Campus/Area
University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, February 8, 1989
3
Class offers new roles for actors
TH&F 609 teaches art of directing
Passing the time before her big moment at the 609 auditions, Meghan Saleebey, Dallas junior, goes through her prepared two-minute piece. The auditions were yesterday at Murphy Hall.
by Kris M. Bergquist Kansan staff writer
Talking to walls and pacing back and forth might be considered strange in some campus buildings.
However, it was the norm yesterday at Murphy Hall. It was audition time.
About 25 people auditioned yesterday for THKF 609 plays, which are directed by graduate and undergraduate students. The plays are done for the department of theater's play directing class.
"The class is so germen to the directing field," said John Gronbock-teedoski, director of graduate studies in the department of theater. "How can you be a director without any directing experience?"
Gronbeck-Teedesc said it was beneficial for students to have an opportunity to act. He also said there was less pressure because the audiences usually weren't very big.
"Anyone can go," Gronckeb-Tedesco said. "We don't advertise them because they're just class exercises. We want it to be a workshop, not just a major production."
Each student picks a play with the help of the instructor, auditions people and then sets up rehearsals. An old bank building at Eighth and Massachusetts streets is used by faculty for rehearsals and performances.
Two scenes are performed for the class, and they are critiqued by the students. Then, the entire play is completed, usually in the bank building.
Trying to get into character, Sean Gutteridge, Oklahoma City freshman, right, paces the floor before his audition. In the background, Mike Brandt, Lawrence freshman, talks to Karin Paludan, Lawrence sophomore, about his audition.
Tryouts for 609 plays are conducted after tryouts for KU's regular-season plays are completed.
Students are given six weeks to prepare their play for performance.
"Most people are interested in the large productions, so we do tryouts after the fact." Gronckeback said of the productions and they got parts in the big productions, there probably would be a lot of cancellations."
David Castellani, Topea sophomore, has a chorus part in the spring musical "Cabaret," but he still tried out for the 609 plays.
"I want a part that I can sink my teeth into," Castellani said.
Last spring, Castellani was in both the spring musical and a 609 play.
"Anything that just keeps you working is a constant help." Castellani said. "If you stop working scripts, you get rusty. You work hard to make sure it be good. It also good to go through the audition process."
Competition for the 609 plays wasn't as fierce as for the regular-season plays, he said, because a lot of people already were cast in the main plays and didn't feel they could handle two parts.
He said there wasn't as much prestige in the 609 plays as in a main stage play, but it was a good chance to work. And directors look at that experience when trying out 'or other plays, he said.
Laura Kirk, Lecompont senior, is directing a play in the 690 class. She said she was impressed with the quality of the auditions since many people already had been cast in the main stage plays.
"Each person has separate qualities that make them good for the
part," Kirk said. "If you're a good actor you can do anything."
had the actors picked for her play.
Another student in the class, Jil.
Towsley, Toneka senior, already
"I know them and I know what kind of work that they can do," Towsley said.
KU seeking shuttle bids
by a Kansan reporter
Bids currently are being taken to replace the new-defunct Secure Shuttle system, said Scott Russell, coordinator of KU on Wheels.
Secure Shuttle, which provided free rides for KU students every night during specific hours and was operated by Corporate Coach of Lawrence, stopped service JAN. When the company ceased operations.
The company filed for bankruptcy in September and operated under Chapter 11 status until last week. The company is now under Chapter 7, which means the it will be liquidated to pay its creditors.
Bids for another company to resume shuttle service are being taken by the state purchasing office in Topeka.
KU on Wheels was billed monthly for the shuttle service.
"The bankruptcy was not forseen," said Chris Shirling.
Falling dollar affects library
by Candy Niemann
Kansan staff writer
University of Kansas libraries are suffering the consequences of Uncle Sam's shrinking buying power programs.
Since summer 1985, the value of the dollar has been decreasing in foreign markets. This fact coupled with domestic inflation, has led to a 40.3 percent drop in the number of books purchased for the libraries.
According to a budget request made by the libraries committee of University Senate, 50.4 percent more money is needed to purchase the same amount of foreign books purchased by KU libraries during the 1985-86 academic year.
Domestic book inflation is 25 percent, and periodical inflation is 46 percent.
The University has increased the library acquisitions budget in response to the problem, but the increase has not been substantial enough to cover losses. Although a significant portion of the budget for the increase in University funds has been only 6.8 percent.
"University funds are not unlimited and the University has tried to help, but the need has been underestimated," said Shah.
Put all together, these figures spell trouble for the KU libraries.
Reduction in the number of books and periodicals purchased means a lack of materials for student research and instruction.
"KU is consistently among the top two or three borrower libraries in the United States," said Clinton Howard, assistant dean of libraries. "It is clear from that we always had a problem. But now it is even worse."
Howard said KU bought 40 percent of its books and periodicals from foreign countries. During the 1985-86 school year, the libraries purchased more than 38,000 installations. This year, they expect to purchase about 35,000.
