Wednesday, March 22, 1978
13
University Daily Kansan
Gripes director sought
By MELISSA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
Mike Harper is looking for someone who likes to listen to complaints.
He even may be willing to pay him
Harper, student body president, said Monday he would start interviews today with six applicants for the Student Senate's board. "A decision will be made Friday or Monday."
The position, created three years ago by the Senate, handles students' complaints about anything from thermostat settings in classrooms to lack of sleeping space in the Kansas Union.
Rob Green, Hays senior, has held the position during the past Senate term and will be acting director until a new director is chosen. He also is chairman of the Concerned Students for Higher Education, a Senate lobbying committee.
The Complaints Service Director currently is a non-funded, yearly-appointed position. Harper said he would like to pay the employee and to expand his responsibilities.
He said he had reserved $1200 in his Senate budget request to fund the job but admitted that the salary might not be appropriated by this year's Senate.
HOWEVER, THE responsibilities of the Complaints Service Director's job will change. Harper said the main problem had been that his staff lacked of publicity about their existence. If the director's post were publicized, he said, complaints could be handled more efficient.
Most complaints, he said, are referred to whoever is in the Senate office when a commissioner makes a report.
"It's fairly apparent that we have many
people acting in as Complaints Service Director." Harper said.
He said he also would like the next director to be interested in personnel matters.
"We're looking for a kind of troubleshooter," he said.
Adequate publicity of the position also will increase the director's effectiveness, Harper said, although the job has been handled well.
“Perhaps previous administrations felt they should handle the complaints,” Harper said. “I don't think that's my total responsibility.”
GREEN AGREED that the job would benefit from more publicity.
"It it isn't that well known, but if somebody wanted to push for it, it would really be a natural thing for the Student Senate to do." Green said.
In spite of the lack of publicity, Green said, he has handled an average of one complaint a week since he became director last spring.
"There was no typical complaint," Green said.
The cost of books, late buses, grades and thermostat settings are popular topics for complaints, he said, and surprisingly, many of the complaints have been legitimate. ...
He said he did not know what kind of things irritated students to the point at which they would complain, but he said he did not argue that some complaints were unjustified.
"I F I H A D a preconceived notion, it was that I don't always believe students, just as I don't always believe administrators," Green said.
He received his most unusual complaint about a month ago when a student suggested
that the Union establish a supervised room so students could sleep between classes.
Both Green and Harper said they thought that the suggestion was made with good intent but that such a room would probably not be arranged.
Green said the effectiveness of the Complaints Service Director might be limited somewhat by the fact that the post had no official power.
"All you can do is try to persuade people," he said.
In spite of this lack of power, he said, he has never been resisted or rebuffed in a case in which a student's complaint was leitimate.
GREEN SUGGESTED that the title itself, "Complaints Service Director" might make complaints seem more official but might also allow a broader approach officials about legitimate grips.
The job's connection with the Senate gives a little added weight, he said.
There are several other offices on campus that handle complaints. The University Ombudsman, William Balfour, professor of physiology and cell biology, handles general complaints as does the dean of women.
The offices of affirmative action and minority affairs handle complaints in those
Despite the number of complaint agencies, neither Harper nor Green said they have any records.
"There's enough complaints to go around." Green said.
Harper said he thought the Senate's complaint service might be more appealing to some students who thought that only teachers would be able to understand certain problems.
Picture Puzzle
Randy Johnson, owner of the Tropaquaria in the Holiday Plaza at 25th and Iowa streets, sits beside the full-size picture puzzle from
Staff Photo bv TIM ASHNER
Hallmark Cards, that was taken from one of his aquariums. The picture for the parakeet was taken two years ago before he moved to New York City.
Puzzle gives fish publicity
By SUSAN MORGENSTERN
Staff Writer
A local fish has been reluctantly thrust into the limelight because of a photograph made into a puzzle by Hallmark Cards, Inc. Leo the lion fish, who lives at Tropical Bay, GW 25Ls, is featured in a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle called "The Age of Aquariums."
Lee's owner, Randy Johnson, a 1974 KU graduate and owner of Tropaquia, said "It's difficult to take pictures of fish because they don't want to pose for you."
In August 1978, Johnson, who was working at a fish store in Kansas City, Mo., was approached by Dick Peterson from Hallmark's design division. Peterson was developing several puzzle ideas, one of which was an aquarium scene.
He never wanted to be a star
Johnson disconnected the air line to his aquarium,drained the tank slightly to keep the fish around the coral and fed them between shots to keen them moving.
Leo not only declined to pose, he tried to eat the other fish in the aquarium.
Johnson suggested using one of the aquariums in his home and the photography studio.
He did not. Johnson said Lee kept chasing
the to a corner of the tank and trying to
swaddle it.
There might also have been some blue devil marmalate fish in the picture, had Leo
In the puzzle, there are three red tomato clown fish (or anemone fish), a yellow tang
But the blue devil damselfish were too big to swallow and Johnson said he scared Leo.
