No. 3, 2012 I $5 Tournament Triumphs Jayhawks muscle their way to title game I FIRST HONORARY DEGREES I STORM PREDICTORS I 637 SUMMITS Contents | May 2012 26 22 42 22 26 38 42 A Gem of a Day COVER STORY Eyes on the Storm Peak Performer Old traditions and new blend When the Going Gets KU forecasters in the National Mountains topping 14,000 at Commencement, as the Tough Weather Center’s Storm feet—called 14ers—get all the University confers diplomas— Prediction Center form the glory in Colorado. By focusing e Jayhawks traveled the and its rst honorary degrees. nation’s rst line of defense on less celebrated but still Road to the Final Four all the against tornadoes and other challenging 13ers, climber way to the championship game By Lydia Benda severe storms. Lynn Hartwell Prebble has in New Orleans. Although they carved out a special place in came up one victory short of a By Terry Rombeck the state’s climbing lore. title, along the way they proved their toughness and By Katherine Millett togetherness. By Chris Lazzarino Cover photograph by Steve Puppe Established in 1902 as e Graduate Magazine Volume 110, No. 3, 2012 ISSUE 3, 2012 | 1 Lift the Chorus members and leaders of the the not-so-subtle dig at the KSRL, both old and new. She community. ey are very past is both wrong and died last June, happily before positive role models for the oensive. “You” always—well, this article appeared. young people of the reserva- since 1968—have been William L. Mitchell, c’59 tions, and they cast a very “allowed” (even encouraged) to Associate Special Collections positive light on the Corps. do research (or just read) in Librarian emeritus Lawrence Mr. Nez (I am sure he the reading rooms, “simply by knows) can be very proud that registering at the front desk.” Whoop-ee! his tradition and legacy And, yes, the view has always continue to inuence the been there, with the nice I young Navajo men of today. amenity of a comfy leather Rock Chalk song nally purged My thanks to Steven Hill for couch (now disappeared) of the hated “whoooo.” Can we Code read the article and Brent Learned added by Mrs. Spencer to now x the problem with the I for the cover painting. encourage enjoyment of the chant? When did it get so darn thrilled when I saw the cover William Brooks Gauert, view. fast? People, it is not a legal of the March Kansas Alumni. c’54, m’58 For another example: disclosure at the end of a late e painting of Chester Nez Albuquerque, N.M. “Spencer Research Library, night television advertisement. was outstanding, as was the once something of a fortress Slow down! It has a beat: story about the Navajo code I that discouraged visits from all ROCK-chalk JAY-hawk talkers [“Native Speaker,” issue about the code talkers and the but qualifying academics and KAY-you, ROCK-chalk No. 2] by Steven Hill. Albu- new lighting on 12th Street. researchers ...” Well, “fortress” JAY-hawk KAY-you, ROCK- querque, N.M., is a fair My mother, widowed young, seems a little overstated, chalk JAY-hawk KAY-YOU! distance from Lawrence, but it owned a house on 12th Street although it is true that librar- Je Shadwick, c’78 did not seem so far in relation in the 1950s. She let rooms to ians serve as guardians of Houston to the story about Mr. Nez. students. I remember playing collections such as these. But Since retiring from anesthe- in South Park and then in the discouraged? at is more than Rivalry’s end siology, I have worked part 1960s walking that way for overstated; it is simply untrue. I V B. time doing history and Sunday night dinner. e negatives continue, Norris’ take on the KU/MU physical exams for the MEPS Paula Reeder Short, d’69 embedded in the story: “... breakup [“Who to hate now?” (Military Entrance Processing Southfield, Mich. undergraduates in her Irish Li the Chorus, issue No. 2]. Station) center in Albuquerque and British literature courses, Brilliant! I’ve been attempting for recruits of various branches Past positive, too all of whom now conduct to verbalize what the loss of of the U.S. Armed Forces. C —some- research in Spencer’s Irish our hated rival Missouri means Many recruits come from the times it’s good, sometimes bad, holdings ...” “Now,” as if to me, and Norris did it surrounding Navajo Reserva- sometimes it’s just dierent. undergraduates were, in the perfectly. tions in New Mexico and ere certainly have been bad old days, forbidden access I grew up on the Missouri Arizona. I couldn’t help but changes in Kenneth Spencer to the fortress. Grade- and side and still have family and notice that a large percentage Research Library, but the high-schoolers, undergradu- very good friends there. I of the Native Americans were change from “old” KSRL to ates and local street people all posted on Facebook that I was applying for the U.S. Marine “new” suggested