Job mixup causes ministers' firing
By S. Allen Winchester Kansan Staff Reporter
Two campus ministers have been fired.
The ministers, the Rev. John Simmons, of the Disciples of Christ, and the Rev. Maynard Strothmann, a Presbyterian, are associates at the Westminster United Christian Campus Fellowship (UCCF) Center, 1204 Oread.
The two were fired last June, but the dismissal was not made public until recently.
They were fired mainly because of conflicts between them resulting from undefined job responsibilities, according to the Rev. Walter Brant, chairman of the Kansas Commission for United Campus Ministry (KCUM).
"For the effectiveness of the UCCF ministry, it seemed advisable to make a fresh start," said Edward Daub, assistant history professor and chairman of the
Local UCCF Committee.
The Local Committee, which initiated the firing, is composed of student representatives, faculty members, several local community representatives and nonvoting ministers of the local Presbyterian and Disciples of Christ churches.
The Committee apparently fired both men to eliminate the necessity of choosing between them.
Commenting on his dismissal, Rev. Simmons said, "The Kansas Commission and Local Committee are unwilling to deal with the problems manifested in team campus ministry at KU."
Rev. Strothmann declined to comment.
Simmons said the Local Committee, by failing to take a definite stand on internal conflicts, gave the ministers no way to solve the dilemma.
probably have trouble getting a new campus minister" because of past stands taken by the Committee, he said.
The Local Committee "will
The current problem began in March, 1967, when the United Christian Church wanted to join the UCCF movement. The church investigated the situation and in a letter to KCUM decided it would not join due to the conflicts between Rev. Simmons and Rev. Strothmann.
At the June 3 Local Committee meeting, KCUM asked to send people to investigate the situation. The Committee wrote a letter to KCUM stating that the investigation was no longer needed because the ministers' responsibilities had since been defined.
Rev. Strothmann's duties were to include administration of the Westminster building, faculty ecumenical teaching in local churches and teaching at the Kansas School of Religion.
Rev. Simmons' duties were to include ecumenical undergraduate work and Sunday morning and evening worship programs. He later agreed to work only a third of the time at the UCCF Center and the rest with the KU Human Relations department.
Rev. Simmons said this was the only time since he came to Westminster in November, 1964, that his duties had been defined.
Later in June, 1967, the Local Committee received another letter from KCUM—which is in charge of finances for five statewide UCCF organizations including KU's—saying that the June 3 proposal was not satisfactory.
The Local Committee later met again, although no student representatives were present. Action on the second letter was taken after requesting that Simmons and Strothmann leave the meeting. According to an observer, in about 20 minutes time the Committee decided to fire the ministers. The two found out about the firing indirectly in another meeting when the Committee was discussing replacement ministers.
In a letter to Rev. Simmons and Rev. Strothmann, dated June 30, 1967, Daub said, "the decision was made without wishing to imply you were solely responsible for the tensions and conflicts. . . We realize the Committee needs a fresh start as well. . . We hope for a more adequate structure, better designed to support a progressive campus ministry."
Since this letter, a new constitution has been proposed that gives a "theologian-director" the responsibility for administration of campus ministry.
Because Rev. Simmons' and Rev. Strothman's jobs will be terminated July 31, 1968, other campus ministers have found it difficult to work on plans for joint projects in the next academic year.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
78th Year, No.64
WEATHER
A student newspaper serving KU LAWRENCE,KANSAS
COLDER
See details below
Friday, January 5. 1968
Photo by Randy Leffingwell
MAGNIFICENT MEN AND THEIR FARMING MACHINES
These KU students are two of 13 who have been working most of the semester in industrial design III class designing farm equipment.
KU farm machine designs judged
By Linda Fabry Kansan Staff Reporter
Models of farm equipment designed and built by 13 KU industrial design students were critiqued by implement dealers Thursday and Friday in the Muehlbach Hotel, Kansas City, Mo.
The students participated in a
--student design program sponsored by the Armco Steel Co.
WEATHER
The U.S. Weather Bureau predicts sharply colder temperatures and scattered light snow tonight and early Saturday morning. The low tonight should be near zero, the high Saturday 10 to 15 above. Probability of precipitation is 10 per cent tonight and Saturday.
