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Tuesday, November 22, 1994
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIEWPOINT
Students should pay fee for Legal Services visits
Legal Services for Students is a University of Kansas office that advises students who have questions about topics ranging from parking tickets to problems with landlords.
Those who are experiencing problems with landlords make up the majority of Legal Services clients. Because of the overwhelming number of students with legal questions, the service is overburdened and the waiting list is long.
In order to continue and expand these services, students should pay a small consulting fee, which would be set by Legal Services and kept reasonable enough that all students who needed the service could afford it.
This year Legal Services received $198,000 from Student Senate, and it is asking for $236,900 for next year, which is a fairly significant
LEGAL SERVICES User fee could finance additions
increase and comes from student fees. A sizable amount of this would go to employees' salaries, including three full-time attorneys, one full-time secretary, five part-time law students and one undergraduate assistant.
To raise money for these additions students who needed those services could be required to pay a small fee, probably between $5 and $15, when they needed help. Legal Services could then expand its services for all students who needed it without increasing student fees; a fair and equitable solution for all involved.
Legal Services would like to add more law student interns and possibly a part-time paralegal to deal with the volume of clients.
MARK YONALLY FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD.
Picketers did not stifle Maya Angelou's message
Maya Angelou, President Clinton's inaugural poet, recently performed in Topeka. She also was scheduled to perform at Emporia State University but postponed the show after she was accosted and verbally assaulted by antihomosexual picketers in Topeka.
She canceled the performance because she feared an outbreak of violence between her fans in Emporia and the picketers.
It is sad that in today's climate of acceptance for all people, some people still feel it is necessary to spoil great opportunities for others to be exposed to meaningful work such as Angelou's. It is not often that Kansas gets the opportunity to enjoy such outstanding performances and important social commentary from artists like Angelou.
The picketers cited the use of the words "the gay" in Angelou's inaugural poem as their reason for showing up at her Topeka performance.
INAUGURAL POET
Tries to prevent violence
The picketers surely see Angelou's decision to postpone the Emporia performance as a victory for their cause, but the decision was really a victory for Angelou.
She chose to take the high road and to put her concern for a peaceful environment before the petty whining of the picketers and the criticism she could receive for "giving in."
As much as we would like to ignore the rhetoric of some misled protesters, at the same time we have to admit that the potential for violent retaliation could exist. Angelou realized this and made the decision to do everything in her power to make sure it would not happen.
Let the picketers proclaim their victory because it is obvious that by not stooping to their level Angelou has truly proven herself the winner.
DONELLA HEARNE FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD.
KANSAN STAFF
STEPHEN MARTINO
Editor
JEN CARR Business manager
CHRISTOPH FUHRMANS Managing editor
TOM EBLEN General manager, news adviser
CAMERON DEATH Retail sales manager
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... Regan Overy
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Praver doesn't belong in public schools
I don't think prayer in school should be without control. I don't see the value in praying to some vague, politically correct concept of god or an institutionalized, public, wishy-wishy deity.
Since the Republicans took control of Congress, they have made a lot of promises. They have promised welfare reform, a balanced budget amendment and all sorts of other policies.
For the most part I agree with many of the promises the Republicans have made, but there is one I really dislike — prayer in public schools.
From what I understand, the Republican plan allows for a time of silent reflection, during which students can take time and pray.
Republicans and others are pushing hard to amend the constitution to allow for a "moment of silence" in public schools.
Some members of the religious right have attempted to show how the nation has fallen apart since prayer in school was made illegal. They have used statistics to show that teen pregnancies, violent crimes and other bad
If I don't agree with the person who is in charge of the prayer will I be forced to pray to their god?
The ending of prayer in school, rather than a cause of these bad things, is an indicator of the actual cause.
things have increased since we stopped praying in school. This is simply wrong.
Simply, I will not be happy with any plan for prayer in school unless the prayers are specifically in tune with my religious beliefs, which I would never want to compromise.
Opponents of prayer in school, of course, scream about first amendment violations. They say this breaks the separation of church and state because it would pressure students into doing something they may not otherwise want to do.
It was America's turning away from God and traditional values that really caused this increase. Stopping prayer
Since that isn't going to happen any time soon, Istand opposed to our government telling students to pray in schools.
in schools is simply an example of this.
However, I don't like the idea of our government having their fingers so deep into religion or telling others who to pray and when.
For myself, I like the idea of giving students the opportunity to pray at school.
The major reason for my objection to the school prayer plan is that it leaves the door wide open for anyone to control it.
Do the teachers pray? Students?
Principal? Who?
Matt Hood / KANSAN
Inane library policy, workers thwart search for magazines
Most students have first hand experience in dealing with the University of Kansas' bureaucracy and the nauseating amount of red tape spewed from its system. Many of us have shown up 15 minutes early at the enrollment center only to be denied, rejected and turned loose onto the Jayhawk Boulevard because of something written in obscensely fine print at the bottom of our ARTS form.
