CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Monday, September 26, 1994
3A
Karate clinic builds character and skills
Students work toward greater enlightenment
By James Evans Kansan staff writer
Room 130 Robinson Center was turned into a dojo for a few hours Friday and Saturday.
The dojo, a zone of enlightenment, was necessary for a seminar on traditional Japanese martial arts, including karatedo, often referred to as karate, and kobudo, a sub-discipline of karatedo that uses classical weapons.
James Bramble, fourth-degree black belt in Chishen-Ryu karatedo and coordinator of the clinic and seminar, said the purpose of the two-day event was to try to build character in his four students, all members of his Karatedo-Kobud class, through martial arts training. All four of the students have had at least one year of karatedo training.
Bramble's students worked on the their ki, or inner energy, their kokoro, or mental attitudes, and waza, the physical aspects encompassed in karatedo. All of these elements are part of the Chisen-Ryu style of karatedo.
"I'm trying to give them a concentrated dose of all aspects of karate-do," Bramble said.
Bramble said he also had tried to make an impact on his students' characters by teaching them how to use four classic Japanese weapons. He
said that a student must understand karatedo, fighting with the empty hand, before they could use the weapons. A weapon is supposed to become an extension of the hand, Bramble said.
They used a variety of weapons, including the bo, a six-foot staff; the boken, a wooden sword; the sai, a three-prong hand-held spear; and the jo, a 4-foot long staff.
"It's hard training, and you have to exert a tremendous amount of effort when using the weapons," Bramble said.
He said the four students, who have been learning kobudo since the beginning of January, had learned 12 katas, or a series of predefined movements, which encompassed the use of weapons and karated.
Alan Twarog, Lawrence graduate student, said one of the highlights of the seminar for him had been a candelight focusing exercise Friday night.
Each of the members stood around a candle in the dark, and they completely focused their energy on the white light of a small flame. Twarog said the hour-long exercise, in which he performed numerous reverse fist strikes toward the candle, allowed his mind to focus completely on what he was doing.
Steve Goff, Lawrence graduate student, also attended the seminar. He said he had enjoyed it because of the spiritual aspects of the martial arts training.
"We came in as four individuals," Goff said. "And we built a lot of cohesiveness in working together."
TrCi Twarog, Lawrence graduate student, practices a kata, or a series of set movements, to enhance his form during the Traditional Japanese karatedo and kobudo seminar and clinic. The clinic was Friday and Saturday in Robinson Center.
Jay Thornton / KANSAN
A 3-feet-wide and 8-feet-high wall clock, donated by Martha Relph, KU alumna, hangs in a student housing conference room in Gertrude Sellards Pearson-Corbin Hall.
Yumi Chikamori / KANSAN
Timepiece returns to University after an auction and restoration
After 76 years, wall clock hangs again in Corbin Hall
By Ashley Miller Kansan staff writer
A University of Kansas alumna Martha Relph, Madison resident, donated a wall clock to the University on Friday, but it wasn't an ordinary wall clock.
The clock, which measures 8 feet high and about 3 feet wide, is believed to be the campus clock that was in North College Hall when the building opened in 1866. North College was the first building on campus.
Ralph said Hessler lived on Alabama Street, next door to Kenneth Ralph, a student at the University and her future husband. In the late 1940s, Hessler showed the clock to Kenneth Relph. It was in pieces and was sitting in bushel baskets, but Relph wanted to buy it. He restored it with the help
The clock was auctioned off in 1918 when the building was demolished. V.P. Hessler, who was a professor in the School of Engineering at the time, bought the clock.
of Joe Relph, his brother.
Hessler sold the clock to the Relph brothers for $25, Martha Relph said. The clock remained in the family until she returned it to the University in April.
Martha Relph said she noticed the clock in an old newspaper article about KU a few years ago and started thinking about bringing it back to campus. She returned it because she felt it was the right thing to do.
When Martha Relph visited campus Friday, she brought several family members with her to celebrate and reminisce about the clock.
Ross Relph, Martha's nephew, said he remembered family members hiding Christmas presents and Easter eggs on the mantel of the clock where he could not reach them.
"I instead of watching television, I watched this clock in my grandmother's house," she said. "I've looked at it a million times, and I always find something special there."
Patricia Relph, Martha's granddaughter, said she also remembered the clock from her childhood.
Ken Stoner, director of student housing, said the clock was hanging in a student housing conference room in Corbin Hall.
"I've looked at it a million times, and I always find something special
there."
Patricia Relph
Granddaughter of Martha Relph
The residence hall was built on the site of North College Hall, Stoner said, so it seemed appropriate to hang the clock there.
Mac Truong, an employee at Mark's Jewelers, 817 Massachusetts St., restored the mechanical portion of the clock. Richard and Laura Morris, Baldwin, and Norman Boone, Eudora, refinished the clock's wood.
Richard Morrisr said the clock probably was worth $3,000 or $4,000.
"Any KU memorabilia is bringing high dollars at auctions," Laura Morriss said. "Knowing the history of an antique makes it worth a lot more."
Some students have problems with banking
By Shannon Newton Kansan staff writer
Not having money is a problem for many college students. And for some, keeping track of what they do have is an even bigger problem.
But bank employees said that with a little financial planning, many of these problems could be solved.
Aolk Strivastava, Lawrence senior, has worked at Bank IV, 900 Ohio St., for six months. He said he had seen many students complain about bank statements, blaming the bank's employees for problems the students created themselves.
"People constantly come in and complain about problems," Srivastava said. "They think that we are screwing up their accounts."
Srivastava said problems were caused by Automated Teller Machine cards and bad checks.
"Students get mad because we only own one ATM," he said. "So if they go to another ATM in town, then they are charged $1 per withdrawn. In a month the charges can really add up."
He said the service charges took money out of the students' checking accounts that the students were not expecting, causing them to think they had more money than they did. In addition, for every bad check written, a $17.50 service charge is taken from their accounts. If the problem is not taken care of, Srivastava said, it could become a vicious circle that becomes harder to get out of.
Srivastava said most of the problems occurred simply because people didn't keep track of every transaction they made.
"The service charges add up," he said. "When their statement comes, they see all of their unanticipated charges and fees, and they want an explanation."
Blake Weichbrodt, an employee at Emprise Bank, 2435 Iowa St., said he saw students come in the bank with problems, but most concerns could be straightened out easily.
"Most understand the charges and budget accordingly," he said. "I do get complaints, but most students have a grasp on their accounts."
Mark Jifford, Derby senior, said he had not had any problems with his account.
"I just make sure that I don't go under the minimum balance," he said, "I always have $100 in my account."
Some students said they found that the best way to keep up with their accounts was to have their parents deal with it.
James Haiar, Omaha, Neb., sophomore, said that he left his account in Omaha with his parents.
"My parents deposit money into my account when I need it," he said. "But they still want me to keep track of how much I spend."
Maggie Antisel, Louisburg sophomore, said that when she came to school she decided to stay with the bank she had used all of her life.
When shopping around for a bank, Antisel could not find a bank with options better than her hometown bank's options.
"The highest monthly service charge I've had is $1.50," she said.
"That's the lowest charge that I could find."
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