CROSSING OVER
STUDENT SENATE
Leaders guage senate progress in 2007
When Student Body President Hannah Love and Vice-president Ray Wittlinger campaigned on last spring, their platforms included changing policies on student grades, parking and campus safety.
Now, halfway through their time in office, the Kansan summarizes what they've done on these and other issues that have come up throughout the semester.
FULL STORY PAGE 3A
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEAN TAYLOR MOURNED
Three suspected teens being held for the murder of Redskins safety
FULL AP STORY PAGE 5A
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© 2007 The University Daily Kansan
The Crossing has evolved from a cafeteria for soldiers, to a hippie hangout, to a student-favorite bar. The historic building will close Dec. 20, and the person buying the property plan to build a hotel in its location.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Near-campus bar has rich history
Locale has served soldiers, hippies, students
BY MARK DENT mdent@kansan.com
A beer-pong table sat in the corner, unused Tuesday night at the Crossing. The dart board was left alone, too. Out back, two KU students and two of their friends sat on a leather couch drinking beers and smoking cigarettes. The only sign of life inside came from the two bartenders watching the Kansas State, Notre Dame basketball game on TV.
Soon, the bar will be emptier than it was early Tuesday night. The Crossing is scheduled to close forever Dec. 20, although management said there was a possibility it could remain open in the spring, and would likely be demolished soon after.
The look and name have changed throughout the years, but the building now known as the Crossing has been a part of Lawrence since the 1920s. From a cafeteria for soldiers in the 1930s and 40s to a hangout for hippies in the '60s and '70s to a lad-back, pre-game drinking establishment today, the Crossing is a major part of the University's history.
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A PLACE FOR THE SOLDIERS
"You had fraternity guys with the left-wingers, and everybody got along just fine."
The Rock Chalk Café was open most
The earliest map on which a building is listed at the property of the Crossing comes from 1927. The name and use of the structure was unknown, but Zach Ingalls, a Lansing sophomore, works at the Watkins Museum at 1047 Massachusetts St., and has researched the history of the building, said it was used for commercial purposes.
By the 1930s, its use and name were clear. The building was called the Rock Chalk Cafe, and its primary business was serving food.
"It was kind of like a cafeteria for students." Ingalls said.
of the day and served delicacies such as the tomato and mayonnaise sandwich, 35-cent T-bone dinners, waffles and even 25-cent banana splits.
The Rock Chalk Café also catered to soldiers who lived in nearby military barracks shortly before and after World War II. Menus were specially designed to feed them. One menu from 1937 includes the caption "Troops Still on Garrison Ration" at the top. Then, it fists a pork and beans dinner made for 100 men.
As the years went by, Rock Chalk Café transformed from a place for the soldiers to a place for those who would burn draft cards so they would never become soldiers.
JOHN GEER 1970 Kansas graduate
HIPPIE HAPPENINGS
The year of 1970 brought more turmoil to the KU campus than any year had before or has since. Protests calling for black rights and the end of war in Vietnam led to shooting deaths, the burning of the Kansas Union and fire bombings. Chancellor Laurence Chalmers gave students the option of finishing the spring
semester early to join a political activity.
Gabriel Casner,
a Kansas City, Kan',
graduate student,
said the crowds who
incited those protests
often hung out at The
Rock Chalk Café and
the original Gaslight
Tavern, which was
located where the
Kansas Union parking garage stands today. Two of the biggest "hippie groups" were the Kaw Valley Hemp Pickers and the Lawrence Liberation Front. They ate, drank and smoked marijuana at the Rock Chalk Café.
According to the book "This is America? The Sixties in Lawrence, Kansas," a large protest took place outside of the Rock Chalk Café in July of 1970 after Tiger Dowdell, a member of the Black Student Union, was shot and killed by police. Another KU student, Nick Rice, was shot and killed during the protest.
"That's a period of time the University doesn't look too kindly on," Casner said. "It's kind of a black eye."
The Rock Chalk Café wasn't just a hangout for hippies in the 60s and 70s. Other students went there to enjoy $1 pitchers, 25-cent draughts and free popcorn.
John Geer, a 1970 Kansas graduate, lived next door to The Crossing at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house (Hawk's Pointe III is there now). After study hours every night, Geer said his fraternity
SEE HISTORY ON PAGE 4A
STUDENT SENATE
Hate crime pushes vote
Student Senate will vote tonight on whether to pass legislation in which it will formally take a stand against hate crimes.
The legislation is in response to a recent incident at Alpha Epsilon Pi, a fraternity comprised of Jewish men.
On the morning of Nov. 10, several fraternity members left the house to find that the fraternity letters in their front lawn had been vandalized overnight with anti-Semitic terms.
Jason Oruch, a member of Alpha Epsilon Pi and a student senator, wrote the legislation. He said he hoped it would bring awareness to the incident and other hate crimes on campus.
FULL STORY PAGE 4A
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Vandals painted over the letters in the front lawn of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house. In response, Student Senate announced it would vote on taking a stand against campus hate crimes at this onsite's meeting.
CAMPUS LIFE
Final toast to local bar The Crossing
The Crossing plans to close its doors on Dec. 20, maybe for good.
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Soldiers, hippies and stressed-out students have frequented The Crossing for more than 80 years.
Kansan reporters take a look at the history of The Crossing and the stories of the people who have gone there.
FULL STORY PAGE 4A
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