Lawrence Journal-World 08-20-11

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JAYHAWK SPIRIT

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Financial strategy: What to do now?

Bedazzled no more

By Aaron Couch acouch@ljworld.com

Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo

THE TEMPORARY WOOD SCULPTURE “The Bedazzler,” at the corner of 14th and Jayhawk Boulevard since 2009, was taken down Friday. The removal was not related to storms that hit the area overnight but was because the tree supporting the sculpture was dying. Parts of the sculpture will be recycled and used in other ways across campus.

Campus tree art comes down By Andy Hyland ahyland@ljworld.com

Kansas University crews spent Friday afternoon chopping up a tangled web of sticks and the tree they surrounded to create a beloved piece of art near KU’s Spooner Hall called “The Bedazzler.” That’s OK, though, said Saralyn Reece Hardy, director of KU’s Helen Fores-

man Spencer Museum of Art. This was the plan all along. Artist Patrick Dougherty created the sculpture around a dying tree in 2009 as part of an exhibition called “Trees & Other Ramifications: Branches in Nature & Culture.” This project actually stood longer than most of Dougherty’s works, which are designed to be temporary,

Hardy said. “He wishes his work to be seen as a natural process and doesn’t ever want it to be seen as permanent,” she said. “He has felt that part of the beauty of the work is in its transience.” Still, in its high-traffic location, Friday’s work acquired many fans, Hardy said. “NOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!” wrote Lawrence resi-

dent Nick Schmiedeler on the Spencer Museum of Art’s Facebook page after a post showed photos of the work being taken down. During its life, the sculpture was home to picnics, classes and even a few wedding proposals, Hardy said. The museum was in contact with the artist throughout the sculpture’s life, she said, and she said she was glad that the sculpture

could remain up for KU’s new student orientation this year so as many people could view it as possible. Hardy said this likely won’t be the last work of art that graces the university’s campus on a temporary basis. “There will be more,” she said. — Higher education reporter Andy Hyland can be reached at 832-6388. Follow him at Twitter.com/LJW_KU.

We’re recovering from a recession, U.S. debt has been downgraded by Standard & Poor’s, and the Dow Jones industrial average dropped more than 400 points Thursday and nearly 200 more Friday. But when it comes to retirement planning, investment experts say the news shouldn’t make you feel skittish. “If you’re investing for retirement, you shouldn’t let this volatility scare you too much,” said Art Hall, director of the Center for Applied Economics at Kansas University. Financial planners and business scholars agree that even in uncertain times, the basics for retirement planning remain the same: Have a diversified portfolio. Live within your means. Save. “It’s a really challenging time to think about retirement planning,” said Felix Meschke, an assistant professor of business at KU. “At the same time, the fundamental principles of providing for your retirement really haven’t changed that much.” What has changed, Meschke said, is investors’ attitudes and expectations. Five years ago, investor surveys revealed people wanted to accumulate as much wealth as they could before retiring. Today, people are more likely to say they just want financial peace of mind — they Please see FINANCIAL, page 2A

Study: Black researchers less likely to get NIH funding By Andy Hyland ahyland@ljworld.com

A Kansas University professor has found that black researchers are less likely to get projects funded by the National Institutes of Health in a study that has attracted the attention of the federal medical research funding agency’s leadership. The researchers, Donna Ginther, a KU economics professor, and

Raynard S. Kington, a former NIH deputy director who is now serving as president of Grinnell College in Iowa, found that black researchers were half as likely to have their grant proposals funded, and began to ask themselves why. The study was published in the journal Science. “We believed that there should be some rational explanation for this gap,” said Ginther, the study’s

Francis Collins, the agency’s director, has acknowledged that this is an issue, and has indicated that the trend continues today, Ginther said. “This situation is not acceptable,” Collins said, according to a New York Times report. “This is not one of those reports that we will look at and put aside.” Please see STUDY, page 2A

Constituents tell Jenkins compromise is key

U.S. REP. LYNN JENKINS, R-Kan., speaks Friday with constituents at a town hall meeting in Lecompton.

By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com

With public opinion of Congress hitting historic lows, what’s it like for a congresswoman to come home and face the voters? U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan., on Friday got an earful from constituents in separate meetings in Lawrence and Lecompton. And although the venues were vastly different — one a high-tech classroom at Kansas University’s

Scott Rothschild/ Journal-World Photo

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pharmacy school and the other Lecompton’s historic community building — a similar theme emerged from those attending the meetings: Republicans and Democrats must compromise for the nation to move forward. At the meeting at KU, Bruce Johanning, a retired Army officer, said compromise “is the American way.” He added, “I have seen people on the right and left saying, ‘I will not compromise.’” He said that without

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lead author. ity. Black researchers were So they gathered data still one-third less likely to from 2000 to 2006, and receive funding than white ran experiments that conresearchers, Ginther said. trolled for just about every “It’s disconcerting and variable they could think surprising,” she said. of — including previous The NIH, which paid for grant funding and the kinds the study, has responded KANSAS of institutions the scientists UNIVERSITY positively to the informaworked for. Even after contion, Ginther said, and is trolling for the data, the research- promising to investigate the issue ers still found a significant dispar- further.

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compromise, the nation will fall into totalitarianism. In Lecompton, where nearly 100 people showed up, an elderly man stood and told Jenkins his 401(k) account took a beating after the congressional fight over raising the debt ceiling. When Jenkins responded that the stock market continues to have problems, the man said, “It is if you guys don’t compromise.” Please see JENKINS, page 2A

COMING SUNDAY Who owns downtown Lawrence? Are property values up or down? We’ll give you the details as well as the big picture.

Vol.153/No.232 24 pages

Energy smart: The Journal-World makes the most of renewable resources. www.b-e-f.org


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