Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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W eather forces oca not money rivals Bands from Manhattan and Lawrence smudged out Dr. Crusty in the annual OPUS 9 Band Competition. Smudge, a Manhattan band, and 425 Main, a Lawrence band, tied for first place. Dr. Crusty, from Topeka, placed second in the contest sponsored by Union Program Council. The competition became controversial when bands from other cities were allowed to compete. Only two of the seven bands invited by the UPC Eclectic Entertainment Com- mittee were from Manhattan. It kind of made me mad because (the advertising) made it sound like it was a K- State type thing, Jason Barth, junior in pre-health professions, said. The advertising was not misleading, John Sandlin, UPC program adviser, said. In all of our advertising the only stipulation was that it ' s an unsigned band, he said. Cold weather caused the event to relocate from the free speech zone outside the K-State Student Union to the Union Ballroom. The relocation caused the attendance of 300 to be less than last year ' s, Sandlin said. I think the student committee did a really good job setting it up, he said. Any K-State student could have come and listened to some really good music and had a good time. Members of Smudge were surprised they won. The band agreed that creating original music was their main interest. I don ' t think any of us are in it for the money, Chad Mercer, backing vocals and bass for Smudge, said. If we were in it for the money, we would have all quit a long time ago. Bassist Erik Francis and lead singer Miles Salyers of Dr. Crusty play to a crowd of about 300. Low attendance was attributed to the competition being moved indoors. (Photo by Steve Hebert) by Sarah Garner 16 -OPUS-

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wildlife and through g u IK d tours o I u n t e flln g f n attract visi (eauty Touring the Konza Prairie, students learn about preserving tallgrass prairies. The prairie offered year- round learning experiences. (Photo by Shane Keyser) Wild turkeys on the Konza Prairie peek out of the tallgrass as Hargett ' s tour passes by. The prairie was home to more than 290 animal species and 500 species of flowers, shrubs and trees. (Photo by Shane Keyser) ild turkeys ran through the grass as a doe stood among the shadows V T and peered down the well-traveled trail at the Konza Prairie Natural Research Area. Docents, or trained tour guides, led tours down the trails of the Konza Prairie. Dean Hargett, senior in history, was die only student out of about 25 docents. He gave his first tour in September, but his first visit to the Konza Prairie was about 10 years ago. My favorite part of the prairie is the hilltop, Hargett said. There is a long climb to the top and you can see all to the south and out west to Fort Pviley. When you reach the top it is magnificent with the wind blowing through your hair. The content of the tours depended on the age of die participants. The tours are available for any group, John Zimmerman, coordinator of the docent program and professor of biology, said. There are tours for fourth and fifth grades, high school students, college students or adults. Docents added information to the tours which were set up on an appointment basis, Hargett said. There are quite a number of training hikes with the docent program. We familiarize ourselves with die prairie by reading about and listening to the experienced docents, he said. Becky Burton, graduate student in biology, said she became interested after volunteering. I volunteer for the burning. My job is I run die drip torch for the fire, Burton said. It is a good experience to help out and feel more connected to what ' s going on in the area. College-level tours focused on plant species and experiments. We have 8,600 acres widi 60 different units all subjected to burn units, David Hartnet, director of the Konza Prairie, said. The whole purpose is to study the effects from die fire on ecology, different species and the effects of burning vegetation. Students worked on the Konza Prairie and gained hands-on experience through research projects. My research is on die aquatic system through die streams, ponds and ground water, Ken Fritz, graduate in biology, said. It is definitely experience. Hargett shared his knowledge about die Konza Prairie and die experiments widi other students he encountered during tours. I like getting odier people out there and helping them know about the prairie instead of just watching it as they drive past, he said. by Maria Sherrill -Konza Prairie- 1 5

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Smudge, one of only two Manhattan bands invited to the amateur competition, plays in the Union Ballroom during the Opus band competition. They received $300 for tying for first place with 425 Main, a Lawrence-based band. (Photo by Steve Hebert) In front of a small crowd, Steve McAnuula, lead singer of 425 Main, performs during the competition. Bands were judged on originality of music, instrumental ability, vocal ability, stage presence and audience appeal. (Photo by Steve Hebert) -OPUS- 17