UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday. January 28,1997
7
Frozen roads drive business for rescuers
Snow strands students during morning travel
.
By Stephanie McDuff
Kansan staff writer
Angie Adamson, Lawrence senior, was one of several students left stranded on local streets because of snowy road conditions yesterday.
On her way to her 9 a.m. class, Adams's car stalled for the third time in the middle of Iowa
Street.
"It scared me to death," Adamson said. "I felt so helpless."
Adamson was able to get her vehicle running after a stranger pulled over and helped push her car to the side of the road.
Not all students were as fortunate as Adamson to find help from a stranger. Many of them instead relied on local towing companies to help them out of a snow iam.
"The moment I got out of my car, he was there to help me," Adamsson said. "I thought it was very nice of him."
Quality Towing, 1146 Haskell Ave. was one of the local towng companies that had an increase
in requests for assistance yesterday because of the heavy snow.
By 4:30 p.m. yesterday, the nine trucks on call with Quality Towing had responded to about 90 weather-related calls from KU students.
Michelle Moon, dispatcher for Quality Towing, said that the most frequent calls during yesterday's snowy weather were from people needing their cars jump-started, people needing cars towed out of ditches and snowbanks, or people who had locked their keys in their cars while warming up their vehicles.
Unlike towing companies, KU police officers are not required to assist students who get stuck
in the snow. KU Police Sgt. Chris Keary said that despite the fact that KU police are not obligated to help drivers out of the snow, many of the officers do assist them. He said that this was especially true if the vehicle was blocking traffic.
If police are unable to help students directly, Keary said that they often recruited others in the area to help the stranded individuals.
To prevent such weather-related driving complications, Keary said that students should plan ahead and get a better understanding of the road conditions before venturing out on local streets.
"If you must go somewhere, leave earlier than you would have." Keary said.
He suggested that students call local radio stations for road information or just take a good look outside at conditions before heading out in cold weather.
For students planning to travel long distances, Keary advises calling the turnippe or highway authorities before leaving.
Students who must be driving should evaluate the route they plan to take, Keary said. He said that shortcuts on the back streets of Lawrence were not always the best way to navigate in snowy conditions.
Keary also said that lack of
experience in bad-weather driving contributes to transportation problems for some students.
As of 4 p.m. yesterday, no weather-related accidents were reported to KU police. However, Keary said that students may have chosen to file an accident report later.
Because the KU police do not have a winter advisory act, the rules of reporting accidents remain the same regardless of winter weather. Keary said that if an accident did occur, students should report it to the police as soon as possible. He also said that students should contact police immediately if the incident involved injuries.
New faces in Watkins offer talents
Steve Puppe / KANSAN
Jean Hershey (left) and Cheryl Hicket recently joined the Watkins Memorial Health Center staff. The two nurse practitioners are filling the vacancy left by Randall Rock, who became chief of staff.
Nurse practitioners enjoying students, new health facilities
By Emily Vrabac
Kansan staff writer
Two new nurse practitioners have joined Watkins Memorial Health Center in place of the staff physician vacancy left by Randall Rock when he became chief of staff.
Jean Hershey and Cheryl Hickert have a great deal of experience in the health field, both in Kansas and abroad.
Hershey, originally from Colorado, came to the University of Kansas from Wichita State University, where she worked as a nurse practitioner in the student health center for more than nine years.
"I guess you could say I'm a transfer from WSU, but my allegiance is starting to change," she said.
Hershey is married and also has a son, who is 12. Her husband is a lobbyist with the Sierra Club of Kansas.
Hershey worked as a volunteer in Vietnam for several years during the Vietnam War. She adopted her daughter while she was overseas. She recently became a grandmother.
"I worked there so I could get a lot of experience in a short time, and I did." she said.
Hickert has lived in Lawrence for six years and previously worked at a family practice in Leavenworth.
Hickert, a KU alumna, is married and has two daughters. Her husband is an attorney.
She said her experience with Watkins began when she was a freshman at the University.
"I got the measles right after spring break and stayed in Watkins for about a week," she said.
Hickert is a member of the Army Reserve and served in Operation Desert Storm at an evacuation hospital in Saudi Arabia.
Both women said they had adjusted to their roles at Watkins and were pleased with their experiences so far.
"I'm beginning not to get lost," Hershey joked.
They said the support of the staff at Watkins had been helpful.
"This is just a great place to
work," Hickert said. "I just love it here."
Hershey said she was impressed with the facilities Watkins had to offer.
"It's exciting that students support Watkins so much," she said. "I've seen a number of student health facilities, and this is one of the best."
"I don't know of anything that could've gone smoother," he said. "They are both qualified, have the appropriate experience and are good with students."
Jim Strobl, director of student health services, said Hershey and Hickert had adjusted well.
Hershey and Hickert said they would see about 20 patients a
day, which was a comfortable number.
"It's a good number because we get a chance to explain things like why they're sick and tell them about their medicines a little," Hickert said.
Hershey said she had enjoyed all of her time with students.
"The energized, fun college students are neat," she said. "I'appreciate the staff wanting to meet student needs."
Hershey and Hickert wanted to encourage students to come see them if they had health problems.
"This is a very accessible place," Hickert said. "Students shouldn't be intimidated or wait to see their doctors at home."
Imagination Workshop to perform on stage
By Sean Demory
Kansan staff writer
KU students and faculty have the chance to experience classic radio in the making this weekend.
KANU's award-winning comedy troupe, the Imagination Workshop, will have its first performance of the year on Saturday.
The show, which KANU programming director Darrell Brogdon described as "Saturday Night Live meets the Golden Age of Radio," will be at 5 and 8 p.m. at Liberty Hall, 642 Massachusetts St. The performance was expected to sell out quickly until a second show was added.
The 8 p.m. performance will be broadcast on KANU and possibly on other National Public Radio member stations. NPR has broadcast the troupe's performances since 1993. Brodgon said.
The Imagination Workshop performs in the style of classic radio shows which Tom Vrabac, who has written for the troupe for about three years, said was a thing to behold.
"Everyone's clustered around the microphones, the audience can see the director's cues and the sound effects being done," Vrabac said. "The performers rehearse a lot before the performances to make sure that everything is as tight as possible, and the audience seems to appreciate it.
"Go with the anticipation of having a good time," Vrabac said.
The program is split between topical sketches and longer-running pieces. Vrabac has submitted two pieces, Healthflexnordicabridermaster, the All-In-One Exercise Machine and The Congressional American Finance Company, for possible performance.
Brogdon said that old favorites such as The League of Stupid Heroes also will be performed.
Admission for the performance is $7 for balcony seating and $10 for cabaret-style seats on the first floor. Tickets still are available, but 8 p.m. cabaret seating is going fast, according to a staff member at Liberty Hall.
For more information, call Darrell Brogad at 864-5268 or Liberty Hall at 749-1792.
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