Section B · Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Friday, October 10, 1997
Professor is 'Goddess' in realm of the eclectic
Collections, classes betray broad lifestyle
Jennifer A. Yeoman
jyeoman@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
With an office filled with Barbie dolls, Elvis Presley memorabilia and a boxing room, Lissa Bitel's
classes she teaches.
Bitel received her under-
graduate degree from
Smith College and her
Ph D from Harvard Uni.
versity in medieval history and a specialty in early Ireland — a specialty, she said, that is about as obscure as they get.
"My background is kind of schizophrenic," said Bitel, assistant professor of history and women's studies. "I'm a bit all over the man."
While at the University of Kansas, Bitel has taught classes in western civilization, history and women's studies.
Bitel also developed the class "From Goddesses to Witches: Women in Premodern Europe," History and Women's Studies 320. It is taught this semester by Marilyn Klaus, a graduate teaching assistant in women's studies.
"I've done boy history," she said. "I wanted to do girl history. History has always been by men for men; I wanted to create a counterpart."
Bitel said that although the class attracted a lot of neo-pagans and wiccans because of the title, it was really just a survey of women in history.
"I wanted an interesting title," she said. "But really, the title is fitting for the class because that is the span that we cover."
Right now, Bitel said, there is a great amount of interest in medieval women. That is one of the driving forces behind Matrix, which is located at http://matrix.divinity.yale.edu
Matrix is a database that Bitel has actively been working on for the past two years with Catherine Gill, an assistant professor at Yale's divinity school. It is a collection of information on prominent female religious figures from 500-1500.
"Matrix is a great example of what the Web can do for a stuffy old subject," she said. "It can help us to learn things about the past through art, history and literature."
Bitel said she planned to get her students involved in the project by posting their research papers at the site.
"It gives them a chance to be a part of creating something instead of just throwing their papers away," she said. "It's a great model of faculty, staff and student collaboration."
The University has provided her with a research assistant, equipment, software and space.
"It's remarkable how much time Lisa spends on Matrix," said her husband, Peter Mancall, professor of history at the University. "She must not get
any sleep at night since she spends so much time on the project."
Despite all the time that Bitel is spending working on Matrix, she is also finding time to write her third book. "I'm trying to gram 1,000 words of the history of
"I'm trying to cram 1,000 years of the history of women in Europe into 300-400 pages," she said.
There is a competition between Bitel and Mancall to see who can write the most books.
"So far, he's winning," she said. "But not for long." Mancall has written four books, not counting textbooks. Bitel is on sabbatical to finish her third book, but she has ideas for three more.
"We joke about a competition," Mancall said. "But, anyone who has read Lisa's work knows that it is excellent."
Her children, Sophie, and Nicholas, 5, however,
don't seem to want to follow in their parents footsteps.
While sitting in her Barbie-filled office, Bitel said that her daughter announced last week that she hated Barbie dolls.
"I tried to get my children interested in Matrix," she said. "But, my daughter goes online to look up the Spice Girls. My site doesn't have Spice Girls, only virgin girls. And my son won't go because it doesn't have dinosaurs."
By Tom Winter
Kansan staff writer
Lawrence band Tank Farm influenced by Hendrix' music
Amid a cloud of vapor from the FMC plant, between the smell of Don's Steak House and gas odors of the Texaco station is Hairball Studios, home to Lawrence rock 'n' rollers Tank Farm.
Tank Farm is a four-piece local band with a classic rock backbone energized with blues licks.
The band, formed in 1995 by guitarist James Grauerholz, has reinvented itself with two new members and a focus on creating new music. For the past year and a half, they have been working on new songs at Grauerholz' East Lawrence home, also known as Hairball Studios.
"We're poised right now." Grauer-holz said, "I think we're just about to come up with a bunch of new material."
The spirit of the songs—and the band—is rock 'n' roll.
"Rock 'n' roll is a feeling you're getting away with something," said Nathan Meckel, Tank Farm guitarist.
Chubby Smith, bassist, made the analogy that rock 'n' roll is a good feeling stemming from different life events.
"What I think is rock 'n' roll extends beyond music—it's buying a cool car, finding that last beer hiding in the back of your refrigerator, or picking up a $20 bill lying on the sidewalk," he said.
The original band was composed of Grauerholz, Paul Matthews and Dou Byers. But the two Tank Farm members were involved in other
"What I think is rock-'n'roll extends beyond music-it's buying a cool car,finding that last beer hiding in the back of your refrigerator,or picking up a $20 bill lying on the sidewalk."
chubby smith tank farm bassist
bands and there was no consistency
So Smith stepped in on bass, replacing Byers. Matthews had too many other projects and left the band.
Last year, Grauerholz saw Meckel and drummer Sean McEniry, formerly of The Hatcat Trio, at a party. The four found their way into a room and began to jam.
