UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN editorials
Unsigned editors represent the opinion of the Kansan
writers. Signed columns represent the views of
only the writers.
March 17, 1980
City travel improves
Last week Douglas County and local officials finally did two things to make getting around in Lawrence a little easier for everyone. Thursday morning they opened the new Massachusetts Street Bridge and Friday afternoon they announced plans for a low-fare transportation system in the city.
The opening of the bridge was more than eight months late. Construction of the bridge fell six months behind schedule. And, when it was completed, county officials delayed opening the gate for two and a half months because the threat of snow and possible salt damage to the new road surface.
Ironically, despite their efforts, the bridge was christened Wednesday night by a soft, wet blanket of snow. A light rain wasted and no salt was needed.
What was needed, and provided,
however, was a touch of traffic
directing to keep meandering
motorsist in the right lane and on the
right track. Officials showed some
foresight in not depending solely upon
traffic signs to clear up the questions of
confused motorsist.
Officials also showed foresight in the plans for a low-fare transportation system in Lawrence. If approved and licensed by the Lawrence City Commission, the plan would be a Jitney—a small vehicle, in this case a van, that transports passengers for a
low fare—and would provide low-cost transportation for all Lawrence residents, with special emphasis on serving the elderly and disabled. The door-to-door transportation anywhere in Lawrence for a fixed fee of $1.50.
The planners' forestight shines in the provisions of the system. Jitney drivers would be trained in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The Jitney would be available 24 hours a day to residents 60 years or older and disabled residents. Priority would be given to passengers with medical appointments or emergencies. Also, a wheelchair lift substituted for the wheelchair lift would dispatcher determines that the lift will not be needed or if the van cannot meet the requested time. The same $1.50 charge would apply to the taxi.
The plans for the system were announced by Ward Thompson, president of Lawrence's two cab companies, and officials from the Douglas County Planning Council on Services for the Aging and Independence Inc., two local service agencies. The system would be a cooperative effort and would not be subsidized for operating costs, according to those involved.
The people of Lawrence are going places, one way or another. But it would be boost to the city if more of them could get where they're going more easily.
A night at the movies isn't a real night out
Going to the movies used to be a great night out. Not any more.
The overall quality of the movies probably hasn't changed much in the last 10 or 15 years. It was as variable then as it is now. You pay your money and take your chance.
If the movie is good, you'll get your money's worth. If it's average or bad, you won't. If it's REALLY bad, you might- if you're going to movies with implausible plots and preposterous characters that will make you gace, groom, gasp and gag in sheer excitement.
COLUMNIST david mould
Although the silver screen has become brassy with erasey and bloody with violence, Hollywood continues to crank out the movies that are part of the movie program that is the letdown.
really bad movies. They may serve an emotional need.
**THERE WAS A** *s* **short**: Laurel and Martha were short, or perhaps Tarzan was taller. Jane, not necessarily in that order. There is a newness there was a cartoon. There is no newness there was a scratched, noisy commercials inviting you to stop by busy cafes on your way
Some of us are old enough to remember the time when a trip to the movies occupied the whole evening. There was the main feature—the one you thought you wanted to be—was a supporting film, or B- feature, which sometimes better met the main feature.
Today's moviegover is forced to eat on the way to the theater and on the way home if
the whole evening is to be consumed. An you get at the theater is the main course: the trimmings off the menu.
IF YOU KAW SKRAM vs. Krammer while it was in town, you may have felt as cheated as I did. The movie itself was well-produced and funny, but not all we saw, save for a couple of commercials the early evening show, there wasn't even a preview. The only way to spend that evening at the movies was to sit through the film on a couch or a chair and watch, or catch the late movie on television.
Television is partly to blame. Many movies now go down the tube; that's to say, they are not as good as Hollywood or Oscar-scoring Hollywood director wants to earn a reputation as the maker of superb movies.
NEWSREELS WERE another victim of television. After a couple of decades of rigorism—cinemaatically manifested in a hostile press and a daredevils performing animals and other cutesy stuff—the they finally succumbed. The last American newslew left the screens in shock to lose to pictorial journalism, but a sad day for investigators who want their money's worth.
But you can't hang it all on TV. The disappearance of B-features, shorts and newsreels has allowed theater managers to schedule two performances an evening, and you don't need an economics degree to understand what that does to the box-office takings.
And it's not if they don't have a choice. They can obtain other films. We may not see them, but the movies film, and the newsreel is surely gone. But the books and cartoons are available, and old comedy series still command a loyal follow-up. If they can't handle their objections, why can't we see them downstairs?
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I met him in a bar. he wore a trench coat over his turndenck sweater, jeans and green Adidas. He perched at the back of the booth and ordered a Scout and soda.
Leprechauns lose their Irish luck
I waited for him to speak. He downed his drink and signaled for another. I nervously siped at mine.
"For yer own sake, be tellin' the truth. Me men are watchin' ya. A false move, lass, and there'll be leprechans all over you. We need not takin any risks." He ordered us to drink a cocktail, drink and began a second. A server-racking business, this talking to a terrorist—a
"Ye're alone, I take it," he said at last.
