Makeover and Health Care

The following is an article about scholarships for the children involved in the Extreme Home Makeover in Rose Hill.

Posted on Tue, Oct. 25, 2005

For family, five 'Extreme' scholarships

BY BECCY TANNER

The Wichita Eagle

When Karen, Susan, Jenny, Katie and Jessie Nutsch are ready for college, they are assured full four-year scholarships at Wichita State University.

The approximate value is between $150,000 and $200,000 -- unclear because the cost of fees and tuition continually changes, said Ron Kopita, WSU's vice president for student affairs.

Kopita said the scholarship guarantee means that, as each sister enters WSU, administrators will find scholarship money from various funds to pay for her education. The university has not received any donations targeted to this offer.

If one of the Nutsch sisters qualifies for academic scholarships based on high school or test performance, he said, that would become part of the mix.

"And that may be all we need to do," Kopita said. But if additional money is needed to provide a full ride, he said, the money would be found in other scholarship sources, including funds generated from tax dollars.

WSU's offer was revealed Sunday along with the new house that Kevin and Cathy Nutsch and their five daughters received from the TV show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

The Nutschs' original home blew up Aug. 6 because of a gas leak.

Kopita said that when producers of the show were interviewing the Nutsch family, one of Kevin and Cathy Nutsch's biggest concerns for their daughters was that each have a college education.

Representatives of the show called Kopita about two weeks ago. Within 24 hours, college officials had produced the plan for Karen, 16; Susan, 14; Jenny, 12; Katie, 10; and Jessie, 8.

"Frankly, we've kept it under wraps," Kopita said Monday. "ABC's field producer asked us not to discuss it."

Even though the chance of the family finding out about the plan was remote, he said, university officials kept mum.

Asked whether the college's pledge of scholarship dollars for the Nutsch girls might mean some other prospective, perhaps more deserving, students would go without, Kopita said, "'More deserving' is subjective. Who's to determine that?... It's like determining who's more beautiful."

Last Thursday, the show's film crew traveled to WSU. They filmed in art classes and at the university's welcome center, where designer Preston Sharp pretended to plead for the aid with Kopita.

Reality show or not, the scholarship is something WSU officials want to do for the Nutsch family, WSU president Donald Beggs said.

"We are working hard to reach out to individuals in the area," Beggs said. "We are part of the community."

And it doesn't hurt, Beggs said, that WSU's name may be mentioned on a national TV show.

"It shows the university is involved with our region," he said. "I consider that a compliment."

I have been reading "Brave New World of Health Care" by Richard Lamm, former governor of Colorado. He continually stresses the point that we do an extreme amount for a few while large numbers of people go wanting. I found the parallel between what he had to say and the whole extreme makeover thing striking.

Rather than building 5 $60,000 homes for people in need, this TV show built one $250,000 to $300,000 home for one family. But wait, did it cost the TV show much? Well, let's see. All the labor was volunteer. All the materials were donated as was all the food for the workers. Now the university is guaranteeing full scholarships to five people because they were featured on a TV show. In order to do this, they may have to deny more derserving applicants, but hey! They get their name on TV!

I also question the wisdom of telling a 14 year old, a 12 year old, a 10 year old, or an 8 year old that they get their way paid through college whether or not they get good grades, study or perform at a certain level. I am trying to assume the 16 year old is close enough to graduation that this "gift" won't do her any harm.

I am really hoping for a follow-up on the lives of these people and whether all of this "giving" has helped or hurt them. But most of all I am hoping to be kept abreast of where this scholarship money comes from and who is left out in the cold because of "celebrity".

I don't think I have made my comparison between Extreme Makeover and health care too clear. Richard Lamm gives this description of the Terri Schiavo incident. "Governor Jeb Bush of Florida gets international publicity for seeking and signing legislation overriding a husband's decision to terminate nutrition and hydration for his wife who had been in a Permanent Vegetative State (PVS) for thirteen years, yet Florida has close to 20 percent of its population without basic health insurance." A lot for a little and nothing for the masses.

To add to the frivolity, a lady brought a flyer by the office for designs you can have put on your skylights. They all have a cloud background, then you can add jets, pets, flags, balloons, etc. Makes me damn glad I don't have skylights.