Like is the new love

One of the great benefits of our age is the ability to access data and swiftly turn it into an enlightening (or at least entertaining) infographic, and share it — quite literally — with the world. Who knew that college students had such a strong liking for Corona, Chipotle, and Macs? Facebook, of course.
This graphic makes it clear.

30 miles from campus — and a world away

The November episode of "Wichita State & The World" focuses on prairie restoration and biological research at the Ninnescah Reserve in southwest Sedgwick County. The above video clip gives you a glimpse of the show:
Host Provost Gary L. Miller explores the land, the new research center, and the work of students and faculty in the 30-minute episode broadcast on Cox Cable Channel 13. It airs at 8 p.m. Sundays, 9 a.m. Mondays, 3 p.m. Tuesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays, and 1 a.m. Fridays this month.
In December, you can catch up to past episodes you may have missed — a variety will be rebroadcast in rotation at the above times.

"WSTW" is a production is of Wichita State's Media Resources Center, and I had a blast walking the prairie with awesome videographers Greg Matthias and Rik Dubiel for this project. Rik also edited, and did a terrific job, as you can see. I was producer, which included scripting out the storyline, creating a shot list, doing background research and lots of other behind-the-scenes tasks. The folks in the biology department were great to work with — and they did a great job explaining their research.

Freshman reading, give or take a few years

Thanks, Kansas State University, for assigning "The Hunger Games" to this year's freshman class as summer reading. I grabbed the paperback copy you gave my daughter at orientation and didn't return it until I'd finished it four days later with a hearty: "Wow, you're gonna love it!"

And of course, she did.

Suzanne Collins' deceptively simple tale of postapocalyptic America will give students the framework for discussing the ethics of self-defense, rebellion, government control, bio-engineering and even hunting. Along the way, she borrows elements from the Greeks' Minotaur myth, Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" and "American Idol" to create an altogether new story.

Chances are good, however, that before classes start Aug. 23, many students will have already blasted their way through the second book in the trilogy: "Catching Fire" — just in time for the concluding "Mockingjay," which is due out Aug. 24. This is, of course, exactly what 18-year-olds need: Books that light up their minds, that provoke discussion and discourse.

Can't wait to hear all about it at Family Weekend.

Quote of the day

"There's a saying that we've now changed to read: 'Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can kill.' "

— Warren Blumenfeld, Iowa State

lead author of new study into cyberbullying

Stop, focus and read

Long before it was called "multitasking," researchers have been looking at just how well people can do two things at once. An article in The Chronicle of Higher Education gives a fascinating — and for many folks, counterintuitive — update. More than 100 years ago, the Industrial Age saw young factory workers rolling cigars while listening to books, newspapers and political or religious tracts being read aloud; the Tech Age finds today's college student sending text-messages in class while listening to the lecture, watching a PowerPoint with imbedded videos, taking notes and googling facts in anticipation of the professor's questions.

The multimedia experience, conventional wisdom tells us, enhances learning as it "lights up" more parts of the brain, but now it appears that people may be merely buzzed by over stimulation.

"Heavy multitaskers are often extremely confident in their abilities," Clifford I. Nass, a professor of psychology at Stanford University, told The Chronicle. "But there's evidence that those people are actually worse at multitasking than most people."

Nass and colleagues published a study in 2009 revealing that people who described themselves as multitaskers performed much worse on tests of cognition and memory that involved distraction than their counterparts who said they preferred to focus on single tasks. And a newer, as-yet-unpublished study by Nass, et al., shows that people who give a lot of time over to media screens fare worse on analytic questions, too.

"One of the deepest questions in this field," Nass says, "is whether media multitasking is driven by a desire for new information or by an avoidance of existing information. Are people in these settings multitasking because the other media are alluring — that is, they're really dying to play Freecell or read Facebook or shop on eBay — or is it just an aversion to the task at hand?"

So glad you dropped by to read this post — hope it didn't distract you for too long from your other tasks!

Man of Steel takes on self-righteous rants

He may not think of himself as a Superman, but the strength of John Stewart's political humor on "The Daily Show" is that he consistently conveys the message that he is looking out for Truth, Justice and the American Way. His delivery style shows that he's not grinding an ax, he's just trying to have an intelligent and witty conversation with friends (his audience). And like any good friend, when political observation degenerates into ranting, Stewart considers it his responsibility to lead an intervention.  Rhetoric and debate professors across the nation no doubt cheered his Jan. 21 Special Comment.

The "Cokie show" is ready!

From Martha Washington's legacy to Michelle Obama's future, from watching her mother cook for 1,500 wedding guests to analyzing sexism in presidential politics — Cokie Roberts told one fascinating story after another during her recent two-day visit to Wichita State University.

Two of Robert's campus appearances (her sold-out speech at the Metroplex and "Conversation With The Provost" Q & A) were captured on video and are featured in the newest episode of "Wichita State & The World." The show debuts at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 7 on WSU-TV, Cox Cable Ch. 13, with repeats at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 10; 8 p.m. Thursday, May 21; and 7 p.m. Sunday, May 24.

