University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, February 9, 1988
Campus/Area
3
Shade trees threaten historic Prairie Acre
Group trying to save grassy patch that was donated by class of 1932
By Julie Adam Kansan staff writer
Behind Blake Hall, confined by a rock wall, the gift from KU's class of 1932 is slowly dying.
Alumni from that class donated to their porterity an acre of prairie land and an engraved message: "The Prairie Acre whereon is set this block of Oread Limestone to mark and preserve Nature's sweet fashion in making her garden."
But the Prairie Acre is becoming a weed patch.
Because of poor upkeep, the landmark is disappearing, said Warren Bird, Dodge City graduate student and president of Environs, an campus environmental group.
Tall trees have grown up around the Prairie Acre, blocking the sunlight needed for prairie plants to grow. Creeping myrtle, which grows in the shady areas, and redbud trees have crowded out many of the native prairie plants.
About 50 species of prairie plants have been killed since 1932. Bird said.
Bird said Environs wanted to preserve the prairie land to remind people that grasslands like before it was plowed, developed and turned into a university campus.
Bird said some initial improvements in the area had been made recently by the University.
all trees have grown up around the Praire Acre, blocking the sunlight needed for prairie plants to grow. Creeping myrtle, which grows in the shady areas, and redbud trees have crowded out many of the native prairie plants.
The area was mowed last spring because the wild plant life looked to visitors like unkempt weeds. But spring is the worst time to mow the area because the plants are just starting to grow and mature then. In spring, the tall trees surrounding the acre needed to be cut down.
Greg Wade, landscape architect for the office of facilities planning, said his office had cut down about half of the trees surrounding the area and planned to cut down more this spring.
He said that the University had recognized that the Prairie Acre was one of its responsibilities but that the improvements could not be done all at once. He said the results might not be visible for two or three years.
Bird said Environs was planning to
help clean up the area in the spring by cutting out thatch and shrubs and plant species of prairie grass that have been killed. But he said the efforts of his group would not be enough.
He said that even though his group was willing to take the time to save the Prairie Acre, Environors members should not have to volunteer time to get something done. He said that the Prairie Acre was the University's responsibility and that an active interest should be taken in it instead of just maintaining it by moving it every year.
Kelly Kindscher, Lawrence graduate student and ethnobotanist, said the best way to improve the area and kill the unwanted weeds would be to burn the area. This would kill the creeping myrtle and other weeds, but the prairie grass would grow back.
Wade said that he could not authorize a burning of the area but that his office would be willing to cooperate with Enviros in replanting new prairie species. But any action has to be approved by the office of facilities planning first.
New York teacher named as director of minority affairs
Rv Kathleen Faddis
Kansan staff writer
A New York community college counselor has been named KU's new director of minority affairs effective in March.
Rosita Dorsey, a counselor and teacher at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, was chosen yesterday after a national search that started in September.
Vernell Spearman, the current director, decided last summer to relinquish her administrative duties. She will remain with minority affairs as associate director.
"It was a unique opportunity to bring in someone with experience in another institution," said Caryl Smith, associate vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of student life.
"Dorsey was felt to be best qualified and most suited to our needs," she said.
Dorsay has a doctorate from the University of Iowa and has taught at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, St. Joseph's College in Brooklyn and Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
She also has held administrative positions at the American Business Institute in New York and at a
Rosita Dorsey
students in Advanced Karate practice Tae Kwon Do under the instruction of Peter Joo. Joo, a black belt, is a teaching assistant. The students were working out yesterday afternoon at Robinson Center.
Kickers
Computer writing program for English students limited
By Stacy Foster
Kansan staff writer
A computer lab that analyzes writing would be available to more students if the English department could improve its programming, the lab's director said.
But changes in Writer's Workbench, the program used in the Computer-Assisted Instruction lab, are restricted by copyright.
The lab, in Wescoe Hall, has 14 terminals to help about 400 students improve their writing techniques.
Jack Healy, graduate teaching assistant and director of the lab, said that he would like the service to be available to more English students, but the program would have to be updated first.
