4A
Opinion
Friday, A $ \textcircled{1} $ 28, 2000
Outgoing leaders leave bittersweet aftertaste
Maxwell, Seibel fulfilled some campaign promises, failed in others
As the end of the year approaches, and as Student Body President Korb Maxwell and Student Body Vice President Dede Seibel relinquished their titles to Ben Walker and Marlon Marshall Wednesday, it is appropriate to look back on the year with one key question in mind: What did they accomplish?
The duo, as head of the YOU coalition, ran last spring on a platform peppered with a variety of issues, some were accomplished and others were not.
Topping the list of successes was Seibel's push for a revised course retake policy. Although the provost still is reviewing the plan and it is not yet enacted, it looks like it eventually will be in place. This would allow students to repeat a course and have the better grade calculated into their GPAs instead of averaging the two grades
Another major victory is the resolution passed by Student Senate that asked the Kansas Board of Regents to include a sexual-orientation clause in its nondiscrimination policy. This move was important because Maxwell and Seibel took on the appropriate roles as campus leaders and the students' voices to the Kansas education hierarchy. It was a good use of their positions to express what KU students believed on an important issue.
Other smaller changes also were achieved. Senate meetings were significantly shorter and the new judicial board was enacted.
While shorter, more effective meetings are definitely welcome, it is too soon to tell if the judicial board will be an effective and fair arbitrator of inter-group conflicts or just a way for future disgruntled candidates to try to avoid sanctions imposed by the Elections Commission.
Maxwell also kept good on his promise to endorse a site for the new recreation center. We are not convinced, however, that it was totally positive. Contention among students remains regarding whether we even should build a new center, and the approved site near Watkins Memorial Health Center is not necessarily the best one. We still believe that Maxwell should have further investigated the option of adding on to Robinson Center and should instead have pushed for that option.
Not everything was rosy this year, though. Capping tuition or ensuring slow increases — one of Maxwell and Seibel's major campaign promises — fell through. Next fall, in-state students will pay a total of 8.3 percent more in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students will pay 3.8 percent more.
In a tight budget year, this increase is not terribly shocking, but that doesn't mean that it's not disappointing. What is even more frustrating is that this was one of Maxwell's pet issues. In fact, he seemed to have a diminished presence on campus because of his frequent lobbying trips to Topeka. What did all of his lobbying get us? Higher tuition bills.
Maxwell points to the additional $500,00 he secured in financial aid. This modest amount is better than nothing at a time when budgets are being slashed, but it's still a pretty small satisfaction in the face of rising costs. Obviously, student lobbyists have to play with powers much greater than themselves, but it's disappointing that so much effort this year wa focused on lobbying and yielded on minuscule results.
Perhaps Maxwell could have affected more change for students by being on campus more and making smaller improvements that would have had a concrete effect on our lives.
Another disappointment, campus safety, falls in Seibel's lap. Although she is completing the comprehensive master plan that can be used in the future to make important campus safety decisions, she
failed to get the campus lighting fee changed to a more general campus safety fee. This was one of Seibel's main issues, and it would have allowed money to be used in a variety of ways to improve campus safety, but she failed to convince the fee review committee of its worth.
Maxwell also failed to convince the fee review committee of a change he wanted - eliminating the student nonrevenue sports fee.
plish many of the goals they mapped out last spring. At the same time, the looming shadow of failures, such as tuition control, leave a bitter aftertaste. We urge the new administration to look at this year as a guide of what Senate should do, and what it can and cannot realistically accomplish.
All in all, it wasn't a bad year in Student Senate. Maxwell and Sebel did accom-
Kursten Phelps for the editorial board
Perspective
Exposé of pricey glaucoma drug clarifies abuse in Medicare crisis
The April 23 edition of The New York Times extensively covered a prescription eye drop for glaucoma called Xalatan. The Times did an excellent job telling a story that goes far behind the drug's label. This single case can help us see what the drug industry is all about. And it is certainly not about medicine.
