CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, June 7, 1995
3A
Rivers rise, but flood fears don't
Clinton Lake and Kansas River should hold deluge of rain
By Meng Yew Tee Kansan staff writer
The water levels of the Kansas and Wakarusa rivers are not expected to rise above the flood stage, at least not in the next couple of days.
However, water from the Nebraska region is expected to flow down through the Kansas River Basin by the end of the week. If that water is met by more rain, it may cause some problems.
"We have been lucky lately because most of the bad storms have been hitting the northern regions of the Basin, especially Nebraska," said Philip Rislove, hydrometeorological technician at the Topeka-based National Weather Service.
Minor flooding could occur in the Lawrence area, Rislove said, but there's no cause for alarm yet. Still Rislove warned the public to be careful and take the normal precautions because the rainy weather was not showing any signs of letting up.
Although no torrential rain is expected in the next week or so, a steady flow of precipitation in the first half of the month is expected to exceed average rainfall levels. Average rainfall in Kansas for June is 4.06 inches.
At this point, the river's water level stands at
"There is still quite a bit of storage available if rain continues to fall."
David Rhoades
this point,
iver's water
trend at
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
15. 55 feet. It is expected to rise to about 16 feet by the end of the week, which is within just 2 feet of the 18-foot flood stage.
The situation with the Wakarusa River, a Kansas-River tributary which flows into Clinton Lake, is less gloomy. There is still water storage capacity left in the Clinton Lake reservoir, said David Rhoades, park manager at Clinton Lake.
Clinton Lake's flood pool is about 55 percent full, but a recent lack of rain has relieved the pressure a little. If the flood pool reaches its highest level, which means the lake cannot hold any more water, the water has to be released into the Wakarusa River even if the water level of the river is high.
But for now, there is no cause for concern.
After the wettest May in Kansas history, the Kansas River level stands at 15.55 feet. The river is expected to rise to 16 feet by the end of the week, just within the 18-foot flood stage.
Brian Flink / KANSAN
New top doc to lead KU's Med Center
Surgeon general of Navy drops anchor and has big plans for new crew
By Jenni Carlson
Kansan Campus Editor
Donald Hagen is setting sail on a new adventure.
Donald Hagen is setting sail on a new adventure. A University of Kansas Medical Center search committee yesterday named the physician and current surgeon general for the U.S. Navy as its new executive vice chancellor.
"This was a national search with some of the best in the nation interviewing for this position," said Chancellor Robert Hemenway during Hagen's introduction. "Don Hagen will make an outstanding executive vice chancellor for the Med Center."
D. Kaye Clawson,
the former executive
vice chancellor,
retired in February.
Hagen, 57, became the
navy's 31st surgeon
general in 1991
after serving as the commander of the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Md. Even though Hagen joked that he would not be yelling orders, he said he would bring a Navy-related philosophy to the Med Center.
Hagen will implement a total quality management philosophy when he takes over on Sept. 1. All Med Center employees will identify strengths and weaknesses to build on or improve, have an equal opportunity for advancement and work together.
"If one of you isn't working properly, then the team is failing." Hagen said, addressing several hundred Med Center employees and students who gathered for the announcement. "Medicine is a very careful balance between research, clinical care and education."
Hagen's commitment to the entire Med Center community excited many Med Center employees, including Chukuka Enwemeka, professor and chairman of the department of physical therapy.
"He's going to pull everybody together," Enwekea said. "He brings a wealth of experience to the job.I feel very comfortable."
Even though Hagen is bound to his duties as the Navy's surgeon general until Sept. 1, he said that he would be in close contact with KU administrators.
"I will not be doing anything else but getting ready to come here," said the Williston, N.D., native.
Virtual Access supplies area with fun
Reality games let people enjoy cyber adventures without leaving their homes
Dan Gelston Kansan staff writer
There's a place in Lawrence where you can fly planes, shoot at strange creatures, and travel through space — and you don't have to leave the comfort of your own chair to do it.
Virtual Access, in the Holiday Plaza, West 25th and Iowa streets, is the first interactive store in Kansas. It specializes in catering to personal virtual entertainment.
"What goes on here is sort of like a sub-reality," said Josh Roza, the store's owner.
Virtual reality is when users wear a headset to give the impression
that they are actually going through the pictures they see in their eyepieces. People can move their heads up and down or turn all around to get a different angle on what they might see — just like in real life.
Roza decided to open the store based on the increase in popularity of virtual reality.
Virtual reality is a relatively new concept that has only been made available to the public in the past year.
"People are really intrigued by this because they like the idea of being able to just go to another world," Roza said.
Roza sells one headset, a disk drive, and four different games for $1,000. Customers can even try out the system in the store to see what they like.
The system is adaptable to any unit — including computers, Sega and Super Nintendo — that can supply audio-visual resources. Once
the unit is assembled, it can be used just about anywhere.
Roza said that this was especially appealing to people.
Roza said people in Lawrence should love the product he supplies.
"It would be like drinking two or three beers," he said.
"You don't even have to sit down to do this," Roza said. "You can lay on your bed and play games or even do DOS."
Roza did warn against overuse. He said that the headset should not be worn for more than 15 minutes at a time because it would cause disorientation.
"It's a lot of fun and alternative," he said. "It's not what you expect."
Kathleen Driscoll / KANSAN
Josh Roza, owner of Virtual Access,
demonstrates one of his virtual reality
games. Virtual Access is located on
25th and Iowa streets.