Fee Upsets Graduate Students: 'Hawks Back in The Hunt
Fee Upsets Graduate Students: 'Hawks Back in The Hunt
Fee Upsets Graduate Students: 'Hawks Back in The Hunt
COM
MONDAY, MAY 9, 2005
THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904.
Capture the flag
Rapscallions beat back
Beta Black 39-26
Saturday evening for
the intramural flag foot-
ball championship. The
team is already looking
forward to next year for
another opportunity to
make the news. PAGE 7A
Takin it easy
A new bar and grill in
town prides itself on
being biker friendly,
meaning the biker crowd
in the parking lot is not
an uncommon sight.
Slow Ride Roadhouse Bar
& Grill, 1350 N. 3rd St.,
opened April 23. PAGE 3A
Todays weather
All contents, unless stated otherwise,
2005 The University Daily Kansan
Ultimate Championship
The mens ultimate Frisbee club team claimed it
championship title yesterday. The Fighting Blunts,
defeated the Pinkies 11-6. PAGE 12A
Softball team improves
The Kansas Jayhawks not only defeated, but swept
the Iowa State Cyclones during the weekend. The
team moved to No. 6 in the Big 12 Conference
standings. PAGE 12A
87 66
Tomorrow
Mostly sunny
Wednesday
Mostly cloudy
80 54
Isolated thunderstorms
weather.com
92 67
BASEBALL SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
Athlete uses poetry to get the word out
In his The Pack, 2003 Kansas
football defense T-shirt, Travis
Watkins confirms the proper camera
angle for his associate Gordon Brown
of Avalon Video, who is making a
DVD for the poet.
OK, zoom in a little bit, he asks
Brown.
Brown zooms in closer, centering
Watkins in the view finder.
Watkins looks into the monitor and
smiles approvingly.
Hes now ready for his poetry per-
formance at the Hawks Nest in the
Kansas Union Saturday night.
At 6-foot-4, 270 pounds Watkins,
former Jayhawk defensive tackle, does
not look like a poet.
I dont know what a traditional
poet looks like, he said. I just know
who I am.
And he is the 2005 College
Language Association national win-
ner for his poem titled Brothers.
Watkins began writing poetry in high
school. He loves the freedom that poet-
ry gives him to manipulate words and
word sounds, he said. He also likes to
use poetry to get his message out, which
includes speaking out against the war in
Iraq and commenting on social change.
And children are murdered/ over
pronouns and verbs/ and towers are
toppled/ cuz mad-men ad-verbs/ to text
that are holy/ then terror occurs/ but if
you want to see truly/ the power of
words, then.../...Nigger! Spick! Kyke!
Faget!/ Does, that strike a nerve...
My word
Inspiring poet
It was after Watkins saw a perform-
ance by Dan Banks, another poet,
that he was inspired to focus on devel-
oping his own poetic style and voice.
His own blend of poetry that
speaks about political and social
issues are also about personal issues.
He wants to make his work avail-
able to everybody and help other up-
and-coming poets to be heard.
His poetry has also been profitable
he has sold hundreds of CDs, mak-
ing thousands of dollars in CDs sales
and performances in the past year.
Saturday night was also a special
night for Krista Watkins, Travis mother.
It was the first time she had seen
her son perform his poetry.
A lot of his poems have meaning
and it hits a nerve, she said.
Balancing act
His success is not a surprise to Krista.
She remembers Watkins often stay-
ing up past his bedtime writing.
What surprised Krista was that her
son was graduating with honors,
receiving a degree in history and
African-American studies and moving
to Houston to become a third-grade
teacher in the fall.
I thought he would do something
in sports or do something in the field
of art, she said.
BY ESTUARDO GARCIA
egarcia@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Rylan Howe/KANSAN
Travis Watkins, Derby senior and former defensive tackle for the Jayhawks, recites
one of his poems at the Hawks Nest in the Kansas Union Saturday night. Watkins won
national first place in poetry at the 2005 College Language Association in Athens, Ga.
CDs of his poetry will be available this summer at Hastings, 23rd and Iowa streets.
PROFILE
Rylan Howe/KANSAN
Freshman second baseman Ryne Price tries to grab the ball and tag out Texas senior infielder Seth Johnson during Kansas loss yesterday. Despite the loss, the
Jayhawks won their second series in a row by winning two out of three games against the No. 3 Longhorns during the weekend.