Xalatan, which was developed by a physician named Laszlo Bito, who works for Columbia University, reaped $507 million in sales last year. The scientist also received $4 million from the National Institutes of Health while he was developing the drug.
Bito later sold the results of his research to Pharmacia Corp. for $150,000. Since then, the royalties from Xalatan have made him a millionaire. Columbia University
Xalatan costs from $45 to $50 for a bottle that lasts six weeks.
Dássio
Furtado
columnist
jpionir@kansan.com
also received $20 million in royalties last year. The only ones not to receive monetary benefits from Bito's research are American taxpayers — those who actually made his work possible.
did.
Pharmacia's justification for the high cost is even stranger. Its claim is that even though the drug is very cheap to produce, Americans also are paying for research costs — an average of $500 million per drug, according to the industry. But then comes the problem — they already did.
Everyone else is making money, but American taxpayers are paying the bill twice because they finance the research and then pay abusive prices when they need the drug.
Did Pharmacia forget about Bito and the National Institutes of Health? Pharmacia's claim is absurd. By charging these high prices, they force many Americans to relinquish the use of Xalatan even though they need it. Europeans, who have government restraints on drug prices, pay half of what Americans pay for the drug.
This absurd matter came to light just days before the release of a report yesterday
indicating that prices of the 50 most prescribed drugs to older Americans increased at almost twice the rate of inflation in 1999. The report was produced by Families USA and the Prime Institute at the University of Minnesota. The institute is one of the nation's leading centers for research on pharmaceutical economics.
least three times the rate of inflation. At last, the study shows that in the last six years, prices for these 50 highly used drugs have risen an average of 30.5 percent, about double the rate of inflation for that period.
These numbers show a trend that cannot be justified by research costs. It goes from there to the pure exploitation of people who cannot live without the drugs and are forced to pay inconceivable prices.
This study also reveals that the price of 16 of these 50 drugs rose at
The Clinton administration welcomed the report and hoped to use its results to make some kind prescription medicine plan for elderly citizens. This plan probably would be willing to extend drug coverage to the 39 million Medicare beneficiaries.
The Democratic initiative deserves applause and support from all citizens who are concerned about how health issues are handled in the United States. This is not because you might possibly get the benefits some day — I hope you won't need them — but because a healthier nation will benefit everyone. However, in the current Republican Congress, this will not be an easy game. Even if Republicans block the initiative, at least Xalatan will have helped us not only to fight glaucoma, but also to see the Medicare situation in this nation as a priority.
Furtado is a Pelotes, Brazil, junior in journalism and political science.
GTAs valuable to University
Feedback
According to the Kansas Board of Regents Data Book (March 2000, p. 40, in FY 2000), K-State had 564 GTAs, a full-time equivalent staff of 252.62 (not including one GTA in the School of Veterinary Medicine). All of the Regents institutions rely on GTAs to fulfill part of their instructional missions.
In his April 24 guest column, Dave Raddatz takes the University of Kansas to task for what he perceives to be shortcomings in several areas. He states that he "especially disapproves of the overuse of graduate teaching assistants" and that "some schools, including K-State, don't have them at all." He adds, "... having GTAs hurts the overall quality of undergraduate education." I take issue with both statements.
The assumption that GTAs have a negative effect on the general quality of undergraduate education is unfair on the surface and, as far as I can tell, unsubstantiated in fact. Almost two-thirds of the GTAs appointed this year at the University are enrolled in doctoral programs; in other words, they are advanced graduate students. Most have significant teaching experience and a number have been successful professionals outside academe. In many cases, they already have academic credentials that would qualify them for teaching positions at community or private colleges.
Finally, in my personal experience, GTAs bring a considerable amount of
knowledge, intellectual curiosity and professionalism to their teaching duties. There are surely areas in which the University can improve its services to students, but the wholesale elimination of GTAs is not one of them.
