12
University Daily Kansan
Campus
Wednesdav. August 20. 1986
Waves of students talk and gawk on cement shore of Wescoe Beach
By Kristi Schroeder
Staff writer
You can't build sandcastles there and you won't be able to get your feet wet, but a beach does exist on campus, and it is THE place to go.
Wescoe Beach, the open concrete area in front of Wescoe Hall, has become the place to hang out, lie out, study, talk and watch people go by. But the attraction it holds varies from person to person.
Alan Salts, Lenexa senior, said that he liked the Beach for two reasons.
It's a place to hang out between
classmates. And a place to
watch all the activity.
The Beach is blanketed with people almost any time of the day. About the only time it is deserted is on cold days in winter and on rainy days.
Rick Snyder, professor of psychology, said basic need to be around people and to talk to people seem to be the biggest attraction of the Beach.
He said the central location of the Beach most likely aided its popularity. The friendly and open atmosphere is also an attraction.
"It's like a bar without the bar," he said.
But the bar without a bar hasn't always been around for KU students to take advantage of
Mildred Clofdelter has worked for the University for 47 years. She spent 42 years working with the Adams
Alumni Center and has seen a lot of KU students over the years. She graduated from the School of Business in 1941. At that time, plans for a building such as Wescoe Hall were a long way off.
As a matter of fact, in 1941, former Chancellor W. Clarke Wescoe, for whom the building was named, was just graduating from college. The $7.68 million building was dedicated in April 1974 and was designated the humanities building.
Clodferlater said the place to hang out when she went to KU was a fountain located in the Kansas Union. The fountain was a drugstore-type place; drinks were served and a jukebox played.
"Wescose seems to be pretty popular too," she said. Clodfelter has specific reasons for thinking the Beach had had so much popularity.
"It's centrally located," she said.
"And it has space to sit, and it can expand."
Clodfeller said the addition of the cafeteria behind Wescoe also drew people more towards that part of campus. But the attraction wasn't strong enough to pull Clodfeller there after the alumni offices moved into its current offices. After the move, she said, she didn't get down to that part of campus very often.
Allen Wiechert, director of facilities planning, said the popularity of Wescoe was not anticipated
Original plans for Wescoe had the building 20 stories high. After the bid came in, the amount was over what was available through state and federal funds. Wiechert said.
when it was built.
The state hired a new architect who redesigned the building, but the new project still called for more money than was available. The Board of Regents and Chancellor Archie R. Dykes requested that the balance come from student fees, Wiechart said.
The final design for the building came as a collaborated effort to keep cost down, to allow pedestrian access at a central location of campus and to keep the view open to the south.
So the building was designed to allow an open walk-through for students and not to canyonize Jayhawk Boulevard with tall buildings, he said. But with all of these plans, officials still weren't expecting the popularity of the Beach.
"Some popularity was anticipated," Wiechert said. "We thought the south side would be used more."
But the large amount of students who flock to the Beach each day was completely unexpected. Most students come through the Beach at some time on the way to class, and it's a good location for meeting friends. Wiechert said.
"It's the heart of campus," he said.
Shauna Norfleet/KANSAN
Wayne Gray, Kansas City, Kan., junior, and David Allen, Shawnee senior, spend time relaxing on Wescoe Beach.
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