UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN editorials
Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Kansan editorial staff. Signed columns represent the views of the editors.
April 16, 1980
Dance, renters, dance
The air is vibrating with the music of spring—chirping birds, gusting winds, twitching sprinklers—and all around Lawrence, landlords and prospective tenants are doing the housing hustle, but never on weekends.
The theiring feet move in markedly tentative steps to frighteningly unfamiliar rhythms of jangling keys and rustling contracts. The crescendo of pain in their heads builds to a persistent throb. Patience with their dancing partners—roommates—wears thin as they first delicately, and then heavily tread on each other's feet and residential priorities.
KU students are compelled by necessity to do this sporadic and wearying dance. From house to house, apartment to apartment, residence hall to residence hall they go, search to subtlet a home for the spring and summer or to secure a place for themselves next fall. On and on they whirl—before classes, between classes and after classes (but never on weekends)—with a pen in one hand and newspaper pages in the other.
"I want to live closer to campus next semester."
"But those places are more expensive and not as nice."
"I'm here to go to school, not loll in luxury."
"Wait a minute. I thought we agreed to get a bigger place for next year.
Cracker boxes are for crackers, not students."
The lyrics get louder and stronger before a resolution is worked out and the dance is over, but the tune remains the same semester after semester, year after year, but never on weekends.
The housing hustle has its wallflowers, who wait too long to join the dance and end up filling the newspaper classified ads with pleas for partners to share the expensive cover charges of apartments and houses.
Some students are stood up by their partners and are forced to face the music of payment-demanding conductors alone. Others get caught waltzing through the housing hustle while the conductors are closing the doors with a cut-time calypso number. Most recent examples being those involved in the music who may have to sit out the next song because they missed the downbeat.
Conductors come and go, usually altering the music a little to accommodate their styles but not students. Jayhawker Tower tenants will have a new conductor, the KU Endowment Association, from now on but the melody is supposed to remain intact.
So the strains -musical, mental,
emotional, physical, financial and
logistical -continue to palate and the
songs -continue to dance to them,
but never on weekends.
Short notice leaves students in the cold
To the Editor:
Looks like that old and dusty tent and sleeping bag that you have had tucked away in your closets for years on years, JRP residents, will finally be used. It seems as though they are getting programs has a different meaning to the word "resident" than many JRP present residents.
The signs that were posted in JRP said that all remaining rooms would be reserved for new incoming freshman soon. If one, we are told, has to be missed at the beginning of this school year we were really anxious about going to school and not having access to advanced, but when the room contracts became available for the upcoming year, the only deadline was that first priority was to arrive on Feb. 22, and after that they were processed by the order in which they came into the office. One day before the final deadline the rooms were posted in JRP to let its residents know
Whether or not students at the six other residence halls that were closed had the same amount of time to apply for their residency, they would not be eligible for some JRP residence won't grow.
Why doesn't JRP give the residence halls a chance to meet the residents who keep the deadline and have a chance to meet it? They wouldn't have to change the deadline, just let the date go.
So, JRP residents and any other residence hall members who were surprised by the hard work of their contractures your contracts into that soon-to-be-filled McCollum Hall, you'll have to dig out that dusty night and sleeping bag and prepare to go in. You'll need a wheelchair comfort and convenience of the residence halls, but at least you know that you have room for them, as well whide side of the tent you want to sleep on.
Marty Greene Spring Hill, freshman
Abortion is decision for women,not men
It seems that since Rep. John Anderson's visit here the issue of abortion has brought out the negative responses of several males. In my opinion, these men have dealt with the issue before being a full-term pregnancy. Let me say that I honestly feel no matter how strongly a man desires to understand or thinks he understands a woman he will never know what is really involved emotionally and psychologically, giving her a baby, or having an abortion.
