Multimedia Reporting (Bradford-Noland)

Rosedale Middle School students visit the Kansas City Star
Photo:David Eulitt

A snowball fight… something normally reserved for winter days after school, but for Rosedale Middle School students it’s become a learning event. Snowball fight is an educational game invented by University of Kansas students for their Excellence in Journalism Camp.

Thanks to the efforts of both the KU and Rosedale students the program was a huge success and plans have been made to continue the camp next semester.

“The original plan was to do the camp for one semester, and be done with it.” said Carl Perico, a language arts teacher at Rosedale and a huge help in starting the journalism camp. “They made it such a success that the Dean of the KU School of Journalism decided to offer it again, in the spring of ’07.”

KU journalism students spent the fall semester working with sixth-, seventh- and eighth- graders from Rosedale Middle School in Kansas City, Kan. As part of their Journalism 500 class: “Citizen Journalism and Community Work”, KU students split into two groups, one that worked with sixth graders and another that worked with seventh- and eighth- graders. The sixth graders met every Tuesday and the other group met every Thursday.

13 journalism students participated in the program, which met from 3-4:45p.m. each session. The college students lead and planned each camp lesson, teaching students how to post on the web, interview sources, take pictures and write news stories.

Teachers and KU participants alike have seen a vast improvement in the Rosedale students’ skills as reporters and critics of media. Although, Perico said he hasn’t seen any overnight miracles in his English class, he did say his Spanish speaking students have a lot more confidence in their writing capabilities. He said it’s been a long time since he’s heard “I can’t do it!”

“I have seen these kids mature this semester, and be more analytical and critical,”Perico said. “Overall, these kids are not afraid to ask questions, and they are not intimidated by the writing process.”

“The students at Rosedale, I’m told, have more ability now to talk to adults,” said Peggy Kuhr, Professor of Journalism at KU. “They’re more self-assured, the teachers tell me, and what they’re saying is they have learned to ask better questions.”

Educational progress was not the only change, but many of the students formed new relationships and bonds. The program actually made learning fun for many of them and exceeded their expectations. What started as a chance for extra credit in Mr. Perico’s English class, turned into a life changing experience.

“At first, I just thought it was gonna be about just writing. Then, I think it means a lot to me because we had a lot of fun, spent time together,” Jesus Gutierrez, Rosedale eighth grader said. “We had good times. It’s like part of my family.”

Even the KU students, many of whom are graduating this spring, felt a strong connection with the students.

“I bonded a lot. There’s several kids I’ll miss a lot,” Heather Brummitt, KU graduate student said. Brummitt joined the class in order to create a documentary for her grad project.

The success of this program cannot be chalked up to education and friendships alone. It is the brainchild of a lot of peoples’ time and effort. Donna Devine, from Rosedale Development Association, and Peggy Kuhr approached Perico and another teacher, Janet Leigh, about doing this program in April of 2006. Each person had a significant part in putting together and executing the camp.

“One of the most important factors, I think, was the school itself. We had a couple of great Language Arts teachers, who really wanted to support this project and help me out at the start.”Kuhr said.

Kuhr’s partners had an equal amount of praise for her efforts to bring these two diverse groups together.

“Peggy is the wheel that makes all of this turn. She has done an outstanding job despite all the roadblocks that came her way,”Perico said. “I am so honored to be working with her, and that she chose our school to pilot this program.”

Through the ups and downs of this program these middle school students have learned what journalism means. Perico said his students have all shown interest in the possibility of pursuing journalism as a career, adding that originally they might have asked you “what’s that?”

“It’s about experiencing the ways of bringing news to someone,” Carlos Ortiz, Rosedale eighth grader said.

“They’re teaching us something that we might like to do when we grow up,”Zamara Cardona said, also an eighth grader.

Several of the Rosedale participants plan on returning next semester, saying they hope to branch out as journalists. They all expressed interest in going out into the community and interviewing strangers, as well as taking more field trips. This semester they took a field trip to the Kansas City Star, which everyone described as their favorite part of the camp.

Along with the field trip, students participated in exercises, like Snowball fight. In this game students write a sentence on a sheet of paper, throw the paper, and then another student adds to it. This interactive learning could be part of the reason why many of the students are coming back next semester.

Along with returning students, Perico and Kuhr, predict that they will have several more participants.

“Most of the Rosedale students stayed with it throughout the semester. That speaks highly of the professor and the KU students’ efforts,” said Perico. “Now that the word has gotten around, more kids are coming out of the wood work.”