Leo, also known as Pteros Volatim, was only a member of his nature since he was much younger.
But Lee was not the only cooperative fish. The yellow tang in the picture had, in a
About 10,000 puzzles were cut and boxed in one production run according to Earl White, department manager of puzzle die cut and packaging for Hallmark Cards.
But the puzzle made it to production. It was printed in Kansas City, Mo., and was die cut and put in boxes in the Lawrence Hallmark Card plant, RFD 1.
Johnson said Leo, a member of the scorpion fish family, can inject his victims with poison through the spines in his back and poison is as a lethal as that of a coral snake.
few hours, sucked enough holes in the algae to kill the plants in the tank.
Malis and Town Crier boo shops said the puzzles and sold well here, especially with the new version.
He said future production depended on how well the puzzle sold. Salesclubs at the
However, Leo should not be asked for autographs.
Lee stung him once, Johnson said, and his arm was paralyzed for 12 hours.
Last barrier to statue move lifted
Bv SUSAN WOODARD
Approval from the Kansas Historical Society was the last prerequisite the university needed before it could proceed. Professor Chadwick of Jimmy Green to the new law building.
Staff Writer
Max Lucas, director of facilities plannings,
was informed of the society's decision
yesterday in a letter from executive
director Joseph W. Snell. Lucas said
he was excited to be able to letter with
Chancellor Archie R. Dykes and that
now proceed with plans to move the status
"The University sees no reason right now to change its plans," he said.
But according to the letter released by Snell, the society's decision may not reflect so much the society's approval of the project as its recognition in the matter.
IN THE LETTER, Snell was removal of the statue would not be in the best interest of historic preservation. However, he said that the society realized that KU was in a difficult position because the move had been planned long before passage of the state law allowing the society responsible for approve projects involving state historical sites.
The Kansas State Preservation Act, pass in 1973, requires that the State Historic Preservation officer, Snell, inspect all state and national property any political subdivision of the state would encrach upon, damage or destroy any historic property included in the National Register of Historic Places. Both old Green Bay Historical Park have been listed in the register since 1974.
In the letter, Snell said, "The intent of the law, we believe, was to promote good works of those who have been acting in good faith. Therefore, while we have strongly urged the university to reconsider its plans, we will not invulnerable the removal of the sculpture to the new building."
HOWEVER, THE letter states:
"If the sculpture were to be removed as
Managers to meet for softball leagues
The Recreation softball manager's meeting for C and A leaguelsoftball teams will be held at 10am.
The C league meeting is at 5 p.m. in Room 208 Holinson and the A league meeting at 6 p.m. in Room 209.
The B league and Co-Creation league meetings will be held tomorrow night in 205 Robinson. The B league meet is at 5:30 p.m. and the Co-Creation meeting at 6:30.
Each team must be represented by a manager at the meeting.
proposed, not only would the Nationa
Register properties integrity be impaired,
but the integrity of the sculpture itself would
be affected."
Lucas said that the University had not decided when or how the statue would be moved. He said that he would have to review the report of the X-ray study done by an expert in court last fall. Steps would have to be taken to protect the statue during the move, he said.
Stephan Grabow, associate professor of architecture and urban design and a member of an ad hoc group opposing the dissatisfaction disappointment at the society's decision.
"It is clear to us that something unusual has happened," he said. "Momentum in the air."
Grabon alluded to a question on the Student ballot, which asked students if they were interested in voting.
According to Jill Grubaugh, elections committee chairman, the opinion of the students who voted was overwhelmingly opposed to moving the statue.
GRABOAM ALSO made reference to a letter from the regional director of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Cynthia Ehmery, to the Kansas society. In the letter Ehmery advised against moving the house, and he received a carbon copy of the letter.
its decision and that her letter was unsolicited.
Julie Wortman, architectural historian
of the society, said yesterday that the so-
cials are not ready to accept the
conversion.
Snell's letter said
"The State Historic Preservation Officer's comments must be based upon evidence of historical, architectural, archeological or cultural significance and not on personal or public opinion, as expressed in petitions, letters or phone calls."
Wortman said that the society had received a petition opposing the move and about a dozen letters for and against the motion, which these were not considered in the decision.
"WE DID RECEIVE some letters." Wortman said, "and we read them and said, Ooh, this is about Jimmy Green" and then we put them in a file. We can't consider personal opinion. The decision is not based on anyone people line up on each side of the issue.
Wortman said Snell, as State Historic Preservation Officer, was solely responsible for the decision. She said Snell and his staff gone over historical records and documents in making the decision and that an expert on the history of Danile Chester French was consulted.
The statue of Jimmy Green, founder and keeper of the KU School of Law from 1878 to 1919, is the only work by French in Kansas. French is famous for his statue of Abraham Lincoln, but George Washington, the Minute Man, which was completed for the 10th anniversary of the Battle of Concord.