in Chris used the old KSRL. sad my children will never Corps, as compared to the Lazzarino’s “Luck of the Irish” KSRL has so many real know the rivalry. ere will other service branches. [issue No. 2] is created by positives (including the Irish never be another like it. And I I began questioning these introducing a ctional negative collections) it’s a pity the article have somehow grown accus- recruits as to why they chose of old KSRL to contrast with a found it necessary to introduce tomed to loving hating them! the Marines and received two new positive. this false positive. A pity, too, MU alumni posted back that very prominent answers. First For example: “... the comfy that the timing was so inappro- we should keep playing as if was the history of the Navajo new Marilyn Stokstad Reading priate: St. Patrick shared a nothing has changed. ank code talkers. Second was the Room ... where you’ll do the birthday with Alexandra you, Mr. Norris, for conrming fact that Marines who returned research you are now allowed Mason, the rst Spencer my exact thoughts! to the reservation aer to do” (emphasis added). Yes, Librarian and the person most Julee Hawk Goeser, b’93 enlistment became outstanding the reading room is new, but responsible for the postives in Lawrence 2 | KANSAS A LUMNI May 2012 10 Publisher Kevin J. Corbett, c’88 Editor Jennifer Jackson Sanner, j’81 2 Lift the Chorus Creative Director Susan Younger, f’91 Letters from our readers Associate Editors Chris Lazzarino, j’86 Steven Hill 5 First Word Sta Writer Terry Rombeck e editor’s turn Editorial Assistant Karen Goodell Photographer Steve Puppe, j’98 6 On the Boulevard Graphic Designer Valerie Spicher, j’94 KU & Alumni Association events Communications Coordinator Lydia Krug Benda, j’10 8 Jayhawk Walk Advertising Sales Representative Funny papers, Jayhawk plates, lovestruck katydids David Johnston, j’94, g’06 and more Editorial and Advertising Oce KU Alumni Association 10 Hilltopics 1266 Oread Avenue News and notes: Endowment kicks o $1.2 billion Lawrence, KS 66045-3169 campaign; schools honor distinguished alumni. 785-864-4760 800-584-2957 www.kualumni.org 18 Sports [email protected] Women’s track soars to Big 12 silver; football eyes KANSAS ALUMNI MAGAZINE (ISSN 0745-3345) is published by the fresh start and new tradition for fall. KU Alumni Association six times a year in January, March, May, July, September and November. $55 annual subscription includes member- ship in the Alumni Association. O¢ce of Publication: 1266 Oread 46 Association News Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045-3169. Periodicals postage paid at Rock Chalk Ball and reunions make for a festive Lawrence, KS. spring; sta stalwarts Otto and Winner retire. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Kansas Alumni Magazine, 1266 Oread Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045-3169 © 2012 by Kansas Alumni Magazine. Non-member issue price: $7 50 Class Notes Proles of a patriotic pilot, an iconic artist, an inspirational memoirist and more 64 In Memory Letters to the Editor: Deaths in the KU family Kansas Alumni welcomes letters to the editor. Our address is Kansas Alumni magazine, 1266 Oread Avenue, 68 Rock Chalk Review Lawrence, KS 66045-3169. Email responses may be sent to A snowy invasion, atomic-age artifacts, a heady the Alumni Association, [email protected]. sculpture and more Letters appearing in the magazine may be edited for space and clarity. For letters published, we’ll send a free gift of 72 Glorious to View the KU Magnet Game, a $15 value. Scene on campus ISSUE 3, 2012 | 3 by Jennifer Jackson Sanner First Word he helpful folks at LinkedIn, the online Doug Ward, associate professor of ONER professional networking resource, recently journalism, was named Journalism Teacher T WAGG emailed me a bit of advice to enhance my career AN of the Year by the Scripps Howard prole: “Adding another position makes you 12 RY Foundation. times more likely to receive career And, of course, the men’s and women’s opportunities!” basketball teams provided magical I laughed, then winced. Aer working for the moments, as you’ll read in our cover story. same organization for more than half my life, “We’re proud of our students, faculty and serving my alma mater, I suspect listing my sta because their achievements remind us pre-1984 jobs wouldn’t exactly vault me into the what a remarkable place this is,” Gray-Little forefront of marketability. Most days I don’t said. “eir success—now and in the really care, and luckily, I’ve learned through future—is the reason we’re here tonight.” the years that if I wait, somehow, some way, my Moments later, she revealed the number job will change, even if the title and the place that had prompted so much speculation: remain the same.