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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
JANUARY 25, 2006
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PAGE 4A
EDITORIAL BOARD
University should publish evaluations
At the end of each semester, students are required to fill out course evaluations. Although professors urge us to consider these with the utmost importance, because they have an effect on the teachers' tenure and salary, for students they mean nothing but a waste of time. But what if we were allowed to see student evaluations before we enrolled in classes?
Given that the current state in which students receive information on professors is disheartening, Student Senate created an end of the semester online evaluation made public that mirrored the paper course evaluations; however, it contained a major difference: It was voluntary. The lack of incentive ensures its failure.
Making these course evaluations public can only serve to further faculty accountability and improve the quality of education for students. This isn't about helping students peruse classes seeking to find a "lenient" teacher or one with an easy workload. Instead, these course evaluations will aid them in finding classes that are best suited and most interesting to them. It also will benefit teachers by filling their classes with students who want to be in their classes, which means students would be more willing to participate and produce better work.
The Web site has a disclaimer
that says, "In a class of 55 students, if only three filled out an evaluation, those results won't really teach you anything. In fact, the three who bothered to fill out an evaluation have a good chance of being either very happy or very unhappy with the class."
In the end, students remain the victim in this current situation where the poorly conducted surveys are available publicly and the more legitimate course evaluations are withheld.
Yet that's exactly the situation. Most of the teacher's receive only a handful of ratings, if that. Another Web site with public student evaluations is ratemyprofessor.com. The national site seems to draw more students but the rating methods are dubious at best. The system uses rating factors such as "easiness," "helpfulness," "clarity" and the dubious "hotness total" to determine the quality of a professor.
Students will always inquire about the reputations of professors one way or another. It might as well be from a credible source. After all, we are supposed to be open and honest in our opinions on the course evaluations. Why can't the University be open with the students as well?
— Malinda Osborne for the editorial board
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Future of sport fans should be phoggy
Not available. I couldn't have thought of a better way to describe our "camping" program and student section.
On Monday I walked into Allen Fieldhouse to check out the new Hall of Athletics. I walked down the hall looking for campers and was pretty surprised. No campers. Then I saw the camping sign-up sheet, with camping suspensions listed at the top. Sure enough, a four-day suspension. The reason: "N/A."
Now, the suspension concept is well thought out and there are unwritten rules for the whole system. To avoid any confusion on the sheet, some well-intentioned student fan left space to announce suspension times and reasons. One valid suspension was listed, "Men's away basketball game, 2 hours."
Just like our student-fan organization, and, in the end, student support of our beloved team. They should have just written "We didn't feel like camping." Through a lack of accountability students have begun abusing the system in wavs just like this.
It is glaringly apparent, though, that our students and fans need better representation and organization.
I have camped each season for the last four years, and I strongly feel that both student-fan participation and the camping program are broken. I love my school and my Jayhawks, and while it hurts to see and admit the problems, we should re-evaluate how our fan program compares to the likes of Duke, Illinois, Michigan State
and many others.
In the camping world, the integrity of the system is in question as many groups often illegitimately add their names back to lists after missing "roll-calls." These problems and others, like cheating allegations directed at several of the well-established camping groups, occur every year. All of this, though, comes with the territory when you have a system lacking any formal, democratic leadership or organization.
I'm not suggesting we institute midnight yell practices like Texas A&M or the tenting seen at Duke. But without well-established fan organization and leadership, these programs are not even options. The future is up to you, the students.
I have my own vision,
"The Phog." Its members'
exclusive shirts reading
"Beware," filling the student
section with a "blue phog."
Membership would eventually
become selective and
exclusive and include incentives like seating at games, similar to the Orange-crush at Illinois.
SIXTH GROUP like this requires the help of both the student series and the Athletics Department, everyone's interest to improve the game-day experience and give the program a stronger imagine. But "The Phog" is just my idea. It's up to you, the students, to decide what the future will hold.
Paul Garcia Overland Park senior
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Jorianstall Keating, editor
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Jeason Bhead, opinion editor
Patrick Rose, associate opinion editor
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Science, life collide daily; knowledge informs opinion
Sarah Connelly, sales manager
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Jason Blaad, opinion editor
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Science mixes with politics, culture and your personal life every day. Think of all the topics in the news where science flirts — or clashes — with society: Evolution versus intelligent design debates, stem cell research controversies, global warming concerns and avian bird flu fears.
strange, the same hormones could have health effects on other animals or people. Just another factor to consider if you're taking the pill.
Whether you're a science buff or aren't, there's an undeniable connection between science and you that's foolish, even dangerous, to ignore. Ignoring its impact on your life means you're not trusting science; you're trusting in escience — the absence of knowledge, or ignorance.
Here's a quick Q&A to illustrate how a basic understanding of science can help you form educated opinions.
Q. If birds are the ones getting avian flu,why are scientists worried about a human pandemic?
A. The H5N1 influenza virus strain (avian flu) has been infecting the media, as well as people and birds in Western Europe and Asia since 2003. Right now, The World Health Organization reports 149 people in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam who have contracted bird flu. The concern is that the virus will mutate and pass from person to person, which could cause a pandemic. Knowing more about how viruses are spread can keep avian flu and other animal viruses in check.
A. Brain development begins at week three, and speeds up around week 25. Knowing details about the cellular development of fetuses might seem a little too detailed, but understanding more about how the classic egg-sperm combo actually turns into a baby can help you gauge your stance on stem cell research and abortion.
These topics involve your health decisions. They influence laws that will affect your life. They drive international politics. It's crucial that you know as much as you can about how the world works and how you fit into it. To do so, instead of ncescience, use science.
