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Wednesday, February 22, 1978
University Daily Kausan
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Comment
Unigned editors represent the opinion of the Kanan editorial staff. Signed columns represent the views of only the writers.
Schneider flip-flops
So Schneider, according to all accounts of a speech he made last weekend, formally told more than 300 people that he is a candidate in the Kansas gubernatorial race. Not so, says Schneider, even though a number of Democratic Party leaders who heard his speech came away with a very different impression.
Answer: When it comes from Curt Schneider, Kansas attorney general.
The alleged announcement of the alleged candidacy occurred at a Topeka brunch, held during the Washington Day festivities that are an annual tradition for the Democratic faithful in Kansas. Schneider, speaking to the Schneider '78 Club—an organization of boosters—reportedly told them, "I am a candidate for governor."
SCHNEIDER HAS a different version. He won't confirm or deny that his remarks at
the brunch amounted to a formal announcement. "There were a lot of statements made," he maintains. "You'd have had to hear everything I said."
A man who wants to be governor usually isn't shy about the fact. Nor is he reluctant to appear candid to the voters whose trust he needs to be elected.
Schneider, however, does have other things to worry about—opinion polls, for instance. After last weekend, he said he would wait for results of a poll now under way before making a definitive statement about his candidacy.
So what? The gubernatorial field already is crowded with contenders, announced and otherwise. There are already too many politicians at all levels of government who let the polls be their guide and they do. They make qualifications for higher office. Those strong points, though, evidently do not include a talent for semantics.
After a student receives a grade for a course, even one he doesn't ask is fair, he usually assumes it is final and he has to accept it. That is not necessarily so.
Unjustified grades need appeals
Appearing in a practice that does exist at the University of Kansas, although most students probably are not aware of it. The Student Senate and some faculty committee are trying to expand the practice. What they can't agree on is how to do it.
The Student Senate last December thought there was no clear-cut method of appealing a grade short of trying to convince the teacher to change himself and concluded that some better method was needed.
THE SENATE passed a petition to set up a grade appeal court and forwarded the petition to the University Council. The petition states, "It is recognized that some grades have been withdrawn, and that "there is now little recourse for a student wishing to appeal a grade."
When SenEx got the petition
though, it was not sure what to do with it. The petition provides for the formation of an appeals court comprising three tenured faculty members and two student members. But the petition stops when it specifies nothing about the power the court would have to change grades or take action against recalcitrant professors.
SenEx debated fiercely last week about what to do with the petition. Chris Caldwell, Overland Park park senior, had read on it. If he did not respond on the Student Senate floor. To SenEx, he explained that he had anticipated there would be changes made before the University board voted on the petition. He advocated sending it to a committee.
SOME FACULTY members of SenEx thought that the bill should have been passed, but he was passed. Don Marquis, associate professor of
Carl Leban, associate professor of East Asian studies, said he thought that the bill's lack of specifications would be a help because the best way to go at it would be broadly and generally.
philosophy, said that sending the bill off to a committee would obstruct it unnecessarily.
Eventually, the majority of the committee disagreed, and the petition was sent to the University Senate Academic Procedures and Policies Committee because as it turns out there may not be a need for the formation of a court.
Caldwell said Sunday that the academics committee was looking into the possibility that the University Judiciary had a grade appeals procedure already established. If so, it would make the appeals court superfluous.
CALDWELL ALSO SAID that at first he had thought the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences had a grade appeal policy for each department. Then he had heard some criticisms of the policies. Caldwell is a member of the academics committee of the
council and will help investigate grade appeals at the University.
If there is an appeal mechanism in the judiciary that can handle students' grade compliance, it would be wise of the committee would be to point out the procedure to students who may not be aware of its existence.
"This has a lot of impact for students, but I'm not sure there's a pressing need here," Caldwell said.
The question is mainly one of student ignorance. There may be few students clamorring for a way to appeal their grades, but it will never do not consider such an appeal possible. If there already is a way for all students to appeal, it definitely must be publicized. The University Judiciary might be forced to load of appeals cases, but in that event, the court could still be established.
