CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, October 1, 1993
3
Union rededication to honor KU students in World War I
By David Stewart
Kansan staff writer
Kansan staff writer
Standing as a shrine to the KU students who died during World War I, the Kansas Union will once again receive the mementos and memories of that war during today's dedication ceremony.
The 10:30 a.m. ceremony at the east alpine of the Union will be the first of two events this month to recognize the Union's renovation. Today's reedification will honor the 130 KU students who died in military service for the United States during World War I.
Rededication participants will return a stainless-steel time capsule to the Union containing exact duplicates of items found in a deteriorated copper box that was discovered in 1992 during the Union's renovation.
Most of the contents of the box had been destroyed by age and water seepage, said Kevin Goodman, coordinator of the dedication.
"We're replacing the original items that
were in the box with copies," Goodman said. "It's a little difficult to come across an original copy of the 1918 Kansas City Star in good condition. The folks at University Archives have been incredibly helpful in tracking down the items needed to replace the deteriorated items."
In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the ending of World War I, a congressional medal and a Purple Heart medal will also be added to the new time capsule.
Though KU officials attempted to locate as many relatives of the dead soldiers as possible, Goodman said that he expected less than a dozen to come.
"Most of these people are now spread out from New York to California at this point," Goodman said.
Because today's ceremony and the homecoming weekend celebration of the Union's renovation have different purposes, they were intentionally kept as separate events, said Jim Long. Union director.
"The original intent of the 1926 ceremony was to honor the war dead," Long said. "We
hope to keep that same spirit for the reinterment. The ceremony on October 15 will be more of a celebration of the grand opening of the Union after its renovations."
Long said he hoped that a large but respectful crowd of students would come to watch today's ceremony.
"I think it's most important to use the event for remembering the dead for which the Kansas Memorial Union was originally built," Long said.
Today's event also will feature two KU graduates who witnessed the original ceremony — Bill Immer, retired Army colonel, and former Chancellor Raymond Nichols, a senior in 1926 and today's keynote speaker.
As a ROTC and engineering student in 1926, Inmer described the first interment ceremony as very simple and matter-of-fact.
Nichols said that he hoped students would take some time out to show their respect.
"Some people forget about the past," Nichols said. "They're more interested in looking forward than looking back at where they came."
Courtesy of University Archives
Military and University officials prepared to place the first time capsule in the Kansas Union corner stone on April 30, 1926. The original ceremony honored the 130 soldiers from KU who died in World War I. A re-enactment of the 1926 event will take place this morning at the Union's newly constructed east alcove.
John Gamble / KANSAN
Chris Miller, Topeka sophomore, Rob Richmond, Chicago junior, and Darren Patilio, Overland Park senior, rehearse a scene from "The Abyss Gazes Also" at Hashinger Hall. The play, which was written by Shawn Trimble, a Lawrence graduate student in religious studies, will be performed at 8 tonight and tomorrow, and Sunday at 2:00. The play is free.
Play looks over dark abyss of human nature
Kansan staff writer
Bv Brian James
When Shawn Trimble wrote the play "The Abyss Gazes Also" two years ago, he did not want the audience to watch it and leave unaffected.
He wanted people to "come away shaken, to some degree," he said.
The play, which will be performed tonight and this weekend at Hashinger Hall, examines the darker side of human emotions and confronts issues such as racism, gay-bashing and "the spreading of the gospel of hate," he said.
"There is no moral to the play," said Trimble, a Lawrence graduate student in religious studies. "The ending is ambiguous
and hopefully will force the audience to draw some conclusions based on what they saw."
Performances will be at 8 p.m. tonight and tomorrow. Sunday's performance will be at 2:30 p.m. The play is free.
"The Abyss Gazes Also" is a production of the English Alternative Theater, a KU organization that promotes the work of KU playwrights.
Four KU students, three faculty members and one Lawrence resident are in the play. Bernard Cox, Palatine, Ill., junior, is the director.
"The Abyss Gazes also" is about a sociopathic expi priest that desecrates a church and is sent to a mental health institution. There, he finds an anti-Christian leader
who wins followers who embrace his gospel of hate, said Paul Lim, associate professor of English and EAT coordinator.
"It is a very topical play and offers many disturbing thoughts about the nature of contemporary society," Lim said. "The image of hatred continues to be very much with us today, even in Lawrence, Kansas."
Charles Neuringer, professor of psychology, plays Father Moriarty, a priest who tries to help the renegade priest, played by Michael Williams, Overland Park graduate student.
"It is a great satisfaction to get involved with something that is critically important and could change people's attitudes."
Neuringer said he felt proud to be working with EAT.
Neuringer said.
Trimble said that the title of the play came from a quote by German existentialist philosopher Friederich Nietzsche.
"It said, 'Battle not with monsters, 'lest you become a monster, and when you stare into the abyss, the abyss gazes also," "Trimble said."
The EAT produces several plays every semester, Lim said. The plays offer a chance for aspiring playwrights to have their works performed.
Lim said that Trimble was one of the better playwrights at KU.
"Shawn's talented writer, but there is no way for him or other playwrights to get exposure unless we put their plays on stage," Lim said.
