tomorrow's weather
are
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PO BOX 3585
TOPEKA, KS 6601-3585
kansan
Continued cold and a chance for light snow.
Wednesday
November 12,1997
Section:
A
Vol. 108 • No. 60
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Sports today
The Kansas women's basketball team lost its opening exhibition game 79-56 last night to the McDonald's Victorian All-Stars.
SEE PAGE 1B
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In the director's chair
Broadcast student's wheelchair fitted with tripod
(USPS 650-640)
Jennifer A. Yeoman
jyeoman@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Suzanne Mace, Lawrence sophomore, who uses a wheelchair, had a legitimate excuse for not completing her film assignments. At least, she did until she asked for the problem to be solved.
Students often come to class with an excuse not to do their homework. But it is rare to find a student who works to get rid of an excuse.
Mace wants to be a TV sitcom director, but her wheelchair does not allow her to use a tripod, which is a necessity for television production. So, David Gomez, facilities operations instrument maker, created a tripod that connects to her wheelchair.
Mace was born with spina bifida, a birth defect that is like a spinal injury, she said. She always has used a wheelchair.
"When I was little, I was on TV a lot because of my disability," she said. "I guess I've always wanted to work for television. I've always really loved TV."
Gary Hawke, journalism program associate, said the tripod would allow her to pursue her goal.
"Susan is often assigned to shoot video, and she needs a tripod," Hawke said. "She wasn't able to actively use a standard tripod so it seemed that the best idea would be to fit some kind of brace on her wheelchair so she could work independently and work on an equal basis with the other students."
Mace, who is enrolled in broadcast production and writing, must create several film projects for her class. She also must film her work at KUJH. When she realized that she would have a problem completing her work without help, she discussed the problem with Hawke.
"I knew something had to be done," Hawke said. "So I called Robert Porter at facilities operations to see what could be done." Porter was able to pass the project on to Gomez.
What resulted is a tripod that bolts on to Mace's wheelchair. The tripod is mounted on her right side and is stabilized by a crossbar.
"Mr. Gomez is incredibly talented," Porter said. "If it can be made, he can build it. From time to time, we do things that are within our ability to try to help."
"I need a little help with it because there are some things that are difficult to reach," Mace said. "It's pretty easy. It could have been a lot worse. I just have to tighten nuts and bolts. It takes between five and 10 minutes to put on."
Mace has not yet had a chance to use the tripod, which was completed at the end of last week. But she has practiced taking it on and off.
As for cost, that is taken care of.
“If there is a cost our department will absorb it,” Hawke said. “I didn’t think about the cost, I just knew that something needed to be done to help this student.”
The tripion will be left to the department when Mace graduates so that it will be available for other students.
Despite the difficulties Mace has gone through, she still is confident that she wants to go into television.
"I haven’t had much job experience," she said. "And I haven’t encountered much job discrimination. But I hope this will show them that I can do it with the right equipment. I know that there is a good chance that I will have to use a camera. Hopefully, they will be able to come up with something for me to use so I can do it by myself."
Suzanne Mace, Lawrence sophomore, demonstrates the new video-camera apparatus designed to be attached to wheelchairs. This tool was designed for Mace to use for a broadcast class. Photo by Lynn Kalender/KANSAN
Nike coaches can help kids to 'just do it'
College students needed to volunteer for P.L.A.Y.
By Aerica Veazey sports@kansan.com Special to the Kansan
Nike wants to leave its swoosh in more places than the Kansas Athletic Department.
In an effort to ensure that children have access to good coaches, high-quality equipment and safe playgrounds, Nike established BLAY CORPS. Participants
P. L.A.Y.CORPS (participate in the Lives of America's Youth), which encourages children to get involved with community youth sports leagues. However, these teams cannot exist without dedicated coaches.
Drew King, Vienna, Va., senior and local P.L.A.Y.CORPS representative, is searching for college students to volunteer time and sports knowledge to help youths in Lawrence and the surrounding area.
knowledge to help youths in Lawrence and the s.
The time and effort will not go unrewarded.
"We'll train them, deck 'em out in Nike gear and give them $500 toward their college tuition." King said.
According to King, Nike is looking for college students who are willing to coach kids between the ages of 8 and 13 and who can volunteer 80 to 100 hours.
Melissa Schoen, Norton freshman, said she was interested in working with the M. A. L. COOPER
"This is a good way to get involved in the Lawrence community," she said. "It will be fun because I like little kids."
A basketball player in high school, Schoen said she hoped her experience on the court would help the children learn the basics of the game.
"We will be helping the kids with the fundamentals of basketball," she said.
Coaches are needed for sports including basketball, tennis, volleyball, cheerleading, baseball, softball, ice hockey, track and field and football, although some coaching positions may fill before others.
