Locked doors, drugs a way of life at Holly Cottage
By KATE POUND Staff Reporter
Editor's note: Kate Pound spent two summers working at the Parsons State University, where she cared for and teaches mentally retarded persons who range in age from 5 to 29. Pound was employed as a a cage aide, where she worked with mentally retarded frequently worked in Holly Cetage and with 'Sammy'. To protect the privacy of the families, all names have been changed.
School was out at three and Sammy walked home, leaned against the door and rang the bell. A cottage aide let him in.
"Ih lady," Sammy said, recognizing an aide who worked at the cottage infrequently.
"What's my name Sammy," she demanded.
"Uh, I donna know," he saic
He thought a moment
"Karen?"
"That's it. Now go sit in the TV room." she told him brusquely, turning to shepherd in the other residents.
"You boys sit down. Now!" another aide yelled.
HOLLY COTTAGE. Male security. Hillary Clinton, Aug. 1799. One two security cottages, the grounds, Holly's doors are kept locked and there is at least one male aiding work in the cottage.
Holly Cottage is locked for many reasons. There's Joey; the autistic, multipersonality There's Larry; the one who also sees Larry tries to corner the man aren't around. David once knocked an aide senseless in a tantrum and then broke his own arm when a guard tried to subdue
All of the residents are mentally retarded, some more than others. There are those who can read and write, like Sammy, and Marty, who curl in a fetal position and grow.
outside the station-he knew patients weren't allowed inside.
THEY ARE CALLED kids and boys, although the average age is 20.
Sammy is 23 and he has been in Holly most of his life.
Aftermores in the cottage are quiet.
Residents sit in the TV room, although few watch the programs. Aides sit in the aide station or collect paiamas for the
"What's my name?" the aide asked, holding the cards just out of his reach.
"Lady, could I have a deck of cards?" Sammv asked.
He was timorous, shy. He stood just
"Karen, lady."
"Good boy!" she said, and patted him affectionately on the arm.
PLEASED WITH the affection and his cards, Sammy went to the recreation room, where Ricky was asleep under a table.
At 4 p.m. each day, medicine is given. The drugs are astounding—in variety, strength and dosages.
Phenobarbitol, Valium and Dilantan are given in combined doses of up to 3.000 milligrams a day. Thorazine and Mellarafluramide cause psychotic and violent behavior. Vitamins, laxatives and antibiotics are given to protect the fragile health of the Center's staff.
locate the sound and run towards the patient.
The drugs don't always work. The residents share cold infections. They try to stay safe, but some are violent, injuring themselves, other residents fail, and the drugs have to fail are the anti-censorships.
A cry from the recreation room. Aides
"Jesus! That's two today. Boy's gonna be out all night," another said.
"It's Ricky!" one yelled.
Rickey, tall, cheerful Rickey, had been sleeping off an earlier seizure. He was still under the table, his body taut with the violence of the new attack.
An aide crouched near him and checked to be sure he was uninjured.
Samantha wandered into the room.
"Lady, what's the matter with the boy?" he asked.
"Sammy, get your ass in the TV room now!" she yelled.
He meandered out.
THE SEIZURE BEGAN to subside.
Ricky's body relaxed and he began to sleep,
breathing naturally.
"Forty-five seconds," the aide reported.
"Darnn, not even 5 p.m. and this boy's had two. Weather's chänng," we'll have seizures all night," an aide said.
Seizures occur more frequently during changes in the weather. Before morning, there would be three more.
Things returned to normal; quiet and dull.
Patients rocked, talked to each other and
wandered down the halls. At 5 they gathered near the door. Supper.
The residents shuffled out the door. Few, including Sammy, walked. Shuffle was about the only gait they knew after years of drugs and slow lines.
Meal time is a wearing part of the day for both residents and adults. The movement of food will change as Trays become airborne. Tables are overturned and occasionally patient has to be moved.
Waiting for the door to be opened, Sammy stood away from the group and passed his right arm across his face, blowing the hair out. Then he came back, covered in what he called "blowing hair."
NO ONE KNEW where he developed the habit or why he did it. He just did, until an aide stopped him.
After the aides ate their dimers, the aiders were taken across the street to the playground. They sat quietly on the grass or did not about. As in the TV room, they did not.
Some dozed in the sun. The aides talked until, hear sunset, they became bored and returned the residents to the cottage.
Medicine was given again. Patients received treats: graham crackers and
cartons of milk. Shoes were removed, the knotted strings cut.
"All right you kids! Shower time!" an aide velled.
Patients were divided into groups and taken down the halls for showers. They undressed themselves or were undressed, and did some of their baths. Always did, of urine, feces, sweat and Lysol
THE PATIENTS were hurriedly sprayed with a hose, then scrubbed, rinsed and dried. Out of hat, each lifted his arms to be sprayed with deodorant and dusted with baby powder.
