Headlines
Study: Facing heat illness and dehydration risks, marching bands need access to athletic trainers
LAWRENCE — A study led by the University of Kansas has measured core temperatures, hydration and sweat levels of marching band members and found that they are very much at risk and deserve access to athletic trainers for their safety — just as players do.
KU Debate finishes 2nd at Northwestern Tournament
LAWRENCE — The KU Debate team of senior Nate Martin, of Lansing, and freshman Graham Revare, of Shawnee, advanced to the championship debate, losing a 2-1 split decision to the University of Michigan.
Spring 2021 Architecture Lecture Series programming announced
LAWRENCE — The Architecture Lecture Series welcomes architecture and experiential design leaders from across the country to the School of Architecture & Design. Lecturers bring a wide range of expertise in such areas as sustainable building, digital environments, public interest design, historic preservation, health and wellness design and more.
Full stories below.
Contact: Mike Krings, 785-864-8860, [email protected]
Study: Facing heat illness and dehydration risks, marching bands need access to athletic trainers
LAWRENCE — Nearly every fall, as football teams return to the field, tragic stories of players falling ill and even dying of heat trauma make the headlines. What many don’t consider is that marching band members — who don heavy uniforms and perform in the same sweltering temperatures — may also be at risk.
A study led by the University of Kansas has measured core temperatures, hydration and sweat levels of marching band members and found that they are very much at risk and deserve access to athletic trainers for their safety — just as players do.
The study used high tech methods to gauge band members’ body core temperatures during practices and performances. The results show that, while the performers often do their best to stay hydrated, the risks are such that policies should be enacted to respond when they suffer heat illnesses. The results also show that bands and institutions should start conversations on how to provide access to trainers and prevent heat illness from becoming tragic.
“Just how hot they got while playing was a bit surprising,” said Dawn Emerson, assistant professor in physical therapy and rehabilitation science at the KU Medical Center and the study’s lead author. “We’re used to working with football, track, soccer and the traditional fall sports for heat illnesses. Anecdotally, we were aware that band members could overheat, but there were really no studies to confirm that, which was what we wanted to do.”
The study confirming those risks was published in the Journal of Athletic Training. It was authored by Emerson, Toni Torres-McGehee, Susan Yeargin, Nancy Uriegas, Allison Smith, Samantha Weber, Rebecca Hirschhorn and Cormac Cannon of the University of South Carolina; and Melani Kelly of KU.
The study looked at 10 members of bands at KU and South Carolina. About six hours before performance, the researchers had the band members swallow a pill that was capable of transmitting data on body core temperature to a receiver unit. The researchers also recorded activity time and intensity, the type of ground surface they performed on, as well as hydration characteristics like fluid volume, sweat rate, urine specific gravity and percent body mass loss. The researchers also looked at the band members’ medical history, including medications taken and previous exertional heat illness. Researchers took measurements before, during and after practices and several performances.
While members of both bands experienced often dangerously high core temperatures, there were several notable differences. South Carolina generally has a hotter climate, but the highest recorded temperatures were recorded in Kansas. That is likely due to the fact that KU’s band practices on a black top surface and performs half-time shows on an artificial turf field. Both radiate more heat than South Carolina’s natural grass surfaces, Emerson said.
The bands in the study, like many, require heavy uniforms including jackets, hats and gloves during performances and may not have a summer or hot weather alternative. That can raise core temperatures and be exacerbated by physical exertion including covering large areas during drills, carrying heavy equipment and expending a large amount of air while playing instruments.
“The biggest high core temperature factor we found was environment, like playing on hot surfaces and in heavy uniforms,” Emerson said.
The sheer length of days was also a contributing factor to risk of heat illness. To prepare for an 11 a.m. kickoff, band members often rehearsed from 6 to 9 a.m., performed in pregame activities, then played during the game, including halftime performances — all of which could add up to days approaching nine hours with very few breaks.
