Senior searches for elusive birds / LJWorld.com

Archive for Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Jayhawks harder to find years after parade

Kansas University senior Rick Phillips is making it his mission to get his photograph taken with as many Jayhawk statues from the Jayhawks on Parade as possible. Phillips is photographed by Mardis Gras on the Kaw Hawk by Janet Perkins, in front of the Lied Center on KU's West Campus.

By Sophia Maines

April 22, 2008

Fan seeks 'Jayhawks on Parade' (12-14-05)

In a symbolic farewell to his college years, Rick Phillips has embarked on a mission. He is tracking down every Jayhawk he can find.

"It reminds me of my time at school," the Kansas University senior said.

Phillips is not after just any Jayhawk. He is searching for the flashy stars of the Jayhawks on Parade.

The statues first appeared in April 2003 as part of a fundraiser led by KU and Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau. In all, 30 birds found roosts throughout town. At the end of the exhibition, many were donated to charitable organizations to be auctioned off.

Some statues still stand in Lawrence where they continue to delight onlookers. But, like searching for old high school friends, Phillips has found that some birds have taken unpredictable paths since they flew the coop.

"Some of them are really hard to find," he said. "They're in obscure places."

Memory lane

To Phillips and his mother, Patty Phillips, the quest offers an opportunity for a final tour of the city he has called home the last four years. Their search has taken them to roads, sidewalks and buildings that hold memories of Phillips' college years.

When he first came to Lawrence, he was a teenager, unsure of how to handle his newfound freedom.

"It took a while to get into the swing of things - balancing the studying and the social scene," he recalled of his first two years here. "Once you get that done, it goes pretty smoothly after that."

During his junior year, Phillips finally picked a major and realized the end was in sight. He plans to enter the Navy when he graduates in May.

On a recent visit from Oklahoma, Patty Phillips and her son began their adventure. They got a complete list of the statues on the Internet. Then they traveled around town, catching up with each bird, one by one. At each site, they stopped for photographs.

"They're just great," Patty Phillips said. "To me, they're just a fun way of thinking of the Jayhawk."

The birds' fates

They aren't the first to set out on such a mission. A few years ago, KU student Rodrigo Duque engaged in a similar pursuit. He ultimately tracked down 27 of the 30 birds. In the process, he visited neighborhoods he'd never been to before and met Lawrencians who helped in the search.

"The people were very nice," said Duque, who now is a KU senior. "Most of them were very cooperative."

Some birds are believed to have left the state, but many remain in high-profile spots.

Two stand in front of the Jayhawk Bookstore, 1420 Crescent Road. "Whoosh!", a basketball-themed bird, lives inside KU's Alumni Center.

Some have faced their share of adversity.

Another Jayhawk at Jayhawk Bookstore, the mosaic Bit O'Hawk, was damaged by vandals and is now in storage. The Kansan, a sunflower-bedecked bird, that lived at the Legends Place Apartments, 4101 W. 24th Place, was abducted in August. Police later reported that the bird met a terrible fate.

"I heard it was blown up," complex manager Susan Rinke said. "I'm so upset. There's a concrete pedestal out there that is empty."

Gogh Hawks Gogh, a bird who took a page from Vincent Van Gogh, was at KLWN before it had to be retired.

"It went missing, and it came back vandalized," said Jon Thomas, program director at Lazer 105.9. "It was pretty torn up."

Classic Jayhawk, a standard bird that stands in front of the Kansas Union, has also had its ups and downs. The bird now on display is a replica of the original, which became structurally weak following an attack by vandals.

The popular twin bird still needs regular paint touchups, said Wayne Pearse, engineer for the Kansas Union. But he said vandals aren't the problem. The bird is loved by children who often climb on it.

"That's a thing of pride for us," Pearse said. "It's worth a coat of paint a couple times a year."

The quest

Phillips doesn't know if he'll find every Jayhawk, but he and his mother will try to see as many as they can.