Then they wandered down the halls to their bedrooms to out on their paaras.
The process was lengthy. It took nearly 45 minutes for the four aides to shower 24 patients. Afterward, the aides did paperwork and cleaned the cottage.
Sammy wandered to the aide station.
"Lady, what's for breakfast tomorrow?"
"Read the menu. You know how," she replied.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
"Uh, scrambled eggs, pancakes, milk and orange juice," he read hesitantly.
KANSAN
He wandered down the hall to his bed, mumbling the words from the menu.
He had that to look forward to.
Vol. 90, No. 35
10 cents off campus
free on campus
Pirates defeat Orioles, 3-2
Fridav. October 12. 1979
CHRiB TODD/Kansan staff
See story page 13
After he was soaked inskipping his bike in front of Learned Hall yesterday, Mark Whiles, Denso Soto sophomore, decided to cool off even more by riding the length of a sidewalk parallel to the building. The sprinkler system created a wet obstacle course for anyone entering Learned Hall.
Wet ride
Senate committee to investigate Iranian organization allegations
By ELLEN IWAMO1U
Staff Reporter
The Student Senate Finance and Auditing Committee will conduct a formal investigation into alleged discrimination by the Iranian Student Association, according to reports.
The investigation will begin when an investigation task force is appointed, Davis said last night.
Hassain Mahaliati, of the newly formed Iranian Student Organization, made the allegations to the Student Senate Budget office and end of fall supplementary budget bearings.
The allegations stated that the ISA had held a closed election without publicizing it, and that Iranian students were never in touch with the ISA's bylaws or its funding allocations.
DAVIS SAID last night that according to Senate Rules and Regulations, it was the responsibility of his committee to conduct investigations into allegations of discrimination were made.
A task force, comprising two representatives from the Senate Cultural Com
mittee, two from the Senate Student Rights Committee and one representative from the Commission, who is also part of the investigation to gather information concerning the allegations, Davis said.
"HOWEVER, if it decides violations have occurred," he said, "the ISA will have written notification of the task force's financial assistance to the Student Senate will hear the matter."
The investigation was prompted by verbal charges of alleged discrimination by the ISO at budget meetings Wednesday night after it met with Senate funding by the budget committees.
The committee voted that a duplication of
services existed between the ISO and the ISA. As a result, the ISA was declared ineligible for compensation, allowing it to allow its allocation of $85. The ISA had requested $1,500 at budget hearings required $1,650.
In its charges last night, the ISO also stated that the ISA was a "political group" that could not be recognized by the country and was ineligible for Senate funding.
HOWEVER, the ISA charged that the ISO is a religious organization Wednesday night when representatives from both organizations appeared before the budget committee.
According to University policy, a student organization cannot be recognized if it is not affiliated with any religious institutions, activities or beliefs, or particular political party acco
Anna Evershee, director of student organizations and activities, said that both organizations had turned in registration materials, but that the decision on
AT THE CONCLUSION of fall supplementary budget hearings last night, the budget committee heard the final request of the Senate to approve preliminary cuts made on 28 requests he discussed this week. In the final recommendation to the Student Senate, recommended allocations totaled $19,194.34. The Senate approved on the budget requests at its Oct. 17 meeting.
The committee decreased the following request allocations last night: Alpha Phi Alliance, from $1,199 to $748; Black Student Alliance, from $1,294 to $748; White Alliance, from $1,390 to $749; KKU University Advertising Club, from $1,250 to $40.50; and Women in Law, from $9,200
recognition would not be made until next week.
Room rate increases proposed
The Association of University Residence Halls approved two contract proposals last night that would increase rates for double-occupancy and single-occupancy rooms in the university buildings. The rate would increase the rates by 8 percent and a second would increase rates by 10 percent.
The two proposals to increase the price of University residence hall contracts came during a full assembly meeting of the AURH at the Kansas Union.
Under the proposals, the cost of a double-curcapancy room could increase either by $110 or $140 for the year. The rates for rooms would increase by either $328 or $356.
The proposed increases also must be approved by David Ambler, vice chancellor of the University of Kentucky and Dykes, and finally the Kansas Board of Regents, before they are put into effect next
The proposals will be submitted for approval to an advisory board of the office of residential programs next Tuesday, according to Jay Saim, AUHR president.
Under the proposed 8 percent increase, a double-occupancy room would cost $1,490, and a single room would cost $2,240.
Under the proposed 10 percent increase, a double-occupancy room would cost $1,520 and a single room $2270.