I assured him I was, and he seemed to relax.
They had kidnapped New York's Sen. Pat Moynihan and were holding them for murder. Last seen three weeks ago, Moynihan disappeared from a bar called Kelly's.
MOYNIHAN WAS still alive, the leprechaun said, and the band of tiny
kate COLUMNIST pound
terrorists were becoming impatient. There had been no government attempt to negotiate with them.
"Yer own senator and a former ambassador at that, and the stinkin' government won't even bother lookin' fer him," thelepracha said.
I explained to him that outside of an unusual quietness on Capitol Hill, few officials had even noticed Moynihan's disappearance.
"Your timing is lousy," I said. "They're all upset about Iran and Colombia. Moynahan is small potatoes."
*Potatoes! Potatoes!* There ye go with Irish jokes! *Potatoes! Small potatoes no longer to be insulted by cheap Mick jokes!* To be insulted, screamed leaping up and down on the booth.
"Aye, I'm sorry," he said quickly. "It's just that I'm so tense lately, what with all this kidnapping and terrorist business. Ye'll never know how hard it is on us."
Rattled, I slung back my fourth drink. The leprechaun calmed down, reached for his own drink and shook his head.
"WILL YOU SHUIT up?" I said. "Want to attract attention? Copy the in country is just looking for suspicious six-inch-high people. You'll get your arrested."
"Try me," I said. "But first, why don't you just explain what your grievances are and what you want?"
and the you want.
"Fair enough," he said, and then ordered two bottles of Scotch. "It'll be less
distractin' if we don't have to keep orderin' drinks."
He was right. It was less distracting. I sat with him there in the bar and helped him carry his equipment, as he told the tale of the Leprechaun Libration Army, the Wee Power gang.
"THINGS WEREEN" so bad back when he joined Patrick's Day Parade in New York. Then he and Irwin and everyone began paradin. All the taverners sold sellin' green beer after the weddings.
"Green beer. Disgustin' stuff. Not an Irishman on earth who'd drink that green scum if it were the last drop o' booze on earth.
Catholic jokes—they were just too much for us to take. Seems being' short and Irish is funny to some.
"We could live with that, but the jokes—short jokes, Irish jokes, potato jokes,
"Well, I tell ye, we are tired of it. And on that day we'll get in to gold. With prices掉 off all a few times, we just can't get the stuff. We six weeks behind in矿 of gold and the spring rain is coming."
"SO WE TOOK Moyman. He's a leading IrishAmerican, a senator; he ought to be worth something. After all, how can they win? St. Patrick's Day Parade without him?"
He took a swig from one of the bottles. I forget whether it was the fourth or fifth one we'd had. Shaking his head sadly, he went on.
"All we're asking is some recognition, some respect and dignity. And four million
dollars gold bullion. For that we'll return Moynihan."
I thought quickly. A tricky situation I—would be a trickier one if my small adversary was more than a bit aggressive. As a matter of fact, he was slowing sliding down the back of the booth, his head nodding.
"The respect and dignity I can offer," I said. "But you're welcome to four million Susan B. Anthony dollars and a supply of Irish Spring."
"We'll take it," he said groggy, as he slid to the floor.
I left the bill for the Scotch resting on his chest and walked with her along. I thought she would work the effort, I had just saved the world from the ravages of a burdle of leprechauns. Thank God for Scotch, I
Financial aid standards flunking out
COLUMNIST
Students who are in need can receive financial aid. But they can continue
Because of laugable academic stan-
dard, students receive financial aid
at the University receiving better
offer than students who have their
education paid for by scholarships or with
receiving that aid even if they are virtually flunking out of their classes. Consider, however, the likelihood of a student's ability to financially support him if he was receiving financial aid, probably is nonexistent. His chances of staying in school would be much better if he were receiving financial aid. But the purity of not to keep poor children enrolled in school.
A student receiving financial aid has nine
semesters to accumulate a 2.0 grade point average. A 2.0 is a average-barely; a 2.5 is an average and a participant can hover around a 1.5 GPA in semester and still maintain his eligibility for financial aid. In other words, a student enrolled in 15 hours of classes could earn one D's or one F's and still be above the requirements required to maintain his eligibility.
AFTER THEIR fourth semester, students often transfer to other KU schools, such as the School of Education or the School of Journalism. Many of these schools require students to have an accumulative GPA of at least 3.0 for the school. At the same time, the financial needs would require a 1.5 GPA, which is not even close to the schools' minimum standards.
Financial aid students not only discourage academic excellence, but also encourage students to earn grades that would be unacceptable to enter some schools.
Ironically, financial aid was set up to give needy students a chance to obtain a higher
THE LOW STANDARDS, simply do not give you a grade if they do not give you a student any access to standards were higher, a student would have to produce reasonably good grades or a student would not be allowed to access standards were higher.
education. In other words, the university would finance a student who needed money for school and who at the same time was academically deserving of the aid.
