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2 men critically injured in shooting
Sky dries for commencement: ‘Just divine intervention here’
Break in weather allows graduates to shine
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By Matt Erickson merickson@ljworld.com
The rain ended and the clouds parted just in time for Kansas University’s commencement exercises to begin Sunday morning, and it seemed meant to be, Joel Coon said. “Just divine intervention here,� Coon said, looking up at the sky past the brim of his cap. Set to graduate from KU Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photos with highest distinction, he’d been chosen to hold a banner CHI OMEGA SORORITY MEMBERS JUMP in front of the Chi Omega fountain for family photos on Sunday, to represent all of the gradu- the day of Kansas University’s 141st commencement ceremony. ates of KU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and he stood Sunday morning atop Mount Oread waiting for the rest of the graduates to assemble behind him for their walk down the hill to Memorial Stadium. In between polite requests from parents for him to step out of the frame as they snapped pictures of their graduates next to the banner, Coon reflected on his time at KU. It was “fast but fun,� except for chemistry class, but he was ready to move on. Coon, from Topeka, plans to move to New York City this summer with an eye on eventually attending graduate school, after earning his degree in art history and anthropology. He and several thousand new KU graduates took a few hours to mark their advancement at the university’s 141st THE RAIN CLEARED OUT for the graduation ceremony, but commencement Sunday morn- many students had to hold on to their caps because of ing, walking the traditional strong wind. AT RIGHT, KU graduates enter Memorial Stadium to participate in commencement ceremonies. Please see KU, page 6A
Club fight reported at same time victims, of Topeka, shot nearby By Giles Bruce and Adam Strunk gbruce@ljworld.com, astrunk@ljworld.com
Local police are seeking several persons of interest in connection with an early Sunday morning shooting in Lawrence that left two men in critical condition. Lawrence Police officers were called to Club Magic, 804 W. 24th St., around 3:41 a.m. Sunday after multiple reports of a subject brandishing a gun inside the bar during a dispute. As officers arrived at the club, they heard Please see SHOOTING, page 2A
Theatre Lawrence staging its big move By Giles Bruce gbruce@ljworld.com
Summer job market improving but not great By Giles Bruce gbruce@ljworld.com
Kansas University senior Brett Phillippe had no trouble landing a job for the summer. Even if he didn’t, he already had one. “I saw there were a lot of openings,� said the 23-year-old, who just starting working as a student assistant at the KU Center for Online and Distance Learning, to go with a barista gig at Signs of Life, 722 Massachusetts St. He credited the friendly job market to the improved economy.
While Phillippe may be luckier that he thinks, local high school and college students’ chances of finding work has definitely improved since the immediate aftermath of the Great Recession. In Lawrence, businesses seem to be picking up their hiring compared with recent years, though experts say the employment environment is a long ways from what it was in boom times. “The economy has changed quite a bit from the last two years, when we suffered greatly,� said Paul Ritzman, owner
company is bringing a few students on board for the summer to help with tasks like car detailing and landscaping. The job market for graduating college seniors, meanwhile, looks to be relatively flat. Employers expect to hire just 2.1 percent more workers than last school year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. However, more than half the respondents to NACE’s Job Outlook 2013 Please see JOB, page 2A
Please see THEATRE, page 2A
INSIDE
Stormy Business Classified Comics Deaths
High: 82
of Ritzman’s Lawn Care, 693 N. 1457 Road, which hires a handful of college students every spring to help with the extra workload. “I’ve noticed an increase of the more abnormal-than-regular jobs, so people are spending a little more. You can definitely tell the difference this spring compared to the last three springs.� Sales are up at Crown Automotive, at 3430 Iowa St., which will probably lead to increased hiring. “We are a business that is growing,� said Detailing Manager Connie Deebe. For now, the
The sweaty volunteers streamed by, one wearing a green cat head, another carrying a cymbal, another an old painting. It was moving day for Theatre Lawrence, one of many over the past three weekends as the local institution relocates more than three decades worth of props, costumes and equipment to its new home in West Lawrence. And it’s all being done with the help of volunteers, some of whom have no affiliation with the former
Low: 62
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Storms rake Midwest 9B 1B-5B, 10B 10A, 2B, 9B
Vol.155/No.140 32 pages
Tornadoes touched down in several states Sunday in a storm system running from Texas to Minnesota. Heavy rains and high winds caused just minor damage in Douglas County. Page 2A
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