6A the university daily kansan
friday, february 13,2004
news
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All Cullerton (right), Chicago senior, helped Hae-Ju Choi, an Applied English Center student from Korea, during class in 106 Fraser Hall Wednesday. Along with teaching the class, Cullerton leads conversation groups that are available for foreign students. These groups will begin next week in the lobby of the Kansas Union,
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**Watch for our expansion and relocation**
By Jodie Kraftt
jkrafft@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
English center a family affair
Mother, daughter bond while teaching English to non-native speakers
Abigail Adams didn't come to college to get away from her mother—she works with her on campus.
Adams, Lawrence sophomore, and mother, Janet, work at the Applied English Center as conversation leaders. Janet said she first heard about the job last semester and then encouraged her daughter to apply with her.
apply with pen. Last semester, Janet and Abigail each led five conversation groups, including one they led together.
Abigail said although she and her mother both had take-charge personalities, they led their group without conflict.
"The group had a lot of fun with it," Abigail said. "They said we looked alike and liked to make fun of us."
janet said one challenge was
Conversation leaders meet with groups of center students each week to improve spoken English skills and to adjust to the Lawrence and the University of Kansas community, said Judy Bonifield, conversation group coordinator.
Leaders determine the week's topic and facilitate discussion within the group. This semester Abigail and Janet will each lead four or five conversation groups, which begins next week.
Abigail said popular topics between students were food, music and holidays.
"Talking about holidays is fun," Abigail said. "We talked about which relatives come, who cooks the food, what food is cooked and how to make it."
finding an appropriate topic: one complex enough for the group to discuss, but not so difficult that thinking and talking in English was impossible.
Abigail said the most difficult part of her job was when the group didn't want to talk.
"The whole point is to get them out of their comfort zone and speaking, but they're usually pretty cooperative." Abigail said.
Elvia Sanchez, an Applied English Center student from Mexico, said she enjoyed the meetings because she was stressed out. Seeing and talking to
people helped her relieve the stress, she said.
Students in the program don't pay extra to join conversation groups. The cost is included in their out-of-state tuition. Bonifield said about 200 students were enrolled at the center, but it was difficult to tell how many students attend conversation groups because they can go to any group, any day of the week. This creates the need for prepared but flexible leaders, Abigail said.
Janet said three Korean women consistently attended the group she and Abigail led, and the
relationship among the women became more informal toward the end of the semester
"We got to know each other well enough that it became a conversation between friends instead of between a teacher and a student." lanet said.
Janet said she enjoyed working with her daughter professionally.
"My daughter is very special because she's willing to work with me," Janet said. "She doesn't hide the fact that I'm her mother. I appreciate it very much."
Edited by Henry C. Jackson
Joanne Shenandoah Friday, February 13* - 7:30 p.m.
Associated Press
"Shenandoah has become the most critically acclaimed Native American singer of her time."
This Grammy Award nominee's original songs, striking voice and skill as a musician highlight the ancient songs of her Iroquois heritage.
CATS
Don't miss this magical, musical event for the entire family
Featuring songs: "Memory",
"The Moments of Happiness"
and "The Run Tum Tugger"
...CATS is not only everything you've been told, it's a lot more that can't be put into words!
-The Washington Post-
Don't miss chamber music at its finest!
St. Lawrence String Quartet
with Todd Palmer, clarinet Sunday, February 22* - 2:00 p.m. Program will include "Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind" commissioned by the Lied Center.
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet with Colin Currie, percussion Thursday, February 26* - 7:30 p.m.
"The world's hottest classical ensemble or its tightest pop band? However it helps you to think about the LAGQ, keep the emphasis on superlatives..." --Los Angeles Times
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TDD: 89-864-3777
Researchers focus on bioterrorism
By Joshua Kendall
jkendall@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
For most people, terrorism conjures up images of bombs and airplanes.
Leonard Krishtalka, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, sees a different sort of weapon that could be used by terrorist: species themselves. Animals that can host viruses that are potentially dangerous to humans could be used to taint the food supply or organisms and insects that can damage crops could be released to kill crops.
"This research approaches to model and predict the spread of emerging disease, agricultural pests, invasive species and other kinds of phenomena that might potentially be used by terrorist," said Kristhalka, who is also the director of the KU Biodiversity Research Center.
The $1.8 million research project is funded by a grant from the Department of Defense. Project members will work to create a predictive modeling of potential bioterrorism agents using the millions of specimens stored in museums.
A. Townsend Peterson, the primary researcher and associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, will integrate the museum collections with climate and environmental data to determine the possible spread of invasive species.
Research has already been done to advance the basic knowledge of biodiversity, such as the effect of climate change of species, but Peterson's research will provide insight if an animal or plant-borne disease or a pest enters the United States. The threat is not necessarily the invasive species that is introduced into the U.S. ecology systems, Krishtalka said, but the diseases that an organism might carry.
Krishtalka gave the example of the West Nile virus being spread through birds and mosquitoes. Knowing the potential species that carry the virus could pinpoint the exact locations that would be impacted the most by this virus.
by examining the museum archives, researchers will be able
to derive what conditions the certain species can live in. If a bird found carrying a virus is found only in temperate weather, then this research will show that extra precaution is needed in that climate. Policymakers could then decide how to reduce or stop the outbreak.
The KU Biodiversity Research Center has headed the biodiversity research for four years by integrating a Web-based system to provide researchers with access to the millions of species catalogued around the world.
When the database is combined with climate and environmental data and run through the GARP algorithm, a computational process that pounds through the voucher species located in museums and environmental factors, an in-depth picture of where species have the potential to survive is generated.
"The Biodiversity Research Center combines computer scientist with biologist," said James Beach, assistant director of informatics, "to focus on the environmental phenomenon of how humans have affected the landscape of all natural
species."
It is vital to understand the ecological niche of animals and plants not only because of the possible threat of bioterrorism, but also to know where animals can live and spread naturally between nations and continents, Kristalka said.
Factors such as climate, altitude and local ecosystems all serve as indicators on which species have the greatest potential to devastate the largest number of people if spread through natural or malicious causes.
Krishtalka said federal officials have recognized the potential of bioterrorism and has the University working on the case. Negotiations on the grant are ongoing with the potential to be renewed next year but, for now, KU researchers have millions of species to get started with.
"We have a good thing that is going good," Beach said, "KU has a very productive group that is leading the nation in this field."
Edited by Michelle Rodick
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