Multimedia Reporting (Bradford)

Bonnie Henrickson, the Kansas University women’s basketball head coach, not only stressed the importance of basketball skills at the Individual Basketball Camp June 24-27, but also the importance of grades and respect to other campers.

“The number one, most important thing for our players at KU is their commitment to graduating,” Henrickson told campers in a lecture.

Henrickson takes time out of each of the four summer camps to lecture about topics besides basketball. She told campers how the KU players use tutors, are up at 5 a.m. to workout and how important it is to be a “decent person.”

“This is a big focus with our program, because not only do these girls play basketball, but they are at KU to get a degree and grow as a person,” Katie Capps, camp director, said. “It’s not just about basketball, there’s so much more that goes into it then putting the ball in the hoop.”

Girls at the camp ranged from grades fifth through 12th, and the majority of them stayed at the Ellsworth Hall during the camp. At the dorm they were able to spend time with the KU players, which also showed them the dedication that the players have.

“We make sure that our players look presentable and act presentable, and hopefully the campers will follow,” Capps said.

Each evening campers participated in a fun activity with the players such as carnival night, contest day and all-star night. During the day, campers were split up into three leagues, depending on age, and worked on fundamentals and played 5-on-5 games.

“I felt like I improved on my dribbling a lot, and I think these camps are important because you meet new people, and can take back the things you’ve learned to the younger kids,” Whitney Shipp, Winnetonka High School, junior, said.

Most of the approximately 200 campers were from Kansas and Missouri, but the camp also brought in participants from other states such as Texas, Oklahoma, Minnesota and Colorado. Each day the girls worked in stations to improve the dribbling, shooting, and defense.

“If all you’re doing is playing and playing games, you might be practicing bad habits,” Henrickson said. “We try to work on fundamentals and things that you don’t improve on if you’re only playing games.”

The camp brought in mostly local coaches from high schools, AAU leagues and some coaches from Missouri to help the campers. Campers were split up into teams, each with a different coach, to scrimmage against each other.

“It was very fun, and pretty tiring,” Shipp said. “But we worked a lot on footwork and dribbling skills and I’ll use that a lot back home.”

Click here to view an audio slideshow about The Castle Tea Room renovations.

One of Lawrence’s historical gems is about to shine a little brighter.

The Castle Tea Room, located in the heart of the Oread neighborhood at 1307 Massachusetts St., will soon undergo renovations that will turn the landmark into a twenty-first century jewel.

The former home of John N. Roberts, distinctive by today’s standards and unique when it was built at turn of the twentieth century, was used as a restaurant by the castle’s most recent owner, Libuse "Libby" Kriz-Fiorito, who died in 2004.

"We want to be able to have the house continue," Suzie Taylor-Meadows, historian for the Castle Tea Room Foundation board. "In fact, Libby demanded that it continue to serve other people."

To honor Libby’s wishes, renovations must be made. Planned renovations include an elevator, a new heating and cooling system, and handicap accessible bathrooms.
To raise the money for the castle’s refurbishment, the board is hosting a tagged estate sale of Kriz-Fiorito’s belongings from Thursday, July 19 to Saturday, July 21. The sale will coincide with the sidewalk sale in the shopping district of Massachusetts St. and will conclude with an auction of Kriz-Fiorito’s possessions from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

The castle means so much to so many and its rich past the castle’s rich past spans over a century. In 1892, a successful businessman named John N. Roberts began building a home for himself and his family. Two years later, it became one of the epicenters of the Lawrence social scene.

For a span of 24 years, from 1919 to 1943, the house changed owners several times, and was even at risk for demolition when the Assembly of God church bought it and planned to build a new church on the property. Finally, in 1947, Kriz-Fiorito intervened, bought the house, and turned it into the restaurant and social hotspot that Lawrence residents grew to cherish.

"So many people have such a stunning emotional connection to this building,” said Taylor-Meadows. “They have a huge emotional connection to the castle and they have a huge emotional connection to Libby."

For over 50 years, Kriz-Fiorito literally lived at work in the Castle Tea Room, operating the restaurant on the home’s three floors and residing on the top floor of the castle. The restaurant became a social setting for all sorts of community events in Lawrence. From sorority dances in the third floor ballroom to bridge club meetings, Taylor-Meadows said that the castle became one of Lawrence residents’ most loved treasures.

The brilliance of the castle attracted teacher Jan Green to volunteer with John Hughes - the man overseeing the tag sale next week - and help him sort through the treasure trove of possessions that fill Kriz-Fiorito’s home, from an old wedding dress to Green’s favorite find, a butter mold.

"I like antiques so I love this," she said. "I told John once ‘this is like Christmas!’ This stuff is like treasures."

Green’s fellow volunteer Sue Van Zuiden agreed. The homemaker said she loved the thrill of finding antiques that Kriz-Fiorito owned.

"I like opening boxes and going ‘oh, look at this!’" she said.

Taylor-Meadows said she hoped to see the castle reopen to the public by 2008. Not everything will be the same, though. Fire codes prohibit the use of the Castle’s third floor, and the Tower Room, where guests of the Roberts family used to sleep, will be used exclusively for board meetings and not for public events.

Despite some minor changes, the board still hopes to uphold the mission of the Libuse Kriz-Fiorito Historical Foundation: "to maintain the physical structure of the castle for future generations; to preserve and promote the castle’s unique history and heritage; and to maintain access to the castle for the public’s use, enjoyment, and education."

Sifting through antiques and valuables that Kriz-Fiorito once cherished and reminiscing on how much the Castle Tea Room has meant to the Oread neighborhood and Lawrence, Taylor-Meadows summed up the feelings of so many as she reflected on the castle’s importance.

"It just doesn’t get much better than this," she said.

Pinckney, the oldest neighborhood in Lawrence, is showing its age.

It’s impossible to drive around the neighborhood without noticing signs of urban decay, also known as blight: the sagging facades and sliding foundations of ancient Victorian houses rim the streets in some areas, and dilapidated apartment complexes can be seen in others.

“Blight is something that concerns me very deeply,” said Marilyn Roy, a Pinckney resident and treasurer of the Pinckney Neighborhood Association. “Some of the trailer parks in this neighborhood are in shockingly bad shape and one of the houses next door to me looks like it’s falling down and needs taking care of.”

Roy has not contacted the owner of the house but may do so if the property continues to deteriorate.

Roy is not the only resident concerned with blight. In an ongoing poll on the neighborhood association’s Web site, blight was the issue that most concerned Pinckney residents, trumping other choices such as inebriated park users and unsanitary conditions at park restrooms.

Pinckney’s blight is caused by the high concentration of low-income families living in the neighborhood.

“I think it’s important to consider the level of poverty for some people living in the neighborhood,” Roy said. “These houses aren’t in the state they’re in because people are too lazy to make repairs, they’re like this because their owners don’t have the funds to fix them.”

Pinckney, located north of Sixth Street and bordered on the west and east by Iowa Street and the Kansas River respectively, is one of the poorest neighborhoods in Lawrence with 60 percent of its residents living on low to moderate incomes, according to a report by the Department of Neighborhood Resources.

Charles Gruber, an associate broker for Hedges Real Estate, said that the average home in Pinckney sells for around $125,000 while some of the larger homes sell for as high as $200,000.

Ruth Lithwardt, vice president of the Pinckney Neighborhood Association, said that blight has been a cause of concern for Pinckney residents since she joined the Neighborhood Association seven years ago.

However, Lithwardt also said that Pinckney isn't in as bad a condition as other low-income neighborhoods in Lawrence.

“We’re still in the preventative stages at the moment,” Lithwardt said. “It’s not a major problem right now, but could become one if we’re not careful.”

What’s being done

The neighborhood association has begun working with the city of Lawrence to prevent increased blight by rezoning certain areas within the neighborhood.

Many areas in the neighborhood contain small buildings such as single-family houses but are actually zoned to contain bigger structures such as apartments or townhouses, causing some contractors to construct large complexes next to the smaller buildings already in place. These complexes are often shoddily built and fall easily into disrepair

Hilah Vanderlibbe lives in one of these buildings, a townhouse on Florida Street surrounded on both sides by single-family houses.