It's a quest that can have no end.

"I still have the hope of one day finding the remaining three," Duque said.

¢ Lions and Tigers and Hawks, Oh My! - in front of the Hilltop Child Development Center, 1605 Irving Hill Road.

¢ Mardi Gras on the Kaw Hawk - at the Lied Center of Kansas, 1600 Stewart Drive.

¢ So Many Faces, But One Heart that Bleeds Crimson and Blue - in lobby of KU Visitor Center, southeastern corner of 15th and Iowa streets.

¢ Merhawk on the Kaw - Outside Jayhawk Bookstore, 1420 Crescent Road.

¢ Bit o' Hawk - Owned by Jayhawk Bookstore, in storage because of a broken leg.

¢ Mascot Miro - Outside Jayhawk Bookstore, 1420 Crescent Road.

¢ Classic Jayhawk - A replica of original roosts in front of the Kansas Union, 1301 Jayhawk Blvd. The original, which was damaged and repaired, is inside the Union.

¢ Whoosh! - on second floor of KU Alumni Association, 1266 Oread Ave.

¢ Peacock on Parade - in the lobby of Mar Lan Construction, 1008 N.H.

¢ Gogh Hawks Gogh - most recently at KLWN, 3125 W. Sixth St., but is no longer in public after being vandalized.

¢ Abstr-hawk-tion - at Community Living Opportunities, 2113 Del.

¢ John Brown Hawk - inside the News Center, 645 N.H.

¢ Uncle Sam Hawk - at Lawrence Service Center on I-70.

¢ Hot Hawk - in the 800 block of Vermont Street.

¢ Doc Hawk - inside the northeastern entrance of the Lawrence Medical Plaza, 1112 W. Sixth St.

¢ Peace, Love and Daisy Hill Forever - in possession of Douglas County Bank, currently being repaired.

¢ The Kansan - most recently at Legends Place Apartments, on 24th Street, but reportedly destroyed by vandals.

¢ Chip Off the Old Hawk - believed to be in private ownership in Lawrence.

¢ A Hawk With a View - outside Cottonwood Inc., 2801 W. 31st St.

¢ Shamrock Hawk - Lawrence Automotive Diagnostics, 2858 Four Wheel Drive.

¢ Patchwork Hawk - between rugby fields at Westwick Rugby Complex, County Road 458, Lawrence.

¢ Heroic Hawk - in front of leasing office at Ironwood Court, 1501 George Williams Way.

¢ Rock Chalk Jayhawk Kubism - inside building at 10901 Granada Lane, Overland Park.

¢ Jayhawk as a Cow on Parade - last known to be in private ownership.

¢ Primary Hawk - last known to be in private ownership in Lawrence.

¢ We Are All Stars - at Lawrence Visitor Information Center, 402 N. Second St.

¢ Hawk of the Arts - last known to be in private ownership.

¢ Holy Hawk - last known to have gone to a business somewhere in Kansas.

¢ Puttin' on the Glitz - may have gone to California.

¢ Marvelous Mosaic - last known to be with private owner in Colorado.

Discussion

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22 April 2008
at 6:17 a.m.

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Multidisciplinary (Anonymous) says…

I didn't know LJW had taken John Brown Hawk off of the roof. It really belonged up there in the night lighting. I guess they were worried about damage up there?A replica made of sturdier materials would be great. To me, that was our best symbol of Lawrence.
22 April 2008
at 7:20 a.m.

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chic (Anonymous) says…

But, surely, somewhere there are at least photos? Someone ought to put up a web page with them.
22 April 2008
at 8:09 a.m.

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RonBurgandy (Anonymous) says…

I have a poster that has them all on it. It would have been really neat if they kept those up permanently. Or at least have a replica that can handle the elements up. It was a great way to showcase Jayhawks around the community. Too bad there are too many d-bags out there that think it's funny to vandelize.
22 April 2008
at 8:20 a.m.

