Opinion
The University Daily Kansan
Laura Roddy, Editor
Sarah Hale, Managing editor
Kristi Ellott, Managing editor
Tom Eblen, General manager, news advisor
4A
Shauntie Blue, Business manager
Brad Białey, Retail sales manager
Matt Fisher, Sales and marketing adviser
Scott Waller, Technology coordinator
Tuesday, March 28, 2000
Clay McCuistion / KANSAN
Editorials
Smart guns, safety locks good step but ban on handguns better option
The recent school shooting of a six-year-old in Michigan again has ignited the issue of gun safety.
The death of a child in a school shooting has become an all-too-familiar headline. The Columbine High School deaths last year in Littleton, Colo., led to a focus on new gun legislation and put a significant amount of blame on the National Rifle Association.
While the heated debate between President Bill Clinton and the NRA rolls on, other organizations are taking strides toward improving gun safety.
Smith & Wesson, one of the largest U.S. manufacturers of handguns, has agreed to include gun locks on every weapon it sells. Its plans include the
U.S. government's agreement with Smith & Wesson is stride toward improving gun safety
introduction of "smart gun" technology, which allows weapons to be fired only by their owners. It is hoped that such measures will decrease the number of gun-related deaths.
Smith & Wesson is to be commended for its efforts in gun safety. Its plans are effective steps toward a violence-free nation. Gun locks and smart gun technology are promising measures in preventing both accidental and purposeful
deaths. The enforcement of back ground checks should lower the num ber of firearms sold to convicted felons
But realistically, as long as guns exist, so will senseless killing. Clinton, the NRA and every U.S. citizen should focus on the priority of saving lives rather than the right to carry firearms. Inevitably, children and adults alike will find ways to disable safety locks on handguns. Until there is a nationwide ban on handguns, the problems we face always will be present.
It is time for the nation to take a step back and decide which is more important — the right to carry a weapon for individual empowerment or saving the lives of its children.
Tabatha Beerbower for the editorial board
Student government not just a hobby
Candidates for Student Senate should enter the race with complete sincerity and devotion.
Students should not give attention or consideration to candidates who view attaining a Senate seat as a form of recreation to be dealt with frivolously at their leisure. Senate is a commitment and should be reserved for those who wish to do what it takes to make a positive impact on campus.
This should be the case for all potential candidates, not just an aspiring student athlete in particular. However, there are some things Eric Chenowith should consider if he is to be involved in student politics: the art of tactful speech, rhetoric and simply speaking thoughtfully.
Statements about the frivolity with which one views Senate participation aren't going to cut it.
The difference, at least on face.
Students should use their votes to stop half-hearted candidates from entering Student Senate
between a candidate like Chenowith and a coalition like the Resume Builders is that the latter, while using a mocking message of apathy, might actually care about Senate. On the other hand, Chenowith seems to have made it quite clear that his contribution to Senate would be half-hearted at most.
Sadly, on this campus, it probably wouldn't make any difference if candidates said they had no plans to attend any of the meetings. As long as they were popular enough, a victory probably wouldn't be out of reach.
contest and a melodramatic fantasy world for those who wish to play the part would be incorrect. There are those who honestly get involved with a desire to make a change for the better. Some apathetic pessimists may disagree, but it's unfortunate that students feel an athlete's voice and participation in Senate is more likely to be taken seriously than any other devoted senator's.
To say that Senate is a popularity
KU athletics officials should help ensure that student athletes have the opportunity and encouragement to attend their classes, participate in student organizations and be active members of the campus community. This way, candidates like Chenowith would not be able to use athletics as an excuse for a lack of devotion to Senate.
In any case, student voters should not let half-hearted candidates win Senate seats.
Matt Dunehoo for the editorial board
Kansan staff
News editors
Seth Hoffman ... Editorial
Nadia Mustafa ... Editorial
Melody Ard ... News/Special sections
Chris Fickett ... News
Jule Wood ... News
Juan H. Heath ... Online
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Heather Woodward ... Features
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T.J. Johnson ... Photo imaging
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Clay McQuistion ... Wire
Becky LaBranch . . . Special sections
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Ryan Riggin . . . Regional
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Will Baxter . . . Online sales
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Advertising managers
Broaden your mind: Today's quote
"Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal." Albert Camus
normal." — Albert Camus
Letters: Should be double-spaced typed and fewer than 200 words. Letters must include the author's signature, name address and telephone number plus class and hometown if a University student. Faculty or staff must identify their positions.
