Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
Kansan
Published daily since 1912
Ann Premer, Editor
Gerry Doyle, Managing editor
Angie Kuhn, Managing editor
Tom Eblen, General manager, news adviser
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Justin Knuff, Technology coordinator
Monday. February 8, 1999
The Chicago Tribune
Editorial
Classified staff charges Legislature with improving compensations
A significant amount of work at the University of Kansas is done by a group of employees who get little recognition. These people ensure that all facets of the University run smoothly so instructors and students can participate in a learning community.
Like so many University employees, they are underpaid. As a result, the University's infrastructure pays the price. The Kansas Legislature, which sets salaries for these workers, must pursue a plan to increase salaries and improve work environments.
Specifically, the needs of classified employees must be addressed. Although unclassified employees instructors and administrators often don't get the pay they deserve either, the other 1,600 University work
Cost of living, overtime pay and hiring issues should be examined, says Classified Senate.
ers have been ignored too long. Classified Senate, which represents these employees, has outlined a plan that would recognize these needs.
First, wages have remained stagnant while the cost of living has increased. Second, these employees increasingly have lost many of their rights to overtime pay. Lastly, as other workers retire, remaining workers are forced to handle much of the former employee responsibilities without increased wages.
To many classified workers who have
reached the top of the pay scale, the only raises will come from cost-of-living allotments. From zero to 1.5 percent, these allotments are not enough.
A 1994 state law took away holiday overtime pay for these employees. And the state only hires three employees for every four that retire.
If the Legislature wants to maintain the quality of Kansas' educational infrastructure, it must seriously consider Classified Senate's recommendations: Raise the cost-of-living allotment, bring back holiday overtime pay and hire accordingly for vacant positions. Otherwise, it is Kansas' universities that pay the price. These employees keep the University going. It's time the Legislature stopped short-changing them.
Chris Borniger for the editorial board
Feedback
Pope not the only figure capable of godliness
I am writing in response to a column I read in the Kansin Feb. 3. I happen to agree with the Simmie Berroya's son that no one person can be closer to God than any other person. No, I'm not 19, nor am I Catholic or college educated. I am a student of life.
She says that the Pope is closer to God because he lives the Bible and church doctrine every day. Well, I have an uncle who is a Baptist minister, and I wonder if he is any less close to God then the Pope? I know that my uncle lives by the Bible and the church's doctrine every day, as does his wife. Does that make her any less close to God than the Pope?
Or how about the people in the building that I work in, we have Resident Assistants who live and teach the Bible every day. Are they any less close to God than the Pope? The building also has a maintenance man who is a minister. He works every day, but I know that he lives by the Bible every day. Does this make him any less close to God than the Pope?
I understand that the Pope is supposed to be the living symbol of the Catholic Church and that the church needs the Pope to lead it and its people, but to assume that he is closer to God than any other person on Earth is impudent.
Mother Teresa was another symbol of the Catholic church. She lived the church's doctrine every day and gave of herself every day. Was she any less close to God than to the Pope? I agree that people need other people to look up to, and the Pope is a great person to look up to, but so are Mother Teresa,
my uncle, my aunt, the RAs in my building and the maintenance man.
What about the people who give selflessly every day to see that people are fed, have clothes to wear, places to live and give of their lives because that is what they love to do? Are they any less a person to look up to?
I know that this letter is going to catch some flak, but that is OK. I wrote this letter to say that everyone who walks with grace in their lives and love in their hearts are as close to God.
An old pagan saying says, "In perfect love and in perfect trust." While almost impossible to live up to, it is possible to try to live that way every day.
Kansan staff
Robin Halbert
Custodian Crew Leader
Ellsworth Hall
Ryan Koerner ... Editorial
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Broaden your mind: Today's quote
"A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green." — Francis Bacon
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-Film Hall. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Ryan Koerner or Jeromy Doerham at 864-4924.
If you have general questions or comments,
e-mail the page staff (opinion@kansan.com)
or call 864-4924.
Perspective
Dole Institute's funding serves higher education
The University Daily Kansan makes an important and cogent general point in its Feb. 3 editorial about financing for the Dole Institute for Public Services and Public Relief
icy. That is, the earmarking of federal funds for specific higher education projects is not a desirable policy, in comparison to the merit-based competitive grant process.
Most university presidents and virtually all policy analysts would agree, even though the competitive grant process certainly advantages so-called "prestige" institutions In October funding for the Dole Institute was included in a $600 billion omnibus budget package; the University did not lobby for this funding, which was added to the appropriations for the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education.
Burdett Loomis
Guest columnist
Subsequently, various legislators directed the Fund to spend its competitive-grant money on particular projects. This latter set of directives was especially unfortunate — a poor precedent for education policy.
But we live in an imperfect world. In its considered judgment, the U.S. Congress decided to honor the former Senate Republican floor leader, Robert J. Dole, with a grant of $5 million. Senator Pat Roberts and his staff were instrumental in obtaining these funds, and the University community should be grateful.
The Kansan editorial board labels this money as "tainted" and suggests that we decline the funding. Or, at the least, we should commit some of the funds to the elusive goal of "improving" post-secondary education.