Students
camped out 6
p.m. Friday to 6
a.m. Saturday
morning on
Campanile hill
for Relay for Life.
When students
took a break
from walking the
track at
Memorial
Stadium, they
went to their
tents on the hill
to rest until their
next scheduled
walk.
Rachel Seymour/KANSAN
Fee upsets
graduate
students
A group of Urban Planning graduate students is
upset about a $16-per-person fee that the School
of Architecture and Urban Design charges for its
graduation luncheon. Participating graduates
must pay $16 for each person who attends the
luncheon, which includes a traditional hooding
ceremony for masters students.
Twelve students in the graduate program sent a
letter complaining about the cost and the four-per-
son ticket limit to John Gaunt, dean of architecture.
Gaunt, who has worked at the school for 11
years, said he had never received a complaint
about the luncheon. The traditional ceremonial
luncheon dates back at least 25 years, he said.
Michael Tedesco, one of the leaders for the
complaint and Spokane, Wash., masters student,
said the fee was unnecessary. The ceremony for
his undergraduate class of 120 students at the
University of Idaho was free, and there was also
no limit to the number of family members and
friends who could attend the ceremony.
I just dropped 30,000 bucks and I dont get to
graduate for free, he said. He later wrote in an e-
mail: Ive got three brothers, two parents, a wife
and a daughter; not to mention, extended family
members. Who do I leave behind?
The ceremonial luncheon, which precedes the
University of Kansas commencement ceremony
and walking down the hill, is completely option-
al, Gaunt said.
Gaunt was unaware of the students who
anonymously sent him the letter, and he said it
BY NATE KARLIN
nkarlin@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Relay raises money to battle cancer
Megan Nelson is a survivor.
This years Relay for Life was
different for her from past years
she had participated. The
Garden City sophomore walked
to raise awareness for the dis-
ease she fought and beat less
than a year ago.
Cancer, she said, is a disease
that affects everybody in some
way. Nelson was diagnosed with
melanoma in July 2004.
Nelson and her father, who is
also a cancer survivor, walked
with about 15 other cancer sur-
vivors on the track at Memorial
Stadium on Friday for the third
annual University of Kansas
Relay for Life.
The event, which lasted from
6 p.m. Friday until 6 a.m.
Saturday, was a fundraiser for
the American Cancer Society.
About 70 teams, each with
about 10 members, raised about
$70,000, said Erin Adriance,
chairwoman of KU Relay for
Life. Another $9,000 was donat-
ed during the event, said
Adriance, Stilwell senior.
This was definitely our
biggest year in terms of both
people and money, she said.
In the previous two years,
about $55,000 was raised and
about 60 teams signed up,
Adriance said.
The money raised will help
fund cancer research at the
University and scholarships for
students who have cancer,
Adriance said.
The American Cancer
Society gives the University of
Kansas Medical Center money
for cancer research raised
through events like Relay for
Life.
So far, the Med Center has
received more than $2 million
from the American Cancer
Society, which helps fund clini-
cal research and provides edu-
cation for cancer patients, said
BY JOSHUA BICKEL
jbickel@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Hawks back in the hunt
Kansas coach Ritch Price has said
since the beginning of the Big 12
Conference season that the Kansas
baseball team was one special
weekend away from getting into the
thick of the race. Finally, he said, the
team found that weekend against
conference powerhouse Texas.
The Jayhawks won two of three
games against the Longhorns, stun-
ning the third-ranked team in the
nation on national television and
thrilling a school-record 4,633 base-
ball fans that packed Hoglund
Ballpark during the three days. The
series victory vaulted Kansas out of
the basement and into the middle of
the pack as the conference season
winds down.
Kansas (33-22, 8-12 Big 12) was
buoyed by solid starting pitching
and timely hitting all weekend.
Sophomore pitcher Sean Land set
the tone on Friday night in the
Jayhawks 5-2 victory. He pitched
five innings and allowed two runs,
only one of which was earned, and
held Texas (39-11, 14-9 Big 12) to
five hits while collecting four strike-
outs. He gave way to junior pitcher
Kodiak Quick.