IF THERE is no University-wide appeals procedure, an appeal court is a good idea. But it can be costly and time-consuming. Senate Code, and it must have
definite power to change grades.
Otherwise, the procedure remains in a powerless advisory capacity—not far from uselessness.
The academics committee of the University Senate is the best place for the bill to be right now. Several members of SenEx had argued that the petition should go back to the Student Senate, but with the confusion of a new Senate and priority being given to upcoming budget hearings, it probably would be lost in the paper shuffle the rest of the semester.
The committee, Caldwell said, should have time to work on the matter before the end of the semester. To end the uncertainty as soon as possible, it would be better to define the appeals办 at KU.
If students can appeal through the University Judiciary, let them know. If not, by all means set up a court—but don't waste the University Senate's less adviser. The students should have a way to fight unjustified grading.
Student Senate coverage needs depth
To the editor:
Letters
It is time, once again, for someone to address the Kansan's failure to serve the student body's need and right for a decent newspaper. I am familiar with the Kansan's inability to interpret and report the Student Senate and its leader's actions.
Throughout the year, the Kansan has printed flippant and cynical articles and editorials about the Senate's difficulties. Steve Leben's problems of attacking a senator's attention. Although I'm not suggesting that these problems haven't been important, it seems to me that the Senate has made newsworthy decisions that never received attention because they were too difficult to lazy to give the more problematic and convoluted issues no real analysis.
If it is true that the Senate has been hamstrung by Leben's deficiencies, is it too much to ask that the Kansan give us a piecemeal discussion of charges and a discussion of what the substantive results have been of the deliberations in light of Leben's adductions too much to ask, yet the Kansan only provides a piecemeal account of the committee meetings and, in turn, decides after reading its own articles that hamstrung is wrong with Senate.
Finally, when criticism of the officers grows within the Senate the KansanJobs trust its institutions' knowledge of the Senate and concludes that somehow, some way, it's time for sweeping changes in the Senate. Kansan does not take the time to specify the particular
changes that are needed. I guess it is because it knows too well the limits of its understanding.
I suppose there is a place for such a series, but if the committees of the Senate got the idea that the reporters could give an in-depth analysis of these people's accomplishments and failures—would they act and its readers would find that these senators are concerned less with rules and regulations than they are with matters of policy, the Buckley Amendment and other real issues.
To understand these issues would take some work. Reporters might have to look through the Senate's records to appreciate the evolution of the concern over torture in Afghanistan is meant to find solutions that are without complications and do not enjoy a consensus.
The trouble is that the reporters don't seem to want to do this kind of work. Until the Kansan takes on this kind of responsibility—to do some legitimate investigation of the issues before the committee of the Senate—the students will
continue to feel that there are reasons to believe that the Senate has alienated itself from the student body.
Juvenile justice needs changes
Tedde Tasheff
Tedde Tasheff Lawrence graduate student
To the editor:
In reference to Pat Allen's Feb. 20 editorial, I must point out a few misconceptions held by Allen.
To begin with, Allen apparently misinterpreted the term "removed from the juvenile court." The term simply states that status offenders will not be subject to juvenile court hearings and discipline; does not allow them to be not helped or punished; The intention is to shift those functions to other departments, such as the State Juvenile Services, and to the schools.
The reasoning behind this shift lies in the unbelievable rise in serious juvenile crime (more than 60 percent of all felonies are committed by people between the ages of 12 and 25). This rise has created a backlog of tremendous size in the juvenile criminal landscape, usually a low crime state, has only in the last five or so years begun to experience this painful growth.
By removing status offenders from the court's jurisdiction, the court and the agency must be more time and resources to help and/or
punishing youths who commit more serious crimes.
The shift away from the courts also is an attempt to keep the status offender out of state institutions. When processed through the courts, many status offenders end in places where they do not belong and cannot be helped. This places a drain on the manpower and resources of the courts for the office of offender. It also is a self-defending procedure because the institutionalized youth is more likely to become a repeating offender.
