Section A·Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Monday, October 6, 1997
Gamers find new lives in club
KU Gamers and Role-players helps students find adventure
Tim Mcles, Lawrence resident, leads a group of players in an "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons" game. KU Gamers and Role-players meets every Wednesday at the Hawks in the Kansas Union. Photo by Geoff Kriager/KANSAN
By Gwen Olson
golson@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
A group of students leave the realm of reality each week to enter worlds of sorcery, treachery and adventure.
The KU Gamers and Role-players club meets around 6 p.m. every Wednesday at the Hawks Nest in the Kansas Union to play fantasy games.
"We've banded together and become a group," said Melanie Leatherman, Kansas City, Kan., senior and club president.
She said that the group had about 25 members, who play three games: two "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons" games and "Mage: The Ascension." All three continue from week to week.
Kelly Peterson, Vermillion, S.D., freshman, said that "Mage" featured a dark version of reality.
"It's our world, just a little bit darker, and there's a lot of supernatural critters," she said. "It's sort of Gothic, like the first two Batman movies."
"I've been doing role-playing games since I was 12, and that was 15 years ago," Biles said. "It's an effort for me because I'm in graduate school. Role-playing is pretty time-consuming, especially in the middle of the week."
John Biles, Huntsville, Texas,
doctoral student, said he had to
make time to play each week.
Members of the group said that people often look down on gamers.
Ben Siegan, Chicago junior,
said that role-playing games
have been criticized in the
media.
"It's gotten a lot of bad press because some people take it too far," he said. "I have a lot of friends who have been ostracized for playing."
"It's our world, just a little bit darker, and there's a lot of supernatural critters."
Kelly Paterson
vermillion. S.D.. freshmar
J. R. Shepherd, Overland Park freshman, said that people who didn't play didn't understand.
"Most gamers have a hyperactive imagination," he said. "And most people don't like people with hyperactive imaginations. This is the only way that we can really vent."
Matt Rohn, Lenexa freshman,
said he enjoyed gaming because
he got along well with fellow
participants.
"You sort of use it to give yourself a life because you have to make up for the fact that everybody else in the world hates you," Rohn said. "Since we don't get along with normal people, we make up these fictional characters to embody all of these weird things about us."
Biles said the weekly meetings lasted about four hours but could continue for as long as people wanted.
Leatherman said that members of the group played the games anytime from four to 20 hours a week.
She said she often played a live-action version of "Vampire: The Masquerade," a game that involves acting out scenes from the game, with a group in Kansas City. She said she didn't think that the club could start up live-action games at its meetings.
"The reason we won't play live-action here is because it's an interactive, improvisational game," she said. "The problem is
that there are other people around not in the group, and when we start doing and saying things in character, nobody has any idea what we're doing."
Leatherman said the games mimic real life, especially the characters.
"We have people who are magicians or weapons people, and we have people who don't do anything, which is just like real life," she said. "It's all about responding to other characters."
To get involved in KU Gamers and Role-players, contact Melanfe Leatherman at 843-5361.
Right Players often use miniatures to represent their characters during games, such as these for "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons." Photo by Geoff Krieger/KANSAN
Musician uses power of the stage
Dar Williams to play Liberty Hall tomorrow
By Rachille Detweiler
rdetweiler@kansas.com
Kansan staff writer
Dar Williams uses her folk music to punch out a heartfelt message. Her performance at 8 p.m. tomorrow night at Liberty Hall should be no exception.
Her music addresses negative social issues, touches the frontiers of tolerance and challenges listeners to evaluate their opinions, she said.
Bob McWilliams, KANU radio announcer, said that just three years ago, Williams had performed for a small crowd in his living room.
Since then, she has moved on to larger venues, but her desire to change social norms has not wavered. She said she still represented a subculture that was off the grid and politically aware.
Williams said some people used fame as a crutch for avoiding reflection but she strove to have emotional and intellectual honestly within her music.
Even though Williams is criticized by some people for expressing her views on stage, negative reactions have helped her think about and refine her views, she said.
COMMENTARY
"I'm very aware that if you have a mike, you'll have power," Williams said. "If you spout out something you don't know, you're abusing your power because there are people in the audience who do not have a microphone."
She tackles opinions she formed while growing up in a suburban Massachusetts community.
Her song "Bought and Solid" protests the invasion of large companies in small communities and the monoculture that these businesses create.
"Growing up in towns with real downtowns that sponsored little league and events, I realized how much damage a Wal-Mart can do." Williams said. "It ends up destroying the downtown."
Many interesting stories need to be told, she said. But issues regarding women making strong and timely decisions greatly interest her and influence her music.
"I actually feel like I have a luxury as a woman that I don't think women had 30 years ago," Williams said. "When I feel like writing about the strengths of women, I don't have to start at square one. I can write where women are going or how insecure and vulnerable I feel as a woman."
Dar Williams hopes her folk music will force people to evaluate their opinions about society. She will perform at 8 p.m. tomorrow at Liberty Hall. Contributed photo
Students, pig go hog wild at annual party
About 175 attend St. Lawrence bash
By Ryan Koerner
By Ryan Koerner
rkoerner@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Everyone was invited to the St. Lawrence Catholic Center's "Hog Wild" party — including a pig.
The party has been held on Parents' Weekend for the past six years, giving students and parents an alternative to crowded restaurants, said the Rev. Vince Krische.
"In Lawrence, family weekend is so busy," Krische said. "This gives us an opportunity to meet
About 175 people attended the party. From 6 to 9 p.m., students and parents ate, mingled with other members of St. Lawrence and danced to live music.
and thank the parents. We get a lot of support from the parents of St. Lawrence students."