Kansas took control of the game
in the bottom of the fifth inning.
With the score tied, 1-1, junior first
baseman Jared Schweitzer led off
with his fifth home run of the sea-
son. The blast extended his hitting
streak to 21 games, tying him with
Ryan Baty for the longest in school
history. The Jayhawks added to their
lead thanks to a defensive miscue by
BY MATT WILSON
mwilson@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRITER
FUNDRAISER
SEE RELAY ON PAGE 4A
SEE FEE ON PAGE 3A
Junior first baseman Jared
Schweitzer set a new
Kansas hitting-streak record
on Saturday, then re-set his
own record. See story on
page 12A.
more inside
SEE HUNT ON PAGE 6A
SEE POETRY ON PAGE 4A
news 2a the university daily kansan monday, may 9, 2005
A group of 12 urban planning graduate students sent a letter to the dean of architec-
ture complaining about a $16-per-person fee. The letter also said the students were
upset because of a four-person limit. The dean said this was the first complaint in the
luncheon's 25-year history. PAGE 3A
insidenews
Urban planning graduate students send complaint about luncheon
Relay raises money to find cure for cancer
insideOpinion
insidesports
SCIENCE
The University of Kansas Relay for Life raised more
than $70,000 for cancer research during the 12-
hour event Friday night to Saturday morning. All
money goes to the American Cancer Society,
which then gives money to the University of
Kansas Medical Center for research and aid for
students with cancer. PAGE 1A
From slamming football players to slamming words
This is the transition Travis Watkins, former Jayhawk defensive tackle, made as he recit-
ed his poetry at the poetry slam Saturday night at the Hawk's Nest in the Kansas
Union. Watkins' material for his poetry ranges from political and social injustices to
growing up with a father in jail PAGE 3A
Roadhouse rules: No leather, no chrome, no service
No, you don't really have to be a biker to enjoy a meal or a drink in Slow Ride
Roadhouse Bar & Grill, 1350 N. 3rd St., but the biker crowd brings a unique aspect to
April Del Campo's, Lawrence junior, bartending job. The restaurant opened on April
23 and brought a biker-friendly establishment to Lawrence. PAGE 3A
Column: Student body deserves to know why its dean was fired
Stephanie Lovett says the University has been unusually terse about why Richard
Johnson lost his job. Its led to unfounded speculation that should end. PAGE 5A
Column: Women should purchase a clue about understanding men
Betsy McLeod pleads for women to figure out that men arent really worth figuring
out. Its in part because men dont care to understand women. PAGE 5A
Victory improves softball team's Big 12 standings
The Jayhawks defeated the Iowa State Cyclones this weekend 9-4 and 4-2. Kansas
now sits at 30-20 overall and 9-8, No. 6, in the Big 12 Conference. PAGE 12A
The Jayhawks won their three-game series
against Texas, which puts them in the mid-
dle of the Big 12 standings. Kansas won the
first two games but lost yesterday's game.
Kansas coach Ritch Price said he was pleased
with how competitively the team played.
PAGE 12A
Kansas schools No.3 Texas in weekend series
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the student activity fee. Postmaster: Send address changes to The University Daily Kansan, 119 Stauffer-Flint Hall, 1435 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS 66045
TODAY
Pipe Dreams mid-
night to 2 a.m.; Jazz
in the Morning 6
a.m. to 9 a.m.;
Breakfast for
Beatlovers 9 a.m.
to noon; News 7
a.m., 8 a.m., 9 a.m., 6 p.m.; Sports
Talk 6:15 p.m. to 7 p.m.;
Punditocracy 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.
For more
news, turn
to KUJH-TV
on
Sunflower
Cablevision
Channel 31
in Lawrence. The student-produced
news airs at 5:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.,
9:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. every
Monday through Friday.
Tell us your news
Contact Andrew Vaupel,
Donovan Atkinson, Misty
Huber, Amanda Kim Stairrett
or Marissa Stephenson at
864-4810 or
editor@kansan.com.
Kansan newsroom
111 Stauffer-Flint Hall
1435 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, KS 66045
(785) 864-4810
MEDIA PARTNERS
Hearings revisit Scopes trial
TOPEKA Echoing the famed
Monkey Trial of 80 years ago, three
days of public hearings about evolu-
tion culminated Saturday in sparring
between opposing attorneys.
