TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014
PAGE 4
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opinion
TEXT FREE FOR ALL
Text your FFA submissions to (785)289-8351 or at kansan.com
To the owner of the red car outside of Hash: sorry I stole your spot.
Survival of the fittest.
Fun fact of the day: Cheerleader Thor is single.
Game of Thrones theme should be played at the Campanile!
I thought my FFA submission was funny last Thursday but a week later I thought, "What idiot texted that in?"
Frankamp is my favorite.
Note to self: don't leave bread out and the heat on over break. I'm not sure there was anything left underneath all that mold.
Not to brag, but I basically just walked to class with Perry Ellis. And by with I mean about five feet behind. But still. There was obvious chemistry.
Am I the only one that noticed the article about rain was written by Rainen?
As weird as it sounds. I hope Joel comes back because we didn't get a chance to say good bye.
MarchSadness
This new editor talks back too much and I'm not digging it at all.
Kansas weather is bitter about the KU loss.
You know you've spent too long in college when you realize your GA is younger than you.
It's really nice to be back in Lawrence; where the rock is chalk, the people are great and the future looks bright.
Is sticking your tongue out to catch snow flakes stupid? Because I'm getting some interesting looks.
Why do we have advertisements for other colleges in the UDK?
KU4lyfe
After reading "Both parties guilty." I have the urge to laugh in her face and say "Haha, I'm first place" when she brags about being with him behind my back.
The seasons are becoming one.
Cheap, shitty Chinese food is my battle anthem.
Keep moving forward.
Any Captain Swan fans out there?
Well hello there Kansas weather, were you feeling forgotten about?
Someday I will end up at the Underground when there is no line, but today is not that day.
POLITICS
The West cannot fight enemies with energy
The geopolitical unrest in Europe has some political pundits Using about using energy as
talking about using energy as a policy tool.
If you haven't already heard, Ukrainians overthrew their government earlier this year and Russia capitalized by occupying Crimea, an autonomous region of Ukraine with military importance. It's widely accepted, or at least hoped, that further military escalation won't happen. Rather, a battle of sanctions and rhetoric will ensue. The Wall Street Journal reports that most trade sanctions, due to mutual trade dependency, would
be as harmful to the West as they would be to Russia, but Russia has been an important energy supplier to Europe for ages. Can an alteration to U.S.energy policy weaken Russia's leverage?
Plenty of pundits would immediately say yes. By liquefying natural gas and exporting it to Europe, the U.S. can increase Europe's energy supplier diversity and reduce existing market power among key players like Russia. Let's fight Putin with energy. Let's cause some havoc for Russia and flood Europe with cheap U.S. natural gas.
That's putting the cart
before the horse. The infrastructure to liquefy and export enough natural gas to Europe doesn't exist yet. And the energy landscape of Europe is quite diverse. France has banned fracking; Germany is taking green to a new extreme with a wide range of subsidies; Ukraine is crisscrossed with Russian fossil fuel pipelines. It's probably worth noting
that major US oil and gas companies, like ExxonMobil have significant investments in Russian fossil fuel projects.
It doesn't help that the West, as a collective energy conglomerate, isn't all that coordinated compared to Putin's Russia. The same diversity of suppliers and market forces that support the West's energy stability makes it challenging to make a concerted effort at loosening Russia's energy roots in Europe.
Forget about coordinating some energy coup, because of all the reasons above, and for the same reasons trade sanctions won't work
on Russia: money. The incentives are simple: create value by producing energy. I doubt anyone studying engineering at KU, with the hopes of starting a career in the energy industry, is doing so to stifle Russia's energy dominance. If the US ever does export natural gas to Europe, it won't be motivated by weakening Russia's energy influence. I'm betting it will have to do with the price of natural gas.
MUSIC
Chris Ouyang is a senior from Overland Park studying petroleum engineering and economics.
Artists use cover songs to showcase their rarity
For those who still listen to the radio, there is nothing quite like the sensation of hearing the start of a familiar song. Then again, there's also an inherent pleasure in discovering a new song that's catchy enough to make you quickly whip out Shazam
While both the old and the new songs can make any music lover smile, consider a fusion of the two: a melodic mixture of old and new, creating something entirely different off the foreground of something familiar — that is what I consider cover songs to be.
At least, that is what I consider a successful cover song to be. I have heard countless covers by various artists where a well-known song is simply taken as is, adding nothing enticing or exciting.
Sure — matching the vocal range of Beyoncé or Christina Aguilera may show off incredible vocal skills, but it does nothing to establish an emerging artist as unique.
The television show "The Voice" offers an exemplary example of how a voice must possess both skill and rarity. Contestants have 90 seconds to win the coaches over, relying only on the sense of hearing. Perfect pitch is always nice, of course, yet the artists that add personal flair often capture the attention of
the coaches and audience leaving them to wonder what else the contestant can and will do if they are chosen to compete.
