Opinion
The University Daily Kansan
Laura Roddy, Editor
Sarah Hale, Managing editor
Kristi Elliott, Managing editor
Tom Eblen, General manager, news adviser
Thursday, March 2, 2000
Seth Jones / KANSAN
Editorials
Alcohol container ban not the answer
When walking through any residence or scholarship hall, one is likely to find a collection of empty alcoholic beverage containers stacked high and wide in many of the rooms. After finishing a handle of Jim Beam or a six pack of Bud Light, it's a common tradition to take the empty bottles and proudly display them for all to see. Whether it be to brag about how much one drank or what one drank, it's definitely a common occurrence. Now the University of Kansas Department of Student Housing is banning the display of those containers.
This change of policy serves no purpose in the fight for zero tolerance at the University. The Association of
Residents of University housing should be allowed to display empty bottles and cans
University Residence Halls thinks the policy will help curb drinking in KU housing. But when the containers are put up for display, the contents already have been consumed. So how will eliminating the display of containers help anything? Students still will drink in their rooms. Thus, the policy only will prevent the rights of students to display what essentially is a piece of trash.
Another concern stated by residence hall officials was that with allowing collections of alcohol containers, it is hard to tell which ones are full and which ones are empty. Who in their right mind would leave a bottle or can full of alcohol sitting around for all to see?
The University's reasons for supporting this policy fall short on logic. It seems to many that it is another attempt to justify the zero-tolerance policy, which has been under some scrutiny. Instead, the policy is just another rule that might alienate people from KU housing. Collecting bottles is a legitimate hobby and form of decoration, and to take away that right is ludicrous.
Eric Borja for the editorial board
KU needs funds for professorships
The Kansas Senate must vote to
pass the proposed Kansas Partnership for Faculty Distinction next month. The University of Kansas and the State of Kansas are lagging behind other states in financing professorships.
Other states, including Missouri, match private donations to establish professorships. Kansas' inaction is a visible deterrent to the University's appeal in attracting donors and educators.
The proposed legislation would require the state to match dollars for private donations to create new faculty positions, making donor dollars stretch much further. This
State of Kansas should match private donations to create new faculty positions
effect is not lost on potential donors. Gifts of $500,000 or more would activate the program. The KU Endowment Association has had at least three gifts that would meet this requirement during the last two years.
It is important always to be looking for ways in which the University can be improved, and it is equally as important to understand how proposals for change have a direct effect on the student body. A large percentage of the student body comes from the Kansas City area. It doesn't shape up well for recruitment when the bordering state's largest university is operating at levels higher than our own in providing for our educators.
This issue has remained a consistent sore spot for the University and the state. Our educators' salaries do not add up to their work's worth.
The state should attempt to solve this by providing matching funds for professorships.
Matt Dunehoo for the editorial board
Feedback
KU should not doubt race of professor in lawsuit
We are outraged and dismayed at the recent strategy adopted by KU lawyers in the discrimination suit brought by Ray Pierotti and Cynthia Annett. As reported in the Kansan, the University of Kansas in that federal court action questioned whether Pierotti was "really" an American-Indian person.
Defending a discrimination lawsuit by demanding blood count documentation of the person bringing the suit does not indicate respect or extend dignity to any human. Moreover, such blood count notions are an attack on the University's proclaimed policy of equal protection. Apparently, that equal protection policy now applies only if one passes University-approved authenticity tests. In the wake of KU lawyers' recent legal effort, we suppose all KU faculty, staff and students, including White persons, must expect to submit to DNA testing to
was an American-Indian person in KU documents before this federal action, a measure required for the University to receive federal funds. Now, when he charged the University with discrimination, from the University standpoint he may not be "Indian" enough.
