VOL.101.NO.85
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 1992
ADVERTISING:864-4358
(USPS 650-640)
NEWS:864-4810
A few words about Groundhog Day
History
Events
■ Candelaes Day and Groundhog Day are February 2, 40 days after Christmas. ■ Celebrating the purification of Mary, Candelaes was named by 11th century Europeans for a candelabra ceremony to purify and invigorate their fields. ■ If it was sunny on Candelaes, the Europeans thought this to forebode plantation. ■ From this, Groundhog Day and the weather-prediction abilities arose.
In Kansas City, Mo.
The Groundhog Day Run in Kansas City, Mo., is the only underground 10K race of its kind in the country. It takes place on October 31st.
In Pennsylvania
Called the King of the Weather Prophets, Puxunsuatwang Phil is the "off-rial"
Groundhog Day groundhog. He will celebrate his 105th anniversary Sunday, and his prediction at 7:15 a.
versary Sunday, and will make his appearance and predace at 7:15 a.m.
According to legend
Accuracy
It's like I've always said: If he sees his shadow, there'll be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn't, there'll be a month and a half.
Dan Henry, WDAF TV-4 weather reporter
Source: The World Armand and Book of Facts 1922. The Folketeer of American Holidays, second edition. American Heritage Dictionary.
Jeff Meesey. Daily Kansan
QUALIFIED ADMISSIONS
Education committee to hear proposed bill
Current policy allows any graduate of a Kansas high school to enter a
By Gayle Osterberg Kansan staff writer
The Legislature desires high-quality education, and educators think enacting qualified admissions standards is a step toward meeting that goal.
The bill would require that students entering a Board of Regents university have at least a 2.0 grade point average, a score of 23 on the ACT or a rank in the top one-third of the high school graduating class.
The Senate Education Committee will conduct hearings on a qualified admissions bill Wednesday and Thursday.
Regents school
Unprepared students lead to low retention rates, and money ultimately is wasted, educators say. The Regents say the state's cost of educating unprepared students, who often drop out after one or two semesters, necessitates qualified admissions.
Regent Rick Harman estimates the state spends $304,000 for every 1 percent of a freshman class that leaves school. He said about 20 percent of all KU freshmen would drop out before becoming sophomores.
"Educating unprepared students keeps other people out of classes that they need to carry on," he said. "It's a state of mind. If we want a high standard of living, we need to produce productive people at the earliest possible
time."
Harman said it was the students' responsibility to prepare themselves for college.
"It it's not the state's responsibility to finance a year of fun for a student who just wants to play around," he said.
The Regents outlined their arguments in favor of qualified admissions in their recently released mission statement. The Regents said that sources of revenue for public higher education were not expanding as rapidly as the demand.
They said the number of high school graduates would increase by 19 percent between 1991 and 2000.
See KU, Page 5
Professor's death prompts foot, bike paths
By Svala Jonsdottir Kansan staff writer
The death of a KU professor in a bicycle accident last semester prompted a Lawrence environmental group to launch a campaign for the city to adopt a system of bicycle and pedestrian pathways.
The group proposes a system of connected greenways, which are bike and pedestrian lanes separated from the roadways.
Paul Justus, member of the Wakarusa River Greens, said the greeways would promote safety and preserve the environment.
"Our group has been discussing this for over a year, but what really motivated us to start the campaign was the death of Professor Havlicek. "he said.
Kansas City and Overland Park air cadey have adopted plans for greenhouses.
Larry Havlicek, professor of education psychology and research, died from injuries caused by a bicycle accident. A truck or a tractor is a trust belonged to the Fritz-Lav Co
"The greenways would add safety for bicyclists and pedestrians," he said. "Ideally, you would want to separate pedestrians from bicyclists, for even greater safety."
Greenways on the outskirts of the city along creeks and the river could be preserved as parks. Alleys and sidewalks in the city could be converted into bike and pedestrian lanes, he said.
"I would like to see sensitive environmental areas protected as greenways," he said. "It would be nicer to have all greenways away from the motorway, as you don't want to breathe the fumes of cars while you're walking or on a bike. Of course, costs always need to be considered."
The cost of adopting the system could be covered by land donations, revenue from increased bicycle registration fees, a percentage of automobile fuel tax revenues, park bonds, federal funds and a city greenways fund, Justus said.
The state of Missouri estimated a cost of $11,000 a mile to build a greenway.
Christopher Kromm, member of the Lawrence Youth Greens, said a group of KU students was working with the Wakarusa River Greens in support of the greenways.
