“KU Confidential,” a new work created by University of Kansas theatre students, will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4, 5, 10, 11 and 12; 9 p.m. Feb. 6 and 2:30 p.m. Feb. 7 and 13, at the William Inge Theatre in Murphy Hall.

Issac Dean, a threatre major Turner High School, is among those involved in the program.

The “KU Confidential” project has been under the direction of Henry Bial, associate professor of theatre. Tammy Keiser, a graduate student in scenography from Blue Springs, Mo., is the scenic, lighting and costume designer. James Diemer, a doctoral student from Carbondale, Ill., is sound and video designer.   
   
“For the last five months, our company of nine actors, a scenographer, a stage manager and an assistant director-dramaturg has been working collaboratively to turn the everyday incidents and experiences of their lives into a theater event that speaks directly and immediately to the KU student experience,” said Bial.
   
He said the company started not with a text but with the performers themselves.
   
“We explored our talents, our lives and our desires through experiments in word, sound and image,” said Bial. “Thinking, writing and acting together over an extended period of time, we developed a play that reflects a collective, multifocal artistic vision. We emphasized imagination, invention, risk and total commitment to the performance.”
   
General admission tickets for “KU Confidential” are on sale in the KU ticket offices: University Theatre, 864-3982, and Lied Center, 864-ARTS, and online at kutheatre.com.

Seating is limited. Tickets are $15 for the public, $10 for students and $14 for senior citizens and KU faculty and staff. All major credit cards are accepted for phone and online orders.
   
The Feb. 6 “pay what you can” performance is a benefit for the LeWan Alexander Spiritship Fund. There are no advance sales. Donations will be accepted at the door.
   
“KU Confidential” contains profanity and references to drug use and sex. It is not recommended for anyone under 17, Bial said.
   
Designers and members of the ensemble for the KU production are listed below by hometown, level in school, major, parents’ names and high school.

Two Wyandotte County students joined other University of Kansas journalism students in developing comprehensive marketing campaigns aimed at changing the recycling, energy use and transportation habits of fellow students, faculty and staff.

Bonner Springs alum Lisa D. Zarate and Sumner Academy alum Camille L. Clark joined other students at KU in developing the plans.

The KU Energy Council and Center for Sustainability asked students in Journalism 676 Strategic Campaigns to develop marketing plans that engaged the campus community in creating a culture of conservation. The students’ recommendations for marketing, advertising and public relations will provide a foundation to “green” KU.

“I’m astonished,” said Jeremy Viscomi, project coordinator for the KU Energy Council. “This is the level of work that I’d expect to see from professional agencies.”

Every semester, students in the Strategic Campaigns class develop research-based recommendations to solve communications problems for actual clients. Bob Basow, associate professor of journalism, said the course is nearly 50 years old and that he himself took it in 1966.

For the capstone course in the school’s strategic communication track, Basow and other journalism faculty members have coached students to create campaigns for area corporations, public service organizations, research institutions and government agencies.

Throughout the fall 2009 semester, senior-level students in Basow’s class conducted dozens of interviews and focus groups with students, faculty and staff across the university. Sponsored by contributions from local utility companies Westar Energy and Kansas City Power and Light, students also led fact-finding field trips to universities with similar environmental aspirations, including the University of Colorado-Boulder, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Kansas State University.

The class divided into six teams and used research to develop creative, real-world marketing campaigns. After more than 7,000 hours of work outside the classroom, the KU Energy Council and Center for Sustainability will use the results to benefit the entire Lawrence campus.

“The project allowed us to take advantage of the tremendous talents and creativity of students to advance work that will benefit future students at KU,” said Jeff Severin, director of the Center for Sustainability.

The Center for Sustainability promotes and facilitates research and other learning opportunities that address environmental improvement, economic prosperity and social responsibility.

The center helps develop interdisciplinary research teams, supports student research projects, sponsors service learning courses, coordinates a campuswide network of sustainability ambassadors and promotes sustainable practices at KU.

The University of Kansas Alumni Association and KU Endowment honored 150 seniors from Wyandotte County.

They were recognized for academic achievements and were named "Kansas Scholars" on Nov. 17. During the ceremony, students received an American Heritage Dictionary.

The Kansas Honors Program began in 1971 and has honored more than 107,000 students. Scholars rank in the top 10 percent of their high school senior classes and are selected regardless of occupational plans or higher-education goals.

They are listed below:

The University of Kansas Department of Student Housing has named its 2009-10 student leaders, including resident assistants for KU’s eight residence halls, proctors and food board managers for 12 scholarship halls and top officers for the five university housing organizations.

