wednesday, October 8, 2003
news
the university daily kansar
3A
University poetry project earns national grant
By Kevin Kampwirth
kkampwirth@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The National Endowment for the Humanities has granted the University of Kansas $224, 959 to expand a 2002 project that Chancellor Robert Hemenway called "the most important event in KU's history."
In February 2002, the University held a Langston Hughes symposium to help bring attention to the writer's contributions to literature.
Barbara Watkins, KU Continuing Education project manager and co-director of the project, said that the symposium was a huge success and that it won nine regional and national awards in community partnership and excellence.
"The initial goal of the project was to feature and expand on
Hughes' legacy," Watkins said. "And to let people know how important African-American literature is."
The project began in 2001 under the name Reading and Remembering Langston Hughes when project coordinators set up a poetry discussion at the Lawrence Public Library. John Edgar Tidwell, associate professor of English and director of the project, said that they hoped to attract somewhere between 20 and 25 people.
"It turned out to be a wonderful surprise," Tidwell said. "Sixty people showed up and expressed interest. It was more than we bargained for."
Based on the early success of the project, discussions like the one at the Lawrence Public Library were set up at five other locations throughout Kansas.
"Our desire was simply to take
"The initial goal of the project was to feature and expand on Hughes' legacy. And to let people know how important African-American literature is."
Barbara Watkins KU Continuing Education project manager
poetry out to the people," Tidwell said.
Maryemma Graham, professor of English, has been involved with the project since its initial stages in 2001. She received the first NEH grant that aided in the planning of the project and is directing the national project as well.
"We felt that we needed to change the fact that Hughes is not associated with Lawrence and with Kansas as much as he should be." Graham said.
Hughes was born in Joplin, Mo., but grew up in Lawrence before establishing himself in New York City. His first novel, Not Without Laughter, is set in Lawrence.
Hughes' writing legacy,however,has more to do with his poetry.
poetry. "If there's any one person in this country that got people to read poetry, it was Langston Hughes." Graham said.
The recent grant that the University received will be used to set up poetry circles and discussions like those started in Kansas at over 20 sites nationwide, including Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C.
Graham said she believed that
Hughes' poetry is among the most influential of the 20th century and continues to touch people to this day.
"He forces people to look across lines of race, gender and religion," Graham said. "He keeps people looking at themselves and others and gives them a way to connect with their humanity."
Graham said she hoped that the Hughes discussions would become as popular in other states as it did in Kansas, so that eventually groups featuring other writers could be formed.
"Langston works as the perfect vehicle for a project like this," Graham said. "He is accessible to everyone because he understood both the pain and the joy associated with being an American."
— Edited by Scott Christie
Discussion sites in Lawrence and surrounding areas:
Lawrence:
Education
Audio-Reader Network at the University of Kansas — 1120 W. 11th St.
Douglas County Jail — 3601 E. 25th St.
Haskell Cultural Center and Museum at Haskell Indian Nations University — 155 Indian Ave.
St. Luke A.M.E. Church — 900 New York St.
VanGo Mobile Arts, Inc. 715 New Jersey St.
Kansas City, Mo.
Kansas City, Mo:
■ Southeast Branch Public Library — 6242 Swope Parkway
Possible program to recognize cultural understanding University proposes alternative study abroad to expand international experiences
Times and dates will be announced in early November. For more information contact Barbara Watkins at 864-7881
By Robert Perkins
rperkins@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Soon students may be able to claim international cultural understanding without ever having left the country.
In an attempt to increase student interest in foreign cultures, the provost challenged University administration to come up with a way to give students who couldn't necessarily afford to study abroad an international experience.
In response, Hodgie Bricke, assistant dean of International Programs, led a committee in developing what is tentatively called the Global Proficiency Certification Program (GPCP).
"This is the only program like it
that attempts to be accessible to everyone," she said. "It should give KU a certain amount of recognition nationally."
Students participating in the program have to meet two of three requirements: They need to have study abroad experience, have passed a certain amount of foreign language and international courses, or have participated in international co-curricular activities.
International students would have a mirroring set of requirements to learn about United States, if the program is finalized.
By completing these requirements, students earn a checkmark in the GPCP Activity Box on their official transcript. This feature of the new PeopleSoft
"We have international students who have graduated from KU without an American friend. This doesn't speak well of us."
Hodgie Bricke Assistant dean of International Programs
software program, which the University is using to produce transcripts, allows inclusion of non-academic activities such as research and volunteer work. Ultimately, it lets students denote these accomplishments on resumes and job applications.
Though the program is still just a proposal, it has already met some objections from the Senate Executive Committee where Bricke presented it yesterday.
Joseph Sicilian, committee member and chairperson of the economics department, questioned how much of an international experience someone could have without leaving the country.
"You can't deal with economic realities by saying everyone has something they don't have," he said.
With only one part-time unclassified staff member hired
In addition, the committee criticized the program's dependence on the honor system.
to handle the entire program, the GPCP would rely on organizers of international clubs to be honest in reporting who attended their events and meetings.
"Some people are going to cheat," Bricke said. "There is a certain amount of dependence on the integrity and honesty of people in the program — there's no way around that."
Sicilian said he worried that this cheating might hurt student morale.
Bricke, however, said that the program was a necessity. Requiring involvement in international clubs and groups to meet would put students in contact with international students they might not normally talk to, she said.
"We have international students who have graduated from KU without an American friend," Bricke said. "This doesn't speak well of us."
She called international students the University of Kansas' greatest yet most untapped resource.
Ray Davis, Senate Executive chair, advised Bricke to reconvene her committee members, two of whom were also Senate Executive members, in order to smooth out the details of the program and then present it again.
If it meets with their approval, the program will then be presented to the University Council.
-Edited by Katie Nelson
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