The study also found that while water was provided during games, band members had to provide their own water during practices. However, there often was not sufficient periods for rest or water breaks. Still, most study participants demonstrated they were aware of the importance of maintaining good fluid levels and drank well during practices and performances, though often came to performances overhydrated.
“They did a pretty good job of hydrating, even though they weren’t always matching their sweat rates,” Emerson said.
In addition to excess heat, the study found band members were prone to other risk factors. Many reported not sleeping well and/or drinking alcohol the night before performances — both of which could lead to higher chances of dehydration. Others took medications that can alter thermoregulation.
Emerson, a former high school and college clarinet and bassoon player, said she saw her fellow bandmates suffer heat exhaustion and wanted to provide a research base to address the risks.
With data confirming the risk of heat illness that band members face, the researchers say they hope to encourage bands across the country to consider forming policies on how to address the issue.
While there is no governing body similar to the NCAA, Emerson said her group has shared their findings with band directors at the respective institutions and musicians’ organizations that can advocate for access to athletic trainers.
Band directors may be aware that heat illness is a possibility, but not have the training or education to know how to properly schedule hydration breaks or implement policies on how to respond if a member experiences an emergency. Bands also very rarely have entrance exams or physicals that are common from youth sports on to determine if someone is healthy enough to compete or at risk of heat illness or injury.
“That’s not always the band director’s job. They know they need breaks, but are not necessarily familiar with the sport recommendations for hydration or other things they could potentially change to reduce risk,” Emerson said. “That’s what we do as athletic trainers and how we can help, by looking for those people who have risk factors and help address that and inform policies that could help.”
The research team is continuing with studies that surveyed band members from across the country on heat illnesses experienced, medical history, eating disorder risk and other injury risks they have experienced. Preliminary results have shown that risks go far beyond musculoskeletal injuries and the need for access to care is real.
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Contact: Scott Harris, 785-864-9878, [email protected]
KU Debate finishes 2nd at Northwestern Tournament
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas debate team finished the regular season around midnight Feb. 8 with strong performances at the Owen L. Coon Memorial Debate Tournament hosted by Northwestern University.
The KU Debate team of senior Nate Martin, of Lansing, and freshman Graham Revare, of Shawnee, advanced to the championship debate, losing a 2-1 split decision to the University of Michigan.
Martin and Revare won 10 debates over four days. In the elimination rounds, they defeated Michigan State University, Georgetown University, the University of Pittsburgh and Northwestern University to advance to the final round.
Martin said the final round against Michigan was “one of the most enjoyable debates of my career.”
While Martin and Revare as a pair made a deep run at the last major tournament of the regular season, KU Debate also flashed its depth at the tournament. Five KU teams entered the tournament, and all five teams advanced to the single elimination rounds. All five KU teams won the first elimination round to advance to the round of 32. KU was the only school to have five teams in the top 32.
The teams of junior Azja Butler, of Lansing, and senior Ross Fitzpatrick, of Leawood, sophomore Jet Semrick, of Prairie Village, and junior Ryan Snow, of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, and freshmen Zaki Mansoor, of Overland Park, and Will Soper, of Overland Park, all lost close 2-1 split decisions in the round of 32.
The team of sophomores Mickey McMahon, Leawood, and Michael Scott, of Glenview, Illinois, defeated the University of Texas to advance to the final 16 before losing a 2-1 split decision to Harvard University in the octafinals. Every KU loss in the elimination rounds was a split decision.
Four KU students won individual speaker awards at the tournament with Revare finishing eighth, Martin ninth, Butler 14th and Fitzpatrick 24th.
“We are incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication of the KU debaters and coaches that has enabled the squad to carry on the legacy of KU Debate amid the difficulties of virtual debating during a pandemic,” said Scott Harris, the David B. Pittaway Director of Debate at KU.
Since the calendar turned to 2021, KU Debate has competed in five tournaments with two first-place finishes, three second-place finishes, and had three additional teams place in the top 10 of major tournaments.