How to submit letters and guest columns
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spaced typed with fewer than 700 words
The writer must be willing to be pho-
tographed for the column to run.
All letters and guest columns should be e-mailed to opinion@kansan.com or submitted to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Stouffier-Flint Hall. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Nadia Mustafa or Seth Hoffman at 864-4924.
If you have general questions or comments, e-mail the page staff (opinion@kansan.com) or call 864-4924
Perspective
msn.com) or call 004-4Y24
Wading through inbox begs for e-mail etiquette
I scrolled through the long list and immediately deleted the junk mail, including sales-oriented gimmicks. The first to go were ones with subject lines such as "luxury for you."
such as "jennifer Love Hewitt NAKED!!!" (I have no idea who sends me these things anyway.) The next were those in the genre of "Attention Homeowners! — EZ Locks; Fast Approv.
Dozens of messages filled my e-mail inbox Sunday when I checked it for the first time in more than a week.
Lori
O'Otoole
columnist
opinionandkanan.com
The purpose of the next scroll-through was to weed out some of the forwarded messages. The ones such as "100 reasons why men are dumber than women" and "We are children of the 90%" were sent into cyberspace trash without a peek.
My e-mail organization
process, complete with random attachments and several virus warnings, was tiring and timely. But it wasn't the multitude of messages that annoyed me — it was the ones that were cluttered with copied text, smiley faces and lists of other people's e-mail addresses.
Sure, e-mail is wonderful. It's free and simple, and I use it on a daily basis. (Spring break was an exception.) But it's supposed to be quick, and I'm sure I'm not the only one annoyed by maddening cyberspace habits, which is why I try to be conscience of e-mail etiquette (sometimes referred to as "Netiquette") before I send my messages.
There are several Web sites devoted solely to e-mail "shoulds" and "shouldn'ts." The following email tips can save your correspondents' sanity as well as making messages to employers or professors more professional:
■ Abbreviations: Too many ambiguous ones are confusing and ineffective because it takes the recipient twice as long to decipher the abridement rather than actually read the fully spelled-out phrase. Some I've previously disentangled include BCNU (be seeing you), FWIW (for what's worth) and ROTFL (rolling on the floor laughing).
- Broken threads. This occurs when an e-mail recipient replies to the sender by creating a new message rather than using the "reply" option on a computer. For example, if I sent my friend an email with "car" as the subject line, I would easily recognize her response when I see "RE; car" in my inbox.
Stick with the commonly known ones, such as FYL
Length: Keep it concise and to the point.
■ Punctuation: E-mail authors often omit it, making messages extremely confusing. On the other extreme, they can become punctuation-happy, especially with exclamation points. This can become very exasperating!!!!!! Use only what's necessary to express the message.
■ Quotes: This is usually text that sends type and that is returned to them. For example, if e-mailed a professor and asked, "When is the test?" he or she would only need to reply "Monday" rather than copying my question in the message. It would read: >> When is the test?
Usually, senders don't need to be reminded of what they said, and it can add a lot of clutter, especially when the original e-mail was more lengthy than one question.
Smiley faces:
evolved into multiple faces, meant to convey a particular emotion, including the winker
and the laugher
Do:
■ Upper case. IN THE WORLD OF E-MAILS, TYPING IN ALL IN UPPER-CAPS IS ÉQUIVALENT TO SCREAMING. (Ouch!) Unless that is the intention, stick with the traditionally accepted format.
They can be kind of cute when used appropriately which is almost never. Use sparingly.
These small elements make e-mails easier and more enjoyable to read. Cleaner, more straightforward e-mails also have a greater chance of actually being read rather than instantly dumped into a cyber trash bin.
O'Toole is a Wichita junior in journalism and Enailish.
Students' comfort utopia disastrous for KU's future
He said the University should be geared toward comfort and relaxation. Chenwith wanted students to feel at ease while they researched at the library or sat through a lecture.
