Tuesday October 28,1997
Campus/Area
3A
Journalist shares methods, stories
'Washington Post reporter researches lower-class families
By Ryan Koerner
rkoerner@kansan.com
Kansan staf writer
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Leon Dash shared his experiences and methods at the Multicultural Resource Center yesterday.
Dash, a special projects reporter for "The Washington Post," spoke to about 25 students and faculty about his 1995 investigative series, "Rosa Lee's Story."
His series of investigative stories focused on the role of poverty, crime and heroin abuse in the life of an underclass family in urban America.
Leon Dash, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for "The Washington Post," speaks to a crowd at the Multicultural Resource Center. He gave a presentation yesterday about his 1995 series, "Rosa Lee's Story." Photo by Tara Bradley/KANSAN
Rosa Lee was 51 years old when she approached a prison counselor and wanted to tell her life story to someone. The counselor suggested she talk with Dash.
Dash takes each source through a four-step interview process, which is only the beginning of the interview.
"No one will tell you the complete truth about themselves until after three or four sessions," Dash said. "The primary interview, for me, is
"Mr. Dash is truly a genius in recounting current-day historical events."
Sherwood Thompson minority affairs director
nothing. It takes a minimum of three 16-hour sessions to really interact with someone. You'll find people get addicted to the process."
Although Dash has investigated and reported on adolescent pregnancy, underclass families and is now researching young male killers, he said he didn't feel that any of his work had influenced policy makers in Washington D.C.
"I don't believe that printing these stories has had a significant impact," Dash said. "After the Rosa Lee series, I was invited to visit with President Clinton's domestic policy adviser, but I came away with a very negative impression. The talk really had nothing to do with their interest in people or helping them."
Sherwool Thompson, director of the Office of Minority Affairs, said that Dash was asked to come to the University of Kansas because of his research on lower-class families.
"Mr. Dash is truly a genius in recounting current-day historical events," Thompson said.
Office of Minority Affairs and the Black Student Union. He will speak at 12:30 today in 107 Green Hall and will discuss his current special project, "Young Male Killers: America's Urban Street Wars."
Dash's visit to the University is sponsored by the School of Law, the
Stutterers speak up about their disorder
Imagine picking up the phone and not being able to make the words come out or facing discrimination because of a speech problem. These problems are faced by people who stutter every day.
By Gwen Olson
golson@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
A freshman at the University of Kansas has started a chapter of the National Stuttering Project to bring awareness and information about stuttering to the public.
"I went to a few meetings there and found out how to run a chapter
Matt Goodman, Dallas freshman and chapter president, said he found out about the National Stuttering Project by attending meetings in Dallas.
and start one up here," Goodman said. "For a new group like us, though, we are lucky to have five or six people attend the meetings."
Twelve people attended the last meeting. The majority of the meeting was spent asking questions about why stuttering occurs.
Goodman said there was no known cause for stuttering and it could be classified from mild to severe.
John Michel, professor of speech, language and hearing, was present at the meeting to answer questions.
Michel, who stutters, said people who stuttered often used tricks to help them through blocks in words.
"The tricks could be eye blinks or using a lot of extra words, such as 'like' and 'uh'," he said. "Anything that will help them get over a block."
Michel said many programs were
available to help people stop stuttering, but stutters often had to think about their speech to stop stuttering.
Michel and Goodman said people often formed opinions of others quickly because of the way they talked.
"When there is a person who stutters, people would respond with things like 'Is he all right? Is he very smart? How much trust would I put in this person?'" Michel said.
Goodman said he had run into this kind of discrimination a lot, especially when he was on the phone.
"The phone is the biggest fear, especially for things like ordering pizza. It can be a very stressful situation," he said. "I have been accused of prank calling numerous times. I even had someone call the police
Stuttering Project
The National Stuttering Project, KU Chapter:
The next meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6 in the International Room at the Kansas Union
For more information about the project, contact Matt Goodman at 840-9272.
once."
Goodman said meetings of the group were open to anyone. He said he hoped that the project would help provide information about stuttering and serve as a support system for those who stutter.
Six task forces created to examine University
Program designed to lead campuses into next century
By Matthew Friedrichs mattf@ukans.edu
Kansan staff writer
By the year 2030, the physical campus of the University of Kansas might follow the dinosaurs into extinction, according to some experts.
Instead, the University has begun "Initiative 2001," a wide-ranging assignment for
But the University does not intend to disappear as either an educational or physical presence in Kansas, Chancellor Robert Hemenway and Provost David Shulenburger said yesterday.
six task forces to examine the future of the University.
The task forces consist of students, faculty and staff from the Lawrence, Medical Center, Regents Center and Wichita campuses.
Hemenway,
Shulenburger
and Donald
Hagen, executive
collaboration and communication between different campuses and departments.
"We're asking you to look at how the University might act and plan more effectively as one University," Hemenway said.
"This is a state university.It has a responsibility to the entire state."
According to documents given to task force members, "Our ultimate goal is to operate a single university with well-coordinated internal operations and a clearly defined external image."
Hemenway said the second task force would develop a report about how the University could serve Kansans.
"This is a state university," Hemenway said. "It has a responsibility to the entire state of Kansas."
vice chancellor for the Medical Center, outlined the charges to the task forces yesterday afternoon in Alderson Auditorium.
Robert Hemenway chancellor
Hemenway said that four other task forces, one for each
"Initiative 2001" will provide the University with strategic planning information about where it should head after the turn of the century, Hemenay said. The task forces, which range in size from five to 19 members, will each submit a five to 10 page report by April 1, 1998.
Hemenway charged the first task force with developing information about how the University can develop more
campus, would discuss how to build premier learning communities that would enable the University to compete in the 21st century.
Both Hemenway and Shulenburger said they rejected projections by experts that predict Internet classes will make traditional campuses obsolete.
Hemenway said the task forces would need to determine what characteristics made the University's campuses extraordinary.
Emily Heath, Ozawkie junior, was assigned to the "Serve Kansans" task force.
"I think anybody who's average in the year 2030 is going to be extinct," Hemenway said.
She said it was important for students to have a voice in the task forces' recommendations.
"What's going to attract students to the University?" Heath said. "Students are the best ones to answer that question."
GOING TO GROUND
Going To Ground Simple Life on a Georgia Pond VIKING hardcover $22.95; Penguin audio $16.95
Amy Blackmarr's essays are broadcast on "Georgia Gazette" on Peach State Public Radio and on the weekly news show "Up To Date" on K.C.'s Public radio affiliate, KCUR. In her mid-thirties Amy Blackmarr sold her Kansas City business to return to her native Georgia, living in a rustic fishing cabin for five years while pursuing her dream of becoming a writer.
Amy Blackmarr acclaimed essayist and KU doctoral student in creative writing will read and sign her new collection of essays
Tuesday, October 28 10:30 a.m.-12 Noon
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Kansas Union, Level 2 * 864-4431
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