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OBITUARY
VOLUME 121 ISSUE 62
Former museum director dies at 83
ACADEMIC ATHLETES
BY ABIGAIL BOLIN
abolin@kansan.com
The passing of Philip S. Humphrey was the passing of a
teacher and director passionate about the study of the life of the planet, his peers said. Humphrey, the director of the Natural History
Humphrey
Museum from 1967 to 1995, was the man responsible for turning the museum into an educational and research powerhouse, the people who worked closely with him said. Humphrey died in his sleep Friday at the age of 83.
"During his 28 years as director, he was a fantastic mentor to students, faculty and staff," Leonard Krishtalka, director of the museum, said. "He felt strongly about informal or public education so anyone could learn from his passion and become one of his advocates."
William Duellman, Humphrey's former colleague and professor emeritus in the museum, said Humphrey thought it would be beneficial to combine three systematic museums on campus with
SEE HUMPHREY ON PAGE 3A
jleverett@kansan.com
OBITUARY
BY JUSTIN LEVERETT ileverett@kansan.com
Memorial service held for Puckett
Barbara Puckett's friends said she loved the sort of songs that could make her cry. Music was the passion of her life, and it was through her
Students and friends gathered Monday night to celebrate the life of the long-time
music that her friends say she will be remembered.
piano accompanist for the department of theatre, Puckett, who died earlier this month. Students sang some of her favorite emotional ballads at a service in her honor called a "Celebration of Life" in the Swarthout Recital Hall in Murphy Hall.
Puckett died in Overland Park Nov. 3, from a heart attack. Her funeral was held Nov. 6 in her hometown of Clay Center with her family in attendance. The depart-
BY JESSE RANGEL
jrangel@kansan.com
Off the field and down the hill
SEE PUCKETT ON PAGE 3A
Athletes' graduation rates increase to 63 percent
Student athletes continue to graduate in six years at a higher rate than the general student population at the University, according to numbers released the Athletics Department yesterday.
Sixty-three percent of student athletes in an average of the 1999,2000,2001 and 2002 freshman classes graduated from the University within six years. This number is up from 61 percent from last year's numbers.
The general student population graduated at a 59 percent rate for both years.
Paul Buskirk, associate athletics director, said the current GSR was the highest ever. He said the number was developed in 2003 as institutions looked at academic reform in college sports.
The athletes' numbers jump from 63 to 74 percent when compared to a different index called the Graduation Success Rate. This number takes into account student athletes who transferred in from another institution or left school for any reason as long as they were in good academic standing.
Inside some of the numbers, Buskirk said both the federal nongSR average and GSR for men's basketball are at all-time highs at 73 percent for each
Baseball's federal, non-GSR average slid from 35 percent last year to 29 percent for this year. Buskirk said new rules that went into effect last year that make baseball transfers sit out one year of play should slow the number of transfers and raise this rate.
"The GSR shows these students, when they transferred out, they were in good academic standing." Buskirk said. "This really shows the students that did persist in our program graduated at a good, solid rate of 63 percent."
The non-GSR federal average for women's basketball was 47 percent for this year's report, but the GSR rate was lower at 44 percent. Buskirk said this represented former head coach Marian Washington's last recruiting class and that some players transferred out when she left. Buskirk said he expected these numbers to climb for next year.
Jim Marchiony associate athletics director said because the data shows 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 recruiting classes,the football and men's basketball numbers would also reflect transfers because of coaching changes.
Institutions that receive federal funding are required to
produce
GSR: An average of these same freshman classes, but also taking into account other factors. These could include students who transfer
in from other institutions such as community colleges and also students who leave school for any reason before graduation — including to turn pro — so long as they were in good academic standing when they left. Students who enter college at the University but choose to graduate from another institution are also included in this number. This number is not calculated for the general student population.
FULL LIST OF GRADUATION RATE PERCENTAGES
1. Men's golf (GSR: 100, Fed: 100)
2. Softball (GSR: 100, Fed 92)
3. Volleyball (GSR: 100, Fed: 70)
4. Soccer (GSR: 89, Fed: 75)
5. Women's cross country and track (GSR: 97, Fed: 83)
6. Swimming (GSR: 86, Fed: 77)
7. Tennis (GSR: 86, Fed: 57)
8. Rowing (GSR: 83, Fed: 76)
9. Men's basketball (GSR: 73, Fed: 73)
10. Men's cross country and track (GSR: 67, Fed: 52)
11. Baseball (GSR: 63, Fed: 29)
12. Football (GSR: 58, Fed: 54)
13. Women's basketball (GSR: 44, Fed: 47)
Source: KU Athletics
CAMPUS
Speaker's panel to inform on transgender issues
BY ZACH WHITE
zwhite@kansan.com
The implications of words such as "transsexual," "transgender" and "genderqueer" can be confusing. In order to clear up some of these issues, Queers & Allies and the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center are playing host to "Tranny Talk:
The panel will be made up of three transgender students, a transgender activist from Kansas City, a transgender Lawrence resident and a local transgender person's partner. They will each talk about their own experiences and issues they face. Afterward, the floor will be opened to audience questions.
One of the students, Jayne
Transgender Speaker's Panel."
Henson, Ulysses sophomore, is a male to female transgender, meaning she is physically male, but identifies herself as female. She is also the Activism Coordinator for Queers & Allies. She said these issues were closer to home than some people might think.
"There are studies that show that 1 percent of people are transgender," Henson said. "A lot of
transgender people are not as open about it."
The panel was scheduled to coincide with Transgender Day of Remembrance Nov. 20, which was started after a transgender woman was murdered in San Francisco 10 years ago. This is the second year the Tranny Talk panel has been
SEE PANEL ON PAGE 3A
WHAT: Tranny Talk:
Transgender Speaker's
Panel
index
WHO: Queers & Allies and the Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Alderson
Auditorium
Classifieds. 7A Opinion. 5A
Crossword. 4A Sports. 10A
Horoscopes. 4A Sudoku. 4A
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2009 The University Daily Kansan
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