OPINION
Coming Friday, November 9...
Minster: Playing the KU vs. Mizzou game at Arrowhead detracts from local business and takes away the home-field advantage.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Hayes: Two great football teams deserve a massive venue to accompany growing national attention.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8,2007
ALL FOR ONE, AND ONE FOR ALL
PAGE 7A
Writers Guild strike threatens favorite shows
With a compromise seemingly far off, it could be awhile before new episodes of 'Heroes' and 'The Office' appear
The skies are turning dark. A storm is looming on the horizon. Panic will engulf the streets of America and we will be thrown into a dark age. The Writers Guild of America has officially gone on strike.
Why should we care? How is that going to affect our lifestyles? The WGA has gone on strike and who knows why. It could be money, actually. That is probably the main thing, but a lack of communication between the WGA and the Directors Guild of America and the studios has hindered any quick resolution to this crisis. So how does this affect us? Consider that most of the shows we watch could quite possibly be cut into shorter seasons due a lack of writers, which would ruin our appetite for our television addictions. It could be a long winter with no escape from our usual entertainment from life, our beloved television shows.
While it's not certain yet whether some shows are going to be cut short, the outlook is bleak. Studios are preparing for the worst and they've begun to take steps to end various shows' seasons with a conclusion, rather than in the middle of an arc. They'd have to wait until next fall to continue it.
TEA AND CAKE, OR DEATH
"Heroes" has already filmed an extra scene that could cut the season short and "Scrubs," in its final season, is going to lose six episodes to complete the series
with a 12-episode seventh season.
want to support the strike, they cannot because they are contracted to be actors as well, which could cause unpleasantness. Hopefully this wouldn't ruin the performances. This writer's strike is also going to affect late night television. Jay Leno, David Letterman, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert could all see their show affected by this strike. While they are performers, they have to appreciate the writers of their show so they will certainly support them.
If this strike happens to last longer, it may have deeper wounds than ever. Quality in television shows and movies could go right through the floor. The studios will start buying more reality programs, which 90 percent of the time are complete trash. They will start buying scripts from struggling Hollywood writers, which could be good for them and maybe find a few gems in the mix, but big budget movies will certainly suffer. Paramount Pictures Studio have already rushed the writers of the "Transformers" movie to write a sequel, and hopefully that rush won't harm the film as it may harm other films.
Also, it is causing a dilemma with producers and writers who participate actively in their respective shows. For example, three of the actors on the popular sitcom "The Office" are writers on the show as well. So while they
Let us hope that the strike won't last very much longer, but if it does, it may be a dark age in the entertainment industry. At least, Jayhawk sports are providing entertainment.
Brown is a Lee's Summit, Mo., junior in journalism.
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White Owl is it. The videos of him on YouTube get me through the day.
I have nothing to wear!
My ex doesn't want to be with me anymore, but gets upset when I say I'm moving on. How does that make any sense?
I just snorted a line of Doritos. Yeah, it hurt.
So I bought a toaster and two tapes for $3 the other day. I love Goodwill.
My roommate actually had phone sex with her boyfriend while I was in the room. I think I am scarred for life.
Templin kids are the best
It's crazy to think if you dig far enough in your belly button, you will reach your insides!
Ha, my grandma sent me S10!
So today in my education class, we basically learned how everything we have learned in school is not ever going to be beneficial. It was kind of ironic.
Let it be known: Todd Reesing owns this campus.
I spent last Friday coloring in a pony coloring book with a fresh six-pack of crayons. Cool.
I love getting mail, especially when my grandma sends me $5.
KU has made me feel the best I have in awhile. Thanks, KU.
I slaughtered my ankle in the shower. Boo.
I wish the weather would make up its mind.
I'm a Nebraska fan at KU and I'm in hell.
Nancy Pelosi's visit highlights Dole Institute's offerings
The first female Speaker of the House is one of a diverse group of speakers to visit the political center
JORDAN WILLIAMS
Two words: Madam Speaker.
It is still amazing to me that there are scores of students at this university that don't take advantage of this building on campus that entices this powerful woman. Yes, this wonderful institute is none other than the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics.
A couple weeks ago, the University of Kansas feted Civic Engagement Week. Sadly, it seems students would rather attend a "National Pull Out Your Teeth Day" than register to vote in Douglas County or attend a function at the Institute. As far as opinion columns go, it is much easier to criticize something rather than to coddle it. However, the Dole Institute does very little that I could critique. Therefore I shall like to coddle it.
