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University Daily Kansan, January 20, 1984
CAMPUS AND AREA
Page
Bus driver loves her job and her cargo
By NANCY EDWARDS Staff Reporter
Mary Jo Bruce keeps restless passengers under control with quiet authority. Bruce said recently that she loved her job driving kids to school from rural Lawrence.
The three o'clock bell rings. It's a familiar sound to anyone who has been a student, a sound that unleashes joy and feelings of freedom.
Those feelings seem familiar to a stranger boarding the big, yellow school bus. She fears for her sanity in the next hour's ride, imagining dozens of screaming children surrounding her, just as she would have done to a stranger who might have been sitting on her school bus several years earlier.
Her fears are answered, she thinks,
as the overjoyed students tear from the
music.
This afternoon, she'll go through a similar routine, in reverse.
But instead of screaming, they are strangely quiet as a red-haired driver
"All right, boys and girls, now settle
down," the driver says over chattering
voice.
"I've got a real precious load of cargo, and they come first," Bruce said.
As the bus pulls away, Bruce tells the visitor not to ask questions while she drives. Distractions will not be tolerated — from anyone.
More than 100 children will ride here by the end of this afternoon. She knots a rope for you.
And she uses those names frequently during the ride. Glancing at her rearview mirror, plastered with chili sauce, she tosses out occasional warnings.
"You and I are going to tangle if you don't, release." The sage says to one boy.
BRUCE SITS UP straight behind the big steering wheel as she drives through rural Lawrence, calling out sharp commands. It isn't long, however, before her love of the job and care for the children comes through.
"Bye-bye, Sara," she says to the
6-year-old clamor out the doors.
"Go out there and wait for me to send
you across (the street)."
"I love the job," she says later.
"Next to housekeeping, it's the best.
"It's just like the Lord gave me something to do that I just love."
The best part of the job, she says, is being around the children.
DISTRACTIONS COULD be costly. One place Bruce is most cautious is the Lawrence High School stop, 19th and 20th grade students up a load of children of various ages.
The buses load on Louisiana Street, she says, and because parked cars often block the place where the buses stop, she asks for a drive to board in the middle of the street.
"The police have got to do something about this street before a child gets hurt."
She keeps an close eye on her cargo.
No child from another bus may ride
horses without of parental consent.
She also keeps in touch with the stroller.
"It makes me feel good to see a parent who cares." Bruce says.
PARENTS OFTEN CALL Bruce to discuss their children and sometimes to
"I'd much rather parents get abold of me, so that if there are any problems with their children we can work them out between us." she says.
Bruce grew up on a farm in Belton in the north-central part of the state, where she used to drive a 2-ton wheat truck she says provided an antipollution source.
"I'm just an old farm girl who's come to town," she said.
Senate problems are serious, Ambler says
By CINDY HOLM Staff Reporter
The Student Senate has not been in such precarious position for at least seven years, the vice chancellor for student affairs said last night.
David Amberl, the vice chairman, told student senators that the Senate had reached a serious crossroad because of such recent problems as the invalidated student body presidential elections.
The Senate's credibility and ability to represent KU students will be threatened if the Senate fails to correct the problems, he said.
SENATORSHI MET last night in the Kansas Union at an orientation meeting to learn about Senate action and discuss the current election situation.
Ambler said that the problems brought out by the University of Kansas Judicial Board indicated that problems in Senate elections had existed before this year and that they had not been resolved.
THE BOARD recommended in December that Chancellor Gene A. Budig order a new student body presidential election because the November election had been delayed in inconsistencies and ambiguities."
Budig ordered a new election on Jan. 5.
Student Body Vice President Jim Cramer told senators that the chancellor had asked him and Lisa Ashner, student body president, to resum their positions until a new election could be held.
He said Ashner had appointed a special election committee to address election problems and to make recommendations to the Senate.
Tom Berger, chairman of the committee, said the committee today would consider the first draft of a proposal for the new elections.
The Chancellor has charged the committee with writing a proposal that outlines the fairest and most expeditious process for the new election, Berger told senators.
House committee considers employee-protection measure
By the Kansan Staff
House legislators yesterday heard testimony on a bill that would prohibit any form of disciplinary measures against state agency employees who want to provide information or discuss agency matters with state legislators.
State Sen. Ben Vidricksen, R Salina, spoke in support of the bill at a meeting of the House Federal and State Affairs Committee.
Vidricksen said the House committee was receptive to the bill and no one offered testimony against the measure. He said the committee was likely to reject it.
He said a special committee had found that two state agencies had told their employees that communication with legislators, legislative committees or courts of law, had to be recorded and given to the agency.
The bill has been called a whistleblow act.
THEYVE LEARNED
"At the top of Naismith Hill Open Tonight'til 8:00 p.m.
SGT. PRESTON'S HAS CHANGED WITH THE NEW YEAR
- Dancing Nightly
- Jukebox
- New Menu
- Daily Lunch Specials 11-4 p.m.
- Happy Hour M-F 4-7 p.m. with FREE Hot Hors d'oeuvres
SUPER SUNDAY
$1 Pitchers During The Game Mixed Drinks—Two Fers 9-12 p.m.
OPEN TO PUBLIC
11 am-2 pm
815 New Hampshire
RECIPROCAL TO
80 CLUBS IN KS.
OPEN 11 am-3 am
Call-in's are fast!
Hawk's Crossing & Yello Sub 843-6660 841-3268
Featuring a fine selection of tunes.
Featuring Dannon frozen Yogurt
1 blk. N. of the Union just w. of 23rd & Louisiana
MASS. STREET DELI inc 941 MASSACHUSETTS
HOT OR MILD SMOKED SAUSAGE SPECIAL served with potato chips and dill pickle spear
$1.50
Reg. $2.35
Wed. thru Sun., Jan. 18-22
No coupons accepted with this offer
ENJOY
SUPERBOWL
SUNDAY . . .
WE'LL BE DELIVERING TO THE BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE 12 noon TO 10 p.m.! THE ODDS ARE IN YOUR FAVOR 2 TO1!!
$ 2 - OFF
LARGE
PIZZA
$1
CALL:
842-0154
OR COME BY:
2228 IOWA
OFF
MEDIUM
PIZZA
THIS COUPON GOOD SUPERBOWL SUNDAY ONLY-JAN. 22
WE DELIVER
7 DAYS
A WEEK!
NOT VALID WITH OTHER COUPONS.