4
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, December 18, 1968
Wescoe answers letter
AN OPEN LETTER TO STUDENTS ABOUT THE
WATKINS HOSPITAL ADDITION:
In recent days I have received a number of letters about the crowded condition of Watkins Hospital, in response to the editorial and form letter in the University Daily Kansan. Some fifty letters had arrived by Monday afternoon. Rather than answer them individually, let me take this method of thanking students who have written and of informing them, and many others who are concerned, about the status of the addition to our student health service facilities.
In 1968 the Board of Regents approved a bond issue, to be retired from student fees, for the construction of a student hospital addition. These fees became part of the incidental fees during the current semester; a bond prospectus is being prepared.
Planning for the addition to the clinic or outpatient facilities of Watkins Hospital began many years ago. [It should be understood, incidentally, that only the outpatient facilities are crowded; the hospital has 50 beds of which only 18 are used on the average and a maximum of 27 in recent months.] In 1966, at the University's request, the Kansas Legislature appropriated $250,000, with the expectation that these funds would be matched by federal funds under the Hill-Burton Act, which are used to aid the construction of hospitals. Only later did it become apparent that student health facilities were not elegible; the $250,000 was far short of providing an addition approaching the need.
Several changes have occurred since the Kansas Legislature acted, changes which have affected the construction of the Watkins Hospital addition. The first is the development of a realistic projection of hospital needs by the hospital addition building committee headed by Dr. Raymond Schwegler; as the concept of a health facility capable of caring for the
needs of an enrollment of 20,000 students has taken shape,the projected cost of the addition has increased.The second change is increased construction cost estimates caused by inflation. The two have combined to increase the original estimate of the addition from the $500,000 range to the range of $750,000 or more.
Other, more helpful changes have occurred: student educational health service facilities recently have been made for matching funds under the Higher Education Facilities Act; and this program may match institutional funds on a 50-50 basis starting with fiscal year 1970 rather than the former two-thirds, one-third matching.
This is where the hospital addition stands today: the University is completing its program of work, a job which soon should be completed and the program sent to the State Architect. The State Architect will assign to an associate architect the actual task of designing the addition. The associate architect will develop a design over the next several months. This program could take from 9 months to a year. Construction is estimated to take another 12 months. We can expect to have the needed addition, if all goes well, in 24 months from now.
Some uncertainties still exist: 1) the cost of the addition; 2) the purchase of the bond issue; 3) the availability of federal matching funds; and 4) the bids being within the funds available. If we can resolve these questions satisfactorily, the University will have a suitable student health facility by the second semester of 1971.
For some this may seem like forever; for those of us who have worked toward this goal for many years, it seems close at hand. We can at last see the end of our part of the effort and the beginning of the actual design and construction process.
Sincerely, W. Clarke Wescoe Chancellor
The Hill With It by john hill
(Reprinted from one year ago.)
Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house . . .
"Hold it right there, grampa!" said a small voice sternly, as the living room lights suddenly went on.
Jolly ole Santa Claus blinked a few times in the bright light, then smiled warmly, his eyes twinkling.
"Hello little boy. What are you doing up on this wonderful Christmas Eve, this night of nights when..."
"One move and we'll be scrapin' you off the mantle for months," said the little boy, lifting the heavy shotgun.
A little girl about three years old scampered around the corner, and helped her five-year-old brother hold the shotgun.
"Who's the fireman, Joey," she asked. "Can I help kill him?"
"In a minute," said little Joey, not unlike Humphrey Bogart. "What's with the sack of loot, fats?"
Santa was somewhat taken aback by all this, but he finally gestured toward his sack of brand new toys resting beside the Christmas tree.
"Uh,it's my bag . . ."
"Thought he looked like a hippie," Joey said quietly to his sister, not unlike Peter Lorre.
"If he starts to make a break for it," said his sister, "you hit him high, and I'll hit him low."
“Children,” said Santa with a pleading voice, “I'm Santa Claus! You know, the spirit of Christmas. I'm here to bring you gifts for being good, and I'll put them in your stocking.”
"Presuming his definition of the concept 'good' coincides with mine, how does he expect to get my subscription of U.S. News & World Report into a little sock?" whispered Joey to his sister, not unlike W. C. Fields.
“Don't children today know about Santa Claus?” asked Santa. "Haven't you heard that I've got elves in my workshop, and reindeer on the roof?"
"Yeah, and bats in your belfry," said the little girl. "Joey, should I ask for the bunco squad or the narco division when I call the station?"
"What sort of children are you? Don't you believe in Santa, or Christmas, or the spirit of giving?" pleaded Santa.
"We'll give you thirty seconds to take your bag of materialistic bribes, and get out of here," said Joey.
The two small children watched a disillusioned Santa slowly crawl up the chimney and out into the quiet, snowy night.
"Why did you let the burglar get away, Joey?" asked his little sister as they put away the shotgun and he helped her into her crib.
"Well. after all," said Joey, "it is Christmas."
Letters to the Editor
To the Editor:
KU ticket ire
I don't know how many students have been in the same situation as I found myself last week, but I feel sympathy for them.
The situation I speak of is being given a University parking ticket, having it canceled by the issuing officer and the Traffic and Security office and then being billed for the ticket.
When I found myself in this position I immediately went to clear up the misunderstanding only to find that the ticket supposedly could not be canceled by orders of the captain. It seems to me that if the officer issuing the ticket ordered it to be canceled, that
Published at the University of Kansas daily during the academic year except holidays and examination periods. Mall subscription rates vary by location and class postage paid at Lawrence, Kan. 66044. Accommodations, goods, services and employment advertised offered to all students without regard to color, gender or national origin are expressed not necessarily those of the University of Kansas or the State Board of Regents.
A student newspaper serving the university of Kansas, Lawrence, U.S.
Dave Aggson Larned junior
Since one cannot receive his grades or re-enroll for next semester without settling debts to the University, I guess I will have to pay for this so-called "violation," but it will be under protest.
nis knowledge of the ticket and the circumstances under which it was given should obviously be greater than that of the captain.
Quotes
NEW YORK—Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, agreeing with President-elect Richard M. Nixon's Middle East emissary, William Scranton, that the United States should strengthen its relations with Arab countries:
"I personally would like to see more influence of the United States in Arab countries and less by the Soviet Union."
By United Press International
"As far as the flu goes, I'm a virgin and I have no intention of catching it."
CHICAGO—Dr. Donald Hackman, a Chicago dentist, telling why he dons a surgical mask before working on patients: