University Daily Kansan, August 21, 1985
Page 2
Beer ban leads halls to alternative amusements
By Grant W. Butler
Staff Reporter
The music began wailing through the open air, and the first keg was tapped at Hug-A-Hawk. For the evening, as many as 40 kegs were on reserve.
It will never be quite the same.
The traditional September all-hall party, sponsored by the Association of University Residence Halls, will go on, but without one part of the tradition.
Beer has been banned.
Because of the ban on all alcohol beverages in housing regulated by the University of Kansas, the staffs of residence and scholarship halls face a large task: coming up with new ideas for social activities where beer won't be involved, and figuring out how students might try to get around the ban.
The ban is the result of a recommendation by a 15-member special task force, which was formed to examine the effects on the University of the raising of the Kansas drinking age to 19 on July 1. The task force comprised administration, faculty, students and KU police.
The task force recommended that the possession and consumption of any alcoholic beverage, in private or in public, be prohibited in residence
halls, scholarship halls, Stouffer Place and Jayhawk Towers.
The task force recommendations were adopted June 12, ending the 14-year-period when 3.2 percent beer was permitted in University housing.
Included in the ban is the prohibition of consumption of alcohol at hall activities, and the use of social fund money to buy alcoholic beverages for off-campus events that are sponsored by the halls.
"As far as parties go, I think if the dorm has parties, no one will come." Laura Reid, Mission sophomore and an Oliver Hall resident, said recently.
Fred McEhlenie, director of the office of residential programs, said there was little choice.
"For me the ban is not good, looking from a selfish point of view," she said. "I'm above the age where the drinking law affects me, but I guess they didn't really have a choice."
"I support the elimination of 3.2 beer from the halls since it's a matter of trying to abide by state law," he said. "People have to realize that we are carrying out state law."
McEllenbie said that because nearly two-thirds of the students in the residential program would not meet the legal drinking age, the ban would allow staff members to focus on providing good programs rather than focusing all attention on enforcing state law.
Andy Gutierrez, Topeka senior and Templin Hall president, said the staff would have to do a little more policing, but agreed that the formulation of new programs would have the largest effect on student life.
"It will be a big challenge to come up with programs, especially in terms of parties like the ones we've had with Lewis and Corbin," Gutierrez said.
The staffs of the halls will have to be more creative to keep the ban from becoming a problem, he said. If the staffs dwell on the ban as a problem, he said, participation in hall activities will drop.
Gutierrez said that because no money from hall government accounts could be used to purchase alcohol, each hall would have more money to work with for social activities.
"In the past we spent hundreds buying kegs of beer," he said. "Now we might try to get large bands for parties."
Gutierrez said the hall staff had emphasized floor functions.
"Two floors got together and had a hot tub and daiquiri party," he said. "They had no-alcohol strawberry
daiquiris, and they set up two hot tubs in the back. Everyone had a great time.
"One floor saved up their floor funds and spent a whole weekend canoeing in Missouri.
"When most people 'think of social functions, they think of parties with beer. I think that there are a lot of other things you can do."
Gutterrez said he had thought the students would be negative about the ban at first because they wouldn't understand how little it would affect hall life.
"They'll look at it as losing some right or privilege before they ever even come to KU." he said. "Once they get used to other types of social activities, it won't be that big of a deal."
Mike Bloom, Vernon Hills, Ill., junior and Oliver Hall president, said the big question was whether students would leave the residence hall system or stay and try to get around the ban.
Bloom said one way around the ban would be to have a lot of unofficial out-of-hall parties. Students also hide the use of alcohol in their rooms.
"Now everyone will just go out and buy booze for the 18-year-olds, and they'll drink it in their room," he
said. "Let's hope they won't drive around and drink."
"It's going to be awfuly hard to enforce the ban in rooms. It's going to be just as hard as liquor was."
MElhennie said it would be difficult to stop drinking in individual rooms.
"We don't control what goes into a private room," he said. "If someone brings in a grand piano, it's very obvious, but what students have behind locked doors is guaranteed in the Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct Code.
"There's not going to be a check of everybody walking in the door like at an airport."
McEllenie said discipline for violations of the alcohol ban would follow current policy, which begins with a low-level warning, proceeds to a hall warning, and then to hall probation. Continued violations could result in removal from the residence hall system.
Bloom said a line might be drawn between the upperclassmen and the freshmen, because the freshmen wouldn't be able to go out to bars, but he said this might be prevented by having alternate activities.
"Food is going to be the big comon for parties," he said, "but it's going to be awful hard to have parties in
the dorm because people will go out to bars or to Greek parties."
