4 Monday, October 10, 1988 / University Daily Kansan THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN Organization and leadership needed for Parking Services Opinion If Parking Services does not know exactly how many parking spaces they had last year compared with this year, or how many spaces are alloted to metered parking and loading zones on the Hill, something is wrong. and if it takes Parking Services almost two weeks to calculate the amount of parking in a wrongly parked I. Parking Services in charge of parking? The answer is that it can't, and that has been glaringly clear in recent weeks. How can Parking Services and the Parking Area effectively manage the parking situation at the University of Kansas if it is not a crowded area? Last week, the Kansas published a two-part report on the parking mess at KU. The project was nearly a month in the making. And much time was spent waiting for the oversite and the orders. The information was not readily available. It should be. That lack of organization also was seen earlier this semester when the Parking Board switched 74 yellow permit spaces in lot 62 (at Sunyside Avenue and Sunflower Road) to red without studying how many yellow and red permit holders used that lot. On Sept. 27, the spaces were returned to yellow permit holders after several weeks in which most of the red permit spaces remained empty while the yellow permit spaces were overflowing. This lack of planning and organization also is worrisome considering the rapidly disappearing green spaces on campus. The new Science Library destroyed one. Green space between the Computer Center and Robinson Gymnasium is slated to become a parking lot, and the fields below Watkins Memorial Health Center may be the next to be buried under asphalt. Lack of organization and clear priorities is evident in regard to the parking garage under construction. The 776 new spaces should help, but it hasn't been decided who will be able to park in the garage. Todd Cohen for the editorial board It is not an easy problem to solve. But it would be easier if Parking Services and the Parking Board were more efficiently organized, had clear priorities and a long range plan of action. The only way to come from the administration, starting from Chancellor Budig This year, Oslo kept Washington and Moscow guessing. The 1981 Nobel Peace Prize finally was awarded to the 8,600-member team of the UN Security Council. U.N. troops deserved prize A surprising choice, out a pleasant one. Rumor had it that Ronald Reagan and Mihail Gorbachev would share the prize for signing last year's agreement banning intermediate-range nuclear weapons. The peacekeeping forces may not be the ones signing agreements, but, since World War II, they have done their best to The leaders' actions certainly were praiseworthy, but the committee focused on a different link in the peace chain. Egil Aearr, chairman of the five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee, cited the peacekeeping forces for their contribution to "reducing tensions where an armistice has been negotiated, but a peace treaty has yet to be established." The peacekeeping forces first were sent into action in 1948 as an observer mission between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Since then, the U.N. has enforced an "uneasy calm" in 14 conflicts. The peacekeepers' commitment to peace is complete. They work to bring peace to disputed, war-torn areas, often without weapons. Deployed in nine countries, this multinational force works in areas torn apart by political ideology and religious faith. The peacekeeping forces face problems of unfamiliar languages, cultures, edifices, violence, hostility and hismes of political leaders. For too long now, the United Nations has borne the burden of caustic criticism and alleged inefficiency. The selection by the UN General Assembly to lead the effort is When U.N. Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar accepts the medal and $338,000 on behalf of the soldiers, the credit goes to the selection committee as well as the peace-keeping forces. Muktha Jost for the editorial board News staff Todd Cohen Editor Michael Horak Managing editor Julio Azacete Associate editor Stephen Wade News editor Michael Morschel Editorial editor Noel Gerdén Campus editor Craig Anderson Sports editor Scott Carpenter Photo editor Dave Eames Graphics editor Jill Hurley Features Art/Featured editor Tom Etlen General manager, news adviser Business staff Greg Knipp ... Business manager Debra Cole ... Regional sales manager Carrie Brown ... Campus sales manager Linda Prokop ... National sales manager Pamela Rothschild ... Product manager Sarah Higdon ... Marketing manager Brad Lennath ... Production manager Michael Lehmann ... Asst. production manager Michael Lehmann ... Classified manager **Letters** should be hyphenated, double-spaced and over 200 words and must be in a formal writing style. Letters from the University of Kansas, please include class and hometown, or affiliation with the University of Kansas. Guest columns should be typed, double-spaced and less than 700 words. The writer will be photographed. writer will be presented. The Kansas reserves the right to reedit or add letters and guest columns. They are not brought to the Kansas newsroom. 111 St. Fell Hall Letters and columns are the writer's opinion and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University Daily Kalman. Editorials are the opinion of the Kaisan The University Daily Kanan (USPS 650-640) is published at the University of Kansas, 118 Student-First Hall. Hawlett, Kan. 66045, dates during the regular semester. The USPS postcard is printed Wednesday during the summer session. Second-class postage is paid in Lawrence, Kan. The USPS postcard is $3.50. Student fees are $3 and are paid through the student activity fee. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the University Daily Kansas, 118 Staulter-Fitt Hall, Lawrence. Kan. 66045 Dreadfully dull debates need spicing up Banning television and borrowing rules from boxing are among the ways to star Herewith are 10 ways to improve the quality of the presidential "debates" that have become, let's face it, a mandatory ritual and general bore in election years. 