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PAGE 4
TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014
opinion
TEXT FREE FOR ALL
Text your FFA submissions to (785) 289-8351 or at kansan.com
I always forget that if I submit to the FFA on a Thursday it probably won't get published in the news- neaker
No, any guy who likes Disney movies had a childhood... Or sisters.
Eating during lecture IS rude; as a diabetic, that's why I let my prof know when I feel yucky and may need to snack during class. It's all about communication.
How much would it suck to donate millions of dollars to KU just to have your name be mispronounced all the time?
Anyone who claims to be made "purely of awesome" is made purely of ego.
To the BIOL 412 person, perhaps the toaster oven was a bit much.
The Campanile playing Harry Potter just made my whole life.
I remember the good of' days when I looked forward to school ending rather than dreading finals week with every fiber of my being...
There is a rock just randomly laying in the hallway...only in Lindley.
r an should talk about the Chiefs less and the Cowboys more #LosBoys #outsfatepride
Schol hall bonding over taking pictures of trees... Typical and I love it!
BIOL 412 is my lunch hour at work those days. Sorry, not sorry.
The campanile is playing songs from "Frozen." Best day ever.
Shoutout to the campanile player for busting out Harry Potter on the bells!
Has anyone gotten to 78,000 points in 2048? That's my high score, haven't found someone I know with higher score... #lchallengeKUpeers
If you're going to take up the whole sidewalk could you at least walk at a reasonable pace? Some of us have places to be.
ran into my 8th grade boyfriend's father at the Union. He creepily told me I had "grown up nicely" and winked ... #townieprobs?
Got into an argument about whether or not the Sacramento Kings exist . . what?
EDUCATION
Nothing makes you look more stupid than complaining about building pronunciation and being wrong...
I wonder what other buildings we pronounce wrong?
How goes #burritogate?
Obama visit is an honor to Topeka schools
Thursday it was announced that First Lady Michelle Obama would speak at the USD 501 high school graduation in Topeka. This school district covers the five Topeka public high schools, including my alma mater, Topeka West. Usually I'm exceptionally proud to be from Topeka West and USD 501. I got a great education there, and I still am in contact with several of my teachers and classmates since graduating. However, over the last week I've been embarrassed to be associated with these schools.
You see, there is a very vocal group of students and families who do not want Obama at the graduation. In fact, they started an online petition that, as of Monday afternoon, had accumulated 2.212 signatures. The reasons given have varied widely, but most come down to the logistics of the
event. In recent years the USD 501 graduates have been conducted separately, with each school getting a time slot to honor its graduates. Because of Obama's visit, the five high schools' graduations will be combined into one graduation.
This leads to many sudden changes, including that the ceremony will inevitably take longer, students will have a limit on the number of guests they can bring and security will be much tighter than past years. More minor, yet expensive, changes include correcting graduation invitations with the new time and altering party plans and reservations
While these are valid reasons to be concerned, it has been roughly five days since Obama's visit was confirmed. Since the announcement rumors have run rampant about supposed changes to the graduation,
when in fact, very little has been decided for sure. In particular a rumor was going around that said there would be a limit of four tickets per graduate for family and friends. It was funny to me that this outraged so many people, as many high school graduations around the state already have rules like this in place. Even so, it's one thing to complain to your friends about changes in the graduation — it's quite another thing to start or sign an online petition about it. One is a way to vent frustration over uncertainties while the other is a way to embarrass your
high school, school district and state on a national scale
The biggest concern that I've heard expressed by angry students and parents is that the graduates will be overshadowed by Obama's visit. For many in USD 501, this graduation will be the only graduation that these students attend, so I do understand the concern. However, what I think most fail to realize that they're looking at Obama's visit the wrong way. It's not about overshadowing graduates, it's about lifting them up into a national spotlight. Obama chose USD 501 because of the coinciding 60th anniversary of the Topeka Brown vs. Board of Education decision, a legal end to segregation in schools. For a brief moment the USD 501 graduation was noticed in a positive way, as a celebration both of graduates and of the Brown vs. Board decision. Now the
national media has instead latched onto the Topeka schools because of their rejection of the First Lady's visit.
I was at the Topeka West graduation three years ago, and all I really remember was concentrating so that I didn't trip while I walked across the stage. I would have given anything to remember Michelle Obama congratulating my class on the hard work that we did. Even if that "anything" involved a little inconvenience or change. I hope that Obama speaks at the graduation even with all of the negativity surrounding it. If you're reading this and you don't want to attend graduation because of the changes, I'd be overjoyed to take your ticket.
Anna Wenner is a junior from Topeka majoring in English and history.
