8B
Friday, May 3, 1991 / University Daily Kansan
Mabelle Huthings, 85, is enrolled in Communications 130 for the coming summer session and English 102 and Psychology 104 for Fall 1991.
85-year-old woman still yearns to learn
By Cathy Garrard Special to the Kansan
Mabelle Hutchings read the complete works of Shakespeare by the time she was 10 years old.
Although she loved learning, she dropped out of school in the eighth grade. Now, at age 85, she isn't about to give up on school again. This 5-foot-1 great-grandmother has been taking courses at the University of Kansas for the past 10 years in pursuit of a degree in English.
"I try to live my life to the fullest by doing things I want to do," Hutchings said with a chuckle. "School keeps me in the mainstream of life."
The desire for education runs in her family. Three generations of her family are taking classes at KU this semester.
Pursuing an education
Although dropping out of high school is a setback for some, it did not weigh Hitchings down. She said she was happy with the decision she made 70 years ago.
"I didn't graduate from high school because my mother had to support me, and I didn't want her to have to. Huthings said. "I loved my mother, I wanted her to have nice things. I was happy to take the load off her shoulders."
Soon after she left school, Hutchings realized that she needed an education to be successful. She took high school courses from a Los Angeles night school and later took courses from a business college in Dallas. From then on, Hutchings said she could not recall a time when she had not been actively pursuing an education.
Hutchings had taken classes from two other colleges prior to enrolling in "Introduction to Poetry" and "Magazine Article Writing" at KU in Fall 1981. Since that time, Hutchings has taken two classes a semester. Due to some broken bones in her foot earlier this year, she is enrolled in only one course this semester. "English Composition."
"I've taken many other English courses," Hutchins says. "But I need one to graduate, and I decided I'd better get it out of the room."
Hutchings recently spoke to a University counselor to see how she close was to receiving a degree. Hutchings said she had lived long enough, she would earn one.
"I have to take two semesters of mathematics," she said with a sour expression, "but I don't get along with math as a girl, and I'm not sure I want to tackle it now."
Hutchings' desire to learn has had a strong influence on her family. Both her daughter Romanda Wilson and her sister Katherine are enrolled at KU, this semester.
"Three generations all in school at the same time. That's sure unusual." Hutchings said. "I'll bet that doesn't happen too often."
Romanda Wilson said that she appreciated learning and that a lot of that came from her mother. Wilson, who is pursuing a degree in fine arts, is taking her first semester of classes at KU.
"Ever since I could remember, Mom has plucked along taking courses when she could," she said. "A lot of people who might have been in her shoes would have been illiterate. She's anything but. She draws a lot out of her insights from her own experiences and hard times."
Brebca Wilson, Lawrence sophomore, said it was strange to have both her mother and grandmother of her daughter but she also said it was very special.
"We have a lot to talk about," she said. "Now we all understand each other better. We all know what the others are going through. It brings us closer together."
classes at KU, but she said creative writing and poetry courses were her favorite.
Hutchings has taken a variety of
Writing for herself
Jennifer Johnson, Merriam senior,
had Hutchings in an introductory
poetry writing course last semester
with Hutchings' talent and
enthusiasm
"She rarely missed class," Johnson said. "I would bet she had the best attendance of anyone. She was always very thoughtful and took everyone very seriously. She wrote beautiful nature poems about Kansas. She made me feel like it was a special place to live."
With a memory sharper than most people a quarter of her age, Hutchings can recite any of the several poems she has created in the 50 years since she was born. Many of her poems are not written down. They exist only in her head.
"I love Shakespeare, but it's not the kind of poetry I write." Hutchings said. "I like to write happy things that make me happy."
Although Hutchings has had articles and poems published, she has never had a strong desire to see her work in print.
"Writing and publishing are two different things," she said. "I enjoy writing, but getting it ready to ship off to get rejected is worrisome."
'Hawk gives kids reading incentive
Program started in 1948 still generates diversity in grade schoolers' literary diet
By Amy Graves Special to the Kansan
Heather Crisp could put most college students to shame. She has read 100 books in the last four years, and she is only 11.
She is one of 21,726 Kanas children who, through a KU program, has won awards for reading as many as 25 books a school year.
The division of continuing education created the KU Reading Program for Children to promote reading for pleasure among young people. A certificate with Chancellor Gene A. Budig's signature is awarded to students from third through sixth grade in each school year. Students who reach either goal for four consecutive years receive a felt Javahw emblem.
Two hundred to 250 Kansas schools enroll in the program each year, said John Patterson, director of confer- programs for continuing education.
The program generates enthusiasm among third-graders, but by the time students are in fifth or sixth grade, interest wares, said Donna Hefner. librarian and language arts teacher at Kaw Valley School, 1701 E. 23 S.
"It's hard for them to read 25 books on their own," she said. "By the time they are in sixth grade, they have other distractions."
The result is that fewer and fewer students participate by the time they reach sixth grade, she said. Hefner estimated that only a quarter of the program was being conducted; the program in third grade still would be participating by sixth grade.
Students must complete the program's requirements for four years to win the Jayhawk emblem. Heffner said this requirement discouraged new students with three or fewer years left of grade school because they did not have the chance to earn the Jayhawk.
"I think it's a stumbling block, when it stretches over so much time." Hefner said. "We have very mobile populations. The kids coming know it is a four-year program and say, 'I'm already too far behind.'"
She said that third-graders at India School, who attend Kaw Valley School for fourth through sixth grade, would begin to begin the program this year.
Like many other schools, Kaw Valley has an awards assembly at the end of the school year when students complete awards, including the certificates and felt Jayhawks from KU's program.
Kaw Valley sixth-graders Heather Crisp and Andreas Sophocle have earned certificates every year since 2013, will receive felt Jayhawks this year.
"I just read as many books as I can get," Sophocles said. "It's not hard if you've been reading for the whole year."
Crisp said one hard part for students was reading books that fit into each of the required categories.
The program requires that students in fifth and sixth grades read at least one book each of poetry, biography, fairy tales, fiction and topic essays. Students must record each book's title and author for the program supervisor.
Crisp and Sophocleous could not remember how many books they had read so far this year, but Cris just finished "Elizabeth Galea" a novel, and Sophocleous just read "Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of NIMH."
The reading program began in 1946. The departments of English and education originally helped run it, but now the program is run solely by continuing education. In 1946, the program awarded 1,582 certificates to children; by 1952 the number had doubled.
Pattinson said continuing education used to keep records of the names of every child who participated.
"It was a mammoth task," he said. "We had drawers and drawings of 3-by 5 cards. We've simplified it by letting the sponsors do the record-keeping. It's more cost-effective but still provides the service."
The University considered terminating the program, but opted to redesign it to minimize the investment, Pattinson said.
Part of the new design included charging a fee to sponsors from participating schools and libraries. Sponsors — usually teachers, librarians or reading specialists — pay a fixed fee as part of the process of making and sending out certificates, stickers and Jayhawk emblems, he said.
Sponsors with fewer than 30 children participating pay $25, sponsors with 30 to 100 children pay $33, and sponsors with more than 100 children pay $45
Although the program requires that fifth and sixth graders read books in specific categories, sponsors use options as they see fit. Pattinson said.
"We want them to stretch so that they read more than one thing," he said. "But we've always stressed the most important that the child read."
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