KU curator describes fossil site
Land near the Sahara in southeast Tunisia, in North Africa, was once a moist tropical area, said Craig C. Black, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Kansas University Museum of Natural History.
Black recently returned from a three week project of exploration
and excavation in Tunisia. The project, he said, is designed to draw conclusions from remains of animals concerning their migrations, what animals were living together and the climate of the area when the now fossilized animals lived.
The site has been excavated for three years and a rich deposit of fossils—more than 10,000 specimens—have been uncovered. Black said.
The list of fossils sounds like an invoice from the Ark. Black named fossils of gazelles, pigs,
Book collectors rewarded
Winners in the 1970 Elizabeth Snyder Book Collecting Contest were announced last week by Barbara Backus, assistant special collections librarian.
The contest, sponsored by Mrs. Snyder and the Oread Book Shop, was for KU students who had collections of paperback books or hardbacks on certain topics of special interest to them.
In the graduate division of the contest, the first place winner was Andre Sedriks, Osawatomie, for his collection on the poetry of Charles Bukowski. The second place winner was Winder McConnell, Lachine, Quebec, for his
collection on the Waffen S.S.
Jeff Lough, Salina junior, won first place in the undergraduate division for his collection on the Bolivian Revolution of 1952; second place went to L. Lewis Wall, Salina junior, for his books on the culture of ancient Egypt.
Runners-up in the contest were Jim K. Swindler, Pratt freshman, human thought; Robert Mitchell, Wichita graduate student, rock and roll; James M. Welsh, Logansport, Ind., graduate student, film theory, history, and criticism. Brian P. Copenhaver, Baltimore graduate student, occultism in the Middle Ages and Renaissance;
and Jerry C. Coiner, Kansas City graduate student, warfare in the 20th century.
We had an excellent showing this year," said Mrs. Backus. "We had more entries than ever before and a wide spectrum of interests was represented."
Each contestant was first required to submit a bibliography of his collection with a statement of his purpose in making it. Ten entries on his bibliography were required to be annotated with a description of the book and special interest.
hippopotamus-like beasts, primative three-toed horses, sabertooth cats and fish.
University Theatre loses drama director
He said the specimens were deposited in a river delta system that flowed into the ancient Mediterranean Sea.
Entries were limited to 25 to 50 books from a collection. The books must have been owned and collected by the contestant.
Students who have attended the University Theatre have admired not only good acting and interesting plays, but also the excellent stage set designed by James W. Hawes, associate professor of speech and drama. Now Hawes is spending his last semester at the University of Kansas. This fall, he will assume his new position as director of the theatre department at Wisconsin State University in Oshkosh.
Black said the strait between Spain and North Africa at the time the animals lived (10-12 million years ago) was wider and farther south than it is now, and the Mediterranean covered a larger area. The water he said, was a barrier to prevent the animals from migrating.
The most important discovery, Black said, was the fact that the fauna in Tunisia was more closely related to fossils found in India than in Europe. He said the relationship indicated there was a more direct route for the animals to migrate from Asia and North Africa.
The project is funded through the Smithsonian Institution's Foreign Currency Program. The excavation and exploration is done through the cooperation of the University of Colorado and the Tumisia Geological Survey.
much like to direct one of Ibsen's plays at Oshkosh, partly also because the population there was largely of Scandinavian descent
A preliminary judging was held on the basis of the bibliography papers. The finalists were then asked to bring their books to Spencer Library for final judging.
In addition to directing and designing sets, Hawes teaches directing and acting, and also does some acting. Many will remember his performance of George in "Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Hawes also narrated the documentary film called "Leo Beuerman" which was nominated for an Academy Award this year.
The winners each received $100 in books to be ordered through the Oread Book Shop and the other finalists each received $10 in books.
The judges of the contest were George Allen, Lawrence attorney and book collector; James Gunn, administrative assistant to the chancellor and science fiction writer; and Frank Aydelotte, assistant history librarian.
The winning entries will be on display at Spencer Library this week and all of the finalists' entries will be on exhibition at Watson Library later this semester.
Hawes said the reason he was leaving for Oskhosh was that the position of theatre director there seemed such a challenge to him.
"The theatre at KU is really too big and we'd like to have a smaller, more intimate one here, too," he said.
"They've got all the equipment there that we have here," he explained, "but the theatre there is newer and smaller."
Use Kansan Classified
"For an intimate play like 'The homecoming' for instance, which I directed here, is really much better with a smaller audience. The KU University Theatre seats 1188 and at Oshkosh the theatre seats only 600." Hawes said. "At Oshkosh they've also got more rehearsal space and more dressing rooms," he added.
Hawes said he was very interested in international theatre, and the staff at Oshkosh shared his enthusiasm. Partly because he is married to a native of Norway, Hawes has a genuine interest in the works of Norwegian play-wright Henrik Ibsen. He wrote his Ph.D. dissertation on Ibsen's dramas, and said he would very
SUA SPRING INTERVIEWS
Fine Arts—April 22
1. Exhibits Chairman
2. Picture Lending Library Chairman
3. Poetry Hour Chairman
Apr.22 1970 KANSAN 17
4. Music & Drama Chairman
5. Musica O Branda Charn
Humanities Chairman
6. Art Forums Chairman
1. Chairman
Summer Board (Summer 1970) — April 22
2. Other Areas (Publicity, Secretary, Recreation, etc.)
Applications are due in the SUA Office by 5:00 p.m. on the day of your interview. You will select an interview time then. Your interview will be scheduled for five minutes. Please use the files in the SUA Office to help prepare your interview. Feel free to contact Board Members or last year's events chairman if you have any questions.
YWCA goal set at talks
The overriding goal of the Young Women's Christian Organization (YWCA) for 1970 is to combat racism, institutional or individual, by any means necessary, said Laura Friesen, Clay Center junior and KU-Y copresident Monday.
The goal was formulated at the YWCA national convention in Houston, April 13-18, which was attended by KU coeds Mary Jane Logan, King City, Mo. junior; Marianne Olish, St. Anne, Mo. senior; Sandy Leman, Wichita sophomore and Miss Friesen.
At the convention, a resolution introduced by Miss Friesen stating that the YWCA should go on record supporting the abolition of the selective service system, was passed by the Student Assembly
Miss Logan was elected as regional chairman of the west-central region of YWCA at the convention.
Winner of the Grand Prize Cannes Film Festival.