Outta Here
Holiday isn't a break for some
Staffers can't play even when students are away
Your perfect winter vacation might involve sun and sand. It might involve snow and slids. Or it might involve a recliner and remote control. No matter the alternative, most students are guaranteed four weeks free from textbooks and exams.
Not everyone,however,leaves the University of Kansas during this time.
"I think students have the sense that if they aren't here, we aren't here," said Bob Turvey, assistant registrar.
Eleven full-time employees and one parttime employee will work in the registrar's office throughout winter break. The staff's biggest job will be collecting grades from faculty and entering the grades in computers, Turvey said.
"Two people will work full time on filing grade sheets," he said.
Turvey also said many transcripts were ordered during this four-week period by students applying to graduate schools and for scholarships. The office receives thousands of requests for certification of enrollment for financial aid forms and other things like auto insurance.
December graduation is another event
that keeps Turvey and his office busy.
"Students think after they've walked down the Hill, they've graduated," Turvey said. "Which they're right, they have, but all the paperwork of graduation goes on."
after this date."
Enrollment of new students and some fee payment also occurs between semesters. Basically, Turvey said, the time is spent trying to wrap up the previous semester.
He said an out-of-date computer system made these duties more time consuming. Also, there are not enough employees to get everything
done that Turvey would like.
Staff members are not the only ones who stay at KU during winter break. Some students also spend their break on campus. For those who choose to stay, Templin and Lewis residence halls remain open.
"It's a job where you feel like you never catch up," he said.
I think students have the sense that if they aren't here, we aren't here.
Bob Turvey
"It's a nice change not to have people walking up to the window," Turvey said. "People are not always happy when they get there. We're often just the bearer of bad news."
The registrar's job is made a little easier because the public assumes the office is closed, he said.
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Randy Timm assistant director of student housing said there were more than 50 students signed up to live in each hall. Many are international students.
"You don't want to catch a plane to Madrid for a few days," Timm said. Resident assis-
Resident assistants must stay in
the halls with the students to watch individual floors and work at the front desks. Serving as an R.A. between semesters is voluntary, Timm said.
"They make a little more each month to compensate for their time over break," he said.
Although staff remain in Templin and Lewis during the vacation, the cafeteria staff is not retained, so residents are responsible for their own meals, Timm
said.
"The microwave is used a lot," Timm said.
While some students microwave TV dinners, others will be traveling to the mountains or traveling abroad.
Kristina Spangenburg, Belton, Mo., sophomore, will spend her winter break in Colorado with friends.
"We've been thinking about this trip since summer," Spangenburg said. "We're planning on staying five days in Keystone."
Nadia Siddiqi, Chesterfield, Mo., freshman, plans to return to Pakistan, her birthplace, during the vacation.
"I'm going back to visit family and take some entrance exams for colleges over there," Siddiqui said.
Although these two students both have travel plans, the Lawrence Travel Center, 1601 W.23rd St., reported a decline in the number of students planning trips this winter.
"We've seen a lot of students canceling trips this year because of hurricanes," said Mitzi Botkin, an travel agent. "We don't really get that many students during the holidays. Most of our trips are booked for spring break."
—BY MEGAN JORDAN
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Hawk Holidays, 13