The Dole Institute is run flawlessly by experienced professionals and students, such as outreach director Barbara Ballard and student outreach director Beka Romm, respectively. The constant networking and connection-pulling is what attracts the likes of
former President Bill Clinton, Ann Coulter, former Senator Tom Daschle and the building's namesake, former Senator Bob Dole. Maybe that's why the center is so magnificent.
Students work alongside great politicos, members of the media and members of academia. Not to mention that the Institute was one of the first of its kind dedicated in 2001. Few facilities of the same grandeur exist nationwide (once again, KU's innovation shines through). Although the Dole Institute's purpose is to serve and educate the students, the center can't educate what doesn't show up.
Digging deeper, current voting statistics have illustrated the fact that young people, particularly students in the 18-25 range, are the most inconsistent in terms of strong voting patterns.
In other words, high school and college students are frequently more politically apathetic than, say, a 65-year-old married female Caucasian Evangelical Christian from Ohio.
This trend seems contradictory considering all the work that goes into engaging the youth and ensuring college students have all the opportunities in the world to learn more about the government, the press and politics.
Yet, for some reason, the students at KU and across the country continue to perceive politics as divisive, largely unimportant or intrinsically evil. I do surmise that some KU students conceive of politics as uncool or for much older, educated people.
pect to see and hear a message from the Dole Institute that appears very attractive to minorities, women, liberals, conservatives, the young and the well-aged. Bias and monotony are definitely antonomy to the Robert J. Dole Institute.
The Dole Institute combats that negative imagery well by inviting men and women who exemplify the idea of politics and government being honorable and extremely worthwhile. Furthermore, the center offers diehard lovers of politics multiple flavors from the political spectrum.
At any given time during an academic year, students can ex-
Notwithstanding the fact that the Institute offers education, but there's interaction too. Just last spring semester, I was able to shake hands with the man to whom President Bush gave the thumbs-up immediately proceeding the disaster of Hurricane Katrina. His name is Michael Brown. Imagine being able to throw questions at a very controversial figure, but what place offers that chance? Look no further than the Dole Institute. I just can't help but reiterate how many fantastic opportunities there are at the Dole Center.
As for me, I know what I'll be doing the morning of Friday, Nov. 9, and that's listening bright eyed and bushy tailed to the first female Speaker of the House.
Williams is a Coffeyville junior in English and pre-law.
DRAWING BOARD
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
MAX RINKF
Game day and rivalry shirts should reflect the positive spirit of KU
The University of Kansas deserves more than a catchy "slogan 'show tune'" or, "Which Joe College shirt do I like best?"
KU fans want to establish a tradition that will make students and alumni proud; they expect and demand more than a put-down slapped on the front of what should be a prestigious game day shirt. Consider the list of other fan bases from around the nation. These groups and the slogans that embody them represent more than simply the phrase on the shirt; it is the glue
that bonds the students together. We would be doing a disservice to our school if we allowed a Joe College-esque shirt that cuts and pastes the Kansas lajhawk among universally used T-shirt phrases.
Our school deserves a design that speaks volumes about the tradition of our proud school and donned in a manner as unique as the banner that hangs from the Fieldhouse. I challenge all of you to look at the magnitude by which other "game day T-shirt" organizations around the nation support their schools
and their athletes. The best example comes directly from Bill Self's past at Illinois. There the students willingly raise money for the community to earn the right to wear a shirt.
This school has the fan base and program to surpass all of these schools. My proposal is so that this game day shirt will grow to be as significant as these schools': "The Phog," and on the back of the shirt, "Beware." Simple but uniquely Kansas. A concept of a Blue Phog that will cover and unite our campus. It recognizes Phog Allen, who did
much more for Kansas Athletics than just coach basketball. Whatever the design, we need a concept that can be recognized and feared nationally. It is in this one area alone that our school trails many others and we need more than Joe College to take the lead. As the name implies, "The Phog" would consume opponents and spread to rival some of college sports' greatest traditions.
Paul Garcia
Overland Park senior
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The Editorial Board
Erick R. Schmidt, Eric Jorgensen,
Darla Silea, Kelsey Hayes, Bryan
Dykman, Brandon T. Minster, Angelique
McNaughton and Benjamin R. Smith