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Variety, Informality, Critics Keep Writers' Class Awake
It's Writers' Workshop, taught by Edgar Wolfe, associate professor of English.
There is a class in which variety, informality, entertainment, and often sharp criticism keep the participants awake.
One night a week a small group of students gather for two and one half hours and share the products of their imaginations. These may range from the humorous tales of Bunkhouse Jack, the life-sized Paul Bunyon from Alaska, to the melancholy lines of a poem written from Fraser's towers.
STUDENTS MAKE attempts at just about everything: science fiction, satire, children's literature, plays, short stories, poetry, the Haiku, and character sketches. Occasionally Prof. Wolfe himself the author of two published novels, will read a poem he has written or a chapter from a progressing book.
Criticism is varied. It may be a general remark like "the story was dull" or a lengthy discussion of a specific word choice in a poem. According to Prof. Wolfe, the most common error is that nothing really happens or a character isn't sufficiently developed so that the reader can identify with him. Within the latter lies the work's success or failure.
Seemingly a light "story hour" the class revolves around educational criticism. After a student reads his work, discussion is opened for comment and suggestions for improvement.
SIMILAR TO AN honors section, Writers' Workshop is limited to seniors and graduate students who demonstrate a special ability in one or more of the creative writing forms. This semester the class includes assistant instructors, a former editorial-editor of the University Daily Kansan, a current editor of "Search," a magazine devoted to undergraduate research at KU, and a full-time employee of the KU News Bureau. Several housewives and mothers add to the variety.
KU has received a $28.851 grant to continue research which may ultimately give clues to patterns of disease transmission.
Disease Study Gets U.S. Aid
Principal investigator of the project is Joseph H. Camin, professor of entomology at KU. The grant from the U.S. Public Health Service is for three years.
The project, "Host Selection, Behavior and Ecology of Parasitic Acari," involves studying behavior of mites and ticks in order to discover what aspects cause them to choose certain hosts. Researchers are comparing behavior by noting reactions to stimuli under conditions such as light, temperature and humidity. Also being studied are the effects of light rhythms on ticks and the effects of water balance on behavior.
Prof. Camin is being assisted by V. Eugene Nelson, research associate at KU. Also working on the project are two graduate students, Milton E. Nathanson and W. Wayne Moss.
Almost uniquely, there are no specific assignments for the class. However, Prof. Wolfe expects those writing prose to contribute at least 8,000 words, about 32 type-written pages. For poems, he says it is mostly guesswork, for one may spend several hours simply hunting for a right word. The same is true of prose rewrites. For this reason, the only regular assignment is a weekly report, designating the amount of time spent on the course.
Although Prof. Wolfe believes that writing can't be taught directly, he feels the course is necessary. It gives the students a captive audience and its criticisms. Also, observing how others write and noting the
Criticism, according to Prof. Wolfe, is an essential part of becoming a good writer. One must listen to it, for it is very difficult to be an objective critic of your own work. Also, it prepares you to face the biggest critics of all—the book reviewers.
techniques used to achieve certain effects helps the students.
Success of the class, he says, depends more on the quality of the students, just as good material is needed for a winning football team.
KU Magazine Wins Layout Award
The School of Engineering and Architecture publication, The Kansas Engineer, won one of the major layout awards of the Engineering College Magazines Associated for 1963-64.
Ideas Spread By Program
A new intensive English language program for foreign students is helping spread American ideas and know-how through the world:
The magazine, published four times during the school year by KU engineering students, won first place for Best Covers-All Issues.
At the Intensive English Center, which began operation in September 32 foreign students from 14 nations are receiving concentrated training so that at the end of one semester most will have the language proficiency to enter KU or another institution for advanced study.
Edward T. Erazmus, director of the Center, said it is one of 12 English training centers in the nation. The others in the Midwest are at Michigan and Indiana universities.
"The program is unique and useful." Erazmus said.
ERAZMUS DESCRIBED the program's first three months as "fairly successful." The training, usually completed in one semester at Kansas, is a combined audio-lingual approach to English, according to Erazmus.
The center has 10 instructors, including a laboratory teacher.
Students do extensive writing and reading of English and study nothing else.
Students spend 25 to 30 hours a week in class work and five hours in the language laboratory.
The goal in reading is one book a week, but only the top students can do it. Most finish a book in about two weeks.
AFTER COMPLETING the intensive training at KU, most of the students are able to begin university-level study, although not fulltime. Erazmus said many who are attending this semester are seeking admission at other schools. The KU
center provides progress reports to schools to which students have applied.
Erazmus expects enrollment to grow in the years to come, but the usual spring semester dropoff will occur.
KU has received requests from Japan and France for special short-courses in the spring. These would be for travelers from those countries who want to improve their English for business reasons, Erazmus said.
Most of the IEC students live in university residence halls, but a few live off campus in apartments. The emphasis on residence hall housing is to integrate foreign students with campus and American life.
An American Society class each Tuesday night has the same goal. Students have heard lectures dealing with academic life at KU, journalism, music, engineering, religion, government, the arts, athletics, the library and other facets of college life.
Students in the program this semester are from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Taiwan, Venezuela, Tunisia, Egypt, Colombia, Turkey, Cameroon, Madagascar, Mexico and Iran.
KINGSMEN
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20
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At the TEE PEE
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SUA SPECIAL FILM SERIES
Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1965 University Daily Kansan
Alfred Hitchcock's Suspense Masterpiece
Academy Award Best Picture of the Year
"REBECCA"
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Fraser Hall
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