Preparation for Strong's Tree Requires Stamina
Have you ever tried to maneuver a 22-foot Christmas tree into the rotunda of Strong Hall? It is quite a job, according to Harry Buchholz, superintendent of Buildings and Grounds.
"The branches of the tree must be tied up, and the tree is hoisted up over the balcony on the north side of Strong. It takes eight men to get the tree into the rotunda, and about half a day to balance and secure it." Buchholz said.
THE HUGE SCOTCH Pine is about 12 feet in diameter. It is about the same size as is always used in the rotunda, Buchholz said.
"I have no idea when the University first placed a Christmas tree in the rotunda. No one around here seems to remember," he said.
This year's tree was cut by Buildings and Grounds men from one of the wooded areas near Lawrence. The whereabouts of this area cannot be disclosed, Buchholz said, because other persons might try to cut down their own trees in this area.
Because of its size, the irregularity of most trees, and the fact that it revolves, the Christmas tree in the rotunda is very difficult to balance, Buchholz said.
"THERE ARE SOME years when we purchase the tree. These are usually shipped down from one of the northern states, and must be ordered at least three months in advance. Again, it is difficult to determine the cost of something like this, because the price varies from year to year. It is a cost which many people
would object to, but they would object even more if we didn't have a tree," Buchholz said.
"We have had trees before which we could not use, because the top part was bent too far from the central axis for us to balance it. We usually just keep trimming until it works. We use little mathematics, but a lot of guesswork." Buchholz said.
IF A PERSON looks closely at the tree, he will find that there is no way to water the tree. There is a reason for this. The entire tree is fireproof. It has been sprayed from top to bottom with a special fireproofing material for trees, Buchholz said.
The small electric motor which rotates the tree and the Christmas lights draw their source of power from an outlet in the center of the floor over which the tree has been placed.
Leo Ousdahl, assistant superintendent of the physical plant, estimated that each of the 15 strings of electrical lights decorating the tree averaged 10 feet in length.
IT TOOK TWO crewmen approximately four hours to decorate the revolving Christmas tree. Buildings and Grounds carpenters installed the tree on its
revolving stand, and the B & G electrical engineers positioned the electrical lights and other holiday ornaments.
Fireproofing the yuletide tree was done by the B & G paint shop crew. The application of a fireproofing spray has been done for the past four or five years.
The same crew also applied the fireproofing liquid to the 20 small Christmas trees used in yesterday's Christmas Vesper services in Hoch Auditorium.
LIGHTS ON THE tree in Strong are turned on at 7 a.m. and remain glowing until midnight. The rotation of the tree begins around 7:30 a.m. and also continues until midnight.
The tree will be taken down on Dec. 27, according to Ousdahl.
KU's B & G crew was also responsible for putting up the exterior decorations on Hoch Auditorium, Strong Hall, the Kansas Union, Watkins Hospital, Watkins Nurses' residence, and the Chancellor's residence.
dence. FOR THE FIRST year, the tree fronting the KU power plant was also decorated.
Ousdahl said that it took three days for a crew of eight to ten men to position all of the outdoor decorations.
Foreign Students Explain Customs
By Judy McGhee
Roller skating in the street after dark was one of many Christmas customs explained at the All Women Students Christmas Customs in Foreign Lands program last week.
Representatives from 11 countries gave short presentations of Christmas customs in their native lands. Approximately 50 American and International students were present.
THE COUNTRIES represented were Denmark, the Philippines, Viet Nam, Thailand, Costa Rica, Indonesia, China, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and the United States.
slavia, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and the United States. Marisela Vaz, a freshman from Venezuela, said Venezuelan youth begin celebrating Christmas on Dec. 15.
"At night they sing carols and go roller skating in the streets," she said. "They have breakfast at someone's house about 8 a.m." she added.
On Christmas Eve a huge dinner is served and presents are distributed around the tree. In the morning they are opened and church services are held.
"OUR TYPICAL Christmas dish is called 'hallacas' and is made with turkey." Miss Vaz said.
Margareta Asklund, a graduate student in history from Sweden, said the Swedish Christmas celebration lasts three days.
"The day before Christmas we have a Smorgasbord at noon," she said. "Christmas Eve we go to church and then open presents."
CHRISTMAS MORNING in Sweden is spent at church. A hot, spiced drink is served at home afterwards, and a traditional Christmas dinner follows. At the dinner rice pudding is served which has one almond buried in it.
Legend says whoever finds the almond in his helping will be married in a year.
The day after Christmas is spent visiting friends. It is customary to offer food to anyone who visits.
