Opinion
Kansan
Published daily since 1912
Ann Premer, Editor Jamie Holman, Business manager
Gerry Doyle, Managing editor Sara Cropper, Retail sales manager
Angle Kuhn, Managing editor Dan Simon, Sales and marketing adviser
Tom Eblen, General manager, news advisor Justin Knupp, Technology coordinator
Tuesday, May 5, 1999
Robert James Novak / KANSAN
Editorials
Students deserve right to attend elections commission's hearings
The Kansas Open Meetings and Records Act insures public access to meetings for obvious reasons. Open meetings keep leaders accountable and are vital to democratic government.
Student-financed University of Kansas governing bodies should uphold the laws of the state of Kansas and further the democratic process at the University.
The elections commission closed an April 19 complaint hearing to students. J.D. Jenkins, holdover senator; Ann Premer, The University Daily Kansan editor; and Nadia Mustafa, Student Senate reporter for the Kansan, filed complaints to the state attorney general decrying the commission's behavior.
These three students should be commended for their interest in keeping
The students who filed complaints to the attorney general should be commended.
such meetings open. Similarly, the elections commission is correct in choosing to hold another hearing at 7 p.m. tonight at the Oread Room in the Kansas Union.
The commission's hearing board held the closed meeting on April 19 to rule on Student Senate election complaints.
The commission, under the advice of KU general counsel, said that it falls under an exception as a quasi-judicial body. Quasi-judicial suggests that the main function of the board is to rule on matters involving the conduct of individuals.
Although the conduct of individuals was pertinent to the commission's hearings, the individuals' actions occurred during a campus election. The scope of the conflict was extended to the entire student body and was therefore a political, not merely a judicial, issue.
Depending on interpretation, open records law may have allowed the elections commission to deliberate privately, but the actual voting was unquestionably a public matter.
Students finance Student Senate, inevitably giving students the right to attend a meeting in which the discussion and outcome are of public concern.
The elections commission made the right decision in scheduling a new hearing for the Student Senate complaints.
The editorial board
Early film star deserves recognition
Movie buffs and filmgoers lost three of their own this spring. The deaths of critic Gene Siskel and filmmaker Stanley Kubrick were treated with the appropriate dignity. Actor Charles "Buddy" Rogers, who died last month at 94, caused nary a ripple in the public's consciousness. Even The University Daily Kansan neglected to cover his death.
Rogers is best known for movies from the pre-World War II era, including the first Best Picture winner, Wings, in 1927
But Rogers was a native Kansan.
Born in Olathe on Aug. 13, 1904, he attended the University of Kansas before being plucked away by Hollywood in the 1920s.
As sound was introduced to film,
Late Jayhawk's contribution to University of Kansas and film should be remembered.
Rogers made a name for himself in early musicals. In the 1930s, he gradually retreated from film to focus on his big band group, the California Cavaliers. In 1986, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded him the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award during its yearly Oscar telecast.
John Tibbett, assistant professor of film, interviewed Rogers various times throughout the years, even visiting the actor at his Beverly Hills, Calif., home.
league of icons such as Clark Gable or Cary Grant, he still had a larger-than-life image, Tibbetts said. He kept in shape, had style and never lost an opportunity to speak about his beloved wife, the late actress Mary Pickford.
And once in Hollywood, Rogers never forget his Kansas roots.
The University's film department became a frequent beneficiary of Rogers' wealth for almost four decades as he contributed money for awards, Tibbetts said. He also returned to the University in the late 1980s to screen his classic films for KU students.
Although Rogers had not been in the
The passing of favorite stars and performers from Hollywood's golden era usually is met with emotions of sadness and nostalgia. Charles "Buddy" Rogers' death warrants the same.
Jeremy Doherty for the editorial board
Kansan staff
Ryan Koerner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editorial
Jeremy Doherty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Associate editorial
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Broaden your mind: Today's quote
"The good rain, like a bad preacher, does not know when to leave off."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
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 home-town if a University student. Faculty or staff must identify their positions.
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 submitted to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Staufer-Flint Hall. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Ryan Koerner or Jeremy Doherty at 864-4924.
Perspective
Final message requests a world of compassion
I write my last article for The University Daily Kansan with mixed feelings. I am leaving the University of Kansas.
If you have general questions or comments,
e-mail the page staff (opinion@kansan.com)
or call 864-4924.
I started my freshman year not knowing
what to do. Because I had accumulated much practical experience with languages before coming to the University, I decided to study languages formally. After reading in the Undergraduate Catalog that if students felt that the established programs did not meet their needs, they could petition for a special major. I petitioned for a major that I called "Romance Languages," combining French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
Donato
Fhunsu
oinion@kansan.com
I still remember the answer I received from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences undergraduate office: "The departments said that the major you requested is impossible. They argue that the purpose of their programs is to give students a minimum proficiency in the language, and there is no way they can reduce this requirement to meet your needs. They suggest that you major in comparative literature."
I was then living in Perry, just 20 minutes from the University. Nobody even bothered to invite me to an interview. Maybe it was assumed that I was just one of those "regular" students for whom the many majors are designed, and my petition was utopian.
But my utopian adventure did not end there. Once on campus, I discovered that there were three things I really loved doing: studying, writing and teaching.
The undergraduate classes I was taking were too elementary for me. I had read in the KU Graduate School Catalog that students could petition to go to graduate school without a bachelor's degree if they could make a good case. So, I built my case and petitioned for admission to the graduate program in Spanish and Portuguese.
The answer I received essentially said: "You have not even completed a B.A., and you intend to enter graduate studies? What do you think?" I simply thought I could prove myself if given a chance. But traditions, academic or otherwise, die hard. So I opted for academic exploration.