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thebcman (Anonymous) says…

http://frielfoto.com/jayhawks/All%203…
22 April 2008
at 8:27 a.m.

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Poon (Anonymous) says…

Today's news Senior searches for elusive birds…eh? I clicked on the link thinking that it might be about Ivory Billed Woodpeckers…
22 April 2008
at 8:48 a.m.

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murphy59 (Anonymous) says…

http://www.framewoodslawrence.com/zoo…
22 April 2008
at 9:05 a.m.

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thebcman (Anonymous) says…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ecogarde…

22 April 2008
at 12:32 p.m.

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Multidisciplinary (Anonymous) says…

Thanks for the great photo links!
22 April 2008
at 1:46 p.m.

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mom_of_three (Anonymous) says…

The john brown hawk as a symbol of Lawrence??why do you think that? -
22 April 2008
at 6:41 p.m.

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Piggles (Anonymous) says…

In 2003, when the Jayhawks on Parade were displayed, my mom and I went all over town to find every one of them and got pictures of them all. It was a lot of fun Jayhawk “hunting” to find them. I “made” me a book and my mom “made” a cd of them. My favorite was the Kansan, which according to this article is no longer around. I also love the Peace, Love and Daisy Hill forever. We actually got pictures of it with the sunglasses, before someone had stoled the glasses.
22 April 2008
at 6:58 p.m.

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Multidisciplinary (Anonymous) says…

mom_of_three (Anonymous) says: The john brown hawk as a symbol of Lawrence??why do you think that? –––––I guess one has to have had the lifetime of teachers that I had here in good ol' Lawrence.You must realize, I'm from the years before Gonwonda was even talked of in class (Although I distinctly remember working with a wooden puzzle map as saying to the teacher and class, “Hey, these all fit together!” in about 1st grade.)While I took many history classes, we were told about Carrie Nation, but I never heard of Langston Hughes.And now we have a school named after him?Maybe there were a lot of holes in what we were taught, but it all left a lasting impression.That's my story, and you know the rest.
22 April 2008
at 10:01 p.m.

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mom_of_three (Anonymous) says…

But why do you think John Brown should be an image of Lawrence? He didn't live in Lawrence, wasn't a citizen of Kansas so he didn't vote, didn't own property, and was in the territory for less than two years. If you didn't think like he did, then you didn't matter. His group murdered 5 men on Pottawatomie Creek and he never publically admitted to his participation. (and David Reynold's biography of John Brown is not a good source for information, btw). But he did believe in equal rights for all people years and years before it was law, and pretty much did anything to rid the country of slavery. But he probably should be a symbol of Ohio and New York before he would be a symbol of Kansas. He did most of the same things in those states,except for the murdering part.
22 April 2008
at 10:16 p.m.

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mom_of_three (Anonymous) says…

I am not attacking you, multi. Sorry, it's a John Brown thing with me. After the Pottawatomie massacre (that everyone knew he did it, even if he didn't admit it) and after Harper's Ferry, a lot of people in Kansas and in Lawrence didn't want to be associated with him. They liked he was trying to do, but not the methods he was using.
22 April 2008
at 10:55 p.m.

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Multidisciplinary (Anonymous) says…

Oh, I don't take it personally at all. I know I don't know everything in the world, and sorry to say, have learned that a great deal of what I was taught was incorrect.Being taught The Battle of Bunker Hill, only to learn 30 yrs later it was really Breed's Hill.James “Mon-ROE'” is really pronounced “MON-roe”.It's just like, G. Washington and A Lincoln's pictures on the wall. They don 't tell us the whole story.I'm sometimes surprised to learn new truths, but am not offended by those carrying the message.=D
22 April 2008
at 11:34 p.m.

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vpete69 (Anonymous) says…

Tracking down Jayhawk statues? Personally, I think time is better spent watching paint dry.