“We are pleased that these students have stepped up to fill important leadership roles,” said Diana Robertson, director of the Department of Student Housing. “At a time when KU housing has received national attention for its student programming and its facilities, we can’t forget the day-to-day leadership that these students contribute. For them to balance academic achievement plus this leadership role is indicative of their character and personal achievements.”

For the students chosen as live-in resident assistants, proctors, desk managers and food board managers, duties include serving as role models, handling administrative and programming duties and performing paraprofessional advisory functions for residents. Food board managers also coordinate menu planning and food purchasing for their assigned halls.

Housing organization officers are elected to represent their fellow student residents and organize and facilitate shared social, intellectual and cultural concerns and activities.

A handful of the students graduated from Wyandotte County schools:

• Cherika Melinda Marie Boyd, daughter of  Denise DePriest and Reginald Boyd,  Sumner Academy Arts & Science

• Maximilliano Sylvester Ayalla, son of  Monique and Sylvester Ayalla, Sumner Academy Arts & Science

• Amber Lynn Jackson, daughter of  Mack and April Jackson, Piper High School

• Mark Anthony Marquez, son of  Aileen Buchanan, Sumner Academy Arts & Science

• James M McIntosh, son of  Marvin and Deborah McIntosh, Sumner Academy Arts & Science

• Anthony Matthias Johnson, son of  Jeffrey and Antrina Johnson, Sumner Academy Arts & Science Kansas City

Former Missouri coach Norm Stewart (right) was host Tuesday to a Coaches Against Cancer fund-raiser that featured an all-star coaches panel of (from left) Bill Self, Kansas; Matt Brown, UMKC; Frank Martin, Kansas State; and Mike Anderson, Missouri. (Photo by Alan Hoskins) 

By ALAN HOSKINS, Kansan Contributor

It’s not often Bill Self, Frank Martin and Mike Anderson see things the same way but all three are in total agreement – the Big 12 this year will be the toughest basketball conference in the nation.

On a night they could have been out recruiting – their final contact night under NCAA  rules – the coaches from Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri along with UMKC’s Matt Brown were all at the College Basketball Experience at the Sprint Center for a Coaches Against Cancer fund-raiser Tuesday hosted by former Missouri coach Norm Stewart.

“This is the last day they can have contact and they’re here,” said Stewart. “That shows they care. It’s absolutely phenomenal.” 

Self pretty well summed up the general feelings of the Big 12 coaches. “Frank (Martin) has got great, great personnel at Kansas State. They can score and are really good. Mike (Anderson) did the best job in America at MU last year. They are really hard to guard and they have the majority of players back.

“Texas, I think, is going to be great. And we return our top 10 players and have a pretty good recruiting class. They say it’s going to be the toughest conference in America and that’s the way it’s been the last few years.”

Anderson is coming off a 31-win season at Missouri. “That’s the most wins by anybody at MU,” said Stewart.

“It was a special year,” agreed Anderson. “If you would have told me we would win 31 games and the conference tournament, I would have said ‘What are you smoking?’ We lost three key players but we played a lot of guys so they have the opportunity to step up their games. It’s a team that needs to find its identity. Last year is history. But I’m excited.”

As for the Big 12 race, Anderson turned to Self and said “KU could beat the Boston Celtics. They’re going to be really good.”

Martin finally returns experience at Kansas State.

”We’ve got four players who understand,” said Martin. “Freshmen come in and they think they know but when they have to make an entry pass at Allen Fieldhouse, 18-year-olds don’t understand what it takes. For the first time we’ve got experience. They’ve been to KU and got beat up and to MU and got beat up. So we’re excited. And I’m happy.”

As for the conference race, Martin said: “There is no arena where you can get an easy win. It’s so difficult to win in this conference.”

Brown, whose UMKC team will play Missouri, Nebraska and Wichita State, likewise has considerable experience.

“I really feel like I’m going to have a chance to coach,” said Brown, who may be aided by the fact the Kangaroos will play some of their home games on the UMKC campus.

As could be expected, good natured shots were taken at each other with Self taking the majority of them with Martin and Brown pointing out that the refereeing crews when facing KU included one official named Self.

However, it was Self who spoke last and who got in the best jab. “Without a doubt Frank Martin and Mike Anderson are the best defensive coaches in the Big 12. They reach, grab and hold on every possession and do it very well.”

University of Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little will be the keynote speaker at the Kansas City, Kan., NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet on Nov. 21.

The theme of this year's event is "Bold Dreams, Big Victories."

Gray-Little began her time at KU on Aug. 15. She oversees campuses in Lawrence, Kansas City, Overland Park and Wichita.

For tickets to the event, contact (913) 281-7900. The event will be held at the Jack Reardon Center beginning at 6 p.m.

For more information, contact Clyde Townsend at (913) 299-1569, Mary Ann Flunder at (913)621-6975 or Loris Jones at 913-342-1513.