"We are going to present a letter to the City Commission to let them know of our support," he said. "We need to encourage more ecological methods of transportation, and the greenways also create a system of linear parks, a green beltway, around Lawrence."
The green belt around the city could limit the city's expansion, Kromm, Manhattan senior, said. "This will set limits on how much of nature we are going to pave over, and how much we are going to preserve," he said.
The Wakarusa River Greens have posted notices encouraging people to contact the City Commission and support their proposal.
The bikeways inside the city are important for safety, he said.
"I am confident that the City Commission is going to be looking at the whole idea of bicycling and the environment, but I don't know exactly when," he said.
City Commissioner John Nalbandian and the commission would discuss the project.
Peggy Woods/KANSAN
An artist's touch
David Clark of Redfield's Stained Glass Studio, 13.E.7th St., leads a piece of beveled glass for placement in a window. After the glass is leaded, the pieces are soldered together to produce the finished product. This piece, once completed, will become part of a bay window.
Med Center doctor opposes family practice legislation
By Katherine Manweiler Kansan staff writer
The head of the department of family practice at the University of Kansas Medical Center yesterday denounced a bill in the Kansas Legislature that would require the Med Center to graduate more family practice students or face funding cuts.
Jane Murray, head of the department, said if the bill designed to supply more physicians to rural areas of Kansas passed, the Med Center would not have the resources to meet the demands of the bill.
"I think that the State Legislature does have the authority to hold its funded institutions responsible for outcomes, but taking this kind of punitive economic approach could damage the institution," Murray said.
The bill would approve across-the-board funding cuts if the Med Center did not significantly increase the number of family practice graduates. The cuts would affect the nursing school and the hospital as well as the medical school, she said.
Murray said the intent of the bill — to
supply physicians to rural areas—was commendable but the method was short-sighted and simplistic.
In 1991, 43 students, or 23 percent of the graduates at the Med Center, graduated with family practice specialties, Murray said. This year, almost 30 students are expected to graduate as family practice specialists.
If the bill passes, the Med Center will be required to graduate 5 percent more family practice physicians each year starting in 1996 or suffer a 10 percent funding cut.
Murray said she recognized that a critical shortage of primary care physicians existed in Kansas, particularly in rural areas.
"There are not enough general practitioners to meet the needs of the population." she said.
Murray said it was difficult for small rural communities to attract physicians because most doctors did not want to feel isolated.
The Med Center can encourage more of its students to enter family practice by improving the curriculum and environment of the school, she said.
Rep. Fred Gatlin, R-Atwood, said
Two Watkins physicians have rural medicine experience
By Katherine Manweiler
Kansan staff writer
Two physicians at Watkins Memorial Health Center know from experience the dedication and talent required to practice medicine in a rural area.
Lawrence Magee and Randall Rock graduated from the University of Kansas Medical Center in family practice before coming to Wakka.
Magee, coordinator of sports medicine at Watkins, graduated from the Med Center in 1977. He is board certified in family practice.
"I wanted to have the ability to take care of all different types of problems." he said.
"It's a difficult, consuming type of practice," he said. "It's more difficult to protect your free time. It's not worth it and you're more than your house, with their problem."
Magee practiced in Washington, a town of about 2,000 people, for two years after he completed his residency in Wichita. One other physician practiced in Washington with Magee.
there would be further hearings after the Kansas Academy of Family Physicians re-analyzed the bill. In testimony before the Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare this week, the KAFP expressed concern that the bill was moving too swiftly.
Magee said he decided to come to meet the doctor who could concentrate on sports medicine.
Rock, a board-certified physician in family practice, practiced in Ottawa for almost five years before he came to Watkins one year ago.
He said that he left rural practice
*If we can be assured of significant
because he wanted to spend more time with his family.
Gatlin said he expected the KAFP to endorse the bill after reconsideration.
He said he was willing to work with the Med Center to explore alternatives to increase the number of general practitioners in Kansas.
One problem rural physicians face is he has no back-up specialists, he lacks
"In a city like Lawrence, there is 24-hour-a-day emergency 700m coverage for doctors." Rock said. "There are specialists available at any time. In rural areas, those people are available, but they are 60 miles away."
He said rural medicine would be a good opportunity for some Med Center hospitals.
"I would encourage them because it's a wonderful challenge if they are excited about the chance to practice a spectrum of medicine," Rock said.
progress on a variety of fronts, then I'm willing to work out any differences on the bill." Gatlin said. "The important part is that the Med Center recognize the importance of family practice."
Greg Farmer contributed information to this story.