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Tuesday, January 31, 1995
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIEWPOINT
THE ISSUE: HONORARY CHANGELLOR
'Interim' title should be changed
Del Shankel has twice served this University admirably as interim
chancellor. The university could graciously recognize this service by removing the word "interim" from Shankel'stitle.
A covert campaign is underway to convince the Kansas Board of Regents to honor Shankel. This campaign need not be covert. It should be public, and it should have the support of every administrator, faculty member and student on this campus.
Del Shankel is the only person in KU history to twice serve as interim chancellor. This alone could be reason enough to reward him. However, to doso solely on those grounds would indeed be an injustice to a man who has so unselfishly served this university in the
A current campaign to drop the word 'interim' from Del Shankel's title should be backed by the entire University.
academic and administrative arenas.
Honoring a KU interim chancellor in this fashion has been done before. In October 1972, the Regents made Acting Chancellor Raymond Nichols the University's 12th chancellor. Shankel has said he would be honored to be compared to Nichols.
By removing the word "interim" from Del Shankel's title and officially recognizing him as the 15th chancellor, the Regents would indeed be honoring an altruistic servant to the University of Kansas in the best manner possible.
TIM MUIR FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD.
It's time to allow Sunday sales
THE ISSUE: KANSAS LIQUOR LAWS
A ta recent Super Bowl party some students ran into a problem.
They finished off their beer, and the game hadn't even started. When someone suggested that they purchase more before kickoff, cheers erupted. It was a stroke of genius.
Then, someone spoiled the fun. A person mentioned it was Sunday, and liquor isn't sold in Kansas on Sunday.
Kansas is one of only a few states that do not allow the sale of alcoholic beverages or cereal malt beverages in packages on Sunday. Kansas law also prohibits the use of credit cards to purchase packaged alcoholic beverages However, State Bill 2105 pending for a vote in the Kansas House of Representatives, would change this outdated law.
Bill 2105 would allow the sale of packaged alcoholic beverages not only on Sunday but also Memorial Day, Labor Day and the Fourth of July. The bill would allow the purchase of packaged alcoholic beverages with credit cards.
Will the historically conservative Kansas Legislature pass such a law? Surprisingly, it already has. Last year, a similar piece of legislation passed the House and Senate but was vetoed by former Gov. Joan Finney. Whether Gov. Bill Graves would sign the law
The Kansas legislature has another opportunity to change its policies on alcohol sales and credit cards, and it should.
isn't known.
Sunday sales have been outlawed for decades in Kansas because of religious observances. But if liquor sales are banned out of respect for religion, why aren't all holy days for all religions dry? Also, packaged liquor can't be sold in stores, but bars are allowed to open and sell liquor by the-drink via credit cards.
Many states, including Missouri and Oklahoma, have changed dry Sunday laws. So many Kansans cross the borders to illegally bring alcohol back. It's ridiculous that Kansas pushes this cash flow outside the state.
If passed and signed, the bill would be put to a public vote. Each county would be able to decide. Some will want it. Some won't. But counties that want such a measure may not be given the chance to decide.
For many Kansans this law no longer has a legitimate foundation. The Legislature should pass the bill, and Gov. Graves should sign it into law.
This bill does not endorse an endless flow of alcohol, but it does support allowing consumers to make their own decisions.
Michael Paul / KANSAN
SPENCER DUNCAN FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
It may be the end of the world, but it's still not anyone's fault!
I blame my parents,really
Well, I have to, don't it? Everyone else does. Besides, I feel left out. I keep finding myself in painfully embarrassing situations, and the only person even remotely in a position to accept responsibility is, well, me.
The administration is a wonderful target for buck-passing. You can just say the word "bureaucracy," and people just nod in sympathy. Which bureaucracy in particular doesn't really matter all that much. Our society has been trained to think it is under constant attack by hapless clerks with mysterious files and those 80-button telephones that require electrical-engineering degrees to use properly.
While this might be true some of the
Believe me, I've tried to find other people to blame. For a while, I enjoyed passing the buck to whichever media figure was the most annoyingly present at the time.
Unfortunately, I'm currently banning all things related to Juice of the orange variety, so that option's out.
Then there are my friends. It's easy to blame friends for my problems, especially when they aren't there to defend themselves. The problem is that most of my friends are too sharp for that sort of thing, and when word gets around, I'm at the center of open season wearing a day-glo orange blazer.
time, it's like shooting fish in a barrel. After using this excuse a few times, people simply look at you coldly and say in world-weary voices, "Them's the breaks, man. Cope or die."
STAFF COLUMNIST
istrations for me to be comfortable about pointing fingers anymore. I've started to believe they notice the attention. Then they choose to do something to earn it.
Then there's the foolishly idealistic attempt to accept the blame myself. But that doesn't cut it these days. Sure, it might actually be my fault, but try to get anyone to accept that.
Besides, in my case, there have been one too many actual problems caused by admin.