"The MAIN part of Christmas is on the 24th," she said. "At 4 p.m. we go to church and, at 6 or 6:30 p.m., we have Christmas dinner. We have a goose filled with apples and dried prunes and for dessert we have rice pudding. The person who finds the one almond receives a gift."
MARIE LOUISE Lind, a graduate student in anthropology originally from Denmark, has lived in Paris for 18 years.
"The Danish Christmas begins the first Sunday in Advent," she said. "Each Sunday until Christmas, we burn one candle. The children have a candle with 24 numbers on it and burn one number each day until Christmas.
"After dinner we light candles on the tree," she added. "Our trees are more lightly decorated than the ones here. After dancing around the tree and singing, we open the gifts and on Christmas Day we have another big meal at noon."
MISS LIND said the French Christmas is celebrated primarily on Christmas Day. The French attend a midnight mass Christmas Eve and give gifts Christmas morning.
Roxanna Bravo, a freshman from Costa Rica, said Christmas is celebrated from the 24th to the 31st of December in her country. The events that take place during that time include carnivals, a parade in the capital, fireworks displays, and dances. Christmas Day is spent visiting friends and relatives. Every family has a nativity scene in addition to a tree, she concluded.
The children receive their gifts in shoes placed in front of the fireplace. A turkey filled with chestnuts is served at the Christmas meal.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY kansan Serving KU for 76 of its 100 Years
76th Year, No. 56
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
KU Campus Conflicting Blocks Require Welding
Monday, December 13, 1965
By Stephen Russell
The University population is composed of three opposing blocks, Vice-Chancellor James Surface said Saturday.
IN ADDITION to the students, faculty, and administration, Surface said KU both serves and is responsible to its alumni; to the citizens of Kansas, who as taxpayers support KU, to the United States and the whole world, by producing educated citizens; to the world of scholarship by helping to push forward the frontiers of knowledge; and to the learned professions and arts, by giving
The three blocks include students, faculty, and administration. There exists between these blocks a "continuous irreconcilable contention, with each side out to maximize its opportunities at the expense of the other parties," he said.
Weather
Surface spoke before All Student Council legislators at the ASC Retreat Saturday in the Kansas Union.
university such as KU serves a great constituency.
Kailas The vice-chancellor addressed the council members during a luncheon which climaxed three one-hour seminars on the executive and legislative branches of KU's student government.
IN EXPRESSING a view which Surface said was his own and not necessarily that of "the Board of Regents, the Chancellor or the administration," he began with a description of what he called "the university community."
Considerable cloudiness is the forecast for tonight and Tuesday by the U.S. Weather Bureau. Rain or snow likely for Tuesday. Low tonight upper 30s.
them new ideas in research and teaching.
"It is more accurate and useful to think of KU as serving a whole range of constituents," he said.
Surface added, in looking back at the first three blocks—the students, the faculty and the administration—the view that these elements are conflicting is also wrong.
"There is general agreement among them as to what the basic goals of a university are:
- First, to provide a first class education to all students, and
- Second, to increase man's knowledge."
HE SAID THERE is no dissent about either of these goals from the three blocks, but there is dissent about how the university should go about achieving these goals.
"Think of the diversity of the student body alone—between the incoming freshmen and the graybearded, struggling graduate student."
Surface said that since the diversions among and between the blocks exist, it is vitally important for the functioning of the "university community" that the people in these blocks know what the other members of the community are feeling, doing, and saving.
yung. What we need to function well is a continual dialogue among and between these blocks.
"PERHAPS STUDENT government's most important role is to encourage this dialogue, to maintain it, to interpret it, and to express it," he said.
He said that the ASC should not be a public relations arm for the administration, nor should it serve as an IBM machine that tallies votes. Surface said he looks to the representatives for more than an accounting process.
Prior to the luncheon, the legislators discussed the procedural aspects of the ASC.
KU Rejoices
Ticket Refund Today Through Wednesday
Refunds for basketball tickets will be given Dec. 14, 15, and 16 between 8:30 a.m.-12 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.-4 p.m.at the main east entrance of Allen Field House, Wade Stinson, Director of Athletics, said today.
The student should have his season ticket, IBM card and his certificate of registration to receive his refund.
"I HAVE HAD several calls asking me what might happen to the money if the student chose not to get his refund," Stinson said.
"My only response is that any money left over after the refunds are made will go exclusively towards stadium expansion. A special recognition in the expansion area will be given to those students who do not get their refunds in the expansion area," Stinson said.