Caroline Glaser, a former KU student, competed on season four of "The Voice." Her unique voice and take on Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" landed her a spot on Blake Shelton's team.
Rarity adds the element of surprise — an anticipation of what is yet to come. I have found such rarity right here in Lawrence, whether it is while walking down Massachusetts Street or walking into a music venue
Weeks ago, I went to hear the group Brian Lockwood play. As I sat in the crowded bar trying to listen above the chatter, I was surprised halfway through the set.
What started off as a cover of Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror," soon evolved into a three-part mashup that also included Tupac's "Changes," and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' "Same Love." This cover, produced by Gunter Jones, sets itself apart, and above, most others by performing a fluent
and complex combination of songs, taking a simple cover to the next level.
A cover can remain simple though, so long as it remains unique. Most Lawrence music fans may be familiar with the group Quiet Corral. The band has a wide selection of original songs, yet a favorite of mine is its cover of Aloe Blacc's "I Need a Dollar." Though this cover sticks with just one song, the vocal changes help to establish the song as the group's own.
The digital age of music has enabled countless aspiring artists to promote their music and to share their work instantly. Far too often I open my laptop to start on homework, only to discover that I had spent hours searching through new music and discovering up-and-coming bands.
What simplifies this task is being able to separate the average from the spectacular. Finding just one thing — whether it is a signature look, a prominent stage presence or a cover song that makes you stop and truly listen
can be all it takes to propel an artist out of the mainstream and into the spotlight.
Lyndsey Havens is a sophomore from Chicago studying journalism.
SCIENCE
TO HEAR THE COVERS LYNDSEY MENTIONED, GO TO KANSAN.COM/OPINION
Student ecomorphs develop in college
n ecomorph is a "species with the same structural habitat/niche, similar in morphology and behavior, but not necessarily close phyletically," as defined by Ernest Williams in 1972. Basically, an ecomorph individual lives in similar conditions and has certain behaviors and body structures as others in that ecomorph even if they aren't related.
All University of Kansas students have at least one thing in common: they are attending college. While that may seem like the most obvious statement ever, it is important to establish that we are living in similar conditions. KU students come from all over the world, establishing that we are not all closely related.
If you haven't caught on yet, KU students have their own ecomorph. While we are barely morphologically different from other humans, we have distinguished characteristics that are adapted to the "condition" of being in college.
The University has multiple hills to conquer. Whether it is the 14th Street Hill or Daisy Hill, KU students have strong calves from walking to and from class on the hills. This characteristic of our ecomorph distinguishes us from humans blessed with flat campuses and other domains.
The KU student ecomorph also has the ability to regulate fluctuating stress levels. Although most humans have stressful deadlines and tasks, college has a unique schedule where most stressful tasks fall in certain weeks throughout the semester. While the other weeks are not necessarily easy, they may not be packed full with exams to take and
papers to write. Also, college is complete with winter, spring, and summer break, concentrating most stress levels in certain months whereas other months have more time for relaxation or focus on work and the stress that accompanies it (at least it is a different kind of stress).
The KU student ecomorph can adapt and live well with others. Sharing space with roommates is not just confined to college students, although it is more common than other periods of one's life. Managing living with others and managing stress may sometimes prove challenging so the KU student ecomorph has specific behaviors of communication and resistance to passive aggressiveness to ensure a happy living environment.
Maybe the KU student ecomorph isn't as defined as ecomorphs of other animal species. However, being a college student is an experience that most people only get once. So enjoy the specific changes, behaviors, and conditions that accompany this unique time in your life.
Jenny Stern is a sophomore from Lawrence studying ecology and evolutionary biology.
FFA OF THE DAY A week was too long without an issue of the UDK. Imagine how summer is going to be...
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
Follow us on Twitter @KansanOpinion Tweet us your opinions, and we just might publish them
Do you like listening to covers of your favorite songs?
Katie Kutsko, editor-in-chief
kkutsko@kansan.com
Allison Johnn, managing editor
akohn@kansan.com
Lauren Armendariz, managing editor
laurenarmendariz@kansan.com
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@KansanOpinion I like listening to covers of songs I don't like #popgoespunk
Length: 300 words
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@vpurvis13
Lauren Armendariz, managing editor
larmendariz@kansan.com
@Davis_Samuel
@KansanOpinion I like listening to the originals of my favorite covers.
Anna Wenner, opinion editor
awenner@kansan.com
Sean Powers, business manager
spowers@kansan.com
Kolby Botts, sales manager
kbotts@kunsan.com
@jeffiedurbin
@KansanOpinion Yes, because cover bands are usually up-and-coming artists. And everyone loves an underdog.
CONTACT US
Brett Akagi, media director and content strategist
bakagi@kansan.com
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Katie Kutieks, Allison Kolhn, Lloyd Armendariz; Anna Wenner, Sean Powers and Kolby Bots.
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