“The past six weeks have been an incredibly exhausting and rewarding finish to the regular season,” said Brett Bricker, co-director and head coach of the program. “We are thrilled with the effort and performance of the students and assistant coaches and are looking forward to the post season tournaments.”
KU expects to compete in several post-season tournaments and hopes to extend its 53-year streak of consecutive years qualifying teams for the National Debate Tournament (NDT) and plans to compete at the Cross Examination Debate Association National Tournament and the American Debate Association National Tournament. Last year KU qualified three teams for the NDT, but the postseason was disrupted by COVID-19 as both the NDT and the CEDA National Championship tournaments were canceled.
The last time the NDT Championship tournament was contested, in 2019, the KU pair of Jacob Hegna and Nate Martin reached the Final Four, and Hegna won the top speaker award.
KU has won the National Debate Tournament six times with titles in 2018, 2009, 1983, 1976, 1970 and 1954.
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Contact: Dan Rolf, 785-864-3027, [email protected]
Spring 2021 Architecture Lecture Series programming announced
LAWRENCE — The School of Architecture & Design at the University of Kansas has announced the Spring 2021 Architecture Lecture Series lineup.
The Architecture Lecture Series welcomes architecture and experiential design leaders from across the country to the School of Architecture & Design. Lecturers bring a wide range of expertise in such areas as sustainable building, digital environments, public interest design, historic preservation, health and wellness design and more.
All lectures are free and begin at 12 p.m. on Zoom. See event site for Zoom details.
Feb. 19
Tyler Cukar, AICP, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP ND, is an associate at FXCollaborative, where he practices at the intersection of urban design, planning and architecture. He approaches each project with an eye toward community and interconnectivity by questioning “who” in addition to “what.” He has worked on some of New York City’s largest planning projects, including regional growth strategies, district revitalization, scenario planning and transit networks and stations. By understanding the social, economic and physical, he shapes the organizational and programmatic concepts that define cities.
March 5
Chad Kraus is an associate professor of architecture at KU and a licensed architect. He teaches architectural theory, architectural design studio and the award-winning design-build Dirt Works Studio. His scholarship concentrates on design-build pedagogy and material research. He is the editor of the book “Designbuild Education” (Routledge 2017) and an editor of the journal Technology | Architecture + Design (TAD). Prior to teaching, Kraus worked for Pritzker-prize laureate Shigeru Ban and studied architectural history and theory under Alberto Perez-Gomez at McGill University.
March 19
Christopher Marcinkoski and Andrew Moddrell are founding partners of PORT. Marcinkoski has led many of PORT’s large-scale urban design and planning projects, including — most recently — the master plan and design of Aspire Park, the Frankford Avenue Connector, Oval+ and work on the Fourth Regional Plan for the Regional Plan Association of New York. In addition to his work at PORT, he is also an associate professor of landscape architecture and urban design at the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design in Philadelphia.
Moddrell is currently leading a diverse range of public realm, urban design and master planning projects. In addition to his work at PORT, he teaches seminars and design studios related to contemporary issues of urbanism as a visiting assistant professor at the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. He holds a bachelor’s in architecture with distinction from KU, where he was awarded the Thayer Medal for Architectural Design, and an master’s of architecture from Yale University, where he was awarded the H.I. Feldman Prize for Design Excellence.
April 16
Mae-ling Lokko is an architectural scientist and building technology researcher from Ghana and the Philippines whose work centers on the upcycling of agrowaste and biopolymer materials into high performance clean building material systems for humidity control, indoor air quality remediation and water quality control applications. Lokko holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in architectural science from the Center from Architecture, Science and Ecology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and bachelor’s from Tufts University. Lokko teaches seminars on energy and ecology in relation to the built environment, upcycling and ecoeffective material life cycle design, both at the SoA and at the Center for Architecture, Science and Ecology in Industry City, Brooklyn.
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