The turnout didn't surprise students who have been to the party before.
Pianists
"It always turns out like this," said Michael Yaghmour, Pittsburg senior.
As a banker in Topeka, Jack Caldwell helped several businesses develop. One of those businesses was Engroff Catering, which caters Hog Wild every year.
"The Caldwells were strong supporters of us," Krische said. "They never had kids at KU, but they liked KU, and they liked the center."
Hog Wild is held in memory of Dolores and Jack Caldwell.
"In Lawrence,family weekend is so busy. This gives us an opportunity to meet and thank the parents. We get a lot of support from the parents of St. Lawrence students."
Rev. Vince Krische
the Peer Ministers all helped outreach minister Anna Witherow with her efforts.
In addition to hiring the caterer, details such as entertainment and decorations are part of the planning that goes into Hog Wild. Two outreach ministers and three student groups work together to plan and organize the event.
priest
When: 7:30 tonight
Where: Swarthout Recital Hall in Murphy Hall
The Student Advisory Council, the Student Ambassadors and
"They are a great group of students," Witherow said. "They were wonderful putting this together."
The Student Ambassadors were responsible for spreading the word about Hog Wild, while the Student Advisory Council handled most of the behind-the-scenes work, said Jayne Brandel, Pittsburg graduate student and Student Advisory Council member.
"We help out with all aspects of planning and implementing," Brandel said. "For every event, including Hog Wild, that the center puts on, we are the people who are the voice for the students."
Admission was $10 for adults and $5 for students. Receipts went toward the event's expenses.
Cost: There is no admission
Ivories to be tickled tonight by Argentine musical group
By Keith Burner
Four Argentine pianists will perform tonight in Murphy Hall, completing their month-long tour of the United States.
Special to the Kansan
The recital, the last before a European tour, will be at 7:30 p.m. in Swarthout Recital Hall.
Three of the pianists, Alejandro Cremaschi, Julio Ogas and Gabriel Lofvall, were students of the fourth pianist, Dora De Marinis, at the University of Cuyo in Mendoza, Argentina.
Roberto Buffo, Tucuman,
Argentina, graduate student in
piano and conducting, said he
was familiar with the pianists.
"The group is well-known in Argentina," Buffo said. "They are really active and play everywhere."
The group, which has released three compact disc sets, will play classical music based on folk rhythm and melodies from Argentina. Buffo said.
The musicians will play selections from Argentine composers Juan Jose Castro, Carlos Guastavo and Alberto Ginastera.
Jack Winerock, professor of music and dance, said the music would be played in an interesting manner.
"All four will be playing different solos at the same time, but it will all blend together," Wine-rock said.
The group will conduct a discussion about Argentine folk music at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow at the recital hall.
The recital is part of the KU visiting artists series presented by the department of music and dance.
Charla Jenkins, a public information officer for the University Theatre, said that the department tried to hold two or three performances per month.
The recital is free and open to the public.
U.S. may face big problems at worldwide climate talks
Drastic emissions cuts sought by scientists
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — When President Clinton sits down today to hear scientists, environmentalists and business leaders discuss how to deal with emissions from power plants and other industries, he might find trouble.
to an international climate conference in Kyoto, Japan, at the end of the year.
With both sides digging in, the meeting is unlikely to produce a consensus. Clinton probably will be criticized no matter what proposal the United States takes
Clinton: Expects trouble at climate conference
"The science is solid," Clinton said recently, adding that the United States will press for realistic and binding commitments to
reduce carbon emissions. "We have a responsibility to cut back ... because the world is looking to us for leadership."
Clinton and Al Gore, the vice president who hopes to succeed Clinton, would like to keep environmental support while not antagonizing business. That may not be possible.
The administration has not hinted how far it is willing to go to control emissions or what timetable it will suggest. The answers may depend in part on an assessment of the economic impact of new controls on emissions.
Lobbying has been intense. As environmentalists and many scientists warned that unchecked pollution could lead to disastrous long-range warming of the planet, business has waged a $15 million advertising campaign suggesting gas and electricity prices would soar and drag down the economy.
Five years ago, at the last international conference on global warming, industrial countries set a goal of emissions at the 1990 level by 2000. Instead, even more carbon is pouring into the atmosphere, so much that getting to 1990 levels in the United States even by 2010 would require U.S. industry and cars to reduce them by 20 percent.
Because serious consequences may be years away, there is little public pressure yet on members of Congress, who must ratify any treaty that comes out of the Kyoto conference. Clinton made that point last week in a White House meeting with dozens of television weather forecasters.
"Right now, while the scientists see the train coming though the tunnel, most Americans haven't heard the whistle blowing," Clinton said. "They don't sense it's out there as a big issue."
Environmentalists, some leading scientists and European leaders want a treaty that would cut emissions by the United States and other industrial countries well below 1990 levels Even with that, they contend carbon concentrations in the atmosphere will continue to grow.
It's a target that would require U.S. industries to cut emissions by more than one-third
"That's not feasible," said Undersecretary of State Timothy Wirth, who is expected to lead the U.S. delegation to Kyoto.
While the U.S. proposal is up in the air, it is expected that the administration will recommend stabilizing emissions at 1990 levels, with reductions to be phased in over a number of years. The administration also has proposed internationally traded pollution permits to blunt the economic cost of shifting from fossil fuels, especially oil and coal.
That part of the proposal is unlikely to satisfy environmentalists or industry.
Scientists who take the environmental side of the argument claim merely stabilizing emission levels will not be enough to prevent global warming. Business and industrial leaders contend the cost of cutting emissions would be disastrous.