Law school not the best post-grad option for all
Each spring, hundreds of new graduates prepare to enter law school the following fall. Enticed by the recruiting materials of law schools professing high post-grad employment rates, and encouraged by sexy portrayals of the legal profession in Hollywood, these young and innocent students enter their 11 year bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, only to leave the same law school three years later noticeably devoid of creativity, humor or even a soul. Why the profound change? What is it about law school that makes it like Azkaban?
Nothing in particular. For the most part, law school is as it has been for the past century or so. The problem is students who settle on law school as a post-grad option without fully considering their choice. Luckily, they have me, so below I outline some of the most common reasons for going to law school. If any of these are your reasons, you should seriously rethink your life.
Being a lawyer looks cool
Being a lawyer looks cool If somehow you managed to graduate both high school and college while still believing that everything you see in a movie or on TV is true, the "real world" is sure to disappoint. Law school is not like it seems in the movies, and being a lawyer is not like it seems on "Franklin & Bash." For the most part, it's really, really boring. There's lots of reading and research involved, wading through historical case law to determine the evolution and
By Preston Bukaty opinion@kansan.com
application of today's current statutory framework. There's lots of writing involved too, but not the cheeky, fun kind you're reading right now. In short, you won't be shining in a suit in front of your peers — you'll be huddled in the library in sweatpants on a Saturday night.
Being a lawyer pays well
Being a lawyer pays well. This may have been true in the '80s or '90s, but being a lawyer doesn't pay too well anymore. As an associate attorney, I'd be looking at 60- to 70-hour work weeks, if not more, for a paycheck that's nowhere near the sixfigure estimate most of my friends assume I'll be making. So deep down, is it really worth it to work twice as hard as my friends if I'm not making twice as much as them? I'd rather work 40 hours a week for $40,000 than 80 hours a week for $50,000. The only reason to work that much more for that little bump in a salary is if you really love the legal profession.
A law degree is applicable anywhere
Another oft-toted maxim from a bygone era. Sure, years ago a law graduate could transition to nearly any job, because the degree signified completion of a post-grad curriculum, but now the economy is so specialized that only law firms are really looking for law degrees. The fact is that law school trains you for a particular career. So you could spend three years at law school hoping that your
JD will get you a job almost anywhere, but the fact is there's another applicant who's younger, cheaper and has a more applicable degree
You think your undergrad degree is useless or you don't
KNOW WHAT CASE TO DO
There are times in life where you may not know how to proceed, but you'll be forced to choose a path, any path, to see where it takes you. This isn't one of those times. Law school costs three years and somewhere around $50,000 or more. If you're not sure who you are as a person, what type of career you want or what to do with your life, law school isn't the place to sort that out. There are much cheaper ways to resolve your personal crises, and they won't stick you with crippling student loan debt.
You actually want to be a lawyer
Do you enjoy reading legal cases and statutes? Long working hours? Have you sat in on a law class, or perhaps worked for a law office to see what it's like? Law school is ultimately a huge commitment, and a legal career is incredibly challenging. Only after careful consideration of the costs, and a reaffirmed dedication to a lifetime of working with our legal system should you pursue law school. Heed my advice, or risk ending up like me: cynical, dejected and still unemployed.
Preston Bukaty is a graduate student from Overland Park studying law.
Be clear about whether it's a booty call or more
Nowadays, it's hard to tell whether a guy is actually into you, or whether he's just into what you have to offer him. Booty calls in college seem to be more popular than not, and though some girls might be OK with being a booty call, I would venture to say most girls don't even know they are one. I think there are three major signs that tell you whether he's calling you or your booty.
First of all, the biggest sign is he doesn't make time to see you until after 10 p.m. This is like a flashing sign screaming. "Booty call!" We all know what goes on after 10, and it's not dinner and good conversation. He's well aware of this too. If you really like him and want to be more than a booty call, refuse to go over after 10. Pigs fly about as often as booty calls turn into girlfriends.
Secondly, it's a bad sign if he doesn't inquire about your life. Why didn't he ask your major and what you want to do with your life? He doesn't care. Booty calls ask deeper, more important questions like if you are busy tonight, if you are "in the mood," and what positions you like. You know, to get to know the real you.
Lastly, he hides you from his
friends. If you only have met his best friend, that's probably because he or she is the only person he trusts to keep you a secret. If a guy likes you, he will want more than his best friend and his bed to meet you. A big difference between girlfriend material and booty call material is that a girlfriend goes out with him (and all his friends) and then goes home with him, while a booty call just goes home with him.
I'm not ragging on booty calls or judging anyone who chooses to have sex casually. I just hope both guys and girls are aware of what their situation is, instead of hoping it's something it's not. It's your decision if you want to be Miss Right or Miss Tonight — just make sure you and your partner are on the same page.
Kayla Soper is a senior from Junction City studying journalism and political science.
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