A State Board of Education sub-
committee took testimony from critics
of evolution who hope students are
exposed to more criticism of the theo-
ry. The entire board expects to consid-
er changes this summer in standards
that determine how students are test-
ed on science statewide.
John Calvert, a retired Lake Quivira
attorney who helped found the
Intelligent Design Network and
organized the case against evolution,
called himself as his own last witness.
That led to questioning from Pedro
Irigonegaray, a Topeka attorney repre-
senting advocates of continuing a
state policy in which standards
describe evolution as a key concept
for students to learn.
Irigonegarays sharpest questions
came over the Board of Educations
decision to allocate $5,000 to cover
lodging and some other expenses for
Calverts nearly two dozen witness-
es.
When Irigonegaray asked whether
that money normally would have
gone to educate Kansas children,
Calvert replied, I believe that was the
purpose of these hearings.
Irigonegarays questions led to an
outburst from the audience, where a
spectator said he didnt mind having
taxpayers pay for witnesses expenses
because the teaching of evolution is
an important issue. The man declined
to identify himself later.
Battles over evolution also have
occurred in Michigan, Ohio and
Pennsylvania in recent years. In
Kansas, scientists worry the board is
being pushed to include intelligent
design in the standards, though lan-
guage advocated by intelligent-design
advocates doesnt mention it by name.
Calverts witnesses questioned evo-
lutionary theory that life originated
from a common source and that man
and apes have a common ancestor.
Intelligent design says some fea-
tures of the natural world are so com-
plex and well-ordered that they are
best explained by an intelligent cause.
Irigonegaray derided it as creation-
ism in a new wrapper.
Kansas school board members
sought to avoid comparisons between
their hearings and the 1925 Monkey
Trial in Dayton, Tenn., in which teacher
John Scopes was convicted of violating
a state law against teaching evolution.
In 1925, attorney Clarence Darrow,
representing Scopes, attempted to
make creationism look foolish. In mod-
ern-day Kansas, evolution is on trial.
Irigonegaray is scheduled to present
evolution defenders case Thursday,
but he doesnt plan to call witnesses.
State and national science groups are
boycotting the hearings, viewing them
as rigged against evolution because the
three presiding board members are part
of a conservative majority receptive to
criticism of evolution.
Calverts witnesses argued that evo-
lution, as typically taught, promotes
atheism. Calvert argued that exclud-
ing other ideas from the classroom
favored a nontheistic religion creat-
ing constitutional problems.
Its deeply wrong, said Bruce
Glymour, who teaches about the phi-
losophy of science at Kansas State
University. This isnt science. Its pol-
itics.
BY JOHN HANNA
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kelly Hutsell/KANSAN
Nicole Hommertzheim, Pratt senior, shows her hanging scarfs to her father, Don Hommertzheim, at Friday nights
Metamorphosis show at the Cherry Street Gallery, 519 E. 18th St., Kansas City, Mo. Several KU artists exhibited their work at
the show, which was part of Kansas Citys First Fridays.
Scarfs up
Schweitzer breaks Kansas baseball record
Jared Schweitzer's hits in the series against Texas this weekend extended his streak to
23 games. The junior first baseman said he would have preferred winning the last
game against the Longhorns yesterday. PAGE 3A
Column: Texas victory may secure tournament berth
Ryan Colaianni explains how the series victory against top 10 Texas affects Kansas'
chances of a Big 12 Tournament berth. The Jayhawks are now 8-12 in the conference
and have won nine of their last 11 games. PAGE 12A
Ultimate Frisbee club team takes championship
The men's team defeated the Pinkies 11-6 last
night at Shenk Complex. The Pinkies ended the
game on a buzzer-beating touchdown, but the
Fighting Blunts were too far ahead. PAGE 8A
Scholarship halls win CoRec ultimate Frisbee championship
Pearson/Douthart scholarship halls defeated the Destroyers 13-0 last night at Shenk
Complex, 23rd and Iowa streets. The Destroyers had a few close calls, but they were
never able to score. PAGE 8A
Rapscallions take intramural championship
The flag football intramurals ended Saturday evening when the Rapscallions beat Beta
Black, 39-26. For Josh Lawrence, Rapscallions player, the victory is a twofold reason to
celebrate. PAGE 7A
news monday, may 9, 2005 the university daily kansan 3A
ON THE RECORD
Lawrence police arrested a
19-year-old KU student for
operating under the influ-
ence and reckless driving.