While we do not deny a right of defense against charges of discrimination, calling into question the identities of those persons making such allegations has the chilling effect of working against the very goals of the University. The KU mission statement proclaims, "The University fosters a multicultural environment in which the dignity and rights of individuals are respected." Piero#1
The KU legal team's tactic seems like a very poor choice for an institution dedicated to respecting cultural diversity and promoting ethical democracy. We think that the University would be better served by its lawyers if they would nurture rather than undermine the authenticity of Pierotti's Comanche identity.
prove the credibility and genuineness of their identity claims. We hope readers realize this focus on blood count opens endless complications.
How to submit letters and guest columns
**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.
David Anthony Tyeme Clark (Mesquake)
Lawrence doctoral student in American studies
Richard Schur
GTA in American studies
Cheryl R. Patterson
Lawrence doctoral student in American studies
**Guest columns:** Should be double-spaced typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed 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 Staffer-Flint Hall. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Nodia Mustafa or Seth Hoffman at 864-4924.
You can comment or email the page staff (opinion@kansan.com) or call 864-4924.
If you have general questions or comments, e-mail the page staff (opinion@kansan.com) or call 864-4924.
Lori
O'Toole
columnist
opinion@kansas.com
Broaden your mind: Today's quote
of amenity options, leases and deposits to find the most desirable dwelling
I am making my way through this sticky mess for the fourth time, and I have learned from past mistakes.
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." — Aristotle
A apartment shopper beware. Many of you have begun — or soon will begin — hunting for a home for next year. You'll attempt to inch your way through the sticky mess
Proceed with caution before signing that lease
But stop and think before you hastily sign your name to a legal contract that binds you—and your money—to a bungalow for a year.
Perspective
At about this time last year, my roommates and I signed a lease after viewing a floor plan we were told would be identical to our future three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment. But come moving day, we lacked a bathtub,
Insurance: Ask about renter's insurance and what type of incidents you would be financially responsible for.
bathroom cabinets, a bathroom sink and a closet. Another bathroom sink and bedroom closet were significantly smaller than promised.
■ Read the fine print: Make sure you completely understand the lease. Most address issues such as when owners or maintenance staff have the right to enter your home, noise issues and lost keys. An important portion is the clause that states that you are responsible for the total rent bill — even if your roommate doesn't pav un.
Managers insisted that they hadn't misled us: the floor plan was identical. They couldn't understand why we were fussing about the missing items.
We eventually moved into another, more expensive apartment in the same complex that had all the amenities. The management agreed to give us a minuscule rent deduction, and we had to incur costs for telephone and utility transfers.
**Furniture:** Is it furnished? If so, will they remove unwanted items?
The mistake easily could have been avoided. On the bright side, I learned a lot about the snares and tangles of the process. Advice from online sources and apartment owners and managers cannot compare to firsthand experience. So for those of you blindly feeling your way through the fog of apartment shopping, keep the following issues in mind. Maybe they can spare you from having your own disastrous episode.
Don't procrastinate: Most apartment complexes work on a first come, first serve basis. If you want to be able to pick and choose, start the process early. Most landlords also require a processing period to obtain parental signatures and perform credit checks before allowing a tenant to reserve a spot. A perk is that some offer early signing bonuses such as a rent discounts or free cable.
Amenities: Ask if appliances, laundry facilities or others are included with rent.
**Sneak a peak:** Demand to see the actual apartment you will be renting before you sign the dotted line. Trust me — it could save you a lot of hassle.
**Deposit:** Many landlords require a deposit less than or equal to a month's rent. Don't forget to budget for this before you sign a lease. Landlords are required by law to return it if the apartment is in good condition when you move out. Discuss it and make sure the agreement is in writing.
Crime/noise/cleanliness: Do some background research on the area you're interested in.
Talk to police. Ask residents if they like living there. Drive past the complex on evenings or weekends to see what the conditions are like.
- Storage: Check out closet and cabinet.*
* Subleases: This might be important to those leaving for the summer or a semester. Find out early if subleasing is allowed and how it's handled.