CAMPUS BRIEFS
Youth,16,charged in robbery at Hawk
The 16-year old arrested in connection with the Tuesday morning robbery of Jayhawk Cafe, 1340 Ohio St., was charged yesterday on seven counts of aggravated robbery and three counts of attempted aggravated robbery at his detention hearing, said Shelley White, assistant district attorney.
The court ordered that he be held pending his next hearing, which has not been set. Bond was set at $75,000. White said.
The 16-year old allegedly held up the 'Hawk on Tuesday with an 18-year old man. They fled to their apartment across the street, where they were apprehended an hour later by Lawrence police.
Hilltop children's center turns 50
In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the Edna A. Hill Child Development Center is sponsoring an open house from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Guests can tour the center's classrooms and playgrounds, located in Dole Human Development Center and the first floor of Haworth Hall. Refreshments and children's activities will be provided. KU staff and faculty, former and current human development and family life students, and former and current children and their families are invited.
Compiled from Kansan staff reports.
ON THE RECORD
A KU student was bitten by a dog Wednesday in the 2400 block of Peterson Road, Lawrence police reported.
A KU student's bike valued at $364 was taken between Tuesday morning and Wednesday night in the 800 block of Michigan Street, Lawrence police reported.
A KU student's tire gauge and cassette tapes, valued together at $25, were taken between Monday and Wednesday in the 1300 block of Tennessee Street. Lawrence police reported.
A window in a Lawrence Bus Co. bus was broken Wednesday in the 1800 block of Naismith Drive, Lawrence police reported. Damage was estimated at $100.
A 1992-1993 composite, valued at $3,500, was taken from the Kappa Delta sorority, 1602 High Drive, on Sunday, Lawrence police reported.
A KU student's fan valued at $15 was taken Wednesday in the 1400 block of Tennessee Street, Lawrence police reported.
A KU employee's leather boots, two shotguns, two handguns, a jar of coins, jewelry, stereo and TV, valued together at $15,985, were taken Tuesday in the 3200 block of Longhorn Drive, Lawrence police reported.
Founder nostalgic over computer degree
By Carlos Tejada
Kansan staff writer
"If anyone can have nostalgic reactions to that, I'm justified," he said. "I see, on the other hand, tremendous opportunity."
But at last night's discontinuance hearing, Schweppe said that he may have seen the last trace of his creation slip away.
In 1968, Earl Schweppe, professor of computer science, began KU's department of computer science.
The quiet argument last night centered on the bachelor of arts degree in computer science, which the department of computer science offered as well as a bachelor of general studies degree.
The department merged this fall with the electrical and computer engineering department of the School of Engineering, which does not offer either degree.
electrical engineering and computer science department, said that a group of faculty from the combined departments recommended that the degrees be dropped.
James Roberts, head of the new
KU's Program Review, which was released in Fall 1991, also recommended that the degrees be discontinued. The review's stated purpose was to cut costs and prevent overlapping degrees and programs.
Schweppe said that the B.A. overlapped the bachelor of science degree in computer science by 90 percent, so resources were not stretched by offering the B.A. degree. He also said its removal would discourage a second major because the B.S. was more difficult.
"We find students doubling majors of computer science with many other degrees in the University," Schweppe said.
Roberts said the bachelor of science degree was not too difficult to
be combined with another major.
"I've never had a student say 'I want to get a second major, but gee, it's overwhelming.'" he said.
The week-long hearings for the potentially discontinued degrees concluded with comments by
James Muyskens,
dean of the College
of Liberal Arts and
Sciences, and by
David Shulenburger,
vice chancellor
for academic
affairs.
Humanities degree elimination challenged
Shulenburger said that he would prefer not to cut any program but that the University's limited funding did not allow that.
"We must be diligent in removing those programs which we cannot adequately staff," he said. "Quality considerations demand that we do so."
By Christoph Fuhrmans Kansan staff writer
Angie Calton, Lawrence sophomore, said that if KU's bachelor of arts degrees in humanities and nonnative literature were cut.
- comparative literature were cut,
the educational experience at the University of Kansas would be limited.
"The purpose of a college education is to give you a well-rounded education," she said.
Calton was one of about 40 people who spoke to the Academic Procedures and Policies Committee during the discontinuance hearing for the B.A. in humanities and B.A. in comparative literature last night in 100 Smith Hall.
If the degrees are eliminated, humanities would only be available as a classics concentration and comparative literature could only be obtained through an English concentration. The department would still offer a bachelor of general studies degree.
When KU's academic program review was completed in 1982, the
"The elimination of the humanities and comparative literature degrees will save the University of Kansas very little." she said.
Elizabeth Schultz, professor of humanities and comparative literature, said she did not understand why the University wanted to discontinue a program that helped students at a low cost.
Schultz said that the programs would be changed if they were
review recommended the elimination of the comparative literature and humanities degrees because of a lack of student interest and the degree programs' funding could be used for other programs.
offered as concentrations.
But Elizabeth Banks, associate professor of classics, said that the stature of the humanities degree would not be diminished in the classics program.
"A humanities tract in classics would not be a second or third rate program," she said.
Nicolas Shump, Lawrence senior,
said that even though he would get
his degree, he wanted future KU
students to have the same chance.
"I'm concerned that other students won't have that opportunity," he said.
Schultz said that she thought KU could afford the degree programs because the University could afford new construction on campus.
"After all, the real jewels of the University of Kansas are not its buildings but its extraordinary students," she said.