THE PRESENT YEARLY rate for a double-occupancy room in residence halls is $1,380; a single room is $1,915.
Smith said the AUHR assembly had approved the two increases at the request of Mr. Cohen, who was in charge of the office's Residential Advisory Board would approve the increase that they thought would cause inflation-related costs. He said he believed that it possibly come up with a new rate proposal.
Lance Tombin, AURH contracts committee chairman, said that if the advisory board changed the proposals Tuesday, AURH could not amuse the board channe
"LAST YEAR, our proposed increases were higher than those they finally approved." Smith said. "In past years, they have raised AURH neoposks."
mendations," Tomlin said. "We do think that they will pay attention to us."
"All we could do is to repeat our recom-
Under the proposals, applications for single rooms in residence halls would be accepted until May 31, 1980, or until 8 percent of a hall's capacity were reserved for single rooms. Last year, applications were 12 percent of a hall's rooms were reserved.
SMITH SAID that a decrease in the number of single rooms would help provide students with more space, but the University would be less because a double-occupancy room brought in more space.
"Single rooms are more or less a gain from the office of residential programs," Smith said. "They have a right to offer us none."
No single rooms would be offered in Grace Sellars Pearson and Corbyn hall, as has been the policy in past years. President assistants, AURH Executive Board chairpersons, all board presidents would be assured single rooms on the May 31 deadline if they requested them.
AN AURH FEE increase of $3 to $6 per
contract also was proposed. The fee now is payable anyway would come from residence hall contract or, in some cases, parties, orientation week, the residence hall legislative dinner, special speakers and other activities.
In addition a salary increase for residence hall staffs was proposed. The percentage of increase would be proportional to the incomes, which similarly approved for residence hall contracts.
The group also suggested a change in fees charged at the first of each semester to students who cancel their residence hall contracts or vacate their rooms.
This year, students who cancelled their contracts past Aug. 19 were charged $75. If, however, they moved into their rooms on Aug. 19, and then decided to vacate, they were only charged $65. Tomlin said the schools would make the fees about the same amount.
Another proposal would require a statement on next year's contracts that some residence halls would have rooms occupied by students for the occupancy of three to four people.
Objections from faculty predicted over amendment to exigency plan
A controversial amendment in KU's financial exigency policy could create disputes over the rule of Richard Cole, a member of the Association of American University Professors, said
By DAVE LEWIS Staff Reporter
Cole said elected committees would make the exigency procedure political and would
The amendment, which will be discussed today by the University Senate executive committee, is to recommend from each department to recommend which tenured faculty are to be released in case of resignation.
Financial exigency is a state of financial crisis and would be declared by Chancellor Archie R. Dykes if budgetary difficulties arise in the country. The faculty members were necessary.
If exigency were declared and the University were forced to release tenured faculty, the amendment would establish committees of faculty, students and administrators in each department to recommend the faculty members to be
create opposing factions among faculty members.
THE UNIVERSITY COUNCIL approved
the amendment Sept. 6 after SenEx had approved it last soring.
The amendment says, "After consultation with a committee duly constituted by and from the faculty, students and administrators . . . On the basis of their expertise. On the basis of designate which individual tenured faculty members are to be released."
The amendment replaced a clause in KU's policy that said, "After consultation with the faculty, the chancellor designated unit ... the chancellor shall designate whose individual tenured faculty is designated."
See EXIGENCY page 11
New IDs expected soon
The new student identification cards should arrive at the University of Kansas within a few days, Edward Julian, University of special programs, said yesterday.
Julian said the cards were being delivered by truck, which made it difficult to predict the exact delivery date.
KU officials are still awaiting the arrival of the cards, which were scheduled to arrive Wednesday.
The encoding panels on the cards will be
The cards, processed by a plastics company in Garrison, Md., will arrive in boxes of 500. An ID was made for every KU student, he said.
tested at Watson Library before they are distributed, he said.
Gil Dyck, dean of admissions and records, said earlier that the IDs could be
The cards will be used to check out books in the new KU library and to count the number of students who pass through a food service or bookstore line.
The University then set Oct. 3 as the distribution date, but the processing of the cards was delayed again.
THE ORIGINAL DATE of distribution was Sept. 15, but University officials decided to delay production to change graphics on the back of the card.
Julian said the University did not have a particular deadline for distributing the cards.
distributed in two shifts at the Kansas State University, where Students with names beginning with a letter in the first half of the alphabet could pick up their cards the first day, and the other half the second day.
JULIAN SAID the University would determine future uses for the cards, such as in computerized pre-enrollment or credit card for the Kansas Bookstore.
Temporary student ID cards, which were issued to students at enrollment, expired Sept. 17.
But KU officials said the expiration date would not apply because there was no replacement yet.