ALL ROSEDALE FOOTAGE WAS SHOT BY HEATHER BRUMMITT

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Sometimes coffee just isn’t enough. That’s what University of Kansas students are finding as the demands placed on them increase. During test time and cram sessions KU students have turned to the prescription drug adderall as a means for getting their work done.

Adderall is a prescription stimulant amphetamine drug that is most often used to treat attention-deficit disorder. It has also been used to treat severe cases of depression, narcolepsy, and other disorders. Many KU students have turned to this stimulant in order to study for classes, but many don’t understand the negative effects it might have.

Some side effects include increased heart rate, insomnia, headache, sweating, tremors and in worst case scenarios, high blood pressure, tics, cardiomyopathy, and even hallucinations.

“It [adderall] could cause everything from paranoia, delusional thinking, auditory hallucinations, liver damage, kidney damage,” said Linda L. Keeler, M.D., a psychiatrist at the university’s Counseling And Psychological Services facilities. She added that side effects are based on the frequency and amount of the dose and whether it is being used with other substances.

“I’d say there’s a lot more negative side effects,” said Ally porter, Colorado junior, “Like it gives me headaches, it makes me not hungry, nothing sounds good, it gives me dry mouth.”

Porter, who was prescribed adderall about a year ago, said she only takes it when she knows she has a lot of work to do for school. She is supposed to take 45 milligrams a day, but only takes 15 milligrams about once or twice a week.

According to www.healthsquare.com the average prescribed starting dosage is usually about ten milligrams a day. The Web site also said that it is very rare that someone would have to take 40 milligrams a day or more.

With Porter taking such a high dose of adderall, the uncomfortable side effects are the least of her worries. She said many of her friends ask her for pills around test time, because they know she’s prescribed the medication.

“When they ask me for it, it’s kind of annoying because they just expect that they can have it because we’re friends,” said Porter.

Dr. Keeler doesn’t discourage the use of adderall for those who need it, but does have a problem with the casualness of people giving away prescribed medication.

“Somebody that would do that in the first place is comprising their friend,” said Keeler. “I think number one that it is illegal to use someone else’s medication and it’s a serious situation for them to get themselves into.”

Even though Keeler said there are extensive tests for those who are prescribed the medication, many of those prescribed don’t realize the seriousness of giving or selling other people their medication.

Another student, a female, who wished to go unnamed, said she took the drug on a regular basis in high school and found it to be very accessible.

“I got it from kids at school who were prescribed it,” she said. “It was pretty casual. I don’t know if it was cheaper then or not as many people were doing it, but I’d pay like one dollar for it or I’d get it for free. A lot of times people would come up to me and ask me if I wanted some.”

She said that she took it for a while on a daily basis and varied her dosage anywhere from 10 milligrams to taking 100 milligrams at one point. She said the side effects were horrible and sometimes scary.

“Well you’re not hungry at all, food makes you sick, you clinch your jaw and chatter your teeth. You can’t sleep,” she said.

When she took 100 milligrams she had hot sweats and felt like she was going to vomit all day. She said she finally stopped it because she started feeling really sick all of the time.

“At the end I started feeling like crap,”she said. “It just wasn’t fun anymore.”
Still people like Ally Porter and the other student continue to see many college students resort to taking adderall without thinking of the consequences.

Students are paying anywhere from $2 to$10 per pill and pulling all nighters. Porter said someone once offered her $20 for a pill out of desperation.

The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) found that 5.9 percent abuse rates among more competitive schools and 1.3 percent abuse rate among less competitive campuses.

“I’ve been in your shoes. It’s a bad idea,” the anonymous student said. “It’s gonna tear apart your body and your brain apart.”

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Gitti Salami’s office resembles that of an African village. Grass dangles from her entryway, an African drum sits idle in the corner. Along her back wall a rich textile with African women wrapped in traditional dress looks out over her. Pictures of African art peer out from textbooks that line the room.

These things only represent the littlest part of what Salami brought back from her journeys to Africa. While doing her research in a village north of Kalabur in Nigeria she learned a compassion that many in the United States have yet to learn.

“They have a level of capability to have compassion for each other, which by comparison our society is pathetic,” said Salami, who lived an entire year with a community in Nigeria. She believes that in the west people are mainly focused on their own individual well being, while in African society people are more focused on the well being of the group.