“I don’t think the owners do that good of a job of keeping this place up,” Vanderlibbe said. “ The roof leaks, the window frames are falling down. People definitely don’t have a vested interest in living here any longer than they have to.”

Vanderlibbe and her four roommates pay $1000 a month in rent for their townhouse. She said the majority of residents at the townhouses are college students although she has seen a few older residents as well.

By rezoning areas to match the structures they already contain, Lithwardt hopes to bring greater stability to the area and prevent further construction of complexes like Vanderlibbe’s.

Pinckney has also been working with Tenants to Homeowners, a Lawrence charity that constructs affordable housing in low-income neighborhoods in hopes of encouraging residents to buy homes instead of renting.

According to a report by Lawrence’s Neighborhood Resources Department, 53 percent of Pinckney residents rent their homes. While this number is low compared to other neighborhoods in Lawrence, Lithwardt said that the number of people renting homes has been increasing since she joined the neighborhood association.

Lithwardt said Pinckney’s blight problems would decrease if more residents owned their own homes because home owners usually take better care of their homes than renters do.

Hayley Travis, resource development specialist for Tenants to Homeowners, said that the organization constructed six single-family homes in the neighborhood in 2005.

Another Solution on the Horizon

A new measure currently being considered by the Lawrence City Commission, the Neighborhood Revitalization Act, could also help Pinckney residents improve their homes.

The act would allow residents in select neighborhoods, Pinckney being one of them, to make renovations increasing the value of their home without having to pay 95 percent of the property taxes brought on by the renovations.

The act has won approval from the Pinckney Neighborhood Association and several members of the city commission.

“I think the act could be a lot of help if the Lawrence government is serious about it,” said Kirk McClure, professor of urban planning at the University of Kansas. “However, the act is not a magic wand or silver bullet; it’s just one of many tools that should be used.”

McClure said that property taxes are not one of the major factors preventing Lawrence residents from keeping up their homes because the Midwest has some of the lowest property tax rates in the country. Lawrence’s property tax is 1.2 percent.

McClure lists low-interest loans, grants, and better promotion for local schools as alternatives that could more effectively improve Lawrence neighborhoods. (See slideshow for more on McClure's ideas for improving Lawrence neighborhoods).

Because the act allows home-owners to rebate taxes going to the Lawrence school district, the school board still needs to agree to the act.

“We don’t have a problem with the act conceptually,” said Randy Weseman, superintendent of Lawrence schools. “We’ve supported (tax) rebates for a long time now.”

The school board was first briefed on the act at a meeting on June 11 and is scheduled to vote on the topic at its July 23 meeting.

“It’s my feeling that we’ll choose to participate in this plan to assist with the revitalization process,” said Linda Robinson, president of the school board.

Robinson said that there was strong support shown for the act at the June 11 meeting. But with three new board members having been sworn in since the June 11 meeting, Robinson said that the vote could still go either way.

The ongoing storm drainage problem in North Lawrence is expected to start improving in the next couple of years as construction projects begin. Currently, all of the water in North Lawrence has to be pumped out through one nine-inch pump at fifth and Maple. This can take from an hour up to a couple of days, and sometimes causes flooding at Lyons Park. A study done a year ago revealed that the total storm water improvement needed in North Lawrence was $16 million in the residential area, and another $25 million north of Lawrence to keep the water out of the area. “We don’t really have a drainage system; it’s all just open ditches, and there’s no curbs or gutters in the residential areas,” Ted Boyle, North Lawrence Improvement Association president, said. “Most of the water just sits in these ditches until it’s finally pumped out.” Boyle said North Lawrence needs two 30-inch pumps to replace the one nine-inch pump to help solve the problem. Installing the new pumps would cost approximately $3.9 million, and this amount increases each year that it doesn’t get done. The plan has been proposed to the city budget, but there are no official plans to begin work. “This is our top priority, because it would benefit the residents the most. We want to get this done before we do anything else in the area,” Boyle said. City Manager Dave Corliss said there are not any plans for providing funding for improving storm drainage in residential areas of North Lawrence. However, construction will begin this Fall on the second and Locust intersection, which will widen the traffic lanes, and Corliss said will help drainage at the underpass near the intersection. Construction on a 900-acre airport industrial park in North Lawrence is likely to begin at the end of the year. Anthony Santaularia, developer of the industrial park, said that this construction would help with the storm drainage problem. “There’s not a drainage problem where we want to build the park, but in North Lawrence there is,” Santaularia said. “We plan to work with the city and county to upsize the pumps, and will handle what comes up during our development.” Boyle said the area where the industrial park is to be built needs to install a $9 million storm water pump, and the Improvement Association feels the developer should pay for it. However, Santaularia had not heard these figures. For now, Boyle is mainly worried about flooding in the neighborhood, and the increasing cost these projects will require as each year goes by. “We aren’t even as worried about the river flooding as we are about the actual water problem in our neighborhoods, and so it’s really our number one concern right now,” Boyle said.

When driving or taking a stroll through East Lawrence, one might notice that many of its residents are rather lax when it comes to lawn maintenance. It is quite common to see yards that could have used some mowing weeks ago; and it appears that few people in the area have heard of a weed eater. Jeremy Yoho, a 28-year-old resident of East Lawrence, mowed his yard for the first time in a month on Monday evening. “It’s just not a high priority,” Yoho said. Yoho works full time at the Jayhawk Pawn and Jewelry store on 6th Street, and is trying to pay his own way through college. “I think a lot of the people around here are like me. This is a lower-income housing area with a lot of young people and college students who have other things to worry about,” Yoho said.

While Yoho’s lawn may have been well overdue by the time he got around to cutting it, he may not have been in violation of any city ordinances. The City of Lawrence codes state that no weeds shall be allowed to exceed 12 inches in height (or length, if they are matted down). Multiple houses in East Lawrence have weeds that clearly put the property in violation. According to the city codes, the property owner could receive a notice in the mail which demands that he either remove the “noxious” weeds within 10 days, or be assessed a fee after the city comes out and does it for him.

Chapter 18, article 3 of the codes states that the above measures exist to remove conditions that might cause fire to spread, be a home to snakes, rodents and other pests, restrict vehicle visibility, and decrease property value. Before outsiders begin to think that it’s just a big jungle over there in East Lawrence, it is necessary to point out that over half of its residents do have lawns that have been well maintained. In fact, Codes Enforcement Division employee Brian Jimenez does not believe that East Lawrence residents receive more citations for “noxious” weeds than residents of other neighborhoods. “It happens on the West side just as easily as on the East side,” Jimenez said.

John Swift, ex-president of the East Lawrence Neighborhood Association, has personally received a visit from the Codes Enforcement Division. Swift hadn’t trimmed his back yard any time recently, so the city did it for him and stuck Swift with the bill. “I think they were trying to make an example out of me because I was the president of the neighborhood association,” Swift said. That was some time ago, and Swift hasn’t heard of many people being cited for having long weeds lately. While the Codes Enforcement Division is admittedly pro-active in its enforcement of noxious weed regulations, Swift believes that it is mainly complaint driven. His theory is: the residents of East Lawrence don’t complain.

When Serina Hearn purchased the house at 637 Tennessee last August, some neighbors in the area were skeptical of her intentions. Her reputation for leasing houses to college students coupled with the existence of a second kitchen in the basement of the house generated a fear that Old West Lawrence would be invaded by students.

After receiving several complaints, the city sent inspectors to the house who told Hearn that without a special-use permit she could not have the second kitchen, which existed before she purchased the house. She consulted the Historic Resources Commission, which recommended last month that she be allowed to apply for a special-use permit that would allow her to keep the kitchen. The City Planning Commission will hold a hearing on at 6:30 p.m. on July 25 at City Hall to discuss whether or not the City Commission should approve the permit.

"The question that has arisen is whether this second kitchen allows for some sort of rental situation," Sandra Day, city planner, said. "The crux of the issue is whether we’re going to allow multi-family rental in what is now zoned a single-family residential."

Day said that Hearn’s request was for an accessory dwelling. This allows for a second resident to live in the house as long as they are somehow connected to the homeowner’s family. This constitutes the need for a second kitchen. Accessory dwelling differs from a duplex because in a duplex, Day said, the two families are completely independent of one another. She said that the fine line between a duplex and accessory dwelling was what was causing the confusion in the neighborhood.