While Smith, called the "Huckleberry Finn" bassist by the other members, still has his own band, the Chubby Smith 5, Tank Farm finally seems to be established.
The band's name, grunge in origin,
is often misunderstood.
"Most people think we're some kind of punk band." Meckel said.
The band was named by Grauerholz. Tank farms are a group of large metal petroleum vats arranged geometrically. Grauerholz remembered several tank farms from his childhood in Coffeyville.
"It's supposed to be an echo of my white-trash roots," he said with a smirk.
Grauerholz is one of the oldest rock 'n' rollers in the Lawrence music scene.
He saw Hendrix play in 1968. Afterward, he bought a guitar.
"I was just a kid and it changed my life?" he said.
The first time Grauerholz was in a band was 1971. He spent a few years playing professionally and then went to New York. In New York, he met William Burroughs, whom he befriended. He was Burroughs' aide for about 25 years, a life he liked to keep separate from his music.
"To me, William was family," he said.
Grauerholz re-entered music in 1995 after a long period of writing songs. Grauerholz wrote most of the band's songs.
Meckel is a prolific songwriter. He is hoping to incorporate more of his songs into the band's repertoire.
He began playing guitar because of Hendrik.
When he was 12 years old, he saw a psychedelically-colored Hendrix shirt at a record store in his home town of Hays. The back of the shirt read, "Are you experienced?"
He bought the shirt and his mom gave him the "Are you experienced?" album. He stayed up all night listening to the guitar sounds. Tank Farm is cutting an album.
The band plays tomorrow night at Rick's Neighborhood Bar & Grill, 623 Vermont St. and will play "Toons at Noon" sponsored by SUA in front of the Kansas Union on Oct. 23.
Art grows on Nunemaker visitors
By Corrie Moore
cmore@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Her abstract artwork is done on raw canvases with fiber-reactive dyes and acrylics. Her work will be displayed through the semester and possibly until the end of the year.
KU graduate Nancy Ellen Squire has decorated the walls at Nunemaker Center with her artistic expression of lichens.
Squire became interested in lichens after she took a textile course that worked with lichen dyeing.
"It became really fascinating to look at this entire world that is still in your eyesight, but that you really have to look at." she said.
"This series of very large cavesses of illusionistic abstracts deals with my impressions and visual perceptions of the constant transitions which life forms undergo in nature, especially as they occur in air and water," she said.
Squire said that the design of Nunemaker, with the unusual lighting and large walls, made it easy to stand back and look at the paintings.
"It its wonderful on a huge wall like that," she said.
This is the first time the Nunemaker Center has displayed a collection of art. Sandra Wick, assistant director of the University honors program, said that the center would like to display other exhibits in the future.
The Nune-
maker Center
had purchased
one of Squire's paintings before.
After the center
"The exposure is wonderful for an artist."
Sandra Wick
university honors
underwent some remodeling this summer, they contacted Squire about displaying her work.
Wick said that Nunemaker was a great place to display art.
"The exposure is wonderful for an artist," she said.
Earn $ Fast
*Flexible Hours
Looking for temporary help in conducting a warehouse sale of ladies fashions from Oct.22nd-26th at Tanger Outlet Mall. Apply in person at: Saffees Downtown 922 Mass. on Friday Oct.10th from 1:00pm-4:00pm.
EARLY NEEDED SPECIAL!
SPRING BREAK!
CANCUN MAZATLAN
SOUTH PADRE JAMAICA
FREE "ALL INCLUSIVE" PARTY PAK
PLUS UP TO $200 OFF PER ROOM
COUPON REQUIRED DIRECT BOOKINGS ONLY GUARANTEED BEST PRICES
1-800-SURFS-UP
www.studentexpress.com HURRY LIMITED OFFER
"NO COUPON SPECIALS" EVERYDAY
TWO-FERS THREE-FERS PARTY'10 CARRY-OUT
2-PIZZAS 3-PIZZAS 10-PIZZAS 1-PIZZA
2-TOPPINGS 1-TOPPING 1-TOPPING 1-TOPPING
2-DRINKS 3-DRINKS 1-DRINK
$9.75 $12.50 $32.50 $3.75
DELIVERY HOURS
Sun-Thurs 11am-2am
Fri-Sat 11am-3am
Lunch • Dinner • Late Night 1601 W.23rd Southern Hills Center·Lawrence DINE-IN AVAILABLE·WE ACCEPT CHECKS
LAST CHANCE FOR YEARBOOK PORTRAITS!!!!
The Jayhawker Yearbook is giving you a chance to be a part of KU history!!
Student Pictures will be taken Last Day!!!
Today from 9-5 at Strong Hall
*All students are welcome and portraits are taken free with your KUID.
*Yearbooks will be available to order for $30.
Questions? Feel free to call us at 864-3728
i