Then, I tackled my second area: writing. Despite my lousy English, the Kansan accepted me as a staff columnist. This was during the Gulf War when the country was in turmoil, and The University Daily Kansan's Opinion Page was the place to be. After I started writing, Anita Herzfeld, my linguistics professor, suggested that I petition to teach Spanish or French.
For Spanish, I was told, "An undergraduate? Ni modo." For French, David Dinneen, French GTA coordinator, gave me a chance, but the
ride was rough. The very first day I was hired by the department, I almost was arrested in Strong Hall, under the suspicion that I must have falsified the teaching contract.
During my adventure here, I also have experienced much ignorance and racism, covert and overt, from administrators, faculty, staff and students. Some of them treated me as if I were stupid, dirty and plain weird. I am none of these. I simply have a lot faith in myself, in others, in the world and in life. That is why, despite all, I harbor no resentment in my heart, either toward them or toward the University.
At one point, I almost had a nervous breakdown, and many people with whom I discussed these experiences suggested that I leave the University immediately — during my first years — and go to a more congenial university. But I felt that I had a mission to accomplish, so I stayed. Now, I feel that I have accomplished my mission, and I am leaving.
I would like to thank Lawrence, which has become my adopted hometown. I thank the administration. I have met wonderful people. I thank all my professors. You have helped me grow, and I hope that I have contributed to your joy of teaching. I apologize for the many times I disappointed you.
I thank all the staff, secretaries and student helpers. The small things you did made a big difference. I thank the Kansan, all my editors and fellow writers. It was a privilege robbing minds with you. We have matured a lot since the old days when, for instance, I could not write columns about religion, with the University of Kansas being a "secular" university.
David Dinneen, a.k.a. DAD, deserves a special mention. He has taught me how to teach and, like an understanding father, has tolerated my utopian academic explorer's life.
I thank the departments in which I did most of my academic explorations: French and Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, linguistics, English, African and African-American studies, religious studies, philosophy, political science, psychology and journalism. My mind is grateful. I thank the KU Kuk Sool Won and the KU LeaderShape Institute for judging me worthy of their membership
Last, but not least, I thank my fellow students. Your company on the Path of Knowledge, Understanding and Wisdom has been a great service. Thank you all for talking, listening, writing, and reading my articles and sharing your lives with me. I hope I have enriched your lives. I know you have enriched mine.
Finally, I go in peace and leave you in peace. While I am gone, I hope you all will continue in the spirit of peace because our separation, for further preparation, is only temporary. We will meet again when we become the leaders of the world in the 21st century. And we want a world of peace, justice, compassion and beauty. Thank you very much.
Fhunsu is a Lawrence graduate student in journalism.
Strong community sense needed to stop violence
I was not surprised recently when students in a Colorado high school were killed by two fellow classmates. I was saddened, of course, but not surprised. Looking at the alienation in our society, it wasn't anything one couldn't see coming.
Our society is built on the foundation of classical liberalism — of the protection of an individual's life, liberty and property. Life, liberty and property sound good, right? The problem with this is, by itself, it is an empty and nearly meaningless account of human existence. It provides no satisfying guide for human interaction, no explanation
Goodman Guest columnist
of the world and no explanation of where we fit into it. It is a cold and materialistic dictum.
It is safe to say, I believe, that the perpetrators of the Colorado shooting did what they did because of alienation. They were outsiders, forced to society's fringes to look for some feeling of acceptance. How could they have committed those crimes upon a people they felt a part of?
The philosophical founders of our society, it should be noted, did not intend for their building blocks to exist by themselves. They lived in a world where the church was so strong that it could control every aspect of people's lives. Religion not only provided a backdrop for their vision of society, but communities were stronger and more involved as well. Individuals had a place in society, and they knew what it was.
That said, problems arose in this version of society from the outset. Even with religion and community adding to classical liberalism, people such as sociologist Emile Durkheim reported that people were becoming alienated from one another. His book "Suicide" chronicles the fact that, as Europe moved into a classical liberal mode, suicide rates went up. The individual nature of liberalism had caused people to lose the feeling of being connected to society.
When we add this knowledge to knowledge of our current society, the fact that people feel alienated should not come as a surprise. Various societal trends have caused people's feeling of connection to one another to decrease.
Community, for one, is not as strong. Kansas is rare in the sense that many people grow up in the same town for their entire lives. This is often not the case. More and more, people do not know their neighbors and often don't care to get to know them.
People also seem to be dismissive of religion because it is not individualistic enough. Anyone who seeks a genuine understanding of religion is often perceived as weak, as not being "hard" enough for our society. People who admit their human frailties are seen as foolish.
This is unfortunate because human beings are social animals. We need one another. This is a primary reason why people join the greek system, community organizations and other groups. We human beings simply function better with support from others. We also are happier in this setting. Perversely, though, we do not seem to recognize this.
This University of Kansas is a good example. People from one view point dismiss those who look for community as misguided hippies. People from another viewpoint dismiss those who look for community as conniving frat boys. Indeed, there is no room for the perceived weakness of needing support. Add to this the perception that religion is a sign of weakness, and alienation seems to be the only thing acceptable.
Religion's ability to connect people has also been decreased. The symbols of religion that we most often see in our society have become tele evangelists and those who use the Bible to persecute minorities. It is no wonder that spiritual people are often dismissed as "religious freaks."
What can we do about all this? We can join and help build community groups. Whether they are religious in nature or not isn't what is important. What is important is that people, especially children, feel that they have a place in society, and they are unconditionally valued.
While a nation of church members and "big brothers" may sound corny to our current sensibilities, the alternative seems to be children leaving high schools in body bags.
Goodman is a Beavercreek, Ohio, junior in political science.