UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Mondav. November 18, 1996
5A
Online courses to be topic of discussion
By Ashleigh Roberts Kansan staff writer
Imagine attending college for half the cost and never having to leave the house. Online courses may do this and more.
"If you can put a course on line, you can put a university on line," said Lynn Nelson, professor of history. "People need to be aware of where the technology is and where it's going."
The University of Kansas already offers about 35 course supplements through the World Wide Web, where students can access course information and assignments.
But the technology is capable of redefining the entire academic structure.
Nelson and other KU faculty members will discuss how the changing instructional environment could turn some professors into a dying breed.
The discussion will be from 3:15 to 5:00 tomorrow afternoon in the Pine Room at the Kansas Union. The panelists consist of three KU professors and the president of On-Line Commerce, INC. Topics include student access to on-line courses, electronic publishing and computers replacing teachers. The meeting, which is sponsored by the American Association of University Professors, is free and open to the public.
Nelson said online courses would not replace teachers in the immediate future, but he hoped the discussion would make faculty members consider today's technological issues.
"I don't think they think much about it," he said. "Computer telecommunication progresses extremely rapidly. The faculty can't afford to sit back and see how this will develop. By that time it will be too late."
Nelson said although online
courses would be cheaper and the students would probably be happier, ways to test critical analysis and develop creativity might be lost.
"The computer works best when things are all black and white, but it doesn't function very well in gray," he said. "In the humanities, we can't easily break things down into black and white, true and false, and right and wrong."
Stephen Goddard, art history professor and panelist, said that technology would inevitably change the traditional classroom, but many of the changes would be positive.
"It broadens the potential for sharing and disseminating information," he said. "That's why it needs to be managed in such a way that it remains beneficial."
Goddard wants to make sure the level of personal contact in the student-teacher relationship is maintained as new technology enters the classroom.
Center warms homeless
Meeting place provides guests with food,comfort
By Liz Musser
Kansan staff writer
Everybody needs a good hang-out spot. But for the homeless, finding a welcoming place to relax can be difficult.
The new Community Drop in Center, which opened today, will give Lawrence's homeless a warm place to spend their mornings. The purpose of the center, which is in the Oread Friends Meeting House, 1146 Oregon St., is to provide homeless people with a comfortable place to gather.
"When the homeless go to the Salvation Army to sleep, they can only stay there minimal hours," said Lani Oglesby, coordinator of the Center. "When they get up, they have to go. The drop-center will give them a place to go for the morning."
Oglesby said that the drop-in center would be open from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday.
The center will provide a breakfast of coffee, tea and toast and will have a phone available for local calls, she said. The homeless can give the drop-in center's phone number to job services as a place to contact when work is available.
Oglebsby said the center also would advise people about Lawrence's public resources.
Doug Guess, professor of special education who helped write a grant proposal for the drop-in center, said that drop-in centers were important for the homeless population.
"They're a very vulnerable population. During the day there is a place for them to go and get warm and feel welcome," Guess said. "It's important to provide a place for the homeless to get together with out being hassled."
Lawrence has had drop-in centers in the past, but Olgesby said that lack of financing and management problems caused them to close.
The new community drop-in center is operated by a board of 10 Lawrence residents, she said. Private grants and donations from local churches support the center.
Olgesby said that volunteers were needed to staff the center.
"Because of the variety of people that come in, we want somebody who feels comfortable with all kinds of people," she said.
Anyone interested in volunteering can call Olgesby at 843-5772.
Tommy fulfills expectations; rock opera remains timely
By Dan Gelston
Kansan staff writer
Ever since I was a young boy, I've wanted to see The Who's Tommu.
And when I finally got my chance Saturday night at the Lied Center, I wasn't disappointed.
Tommy is the Tony Award-winning rock opera by The Who guitarist Pete Townshend. Although it's nearly impossible to see the rock opera and hear the songs without thinking of The Who's rendition, the cast gave a riveting performance. They were backed with video screens that aided, but not dominated, the two-hour performance, dynamic special effects and the orchestra's performance, which surely would have made Townshend proud.
The story is about Tommy, who becomes deaf, dumb and blind after witnessing his father murder his
REVIEW
mother's lover. After his father is acquitted, his parents do everything they can to find a cure for Tommy. He's taken to several doctors and even a prostitute — the Gypsy-Acid Queen.
But Tommy eventually discovers pinball and becomes a pinball wizard. After Tommy recovers, a media frenzy surrounds him, and he enjoys his newfound fame. After his so-called fans say how much they want to be like him, Tommy says how all along he wanted to be like them.
Tommy is played by three different actors — a four-year old, a 10-year-old and a young adult. Joshua Taylor Nolan, who played the 10-year-old, was the best. He was rolled around in a trash can, twirled around by other cast members and poked and prodded, all the while keeping his
straight-faced, mute demeanor.
single faced, made frowned
Paul Aguirre was devilish as Uncle
Ernie, a drunk who tries to molest or
"Fiddle About" with Tommy.
James Riemer, as Cousin Kevin,
who torments Tommy and later tries
to cash in on his recovery, was
splendid.
In some ways, seeing the rock opera without The Who may have made it even better. It would be hard to see Townshend and lead singer Roger Dalryn on stage without hoping they'd start singing We Won't Get Fooled Again or Substitute. Although Townshend himself updated some of the lyrics and music when the play was revised for Broadway in 1993, the show and songs remained true to their original arrangement.
Tommy's message of the over glorification of the star culture that Townshend tried to rebel against still rings true today.
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