The student was released
from jail after posting a
$700 bond at 7:34 p.m. on
May 5.
A 21-year-old KU student
reported to Lawrence police
his license plate stolen
between 11 p.m. April 29
and 10 a.m. May 4 from the
1700 block of W. 23rd
Street. The plate is valued
at $3.
Slow Ride opens, bikers take it easy
About 1 p.m. Saturday, a
biker on a black and chrome
Harley-Davidson pulls into the
northbound lane of Third
Street. He waves his arm to the
herd of bikers behind him in the
parking lot of Slow Ride
Roadhouse Bar & Grill, 1350 N.
3rd St.
Cmon, lets go! He yells as
a traffic jam builds up on his
right.
The herd answers his call and
flows two or three at a time into
the street and drives away to its
next destination.
Welcome to Slow Ride, what
co-owner Janet Dight describes
as a place built for bikers by bik-
ers.
There really isnt a full-
fledged biker bar out here,
Dight, 2000 doctoral graduate,
said. There are a number of
biker-friendly bars around the
Kansas City area Colbys,
Frankie Ds but there isnt
one in Lawrence.
Biker-friendly means that
places have biker nights or wel-
comes bikers, Dight said.
We say were not just biker-
friendly, were biker-dedicated,
she said.
The bar and grill, which
opened April 23, got its name
from the 70s rock song Slow
Ride by Foghat and a biker
contest with the same name.
You try to race your motor-
cycle as slow as you can, Dight
said. If you put your feet down
or fall over you lose. So its a
place to slow down.
The interior of the bar and
grill looks like it was molded
from a Harley-Davidson motor-
cycle: The booths, chairs and
stools are made of black and
orange vinyl seating.
Chrome is the material of
choice for the ceiling and Slow
Ride logo is etched in steel
above the bar, which has a black
tabletop.
On the jukebox a rotation of
Johnny Cash, Lynyrd Skynyrd
and Guns N Roses play as peo-
ple sip their drinks or eat what
Dight calls traditional road-
house food such as Philly
cheesesteak sandwiches,
mashed potatoes and meatloaf.
Slow Ride also provides live
music every weekend. Classic
rock, Southern rock, blues and
country acts will be the primary
music played, Dight said.
Motorcycle-only parking is
expected to be put in on the east
side of the building in a couple
weeks, Maggie Del Campo, co-
owner of Slow Ride, said.
The biker crowd is the most
interesting aspect of working at
Slow Ride, April Del Campo,
bartender and Lawrence junior,
said.
People have a misconcep-
tion of bikers, she said.
Theyre a really nice crowd.
Edited by Nikola Rowe
BY NEIL MULKA
nmulka@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
NIGHTLIFE
ON CAMPUS
The Center for Russian and
East European Studies will
sponsor a Laird Brown Bag
Lecture at noon tomorrow at
room 213 Bailey Hall. Call
864-4236 for more informa-
tion.
The Center for Science
Education will sponsor a
Brown Bag Lecture on
Personal Response
System by Philip Baringer
of the department of
physics and astronomy at
12:30 p.m. tomorrow at
room 247 JRP Hall. Call
864-2270 for more informa-
tion.
The Kansas African Studies
Center will sponsor a semi-
nar titled Which Are We?
Beasts Because We Make
War, or Angels Because We
Seek to Make It into
Something Holy: Sudan in
an Era of Holy Wars by
Karen Farmer of the African
Studies Department at 3:30
p.m. tomorrow at Alcove E
in the Kansas Union. Call
864-3745 for more informa-
tion.
The department of music
and dance will sponsor a
performance by the
University Band at 7:30
tomorrow night in the Lied
Center. Call 864-3436 for
more information.
WORLD
Baghdad bombing kills 22;
attacks kill 300 in last 10 days
BAGHDAD, Iraq Two suicide car bombers
plowed into a foreign security company convoy
in the heart of Baghdad on Saturday, killing at
least 22 people including two Americans in
an attack that left a busy traffic circle strewn with
burning vehicles, mutilated bodies and bloodied
schoolchildren.
