Feature
News
Welcome Week Events, pg. 6
Student group barbecue, pg. 4
UMKC laid out the welcome mat for new and returning students.
Student organizations host multiple barbecues during Welcome Week.
UNIVERSITY NEWS UMKC’s Independent Student Newspaper Monday August 26, 2013
Editor’s Pocket: Roze Brooks Dear UMKC Faculty and Staff, The ball is still in your court. I have received various responses to last week’s cover story “Faculty Drops the Ball” and it’s your turn to share your stories. If you would like to weigh-in on the follow up article and provide input on late textbook orders, contact me at rbrooks@unews.com. Please submit emails with “Textbook Follow-Up” in the subject line. Responses will be considered consent to be quoted unless stated otherwise in the body of the email. I appreciated your patience and understanding as we work as a University to find the source of this issue and strive to alleviate it. Roze Brooks// Co-Editor-in-Chief
A death in the family: UMKC loses incoming freshman Roze Brooks Co-Editor-in-Chief Robert Walter’s journey as an incoming pre-law student at UMKC came to a tragic halt as reports came in that the formerly missing 20-year-old was found submerged in a pond inside his car near Route H and 100th Street in Clay County. Robert was set to begin the fall semester at UMKC, with a scholarship and several friends already anticipating his arrival. This anticipation was quickly shattered as the heartbreaking news broke on what would have been Walter’s first day of school. “Robert and I have been friends on and off over the past five years,” said business administration student Zachary Manos. “We both were finally going to be going to the same college, and I was looking forward to hanging out with him on a regular basis.” Robert graduated from Blue Springs High School class of 2011 and became a Specialist Trainer for Apple soon after. His passion for computers and technology was apparent in his work aesthetic. A post to the Facebook group “Help Bring Robert Home” delivered confirmation on the evening of Aug. 19 and asked followers to allow time for family and friends to grieve and find understanding. The Facebook page had acquired nearly 2500 likes, serving as an update page requesting tips for information as to Walter’s whereabouts. On the evening of his discovery, the page displayed one resounding sentiment. “Robert was an adventurous spirit and loved by many,” the page said. “He is gone but never forgotten. His legacy will live on through his friends and the work they will do for his favorite cause: gay rights.” Accompanying Robert’s passion for digital gadgets, he enjoyed photography and involvement in political campaigns for politicians such as Claire McCaskill. Senator McCaskill personally flew from Washington to support the search
Continued on page 4
Volume 81, Issue 2
Haven on Hospital Hill
O
Joey Hill
Senior Beat Writer
pen for use by all organizations, s c h o o l s , U M K C departments and the Hospital Hill campus free of charge, the Diastole is a modern style building at 27th and Holmes. Development on the house began in 1976 and it has become a site of beauty and tranquility. Designed by Dr. and Mrs. E. Gray Dimond, the Diastole, known by its formal title “The Mary Clark and E. Gray Dimond Scholars Center” is just that: a scholar’s center. Accessible for an array of programming and events, the Diastole is a relaxed setting where business and planning can be conducted. The site is also the residence of the Dimonds. The name Diastole is a term from cardiology. It refers to the moment in which the heart is at rest after a heartbeat and before the next. It is in this rest that the heart relaxes and is filled with blood after the systole, where blood is pumped out. Dr. Dimond, who worked as a cardiologist himself, clearly saw this connection to the spirit of the scholar: to build a place where the heart can rest and be rejuvenated once again. The devotion and care that went into the design of the building is clear from the moment one enters the building. There is a tremendous feeling of openness, utilizing skylights and windows along with the tiered design of the main section of the house to create an almost cascade-like flow of natural light through the building. The architecture, designed by Dr. Dimond, follows a modern scheme, and all rooms feel large and open. A natural flow can be felt when walking through the structure, as if designed not just with the resident in mind, but the visitor as well. One completely forgets this is a building on Holmes and suddenly is transported elsewhere. Decorated ingeniously, the Diastole features an astonishing and diverse collection of art and architecture highlighting prints and paintings both contemporary and ancient acquired by the Dimonds though friends and trips around the world. Some of the most intriguing and intricate works are in the collection of hand-made woodcarvings placed around the building, many carved by Dr. Dimond himself. Complementing the angular structure of the house, the carvings are organic and lively. Each and every room in the Diastole is unique while still exuding a feelingof contemplative comfort. The Piano Room features large glass doors along with a warm enclosure of couches around a modern working fireplace, adjacent to a pristine Steinway concert grand piano. Adjacent to the Piano Room is the Sun Room, a long open room with an entire wall of glass windows curving upward. The Sun Room is styled with bamboo, exposed wood, tiling and earth tones, along with tall tropical plants. The Sun Room seems truly built for natural light. Also included are a dining area and a bar. Leading up the stairs past a beautifully carved wooden multitiered table depicting a Buddha seated in a pond is a small grouping of offices featuring a collection
The main Diastole building at 27th and Holmes. scientist and of three-dimensional artworks, philosopher, ranging from modernist to ancient. astronomer, this room holds an Overlooking all this is the Third enormous collection of his works Floor Library, an expansive and including the “Rubaiyat,” a selection beautifully furnished area taking of his poems. The walls of the room up the entire third floor of the are decorated with framed, blownbuilding. The contrasting color up printings of pages from the scheme consists of white walls “Rubaiyat” including illustrations. and white carpeting dotted with jhill@unews.com a set of couches and seats of black leather and stained wood. The The Diastole features multiple overall look of the library would architectural styles, and modern be at risk of taking on an almost elements of interior design. brutalist aesthetic if it weren’t for the additions of the organic woodcarvings and the handmade Mexican desk and chair set, designed by Mrs. Dimond. A wall of windows gives a beautiful view of the Hospital Hill campus and the city skyline. For events where a more open theater atmosphere is needed, there is The Kiva, a rounded theater with tiered seating. Keeping to a The Omar Kharyam room features modernist aesthetic, the walls are The exterior garden of the a wide collection of his works. angular, putting the structure into Diastole. a pentagonal-like shape. The space takes its name from the circular stone structures built and used by the Puebloans and features a fireplace and equipment for projections and oral presentations. There is also a doorway leading out to the Diastole’s garden which has a lush, beautiful arrangement of trees and topiary set with various modern bronze sculptures. What could be considered one of the most revered rooms in the entire building, the Omar Khayyam Room is an incredible space to behold. Named after one of the most revered intellectual figures in history, a poet, ma t hema t i c i a n , The main lobbly holds this hand-carved multi-tiered table depicting Photos // Joey Hill Buddha.