The theme of the program was "Soil-Based Crop and Livestock Production." With this guideline, the students designed and built models of an automatic fencing machine, a large tractor, an all-purpose farm implement system and power unit, a layered breeder house for chickens and a large-scale farm complex.
Dykes said the students began with four problem areas suggested by the program's theme and then divided into teams, each with a problem to solve.
Downer Dykes, chairman of KU's department of industrial design, said the students have been working on their projects all semester. He said the projects were done in connection with an industrial design III class.
The models were presented to representatives from Allis-Chalmers, Deere and Company, Ford Tractor Division, and International Harvester.
KU's design department was one of four invited by Armco to attend the annual program. Other schools were the University of Illinois, Philadelphia, College of
Art, and Auburn University in Alabama.
Armco has conducted two similar programs the last two years. Invited colleges participate two consecutive years.
KU students involved in the program were Felix Barnes, Westfield, Mass., senior; Bill Dale, Shawnee Mission senior; James Darnell, Prairie Village junior; Lee R. Garrison, Ottawa junior; Don Hubbard, Phoenix, Ariz.; senior; Joe Hustein, Kansas City, Mo., junior; Bill McElfresh, Osage City senior; Larry Meeker, Garden City senior; Mike Meister, Independence, Mo., senior; Kim Randel, Kansas City senior; Bill Reavis, Mission senior; Steve Smith, Arkansas City senior; and Gary Thompson, Salina graduate student.
KU team gears for wits battle
Four veterans of campus and Big Eight college bowl champion teams are thinking ahead to Jan. 28 when they will represent KU in the nationally televised G.E. College Bowl quiz program.
The group anticipates a glamorous expense-paid weekend in New York City highlighted by its competition with the reigning College Bowl champion in NBC's New York studio Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Lawrence time.
The team will compete in the popular contest of rapid recall answers to questions covering a variety of topics.
Team members are Charles Eberline, Bartlesville, Okla., junior; Janet Fink, Kansas City, Mo., junior; Fred Krebs, Shawnee Mission senior; and Douglas Mackey, Hutchinson junior. Their appearance will be KU's second in the College Bowl since a first round win in 1960.
The team hopes to return home with at least $3,000 in winships for KU's general scholarship fund and could win as much as $10,- 000.
The four will remain in competition until outscored by another college's team during one round of play.
The four—and four alternates—were selected by the College Intermediary Board from 50 applicants on the basis of quick recall of information and adeptness with
such subjects as current events, science and humanities. These areas have been stressed in past television shows.
The team has practiced several hours a week since Thanksgiving, using questions previously asked on earlier College Bowl programs. Their practice opponents have been alternates William Wagner, El Paso, Tex., junior; Janet MacDougall, Prairie Village junior; Neil Horan, Kansas City senior; and Bob Griffey, Leawood senior.
Steve Davis, Lyons junior, has had the job of preparing the team. Although the program is scheduled immediately after KU's final exam period, Davis does not believe the exams will hurt their College Bowl performance be-
See KU team, page 8
WHAT'S INSIDE
A KU student wants to be a race driver—and has a good start. See page 3.
A recent survey describes the average KU freshman. See page 4.
The School of Fine Arts plans six recitals before the end of the semester. See page 5.
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Enrollment won't change, Hitt says
Pre-enrollment will cause no major changes in regular enrollment procedures for the spring semester, according to James K. Hitt, registrar.
"There will just be a smaller number of students in the Union," he said.
Hitt also said he anticipates no increase in the number of students enrolling next semester. In fact, enrollment may drop as much as 800 students, he said.
Fees also will remain the same for the spring semester, the registrar said.
Seniors graduating in June or August, freshmen in the College-within-the-College, sophomores in Centennial College, and student teachers in the School of Education were allowed to pre-emroll until Dec. 15.
All students in these classifications except second-semester seniors had to follow the pre-enrollment schedule. Seniors were allowed to either pre-enroll or enroll during the regular enrollment period, which will be Jan. 31 through Feb. 3.