Dann, in his article "A Response to Representative Anderson," iliens abortion to murder. In my mind, as there is physical abuse of the woman, the murder of the woman who is not ready to bring a baby into this world and is forced by others (in particular, men) who actually harmed her in a position to decide whether she is entitled to care and not ready only to bear a baby, but in many
To the Editor:
cases, raise a baby. Are these men (and some women) so bold to make that decision for a woman who has been raped and be pregnant?
I can understand and respect these men's beliefs, but I feel the true problem is sexuality. To me, the number of abortions in our society is one that requires legalization or social acceptance of abortion but because the emphasis of sex in our society has gone up, Abortions do not preclude sex. Turn on a TV or simply read a book. You are going to preclude what is the emphasis of our society.
Obviously much more can be said and debated on this issue. Let me just end by highlighting the fact that the right decision for everyone but please let's respect the freedom that this country was founded on and, ironically, the freedom of speech that is so central to our banner ("The Bible says abortion is murder") at the Anderson talk, and let the individuals involve make the choice. I believe it is good to have
Laura BeVier
Laura Bevier Springfield, Mo. senior
Librarian stacks up new book fine policy
To the Editor:
I am a classified employee at Marvin Library. Always every day, someone comes to the desk and asks where such-and-such are located. This is usually been checked out anonymously for an indefinite period of time, probably forever. This usually evokes a feeling of help lessness, embarrassment, and anger in library users. It helps library users to find what they need.
Because there seems to be a flap concerning the library's new fines policy, let me add my two cents worth.
There seems to be in general a lack of consideration and sense of responsible sharing among a number of students and faculty, and this selfish attitude is the very reason for the new policy and probably for the move towards the library and certain faculty members.
At least in the case of the absent-minded professor, we know where the book is. We don't want you to consume and sometimes unpleasant. When some clobly simply walks out with it, the student feels less helpless.
Equally frustrating is discovering that a professor checked the book out three years ago (not unheard of) and also has hundreds (literally) of other books as well.
The library should be available equally to all people in the University, and obtaining the desired materials should be as painless as possible. Unfortunately, this is often not the case.
The library does not want to collect fines (the money goes somewhere outside the library) but wants professors' paychecks docked; we simply want the books to come back so they will be free.
Kathy Laushman
Library Assistant, Marvin Library
Carter's economics secure inflation
By SIDNEY WEINTRAUB
New York Times special features
PHILADELPHIA-JIMMY Carter iselerous about making his name a synonym for the American race. The measures that he announced recently will secure his place in history alongside Herbert Hoover's.
Under his latest program unemployment will go higher, a recession is more certain, and the underlying rate of inflation has been driven by because of his relaxed wage-price guidelines.
The beleaguered chairman of the Federal Reserve, Paul A. Volker, keeps pressing a clamp on money supplies, driving interest rates to levels once associated with loan defaults. He advises that with outsized interest costs, the bond and stock markets have recropped in shock.
THE PRESIDENT denounced government spending and defics. Carter, after lauding his own "lean budgetary handling," said he was "amazed at austerity. After the completed venture in image-making, the $-billion retreatment effort is the largest percent of the outlays, or 0.2 percent of the gross national product. For 183 billion, a tentative figure is about $13 billion, less than 0.5 percent of the outlaws, or 0.2 percent of the gross national product.
It strains credibility to hail this as a deterent to inflation. As military outposts and facilities get larger, their figures, as interest charges on the national debt are also likely to go higher, and as prices rise, the nation's credit rating declines.
budgeted prices for everything that the government buys, the excessive claims of budget savings will vanish.
productivity gains come in small, slow and uncertain doses over a period of time. Merely cutting taxes without reining incomes will make inflation worse.
WITH SOME ELECTION-year demagoguery, a band of congressmen dangles a tax cut before the voters.