Mike Wildgen, president of Old West Lawrence Neighborhood Association, said the neighborhood held a meeting in May, and their position was that they did not want the house to become a duplex.

“The owner applied to have a kitchen in the basement, and the neighbors don’t object to the kitchen,” Wildgen said. “There are houses all over Lawrence that have kitchens in the basement, but they don’t have people living down there. What they’re afraid of is that they’re going to turn it into a duplex.”

While the entire controversy revolves around the possibility of a duplex in a single-family neighborhood, Hearn said she had no intentions of leasing the house as a duplex. She said her intentions were to sustain the historic building that was built by James Green, the first Dean of the KU School of Law.

After she bought the house last August for $300,000, she and her husband spent another $300,000 on the restoration of the house. She wants the house to be sold with the kitchen so that the new homeowner would have the option of housing their extended family who could provide supplementary income to financially sustain the house, which is now being sold for $750,000.

"Houses of this size usually warrant more people than just the nuclear family to two parents and two children,” Hearn said. “This house could have extended family living in it which would justify the huge gas and electric bills moving towards a more environmentally friendly understanding of living.”

If the City Planning Commission approves the special-use permit, its recommendation will be sent to the City Commission where it will be voted on by a five-member panel and require a simple majority to pass. If 20 percent of the neighbors living within 200 feet of 637 Tennessee petition the recommendation, the permit will require a super majority vote by four members of the five member panel.

Watch the video to hear Serina Hearn and Mike Wildgen express their views on 637 Tennessee.

The 14-month construction project of Kasold Drive is finally over. A smooth two lane road is now flanked by a wide sidewalk. The improved conditions have done nothing, however, to appease incensed home and business owners who were affected by the lengthy ordeal.

Brian Fadden, manager of Parkway Wine and Spirits, located off of Kasold, said it was difficult to quantify the business lost because of construction. He was able to observe firsthand how a customer could become deterred when trying to reach a business off Kasold.

“Last Wednesday when I went to work, I had to go all the way up to 15th and cut into this neighborhood just to get here, because by the time I realized there was no left turn, I was already committed to going north on Kasold,” Fadden said. “So I guess the obstacle is it’s a pain in the butt. Some people don’t know the back way to get here.”

Fadden said that he suspected Hyvee had called in to complain to the city after construction obstructed and sometimes blocked vehicles entrance into the store’s parking lot. Parkway has slow business during the morning and early afternoon, times when construction was the worst. Fadden said that he would have voiced complaints if construction had gone on into his peak business hours.

City Public Works Director Chuck Soules said that despite some bumps along the way, the project was a success.

“We had a couple of businesses that had some concerns about access and visibility,” Soules said. “But the contractor did a heck of a job trying to get their work done and getting everyone accommodated. You will always have people whose schedules won’t mesh with the contractor. Occasionally we had mail delivery problems, where roads were closed and the post people couldn’t deliver the mail. But we took care of that right when we heard about it.”

Soules said the project was scheduled to last until October, but the crew finished it three months ahead of schedule.

“We were happy with their work,” Soules said. “They stayed with the job and got it done. The road will be there for years and years to come. I am very happy with the quality and workmanship.”

The look of the finished product has done nothing to allay perturbed motorists who were pulled over at high frequencies throughout construction on Kasold. According to the Lawrence Journal World, 900 tickets totaling almost $170,000 were doled out. The construction zone lowered the speed limit to 20 miles per hour, down from 40.

Motorists escaping Kasold without a ticket often became frustrated as well. The road was constricted to one lane and featured bumper-to-bumper plodding during many mid-days.

Soules believes all precautions taken were appropriate.

“The speed limit we had was 20 miles per hour and we did have enforcement for the 20 miles per hour,” Soules said. “It wasn’t a problem necessarily, but that’s what everyone has been talking about. We didn’t have any accidents. No one was hurt on the job. Traffic wise, besides inconvenience for some people, there were no problems.

“With no accidents or worker injuries as a result of traffic, I think that speaks for itself. The project was very tight, as far as construction area, and the workers could have reached out and touched cars. Not having people hurt was the proof in the pudding.”

Jenny Williamson, a Lawrence resident who recently moved into town, took her two dogs on a walk down the new sidewalk along Kasold on Wednesday. Williamson lives in an apartment complex off of Kasold.

“It’s nice and wide,” Williamson said of the sidewalk, “but I prefer sidewalks in neighborhoods, not down noisy roads. I had to keep an eye on (the dogs) and make sure they didn’t get too close to the road.”

Soules was happy with the wider walking areas on Kasold.

“The city has been moving towards more pedestrian accessible community,” Soules said. “Kasold is a main street that has a connection to many areas. It’s a great improvement providing the capability for pedestrians or bicyclists.”

Williamson said she walks her dogs everyday, but would not make this sidewalk a staple of her daily routine, despite the proximity to her home.

“It wouldn’t be my preference,” Williamson said. “Occasionally, maybe.”

The East Central District Horse Show held its annual competition at the Douglas county fairgrounds on Tuesday, July 10- Thursday, July 12. The regional competition included 4-H members from nine different counties, all within east central Kansas. The self-proclaimed “4-Hers” competed in varied events that members choose to be their area of expertise.

Friends and family filled the county arena to watch 40 participants compete in 13 events including showmanship, horsemanship, reining, barrels, flag races, and pole bending among others.

The 4-H program encouraged community involvement, although the show brought added levels of nerves to the arena for some competitors. Each event challenges riders to maintain control of the horse and concentrate on focus while on horse-back.

“The upper level competition is a lot more stressful and serious,” Chelcie Sutherland, an 18-year-old rider from Leroy, Ks, said. “It can last from 6:00pm-midnight.”

Riders varied from ages 10-18 years-old and showcased their talents in front of a judge at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. in hopes of winning ribbons. Riders were evaluated based on certain criteria. Ribbons, based on a color system composed of white, red, blue and purple ribbons, were
awarded during a ceremony at the end of each event. Recipients of blue and purple ribbons are invited to the statewide competition in September.

Libby Lugar, second-year judge and member of the University of Nebraska Equine Judging team, said that the competition was good, and the environment was relaxed.

“I look at quality of riding, horse-control and polish overall,” Lugar said.

Although riders completed for placement, the event focused on more than just ribbons. The show was designed to increase summer activity within the age group and promote responsibility and leadership.

“People have to work with horses everyday. Only a few 4-H things are like that,” Robin Billen, Osage county 4-H group leader, said. “Horses take a lot of dedication. It gives kids a sense of pride.”

Competitors are required for their own horse maintenance, equipment and other equine needs during the horse show. Members are also responsible for the commitment outside the show arena, which can take up a lot of time.

“The kids ride everyday,” Billen said. “They take total care of the horse. They clean it, feed it and clean up after it.”

Many competitors have been riding since they were young. Sutherland, who qualified for every event she competed in, has been riding since she was 4-years-old and dedicates her time as a year-round commitment.

“I enjoy riding everyday,” Sutherland said. “I have trainers during the winter so I can still ride inside. It’s just something fun to do.”

Several riders used bright colors and designs in horse accessories such as stockings and different styles of western wear to display their individual style and equine flare.

The event was strictly volunteer-based. Volunteering adults are asked to be team leaders and help anywhere from concession stands to judging. Each adult helped organize participants during the event.

The 4-H program centers around the four ways youth can grow and develop in 4-H: head, heart, hands and health. Darby Zaremba, 4-H Club horse leader, said that the 4-H community also teaches kids life skills that will benefit the future.

“With 4-H, we have better communities,” Zaremba said. “We are creating better leaders.”

Click the image for a slideshow about the horse show

Working out can be great for the body but it can also bring trouble.

Click here to view a slideshow about this year's KU Cheer and Dance Camp.

Donisha Carter runs from her seat in the bleachers of Horejsi Gymnasium to grab her camcorder, plugged into the wall below. She has got to catch this moment on tape.

Her daughter Shakila Tribue and the three other members of Washington High School’s cheerleading squad step onto the mat at this year’s KU Cheer and Dance Camp’s last day competition, watched by a handful of encouraging parents, including Carter, who is by now as close to the mat as she can be with her camcorder in hand.

