THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2005
WWW.KANSAN.COM
CULTURE SHOCK
PAGE 7A
Searching for a candidate; just Biden my time
I vividly remember the starcrossed date of November 2, 2004. It was the day I lost my political innocence and gave my first vote to John Kerry. It was also the night of my first electoral heartbreak. I desperately drank my intended victory champagne in a state of disbelief, unable to fathom that 51 percent of the electorate actually choose to renew their vows to George W. Bush despite the fact that he had screwed our schools, the environment, our legitimacy in the world, everyone not in his tax brackets and all with no sign of remorse or willingness to change.
After I overanalyzed all the "what ifs." I came to realize that my first vote was doomed to be a disappointment. Indeed, there is no question that John
SARAH STACY opinion@kansan.com
Kerry would have been a better match for me than Bush, but Kerry was not my idea of Mr. Right.
Although I admired his judiciousness and his intellect, he conveyed his stances poorly and lacked the personal touch needed to win over my small town friends who considered him an "elitist." And I privately confess that he failed to satisfy some of my leftist needs.
While no one aspirant will ever be perfectly compatible for me, I now possess a more refined conception of what I look for in a President.
I am on the prowl for a compelling Democrat leader who is at least 35 years of age, a natural born citizen of the United States, who has a reputation for honesty and integrity and is willing to keep the interest of all members of his country at heart.
The contender must make me feel secure, know how to budget and plan for the future, respect women's autonomy and have a strong yet warm personality.
My major turn-offs include violating civil liberties, cronyism, corruption, exploiting natural resources, third-world-bullying, endorsing trickle-down economic policies that result in nothing but drops, and playing
the Jesus card for political gain.
And please, no wealthy former C-students from Ivy League universities or "Democrats" willing to damage the Party by pushing it to the right for personal short-term gain.
To be pragmatic, I must narrow down the playing field to only those who have a real chance at succeeding.
I regrettably must eliminate anyone with inadequate fundraising capabilities and those who lack prominent political consultants and an organized grass-roots campaign. It may sound harsh, but I admit I am a high maintenance constituent with an electoral clock that is ticking.
Fortuitously for me, I can shop around for men and women planning to run for President
without ever having to leave Lawrence. The Dole Institute of Politics is bringing presidential hopefuls to speak on issues facing the nation for its 2008 Contenders' lecture series. Today at 1:30 p.m. at the Dole Institute of Politics, the KU Young Democrats will co-sponsor the first of such events with special guest Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del).
Although the the Kansan was informed in advance that this senator was coming to campus to speak to students, they chose only to begin covering his appearance after all the tickets were taken, thanks to a Lawrence Journal-World preview.
The Dole Institute will accommodate students with a large projection screen on the lawn where you can see Joe
Biden live. Bring a blanket, bundle up and take advantage of this special opportunity to see this six-term senator who has long been a member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the top ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a politician with ambitions of becoming our next president. I will go to this engagement with no expectations, but you never know, perhaps he and I will have political chemistry.
For more information on this event and for a bio for Joe Biden please visit http://www.ku.edu/~dole/news/Biden.pdf.
$ \star $ Stacy is a Germantown, MD., senior in political science, Spanish and international studies.
Free All for
Call 864-0500
Holla!
Free for all callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded.
50 glorious inches of Free for All; www.kansan.com
Ohio State people sure have determination when it comes to getting their comments put in a Kansas college newspaper.
To the girl who wants to kiss the girl with the pink iPod, I already did, and it was fabulous.
Eww, just because we're in Kansas does not mean you can wear overalls.
Hey, uh, John, remember that sandwich you owe us?
We have an invoice at our house for it, so you can come pick that up whenever you want.
Guess what, Free for All. I was supposed to lose my driver's license for driving drunk, but I didn't. So I win, and everyone else loses!
My girlfriend just asked me what magma cum laude means, and it kind of made me horny
Adam Barmann and Joey Fatone get all the chicks.
I love how your Rosa Parks article is right above an article about buses.
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I've got good news and I've got bad news. The
good news is I'm not going to molest you. The bad
news is it's because you're ugly.
Calling the Free for All is like hiding 20 bucks from myself when I'm wasted. It doesn't help you out much now, but if I find it a couple days from now, it's going to make me really happy.
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Just tell your freshman advisor that you missed your appointment today at 1:30 because you were getting high. They'll understand.
Me and my buddy just made a pact that we will try crack by the end of our senior year. Record that.
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My roommate's boyfriend just complimented my roommate by saying that she had the skin of the belly of a catfish. Nice work, Casanova.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Popcorn: tasty treat and great play
When most students think about theater, they typically think of the lame, stumbling productions from their high schools.
College theatre is very different from the theater world of K12. Not only is the acting better, but the scripts themselves can shock the hell out of you.
We're all more than familiar with these—awkward high school kids flubbing lines, scenery falling down, a less-than-stellar script. I know them well, too, considering I was one of those kids (though hopefully not too awkward).