Jeannette A. Johnson
Assistant to the provost
In the days after the Student Senate election, I was interested at first to read a "Perspective" column criticizing the United Students candidates. It seemed like a reasonable response to some of the events that had taken place. As the number of such columns mounted, it came to seem more like sour grapes. But then, the April 24 Kansan revealed the full truth of the matter. Not only was there another such column, but there also was a letter from Florida on the same subject. It suddenly struck me. This is nothing but a vast left-wing conspiracy designed to drive from office a popularly elected president. Mistakes were made, but the Delta Force supporters need to realize that it is in the past. We need to move on and put all this behind us. What is important is that all the groups that contested the election join together to do the work that the KU student body elected them to do. Can't we all just get along?
Vast left-wing conspiracy
How to submit letters and guest columns
John Griaa
John Grigg Olathe graduate student in history
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Broaden your mind:
Today's quote
"The ballot in mightier than the bullet."
— Abraham Lincoln
Evidence of retaliation stands on its own merits
The verdict in Marie Aquilino's retaliation trial, on its own, may help convince many people of the necessity of our battle against retaliation on the KU campus. But evidence of the retaliatory practices by the KU administration has been available to many people long before this verdict.
The evidence that was introduced during the Cynthia Annett/Ray Pierotti trial, and the evidence in the cases of Mike Cuenca, Fred Whitehead, Dimitrios Dendrinos, Hugo Palaez and Hector Clark, has shown for a long time that this administration viciously attacks anyone who speaks against the University of Kansas and/or anyone who otherwise exerciSE their rights.
anyone who otherwise exercises their rights.
Remember, federal law protects those who file a complaint of violations of their rights to equal opportunity in a workplace. Seeking justice in these cases is not easy, but the fact remains that retaliation is illegal — and immoral.
For years now, Chancellor Robert Hemenway and Provost David Shulenburger have presided over a dismantling of basic civil rights on this campus. There are now no functioning mechanisms
Cynthia
Annett
guest columnist
option@kansan.com
for investigation or resolution of formal appeals to the University for relief. You need look no further than the testimony of administrators in these two trials for proof. You need look no further than the administration's strategy of using retaliation — even in the courtroom — to fight against our battle for basic civil rights.
Their vindictive actions have successfully quieted many voices. It is obvious from personal accounts and recent newspaper reports what can happen to those who stand up against this administration. Too many faculty members are frightened by the prospect of being slandered and/or ostracized by their colleagues and/or losing their jobs, students, offices and ability to apply for
grants. Many victims have remained silent and/or have fled to more hospitable institutions. The University has experienced a very real brain drain of the very types of people who it should most want to retain: brilliant, creative individuals who have the respect to stand up for themselves and others.
It is hoped that the verdict in Aquilino's retaliation trial will signal the beginning of the end of retaliation in this campus workplace. However, if the governor and the Board of Regents continue to ignore the conduct of the administration, the change will take longer, the list of aggrieved will continue to grow and the battle will produce unnecessary public relations damage to the institution. This public relations damage will cost the University in terms of the quality of faculty it can attract and the type of federal funds it hopes to acquire. Let's all hope that the governor and the Regents come to understand that it is necessary to take action to change this environment. If they don't understand that they need to act to protect the employees, perhaps they'll at least understand that they need to act to protect the institution.
We are preparing group complaints to send to several federal agencies. All institutions receiving federal funds are mandated to uphold the federal civil rights laws, including prohibition against retaliation. If the state acts, perhaps it will not be necessary for us to continue these further actions to bring about positive change on campus.
You can learn much more about the University's workplace atmosphere for women and minorities by visiting our WRC site at www.seekpeace.com/KUSRVC. And, all are encouraged to attend an American Association of University Professors meeting at 10 a.m. tomorrow at the International House at Washburn University, at which a committee will present its findings in our cases to state members, and a report subsequently will be filed with the national organization.
Annett wrote this guest column in conjunction with Marie Aquiline, Mike Cuenca and Ray Pierotti. All are representatives of the Kansas University Sexism and Racism Victims Coalition.
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