Tribue and her squad perform a solid routine, which concludes with Tribue executing a stunt in the air and landing firmly in the arms of her bases, who put her down gently before breaking into smiles and cheers.

Carter, with camcorder in hand, jumps up and down wildly. Her daughter has accomplished what she came here to do.

"Oh it was wonderful!" she said. "I wouldn’t miss it for the world. She landed the stunt she came here to learn - she twisted out into a cradle!"

Tribue and approximately 175 other campers began their KU Cheer and Dance Camp experience on Friday, July 13 and ended with the last day competition and awards on Sunday, July 15. Packed into those three days were cheer and stunt classes, team building activities, and even cheerobics, the peppy warmup to each days events.

"All of our camps are about safety, learning, and having fun," Cat Jarzemkoski, spirit squad coordinator and director of the camp, said. "We want these girls to start their seasons off great, and camp is a way to bond and get to know each other."

Jarzemkoski - who in her role as spirit squad coordinator oversees the Jayhawks’ cheerleading squad, dance team, and mascots - said that campers would learn about pom technique, jumps, tumbling, stunts, and working as a team in their three days at camp. The campers are taught by members of the spirit squad, whose days at camp were not too long ago.

"A lot of the instructors are saying ‘remember when you went to camp?’" Jarzemkoski said. "We want these girls to have a great time, love their instructors, and learn something."

Jarzemkoski also said that hosting the camp at KU was admittedly a way to get current middle school and high school cheerleaders and dancers thinking about becoming a Jayhawk one day.

"We have girls who want to come to KU to be cheerleaders and we have girls who already want to come next year to camp," she said. "The experience at the university is amazing and the kids feel grown up."

Friday afternoon saw the campers performing their home routines - pre-choreographed numbers that the squads brought to camp to show off to other schools - inside the heat of Anschutz Pavilion. The girls from Douglas Middle School started the performances, wearing matching gray tops and pink shorts and dancing to Cyndi Lauper’s "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." The Horton High School dance team followed with a routine to Destiny’s Child’s "Lose My Breath" before the campers broke into cheerobics, jumping and dancing despite the sweltering heat in the building, which isn’t air conditioned. No wonder Jarzemkoski uses the word passionate to describe her campers.

"These kids are really passionate about cheering and sporting," Jarzemkoski said.

When Sunday afternoon rolled around and the parents packed into Horejsi Gymnasium to see their daughters - and one son, as there was a lone male this year at the camp, a boy named Joe - it was obvious that Shakila Tribue wasn’t the only one who had learned something over the course of camp. Excited campers in matching uniforms sat with their squads and surrounded the mat that each of them would soon perform on.

"Cheerleaders and dancers are hams so they have a sense of pride, like ‘look at me,’" Jarzemkoski said. "The parents are really supportive. My favorite part is the end not because it’s the end, but because it all comes to fruition."

At 1:30 that afternoon the last day competition began with a series of individual competitions, starting with jumps and going on to kick dance, tumbling, and cheer competitions. Blair from Blue Valley West steps onto the mat during the individual cheer competition and runs into the center as her teammates and fellow campers cheer her on.

"Red and black! Jaguars on this side yell red, red! Jaguars on this side yell black, black! Jaguars, yell with me - red and black! Jaguars!" Blair finishes the cheer and returns to her team. She’s just performed by herself in front of a crowd, and she’s done it well.

The mini-campers then take to the mat. On Sunday only second graders through fifth graders joined their older counterparts for a small taste of cheer camp, and they perform a routine after only working on it for a few hours. Next up is the individual campers - the girls who came to camp by themselves and not with their junior high or high school squad. They have formed a team with a mascot of, appropriately, the Indies, and their colors are pink and green. These girls really impressed Jarzemkoski.

"The individuals are amazing," she said. "They come as individuals but they work together and friendships evolve."

The Indies are followed by junior high squads and then high school squads performing for the crowd. The KU cheerleading squad performs a demo of one of their routines for the crowd before the show culminates with the awards ceremony at the end of the day. The awards, judged by the KU cheerleaders, are handed out to the best in every category that was performed, and the ceremony honors a group called the Rock Chalk Team, a select group of campers whose spirit made them stand out among the crowd. Donisha Carter applauds wildly when her daughter’s school, Washington High, wins the Most Improved Squad Award.

Cheer camp is over, and in between posing for photos with her campers, Megan McGinley, Topeka sophomore and member of the Rock Chalk Dancers team, is already missing her girls.

"It was so much fun," she said. "We developed into a big team. We had a lot of fun and it’s so sad to see them leave. I’ll miss them a lot."

As the gym empties and the campers reunite with their proud parents, a parting shot is symbolic of all that the campers learned during their three days at KU - spectators can see Shakila Tribue being hoisted into the air by a male KU cheerleader, performing the stunt that she came to camp to learn. As she lifts her arms into the air and steadies herself through the stunt, her mom Donisha Carter is smiling broadly, pointing her camcorder right at Tribue’s beaming face.

Click here view a slideshow about the Jayhawk Cross Country Camp

“Mid-Distance here!”

“Cross Country over here!”

A mass of campers gathered at the Jayhawk Cross Country and Track and Field Camp, held from July 15 to July 19, gathered in the parking lot across from Naismith Hall, their home for the next five days, to be divided into their respective sporting events. After they found their groups, Milan Donley offered a welcome to the campers in Hadl Auditorium in the Wagnon Student Athlete Center.

“We want you to have fun and make friends,” said Donley before reviewing the safety rules in the dorms. The camp had three other important objectives. The first is that the campers learn more about their sport.

"It isn’t just running and jumping and throwing,” said Donley.

The second objective was to learn what it takes to be successful in a particular event, which hinges on the third objective – that each of the students finds out what type of athlete they are and how they can get to the next level in their training and competition.

Education was key to a camper’s full experience during the week. Asking questions about the sport and even about coach’s experiences and opinions was crucial to success.

Tom Hays, the pole vault and high jump coach for the camp, said that the best athletes are “Athletes that I don’t have to motivate; that motivate themselves.”

After their welcome meeting, the groups went to their own areas for training sessions with their coaches.

Doug Clark has been the coach of the Jayhawk Cross Country Camp for eight years now.

“I think that’s one thing that’s kind of unique,” said Clark of the unique running environments that the camp provided to its athletes. “What we do is van the whole group to a place where our team trains,” he said. “We literally have a few dozen places we run.” Other camps simply run the athletes from their home base every day.

Clark said the camp focuses not only on mileage, but also on running techniques like flexibility and range of motion that can be overlooked when high school runners log summer miles in preparation for their seasons.

“If you don’t practice it, a lot of your skill deteriorates,” said Clark.

Each day, the coaches presented exercises to get the athletes running at their full speeds – even if everyone at the camp is at a different skill level with varying degrees of speed and fitness.

“Anybody going to go 9 [miles]?” Clark called out to the group of 43 cross country campers on the gravel running path on the levy by the Kansas River. This week, the athletes chose their own distance and there own speed for each run.

In the course of five days, the cross country campers ran eleven workouts – one on the first day, three per day for the next three days, and one on the last day. And so, with the brilliant heat of a July afternoon baking the gravel running path on the levy by the Kansas River, 43 young athletes took off for their first run in the sun.

Click here to view a slideshow about Alpha Kappa Lambda, a fraternity that is returning to campus this fall.

A fraternity that left campus six years ago will return this fall, the fraternity’s executive director said.

Alpha Kappa Lambda will begin recruiting members with what executive director Jeremy Slivinski calls a slow start expansion program.

“The chapter at KU was our fourth oldest chapter and we have a huge alumni base there,” Slivinski said. “KU is an excellent campus with an excellent Greek system, so we couldn’t see why we shouldn’t come back.”

The slow start expansion process includes the fraternity recruiting five to six incoming freshmen by the beginning of the school year, giving them scholarships from the fraternity and lessons on how to recruit new members.

Slivinski said that once classes began the push for new members would “slowly pick up” and that they would choose each recruit “one by one” until the recruitment process was done in roughly 12 to 18 months.

“This is an opportunity for these men to create their own fraternity experience,” he said.

Alpha Kappa Lambda used the same slow start expansion process at Emporia State University and it worked well, Slivinski said.