Q. At what point in its growth does a fetus develop neural and cognitive abilities?
- Evanhoe is a Derby senior in chemistry.
BECCA EVANHOE opinion@kansan.com
Q. Do birth control pills have any environmental effects?
A. About 12 million American women use hormonal birth control. Studies in the last decade have revealed that excess hormones from the pill are, well, peed out by women into wastewater. The hormones aren't removed by water treatment plants, and move on to the environment where they seem to alter the sexes of some amphibians and fish. In short, birth control hormones can turn male frogs into female frogs. Why does it matter? Other than being completely
Q. What are genetically modified foods.
A. From one perspective, farmers have been "genetically modifying" foods for thousands of years through selective breeding, but it's all been external; they select a few specific plants or animals with the traits they want (like big, fat ears of corn or a chicken's ability to lay enormous eggs), and breed them the "natural" way. Today's concept of genetically modified (GM) foods means scientists have manipulated the actual genes of plants and animals to get those traits. Some GM processes even aim to put extra vitamins or pesticides in these foods. Knowing more about these processes can help you decide if you want to put GM foods in your body.
A. It's undeniable that the Earth's climate is getting warmer. But it's important to note how much warmer it's gotten in the last hundred years, and how quickly the warming has happened. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the world's climate has warmed by 5 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit since the last ice age, 18,000 to 20,000 years ago. Are we to blame for this round of heating? Most environmental scientists will answer a resounding yes. Our automobile and industry exhaust is leading to a so-called unnatural jump in the Earth's temperature.
Q. True or false: Global warming is part of the Earth's natural cycle of cooling and heating.
▼ COMMENTARY
Politicians duke it out on Capitol Hill
Welcome to the Washington Death Match, where big-time players in the political wrestling arena savagely fight to the death.
This brawl has been intense since Big Man Bush stepped into the arena, backed up by his tag-teammate, Iron Fist Dick. For those of you that haven't had your political cherry popped, the current fight for power on Capitol Hill resembles an uncontrolled catfight — claws sharpened and fangs bared. This battle introduces a new level of mudslinging, each party taking every chance to hit the other below the belt.
The Conservatives have been beating down on the Liberals, and if the Democrats want to get out of this ring on top, they're going to have to step up their game and pack more power behind their punches. Unfortunately, neither party can really win this dispute until they start working together.
The left wing's recent assaults have been based on the secrecy of the Bush administration and the questionable legality of some of its actions.
Republicans swung right back
BETSY MCLEOD
opinion@kansan.com
when Bush, in a January speech to Veterans of Foreign Wars, accused liberals of "giving comfort to our adversaries" and showing "irresponsible behavior" in blocking an extension on the USA Patriot Act.
Democrats responded to the attack and smacked Republicans in the face with a challenge on Congress' ethics, accusing the right wing of doublespeak and using the party's influences to help special interest groups. This blow to the Republicans was a double whammy in light of the Jack Abramoff scandal. Therefore, it will be interesting to see exactly how the neo-cons strike back.
Let's get it on!
- McLeed is an Overland Park sophomore in English and journalism.
Ah, yes, the rivalry between the parties has never been fiercer, and America hasn't been this
divided since the Civil War. The American people can now rightly be suspicious of the intentions of every politician on the hill thanks to lobbying scandals and slanted media coverage.
It seems like everyone is on the defensive, from Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, who apologized to 33 Republican senators after he singled them out for ethical corruption, to George W.himself, who reprimanded Democrats for not supporting the Republican's efforts to fight terrorism.
In a January 11 Associated Press article, Democratic National Committee communications director Karen Finney responded to Bush's frustration with liberal criticism by retorting, "The Bush administration's attack, distract and distort tactics reflect a Nixonian paranoia that is un-American. It's shameful that once again the Bush administration resorted to attacking the patriotism of fellow Americans rather than answering legitimate questions surrounding the president's failures in Iraq."
Ouch, that's got to sting.
But don't despair, fellow Americans, former presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush Sr., along with Bob Dole and Senator John McCain, have been working together to promote bipartisanship. The two parties have worked together in the past. Hopefully we can pull this thing we call a country together and work toward bandaging our bleeding morale. For now, enjoy the fight and make sure to get a good seat, because the forecast for the upcoming months is deliciously vicious.
The bottom line is, although the economy has prospered, the middle class is shrinking and the gap between the rich and the poor is growing. The government's delayed response to hurricane Katrina and confessions of bribery and fraud remind us exactly how large that gap is, and how out of touch our representatives are with the people they represent.
Free for All
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Call 864-0500
Clickers, CPS response pads, whatever you call them, they're still stupid.
how lucky he is. No idea how lucky he is.
To the idiot in front of me who's wearing shorts: Go back to whatever arctic landscape you came from.
That rabbit has no Idea
Free-For-All, I just wanted to let you know that I am the Wescoe master.
I wish our student body would be as respectful as the Kansas State student body to host the president, but you know what? I don't ever see that happening.
+
What is the deal with people driving with their iPods? Stop it. I've almost hit twice.
As a poor college student, the George Foreman Grill is the greatest thing ever. Oh yay!
Free-For-All, I think I like you a little bit more than just a friend.
This is the first time I've got sick of hearing a song on KJHK. They keep playing this stupid song called "Blockbuster" and I wish they would stop.
I haven't forgotten about 9/11.
I just prefer not to think about it.
Free-For-All, I just want to let you know I'm stoked for spring baseball to start. I just want to know when you guys are going to give me the in-depth baseball report for the KU team.
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I just got back from going to Dr. Dembski's lecture on Intelligent Design at the Lied Center, and I have to say I'm very embarrassed to have been from the same university as some of my fellow students who were extremely, extremely rude. Come on, people.
WE
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