Luckily ARTS forms have changed, Dean's stamps are a thing of the past and tuition is conveniently paid through the mail. For the most part, things at this fine institution seem to be on the upswing. But have no fear. I have found another problem to keep me up at night, unable to study and full of bad thoughts about KU.
I replied, "I'm sorry, but I left my KUID in a friend's car. But I have my
I arrived at the periodicals desk and requested the magazines that I needed. The courteous student helper handed me with the magazines and said, "I just need your KUID."
This time the victim of my scrutiny is the University of Kansas Libraries and their lending codes. Over a weekend left my KUID in a friend's car On Tuesday, I realized that I didn't have my KUID. I dug through my backpack in search of some identification and found my wallet. I had my driver's license, Social Security card and credit cards. I thought I had everything I would need to get a loan or to borrow a book from the University. The loan I could get, but not the book
GUEST COLUMNIST
driver's license."
mildly disgruntled, I descended to the fourth floor where I was told by another helpful, yet mindless, student helper that I needed to go to the fines office. My temper still intact, I approached the fines desk and explained my predicament.
"You have to go down to the circulation desk, and they'll issue you a temporary borrower's card," offered the periodicals guy.
MICHAEL HOUSTON
"We don't give temporary borrower's cards," she barked.
"I need to get a temporary borrower's card." I said.
David Zimmerman is a Wichita senior in communications studies.
"I'm afraid not," she mumbled as she returned to her desk. "I can't help you. That's policy."
"All right then, I need a permanent borrower's card," I said. The fines lady and I exchanged a few words, and I asked, "So what you're telling me is that there is no way I can check out these magazines?"
In a whirlwind of fury, I marched to
the Student Assistance Center and proclaimed, "I am a student, and I need assistance."
I spoke with the director of the center and she helped me explore some of my options. I could beg a friend to check out the magazines for me, or I could copy the materials I needed. Thinking that the copy option would be the least hassle, I went back.
Little did I know that I was unable to even take the magazines to the photocopier without "proper" identification. After another run in with the periodicals guy and the circulation student assistant, I saw the fines lady scurrying off to the restroom. I thought, "This is my chance. Maybe the person at the fines desk is a reasonable individual." I explained my dilemma to the man at the counter. Once again I was turned down. After many attempts at understanding the unhelpful library folks, I left defeated and empty-handed. I have been consumed by the tape once again.
The KU Libraries' lending code states that KU students, faculty, students from other Kansas universities and Kansas residents are eligible to borrow from the libraries. I am a KU student. I have attended other Kansas schools. I am a Kansas resident. The fact that the workers at Watson allowed me to walk out without the materials that I need for a class infuriates me.
Michael Houston is a Lawrence senior majoring in Spanish.
MATT GOWEN
Thanksgiving: a time for all to be thankful
I know. Everyone's gone home, right? Only the local yokels like myself and anyone else who had an overdue term paper to turn in today are left on campus. For anyone who is still here, perhaps dreaming of a Thanksgiving dinner at mom's house, I'd like to ask you to make your own list of what you're thankful for. What's that you say? You believe Thanksgiving to be a gluttonous, pagan celebration symbolizing America's penchant for excess. Still, you've got to be thankful for something, don't you? Just play along.
Now, this doesn't have to be a nice,
fuzzy list like the one in that book, "57
Kazillion Things To Be A Syrupy Goo
Of Joy About." But it can be. Hey,
if you're thankful for paper cuts or hot
tea (both of which do go nicely with
lingen), fingernails across the hood
of a car or The Carpenter's Christmas
album (both sound better in December),
so be it. I'll offer my own list to
help get you started.
I am thankful for:
A break from classes.
A gross, pagan, gluttonous, seven-
course Thanksgiving dinner.
A BREAK IN OIL CLASS Time with family
Time away from this newspaper
Newt Gingrich (not really).
Time to continue ignoring bills, car repairs, laundry and the latest issue of GO.
Cool, clear, windless, fall nights when you can see your breath, even without cigarettes.
The fact that I don't have a smoking habit (though I've given it the old college try).
The fact that I have a drinking habit (no, mom, I'm not an alcoholic, and yes, I know it runs in the family, give it a rest, it's Thanksgiving).
The fact that I haven't seen the John Wayne Babbitt porno "Uncut" (though an anonymous friend has offered to loan it to me. I told him I'd have to read the book first).
It's the last time I have to work in a retail store on the day after Thanksgiving.
For Lawrence, KU, friends, Christmas music, snow, fires (the containable kind), cheap, warm wine, Pictionary and presents that don't fit or work.
See. Everyone has something to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!
HUBIE
Matt Gowen is a Lawrence senior in newspaper journalism.
By Greg Hardin