Michael Gillaspie, the vice president recruitment for the university’s Interfraternity Council, said that Alpha Kappa Lambda will initially recruit on its own but will receive help from the Interfraternity Council in the future. He said that Alpha Kappa Lambda’s lack of a chapter house may hurt recruiting at first, but that with a strong commitment to the recruiting process the push for new members could be successful.

“Becoming a chapter without a chapter house is hard, but with hard work and dedication it could be possible to pull off,” he said. “They’ve got to have a true commitment to fraternity life.”

Laura Bauer, the university’s director of fraternity and sorority life, said that Alpha Kappa Lambda is currently not planning to be housed on campus. She also said that after the fraternity’s national headquarters approached her last spring, she and the Interfraternity Council were pleased to see the chapter return to campus.

“We are very supportive of their effort,” she said. “We welcome them to campus and we’ll do anything that we can to assist in the process. We welcome them with open arms.”

The last fraternity to return to campus with a recruitment push somewhat similar to Alpha Kappa Lambda’s was Delta Tau Delta, who returned to campus last fall. Sigma Nu will also be returning to campus this fall, raising the university’s fraternity count from 19 to 21.

A year from now, Slivinski hopes to see Alpha Kappa Lambda as a permanent fixture on campus with the possibility of expanding further in the years to come.

“We hope to have a strong undergraduate member base with a lot of potential to grow,” he said.

After the fraternity was founded in 1914 at the University of California, Berkeley, Alpha Kappa Lambda has grown to 31 college campuses and is the fraternity of 24,000 men nationally.

The Freshman Summer Institute has pushed back its camp date and combined the usual two sessions into one four-week course which will be held between the months of June and July for the first time.

The institute is a summer camp offered to incoming freshman who will be attending the University in the fall. Students earned five KU credit hours and gained a head-start on college life. Participants are required to take the PRE 101, a two-credit, general orientation based seminar class that introduces students to campus resources, procedures and faculty.

Students submitted their choice of a general education class to complete their required five-credit hour schedule. This summer SOC 104, POLS 110, COMS 130 and ENG 101 were offered.

Associate director of advising and FSI coordinator Diana Burright said that the camp’s schedule changed into a one-session camp after coordinators determined that holding only one session would better accommodate students with later high school graduation dates and provide a greater mix of in-and out-of-state students. In prior years, the camp was divided into two sessions, one held in June and another in July.

The goal for the change of format was to attract a greater number of students with different interests and backgrounds. Burright said that the combination allowed students to be able to meet all camp participants rather than separating the students by monthly sessions.

Fifty-two students attended the camp this summer. In 2006, the camp’s combined attendance between the two-month sessions was 80. In 2005, the total attendance was 76.

Although this year’s attendance is lower than previous years, Burright believed that the attendance was reasonable given the first year for the new format.

“I anticipate the number to remain somewhat stable, if not grow a little for next year,” Burright said.

Although the camp is optional, it allows students to get accustomed to KU during the quiet time of summer, according to the institute’s Web site.

““This gives them added confidence and a chance at early success,” Burright said. “It puts them more at ease and lets them focus on academics earlier in the fall semester, instead of juggling the normal freshman adjustments at the same time as their new academic commitments.”

Adjustments students made included being away from home for the first time for some, eating at Ekdahl Dinning Commons, or “Mrs. E’s” and tackling the hill.

“I couldn’t believe how much walking there was,” Truitt said. “You see your building from your dorm room and you think ‘I have no chance,’ but after a while it’s not bad.”

Students are also expected to attend class regularly, complete homework assignments on time and handle added responsibility of dorm-life in Templin residence hall.

“They really did make us work,” Pace Porter, incoming freshman, said. “But they also treated us like college students. Quizzes, papers, tests, but no curfew.”

Students met for class twice a day with fellow campers in various building around campus. Participants also took place in a career exploration workshop, a challenge course activity off campus designed to promote self-confidence and teamwork and a community service project.

“I really did want to learn more and meet new students,” Erica Truitt, incoming freshman, said. “I came all the way from St. Louis and I totally think this it was worth it.”

In comparison, the University of Missouri offers incoming freshman assorted summer classes but Missouri students must be recommended by their counselors and admission is based on academic standing.

MU also offers a Summer Transition program. According to the Academic Retention Services’ Web site, this is an eight-week program for first year ethnic minority students to gain college credit and receive a scholarship before starting the fall semester. Attendance for both camps was unavailable.

The KU institute estimated total cost for in-state residents is $2,500, which includes tuition and fees, room and board, and program fees. Out-of-state students total cost is $3,900. Totals do not include books and personal expenses.

Burright said that although the program has changed its format, the original premise of the institute has always been the same since its official start in 1996. Burright said that the institute simply provides incoming students with an opportunity to become acclimated and adjusted to KU by giving them a taste of college life prior to their fall start.

“I really love the campus,” Truitt said. “I’m going to step on to the campus in the fall feeling like a sophomore.”

Click here to view the Freshman Summer Institute sound slide.

Cynthia Shaw has been bird watching since she was a toddler.

Shaw recalls sitting on the back porch of her grandparents’ home in Sterling watching the birds circle above, her grandfather holding a pair of binoculars to her eyes because she was too small to hold them herself. Bird watching trips to Sterling Lake and the Rocky Mountains followed as Shaw got older.

Today, at 72-years-old, Shaw is still watching birds, although in a slightly different form.

“Old age has definitely set in,” Shaw said. “My bird watching is much more sedentary today. I mostly watch birds from the car or through the kitchen window.”

While her bird watching continues, Shaw, a resident of Lawrence for most of her adult life, has noticed a decline in the diversity of bird species she has seen in Douglas County.

“There are some species that I don’t see as often as I used to,” Shaw said. “I haven’t seen a Henslow’s sparrow for years.”

A. Townsend Peterson, an ornithologist at the University of Kansas, said that Henslow’s sparrow is one species of bird that has been almost eliminated from Douglas County. Peterson estimates that 95 percent of the species has been eliminated from the county while there are still high numbers of the species in the Flint Hills to the west.

In addition to Henslow’s sparrow, the greater prairie chicken is another bird that has been dwindling in numbers with the last of the species disappearing from Douglas County around four to five years ago.

Peterson said that the decline can be traced back to the conversion of prairie grasslands, the natural habitat of many bird species, to farmlands in Douglas County. Peterson said that less than 1 percent of Douglas County remains prairie grasslands while the rest has been turned into suburbs or farmland.

Henslow’s sparrow and the greater prairie chicken have been most affected by this conversion because they require larger tracts of grasslands to survive than do other bird species. Most of the remaining grassland areas in Douglas County are simply too small to support populations of the two bird species.

And Douglas County is not the only part of the country that has shown signs of a declining bird population. According to a report released June 14 in the National Audubon Society’s magazine, bird populations have been declining across the country since 1968 with some species showing declines in the 70 to 80 percent range.

Peterson said that this decline in bird numbers can be disastrous for grassland ecosystems. Without the birds present, animals that depend on them for food such as foxes and coyotes are forced to migrate to places with higher bird concentrations or starve.

But the decline in birds can have an adverse effect on humans as well. Without the birds present to prey on disease-carrying insects such as mosquitoes, the number of diseases found in humans could increase.

The government steps in

All of this has raised debate about the role of the municipal and county governments in protecting the environment.

“I think we’re getting to a point where the environment is becoming more of a priority,” said Sheila Stogsdill, director of planning for the city of Lawrence. “We’re probably still not at the same level as other cities, but we’ve begun to have more stringent environmental ordinances.”

As director of Lawrence’s planning division, it’s Stogsdill’s job to make recommendations to the city commission about whether or not to grant contractor’s requests to build.

Stogsdill said that language codified into the city’s development code in February of 2006 could help the city become more environmentally conscious.

The language in the code designates certain zones within the city as “sensitive land” if building in that area could harm wildlife. So far none of the areas designated as “sensitive land” have been targeted by contractors as sites for construction.

In addition, the city commission has been open to receiving input from local environmental groups such as the Jayhawk Audubon Society.

When the city agreed to the construction of a large trail through the forest surrounding Burcham Park, protests from board members of the Audubon Society led to the construction being tabled for further discussion.