The University Senate executive committee is urging tougher standards for financial aid to be applied. Should be allowed four semesters to earn a 2.0 accumulative GPA instead of eight or fewer, and grades of students who receive financial aid to be monitored every semester, instead of three?
Financial aid, as the University now uses it, is a crutch to students. Financial aid may be an opportunity for academic advancement, not for economic exploitation.
THIS WOULD FORCE all of the students
on financial aid to take their grades seriously. And it's about time, especially because many deserving students cannot receive financial aid.
For example, 3,000 applications for financial aid were rejected in 1976. These 3,000 applicants could have needied aid, too. And many of the applicants could have earned excellent grades. It is depressing to see academically talented students unable to take college courses and students earning horrendous grades can then the University for a costly, four-year ride.
The University should do itself a favor and unanimously approve, unimpairedly worked by, for the sake of students who really thirst for an education, the results would be
Students on financial and should value the money they are receiving from the college. Students in city's investment into decent reportcards. University is doing needy students a favor. University is doing needy students a favor.
To the Editor.
Our out-of-state friends who never have visited Kansas often dismiss it as a "backward state." "Until I read the March 5 article by Scott Staffa of State Sen. John Benton that raised the registration of women for the draft, I did not justified in defending Kansas' reputation
I'm not so sure anymore. I am shocked and appalled that someone with Vermilion's sexist attitude could be elected to serve in the Kansas Legislature.
Vermilion said, "It is time in Kansas to speak up and speak out and let the military industrial complex know that we will not kill us and granddaughters to the gods of war."
I can only infer from this that it is all right for Kansas to sacrifice their sons and grandssons to "the gods of war."
He also says, "Military discipline would be extremely cruel for most your students." You'll probably tell you that you give up your freedom to think for yourself and yourself—your beauty, your vanity and your creativity.
As to his so-called concern for the American family and his statement that "young women are needed to bring comfort and stability," what kind of stability exists when the husband and father has to leave and go to war, perhaps never to return?
Is that supposed to mean that it is easier men to give up their identities? Having people give up their identities would like to suggest that it is very difficult for any intelligent person to give up the identity.
Vermilion says that "Kansas can be a leader." If this resolution is his idea of
leadership, I am going to move some place progresse—like Oklahoma.
Boca Largo
Prairie Village sophomore
Senate reorganization needed for fairness
To the Editor:
In response to the letter by Philip Wilhelm (March 5) I, too, was outraged by the voter turnout of students who live off campus. These students make up a majority of the student body, but this is the authority of Student Senate seats. However, this is not the issue that outraged me the most.
I was a candidate for off-campus representative and lost the election by a 4-1 victory. I had money and money to put signs on campus and to place ads in the Kansas. My opponent, however, did no campaigning. She wore sheer stockings she had the backing of the Coalition.
Isn't it about time we reduce the Senate to a more reasonable size, thus giving all of the candidates a chance to discuss the issues?
David Zimmerman Leawood sophomore
Believe it or not, there are people on this campus who think the Student Senate can be a responsible form. However, this can sometimes be difficult to vote and vote for a responsible Senator. Maybe the off-campus residents were given an opportunity to be acquainted with the issues that affect them, and a fair share of the seats, they would make the effort to vote.
To the Editor:
Biblical prophecy no ignorant augury
As one of the lecturers on Biblical prophecy who was criticized in a letter to the editor, I would like to respond to several questions about sophomoric charges made in that letter.
First none of the lecturers for the prophecy series at the New Life Student Fellowship used "fear engendered by an imminent downsoway" to "scare people into action," and then the events are sobering and give cause for re-examining the prevailing philosophy that the world's getting better. But that in is not enough to cause someone to make a decision. That commitment comes through a realization of one's own moral poverty before God and an appreciation and acquisition of the weakness made possible through the crucifixion.
Second, the Bible isn't a "Ouija board." References to end time prophecy in the Bible are clear and specific. For instance, the power world that invades Israel close to Egypt is called the Ezekiel to lie geographically to the "renewed Earth" of Israel, and has a name derived from the
word "Rosh." Anyone who has a globe can see that only one nation north of Israel—Soviet Russia (Rosh). Also, we lecturers have very clear in point out that no one knows the border.
Third, the student who wrote the letter insulted the intelligence of all who came to the lectures when he described how references on a level with those found in the "National Enquirer" when mixed with Bible verses would "invariably convince" As one of the lectures, I held a much higher opinion of the audience's intelligence.
I convinced that everyone who came could have gone away with as much in knowledge and scholarship as a reasonable person, and reliability of Biblical prophecy. It obvious that the letter writer didn't even bother to hear the lecture he had so many ready opinions.
The most serious error in the letter, though, is the claim that attention paid to a personal commitment to Christ is "marryable" and not "profound unforgiving" of the teachings of Christ that I'm almost at a loss for words with which to respond. Perhaps a statement made as plain as it is straight. He said, "Unless one is born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." However wrote the letter may indeed think we should obedience to Christ's own words is "selfish," but his argument isn't with us lecturers. His argument is with Christ
Doug Lamborn Lawrence resident