THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904 THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN WWW.KANSAN.COM FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10,2010 FUN-RAISER VOLUME 123 ISSUE 17 Free tickets for first-timers "Pastiche" variety show will raise money for students to attend theater shows for free Jeremy Ims, a junior from Overland Park, performs in the scene of Pastiche titled "Hot Honey Rag." The show is held as a fundraiser for the Jack B. Wright Student Ticket Fund. Dalton Gomez/KANSAN BY NICOLAS ROESLER proesler@kansan.com nroesler@kansan.com Before movies, before television and even before radio, there was theater. Modern entertainment has transferred the spotlight from the stage to the screen, but some still see value in live drama, live acting and being part of an interactive audience. Friends of the Theatre (FROTH) is putting on a show at 7:30 tonight at the Crafton-Preyer Theatre in Murphy Hall called "Pastiche." The production is a variety show with a general theme of "heart and music." With two sections of 10 acts, it features music, monologues, dance and more. The show will raise money for the Jack B. Wright Student Ticket Fund, which raises money in collaboration with the KU Endowment fund to give tickets to both underprivileged students and students who don't usually get a chance to go to the theater. John Staniunas, chair of the University's department of theatre and film, said the uniqueness of the theater experience cannot be duplicated by movies or TV, and that is why he believes in raising money for the student ticket fund. He said there is something special about seeing art come to life. "They are reflecting your life in the characters that they play," Staniunas said. "So you are trying to find yourself in the experience of the actors up on the stage." The student ticket fund will disperse tickets to both University students and Haskell Indian Nations University students for various productions throughout the year. Stanianes said the fund was actually the idea of Dave Ambler, the vice chancellor emeritus for student affairs from 1977 to 2002. Ambler was given the chance to go to a live theater production for the first time when he was in college. For the rest of his life, Ambler was an active theater-goer, Staniunas said, and Ambler decided to give that opportunity to other students. The fund is now named after Jack B. Wright, a longtime University professor of theater. Stanianas said the fund is publicized through Student Senate and always gives tickets to the McNair Scholars Program. The program is a federal organization designed to help undergraduates prepare for doctoral studies, specifically students who either have financial need or are from groups typically underrepresented in graduate education. The ticket fund has only been around for little more than a year, but Ngondi Kamatuka, director of the University's McNair chapter, said KU Endowment and Ambler's original fund have given tickets to McNair scholars for about 10 years. "It has been beneficial for students and faculty both to go to shows at the theater," Kamatuka said. "It exposes them to many areas of the University lifestyle." Students with financial aid are eligible for free tickets from the fund, but students who have simply never been to a University Theatre show have a chance for free admission, too. Justin Cobb, a senior from Overland Park, has never been to a University production, which he said is because he rarely sees advertisements for events. "Depending on the show, I would definitely take advantage of a free ticket," Cobb said. The University's McNair chapter gets an average of 15 to 20 tickets each year. Faculty members take the scholars to the show, and ABOUT THE SHOW WHAT: "Pastiche,"a Friends of the Theatre production/ fundraiser for the Jack B.Wright Student Ticket Fund WHEN: Tonight at 7:30 WHERE: Crafton-Preyer Theatre at Murphy Hall COST: $10 for students, $20 for adults, $10 for children 18 and under, $10 for post-show reception afterwards they get together and discuss it. Kamatuka said the educational growth that comes from the theater is extremely beneficial and students truly appreciate the experience. All proceeds from "Pastiche" and the post- show reception will go directly to the fund. Edited by Alex Tretbar LOCAL City to host annual energy conservation fair BY ANGELIQUE MCNAUGHTON amcnaughton@kansan.com When Nick Benson discusses energy and power on Saturday, he won't be referring to the football team. Benson, a sophomore from Orlando, Fla., will miss Saturday's home game to volunteer at the 10th annual Lawrence Energy Conservation Fair. Benson is the coordinator for the Resource Conservation committee and is an officer in Environs, the student organization that promotes environmental awareness. "Most people just aren't aware how much they can conserve," Benson said. "We're hoping that through this fair, people who aren't aware of conservation will become aware and people who are aware will learn other ways that they can reduce further." Lawrence residents peruse porches at last year's Energy Conservation Fair. This year the event will include a presentation by Westar Enerov and a performance by "Eco Elvis." Photo courtesy of Kathy Richardson The Energy Conservation Fair is hosted by the City of Lawrence Waste Reduction and Recycling Division and will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the City of Lawrence Community Building, located at 115 W. 11th St. The fair will feature 40 exhibits and will also feature presentations, workshops and performances all related to energy conservation and education. Tickets will be required for the Sustainable Homes Tour, but admittance to the fair is free to the public. To show the benefits of public transportation, the Lawrence Transit System will also be offering free rides on the T all day Saturday on all fixed routes. Kathy Richardson, the waste reduction and recycling operations supervisor, said in the past this event has grown to attract more than 600 attendees who enjoy learning from a variety of presenters including builders, architects, insulation experts, heating and cooling contractors, government agencies, non-futures and alternative fuel vehicle representatives. Jeffrey Severin, director for the center, said they would be trying to illustrate how the University is addressing energy in a variety of ways. Severin said that at the fair they would be looking at some of the research that is going on around campus through the Energy Council, through the Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis and a variety of research centers on campus that focus on issues that either address renewable energy or energy consumption and climate change. The University's Center for Sustainability will present at the fair again this year speaking about conservation around campus. Photo courtesy of Kathy Richardson "Environmental issues always seem like such large challenges and somewhat overwhelming." Severin said. "Energy conservation is something that we can all easily do in our daily lives. Fairs like this really help put that into perspective." Severin said in the past these fairs have always provided a lot of great information to anyone interested. Eileen Horn, the sustainability coordinator for the city, said the fair provided a forum for people to come and learn about energy conservation, new energy technologies and ways to become more energy efficient. Horn said Nickie Lee, who works in the State Energy Office and will speak about Efficiency Kansas, can educate students who rent on how to save money and SCHEDULE OF EVENTS SEE ENERGY ON PAGE 3A 10 a.m. — Lawrence Energy Conservation Fair opens with exhibits. 11 a.m. — Dominique Davison of Davison Architecture + Urban Design LLC talks about residential housing and the associated environmental effects. .ooon — Eco Elvis, an environmentally friendly Elvis impersonator, will perform modified Elvis songs with an environmental message. 1:30 p.m. — Nickle Lee from the State Energy Office will speak about Efficiency Kansas. 2:30 p.m. — Larry Kinder with LilyPad EV will speak about plug-in electric vehicles and their benefits to the environment and businesses. 4 p.m. — Exhibits close. Source: Kathy Richardson THE WAVE | Inside Alum films football season for new series New show looks at African healing Read about former player Micah Brown's new film and sports news in the Wave. ART | 6A The Spencer Museum of Art hosts an exhibit that shows the culture of health and community in African countries. RESEARCH 6A Federal funds may help bring new drug Recovery act grants bring funding to the University for research on a drug that could prevent cancer from nicotine. INDEX Classifieds...4B Crossword...4A Cryptoquips...4A Opinion...5A Sports...1B Sudoku...4A TODAY'S WEATHER Scattered T-Storms HIGH SATURDAY 83 55 Partly Cloudy SUNDAY Partly Cloudy All contents, unless stated otherwise. © 2010 The University Daily Kansan ---