Allen also makes a mistaken assumption by stating that punishing truant and wayward youths and keeping them in school will produce a better education because the youth held unwillingly in school rarely learns anything and often is a distraction to other students. Truancy is a symptom, not a problem, because the problem is often the fact that not all youths must graduate from high school to be successful citizens (may the School of Education forgive my failure) for college. Lawrence High School social worker, was all too correct in asserting that the schools should be changed. They should provide greater trade and education and will as apprenticeships for student academically geared.
counseling and job training, beginning at the junior high level, as well as the removal of status offenders from the court's jurisdiction. Also needed is a revamping of state juvenile institutions, including the nationally disturbed/borderline retarded youths who have had run-ins with the law.
The $500,000 figure tossed by Gov. Robert Bennett is far below what is reached in this area. Kansas has fallen behind in juvenile justice and the complete overhaul of the juvenile system is needed. This overhaul should include increased funding for
Kate Pound Parsons freshman
To the editor:
I do not know whether the members of the Kansas Legislature read the Kansas. They are the ones whom I wish offenses should have two juries and the State Capitol are mulling over the question of whether people being tried for capital offenses should have two juries in court, or simply one jury for both tasks—at any rate, while you folks are considering the question. I wonder if I might suggest that you plead the matter pletotely.
Mercy needed for killers
What I mean to say is we do not need capital punishment in Kansas. I will not offer an involved argument to support my case, but I would like to pose one question. If we show murderers no more mercy than they have shown to their victims how important it is better than the people whose actions we condemn? What is called for here is compassion, not vengeance.
Gary David Roy Lawrence senior
APPROACH
THE BENCH!
Carlin kickoff reviewed
It was a tribute to the celebration of Washington Day," but judging from the size and make of the cars in Topkapi's district, not a lot, a surprising number of Cadillacs and El Dorados hail from "down home." The 1972 Comet looked mighty out of place, but it and its driver had also been named John and Ramona Carlin in a toast to Kansas' future."
Several people, probably 99 percent of them registered Democrats, milled around the hotel lobby. To add to the traffic congestion, card tables had bumper stickers and bumper stickers, lappet stickers and other propaganda for Speaker of the Kansas House
John Carlin, D-Smolan, Bill Roy and various Democratic candidates.
Carlin's reception was held in the Coronado Room—a room much too small for the number of people who showed up. The Carlin people came up from the overflow worked to their advantage. The guests were hot and sweaty, and it was a true feat to maneuver from one side of the room to another. But if they all were for Carlin, there would be more than half chance in the more generalator race.
Criticism of snow crews unjustified
When snow falls in especially big heaps as it did this last week in Lawrence, people are bound to get stuck in their cars, fall down stairs and become exhausted scooping their walks. People also protest, complain and curse.
And when a mobile community, such as Lawrence, is slowed or stopped by the great white intruder, people immediately begin hunting and vehemently crewing their own crews. It's as common as complaining about taxes or grades.
ine complaints, however, appear ill-founded.
It doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
The typical complaining driver gets into his car on the day after the big storm, drives a car to the store, and then goes into a snow bank or another car. THEN THE driver gets out of his car, kicks one of his bald back tires and curses the people in front of him to be cleaning off the streets.
in such a city such as Lawrence, where big snows come once every year, the system is insurptly not very elaborate.
The city street department has only 12 men available to operate the snow-removal equipment, and it is difficult to draft additional workers because specialized skill and knowledge are required to run the heavy equipment.
Steven Stingley Editorial writer
Perhaps if this were the University of Minnesota, instead of the University of Kansas, the university would be spending more money for snow-removal manpower and equipment. And if the last two weeks were the indication of a new, snowier trend, increased preparation may be needed.
ON CAMPUS, there is more manpower available because not much skill is required to operate the equipment needed is needed to clear the giant web of sidewalks and stairs. Moreover, the large number of parking lots already clogged with cars are a major problem.
