4A
Tuesday, November 1, 1994
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIEWPOINT
Ballard for Kansas House
Barbara Ballard should be re-elected to the Kansas House of Representatives. This, of course, is inevitable; Ballard is unopposed for the 44th district seat. However, it is difficult to imagine any opponent for Ballard being better qualified to represent Lawrence and the University of Kansas in the Legislature than she is.
Ballard is a strong, smart representative for students, faculty and the University. Her support for qualified admissions represents a practical and reasonable solution to several problems at the University, including tight budgets, fluctuating enrollment and too many students who are ill-prepared for the rigors of a large university education. When KU's budget is on the chopping block, everyone should pleased that Ballard will be defending the University's interests.
As associate dean of student life and director of the Emily Taylor Resource Center, Ballard brings a perspective sorely needed to the Legislature — one that understands the needs of young adults and college-aged students. Ballard says she prides herself on her accessibility to the University and the Legislature. She consistently has an open door for all her constituents, no matter what their age.
KANSAN ENDORSEMENT Kansas House - 44th District
Her actions back her words. During the past legislative session, Ballard successfully sponsored legislation that promoted summer jobs for youth. This bill encouraged and developed strong work ethics rather than allowing idle time that promotes negative activity.
It is actions such as these that affirm all reasons Barbara Ballard deserves to represent Lawrence, the University and students in the Legislature. And despite hers being the only name on the ballot, everyone should proudly cast their vote by it.
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Buhler for county commission
W with the South Lawrence Trafficway's eastern
ficway's eastern route undecided, unusual attention will be focused on the 1st district County Commission race between Mark Buhler, Republican, and Lisa Blair, Democrat. At this critical time, however, Mark Buhler's experience and grasp of the issues makes him better prepared for the job.
On the topic of the trafficway, Buhler recognizes the dilemma facing the commission. It will be torn between trying to balance the spiritual concerns of Haskell Indian Nations University, the ecological importance of the wetlands and the economic interests of the community as a whole.
While he realizes that solutions will not come easily, Buhler speaks openly with a firm understanding of all the competing issues. He seems committed to reaching the best possible solution for everyone involved.
KANSAN ENDORSEMENT Douglas County Commission
Lisa Blair exhibits less knowledge of the trafficway debate. Although she insists on a route south of the Wakarusa River in order to preserve wetlands, Blair fails to answer the argument that such a route would be ineffective at alleviating traffic congestion.
The city of Lawrence has changed greatly over the years and now finds itself in need of a looping trafficway and a second high school. Mark Buhler has grown up with the city. He has served on the county commission for nearly as long as Lisa Blair has been a resident of Douglas County. As Lawrence takes its first steps toward a major transition, Buhler provides the necessary element of continuity. He knows where we've been and where we're going. Douglas County needs Mark Buhler.
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
KANSAN STAFF
STEPHEN MARTINO
Editor
CHRISTOPH FUHRMANS Managing editor
JEN CARR Business manager
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
CAMERON DEATH Retail sales manager
CATHERINE ELLSWORTH Systems coordinator
JEANNE HINES
JEANNE HINES Sales and marketing adviser
News ... Sara Bennett
Editorial ... Donella Heanne
Campus ... Mark Martin
Sports ... Brian James
Photo ... Daron Bennett
Mellea Leacy
Features ... Treel Carl
Planning Editor ... Susan White
Design ... Nosh Muster
Adaptant to the editor .. Robble Johnson
Editors
Business Staff
Campus mgr ... Todd Winters
Regional mgr ... Laura Guth
National mgr ... Mark Masto
Coop mgr ... Emily Gibson
Special Sections mgr ... Jon Pierer
Production mgr ... Holly Boren
Regan Overy
Marketing director ... Alan Stigle
Creative director ... John Carton
Classified mgr ... Heather Nishaua
Letters should be typed, double-spaced and fewer than 200 words. They must include the writer's signature, name, address and telephone number. Writers affiliated with the University of Kansas must include class and hometown, or faculty or staff position.
to "Studying in sports." The poster's mistake is in emphasizing sex before safety. If the poster addressed the importance of a condom in any way, it could have been a totally redeemable advertisement. (It still would have been a stupid slogan, but at least it would have said something.)
Guest columns should be typed, double-spaced and fewer than 700 words. The writer will be photographed.
The Kansan reserves the right to reject or edit letters, guest columns and cartoons. They can be mailed or brought to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Stuaffer-Flint Hall.
Condom ad promotes sex, not safety
Sex is a topic that seems to be thrown at us every day of our lives. The reason for this is that it is important. However, we need to recognize the implications involved. The poster in last week's Kansan trivialized sex to a point that doesn't help the cause of keeping sex safe. Every company has a right to advertise in any way it desires. However, companies that produce safe-sex products should have a responsibility to their consumers. That responsibility is to emphasize the use of the product and the consequences of not using it, rather than implying that the act is the focus and that safety is optional.
I believe in the power of understatement. Theatrically and psychologically, it contains a powerful impact to drive its point home. Understatement is the subtle technique of saying "I think I need to use the restroom" in lieu of "Hey Virginia! I gotta take a wicked wee wee!" People understand exactly what you mean the first way. Moreover, they are less likely to bludgeon you if you say it in a public place. This conclusion should adequately serve to convey my attitude toward the "Study in spurts ... Get some" poster for Sheik condoms.