“I think the Lawrence government does a pretty good job with environmental issues,” said Mike Fraley, conservation chair of the Jayhawk Audubon Society.

Fraley also lauds efforts by the city commission to protect the environment by designating areas within the city as environmental areas off limits to construction.

But some have said that what the city is doing isn’t enough.

Mark Robbins, professor of ornithology at the University of Kansas, said that designating small areas as off limits to construction will have only a minute effect on reinvigorating the environment because animals need space to survive. Greater benefits could be brought about by protecting larger sections of land where more animal species could survive

The Wakarusa Wetlands is one location that Robbins said would benefit from being designated as a protected area.

However, Robbins admits that only so much change can be brought about by municipal governments.

“For there to be any real change bigger powers need to step in,” Robbins said. “We need national powers and international powers to become more integrated into efforts at the local level.”

A new farm bill being debated by the United States House of Representatives could help the environment. The bill would require farmers to set aside designated areas of their land as conservation areas where they would be prohibited from farming.

The bill was passed in committee, and the House is scheduled to debate and vote upon the bill on July 26. Presidnet Bush has threatened to veto the bill if passed because of tax increases that would go into effect if the bill became law.

“A lot rides on the fate of the bill,” Robbins said. “Many bird species could be saved.”

Click here to view a slide show on disappearing birds

When Serina Hearn purchased the house at 637 Tennessee last August, some neighbors in the area were skeptical of her intentions. Her reputation for leasing houses to college students coupled with the existence of a second kitchen in the basement of the house generated a fear that Old West Lawrence would be invaded by students.

After receiving several complaints, the city sent inspectors to the house who told Hearn that without a special-use permit she could not have the second kitchen, which existed before she purchased the house. She consulted the Historic Resources Commission, which recommended last month that she be allowed to apply for a special-use permit that would allow her to keep the kitchen. The City Planning Commission will hold a hearing on at 6:30 p.m. on July 25 at City Hall to discuss whether or not the City Commission should approve the permit.

"The question that has arisen is whether this second kitchen allows for some sort of rental situation," Sandra Day, city planner, said. "The crux of the issue is whether we’re going to allow multi-family rental in what is now zoned a single-family residential."

Day said that Hearn’s request was for an accessory dwelling. This allows for a second resident to live in the house as long as they are somehow connected to the homeowner’s family. This constitutes the need for a second kitchen. Accessory dwelling differs from a duplex because in a duplex, Day said, the two families are completely independent of one another. She said that the fine line between a duplex and accessory dwelling was what was causing the confusion in the neighborhood.

Mike Wildgen, president of Old West Lawrence Neighborhood Association, said the neighborhood held a meeting in May, and their position was that they did not want the house to become a duplex.

“The owner applied to have a kitchen in the basement, and the neighbors don’t object to the kitchen,” Wildgen said. “There are houses all over Lawrence that have kitchens in the basement, but they don’t have people living down there. What they’re afraid of is that they’re going to turn it into a duplex.”

While the entire controversy revolves around the possibility of a duplex in a single-family neighborhood, Hearn said she had no intentions of leasing the house as a duplex. She said her intentions were to sustain the historic building that was built by James Green, the first Dean of the KU School of Law.

After she bought the house last August for $300,000, she and her husband spent another $300,000 on the restoration of the house. She wants the house to be sold with the kitchen so that the new homeowner would have the option of housing their extended family who could provide supplementary income to financially sustain the house, which is now being sold for $750,000.

"Houses of this size usually warrant more people than just the nuclear family to two parents and two children,” Hearn said. “This house could have extended family living in it which would justify the huge gas and electric bills moving towards a more environmentally friendly understanding of living.”

If the City Planning Commission approves the special-use permit, its recommendation will be sent to the City Commission where it will be voted on by a five-member panel and require a simple majority to pass. If 20 percent of the neighbors living within 200 feet of 637 Tennessee petition the recommendation, the permit will require a super majority vote by four members of the five member panel.

Patrick Huse graduated from the University in May with a degree in finance. Unsure of what to do next with his life, and spurred by an already lucrative side-career in online poker, Huse headed to Las Vegas for the summer.

The Omaha native turned a victory at a satellite, a small tournament that feeds into a larger one, into a spot at the $10,000 buy-in World Series of Poker Main Event. Huse then became the latest Internet whiz kid to take a run at the game’s most hallowed title, peaking as the tournament’s chip leader on the second day, before finishing 128th and winning $58,570.

Click here for a slideshow.

This year’s Main Event featured 6,358 players from around the world.

Huse came to the University as a novice in poker. He began playing competitively in cash games on the third floor of McCollum Hall. He soon began playing cash games online.

“I really enjoyed playing poker when I was in college because you can play whenever you want,” Huse said. “You don’t have any responsibilities as far as going to work.”

Huse quickly accumulated tens of thousands of dollars.

“My friends and I have all bought some crazy things,” Huse said. “We all have big screen TVs. One thing poker players are extravagant about is their computers. My computer is really expensive. It’s stupid. It’s like buying a Ferrari to drive down your neighborhood street or something like that.”

Huse said he would be responsible with the winnings from the tournament.

Garrett Beckman, a 22-year-old former University student from Garnett, has lived with Huse for the last year and stayed with him in Las Vegas. Beckman, a full-time Internet poker pro, said saving money after big wins was difficult.

“It’s very weird to know you can buy about whatever you feel like; expensive computers, TVs, electronics, cars, whatever,” Beckman said. “Sometimes it is hard to not spend a lot right after a big win. The toughest part about making money young is keeping a hold of it.”

Huse said the most intimidating aspect of the Main Event was its mystique.

“It’s kind of a surreal experience because when I started playing poker I watched the World Series telecasts,” Huse said. “So it was kind of surreal being at that tournament and playing in it, especially late when I had so many chips in front of me.”

Despite playing in his first Main Event, Huse didn’t set out with a strategy.

“Experienced players know that you can’t really have a strategy,” he said. “Obviously in tournament play you have to be really aggressive, but you just have to see who is at your table and what the players are capable of.”

“In this tournament there are so many amateurs, I just never really felt like I wasn’t one of the best players at the table.”

Huse ended day one of the Main Event with about $40,000 in chips, when the average player had about $55,000. Day two would be much more lucrative and give Huse the highlight of his tournament, courtesy of poker star Gus Hansen, nicknamed, “The Great Dane.”

“Late in the day, I had just won a really big pot and I was up to about $455,000 chips,” Huse said. “They came over the loudspeaker, and they say, ‘We have a new chip leader, his name is Gus Hansen.’ They said he had $445,000 chips and I am sitting there with $455,000 chips. Then everyone at my table was kind of like, ‘Hey we have the chip leader!’”

Day three wouldn’t prove as kind. Huse was two-outtered on two occasions, poker vernacular for when all the money is in the pot and a trailing opponent only has two cards remaining in the deck that can win the hand and beats the odds.

Huse battled back to more than $500,000 in chips early on day four. But he could not avoid misfortune when he called an all-in late in the day with pocket kings. His opponent flipped over aces, which held. Huse’s charmed run was over.

“Anyone in the world would have done what I did, so I can’t really say that I played bad,” Huse said.

This year’s event may have seemed big to Huse, but numbers were actually considerably down from a year ago. The 2006 WSOP had a field of 8,773. A first place prize of $12,000,000 was awarded to Jamie Gold. This year’s title winner, Jerry Yang, won $8.25 million.

Most blamed the declining numbers on Bill Frist-led legislation in September 2006. The Republican Senator from Tennessee attached The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (H.R. 4411) to an anti-terrorism port security bill.

Frist’s bill did not include an outright ban on Internet gambling. Jean Holthaus, a Kansas certified gambling counselor out of Topeka, said she believes the government doesn’t have the manpower to fight that battle. The bill severely limited the way that players could fund their accounts. The new law prevented credit card companies, banks and other financial institutions from transferring money to known Internet gaming sites.

The increased difficulty caused many players to close their accounts, leading to fewer online qualifiers for the WSOP. Others just became disinterested in the game.

Some are pleased with the new measures. Holthaus believes the Internet lends itself to gambling addiction.