**Utilities:** Are any included in the rent? What are the hook-up and start-up fees? Is the heat electric or gas? (This could make a huge difference in bills.) How much are average utilities at the specific apartment?
O'Toole is a Wichita junior in journalism and English.
Mystique of travel can lie in express Chinese food
Phil
Cauthon
columnist
opinion@kansan.com
Since my first road trip at 16, I've been trying to put my finger on what makes travel so perfect and necessary. Even trips that failed to meet expectations or went fabulously wrong gave me such a mystical sense of satisfaction that soon after I had returned, I was planning to leave again.
I may be addicted to travel, but I don't know why. It's certainly not because of a distaste for home. In fact, each time I roll back into town whether from a weekend trip to Obscureville,
Midwest, or from a long stay abroad — my appreciation of Northeast Kansas has grown considerably. Like the kid in Where the Wild Things Are, my time among the menageries of far-flung locales eventually has me pining for Lawrence.
At times, I've thought that travel's primary perk was its innate gift of liberation. Getting out of town, even for a short while, can shake the chains of an entrenched daily routine. And once freed from the patterns, I could tease myself out of the familiar.
But that theory alone wouldn't explain the mindless getaways laden with consumption and physical mind when by the beach with a local brew is my soul's quest for perfection. Those exquisite and far too rare occasions allow me to be an indifferent kid again.
Nor is travel all high times and cheers. I've often found myself nurturing a cynicism when my vacation destination is obviously another's poverty. Coming from Kansas where the homeless are not always in plain view, walking big-city streets and meeting the eyes of countless beggars can be a constant conscience bombardment. Though such trips have me thanking God for my fortune, I don't have to leave home to feel such gratitude.
Instead of a self-portrait painted solely with the colors of everyday surroundings, travel's back-drops provided a needed contrast from which I could bring myself into focus.
For a time I was sure that the essence of travel was its fantastic potential for education. The more I understood other peoples' reality — which was
Cauton is a North Richland Hills, Texas,
graduate student in journalism. He is an
intern at the Washington, D.C., bureau of the
Houston Chronicle this semester.
On the surface, it's about getting out there to see all the freaks of human ingenuity, to prove to yourself that life is limited only by your will and courage to create. Our will and creativity seriously can be stunted by a strip-mall mentality. And on that elusive metaphorical plane, JACKIE CHAN teaches us that travel is about starting out with a tired old Pizza Hut, taking the unchartered Chinese-Seafood-Subs path, and seeing where it goes.
I chuckled, thinking that the sign reflected a misunderstanding of American dining habits. You go to a Chinese restaurant for good Chinese food, not for cheese express dishes. But entering the restaurant, I realized the misunderstanding was all mine: JACKIE CHAN was packed and the menu was a smashing success. At that wonder-striken moment, JACKIE CHAN embodied all that is good about travel.
Then I spotted JACKIE CHAN. On top of an old refurbished Pizza Hut stood the restaurant's name, a beacon in bright orange neon: JACKIE CHAN. Strapped over the former highway-height Pizza Hut sign was a blue tarp, which read, "Super Buffet Open Now! CHINESE SEAFOOD SUBS STEAK CHEESE EXPRESS DISHES HAMBURGER BUFFALO WINGS FREE DELIVERY."
Kansan staff
News editors
I was leaving the city, trying desperately to find some green space away from all the people and pavement. But because of a poorly chosen highway, such respite would be another hour away. I barrelled through miles of uninteresting strip malls and apartment complexes, a monotony of West and South Lawrence-like architecture burdened with 30 years of neglect that reminded me of life's dashed hopes, withered dreams and cruel vulgarities.
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strangely bewildering to me and at once unquestioned by them — the more I began to pick out the truths that transcend varied experience.
But such intangible notions do not get me packing my bags. Last weekend, seven years later in an unlikely Virginia suburb, I began to sense that element of travel that, though elusive of description, makes it so necessary. I call it the Jackie Chan factor.
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