Nearly 300 people have been killed in insur-
gent violence since Iraqs democratically elected
government was sworn in 10 days ago.
Seven government posts remained undecided
Saturday, but Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari
said he would submit nominations for six of
them to the National Assembly for a vote
Sunday.
The Associated Press
NATION
Woman receives 20 years for
macabre life insurance scam
GEORGETOWN, Texas Molly Daniels spent
weeks surfing the Internet, gathering information
for a bizarre and grisly plot of deception.
She learned how to burn a human body, sought
clues on ways to deceive arson investigators, and
took steps to create a new identity for her husband.
Daniels then dug up a womans corpse,
staged a fiery car accident to fake her husbands
death, and had him re-emerge as her new
boyfriend. Authorities say it was all to collect a
$110,000 life insurance policy while hiding her
husband, Clayton Daniels, from the cops.
Daniels pleaded guilty this past week to felony
charges of insurance fraud and hindering appre-
hension, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The Associated Press
Rylan Howe/KANSAN
Patrons at Slow Ride Roadhouse Bar & Grill, 1350 N. 3rd St., enjoy the music of Doug Deming and The
Jeweltones Saturday night in the recently opened bar. Slow Ride features live music on weekends and will have
a Bike Night every Thursday.
did not express concerns of a
large opinion.
For all I know, the letter was
written by a single student repre-
senting 11 other students,
Gaunt said. Its unfortunate
anyone should feel that way.
He said the majority of students
seemed to understand the schools
need to charge for the luncheon.
The $16 is the direct amount
for each plated dinner. Each per-
son is limited to four tickets, but
it is always possible to get more
because not everyone uses all
four tickets, Gaunt said. People
can look over the balcony in the
ballroom, which makes it more
accommodating, Gaunt said.
The problem wont be fixed
next year if the complaint arises
again because the school already
reserved the Union Ballroom for
next years graduation, Gaunt
said.
An unofficial ceremony will
take place before the official
school luncheon, Jim Mayo,
Urban Planning chairman, said.
The event will allow more fami-
ly members to attend. The mas-
ters students, however, wont be
hooded, he said.
Tedesco said he didnt know if
he would attend the unofficial
ceremony because he wanted his
entire family to see him get
hooded.
Edited by Austin Caster
Fee
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2005!
Our graduation gift to youa free Alumni Association membership!
Youll receive a six-month complimentary membership in the Kansas Alumni Association from June to
November 2005, which includes:
E-mail forwarding. Go to our Web site for all the details. Messages will be forwarded to any e-mail address you specify. E-mail
forwarding will be available to the Class of 2005 after June 1, 2005.
Three issues of Kansas Alumni magazine. Stay up to date with whats happening on campus and what your classmates are doing.
Invitations to alumni chapter events, professional society events with your school, and access to chapters across the country
and worldwide.
Color calendar. Our 2006 calendar with wonderful campus scenes will keep Mount Oread as close as your home or office wall.
Guide to Jayhawk Basketball. Our hoops guide will ensure youll never miss a KU game, watch party, or place to hang out with
other Jayhawks wherever you are!
Grad Grill Luau
Wednesday, May 11
5:30 7:30 p.m.
Adams Alumni Center
Join us for your first official alumni event at the Adams
Alumni Center sponsored by the Student Alumni
Association. Dont miss out on all the great door prizes,
free food and drinks. (Catered by Biggs BBQ. Vegetarian
option available.) This is your chance to pick up lots of
information about alumni activities and services. Campus
offices will be on hand to share information about their
services to youa proud KU graduate! Get a free
KU gift when you complete an application for the
INTRUST Jayhawk bankcard. Please RSVP to
saa@ku.edu by May 9.
Commencement Lunch
Sunday, May 22, 10:30 a.m. 1 p.m.
The Outlook, Chancellors Residence
Before the big walk down the Hill, graduates and their guests can celebrate
at the Chancellors residence. Chancellor Robert and Leah Hemenway will
provide free box lunches for all who request tickets for the luncheon. The
Kansas Alumni Association will welcome you into alumni status and the
Senior Class officers will announce the class gift and banner. Pick up your
requested tickets at the Alumni Associations headquarters on the third
floor of the Adams Alumni Center between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays,
May 2 - 18. A reservation card is in your Commencement packet; go to
the Registrars office if you did not receive this mailing.
