2C • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
ON THE HILL
MONDAY,AUGUST 18,2003
Zach Straus/Kansan
The "Big Tooter" whistle is on display on the first floor of the Kansas Union. The whistle broke last year after almost 50 years of service. "We didn't know how important it was to the campus before it broke," Vernon Haid, physical plant supervisor, said.
TRADITIONS
Whistle's blow signals end of class, tradition
Officials work to perfect pitch of new whistle
By Annie Berneth
aberneth@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Thar'she blows.
The steam whistle students use as an excuse to pack up and leave at the end of a class has been a tradition at the University of Kansas since 1912.
It's a tradition with little reason, but is important to the University and its students, both old and new.
The first whistle blew from 1912 to around 1953 and was replaced with a second whistle that lasted until this year.
After it blew its last bit of steam last January, George Cone, assistant director of mechanical systems and utilities, began the hunt for a new whistle.
He found a company in Cincinnati that manufactured whistles. He then chose from 50 different whistle tones on a Web
"We didn't know how important it was to the campus before it broke."
Vernon Haid Physical plant supervisor for Facilities Operations
site before deciding on the George M. Verity whistle.
Aaron Richardson of Richardson's Landing in Cincinnati built the new whistle.
The new whistle, made out of steel and bronze, contains four individual whistles, and should last for a long time, Cone said.
Donations paid for the new whistle, which cost around $4.000, Cone said.
Vernon Haid, physical plant supervisor for Facilities Operations said he now understood the significance of the whistle to
the University.
"We didn't know how important it was to the campus before it broke," he said.
Facilities operations workers are trying to set the right tone of the new whistle and should have it perfected by the start of fall classes, Cone said.
Cone said they once tried blowing the whistle for 10 seconds, but thought it was too long.
"Seven seconds is about right," he said.
Cone said the longevity of the whistle depended on the quality of the steam and its general upkeep and cleaning.
This year's incoming freshman will soon be relying on the whistle to signify the beginning and ending of classes. And with the new whistle, students are sure to hear it for years to come.
"It's just tradition," Haid said.
Edited by Jennifer Wellington
STUDENT PUBLICATION
Kiosk to offer student songs with free magazine next year
By Ehren Meditz
emeditz@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
KIOSKSUBMISSIONS
The University of Kansas literary journal *Kiosk* could offer something for your stereo this fall.
Jessica Chapman, Lenexa senior and editor-in-chief of Kiosk this year, said she would be pushing local businesses hard for donations to fund a CD of student music for the fall issue. She said students could submit songs on CD to the English Department mail room, 3114 Wescoe.
"If we don't raise enough money to cover the project in the fall, we'll carry over the money we do raise and push even harder for the project this spring," Chapman said.
Kiosk is a free product put out
Submit written works by e-mail to thekioskku@hotmail.com. The deadline is Tuesday, Sept. 23, by noon. Submissions can also be made to the English Department Mailroom, 3114 Wescoe. Include your name, KU ID number and title.
by students that features fiction and poetry written by students once a semester. Chapman has been on the staff of Kiosk for three years and is now taking control in her senior year. She said one of her main goals was to raise more money.
"This past year we started heavily soliciting Lawrence businesses for donations and we received more support than ever before," she said. "I'm hoping this will only increase this year."
Kiosk also received funding from the Student Senate and English department.
Chapman said editors would listen to the CD submissions and then decide on the best entries for the CD, which would come with the written work free.
Last year's editor, Tabatha Beerbower, Fort Scott senior, said all of her experiences at Kiosk benefited her.
"I love showing copies of Kiosk to potential employers and being able to say that I oversaw production," she said. "Working on Kiosk can benefit any student, no matter what the experience is."
Kiosk prints between 1,500 and 2,000 copies a semester.
— Edited by Annie Bernethy
CONSTRUCTION
Tunnels not common knowledge
By Maggie Newcomer
mnewcomer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
There are a lot of things the average student probably doesn't know about the University of Kansas. Mount Oread used to be called Hogback Ridge. Helium was first detected in Bailey Hall in 1905. And there is an extensive tunnel system underneath campus that has strict security enforced by the University.
Jim Long, vice provost of facilities planning and management, said some of the tunnels, which contain utility, communication and sewer systems, had been in place since the University was established in 1864.
Joe Friday, design and construction management, said the University continually updated the tunnel system through maintenance and expansion.
Because of security, Friday could not reveal exactly where the tunnels are or how to access them. He said unless someone was looking for the tunnels, they probably wouldn't even see them.
"It's our entire infrastructure," Friday said.
Friday said Facilities Operations restricted who had access to the tunnels so the team knew who to ask if there was a problem.
"It's keeping honest people honest," Friday said.
The security became even tighter after the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, Friday said.
He could say that the tunnels stretch from the Kansas Union to West Campus.
"There are no tunnels in the stadium," Friday said. "Believe it or not."
Workers rarely needed to go into the tunnels to work, Friday said, and if anyone did, it would be employees of the communications companies or Facilities Operations.
"Only if there is a problem," Friday said.
The University is working on an energy conservation system with CMS Viron Energy to make the steam heating system in the tunnels more efficient.
Friday said he didn't know the benefits of the energy conservation plan because it wasill in early stages.
The construction along Jayhawk Boulevard during the summer was improving some of the tunnels, Friday said. There had been damage to some of the tunnels and new communication cables needed to be installed.
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