"Study in spurts" is as subtle as a student running through campus with a machine gun in one hand and a furry woodland creature in the other while yelling "Exempt me from chem 345, or I kill the gopher!" (Not very subtle.) The question that has to be asked is: "What is the point of this poster?" The condom companies have obviously abandoned the "If you don't wrap your meat, it won't stay fresh," implied line of advertising and have opted for the "Yo ho! Get down and
The biggest problem with the Sheikh poster is that it does not deal with the very real dangers of doing the "horizontal hokey pokey." Coincidentally, the very day that the poster came out, the Kansan ran an article stating that more than 500 students at the University of Kansas contract genital warts each year.
CARSON ELROD
dirty tonight!” approach. The message of “practice safe sex” has been turned into just “Have sex.” Is this something that college students need to be told? Most of us have figured out whether sex is a personal priority.
The sad thing about the poster campaign is that it shows an utter lack of creativity in advertising. How inventive is it to say "S study in sports ... get some?" There is no cute double entendre or metaphor to justify it. It isn't the poster of the adorable child frolicking in the rain that says, "Don't forget to wear your rubbers." It is just
pure, in your face (so to speak) graphic imagery that is totally void of imagination. These are probably the same people who came up with the ingenious "Why ask why" campaign for Bud. "Why are people dying in the world?" Why ask why? Get drunk and forget about it."
The poster also fails to address the very real dangers of disease and pregnancy associated with having unprotected sex. The condom on the poster explains the meaning of the phrase and punctuates the "Get some." However, the poster only presents the condom as an afterthought to the topic at hand, which is to just have sex. The poster's placement of the condom at the bottom also shows it as secondary
Cannon Eldor is a Topeka junior in history and theater.
Matt Hood / KANSAN
Students accepting of Gideons' good Word
When the Gideons visited our campus on Wednesday, I decided to talk with some of them. The premise was to write a column about their negative experiences as Gideons.
The first Gideon I approached was a kind, old man. He has a steady job, but as a member of the Gideons, volunteers his time to pass out Bibles. He has been passing out Bibles with the Gideons since 1971.
He said he enjoyed passing out Bibles, especially at the University of Kansas. It was worth the time, he said, because of all the thanks he received.
This smiling gentleman also enjoyed his experience and appreciated the KU students for receiving them so well.
He told me about different people,
"from reformed homosexuals to people who just say, 'thank you,'"
who had come to thank him for his time.
Well, no negative stories worthy of my opinion there, so I moved on.
Strike two — how was I going to write a column about the persecutions of these poor men? They all
The next man I approached was a farmer from south of town. This was his first year of handing out Bibles for the Gideons.
DAVID ZIMMERMAN
have had positive experiences!
The rest of the Gideons didn't help me build my case either.
One said he really appreciated the smiles on the student's faces as they accepted the Bibles.
(Sigh.) My efforts to find terrible stories about the awful things these men went through were useless. Then it hit me.
Another has two daughters who attend KU. He said he was really excited to help pass out the Bibles at their school.
This is my fourth year here, and the fourth time I've seen the Gideons. From the last three years, I remember scenes when people literally threw the Bibles back at the Gideons, stopped to give them a tongue lashing, or just laughed at them. This year, however, I saw none of this.
I owe you, my fellow students, an apology.
I had expected you to be full of hatred and anger to the efforts of the Gideons on our campus. You did the opposite — you were polite, considerate, and gracious whether or not you took a Testament.
I had judged you before you had a chance to prove yourselves; please accept my apologies.
My perceptions of how you would act were based on observations of a few people. It was unfair for me to extend those perceptions to all the student body.
Thank you for breaking my preconceived notions — thank you for being so polite.
By the way, now that you have these Glideon New Testaments, what are you going to do with them? Why not read them?
I would like to thank the Gideons for taking the time to come and pass out the Word of God to our campus. I am praying that your efforts will be fruitful.
David Zimmerman Wichita senior in magazine Journalism.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Commercials can be bad influence
I was with Carson Elrod all the way in his Oct. 3 column, "Commercials shouldn't stay crisp in mind" that is, all the way until he negated the point of his column's four cereal commercial examples by saying, "...these are just commercials. The negative effect they have on anyone is debatable." Carson, did you really lead your readers on for seven paragraphs of reenactment on commercials we've all seen a dozen times? OK, maybe these specific commercials should not be read into as much as society tends to read into them, but what about commercials that are harmful and obviously so?
Last week, I was watching a locally syndicated cable station at 7:30 p.m. A commercial came on for Lawrence's branches of Bank IV, in which a boy of 6 or so was sitting behind the wheel of a parked 4x4 and pretending to drive (turning the wheel, making the sound effects, etc.) I assumed that this kid's mom would come out and give him a good tongue lashing, for you see, that's what would have happened in my neighborhood without a doubt...
When I was in the sixth grade, a neighbor of mine was in the same situation as the kld in the Bank IV commercial — the only difference being that my neighbor knew that his mommy's extra car key was up in the visor and that his baby sister was playing behind his vehicle. This story ends with a tragedy I would rather not have relived, but the bank advertisement bore such a close resemblance.
The Bank IV commercial did not live up to my expectations, and the little boy got off scott-free.
Carson said that "it is scary to think that commercials for children can effectively destroy in 30 seconds what most parents have been teaching their children for years."
Maybe society should be overly careful about interpreting issues concerning what our children are exposed to instead of careful about being overly concerned before the only commercials on are for suicide pills and hand-guns.
Seth M. Fine
Glenview, Ilk., sophomore
HUBIE
By Greg Hardin