Your daily dose of news, notes and links from around Kansas University.

• Before we completely shift into the summer mode of relative desolation on campus, I first have to give thanks to a magnificent tipster who alerted me to this rather amusing video that displays how the men of Pearson Scholarship Hall apparently relieve some end-of-the-semester stress. Apparently, it’s something called The Second Annual Indiana Jones Run.

What struck me here is how unfazed most of the people in the video seem to be by all this commotion. Maybe this stuff goes on at KU all the time, and no one ever tells me about it.

• KU is trying to recruit some more faculty, staff and students to serve in its Advocacy Corps program, which pairs KU volunteers with a nonprofit organization looking for help from KU.

This is one of many new programs that’s falling under the Center for Service Learning, which seems to be picking up some momentum lately. It’s likely that service learning projects and courses will play some role in the new general education curriculum being considered at KU as we speak.

As this directory shows, several of the agencies interested in advocates have KU folks serving in the roles, but several more are still looking for someone. Here’s some additional information about the program.

• Some KU research was featured in this Reuters article about America’s ongoing battle with obesity.

Specifically, the article deals with how Americans stigmatize obesity and how that’s not really helping the fight.

KU psychology professor Chris Crandall has some of his research quoted in the article.

The article said that Crandall’s research shows that young adults who stigmatize obesity are usually more conservative, more likely to favor traditional sex roles and capital punishment.

“Particularly in America, self-determination and individual choice is a fundamental value,” Crandall told Reuters. “We blame people for everything that happens to them — being poor, being obese. It’s the ‘just world’ idea that people get what they deserve.”

• Just because all the students are gone doesn’t mean we can’t have Heard on the Hill, which will keep plugging away all summer long. So I’ll need you to keep sending me those awesome tips at ahyland@ljworld.com.