“A few things make it bad,” Holthaus said. “The speed is one. If you are playing poker, you get quick feedback. For an addictive personality, that can be a thing that keeps me in the action. The other thing about Internet gambling is that you don’t need a vehicle. You can do it in your dorm room or wherever.”

Huse estimated that 80 percent of the college-aged poker players he knew that had success at online poker had dropped out of school.

“That is one of the worst drawbacks of poker,” Huse said. “I know a lot of kids that have dropped out of college due to poker. My grades suffered, definitely. I graduated with an OK GPA, but I would have had a lot higher GPA if I didn’t play poker. I win $5,000 or lose $5,000 in a day and I don’t feel like doing my homework some days.”

Homework was not a major concern for Huse at the 12-day Main Event in Las Vegas.

Beckman, a full-time Internet poker pro, said he believed Huse’s laid-back demeanor helped him in the WSOP, where some players become overwhelmed by the large number of players and variances of luck.

“He is more calm and collected than most poker players I know,” Beckman said. “Patrick is an all around nice guy who will be very successful in the future.”

Huse said he would take some time off before deciding on a job. In the meantime, he will be working on his poker game and dreaming about the $8.25 million dollars that went to this year’s WSOP winner.

Click here to view a slide show on the KU Engineering: Survivor Outback camp

When summer arrives most students are eager to get as far away from school as possible. This summer a group of guys broke with the stereotype and returned to school.

Twenty-seven high school students attended the second KU Survivor: Engineering Outback camp from July 22-27.

The purpose of the camp was to expose the guys to engineering, Dawnelle Prince-Parks,
director of recruitment, said. Prince-Parks has been involved with the summer camp since it began in 2006. It serves to show the guys different aspects of engineering they may not be familiar with.

“We’re breaking the stereotype where they think engineers are nerds,” Prince-Parks said. “We want them to see the fun stuff.”

The engineering department hosts three camps during the summer, two for girls and one for guys. Prince-Parks said the department hosts two camps for girls in order to attract more girls to pursue a career in engineering. Currently the engineering program is made up of 20 percent females. The groups are split up by gender in order to better fit the needs of each group. Prince-Parks said the group of 27 guys was manageable and any more could have made things interesting.

“The guys are a little restless,” Prince-Parks said. “You definitely have to keep them occupied with activities.”

The jet engine showcase took place at the Garrison Flight Research Center north of Lawrence near the regional airport served as an opportunity for the students to get a glimpse into aerospace engineering.

Students got to tour the hangar, learn about the planes housed there, see some remote-controlled aircraft and roast marshmallows. But these were not campfire roasted marshmallows, these were jet engine roasted.

Dr. Ron Barrett-Gonzalez, associate professor of aerospace engineering was in charge of getting the fire roaring. The engine metal reached a scorching temperature of 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit with the core reaching 3,600 degrees.

The intense heat was not the only thing the engine offered. All in attendance were required to wear ear protection.

“This is probably the loudest sound these young people will ever hear,” Barrett-Gonzalez said. “Until you get to the likes of a Led Zeppelin concert and stand at the peak of the speaker bank. This is 128 decibels.”

Although in charge of teaching the students about aerospace engineering Barrett-Gonzalez was still amazed by the opportunity presented to the campers.

“I love this camp,” Barrett-Gonzalez said. “I wish I had been able to attend it.”

The week-long camp saw students participate in activities that ranged from marshmallows, to building model rockets to climbing the rock wall at the Student Recreation Fitness Center.

“We have jet engines that are belching smoke and flames here!” Barrett-Gonzalez said. “If kids around Lawrence knew about this camp, they’d be out here in droves.”

Austin Drake, 14 from Overland Park said he was able to learn about the uses of engineering and how they impact everyday life. Drake said he was most impressed by the jet engine.

“It shows you how far we’ve come,” Drake said. “To think that we’re able to make thing that powerful is just amazing.”

On Friday the guys ended there stay at the camp with group presentations about their activities and experiences while at the University.

The school of engineering offers 29 advanced degree programs in 15 fields. For more information about the school of engineering contact Dawnelle Prince-Parks, director of recruitment, at 864-3622.

Workers will take a break from their construction of the city’s $1.9 million dollar waterline replacement project on July 19th for the city’s annual sidewalk sale.

Construction crews will also move the fences into the street on the 900 and 1000 blocks of Massachusetts Street, said Derek Parthemer, a superintendent at the downtown construction site.

The project is scheduled for completion on August 1st, however some downtown businesses speculate the work could end before the sidewalk sale, said Kenneth Etter, a superintendent at the construction site.

“We would like to be done by July 19th, but we’re telling everyone August 1st,” said Etter. “If we do get done by the sidewalk sale, we want it to be a surprise for everyone.”

Construction crews began the third phase of the project last week, about a month ahead of schedule. The project was moved from the east side of Massachusetts to the west side between Ninth and 11th Streets. A fence was put up and southbound traffic and parking were closed, inevitably causing a negative impact on some businesses in that area.

“Our business cut in half from the day the fences were down to the day they went up,” said Jill Carender, manager at Urban Outfitters.

This is the second year that construction has been halted because of the sidewalk sale, and downtown employees like Jessica Schmitt, a waitress at Aladdin's Cafe, welcome the break.

“It’s so loud and so dusty that people are less likely to come down here while they’re doing construction,” said Schmitt. “We’ve had nice weather, and people like to eat outside, but the dust and noise discourages them.”

Rick Marquez, executive director for Downtown Lawrence INC., said the halted construction during the sidewalk sale will lower noise pollution, and moving the fences into the street will help increase commercial traffic through that area. Some businesses are not worried about the construction and think the sidewalk sale will not be affected.

“Honestly, I’m not concerned,” said Earl Reineman, vice president at Weaver’s department store, located on the corner of Ninth and Massachusetts. “Last year the construction was down on the 800 block, and from what we understood, it didn’t affect their businesses. For us it will be business as usual.”

Some businesses on the 800 block were affected negatively by the construction last year.
Downtown Barbershop brought in their merchandise from the sidewalk at about two o’clock in the afternoon because of the lack of customers, said Jon Amyx, the store’s owner.

“I’ve gone to the sidewalk sale for 40 years, and last year was the worst one I’d ever been to,” said Amyx. “The wind was blowing, the dust was flying, and people on this block were miserable.”

The construction is undoubtedly an inconvenience for many downtown businesses, but many employees understand that it’s something they must cope with until the waterline replacement project is complete.

“If the city’s doing their job, you can’t really complain,” said Ryan Johnson, a Bartender at Louise’s at 1009 Massachusetts St.

Lawrence twins Bryan and Ryan Heyer began their modeling career last month, after completing an eight-hour photo shoot for Mardi Gras Publishing, which publishes erotic and romantic novels.

The photos were taken by photographer Ben Lamb at several locations around downtown Kansas City, and will likely be used for the covers of romance novels. Most of the photos featured the twins shirtless, and sometimes even less.

The Heyers have been involved in bodybuilding for about two and a half years, and just became interested in modeling last year. They Heyers went to Nowata High School in Oklahoma, but had lived in Lawrence before then, and eventually moved back. It was in Oklahoma that they became interested in bodybuilding.

“Our football coach in high school is the one who made us want to go toward bodybuilding, because he had done it in the past,” Bryan said. “But now we’ve started modeling, and are getting some great opportunities.”

The twins trained for five months before the photo shoot with an intense exercise and diet regimen. Their diet consisted mainly of chicken, tuna, salad and rice. They also consumed protein and amino acid drinks each day to help build muscle. The Heyers worked out at Lawrence Athletic Club, doing weight lifting and 20 minutes of cardio five days a week, along with interval training and water resistance training.

“The photo shoot took a lot of gym time; we were in here every night,” Ryan said. “We did a lot of cardio, dropping weight two months before the photo shoot.”

Right before the photo shoot, the twins were also taking water pills, to decrease their water retention and get the most definition in their muscles as possible.

“I felt like I was going to faint a couple of times during the photo shoot, because I didn’t eat or drink anything all day long, and we were out in the sun,” Ryan said.

The twins had to find gym time around their daytime jobs at NCS Pearson and GNC. Usually they got off work at 9:30 p.m. and then were in the gym until close at 11 p.m. The twins both lost more than 20 pounds for the shoot, and are now back in the gym, trying to add muscle again.