When the deep layer of snow fell last week, these 12 men were working 16 hours a day. Even the director of the city public works department was out on the streets helping.
It still remains a fact,
however, that 10-inch snows in
Lawrence are as common as
cold summer days. When the
big snows do come, people are
going to have to be patient.
LAWRENCE MAYOR Marrie Arargersinger says the city crews do a "tremendous" job at clearing the streets.
Argersinger admits that the ice rams so common on streets in Lawrence are dangerous and the snow is not much can be done with them.
She said that in the 32 years she has lived in Lawrence, last week's 12-inch"now was the
"I get so calm when people complain," she said this week.
The normal snowfall for Lawrence in past winters has been a pleasant two-incher that melts quickly within a couple days. That the city and campus should continuously be prepared and equipped for blizzards is unreasonable.
Even Facilities Operations personnel, with their notorious reputation for riding in green
trucks, horses and yachs,
learning on shovels, have been
working strenuous 16-hour days
and nights.
THE COMPLIANCE driver and the cursing walker should keep in mind that snow removal in Lawrence is as effective as possible. No, workers aren't sitting around the fire sipping hot coffee and watching out the window as the snow ples up.
largest she had ever seen,
falling in the least amount of
time with the least amount of
melting.
Two bars were set up in the room. Above each was a poster that said, "Special Dairy Drinks for Special Democrats." The poster renamed Brandy Alexanders as the "Big First" from the First Congressional District. Other drinks offered were wine and wine punch. "Elephant Trainer Eggnog," "Congressional Coffee Royale" and "Tumbleweed."
THE MILK and ice cream used in the drinks came from Carlin's dairy farm. Cheese, also made by the family of Carlin, was served with crackers. Almost everyone but the Carlins, are teetotalers
CARLIN STOOD at the doorway and shook hands as people were about to enter the heat chamber. He made a conscious effort to meet each guest's eyes and, every once in a while, it looked as if he was almost enjoying himself, so he kissed his wife, joined him about 45 minutes after the reception had begun.
were sampling and liking the dairy drinks.
Although Carlin will not officially declare his candidacy until the Kansas Legislature adjourns in April, the reception clearly was a private kickoff for his campaign.
In spite of a tendency to think that the people who are most important, the important people, a few noteworthy people, recognized mainly by their name tags, were in attendance at Carlin's
Most of the guests were well dressed. One young man, preparing drinks behind the bar, wore a black velvet suit. As always seems to be the way in politics, handsome young men were in force at Carlin's party. Shirley Allen County coordinator, said, "You don't usually see this many men or even people for that matter in downtown Oneda."
Apart from the semi-
glamorous trappings of the reception, and before Carlin can hope to invite his "down home celebration" guests back for a victory celebration, there are bound to be more than a few downtown Oneidas in his future.
State Rep, Pat Augustine, D-Dellis; Jim Slatter, D-Topea; Fred Weaver, D-Baxter Springs; and Loren Hohman, D-Topea, were all there, none looking particularly inspired. Carmel Hinkel, full-time camp manager, spent most of his time looking handsome and efficient.
When Hinkel was told that the two women he had just met were from Chicago, he asked, "Are you registered to vote here?" They said no. He responded, "Well, enjoy yourself anyway, and immediately Hinkel president Jimmy Carter's campaign, and the word is that Carlin is paying Hinkelplek for his efforts in Carlin's campaign.
SOME OF Carlin's guests had divided loyalties. A few people showed up with "Dan's man" pasted all over themselves. Bill Roy Jr. stopped in and sipped on a dairy drink.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN
Published at the University of Kansas daily August 18, 2015. Subscription required. June and Jude except Saturday, July and Sunday; June and Jude except Saturday, July and Sunday. Subscriptions by mail are $6 a semester or $14 a quarter. Outside the country students subscription is available by email. Student subscriptions are by mail.
Editor Barbara Rosewicz
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