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Questions? Call your
Alumni Association at 864-4760,
e-mail kualumni@kualumni.org or
go to www.kualumni.org
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Steve Williamson, division
director for hematology and
oncology at the Med Center.
The money helps translate
research into treatment for
cancer patients, Williamson
said.
Aside from raising money,
the event also helps raise
awareness about the disease,
which is the second leading
cause of death among
Americans, according to the
Centers for Disease Control.
This year, more than 1,500
people will die each day from
cancer, according to the CDC.
Cancer has greatly affected
Megan Higleys family. Her
uncle was recently diagnosed
with prostate cancer and her
grandfather, grandmother and
another uncle all died of differ-
ent types of cancer.
Higley, Overland Park jun-
ior, walked with a group from
Sellards Scholarship Hall hop-
ing that the money they raised
wo u l d
one day help find a cure.
This is a chance for us to
give back and try to help those
who are less fortunate than
us, said Peter Montecuollo,
Sioux Falls, S.D., graduate stu-
dent.
Edited by Laura Francoviglia
news 4a the university daily kansan monday, may 9, 2005
Relay
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
He had trouble with teachers
and with grades during grade
school, she said.
Growing up as a biracial child
in a single parent home wasnt
easy for Watkins and his older
brother Michael.
Watkins father was incarcer-
ated more than once during his
childhood, leaving both chil-
dren to be raised by his white
mother.
Balancing a mothers work
life, the childrens activities
and trying to maintain a rela-
tionship with an imprisoned
father was a struggle for the
whole family.
It also was a source of inspira-
tion for four of Watkins poems.
You got sons who perceive
that/ they grow up to be that/
Its a cycle of death/ even blind
men can see that/ but we wont
concede that/ and we wont
believe that/ to slave have we
turned back/ our masters have
turned black...
My fear is for you (Young
Black Males)
Encouraging words
Krista said she tried to
encourage her children to be
themselves and to be blind when
it came to looking at the color of
their skin.
And even if she wasnt always
able to be there, she always want-
ed her children to be themselves.
When Watkins was in grade
school he performed in a school
recital, which his mother was
unable to attend. Krista was upset
she wasnt able to make it. When
she got home she pulled out a
video camera and had Watkins
reperform his part of the recital.
She said she was happy to
share that moment with him.
I walk around with a pound
of verbs and nouns/ my, lungs
are guns and my words are
rounds/ I shot lyrics from the
ground so profound the sun
came down/ and walked around
with a frown at what he found...
600 soldiers
Shaping the future
Watkins kept writing on into
college, with encouragement
from his coaches, teammates
and his wife, Brandi, whom he
married last May. Not only did
his poetry improve, but he also
improved his grades.
On top of graduating this
spring with honors, Watkins start-
ed his own production company,
Layman Lyric, which he used to
produce his CD and soon DVD.
He is looking forward to grad-
uation and to his future with his
wife. His plans to move to
Houston to become an elemen-
tary school teacher, he said,
were because he thought the key
to social equality was education.
He felt that he could make a dif-
ference as a teacher.
Watkins CDs will be avail-
able at Hastings Books Music &
Videos, 1900 W. 23rd St., May
15 and on his Web site www.lay-
manlyrics.com. He is also cur-
rently working on a book of his
poetry.
Edited by Nikola Rowe
Poetry
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
Rachel Seymour/KANSAN
Josh Hillman,
St. Louis sen-
ior, feeds
Brandon
Bowman,
Lawrence
sophomore, ice
cream during
the ice cream
eating contest
for Relay for
Life on Friday
night at
Memorial
Stadium.
Hillman and
Bowman took
second place in
the contest for
the cancer
research
fundraiser.
MILLIONS (PG)
4:30 7:00 9:30
OFF THE MAP (PG-13)
4:40 7:10 9:40
LIBERTY HALL
644 Mass
749-1912
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kansan.com
Now.
Im sorry, were they not going to tell the schol hall kids
that they were going to have to trench their way across
Louisiana Street?