbery, the actors paraded down Massachusetts Street followed by groups of spectators. Encircled by the audience outside Teller's, the performers demanded Mayor Cromwell take them to the vault to collect the cash.
After exiting the restaurant with the bags of loot, the crowd whistled and cheered as the gang escaped in a 1933 Ford that was used in the film "O Brother, Where Art Thou."
An estimated $33,000 was taken from the First National Bank of Lawrence during the robbery in 1932. The event was the first of many bank robberies for Barrow as he and his partner, Bonnie Parker, who would form one of America's most famous crime duos "Bonnie and Clyde."
"We sure have appreciated do-
CAMPUS
SEE ROBBERY PAGE 3
Student authors offer insight, advice on amateur publishing
KELSEY CIPOLLA
kcipolla@kansan.com
While some students refused to shave or looked forward to celebrating the holidays last November, Jason Held, a senior from Minneapolis, wrote a novel. For writers across the country November is National Novel Writing Month, an online contest that challenges participants to write 50,000 words in 30 days.
of participating, but other mem-
bers of the jayhawk-Writers on
campus group, or J-WOC, convinced him to participate in the
arduous contest.
His book, "The Write Message," follows a 15-year-old boy who hires a literary agent and pursues a publishing deal while trying to balance high school, the challenges of the industry and familial loss. Select chapters of the protagonist's own writing are also included.
"You have to go in there knowing what your book is going to be about," Held said. "I didn't have a complete outline for it, but I knew what it was about."
J-WOC teamed up with KU
"We teamed up with Hewlett-Packard a year ago to start this project and they gave us grant money to come up with ideas to encourage printing on campus," said Rachel Barnes, the KU Bookstores custom material specialist. "What we came up with was the book contest."
After months of editing and revising, Held's book was finally ready for publication. The Print-
Bookstores to incentivize competing in the contest. Participants who met the 50,000 word minimum would have a chance to publish their book.
Julie Honn, outreach and communications officer for J-WOC and a senior from Lenexa, said Held's success is encouraging to other student writers.
"It shows that it's achievable, to achieve that balance and achieve
On-Demand center, which allows students, faculty, and community members to print and bind their own works, helped produce "The Write Message."
"We were serving as a small scale publisher for him," said Barnes. The bookstore also coordinated selling the book in the store and through Amazon.
"It's a really strange feeling," he said. "I almost couldn't believe it, but I knew it was my story, I knew I wrote it. I had spent months on it."
that dream." Honn said. "That's what everybody who writes does it for, that 'I hope somebody reads this someday.'"
Although the novel was published last April, Held is still shocked to have actually published a book.
Held will discuss his book today at 5 p.m. at Jayhawk Ink inside the Kansas Union. There will also be a panel discussion with other
Edited by Josh Kantor
Student Author Reading Jason Held will read from and discuss his new novel The Write Message."
student writers about students' writing experiences.
Monday October 3, 2011
5:00pm - 6:30pm
Ticket Cost: Free
Index
CLASSIFIEDS 11
CROSSWORD 4
CRYPTOQUIPS 4
OPINION 5
SPORTS 12
SUDOKU 4
All contents, unless stated otherwise. © 2011 The University Daily Kansan
Don't forget Don't forget to floss! October is National Dental Hygiene Month.
Today's weather Forecasts done by University students. For a more detailed forecast, see page 2A.
HI: 85
LO: 43
Last call for jean shorts.