2. Cut corporate income taxes by about 8 percent for firms that limit the average pay of managers and employees in production, to 5 percent a year. The rates might also be gently lifted for firms that
1. CUT PERSONAL INCOME taxes by about $400 on incomes up to $20,000, and by $500 on incomes grow by 5 percent or less a year. This could be combined with a more widespread cut in tax rates in which income under $300 works. Worker take-home pay would thus be enhanced and pressures for pay increases are mitigated, thereby breaking the wage parity.
Unfortunately, the legislative cult omits the unpleasant half of the pricing equation to *wt*, that money incomes must be geared to meet the actual costs of prices to be stable generally. Also
THE ECONOMIC IMPERATIVE is to hold the annual money-income move to the productivity creep. As wages and salaries compare about 75 percent of the total wage, there is a 25 percent of consumer demand, the big task is to find a method to keep the money incomes
These two provisions could make tax cuts effective as a restraint on incomes and thus be on both costs and demand. With a policy of voluntary vanguard and fiscal discipline, our inflation madness could then be cured. While Congress debates the legislative design of the anti-inflation package, the antipary of prorary paper and wage wage could halt further inflation rot.
in tow. The Carter policy so far has been grossly ineffective in establishing a wage-productivity relationship for price-level stability.
A valid principle would combine tax cuts with restraints on income. Tax cuts should be tendered as a quid pro quo for abating the income pressures. The Congress should:
Sidney Weintraub is professor of economics at the University of Pennsylvania.
KU concerts need cash, attendance
When the record industry was on the verge of joining the big biketown in the sky, rock concertes around the country were becoming more and more rare. Even big cities, let alone college towns like Lake Superior, were having difficulties booking concerts.
However, KU's Student Union Activities never stopped trying to book concerts, and this semester, as the record industry improved somewhat, SUA's efforts paid off.
Last Saturday, Cheap Trick invaded Allen Field House for what will probably be the last kU concert of the year. But the Cheap Trick concert was not an official musical magic this semester. In a span of four months, SUA has sponsored four big-name concerts, including the Chuck Mangione, Molly Hatchet and Todd Runnell. The latter stage a concert each month of the semester.
ALTHOUGH SUA has been successful in
SUA's recent success is a far cry from last semester's woes, which included the cancellation of a Homecoming concert. A December concert with Ramsay Lewis also was cancelled because of a problems stemmed from the sagging record industry and thus could not be avoided.
attracting big-name rock groups to the University this semester, it has not been without problems. The most nagging problem is a weak Cuckman gorge, foulhorn extracranial Chuck Manganese, foulhorn extracranial
COLUMNIST david lewis
drew only 2,400 persons to Teach Auditorium.
The faculty, who occupies a large industry, attracted only 2,072. Cheep Chep could muster only 8,000 into spacious Allen Field House. Molly Hutchins was the only student in this class.
The blame for the relatively paltry attendance figures cannot be blamed on ticket prices. The fact that ticket prices are reasonable compared to other forms of entertainment in town and the students don't have to travel long distances is another reason they don't even have to leave the campus.
In ADDITION, students often can get discounts on their tickets with their ID cards. Moreover, SUA gives KU students the first crack at the best seats. The attendance figures simply do not reflect SUA's efforts to bring KU the best possible rock concerts.
This also means that rowes will have to control their wilderness during concerts. Any fireworks, if not provided by the band, will scare off promoters.
These figures also give KU officials the ammunition to take away the authority of KU students to book concerts. Most schools have concerts all together or hire non-students to book concerts. SUA has managed to maintain its authority over the scheduling of
There are yet other problems. SUA definitely needs a bigger public budget for its newspaper advertising campaigns. This year, promoters limited SUA to $200 in promoting Ticket and to $600 in promoting Total Rudra Funding. One full-page ad costs more than $200.
Unfortunately, KU officials would prefer that KU did not schedule any concerts. Concerts mean loud noise and occasional arrests of students. And perhaps most importantly, SUA concerts do not make it easy to hear. We were not intended to garner huge profits.
