THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOL.116 ISSUE 87 ARTS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2006
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PLAYBILL
GOLDEN THEATRE
SINGIN' IN THE LIED
KU programs promote culture, art on campus
BY DJUAN AWAY
dauwen@jensen.com
Students wanting to dabble in the fine arts need look no further than the University of Kansas. The Lied Center estimates that roughly 25 percent of the 40,000 visitors who passed through the doors of the Lied Center last year were KU students.
The Lied Center and the School of Fine Arts both desire to create an environment in which more students not only attend more events but learn to broaden their horizons, said Tim Van Leer, executive director of the Lied Center
"I think the student population is similar to the rest of the population. For some students, art is just not on their radar." Van Leer said.
The key to bringing in even more students is to present a wide array of events. Van Leer said. That is why members of the arts and entertainment community on campus are trying to devise ways to get more students in the door.Both the School of Fine Arts and the Lied Center are offering more contemporary and diverse productions and exhibits to students who love art.
The Lied Center this semester alone offers performances by the Soweto Gospel Choir; Turtle Island string
Steve Hedden, dean of the School of Fine Arts. said he thought students on campus believed the art world's level of awareness is not as current as other schools on campus. But that impression is incorrect.
quartet, musicals and a hip-hop and reggaeton concert.
"Taste changes over time. Songs in the top 40 10 years ago are completely different from what is in the top 10 right now." said Hedden. "A great deal of art in our school is quite contemporary; it's not just music from the 1700s. We can generate new work while still honoring our traditions."
The School of Fine Arts created a student advisory council to attract more students to campus performances. Hedden said one of the council's main platforms this year was to develop ideas of bringing the arts to where more students were located.
"Art is all but gone for some people in daily life; we are trying to bring back art to the daily-ness of life." Hedden said. Van Leer said: "I think its something that we must continue to work on, but not just with different and diverse events but we want to build a variety of workshops for artists and students outside of performance base."
Edited by James Foley
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BUSINESS
Erin Adams, manager of Joe-College.com, displays the store's Max Falkenstein shirt. The store had Falkenstein's approval to make the shirt, and it plans to have a shirt signing with Falkenstein later this month.
Carly Pearson/KANSAN
Gear aimed at students
BY KRISTEN JARBOE
kjarboe@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
"Muck Fizzzou," "Our Coach is PHAT," and "Win or Lose: We'll Still Booze" T-shirts can now be bought on Massachusetts Street.
Owner Larry Sinks decided to open his store, Joe-College. com, at 734 Massachusetts St., after receiving daily calls from students wanting to buy and sell them from his Web site of the same name.
The shop offers women's fitted shirts, hoodies, different colored T-shirts with "Kansas" on the chest, retro-type shirts and gear with the Joe-College. com logo. Most shirts average around $14.95, while the most expensive item is the hoodie, at $29.95.
"I think students will appreciate this store," said Kaity Fucinaro, employee and Omaha.
Neb, senior. "For example, a lot of students wanted the 'Why Play With Roy When We Can Play With Our Self' shirt, and now they can get it a lot easier."
Men's basketball coach Bill Self and football coach Mark Mangino aren't the only popular names on shirts. Max Falkenstien, KU radio broadcaster, has his own shirt too. It says, 'Thanks Max for the Memories' with a photo on the front, to commemorate his 60 years of broadcasting.
On Feb. 19 and Feb. 22,
Falkenstien will be in the shop
signing the shirts.
"It would be great to see everyone wearing that at the last home game." Sinks said.
Customers can also have shirts custom made for less than $25, or they can design a shirt for mass production and receive two for free.
SEE GEAR ON PAGE 5A
HEALTH
Pills worry doctors,profit companies
BY FRED A. DAVIS III
fdavis@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Near the end of last May, Nicole wanted to cut 30 pounds from her 5-foot-9, 173-pound frame. Her lifestyle at that time was not suitable to losing the weight. Diet pills presented a reasonable alternative.
Nicole, who requested her last name not be used, said she worked out three to four times a week for the first month while taking a diet pill called Release. She soon stopped working out, yet continued taking the pill.
Nicole is part of a growing number of overweight Americans. This population is one drug companies are trying to market to with diet drugs, as well as trying to get the FDA to approve the drugs. But health experts say the drugs don't replace healthy eating and exercise, and could lead to abuse.
Her weight fluctuated up and down, but Nicole saw no real progress.
Pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline reports that Americans spend $23 billion dollars annually on diet pills. In fact, 65 percent of Americans
It's not hard to see why Glaxo is trying to get its prescription diet pill, Orlistat, approved by the Food and Drug Administration for over-the-counter use.
are overweight or obese, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
But the effectiveness of Orlistat, which blocks fat absorption, has been called into question.
If made public, it is estimated that Glaxo would make $1.5 billion in retail sales given the projected 5 million to 6 million people who would buy the drug at a price of $12 to $25.
"I wouldn't take it," said Dennis Grauer, professor in pharmacy practice and one-time Glaxo contractor. "If you look at pharmacy sales, it's a dead drug."
The potential for abuse of the drug, which is intended for those clinically diagnosed as obese, is a serious concern for opponents of Orlistat. Grauer said he didn't foresee a major potential for abuse because of one glaring side effect: loose stools.
Ann Chapman, clinical dietitian at Watkins Memorial Health Center, disagrees with that notion. Chapman said
that those with eating disorders would be most apt to abuse the drug, similar to bulimics who abuse laxatives.
Chapman said diet pills had no substance.
"I see them as a crutch, and I don't think they're a good idea," Chapman said.
While diet pills will continue to be used, Chapman has simple advice for those trying to lose weight: "Eat less, exercise more and follow the food pyramid."
Grauer said he saw a huge demand to take diet pills to fix a problem, but taking diet pills
alone was not beneficial.
"They're a tool that may help, but they need to be used with diet and exercise to sustain any weight loss," Grauer said.
Fed up with being jittery and seeing no progress, Nicole stopped taking the diet pills last November and started working out with a trainer. She also made changes to her diet. In the near three months since she made the change, Nicole said she had lost 12 pounds — without the help of diet pills — on the way to her goal of losing 30.
Edited by John Jordan
Three KU students place in national contest The School of Journalism ranks second in a national writing contest. Take a look back at the writers and stories that got the awards. PAGE 2A
GAMEDAY: The Kansan breaks down KU-OU Check out the match-ups of the Jayhawks game Sunday at noon against the Sooners. Oklahoma faces a Kansas squad coming off four Big 12 victories. PAGE 8B
Big game Brandon
Big game Brandon Columnist Daniel Berk says Brandon Rush plays his best when everyone is watching. Rush will get an opportunity front of a national audience Sunday against Oklahoma. But what about the future? PAGE 1B
Index
Comics. 4A
Classifieds. 6A
Crossword. 4A
Horoscopes. 4A
Opinion. 7A
Sports. 1B
All contents, unless stated otherwise,
© 2006 The University Daisy Kansan