Well, we're not looking this gift horse in the mouth — to do so would dishonor both Dole and Roberts. But the editorial board and the University community should be confident that — both directly and indirectly — the Robert J. Dole Institute will (and has already) improved the quality of post-secondary education — precisely the mission of the grant as articulated by the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education and the Department of Education.
The Dole Institute has not yet received a cent of federal funding, but already it has;
cent or federal funding, but already it has ■ bolstered the internship programs in Washington and Topeka (more than 40 students enrolled this spring);
- held a major conference, attended by hundreds of students, on Most Favored Nation status for China;
worked to bring in two former members of Congress for visits to several KU undergraduate classes (February 16-18):
■ financed graduate research assistant-
ships:
■ planned a major conference (September 1999) on the 50th anniversary of NATO, which may include a Lied Center speech by NATO Secretary General Javier Solana.
The $6 million of federal funding will allow the Institute's archives staff to process the largest single collection of congressional papers in existence. These papers, along with photos and other artifacts, make up an invaluable resource that will serve KU students, professors and outside scholars for decades to come.
Moreover, once its distinctive West Campus building is complete, the Dole Institute will serve as a venue not only for its own events, but also for many other University seminars and symposia.
To date, as the editorial pointed out, the Institute has received $3 million in private funding and $3 million in state appropriations — virtually all of which is committed to the building, which will stand directly west of the Lied Center. Once the building is constructed, however, the Institute will require substantial funding so that it can fulfill its three functions: to serve as an archival resource, to promote public service activities and to further the understanding of domestic and international public policy issues. The University, in consultation with Dole, is committed to serving its students, its faculty, and the citizens of Kansas through its archival, public service and public policy activities.
Will the Institute contribute to the improvement of higher education? Without a doubt. Did the University and the Institute attack the federal grant-making process? Not at all. Rather, Congress chose to honor one of its most distinguished members with an appropriate gesture. We happen to be the fortunate recipient of that generous gesture. It is the University's responsibility to employ the funds to offer valuable programming for years, even generations, to come. Through dozens of opportunities offered to KU students and faculty
- and other Kansas citizens - the Dole Institute will pay dividends on the $6 million investment well into the 21st century.
Loomis is a professor of political science and the interim director of the Robert J. Dole Institute for Public Service and Public Policy.
Morning calm disrupted by door-to-door religion
If I recall correctly, it was a rather tranquil Sunday morning. Unable to sleep, I wandered into the main room of my apartment and fell on the couch. Through
the missing teeth of the Venetian blinds, I could see the rising sun reflect off the frost on the early morning grass, a sight I would have considered beautiful had it not been so blinding.
I sat there for a while, deciding between television or radio, frosted cereal or instant breakfast, moving or remaining comatose on the couch. Soon enough, the decision was made for me
H.G.
Miller
opinion @ kansan.com
as an even-paced knocking sound began emanating through the front door.
Assuming that some person on the other side of the door caused the sound, rather than some freaky paranormal occurrence, I pulled myself from the three-foot divot in the center of the couch and moved to answer the door.
While making the journey across the multi-colored stains permanently caked in the carpet, I began to wonder who it was that could be coming by so early on a Sunday morning, knowing that none of my friends were likely candidates for consciousness any time before noon.
I thought for a moment about the friendly student who had solicited me a week earlier. He seemed like a nice enough chap, smiling wide and telling me of the many opportunities available to him should he be entrepreneurial enough. Why, if I would only subscribe to a magazine or two, he could go to Europe.
Of course, I wouldn't mind a trip to Europe myself, and I would rather subscribe to a magazine that sent me there, so I politely explained to him that I couldn't read. Yes, I thought of him on the way to the door, along with my other visitors the past week — the foreign exchange student selling paintings and the blond girl running for some kind of office.
Looking through the peep hole, I saw that none of these people were waiting to see
me. Rather, two pleasantly attired elderly people smiled at the door. Being in the confused state that always clouds my head in the early hours of the day, I immediately opened the door and said a friendly "Hello."
I assume she meant going to a church, so I explained that I did not attend a specific church but chose to speak with God from such places as the bed, my car and the bathroom, usually promising not to eat any more spicy food, or drink a particular drink or talk to a certain female person ever again.
Jesus probably would have the cereal, I thought to myself.
"Do you worship anywhere?" the lady asked me.
Oh well, I figured it was too late to change the circumstances and, besides, I felt quite comfortable. So, I asked if I could help out these kind strangers. The lady mentioned something about the church they were from, and her partner quickly handed me a pamphlet. "What Would Jesus Do," I think it said.
"So, you do believe in God, then?"
I guess I should mention that I hadn't dressed since waking up and wandering into the living room, and apparently my Bugs Bunny boxer shorts and pale-white chest took the couple by surprise. The lady gasped, and the man cleared his throat while hastily averting his eyes away.
"Yes, of course."
"You should stop by our congregation sometime," the man suggested.
"God and I have a deal worked out," I told them. "I don't answer the door in the morning, and he leaves me alone. As you can see, I didn't come through with my part of the bargain, and now he's punishing me."
With that statement, the couple got very offended and said some things that I didn't believe were particularly Christian.
Oh well, I felt pretty good about my situation in life and suggested that they might want to save souls a little later in the day. For the time being, I needed to get some cereal and read about how Jesus would handle early-morning solicitations.
Miller is a Hutchinson senior in English.
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