UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Thursday, April 11. 1996
5A
Graves bestows award on KU wildlife writer
Author of 20 books named laureate
By John Collar Kansan staff writer
TOPEKA — After a lifetime of writing about wildlife and the environment, Joe Collins, editor and herpetologist at the Natural History Museum, was honored yesterday as the Kansas Wildlife Author Laureate
In a brief ceremony at the Statehouse, Gov. Bill Graves signed a
proclamation that recognized Collins' work as a wildlife writer and editor.
Collins' career as a herpetologist, or one who studies amphibians and reptiles, began when he was a 13-year-old growing up in Ohio.
"I had a very understanding father who encouraged my interest in wildlife. It got out of hand," Collins said, laughing.
In 1968, Collins began work at the museum as a zoologist and collections manager.
This month, Collins will have finished his 20th book on the natural
Collins is also known for editing the 1985 book, Natural Kansas, which he called his proudest achievement. The book outlines the native flora and fauna of the state.
world, titled A Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Fort Riley and Vicinity.
Writers in Louisiana have contacted Collins about using the same format for a similar book in their state. He said the book was important in dispelling some misconceptions about the native wildlife in Kansas, such as that carp, pigeons, starlings and wheat were all native
The most popular book Collins has written, he said, is the Peterson First Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians, which took about seven years.
"You want to get it back to what it really was," Collins said.
to Kansas.
Collins' wife, Suzanne, has provided photographs for 11 of his books.
"You need to bring a lot of folks
together from a wide background, including environmentalists, to make the kinds of decisions that avoid confrontation,"Collins said.
The award is the first time that a Kansan has been recognized as a laureate in any field, said State Rep. Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence. Sloan nominated Collins for the award and worked with the governor's office in completing the awarding process.
Frank Cross, professor emeritus of systematic ecology, collaborated with Collins on a book titled Fishes in Kansas. He said Collins' enthusiasm and initiative have benefited the
"He's really interested in public awareness in conservation, preservation and survival of the state's native species," Cross said.
ecology of Kansas.
Phillip Humphrey, who served as director of the museum from 1967 to 1995, said he hired Collins as a zoologist at the museum in 1968. Humphrey said he had enormous respect for what Collins had done.
"He's done an outstanding job in popularizing the natural history of the state," Humphrey said. "To my mind, that's a very significant contribution."
International group celebrates 50 years of cultural understanding
By Susanna Lööf
Surviving despite changes in leadership and membership is a challenge for many student organizations.
Kansan staff writer
But the International Student Association has met that challenge. The group, which promotes understanding between different cultures at the University of Kansas, celebrates its 50th anniversary this week.
Ann Eversole, director of the Organization and Activities Center, said it was unusual for an organization to survive that long, though several sororities, fraternities and religious groups are older.
Some student groups don't survive because they are created to deal with toni-
cal issues that the students either solve or lose interest in, Eversole said. Other groups fade when their founders graduate.
However, there are no records of activities between 1939 and 1946, the year the group was renamed the International Club. Records from the 1950s and 1960s show that the group's members organized several
Books in dusty boxes at the University Archives reveal that the group's history is longer than 50 years. Its origins can be traced to 1920, when the Cosmopolitan Club was founded. An entry in the 1921 edition of the Jayhawker Yearbook says that the purpose of the group was to promote good fellowship among international students and between international students and other students.
international events and went on winter break trips to Mexico.
Jason Crawford, Lawrence senior and member of International Student Association since 1980, said the key to the group's long survival was its involved members, particularly in its earlier years.
"The organization used to be a lot stronger and more communal back in the '60s," he said.
The group's president, Hani Al-Aali, A'ai.
The group grew, and its cultural shows and events became traditions on campus.
Bahrain, junior, said the group had achieved its goals of making international students more comfortable at the University and doing a better job of introducing American and international students to each other.
"As ISA started, it was doing a very good job of meeting these goals," he said. "Then there was a period of slack, and now it's coming back again."
The slack was not only the group's fault,
AI-A'all said.
"It's the society we live in," he said. "People hold back more."
Atsushi Okumura, Kyoto, Japan, senior, and the group's vice president, said the group, which has about 40 active members, had falsely become known as a party club during recent years.
"Our parties got very popular," he said. "And then we were recognized as a social club. But we're a social and cultural club."
The group, which meets at 6 p.m. Mondays at the International Room in the Kansas Union, has expanded its Festival of Nations from a day to a week to honor its golden anniversary.
The celebration includes an international potluck dinner at 6 p.m. tonight at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread Ave., a World Expo on the lawn in front of Stauffer-Flint Hall tomorrow, a cultural show at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas Union, and a party at the Regency Room in the Holiday Inn, 200 McDonald Drive, after the show. The party costs $4, but other events are free.
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CONCERT SERIES
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