LEE/KANSAN
t get crossed
lood of the eldhouse ev-
in the action belted to the seniors e front row was written after that read:
re important us grow and grow" Young students and each they have for amazing. We having them
Madison Schultz
JULLINIX/KANSAN in during the final hawks are now
Joe Butcher, a senior from Dodge City (front left), Dallas Wilkinson, senior from Overland Park (front right), Brandon Bourbon, junior from Potosi, MO (back right), and Frazer Atkinson, a senior from Manchester, England (back left), gather together in Anshutz Library Tuesday night, March 5. The group got together and reviewed notes from previous classes
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
LEMILY DONOVAN
edonovan@kansan.com
"Don't use Wikipedia," is the caution that every freshman in Dr. Susan K. Thomas's English 102 class is altogether too used to hearing. Thomas, who has taught undergraduates to write research papers at the University since 2005, has watched her students' research techniques evolve as the Internet has made information and resources more accessible.
"Unfortunately, the students have become lazier," Thomas said. "They want the quick answer — they want to be able to Google it. They want things to be handed to them more."
In a digital era where her students would prefer to click the first result that pops up on a Google search, Thomas prods students
into reviewing an article's sources and thinking critically. When she assigns a 6-10 page paper over topics like bodily perceptions, her freshmen are expected to go more in-depth than simply discussing the vanity of piercings and tattoos. Her students must research using academic, peer-reviewed journals and evaluate the author's credentials.
Googling, Thomas said, is an easy place to get research ideas but its results must be searched through more reliable databases such as JSTOR. Despite high research standards, Thomas, too begins her research by running ideas through Google and Wikipedia.
"Wikipedia is an excellent place to start research, but you can't stop there," said Erin Ellis, the head of Libraries Instructional Services at Anschutz Library. "A lot of times,
those entries will have really good bibliographies at the end. Those are the resources that students should be looking at."
A librarian either visits Thomas' classroom or Thomas brings her freshmen to Watson Library for a
tour to introduce them to academic research at the University. Librarians stress the importance of thorough research and how to determine the authority of the author.
Ellis. who has
peer or editorial review, posting to the Internet doesn't go through a professional vetting office and can frequently be incorrect or heavily biased.
Ellis, Who has been a librarian for 10 years, is critical of information found on the open web. While academic journals and even newspapers and magazines require a professional
"Wikipedia is an excellent place to start research, but you can't stop there."
"One of the things that we're really trying to stress is determining
ERIN ELLIS
Head of Libraries Instructional Services
who the author is and what their credentials are," Ellis said. "If you can't find a name of a person or an organization, that's a red flag."
education, credentials and possible association with any organizations. Despite common misconceptions, organizations and even non-profit organizations often have serious bias — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, for example, is a nonprofit organization with an agenda to promote animal rights.
"Because you have a Ph.D. or are writing for a nonprofit doesn't necessarily mean that that information is not biased," Ellis said. "There's the issue of credibility but also the issue of bias."
The process of thoroughly evaluating a resource can be time-consuming, Thomas said, but necessary. Finding relevant research can be equally difficult.
"One of the things that I tell my students is don't expect it to be quick," Thomas said. "It often takes a little time to read what is valuable and what isn't. Just because it covers the basic topic doesn't mean that it's good."
Internet access of research resources has changed how students use the University's libraries. Ellis has noticed a shift as libraries are used more often for congregating and as a social space rather than academic.
"I don't think the library is being used as much to access resources," Ellis said. "We don't see students crawling in the stacks looking for resources anymore; they're on the computer. And you can use a computer anywhere you have an Internet connection."
CAMPUS
The University Libraries houses librarians specialized in each major offered on campus who can walk students through research procedures, discuss techniques or introduce to certain books and resources. The list of subject librarians and their contact information is available on the KU Libraries website.
Sporting CEO talks reinventing soccer franchise
— Edited by Jordan Wisdom
HANNAH BARLING
hbarling@kansan.com
Sporting Club is the parent organization of Sporting KC. Heineman is also the managing partner of Sporting Innovations, a technology company focused on innovation in sports and entertainment.
Sporting Club CEO Robb Heineman spoke about reinventing the Kansas City Major League Soccer franchise from the Kansas City Wizards into Sporting Kansas City Tuesday night at the Dole Institute of Politics.
Heineman became CEO of Sporting Club in 2006 and worked with local businesses in the Kansas City area to build a soccer specific stadium for Sporting KC. Kansas Board of Commissioners approved the plan for the 18,467-seat stadium
Before Sporting Club took over the franchise, Heineman said the average ticket yield was $4.87 because the organization gave away so many free tickets. He said at that point the organization had to figure out how to construct the right type of team to make it work.
Social media was a major tool in building up Sporting KC's fan base. Heineman currently has 8,408 followers on Twitter. He said that the organization tries to be as transparent and honest as it can be, and Twitter is a great forum to learn about their fans.
"I really feel like you guys trust us," Heineman said. "I think some of that is created by the fact that we try to listen to you on social media."
in 2010.
Heineman's interview with Bill Lacy, director of the Dole Institute,
was part of the leadership and globalization in sports series. Barbara Ballard, associate director for outreach at the Dole Institute, introduced Heineman.
"He's progressive, he's forward thinking, he's innovative and he not afraid to try new things." Ballard said. "And that what's helps you with that innovation."
Heineman was born in Sioux Falls, S.D. He started playing soccer when he was five and said sports were a huge part of his life. When Heineman was a freshman at the University of Notre Dame, his father was offered an opportunity to save the Sioux Falls skyforce minor league basketball team. Heineman said when his dad was first considering the offer, he said once you start losing things like your sports teams, it's bad for your city. After that Heineman interned
Sporting KC is one of 19 clubs in Major League Soccer. When Lacy asked Heineman how to create a winning culture from the business side of things, Heineman said to work hard, trust yourself and take every opportunity you get.
for his dad during the summer and started getting first-hand experience working sporting events.
Jess Bredy, a junior from Overland Park, said that she didn't know much about soccer before going to the event. She said she really likes Heinemans passion for the other local teams, the Kansas City Royals and the Kansas City Chiefs.
"I's refreshing seeing something new for Kansas City," Brody said.
Edited by Dylan Lysen
CRYPTOQUIPS 5
OPINION 4
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
Robb Heineman, the CEO of Sporting Club, the parent organization of Sporting Kansas City, speaks with Bob Lacy, the director of the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, Tuesday night as part of the Leadership and Globalization in Sports series at the Dole institute. The lecture series will feature topics such as sports leaderinship, doping, sports as a universal language to bridge political gaps, globalization of various sports and related issues. The series began in November 2008.
SPORTS 8
SUDOKU 5
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