1. Don't telewise them. Hold them under a big tent with hawkers selling hot dogs and Eskimo hats to provide novels and substance. Anybody else want to have the best transcript. Having to provide written answers might improve both candidates' syntax. This new approach might revive the lost art of reading, and it could also make improvement from being bombarded by a series of equal but opposite commercials, which is what presidential debates have become. For intellectual challenges, students who debate rank "where before professional wrestlers 2. Omit the reporters, moderators, analysts or whatever those folks are on the sidelines and return to the classical debating format. Provide sufficient time for a lecture exposition; a fair rebuttal and a conversational tone instead of an argument. Give students a checklist of snappy comebacks and emotional appeals. Because any such change would be unacceptably dignified in an election year, perhaps journalists would agree to have all their questions collected and aired at the end of the speech. The reader should collect all descriptions of the weather in modern novels and print them at the end of the book. 3. Replace the John Lehrer with a real time keeper, a veteran of the Zale Graziano matches who can read time. He or she would have a little hammer and bell instead of those lights that look like they belong outside on the street corner. A hammer before the next round of questions would help. Syndicated columnist The rhetorical equivalent of hitting below the Paul Greenberg belt would mean a 10-point penalty. Every time George Bush hurled the Pledge at Daleman Dukakis, or every time the governor struck back by painting the vice president as a buddy of Manuel Campos, it would be another 10 points. Both contestants probably would wind up in negative numbers. 4. Have the debate conducted by stand-ins. This would give both candidates time off to do some research on the candidates. In the George Bush, Mister Rogers. In the other, the Hillary Clinton, A.A. you know. Nobody would know the differences. 5. Prohibit the candidates from mentioning their spouses. Next they'll be showing us family photographs. Ask both nominees to pretend they're the only ones running for president. Let each candidate specify one issue that may not be mentioned during the course of the evening's debate. That would spare both embarrassment. Michael Dukakis would have a wide choice: the nuclear freeze, quick furloughs for murderers and rapists. He would probably choose economics. George Bush would doubtless have chosen Iran-Contrata in those halcyon days before he chose Dan Quavle. In return for getting to pick one ammunitionable topic, each would be obliged to say one candidity during the course of the debate, such as, "I chose Lloyd Bentens because he's from Texas. You taxes." don't think I would have picked him it nec me from rhode Island, do you?" Or, "I picked Dan Qauyle for my running mate because he looked good on paper — right age, right offices, right politics. I hate it when reality treats the computer printout, but I'm going to make the best of it." 7. Somebody tell Dukakis that the most appropriate response to everything is not a tight-tipped little smile. This guy smiles when discussing terrorism. Could the country take four years of that on the nightly news? And the vice president's answer to him should not please not refer to his opponent in these debates to the third person, as if he were out of the room. It's impolite, and wishing won't make it so. 8. Eliminate the closing statements. If that is impossible, require both candidates to wear party hats while delivering them. It might put their canned appeals in perspective. 9. Ring a bell whenever a candidate uses more than an onkheward phrase in a single sentence. We can give no quarter when it comes breaking down. Did she ask Durakis said. Or was it Bush? And does it matter? 10. End the debates with a prayer of thanks that the country is so free of great crises that it can afford to be peaceful and bright side. To have a Lincoln-Douglas debate, a country also must have a slavery blessing. Blessed are those who pray for slavery. Before this campaign is over, the one class in the American economy that may need the most relief is the manufacturers of sedatives. There is such a contest being close without being exciting. Paul Greenberg is a syndicated columnist who pales for the Pine Blow, Ark. "Agarate," Copyright Copyright, 1970, by Robert E. Shanker, Inc. Cartoon in bad taste We, as members of the Take back the Night March steering committee, felt the cartoon on page four of the Oct. 4 Kansan was in very poor taste. The cartoon showed a picture of two men dragging a woman by her hair into their dorm room. Please, do not attempt to explain what the cartoon was about, or why it is "funny." That is not the point. The point is, this image trivializes violence against women, and therefore helps allow rape and battering to continue. As long as we continue to speak lightly of women in these situations, we ourselves with pictures of women being hurt, we will never stop rape and battering. issue. In light of the fact that one-third of women are raped and one-third of women are battered, it would be nice if the Kansan took violence against women seriously. Even if, as is probable, most of the Kansan editors are male, they need to realize that more than half of the women in Kansan will be sensitive of the Kansan staff to familiarize themselves with women's issues. How ironic that the Take Back the Night March was featured on the front page of that Please don't patronize us by telling us we have no sense of humor. We have a sense of humor; it just differs from the of the Kansan staff in that we don't think violence against women is funny Laura Alexander Lawrence junior Amy Hammer Shawnee sophomore Vote Meinhardt Kirsten Lawing Wichita senior It is reassuring to a member of the Democratic party speak out against Rep. Jim Johnson's bill, which Slattery's record is appalling, to say the least I agree with Mr. DeVore that Slattery must go, but abstaining from voting on this issue is not the way to deal with this problem. The only way to remove this inadependence and inadequate representation is for our vote for Slattery's opponent, Phil Meinhardt. Meinhardt has a distinguished record of service to the state of Kansas and the United States. As an Air Force officer, Meinhardt faced many serious challenges to which he had to respond, including as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, he will continue this fine record. It takes a special individual to represent a diverse region such as the northeastern portion of Kansas. Meinhardt is such an individual. He grew up in a rural section of this district, so he specializes the needs of our rural citizens. He lives in a city where he helps the needs of our urban residents just as clearly. Sending Meinhardt to Congress will be instrumental in returning honor, integrity and the true views of the entire 2nd District to Washington. On Nov. 8, I urge everyone to cast his vote for Phil Meinhardt and remove Slattery's form of self-serving representation from office. Kevin M. Walker Co-chairman, Bush-Quayle Campaign at KU BLOOM COUNTY WASHINGTON ACTE: THE FORMATION OF THE SCALP- TONIC INTERPETTION AGENCY WAS AMBACED... by Berke Breathed AFTER 3 MONTHS AND #75K MILLION, OLT % OF ALL THE SMOKEGED TONGIC WAS TRUM- PHANT INTERDICTED. 1 7