Personal responsibility will never put me on Oprah or Ricki, and when this millennium's over with, I will be the only person to never be on a talk show.
"It isn't my fault" is the battle-cry of the '90s and should I be stupid enough to buck that trend I'd be left behind.
I don'tthink I could stand the humiliation.
I mean, look at the rest of this very
newspaper, or CNN or any other source of current events. Bill blamed Bob and now blames Newt, who blamed Hillary but now blames Connie, who blames Newt's Mom, who blames NBC, who blames . . . well, probably will find a way to blame Dave, who doesn't blame anybody, but he's rich as hell and knows it.
No one wants to be seen as fallible. That's understandable, screwing up is not a proud moment. There's that warm rush of blood to the face, the strong desire to crawl under a rock.
But come on, is it really the end of the world?
Trials these days are just ways to accuse someone else, who probably is trying to cope with his or hers most recent alien abduction.
probablv.
Oh well, it has to happen sometime. The point I'm getting at, though, is simply this. Being a complete idiot once in a while is our right as homo sapiens, and we shouldn't be so ashamed of our birthright.
Take the blame once in a while, and maybe you'll eventually get used to the feeling of being wrong, become desensitized to it and become a better person for it.
But I still blame my parents.
Friend's theory explains first-week hassles for students
Isaac Bell is a Lawrence senior in English
There's a certain amount of bureaucratic stuff a person has to do at the beginning of a semester. You always have to do 74 zillion things once classes are in session.
There are books to buy, add/drop appointments to keep, groceries to buy... anyway, the point is, I was talking to my friend Frank the other day about this hassle.
STAFF
COLUMNIST
The theory goes like this: Once upon a time, there was nothing for students to do at the beginning of the semester but homework. And in
He seems to think that there's a reason for all this. It's all a big conspiracy.
the first week of classes, it hasn't even begun to pile up. There was little to keep students busy.
But administrators and faculty had a lot to do. They had to see to it that the place got running properly during that first week or two of classes.
The administrators and faculty called a meeting one year to discuss this situation. They agreed that it was unfair and dangerous that students had it so easy at the beginning of the semester. They drafted a resolution that said students were a rowdy, belligerent and radical group. Students would soon use the free time they were granted at the beginning of each semester to revolt against the system — they needed to be oppressed.
So they formed a task force that decided it would be wise to form a committee. This idea was presented at another meeting in the form of a resolution. The vote was postponed while a consensus was reached as to whether a two-thirds majority or a simple majority was necessary; the vote was taken; the motion passed, and a committee formed. The committee met the next week to discuss the matter and recommended that punitive action be taken. The assembly voted, this time by a two-thirds majority, to take it.
It was at this point that the "stroke of genius," as historians called it, occurred. This was to be the downfall of frolicking students. And it brought the student body to its knees with one sentence, worded like this, "Hey, I know! Let's make 'em do the kind of stuff we've been doing at these meetings!"
Which means that we students now have to do things like add/drop.
I think Frank has too much time on his hands.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Campers not hurt by time spent waiting
This is in response to the letter written by Alison T. Reiff-Martin about the students who camp out. Her letter was full of inaccuracies. As a member of a group that has faithfully camped out for the basketball games, I can correct her.
First of all, the Athletic Department does not support this in any way. It is the students who conduct determine the order of the groups' on the list. And the students call roll during the day to ensure that all the groups are still present. There are rules that were made by the students and are strictly adhered to.
Our group feels that fans who camp out are the most loyal Jayhawk fans. If you do not have the time or the friends to form a group and camp out then I feel sorry for you. Lotteries and student seats in the "nosebleed level" are not the solution to your problem. The best solution is the one offered by Heather Lawrenz in her excellent editorial. Put a tent up or shut up.
demics. I have been in groups that have had as few as 10 people and as many as 30, and no one has had to miss a class as a result of camping. Camping schedules are planned so that this does not occur. And while it is true that card games are being played and banners are being painted, you would see students doing homework more than anything else.
What I really take exception to is the comment that I am prevented from "obtaining my education" and that I put basketball back at aca-
Dan Gelston
Pawling, NY, sophomore
You can camp out and get an education
In response to Alison T. Reiff Martin's letter on Jan. 24: Is it not possible to become educated and support basketball at the same time? Walk through Allen Field House and see how many people are studying while camping out.
It's not as if students are forced to miss classes, either. It's simple: if one person has class, someone else camps out.
Ryan McGee is a Linwood graduate student in political science.
How would implementing a lottery system ensure that students obtained a quality education? It is ultimately up to the students to obtain an education.
KU is a wonderful place because we can receive an education AND camp out for basketball seats!
Debbi Headley Wellington sophomore
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Letters: Should be double-spaced typed and fewer than 200 words. Letters must include the authors signature, name, address and telephone number plus class and hometown if a University student. Faculty or staff must identify their positions.
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