They've even put an R rating on it, saying it's not suitable for kids. As the Assistant Director, I've seen the show many times now, and I think that's pretty accurate. I also think this makes it even more appealing to college kids.
Such is the case with Popcorn, the University Theatre show opening this Friday. In fact, the script is so risqué and chocked-full of sex, drugs, violence and explicit language that the powers-that-be in the department have sent out letters to patrons warning them of the content.
Think about it: How many violent movies have you watched? How many do you own?
Now think of the movies or shows you love that have sex, swearing, or drugs (or a combination of all three of them)? I
Popcorn hits on topics like the effect violence in media has on people, and all-too-familiar debate that's gone on for who knows how long. The irony of it all is that it is two horny, mass-murdering lunatics who deliver that message
sage...
rest my case.
The irony of it all is that it is two horny, mass-murdering lunatics who deliver that message to the audience. Among the smart-ass director, nude
Violence, sex, and all that good stuff are becoming the norm in media. In college theater, however, it still comes as a shock to some, mainly the more conservative crowd that expects "The Sound of Music" and Shakespeare at every performance.
model/actress, half-naked camera crew and everyone else on stage, they are the characters you'd least expect that make us stop and think.
Popcorn hits on topics like the effect violence in media has on people, an all too familiar debate that's gone on for who knows how long.
That's the thing: The show is full of elements that most generations that came before us won't like, yes, but it also delivers a thoughtful theme in a funny (and screwed up) way.
If you like sex, drugs, or violence (whether in real life or on TV, it's okay, we don't judge), this show will rock your socks off.
It's like a Quentin Tareintino movie in 3D. The actors do a brilliant job, the set and special effects are impressive, plus, if I still want to see more of it after more than a month of rehearsals, that has to say something about it, right?
The University and Theatre Department made a great decision by producing this show, despite the expected hell they'll receive from those more conservative than the average student.
So how about this: Instead of potentially staying home for a night this weekend watching a flick on your TV, see some live action entertainment that is just as good. Guys, this isn't your old high school show, this is the kind of theater made just for us. Take advantage.
Brown is an Augusta junior in theater and film and English.
Matthew Sevclk, opinion editor
864-4924 or msevclk@kansan.com
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Austin Caster, editor
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The Short Stack
Editor's note: The Short Stack is a new opinion page feature in which we publish less lengthy comments and letters to the editor. If you have something to say, but aren't drunk enough to call the Free for All and don't like to write long, lofty essays, then e-mail The Short Stack at opinion@kansan.com.
Last argument: I've never cheated on my girlfriends, but some have cheated on me, and one tried to kill me.
Too sexist for this paper
In regards to Sara Garlick's article concerning cheating, I think all of her work should be banned from the Kansan until she learns to stop being a sexist.
I can glance at her article titles and instantly know that they will be attacking men right and left. Case in point: Sara Garlick's entire article talks about men cheating on their girlfriends.
Girls cheat too. Girls
Nicolas Meyer Andover freshman
aren't physically abusive in a relationship, but they are still abusive mentally. Even if Sara claims to be straight, she can't seem to write about anything other then "women are the victim even though they're better than men."
Reverse discrimination is also a large problem. Men and women are equal. All you're going to do is anger one side and make the other side arrogant and ignorant.
Let's start showing the world that we are, in fact, an enlightened university. Look at both sides of the problem, give credit where credit is due. Quit raising women up on the remains of men.
Throwing the book at them
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On the way to class today I heard a girl venting her frustrations about the gentlemen handing out Bibles. "It just makes me want to blow up! When you tell them you don't want one, they look at you and say 'Have a nice day' and you just know it's fake!"
From experience, I might suggest that sincere generosity and kindness do exist in the world and
I wonder, since the decision to accept or decline any faith is purely autonomous and legitimate, why can't people just say, "No thanks," and walk away without anxiety?
the simple act of offering a book for free doesn't hold any strings or judgments.
K. C. Atchinson Lawrence junior
Blue can give Mizzou a black eye
Forget about the past four games. They are in the past. It is time to channel all of our student body angst toward beating Mizzou!
We have one of the best defenses in the nation, and along with the student body as the 12th man on the field, Memorial Stadium will be rocking this Saturday. We are loud, we are proud, we are layhawks!
Some born and bred,some born and transplanted, some
teaching their young how to be a Jayhawk. But we all have one thing in common; crimson and blue running through our veins. And this Saturday, we need to show it.
As I was driving through Missouri last weekend, I kept hearing radio commercials hyping up their game against Nebraska. They wanted to "Black out the stadium". There were even special shirts made up for the game. This is what we need to do.
It worked in basketball with a "Blue Phog".
There needs to be so much blue in Memorial Stadium this Saturday that Missouri fans will get sick of seeing it. Everyone has to have a blue shirt of some kind.
Leave the fashionable KU shirts at home this weekend. No pink, no yellow, no green. Wear blue!
Brandon M. Perkins Lawrence senior
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