The program provides critical stylistic analysis of students' English compositions. It checks word choice, spelling problems, sentence length and paragraph organization.
Healy said that since the program first started in 1985, many changes had been made to improve the system, but that some areas needed further development.
bench restricts source code manipulation.
Healy said that the program was the best system available but could be improved if the department was allowed access to source codes to develop the program even further. But American Telephone and Telegraph's copyright on Writer's Work
Michael Johnson, chairman of the English department, said that the computer had the potential to analyze more areas but was not able to because of the restrictions.
The system could be used more effectively if it was accessible to more students, Johnson said. Only about 400 of the 3,000 students in introductory level English classes have access to the program. But the computer analyzing system does not have the capacity to be accessible to all the students.
The program is available to specific English classes and to students who have used the service before. Teachers sign their classes up for the program.
Johnson said that the program could expand by using personal computers.
"We would like to have terminals at various locations across campus that would allow students to work at the dormitory and get a printout later." Johnson said.
analysis program is an effective tool for students.
A study has shown that the writing
Gayleen Hove, a doctoral student in Human Development and Family Life, is conducting research on whether the program actually improves writing skills.
"In the preliminary stages there is a significant trend that favors those students who used Writer's Workbench." Hove said.
Hove said that about 200 of 580 essays had been studied.
"The program is totally objective. It is not the teacher telling the student what is wrong." Bryant said.
Sylvia Bryant, English graduate teaching assistant, said she liked to use the program for her classes and would be more objective analysis of their writing.
Students type in their rough draft and the computer prints out its analysis of the paper. The student then has the option of using the comments and making changes before the final copy is due.
"It's up to the student. If the student doesn't take the initiative to change the paper, it won't make the changes for them." Brvant said.
Mary Wormington, Springfield, Mo. senior, said that the program helped her with her writing.
"I used it last semester and choose to use it again. I think my writing has improved."
Sunflower State to get image boost from KU, film
Bv lames Buckman
Kansan staff writer
A film crew, trying to capture the strengths of Kansas, was at the University of Kansas last week shoot footage for a 30-minute film aimed at changing Kansas' image
The film, titled "Kansas: The Land, The People, The Promise," is being shot throughout Kansas this winter in an attempt to get Kansans and people outside of the state to look at the state a little differently.
The state Department of Commerce is producing the film, which is due out in mid-April.
"We wanted to come up with something that would emphasize the strengths of the state rather than the
Brad Parrott, the film's producer, said the idea for the film was conceived when a group of people from the Department of Commerce were searching for ideas to promote the state.
Crew films campus,
weaknesses, which usually get the attention," he said. Parrott said that a five-member crew began combing the state looking for stories that would promote life in Kansas along with the state's economic strengths.
Redwood, who has advised the state on economic policy and economic development, said, "They asked me to comment on the strengths of Kansas' economy and what the economic developmental strategies might be."
The crew was at KU on Thursday to interview Tony Redwood, a professor of business, and Ted Kuwana, director of the KU Center for Bioanalytical Research, for the film.
interviews professors
Redwood said that although the film was designed to sell the state of Kansas, it also dealt with current state economic problems.
"There is some attempt to show what the state is doing to change the factors holding back development." he said.
"I think Kansas has a bit of an image problem. Maybe a film like this is designed to help Kansans have a better image of their own state and economic development effort."
The Center for Bioanalytical Research, featured in the film, earns money for the University through royalties and patents on inventions in bioanalytical
research. Research at the center involves developing methods to detect, identify and analyze traces of biologically active compounds and environmental contaminants in living systems.
Parrott said the bioanalytical center was a perfect example of what the film was designed to portray.
"We're looking for Kansas success stories, whether they're from business, the arts, education or whatever," he said.
The film will look at many aspects of business in Kansas including a feature on a Kansas company that invented and manufactures breakaway basketball rims, Parrott said. The rims are used in the National Basketball Association and across the country.
Parrott said that excerpts from the film would eventually be used as television commercials to highlight the state.
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