CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, June 28, 1995
New director of the Natural History Museum, Leonard Krishtalka.
Museum leader will take science public
Former KU student discovers a new home in director's office
As a beginning doctoral student at the University of Kansas, Leonard Krishtalka had a difficult time finding an apartment, so he stayed in the basement of Dyche Hall, home of KU's Natural History Museum, for two months.
By Mark Luce Kansan staff writer
Now, 23 years later, Kristtalka is back at Dyche not as a guest, but as the new director of the Natural History Museum.
Kristalka, who took over for retiring director Philip Humphrey on June 19, said that the museum's reputation had helped him decide to leave his curator position at The Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh.
Krishtalka said that he hoped to work with both the private sector and the public community, not only to increase the museum's accessibility to people in Lawrence but also to develop ways to bring the museum to people around Kansas and the globe.
"This is the finest university natural history museum in the country," Kristhalka said. "As someone who worked on a national scale, I noticed that the top positions around the country that deal with biodiversity enterprises were inordinately full of KU graduates."
the other museums on campus and the creation of a virtual museum, which would be a comprehensive Internet site, are some ideas that Kristalka said he hoped the museum could pursue.
A traveling museum, coordinated events with
"At no time in human history are natural history museums more important to society than today," Krishtalka said. "The natural history museum can, because of its mission, serve society by providing the kinds of knowledge that will engender wise decisions on environmental use of natural resources.
"In turn, this will engender cost-effective solutions."
Brad Kemp, marketing director of the Natural History Museum, said that Kristalka's ability to merge the various interests of science and the public would help the museum.
"This will give us opportunities we wouldn't have had otherwise."
"Many directors are more interested in science, but he is an exception," Kemp said. "Krishtalka sees it as a continuum. Leadership has been passed from one generation to another.
Kristalta's ability to communicate effectively with a variety of people will be a major factor in opening the museum to the public, said Ruth Genrich, director of public education for the Natural History Museum.
"Kristalka can talk science to people who aren't scientists without being descending." Gennrich said. "He is an excellent communicator who was selected because of his dedication to making the information in the museum accessible to the public."
Kristalka is committed to the public side of the museum, but as a professor of systematics
and ecology, he also is dedicated to the scientific responsibilities of his position. Edith Taylor, incoming professor of botany, said that Kristalka's pervasive publishing and knowledge of all fields was impressive and that his hiring sent a positive message to scientists.
"I think it shows the University's commitment to the Natural History Museum," Taylor said. "By hiring Kristhalka, he said what the University thinks of the museum and the future of it. As a scientist, this is very important to me."
Christopher Hauffer, chairman of the botany department, said that Kristaltka would bring fresh ideas into KU's scientific environment.
"He brings new possibilities for coordinating science and the museum," Haufler said. "He wants to bring the museum into the information age, get catalogs on-line and make us that much more visible in the national and international community."
Kristalka earned his bachelor's and master's of science in zoology, anthropology and paleontology in 1969 and 1971 respectively at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. He earned his doctorate in 1975 from Texas Tech.
SUA calendar provides hot dates for students
Kristalka talked he enjoyed living in Lawrence and looked forward to the challenges of directing the Natural History Museum into the 21st century.
"The regional community is willing to invest in its betterment though education." Kristalka said. "And we have a terrific advisory board that is committed to this principle. There cannot be anything more grand than discovering the knowledge of life on earth and disseminating this information to the public."
By Gwen Olson Kansan staff writer
It is summer at the University of Kansas, and Student Union Activities has many events lined up to occupy students during those hot summer nights.
The best part is, the events are all free.
The first of the events was the New Riddim Band concert on June 15. The concert, on Campanile Hill, drew a crowd of about 350 people.
"We had a few less people than we expected," said Jason Fizell, SUA promotions coordinator. "But it was our first event, and we hadn't gotten all of the publicity out yet."
"We had 1,200 free vouchers to see the movie, and we ran out in about three hours," Fizell said. "Less people showed up, but the turnout was still about 1,000 people."
A special sneak preview of the new Tom Hanks film, "Apollo 13," was shown June 22 at the Lied Center and was a big success, Fizell said. The movie was released in theaters June 23, so KU students got a special first look at the film.
The movie was enjoyed by many students, said Jessica McNickle, Ashland junior. "It was a great opportunity to see it before it came out in the theaters," she said.
Other students agreed.
"It was an amazing movie," said Aroop Pal, Lawrence sophomore. "Everyone really enjoyed it, and I was amazed that SUA got it, because it was so new."
SUA had planned a showing of "Outbreak" on the Hill for the following night. But, because of rain, the movie was rescheduled for 8 p.m. tomorrow in Woodruff Auditorium.
"We anticipate the attendance to get better as the summer progresses," said Fizell. "We have had a lot of calls on our movie line from people looking for something to
HawkWeek
SUA's Hawk Week will take place Aug, 15-20. Here's the what, when and where:
Playfair
6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 15
Allen Field House
Beach-n-Boulevard
7 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 16
Wesco Beach
ice cream social sponsored by the University of Kansas Alumni Association 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17 Adams Alumni Center
Traditions Night
7 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 17
Memorial Stadium
Downtown Lawrence Day
10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 19
Convocation
7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 20
Lied Center
SUA Movie on the Hill
9 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 20
Campanile Hill.