"Nike wants the best people to coach, someone who is good with kids and loves sports." King said.
Nike P.L.A.Y.CORPS
Students will receive Nike sportswear and $500 toward college tuition
- Application deadline is Friday, although late applications will be considered
For information and an application, e-mail P.L.A.Y.CORPS@nike.com or call 503-671-2213.
Vietnam poet enraptures students
By Tim Harrington
by tim harrington
tharrington@kansan.com
Kansan staff reporter
History and English students lucky enough to hear John Musgrave read his poetry probably do not realize that they are looking at a dead man.
The only reason he is alive, he said, was because Marines do not leave other Marines behind, not even apparently dead ones.
The veteran-turned-poet emphasizes personal responsibility in his lectures to KU history and English classes. He reads to the classes what he has written and tells what he has seen.
Or at least, what should be a dead man.
Or at least, what should be a team man?
Two of the four North Vietnamese bullets that riddled his body in 1969 left a fist-sized hole just to the left of his heart.
The other two shots found his jaw and knee, leaving his left leg permanently disabled.
The responsibilities Musgrave stresses include a citizen's responsibility to his country and to be an informed citizen and leaders' responsibility to be prudent.
"I go in like I'm never going to be invited back," said Musgrave, Baldwin City resident. "That way I don't tailor my remarks to anyone."
Musgrave said. "That's how we get into stupid wars."
Musgrave's insight into the Vietnam War era is what makes him such a valuable speaker to faculty such as Bill Tuttle, American studies professor.
"We pay more attention to our football teams than we do to our jobs as citizens."
Tuttle said that an ROTC student in one of his classes was so impressed that the student plans to ask Musgrave back to the University to speak to other ROTC students.
Almost 20 years ago, when Musgrave's manged and bloodied body lay in the bush, the only responsibility he could take upon himself was to survive the seemingly mortal wounds and to pray for rescue.
"He was spectacular," Tuttle said, and his students agree.
Jonathan Alt, Winnetka, Ill., sophomore,
has heard Musgrave read his poetry.
"The whole room is completely mesmerized when he speaks," he said. "He just talks about what these 18-year-olds had to do."
Four Marines dragged him from the combat. Two of them died in the rescue. Musgrave's three children bear the names of three of the men.
Musgrave, an infant Marine in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969, had been wounded before those injuries. He had had grenade and rocket fragments pulled out of him on two prior occasions, but this was bad.
The first hospital in Vietnam Musgrave was brought to would not treat him. The
After another helicopter ride, Musgrave finally received treatment.
"I spent seven to 10 days in a hospital where usually after three days, you either got well or died," Musgrave said.
Two medals, three purple hearts, five hospitals and 17 months later, Musgrave wrote his first poem.
It was called "When Johnny was Carried Home." Musgrave said the poem has never been published and he rarely reads it to others.
Not only historians treasure Musgrave's work and lectures; English professors also highly regard his two books, "On Snipers, Laughter, and Death: Vietnam Poems" and "Under a Flare-Lit Sky." Brian Daldorph, assistant professor of English, invited Musgrave to read his poetry to classes as recently as last week.
"John Musgrave is the most charismatic speaker I've ever heard," Tuttle said. "He's truly a remarkable individual."
Although Musgrave enjoys reading his work to students, it's not the only reason he writes. There is a therapeutic value to his poetry.
"I write mostly when I'm down," Musgrave said. "If I'm happy, I don't want to be sitting around writing. I want to be out enjoying myself."
Facilities operations staff readies campus for winter
By Keith Burner
Kansan correspondent
A half-dozen facilities operations employees worked in the cold, their breath turning to vapor, as they toiled at building a storage shed before old man winter arrives for good.
The shed is being built on West Campus to store sand and ice-melting chemicals.
Mike Richardson, director of facilities operations, said employees were trying to complete the shed before winter sets in.
Building sheds is just part of what facilities operations' winter preparations.
"We would like to have it done by the end of November if at all possible," Richardson said.
Facilities operations has to maintain 180 buildings, which is equal to 5 million square feet.
The department's 403 employees are getting salt and sand spreaders ready for use, attaching circular brooms to lawn mowers for snow removal and turning heaters on in place of air conditioners in campus buildings, Richardson said.
Andrew Rohrback / KANSAN
Richardson said employees also were stockpiling sand, salt and ice-melting chemicals to clear sidewalks. Chemicals are used instead of salt when the temperature drops below 20 degrees, he said.
But employees must do more than prepare for winter; they also have to deal with winter once it arrives.
Richardson said the biggest job during the winter months was keeping the sidewalks free of snow.
"When it snows, it's everybody's
See EMPLOYEES on page 3A
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