Steve Hamburg, chairman of the library committee of the University Senate, said that even if the University met the libraries' budget requests, there always would be an inadequate supply of books from this time period.
"There's no way we can catch up." Mason said. "And with some of the publications in my department, such as manuscripts, there is only one copy sold. We will probably never have a chance to buy that copy again."
Alexandra Mason, head of the special collections department, agreed.
Since the beginning of the dollar's devaluation in 1985, KU has dropped in the rankings with its peer institutions.
Among the 106 members of the Association of Research Libraries, KU has fallen from 31st to 36th in the number of total volumes in the library, and from 32nd to 47th in the number of volumes added each year.
AVS's ranking in total library expenditures has fallen from 39th to 48th.
Business fraternity is back in business
by Mary Neubauer
Kansan staff writer
In late 1987, the operations of the professional business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi were suspended and caused real problems and a lack of direction.
But today, the fraternity's members are trying to shake its past unprofessional reputation as the fraternity nears the end of a chapened reformation period undertaken to regain good standing.
Gretchen Campbell, Emporia senior and president of Alpha Kappa Psi, said it was not easy to make people forget the fraternity's past.
"When I was interviewing for a job this year, one of the people interviewing me used to be a member," she said. "He said they used to go drink-beverages." I told him that that's not what we're anymore. We're professional again."
Campbell said the fraternity underwent reformation to show that one of its main objectives was to aid the professional development of its members. Under the reformation, the fraternity is bringing in speakers from the business industry to talk with members and tell them what they expect from applicants and employees, she said. Other representatives have presented talks on business ethics.
Although the fraternity is relying on a chaperone's support, Campbell said, it will be able to separate from him. The student would become entirely student-run again.
Francis Bush, assistant professor of business and Alpha Kappa Psi
chaperone, agreed that the fraternity could soon become student-run because it conformed with its national chapter's requirements and required members to pass a pledge test.
Bush said the test consisted of both oral and written questions covering the history of the national chapter, the fraternity's local and national operations, business issues and ethics concerns. The test is performed in a professional manner, he said, and helps members develop their business abilities by requiring them to study for its questions.
When the fraternity's operations were suspended, Bush said, it had been suffering from lack of leadership and direction.
"No proper membership records were turned into national chapter for several semesters before the suspension," he said.
Bush said some of the fraternity's members were not qualified for membership at the time of the suspension.
"The members were not all business-associated," he said. "Their files showed that they were not in the business school. The national chapter says that members must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher to enter the business school and graduate."
Before the suspension, the fraternity had become a social club, Bush said.
Bush said that because of the reformation, the fraternity had regained its professional focus and was no longer a liability risk
Snow, ice clearers take steps to help disabled
Clearing of ramps is a high priority
Although some students find it difficult to trudge on campus through the snow, it can be even more difficult for those with a mobility problem.
by Merceda Ares Kansan staff writer
However, facilities operations workers are attempting to make travel easier for those on crutches or in wheelchairs.
Mike Richardson, associate director of facilities operations for construction, landscape and vehicle maintenance, said that although sidewalks and sidewalks had priority, cleaning sidewalk ramps was just as important.
Students are encouraged to call if there is an area that has not been sufficiently cleared and could pose a problem for disabled people, he said.
Bob Turvey, associate director of the Student Assistance Center, said that ice was more of a problem than snow.
"Even with the best of cleaning going on out there, they're going to miss some," he said.
Turvey said that facilities operations was more sensitive to students with serious mobility problems. He said that a four-year program, which was funded, helped identify problem areas or campuses for people with disabilities.
A map was drawn of disabled students' class routes and areas that needed to be cleared first, he said. The map was given to facilities operations.
However, Turvey said that because
there were so many disabled people on campus, it would be difficult to map all of their class routes.
He also said that people in wheelchairs were using the sports chair more. The sports chair weighs less than a conventional wheelchair, making it more difficult to get around in the snow.
Ron Ragan, Emporia junior, said it was harder to get uphill in a wheelchair, especially where there was no room. Where he hasn't had any trouble so far.
"When you are uphill, you usually find the nearest person to help you," Ragan said.
People with mobility problems also can use KU on Wheels lift vans for help. The service costs the same as regular campus buses. Users may either pay 75 cents a ride or present a bus pass.
Turvey said that the service provided door-to-door transportation for the students.
"We know that the person gets to classes or at least can," he said.
The service also is available for people who are temporarily injured.
Because more people use the service in the winter, taxis handle the additional passengers, Survey said. Students pay 75 cents or present a bus pass, and KU on Wheels pays the difference.
Turvey said that no matter how many conveniences were offered, travel for disabled people still was difficult.
"It isn't good if you're in a wheelchair, especially on a campus with hills," he said.
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*Look for recycling bins next to trash cans*
*recycling aluminum cans saves 95% of the energy required to produce new aluminum
*Every pound of aluminum (just 22 cans) not recycled results in an energy loss equal to pouring a gallon of gasoline on the ground.
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