Source: Student Union Activities
do."
"We tried to program for the students, but other people are always welcome," Fizell said. "We conclude the events on July 13 because finals will be coming up after that, and we have to get ready for the fall."
In July, SUA will be showing two movies: "National Lampoon's Vacation" at 9 p.m. July 7 on Campanile Hill and "Pulp Fiction" at 9 p.m. July 13 on the Hill.
SUA will gear up its fall program with Hawk Week, a week of orientation events for students, August 15-20.
Proposal weakens Kansas'sexed mandate
By Traci Carl
The Associated Press
TOPEKA — Starting Saturday,
any school district in Kansas can
refuse to teach human sexuality
and AIDS education, and there's
nothing the state Board of Education
can do about it.
The 1987 mandate that requires schools to teach students human sexuality is, and has always been, in place, said Dale Dennis, deputy education commissioner.
But a legislative proposal to revamp the board's controversial accreditation program will take away its ability to tie the requirement to funding. This tie has provided the board with leverage to make schools teach sex education
"On July 1, the mandate is unenforceable," said Rod Bieker, attorney for the state Department of Education.
Mark Tallman, lobbyist for the Kansas Association of School Boards, said enforcement isn't an issue.
He believes schools still will follow the mandate, which simply requires them to report to the
board that they have developed a curriculum for human sexuality and AIDS education.
Besides, he said, accreditation and funding are based on many issues — not just sex education.
"I don't see how the old system had any real teeth in it," Tallman said.
In theory, the board has been able to enforce the controversial sex education mandate in two ways: as part of the criteria for accreditation and by denying funding.
But it voted earlier this month to remove it as a
bers that they could still pull funding at schools that didn't offer human sexuality and AIDS education.
After that, seven members of the board voted in favor of removing the requirement that all students demonstrate physical and emotional well-being — which included
"I don't see how the old system had any real teeth in it."
criterion for the accreditation process.
Responding to concerns that the mandate couldn't be enforced, Lee Droegemueller, commissioner of education for the board, told mem-
MarkTallman
Kansas Association of
School Boards lobbyist
When included the study of human sexuality and AIDS — from the accreditation process. The legislative proposal that becomes law on Saturday repeals a provision requiring schools to make annual reports to the state board describing their progress and
how they have met board criteria to receive state aid.
Wichita board member Michael Graggert questioned whether the board could have legally pulled funding from a school that didn't
offer sex education. A supporter of the sex education mandate, he favored leaving it in the accreditation criteria.
"It provided cover to local school boards to offer this type of education," he said, adding that a small, vocal group of parents was pressuring local boards to drop or limit sex education curriculum.
"I don't know whether they have the guts to stand up to it or not," Graggert said.
Gerald Henderson, executive director of United School Administrators of Kansas, said there should be sanctions in place to enforce the mandate, but he believed most schools would recognize the importance of teaching human sexuality.
Many parents have attacked the mandate, arguing that sex education should be taught in the home. Others argue that it should focus on teaching abstinence.
Parents can pull their children out of human sexuality and AIDS education classes without consequences. Schools are required to make the curriculum available to parents.
Phelps, some of his flock face court date next month
The Associated Press
TOPEKA — Unless a federal judge dismisses charges brought against them by Shawnee County prosecutor Joan Hamilton, six members of Westboro Baptist Church will go on trial next month in Lyon County District Court in Emporia.
The defendants, including anti-gay activist Fred W. Phelps Sr., the church pastor, are charged with a variety of counts including assault and battery in a series of incidents related to church members' picketing churches, businesses and law enforcement officials in Topeka 1994 and 1995.
Special Shawnee County District Court Judge Michael Barbara had moved their trials from Topeka to Emporia on grounds their activities in Topeka had so prejudiced residents that they
could not get impartial trials here.
Attorneys for the six defendants had contended they also could not get fair trials in Lyon County and argued that the trials should be moved to some other location in southeast Kansas. However, on Monday prosecutors and the Phelps' attorneys agreed to keep the trials in Emporia.
The Phelps defendants also have a case pending in federal district court in which they ask for dismissal of all charges, on grounds they are unconstitutional, because Hamilton is biased against Westboro Baptist Church members and has engaged in selective prosecution.
Judge Timothy Leonard of Oklahoma City has scheduled a hearing here Thursday to listen to arguments in that case.
If he doesn't dismiss the charges, Barbara plans to begin hearing the cases against the six
defendants on July 17 in Emporia. He announced a schedule that calls for hearing two of the cases each week over a three-week period, with two days of testimony estimated for each case.
Defendants and the charges against them are as follows:
Fred W. Phelps Sr., battery, assault and two counts of disorderly conduct.
Jonathan B. Phelps, disorderly conduct, battery and unlawful restraint.
Charles F. Hockenbarger, battery.
Charles W. Hockenbarger, battery and unlawful restraint.
Karl Hockenbarger, assault, unlawful restraint and two counts of battery.
Phelps Sr. has called the charges "total fabrications."
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