She said she also thinks a lot of people take for granted the luxuries they have as an American. It bothers her when she hears of students not coming to class because they were too hung over from drinking the night before, while she knows people in Africa who went without dinner just so they could by an extra candle to stay up and study all night.

Not only did Salami learn compassion, but she came back with a true knowledge and respect for the rituals of the African community which she became a part of. She spent an entire season observing the ritual performances of traditional leaders in the village that primarily involved the new yam festival. She observed all kinds of performances such as masquerades, rituals performed by priest chiefs, women and many more.

In researching these rituals Salami faced some hardships in her quest for understanding.

“There’s always the stigma of being the white person and the assumption that you have a lot of money and can help everyone,” said Salami “But after a year you kind of forget where you came from.”

After finally gaining acceptance into the community, Salami still faced challenges when she went back every time. Her second year in this community she said she felt as though the people were testing her sincerity. She had a nasty run in with her former host, who was benefiting from his association with her. She said he was manipulating others around her so that he was the only one she could talk to, which was not plausible for her research. She said the family was very angry with her when she had to cut ties with them.

Not only did she face the harsh intricacies of village life, but she battled with malaria. Salami, who said that she had symptoms of malaria every few months, battled a horrible case of it while in Africa.

“I remember being brought into a hospital and the people around me looked [photo] negatives, there was a huge part of me telling me they were trying to kill me.”

Hallucination, loss of consciousness, severe vomiting are all parts of having malaria. Salami said she was sick all of the time.

Despite all of the hardships she might have faced during her travels, Salami would not have changed it, because of her passion for culture and art history.

“I just love looking at art and I love looking at how other people compose reality,” said Salami, whose passion has followed her since she was a small child.

Through her passion for African culture and art, Salami struggles to bring understanding to a very complacent western society. Through her classes and encouraging students to travel to Africa she hopes to bring about more understanding of the continent and its people.

“What is presented to us as Africa is so bias and so little,” said Salami, who believes the images presented to western culture are often violence or desperation. “It would be wrong to say that Africa needs our help.”

Salami believes that if you dig deep enough many of the problems westerners do see are a result of their ancestor’s intrusion on Africa’s culture. She thinks many struggles in Africa are a result of European colonization and border changes on the continent.

“We judge Africa without any sort of admission of guilt.”

Salami said often one of her biggest problems is trying to get students to understand that African culture is all around them and it is a part of American society.

“The main obstacle is people feel that it is so far away it doesn’t affect them.” said Salami, who pointed out several instances of African influence in America.

She said that what makes British English different from American English is the African influence in our country. Also the huddling at the beginning of American football games comes from Africa; it didn’t happen until African Americans were allowed to play. Even right here in Lawrence she pointed out traces of African culture. In some of the Lawrence cemeteries there is evidence of Kongo culture in the headstones, where shells, plates, spirals and other objects have been imbedded in the stone. There is also a tree near Connecticut Street that is painted blue with bottles hanging from it, this also comes from the Congo, it’s part of a spirit catching ritual.

Salami continues to spread her awareness of African influence to her students, but hopes her biggest impact will be opening doors for people to travel to Africa.

“If I could have enough impact to persuade people to go to Africa or a third world country that would be great,” she said. “Because when they come back they are not the same. They are changed.”

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A newly proposed fire code might leave some students without use for their grills come tailgating season next year.

The Fire Code Board of Appeals will present this proposal sometime this year to the Lawrence City Commission for adoption into city code. The code would all but ban grills from many porches and patios around Lawrence.

The more accurate fire code states: “Charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices shall not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 ft. of combustible construction.”

A “combustible construction” is typically considered a construction that will burn, as well as wood joists, studs and plywood decking.

This could cause problems for students who live in apartments or older homes in Lawrence, and grill on their porches for social enjoyment or more importantly for tailgating.

“I don’t think it’s necessary to completely ban grills from peoples’ porches,” said Virginia Leonard, Overland Park junior. Leonard, who said she often tailgates on a friend’s deck during football season, thinks it is more necessary to educate students on fire safety.

Other students don’t feel as affected by this proposed ban.

“I guess if you live in an apartment and have a grill you might care, but if not, then I would say no it isn’t a big deal,” said Vincenzo Burdi, Chicago junior.

No matter how it affects students the state of Kansas thinks it is pertinent to improve fire safety. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and the state fire marshal, Jack Alexander declared September Campus Fire Safety Month. The state of Kansas was also ranked fifth by the Center for Campus Fire Safety for the number of fatalities on campus due to fire.