SUC CONCIERES do not translate into big bucks and KU officials use the lacking attendance figures as a reason to unplug the instrument, future rock concerts – permanently.
Along with winning the approval of KU officials, SUA will have to remain efficient in managing its activities during the time sponsoring concerts. If SUAconcerts run smoothly, promoters will not hesitate to invite KU students.
MORE ADVERTISING undoubtedly would reach more students. Last year, SUA spent $5,000 promoting the Doobie Brothers—the concert was one of the most successful ever. With more advertising money, SUA could use gimmicks to further promote the event. "Doobie Day" to give the Doobie Brothers more publicity. The event was a big success.
Furthermore, SUA concerts will depend on the resurgence of the record industry. Wherever there's a hot selling record, there's a concert tour. If the record industry improves and the concerts run smoothly, it's time to move on to concerts right on their own campus. That is, if students want to see them on their own campus.
Academia's tolerant image tarnished
Ah, the life of academia—peaceful,
scholarly, free-thinking, isolated from the
narrow-mindedness of the rest of the world.
In this sense, academia is part of the
surfaces of the world. Too bad it is a false image.
Last week, a representative of several Arab groups spoke on campus. Sponsored by the KU Muslim Student Association, the group included a small group, compared to the audiences of Donald McHenry, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and other speakers at the University. Yet, at least 10 planches scolarisé par les étudiants devraient provide security and break confrontations.
Sadly, the services of the police officers and an angry audience member ruined the steward reach Hamid. Hecklers jeered Hamid and challenged pro-Arab audience members to
The incident is typical of an attitude that prevalens in America—you have the right to express your opinions as long as they are the truth. How's mine. How that's for freedom of speech?
SOMEHOW, THOUGH, it seems that angry, violent protest is out of place on
kate COLUMNIST pound
college campuses. The tradition of academic freedom should preclude the need for police officers at lectures. Students and faculty members are supposed to be adults, not students in a classroom of good the world for personal growth and profit. They should be mature enough to
tolerate the opinions of others, or, at least to keep their protests civil and non-violent.
but KU, like many other universes across the world, is no haven for new or controversial lectures. Lectures given by a man who has never been Martin Luther King Sr. have required greater than normal security measures. Neither of those men, nor Hamid, espoused Christianity, particularly radical views. Yet they had to be surrounded by acts of immature and indefentive people.
VIOLENT PROTESTS against speakers, ideas or ethnic groups are not new to universities. Nor is protest limited to American universities. In Turkey, current anti-American feelings among students are strong and they oppose Americans. Even students in Arab nations have attacked speakers who were pro-American or pro-Iraeli.
It is easy to use violence to attack the ideas of another. It is easy to gain publicity for one's cause by striking with guns or razing animals or be unreasonable, raging animals.
The mark of true reason, of true dedication to a cause, is the ability to listen to other opinions, tolerantly. It takes strength to suffer silently the verbal abuse of opponents. It takes a firm desire to defend opponents and peacefully discuss differences.
THE UNIVERSITIES of the world should set an example for everyone. They should be peaceful forums for the discussion and teaching mathematics to the history of the Palestinian people, all topics should be tolerated on campus. And peaceful protest should be permitted, even encouraged, for students to criticize of ideas, education is impossible.
Rashid Hamid should have been able to speak on campus without fear of attack, without having to rope with iron, obnoxious tools. He should be able to visit KU without having sharpshooters stationed on the University guesthouse to protect him. The students and faculty of KU should be appalled by violent, horrific attacks who would deny others the right to speak.
IT IS AN IRONIC coincidence that many who object most strongly to the University's freedom of speech and videotaping policies do not notice the notion that obviously the ideas of others they find objectionable. Freedom of speech, the reasoned expression and discussion of ideas cannot be limited only to popular ideas: it should be free to lecture or to protest.
There is much to say, there is much to discuss, there is much to protest. But it must be said that the human beings who live in human beings; there should be no room on campus for those who would turn to it.