THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2006
NEWS
STUDENT HOUSING
3A
Megan True/KANSAN
Jay Vaglio, left, Leaward sophomore, and his brother James Vagilio, Leaward senior, are both RAs in the residence hall. "We get paid to hang out with people. You couldn't ask for a better college job," James Vagilio said.
RA transition runs in family
BY MATT ELDER
The Vaglios have made student housing a family affair for the past decade.
The five Leawood siblings have come through the University of Kansas, all of which have been resident assistants.
"We're the perennial housing powerhouse," said Jeff Vaglio with a laugh, who graduated in 2006.
His brother, John, the oldest of the Vaglio children, started the trend in the mid-1990s as an RA in Templin Hall. Twins Jeff and Kristin followed at Oliver, Lewis and Templin halls. While all three have graduated, two members of the Vaglio family are carrying on the tradition at the University today.
"I think they probably have the record," said Diana Robertson, interim director of the Department of Student Housing. "I've known of a brother and sister, or a couple of siblings, but they have the largest streak I've known of"
With five members of the family having been RAs during their time spent at the University, it might just be. To Robertson, the housing department continues to welcome "the string of Vaglios" on campus with open arms.
"I think it's a testament to the character of the family as a whole,"
Robertson said. "They're hard-working, wanting to be of help to others, and they've all served really well."
For James and lay, the two current Vaglios at the University, their hard work has resulted in their promotion to senior staff RAs. Both said it was a personal decision, rather than family expectations, to continue in their older siblings' footsteps.
"I love it," said James Vaglio, a graduate student who is working in Templin after two years in McCollum Hall. "You meet incredibly different personalities."
For Jay, the youngest of the five RAs, the experience has resulted in much more than a typical on-campus job. Being an RA has offered Jay the chance to build relationships he could hang on to, citing his jitters in his transition to a new town his freshman year. "You aren't always an authoritative figure," he said.
"Starting a freshman in January at that role is a little bit uncommon," Robertson said. "I think that it's a testament to the type of maturity in him."
While maturity may be a trait common to the Vaglio family from their roles of leadership within the University, it's their moments of responsibility and actions as authoritative figures that remind them that it is indeed a job. After several escapades, including water balloons shooting from windows and pumpkins dropping from the seventh story, responsibility is the backbone of their job.
"If guys are kicking a soccer ball or throwing a Frisbee in the hall, I have to be the guy that says they can't do that." Jay said. "Even though I'd like to be the guy throwing the frisbee."
While the five siblings have given so much of themselves back to the campus community, both James and Jay said they are the fortunate individuals.
"I've met all types of students, who are all from different backgrounds," James said. "Just an incredible blend of people."
Kara, the youngest of the Vaglio siblings, will graduate high school this fall, a semester early, to jumpstart her college career at Johnson County Community College. She plans to attend the University in Fall 2007, as the potential seventh installment of the Vaglio tradition on top of the hill.
Kansan staff writer Matt Elder can be contacted at melder@kansan. com.
— Edited by Shanxi Upsdell
NATION
Shooter goes on rampage, kills two, injures three
BY WILSON RING ASSOCIATED PRESS
BSSEX, Vt. A gunman shot five people Thursday, killing two of them, in a rampage through two houses and an elementary school that ended when he wounded himself, police said.
One of the killings occurred at the school, which was not in session. Police Chief David Demag said he could not confirm earlier reports that the victim was a teacher preparing for the start of classes next week.
One television report said about 30 staff were in Essex Elementary School. People were seen running from the school, ducking their heads.
School personnel console each other outside Essex Elementary School after a reported shooting inside, Thursday in Essex, VT. A gumman shot five people killing two of them, in a rampage through two houses and the elementary school which ended when he wounded himself, police said.
Demag said the shooter and the other wounded people were taken to a hospital, but their conditions were not immediately known.
"At this point the scenes are secured and the community is safe," Demag said about two hours after the first reports of a shooting. "We have a suspect in custody."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The chief said he could not provide the shooter's identity or a motive other than that the shootings appeared to stem from a domestic dispute.
