Reception honors new Watkins director

The Douglas County Historical Society plans a reception for Rebecca Phipps, new director of Watkins Community Museum of History, at 7 p.m. today at the museum, 1047 Mass.

The reception is open to the public.

Event recognizes Big Brothers Big Sisters

An event honoring the Big Brothers Big Sisters program is set from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. today at Langston Hughes School, 1101 George Williams Way. Participants will be able to learn more about the program and meet children waiting to be matched with volunteers.

The event includes dinner and activities with Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical, Lawrence Police Department and Kansas Safe Kids Coalition.

Members of the Leadership Lawrence class are organizing the event, which is free and open to the public. For more information, call 393-2382.

Radio show focuses on Dole dedication

Richard Norton Smith, director of Kansas University’s Dole Institute of Politics, will participate in a public radio program today. He will discuss plans for the institute’s dedication ceremony set for this summer.

Smith will be the guest on KCUR’s “Up to Date” program, which is broadcast at 11 a.m. weekdays on 89.3 FM.

The dedication, scheduled for July 20-22, will feature an air show, USO-style show and dance with the Glenn Miller Orchestra.

Awards honor winners of collecting contest

The 47th annual Snyder Book Collecting Contest and Award Ceremony will be at 3 p.m. today in Oread Books, level two in the Kansas Union at Kansas University.

Award winners will be announced, and collections will be available for viewing. A reception will follow.

No reservations are required. Parking is available in the garage north of the union.

Poet to visit KU

An Olathe native this week will visit Kansas University to read from two books of poetry.

Dave Malone will appear from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Oread Books in the Kansas Union. He’ll read from his books, “Poems to Love & the Body” and “Under the Sycamore.” He will sign books after the reading.

Malone teaches composition and film and directs the writing tutoring program at Southwest Missouri State University-West Plains.

KU student wins contest

A Kansas University student has won the top prize in a national design competition.

Mike Snyder, a senior from Omaha, Neb., won the 2003 Robert Bruce Thompson Annual Student Light Fixture Design Competition. He received a $5,000 prize and a trip to a trade show in New York City.

Snyder designed the Lite Book, a fixture similar in size and shape to a laptop computer.

KU mock trial team No. 2 at nationals

Kansas University’s mock trial team placed second at a national competition April 4-6 in Des Moines, Iowa.

The team finished in an eight-way tie for second during the American Mock Trial Assn. national championship, which featured 32 teams.

Two members of the team were honored for outstanding performances. Shandy Soleimani, sophomore from Olathe, received an All-American Witness Award for his portrayal of a medical expert. Ryan Faulconer, a junior from Colorado Springs, Colo., received an All-American Attorney Award.

The team finished the season with a record of 38-11-3.