Regardless of what students think, Lawrence Fire Marshal, Richard Barr said both himself, Fire Medical and the Board of Appeals believe it is a prudent requirement.

“There may be some resistance to this requirement but we have had fires caused by this very issue and it makes common sense to not have open flames too close to combustible wall surfaces,” said Barr.

For those people who do violate the code, the proposal includes hefty fines and the possibility of severe punishment. The penalty section of the code specifies fines for violation as anywhere from $100 minimum to $200 maximum for each infringement or possibly six months in jail.

“Typically we allow 30 days for compliance on code violations unless they are zero tolerance,” said Barr. Zero tolerance violations would include exits being blocked, sprinkler systems that are turned off or alarm systems that aren’t working.

Although these are just proposed provisions, Barr hopes the adoption of the code will occur by year end. Enforcement will only happen through adoption by the city via the city commission.

At this point no date has been set for proposal to the city commission. Barr will be meeting the Board of Appeals this Wednesday to set a possible agenda and review the proposal.

Before the commission receives the code proposal there will have to be a public comment meeting.

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Gone are the days of college students eating beans from a can in their dingy, cramped one bedroom apartments.
With all of the extra amenities apartments are offering now, the college living experience of yore is gone and the
new one resembles that of a five star hotel.

With students seeking a higher standard of living, Lawrence complexes have taken notice and are offering several extras to compete for their business. These facilities don’t fall short of tanning beds, DVD rentals, fitness areas, car washes, and swimming pools.

“There’s so much competition out there. Students see that every property is trying to be the best, so we try to get their attention,” said Cara Heck, property manager for Parkway Commons in Lawrence.

Parkway Commons is part of First Management, Inc., a construction and property management company based out of Lawrence that was added in 1991.The company has 20 residential properties in Lawrence alone, seven of which include swimming pools, fitness facilities and optional security systems.

Parkway Commons, which is about 80 percent students, includes a free continental breakfast, free DVD rental, a swimming pool, a hot tub and a workout area. It is also a gated community.

“I used them [amenities] every week. Like I went to breakfast three to four times a week. When the pool was open I went almost every day,” said Shalan Mill, Overland Park, junior. Mill, a former resident of Parkway Commons, now lives in a smaller complex with no extra facilities.

Like Mill, there are still students who opt for affordability and quality service over fancy additions. Mill now pays $275 for rent each month for a three bedroom apartment that she shares with two roommates. Her three- bedroom at Parkway Commons cost her $350 a month (not including utilities), where she says the customer service was less than hospitable.

“Management is horrible at Parkway Commons, because there are so many residents; they don’t have time for you,” said Mill.

Even smaller leasing companies, who pride themselves on customer service, are jumping on the amenities bandwagon.

“It’s how you treat people,” said Kelly Hayes, property manager of Hawks Pointe apartments. “You have to really respect them [students] for who they are.”

Hawks Pointe, one of the smaller apartment chains in town, is owned by Aspen Square Management. It has three properties in Lawrence and 750 residents. It is currently installing a tanning bed at its Hawks Pointe I residence, located at seventh and Florida Street.

Not only has Hawks Pointe invested in features like swimming pools, fitness rooms and business centers, but it has put interest in advertising. Recently they created the Hawks Pointe wristband.

The wristbands give their residents discounts at participating local businesses. Places like Movie Gallery, Mango Tan, Pizza Hut and 12 others offer specials to residents. Movie Gallery gives a buy one get one free movie rental and Mango Tan offers 20 percent off any multiple session package purchase. These specials last until August 2007, around the time leases end.

Although the wristbands don’t cost the residents or the business anything extra, Hayes thinks it adds just that more convenience to students’ lives.

“It’s nice to have things in one place, because students are so busy.” said Hayes.

According to the census bureau, the real median household income has increased 30.9 percent since 1967. This could possibly explain the availability of funding for students living in these nice communities. With parents’ income increasing and enrollment growing by 21 percent from 1994 to 2004, it’s no wonder students expectations have soared in this competitive field.

With the lives of students changing so immensely over the last ten years or more, some students are looking to simplify.

“Personally I don’t think the amenities are that important. I think a simple life is more suiting, because you appreciate
things more when you leave,” said Mill. “For me the gym was convenient but everything else wasn’t that important.

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