Roberts, a longtime ABC political commentator and National Public Radio senior news analyst, was brought to campus by KMUW-FM 89.1. She made appeals to listeners on air during the station's spring pledge drive.

For more on "Wichita State & The World," which is hosted by Provost Gary L. Miller, go to www.wichita.edu/provost.

Changing things for the better: Dr. P

I'm so happy with how the new episode of "Wichita State & The World" turned out. This month, Provost Gary Miller talks with WSU Professor Ken Pitetti — one of my favorite people on campus.

Ken is one of those rare human dynamos who manages to inspire everyone he comes into contact with — without wearing them out. His generous spirit means he is as giving to aspiring nurses and medtechs in the classroom as he is to autistic kids and his fellow amputee veterans in the research environment. His personal story — of, yes, tragedy and triumph — has led him on a winding but fascinating career path.


I first "met" Ken through my husband, WSU Associate Professor Dan Close, in 1991. Dan had interviewed Ken for a magazine profile and came home mightily impressed with his ground-breaking work, his character, his innate curiosity, his humor and grit.

I've never taken a course from Ken — maybe one day! — but I've learned a lot from him.

I hope you'll check out the show. This episode debuts at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 9, with repeats at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 12, 8 p.m. Thursday, April 23
and 7 p.m. Sunday, April 26.

For more info and links, go to www.wichita.edu/provost and scroll down to the center of the page.

Next stop, Wichita . . .

Cokie Roberts — award-winning broadcaster, best-selling author — is coming this month to Wichita State University for two days of appearances, and folks are going wild. Her campus visit is part author's tour (an updated version of her book "We Are Our Mothers' Daughters" has just been released) and part fund raiser for public radio station KMUW.

The moment tickets were made available to her public appearances, the organizers were overwhelmed with requests.

I'm happy to be part of the team that's documenting her visit, including her "Conversation With Provost Gary Miller" before an audience of primarily students and faculty. Those who don't have the chance to attend the WSU events will have a chance to see her in May via "Wichita State & The World" on WSU-TV, Cox cable Ch. 13.

Telltale numbers

As we approach the 10th anniversary of the Columbine shooting, you will no doubt be confronted with lots of "where are we now" stories. Consider these results from a new survey of K-12 teachers:

— 2 in 5 teachers have faced verbal or physical aggression from a student's parent or guardian.

— 1 in 4 say a pupil has attacked them.

— 1 in 3 teachers in primary schools say they have experienced physical aggression, compared with 1 in 5 in secondary schools.

More evidence that American kids are out of control? No.

This data comes from Britain, where nearly 60 percent of those who took part in the Association of Teachers and Lecturers' survey said they thought student behavior had worsened during the past five years.

Horror stories included 6-year-olds trashing rooms and computers, pulling knives, and attacking teachers and other students.

In contrast, my time last year filling in as an English and history teacher at Wichita's East and North high schools — which many people perceive as "inner-city" environments — was rewarding and low-conflict. Just a thought.

The 3 R's for the new economy

I'll be speaking at the Wichita Professional Communicators' March lunch meeting on a topic that's become hot in this chilly economy: Career reinvention.

I happily took on this task because I've built my work life on the principles of taking calculated risks, accepting creative challenges and other key factors that help keep life interesting and rewarding.

My presentation is called "Reinvent, Revitalize, Renew: The 3 R’s You Must Master Now," and here's the pitch: "As a professional communicator, you’re a whiz at readin’ and ’riting, and thanks to calculators, you can even handle ’rithmatic. But your old reliable skills may not be enough to help you ride out these rough economic times. Media consultant L. Kelly offers practical advice for rejuvenating your job skills — and your life — at the March 4 Wichita Professional Communicators luncheon meeting.

"L. Kelly spent 26 years with The Wichita Eagle, working a variety of jobs as a writer, editor and page designer in the news, features and opinion sections. After directing the paper’s coverage of the BTK investigation, she was project leader and co-author of the true crime book 'Bind, Torture, Kill: The Inside Story of the Serial Killer Next Door' (HarperCollins 2007). She is now a media consultant, TV producer and communications trainer with her own company, L. Kelly Media Services, and teaches at Wichita State University."

RSVP to Becky Funke by noon Monday, March 2, at bfunke@activeagingonline.com, call 942-5385, or reserve and prepay using WPC’s online PayPal account at www.wichitaprofessionalcommunicators.com.

DATE: Wednesday, March 4
TIME: 11:30 a.m. sharp-12:30 p.m.
PLACE: Larkspur, 904 E. Douglas
COST: Members $12, students $10, guests $15

Wake-up call

As I've noted here before, I'm a statistical junkie.

Not the memorize-the-back-of-a-baseball-card type, but let me log into the online Statistical Abstract of the United States, or the Department of Justice's research section on violent crime, or a well-executed attitude and opinion survey, and I'll be gone for hours. I'm a miner at heart, digging up little gems and following veins of information this way 'n' that, hoping to reach the mother lode of knowledge and insight. I'm constantly finding stuff while on my way to look up something else.