Bloom said a party was planned at Oliver for the first week that the halls are open, and he said it would be non-alcoholic. Movies and dancing would be offered, he said, and beer would be replaced by popcorn and sodas.
Bloom said he was unsure whether the party would be well attended because of the competition from private parties where beer would be allowed.
Melibiena said students should give non-alcoholic parties a chance.
"I think they would find that they could have a good time without the need for any alcoholic beverages," he said. "If I had gone to a restaurant with an alcoholic beverage, People have just as good a time, it appears, as those where alcohol is served."
when young people want to get together to have a good time, the presence of beer is not always necessary. I have to assume that people will continue to dance and have a good time — just one element will be missing."
Two empty cups are pushed across a table covered with spilled liquid. A lever is pulled, and the cups return, filled with ice, a sugary fluid, and a bubbly, clear foam.
Sprague Apartments offer retirees benefits of Hill life
One last drink of soda pop
By Carol Stephenson
After being a part of the University of Kansas for so many years, some find it hard to leave. For retired faculty and staff members, Sprague Apartments, 1400 Lilac Lane, allow them the comforts of independent living and enable them to remain in touch with the University.
The Sprague Apartments sit on the edge of campus by the scholarship halls, about one block from the Kansas Union and Watson Library. The top floor of the three-story building leads to the campus level on the Hill.
reasons to the campus.
Ruth McNair has been living in the Sprague Apartments since 1967. She was an assistant professor in the department of zoology and biology before retiring in 1964.
"Sprague was such a handy place. I could walk to the Union and all the fine arts events. Also, it was a place I would be with friends as I got older."
"I knew I was getting older." McNair said recently. "It was more difficult to help in my yard. I knew that in not too many years I wouldn't be driving.
The Sprague Apartments were
outl. in 1961 at a cost of $240,000. They were built after Elizabeth M. Sprague, chairman of the department of home economics, left money to the Kansas University Endowment Association, specifying that a building be constructed for retired faculty and staff members. Sprague left the money for the building in memory of her sister, Amelia Sprague.
The Endowment Association began studies to determine whether a building was needed for the retired faculty and staff.
"We learned that while most of our retired faculty were comfortable financially, few were wealthy and their major problem was housing, together with separation from the life and activity of the campus," said Martin Henry, vice president for property for the Endowment Association.
"Insofar as involvement in University affairs was concerned, we discovered that some, living but a few blocks from campus, were in a sense isolated from the University." Henry said.
Paul Roofe moved into the Sprague
Apartments after retiring in 1972 as chairman of the department of anatomy at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
"It was an ideal place for me," Rooef said. "It's accessible to anything I want to go to."
Sprague Apartments consist of 10 units. Four of them are one-bedroom apartments and the six others are two-bedroom apartments. In addition, there is an apartment for someone who is responsible for the management, cleaning and supervision of the building.
For the past 10 years, Eugene Clark has been manager. He has spent his time fixing stopped-up sinks and changing light bulbs. But it has been a job that he has enjoyed.
"I get a great deal of satisfaction working around this place," he said. "The people here are a congenial bunch."
Any retired faculty member is eligible to live in Sprague, but there is a waiting list of people who are interested in occupying an apartment. In the event of the death of a married person living in Sprague, the survivor may continue to live in the
apartment as long as he or she wants.
Thomas Rythe moved into Sprague in 1976. He had been an associate professor of journalism before retiring in 1970. He has spent his spare time doing volunteer work at Spencer Museum of Art.
"We had a home in Lawrence, but there comes a time when mowing the lawn and clipping the hedges is no longer something you enjoy, but it becomes a chore," Ryther said. "Here it's all done for you. It's much closer to my work now. Like a lot of people, when I retired I wanted to do, some traveling.
"In a house you have to worry about who's going to pick up the paper and watch the house for you so no one breaks in. Here you can simply lock the door and walk out."
McNair said that Sprague had been a wonderful place to live.
"Just being on the faculty, we knew of each other, but this has given us the chance to really get to know each other. We visit with each other all the time. We get together and attend plays and other things on campus.
Sprague Apartments, 1400 Lilac Lane, is home to some retired KU faculty members and their spouses. From left to right are Thomas Ryther, former professor of journalism; Eugene Clark, the apartment manager; Elizabeth Sherbon, former dance instructor; Ruth McNair, former professor of zoology and biology; Carroll D. Clark, Marjorie Ryther, and Paul Rooef, former chairman of the department of anatomy at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
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