brothers are in one field or the other. In his time at the University of Kansas, Rials has affected many lives. Rials always greeted students at Robinson with a: "May I help you?" and parted with them by saying, "Thanks for coming." He said a Japanese woman who didn't speak a lot of English used the facility, and after six months she understood what the words meant. He said she
had considered returning home but stayed because of his kindness.
In addition to cooking, he continues to service others by working as a minister at the Church of God, 851 Elm St. As busy Rials is, he arrives at work at 5 a.m. and leaves at 2:30 p.m. Rials has confidence in his cooking and has compliments to show for it. Rials says he had a student go
—Lauren Karp
If it's only going to be 10 minutes to drop off a paper, I try to get them in the loading zones that are closer than the regular student parking spots."
home for Thanksgiving after eating his food who came back and told him the food at home was horrible. "You can grow up eating food and think it's the best until you try something new," Rials says.
quick hands wave down a black Honda Accord as it attempts to whiz by. This attempt failed. "Excuse me guys, you have to have a permit to get through here," she says. Sometimes Debbie isn't so lucky. "I can be standing outside with my hand out and they look the other direction with their foot on the pedal," she says. If a car without a proper tag gets by, Brown writes down the tag information and passes it along to the parking department.
—Debbie Brown, campus gatekeeper
WORKING THE BOOTH
Debbie Brown's sharp blue eyes and
Brown is as gate-keeper by the Chi Omega fountain. Her 9-foot, 6-inch by 5-foot, 6-inch information booth is equipped with a mini-fridge, airconditioner, space heater, maps, city phone books and a KU directory, but not a restroom. "I don't drink as much water as I should," Brown says as she laughs. If she needs to use the
restroom, she waits until a fellow employee can give her a break.
She spends her days tracking the traffic that is allowed through campus: commercial vehicles, visitors and those with the proper permits. Brown makes sure visitors have the information they need and answers students' questions have about where to park. "If it's only going to
Kit Leffler/Kansan
Debbie Brown, toll booth operator, gives her assistant instruction as students and teachers drive by the booth during school hours.
18 jayplay
thursday, October 9, 2003