Today's treasure is a 2008 video that challenges viewers to consider the necessity of career reinvention — given global pressures and technological advances — in the Information Age.

The video asks: "So what does it all mean?"

It's a competitive world. Position yourself accordingly.

Greensburg tornado headed for WSU TV

Working on a "Wichita State & The World" episode that blends interviews with WSU associate professor Les Anderson and a handful of students, excerpts from their on-location video stories, blog entries and still photography from their Greensburg project, and of course an epic F-5 twister.

What will we have when the debris settles?

Stay tuned; it airs in March on WSU TV, Cox cable Ch. 13.

Ripples on a pond

Back in the 1990s, when I was working as a reporter for The Wichita Eagle, I traveled to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale to meet Don and Shirley Beggs. I was working on a profile of Don, who was a finalist for (and ultimately received) the job of president of Wichita State University.

I'll never forget how warm, gracious and genuinely open the Beggses were (and have continued to be to me and my husband over the years). Journalists who cover education and politics — and this story had elements of both — don't encounter that routinely.

It was also clear from the start that Don and Shirley were a unique kind of "power couple." There was real substance behind those smiles; hard work, solid character, and caring underpinned their their quiet confidence.

I see less of them now than I once did, so I was as surprised as any reader to pick up the paper this week and discover that Shirley is being treated for breast cancer. As the story by Roy Wenzl details, Shirley has faced it with her typical determination, and minimal disruption to her university duties, but finally decided to go public with her story in hopes that it might help someone else.

The day Shirley's story was published, my mother-in-law was headed in for yet another chemo treatment. It's Maggie's third go-round with breast cancer and as she'd tell you: It's kind of a drag.

But reading about Shirley's strength of spirit — and learning they go to the same clinic — gave Maggie the boost she needed to make it through the morning. Chances are these two wonderful women will never cross paths there, but like ripples on a pond, their stories have.

Now playing

The long-ago promised video clips of Tom Otterness are finally here! Thanks to Lonny Quattlebaum, Greg Matthias and Rik Dubiel of Wichita State's Media Resource Center for their fantastic videography and more.


Former Wichita Eagle publisher Lou Heldman, creator of "Wichita State & The World," interviewed Ulrich Museum of Art director Patricia McDonnell.

Tom Otterness' fascinating introspective of his work included slides ranging from childhood paintings to computer-assisted designs for recent projects.

Tom Otterness, sculptor

I'm wrapping up work on Episode 5 of "Wichita State & The World," featuring Tom Otterness. An acclaimed figurative sculptor based in New York City, Tom is a Wichita native best known for public art that combines whimsy and social satire.
The show, which debuts at 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, on Channel 13 on Wichita's Cox cable, will feature footage from the installation of "Millipede" on the WSU campus as well as an illustrated lecture by Otterness.

One of my favorite things about this hourlong episode — aside from the fact that the art is a treat for the eyes — is how well it captures the fact that despite living virtually all his adult life in New York City, Otterness is still clearly a Guy From Wichita.

Check back for an update; I'll add video clips here when available.

"WSTW:2" focuses on giving

Episode 2 of the new show "Wichita State & The World" hosted by provost Gary Miller debuts on Sunday evening, and reviewing the online excerpts today reminded me of how much I enjoyed sorting through video interviews with WSU engineering students to select material for it. (I'm the producer.)

Wow, what an impressive bunch.

Hearing college kids describe their experiences - the personal impact of scholarships, of mentoring from professors and professionals, of opportunities to work on real-world projects such as NASA in Kansas - made me proud(er) to be a WSU alum.

The episode, which focuses on how gifts to the WSU Foundation change lives, debuts at 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, on WSU TV, Channel 13 on Cox cable, with repeats Oct. 16, 19 and 30.

A new series

I'm excited about seeing one of my big projects on the air! The fall season of "Wichita State & The World" kicks off on Sunday, Sept. 7, with an episode that features Associate Provost David McDonald of WSU and Paul Wooley of the Orthopaedic Research Institute at Via Christi talking about biomedical composites research and its impact on business and medicine.


"Wichita State & The World," hosted by Provost Gary Miller, is a series that examines how Kansas' only urban-serving research university is changing our community, our nation and the world. It's on WSU TV, Channel 13 on Cox Cable.

Episode 1 airs at 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, with repeats at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18; Sunday, Sept. 21; and Thursday, Oct. 2.

You'll find more information about this and upcoming episodes at www.wichita.edu/provost.

Today's to-do list

Wrapping up post-production on Episode 3 of "Wichita State & The World" today, on public health, to air this fall on WSU TV, Cable Ch. 13. Also meeting today to get going on an episode that documents the rebuilding of Greensburg. I love the eclectic nature of this show.

Reinvention vs. evolution

As journalists find themselves downsized in staggering numbers across the nation - and sadly, close to home as well - it's clear that industry evolution is a painful, lurching and brutal process. Luckily, reinvention is in the hands of individuals. We can become who and what we want to be through education, retraining, networking and hard work. It's what this country was founded on. Reinvention embodies hope and a sense of control - something all journos need right now.