Demag said one person was killed in the first shooting, which occurred at a home. The shooter then went to the school, where he fatally shot one person and wounded two others Demag said.
Deflag the shooter then went to a condominium complex where he wounded a person before turning the gun on
himself, the chief said.
Jillian Schultz, 22, who lives at the complex, said she was playing with her son and the son of a neighbor she knows only as "Chad" when a
man ran past her, asking "Where's Chad? Where's Chad?"
Moments later, she heard four gunshots. Schultz said she gathered the children and "got out of there."
Film chronicles Naismith's life Kansas basketball great subject of upcoming movie
ENTERTAINMENT
BY C.J. MOORE
Ian Naismith calls it the greatest story that's never been told — the story of his grandfather, James Naismith, the inventor of basketball.
Now, 115 years after Naismith invented a game that included two peach baskets and 13 original rules, the story of Naismith is being captured in a documentary called "Basketball Man: Dr. Naismith and the Rules of the Game." Naismith spent the final 41 years of his life in Lawrence, and Ian and the filmmakers decided Lawrence was where they would begin shooting the documentary.
"His story took place in Lawrence, and it was an obvious place to start filming," Ian said. "He was very attached to Lawrence and the University of Kansas."
The crew of "Basketball Man"
began shooting in Lawrence in
May; executive producer Keith Zimmerman said they would finish filming in four weeks. While in Lawrence, the filmmakers interviewed University of Kansas basketball coach Bill Self, athletics director Lew Perkins and former player Bud Stallworth.
"KU is going to get worldwide exposure," Zimmerman said. "People that didn't know about it, they'll realize that James Naismith fell in love with Lawrence, Kan."
The premise of the documentary is to tell the story of Nalsmith's life. It also includes interviews with legendary coaches and players from the past and the present including Self, Red Auerbach, John Wooden, Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Steve Nash, Kirk Hinrich and NBA Commissioner David Stern.
The movie is set to premiere Sept. 27 in Las Vegas. Zimmerman is working with the Athletics
Department to have a special showing at the University, possibly following a basketball game.
The documentary DVD, which will include more than three hours of footage, goes on sale on the Internet in November and will be in stores January 2007. Zimmerman is negotiating with HBO, Showtime and ESPN Classic to sell a 60- to 90-minute version of "Basketball Man" for television. The movie will also be shown on the big screen for a week in New York, Los Angeles and possibly in the Kansas City area so it will be eligible for an Emmy.
"I would think it'll be the most impressive documentary regarding basketball ever made," Ian said.
EDWARDS CAMPUS
— Edited by Brett Bolton
Kansan staff writer C.J. Moore can be contacted at cjmoore@ kansan.com.
Fun Fest event at Edwards Campus welcomes students, families, neighbors
BY BEN SMITH
Although the University of Kansas Edwards Campus doesn't have Hawk Week events to welcome students, the University is bringing social events like Fun Fest to the Overland Park campus.
The Fun Fest, which will feature activities for both students and their families, begins at 5 p.m. today in the parking lot near the Jayhawk Central student union.
Steve Baru, a 50-year-old parttime masters student in business administration, was glad to see the University making an effort to reach out to his community and students like him.
"As someone coming from the
community, their presence is quite apparent here," Baru said.
Baru, who lives close to the campus, planned to attend the event with his neighbor.
The event will have free food, a children's activity area, discounts on merchandise at the bookstore, and local jazz group The Doug Talley Quartet will perform a free concert at 7 p.m. in Reigner Hall.
Baru said he thought the events served two purposes: making the students more connected to one another and making the community more aware of the programs and people at the non-traditional campus.
"The students are different, the learning is different," Baru said.
about his new college experiences.
These events are relatively new to the Edwards Campus. Last year there was a similar event for the opening of Jayhawk Central.
"Students, staff and the community enjoyed the events so much," said Elaine Warren, director of public relations at Edwards Campus. "We decided we would engage in something similar each year as a welcome back to students and outreach to our surrounding community and neighbors."
Kansan staff writer Ben Smith can be contacted at bsmith@kansan. com.
Edited by Dianne Smith
4
一