“The twins are in here almost every night, sometimes twice a day,” Connor Barnes, Lawrence Athletic Club employee, said. “They worked hard for that photo shoot, and we’ve gotten to know them pretty well around here.”

The Heyers are planning more photo shoots, one in two months with a photographer from Connecticut that is coming to Kansas to photograph them. They are also beginning their own personal training business at realtwinfitness.com, and some of the photos from their shoot will be used for their new Web site. They hope that in the future, they will be able to pursue their business, helping others get in shape, along with modeling.

“It’s all about the energy and the benefits you get when you leave the gym,” Ryan said.

Click here to view slideshow
Residents at The Reserve on West 31st apartments might find themselves homeless for a week or two to start off the summer.

The leasing policy for The Reserve requires residents to move out by July 31 and new leases do not start until August 15. This creates a problem for people that are moving from one apartment to another within The Reserve.

Derrick Rowland, Olathe, Kansas, senior and resident of The Reserve faced this problem last year. Rowland said, “It is just a huge hassle to move everything from one place to another for storage and then have to move everything again back to the same apartment complex.”

The lease at The Reserve leaves the gap in between the move-in date and the move-out date to allow professional cleaners ample amount of time to come in and clean the apartments. Staff at The Reserve also comes in and repaint and repair anything that needs it.

Kory Wilcoxson, The Reserve manager, said that there has to be a break in order to keep the apartments in good condition. If the crews did not get the two weeks the apartments would not get the necessary amount of attention that was needed to make sure everything was prepared for the next tenant.

He also said that they have a strict policy that absolutely nobody can move in early or move out late. Wilcoxson said, “If he let one person move in early or out late that would let the flood gates open to more people requesting the same treatment and he doesn’t want that to happen.”

This problem affects less than 20 percent of the people at The Reserve though because many of the residents that stay there do not switch apartments. For the residents that do switch apartments it creates a significant problem.

Josh Riesgo, Wichita, Kansas, senior and resident of The Reserve said that his roommates are moving to a different apartment in The Reserve and are going to have to store their things in his new house for a little bit of time. “I feel like my roommates are getting hosed because they are not switching complexes but just apartments,” Riesgo said, “But on the other hand I can understand that things need to be cleaned and painted.”

Wilcoxson would love to allow people to move in earlier but said that it just is not feasible. He said that the work crews really work for 24 hours a day for the two weeks until people are allowed to move back in.

This last summer The Reserve had around 700 residents and about 20 percent of those people will stay in there same apartment for the next school year according to Wilcoxson.

Wilcoxson does have some advice for future apartment renters. Wilcoxson said, “I recommend that anyone interested in signing a lease to an apartment complex, read and reread your lease before you sign it to avoid problems in the future.”

Click here to view a slideshow about Kristina Clement's student research.

A lonely train conductor dreams of adventure in a tiny Italian town. While he’s wishing for excitement to come his way, he suddenly realizes that something has gone horribly wrong at the train station: right under his nose, there’s been a collision. Suddenly the excitement he wished for doesn’t seem appealing at all.

The story of “Il Tunnel” by Ennio Flaiano, was a short story assigned in Spring 2006 to Kristina Clement, Lawrence senior, in Italian 410. The class read many stories in the Italian literature course; this was the first of many.

“It’s not very long – it’s four pages,” she said. “But it’s very involved.”

Students had to write a paper on the story, and Clement found it interesting right away.

“It’s kind of a ‘be careful what you wish for’ story,” Clement said. “It’s sort of about irony and personal responsibility.”

Clement wanted to go above and beyond the requirements for the class assignment on “Il Tunnel”.

“We weren’t supposed to write more than four pages,” she said, but she wanted to find out how Flaiano came up with the idea for his story.

Her curiosity led her to apply for an Undergraduate Research Award from the University Honors Program. On July 19, a press release from the University Honors Program announced that 28 undergraduates had been award research grants. According to the press release, four of these 28 were awarded J. Michael Young awards of $1500. Clement was one of the four students honored with the award. The research will be Clement's senior honors thesis for her Italian major.

Clement said that there are no standard requirements for an honors thesis in the Italian program, which is part of the French and Italian Department at KU. Clement was allowed to set her own standards.

“There have been four undergraduate research projects in the past few years, either Honors or Undergrad Research Awards,” said Van Kelly, chair of the Department of French and Italian. “Since there have been a small number of requests to pursue Honors research; such requests are handled by petition to the Honors Program.”

Clement’s advisor for her project is also the teacher of her Italian 410 literature course, Professor Jan Kozma. Currently, Kozma is the only Italian professor at KU. Kelly says that the program has plans to hire a second professor within the coming year.
“Once that second professor is hired, the opportunities for undergraduate research will, of course, increase,” Kelly said.

Right now, the only thing Clement plans to purchase with her award money is a book with facts and pictures about the actual crash that inspired “Il Tunnel”. It is about 300 pages, all in Italian, and Clement plans to translate the entire book for use in her research. Its cost may be larger than the average book, as it has to be ordered and shipped from Italy.

Clement will also collect newspaper articles and use the library for a source of information for what will become a 30 or 40 page paper.

Clement has big plans for the fall semester.
“I would like to get the final draft done by early November,” she said of her project. After her graduation in December, Clement will spend eight months in Italy.

“The more students we have doing Honors and Research projects, the more that will encourage others to pursue the same path, “ Kelly said. “So Kristina's project is a good example for others to follow.”

While the discussions might have started with robots and aliens, they eventually evolved to what kind of mindset an author was in when they wrote a particular story. This was clearly not an ordinary class. This was the Intensive English Institute on the Teaching of Science Fiction.

Science fiction writing is an interest to people both inside and outside the classroom. The Intensive English Institute on the Teaching of Science Fiction was held in Nunemaker Center from July 9 to July 20.

Students read stories then discussed them in class, which was held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. everyday. James Gunn, Professor emeritus of English, organized the discussions of the class.

The class was part of the Center for the Study of Science Fiction, which included simultaneous workshops in science fiction writing in short fiction, science fiction writing workshop in the novel. These workshops happened June 25 to July 5.

The reading list consisted of four books, volumes 1-4 of The Road to Science Fiction, which are anthologies by James Gunn. The books covered the start of science fiction, the beginning of the golden age, the golden age and modern science fiction. The students were to read the books, then re-read them for the class, where they were discussed.

It’s a very rigorous class, you can have so many interpretations of the same piece of work.” Said Gunn.

“I enjoyed the class because it gave me an academic perspective of science fiction,” said Jarrod Morgenstern, Overland Park senior. Morgenstern, a self-professed “si-fi dork” said he had read a lot of the stories before but the class helped him get a better idea of what the author was thinking.

There were eight undergraduate students and five graduate students. Grades in the class were based on participation, attendance and a paper due four weeks after the class ends. The paper can be on several novels by the same author, novels with similar themes, a short story or a lesson plan. The class is three hours of credit for “Science Fiction” or “Studies in a Genre”.

James Gunn, who has been named grand master of science fiction for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Inc., has written or edited over 40 science fiction books. Gunn has also won the Pilgrim, Hugo and Eaton awards.

The learning continued outside the classroom. Six of the students lived in the dorms during the class. Most of the class, including Gunn would have lunch at Ekdahl Dining Commons during the hour before class. They would discuss science fiction and teaching strategies.

“It’s pretty much every waking hour we’re talking science fiction,” said Chris McKitterick, associate professor in English, also helped with class discussions. McKitterick has been working with Gun on the institute since 1992. McKitterick is a Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award juror and a science fiction author. There are a lot of lively conversations because a lot of the people in the class are very serious about teaching science fiction and teaching in general, said McKitterick.

The camp started right after the annual Campbell Conference, which was held July 6 to July 9. Awards are given to science fiction and students had to opportunity to meet and talk with well-known science fiction authors.

Nathaniel Williams, Kansas City graduate student, said an institute just on the teaching of science fiction is important because it can be helpful with other subjects.

“It can be used as a tool for teaching biology or teaching philosophy or any of these big concepts that are out there,” said Williams.

It’s not a class you just leave and not think about again,” said Gunn.