The University of Kansas — perched atop Mount Oread — is an unusual campus. After 13 students died of heart attacks in the year 2025 from walking up the hill, then Cancellor Eric Chenowith said he had had cough
*College is a time to learn, and students shouldn't be burdened with needless things like walking
buffering to building or having to carry an umbrella in case it rains," he said. "When I was a student, back in 2000, we suffered. The classrooms were always too warm or too cold, and it's such a long walk from Fraser Hall to Wescoe Hall. Something needs to be done."
He started small. He enforced the no-smoking policy at the building entryways, and he provided some extra benefits to the spirit squads. Then, he really got going. He added ski lifts at
Saran
Hale
managing editor
option@karsan.com
For top-notch upkeep on these machines, a large glass dome protecting them and the students from rain and snow was erected above the entire campus. Students could ride to class without fear of windblow hair or muddy sneakers.
five places on campus to allow students to ride to the top of the hill, as not to over-exhaust themselves. He ordered moving sidewalks similar to those found at large airports to be laid out across campus — weaving from building to building with some portions indoors. Students no longer needed bikes, and the buses quit shuttling students.
University officials — with the help of KU alumnus and billionaire donor Terry Nooner — became devoted to improving student morale. Free massage sessions, tutors and an improved selection of fast food restaurants were added at the Kansas Union. Dr Pepper finally was added to the vending machines, and liquid soap replaced the scratchy powder soap in campus bathrooms. Potter Lake became a swim park extravaganza with clean water, slides and a sun deck. Students
The classrooms, previously cluttered with uncomfortable wooden desks, were remodeled to include recliners, computerized note-takers, a consistent, comfortable room temperature and free bottles of water. He assumed thirsty students couldn't concentrate.
could swim year-round, thanks to the glass dome.
Enrollment doubled, and the University accommodated. Students graduated from high school early, just so they could attend the University. Campus housing, by the way, also changed to include larger suites, room service and other hotel-like accommodations. The students thought it was great
Gradually, the plan began to backfire. Ten years later in 2035, the average grade point average began to drop. Students were so stress-free that the thought of reading a single chapter was tiring. Some students gained weight because they weren't walking up the hill, and others just let the computers do everything for them. One student fell off a ski-lift. One drowned in Potter Lake. And one was knocked out when he accidentally walked into the glass dome wall. He didn't know it was there.
KU graduates found it difficult to get jobs. Company executives and CEOs laughed when they saw a KU student's application. The students were known for being lazy. All they did was complain about things — such as having to walk or missine regular massages.
They quit complaining about the long cement stairs they walked on up the hill. They quit complaining about the windy Kansas weather and the unpredictable classroom temperatures. They even were pleased when their tuition and fees began to decrease.
In 2006, Chancellor Raef LaFrentz began to evaluate the way his school was run. The students wanted everything to stay at their beloved campus, but LaFrentz knew better. Down came the glass dome and ski-lifts. Students suffered from frostbite during the winter and from weak ankles when they started walking up the hill again, but LaFrentz persevered.
The escalators were removed and so were the recliners and water slides. Some students cried. For the first time since the early 2000s, some students became stressed. Many found comfort when they studied for class or attended a lecture. And soon, they began to forget about the massages and free bottled water.
Now, in 2038, the KU campus somewhat resembles what it looked like back in the good of' days when LaFrentz was a student. Most of the students learned how to make do and appreciate what they had.
In the end, former-Chancellor Chenowith admitted that he never should have attempted to upgrade the campus. It was just fine the way it was.
Hale is a Wichita senior in journalism.
Feedback
Crisis service nearby
In reference to the March 6 editorial about sexual assault services, I'd like to point out the Douglas County Rape Victim Survivor Service, a 247 rape crisis center partially financed by Student Senate and founded on campus in 1973.
RVSS advocates are available to assist male and female survivors of sexual assault and their families, friends and partners; provide information; speak to rape survivors; and accompany them to the hospital, court or police station. All services are free and confidential. RVSS works with several campus off-
ces, including the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center, KU Counseling and Psychological Center, KU Public Safety Office and Watkins Memorial Health Center. Several of our advocates are KU students.
Amy Wolf Director of victim services, RVSS