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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014
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opinion
TEXT FREE FOR ALL
There needs to be way less women in shorts at the library. I've got a test tomorrow and I can't get anything done in here.
Text your FFA submissions to (785) 289-8351 or at kansan.com
BRING IT ON MIDTERMS
Need a good pick up line? Here's one: Are you life alert? Because I've fallen for you and can't get up. ...and this is why I'm single.
I've always imagined a hunchback controlling Camponile, running back and forth pulling ropes that control the bells.
Editor's Note. They're actually played using a giant keyboard with keys that look like broom handles.
When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I think about is when I'll be able to go to sleep that night.
Forget hair color, I just want to be in a power couple and find the Frank Underwood to my Claire.
Baby Jay is terrifying
The only thing more annoying than a biker on the road is a biker on the sidewalk
You are making a mistake looking for a girl in the FFA. - Pokie guy
Oreos > Abs
I'm a half ginger. Does that count for anything, or am I a Mudblood of the red headed world?
Honey... Where's my Super Suit??!
I would walk to class in this weather, but I don't cause I would end up looking like a sweaty disaster by the time I got there.
To the guy flying the kite on stauffer flint lawn in the neon green bro tank, good for you.
Join KUGUEST? What do I look like,
a common peasant?
To the girl wearing the Doctor Who dress, you are.AWESOME!! *
Just saw campus police pull over a longboarding student. It was awkward.
Baby Jay doesn't like green eggs and ham, but Baby Jay likes you Sam I Am
Was just blinded because someone is sunbathing by the pond.
ECONOMICS
The bus driver just shut the door on me as I was getting off the bus...can I sue?
The worst thing, like, seriously in your life is that your best friend won't give back the skirt she borrowed?? Please, trade me lives!!
We have a Tree Advisory Board?
Economic growth is not the answer to society's problems
In a lecture presented by the University's sociology department, Alex Stoner said that economic growth is the new secular religion, meaning it is a cultural norm that many are afraid to challenge. I agree with Stoner, who is an assistant professor in sociology at Salisbury University, in that I do not think growth is the answer to our economic and social problems. Economic growth is a machine that deepens social barriers and destroys the environment.
Economic growth is not a suitable indicator of national well-being, nor is it sustainable. It's time we talk about it.
Economic growth in the U.S. is measured by the country's real gross domestic product, or GDP,which is the value of all final goods and services produced in our country each year. Those who support economic growth - most economists and governments in the world believe that it leads to higher employment,
decreased poverty and even benefits to the environment.
I believe economic growth is flawed for three reasons:
it measures the progress of our society in dollars,
it hasn't eliminated high unemployment and poverty in the U.S. and it threatens the habitability of the earth and the lives of all its inhabitants.
When we measure national progress with the number of things produced, material objects become highly valued by society. National policy with the objective of economic growth, or the creation of items, neglect the important aspects of being human. By valuing production and money, we devalue people and communities. Economic growth has created a world obsessed with consumption, not self-fulfillment or happiness. Too many of our laws focus on their economic impacts, not the well-being of citizens, communities or nature. Policy decisions should be made by
citizens for citizens, not by politicians for the economy.
The biggest fallacies presented by proponents of economic growth are that growing economies lead to increased employment and decreased poverty. GDP became widely used after World War II as an indicator of post-war economic progress. However, as the years progressed, the U.S. and many other nations started using it is a measure of national well-being. Although GDP has increased over the years, unemployment rates have not improved. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 15 percent of Americans still live in poverty. If economic growth is a true measure of national well-being, then
unemployment rates should be lower than they were in 1948 and 46.5 million Americans should not be living in poverty. There are always fluctuations in unemployment rates, but since the late 1940s, overall employment has been on the decline and poverty levels are still high according to the U.S.Census Bureau. High levels of poverty, income disparity and unemployment indicate that economic growth is not an appropriate measure of national well being.
Economic growth puts a ruthless strain on our natural resources and ecosystems. The principle of growth has gone beyond human's place and space in this world. As populations increase along with desires for goods and services, we seek out more and more natural resources. Through pursuit of industry and commodities, humans have unmistakably altered the physical environment. It is reprehensible that biodiversity is being lost
due to new shopping malls, forests are being destroyed to accommodate urban sprawl, mountains are being blown apart for precious resources and life-giving water is being polluted by the byproducts of industry.
Every major religion in this world places a value on nature. Religions thousands of years old preach respect for our environment and co-existence with the earth. But today, our new religion seeks to destroy that which sustains us. It isolates us from our humanness, our happiness and our environment. Economic growth is not the only way for our society to function. The world does not need more economic growth, rather it needs policies that value people and nature over money and things.
TECHNOLOGY
Gabrielle Murnan is a sophomore from Pittsburgh studying environmental studies.
How to improve mobile phone photography skills
Bet you didn't realize that you've been taking pictures on your phone wrong this entire time. I see it almost every day. Perhaps it's a vertical video, a blurry group picture, or a poorly framed shot. Considering how often we use our phones as cameras, it's surprising that most people don't take the time to learn how to utilize them. I know that everyone can't be a photographer, but there are a lot of really simple tips that can drastically improve the quality of the images we take every day. Let me show you.
A very common problem in the use of smartphone cameras is forgetting to focus. Generally, the only time people think to use manual focus is when autofocus fails them. This is a huge problem. In professional photography, autofocus is rarely (if ever) used Always make an effort to make a manual focus. Pull out your phone and try focusing on different parts of the screen. Notice how dramatically the light can change? This is a major reason that group pictures turn out blurry or dark.
You can put that focus to use with a nicely framed shot. One of the basics of photography is the "Rule of Thirds". This is basically a guideline for where to place the subject of a photo. Imagine equally dividing the photo with two horizontal and two vertical lines. This creates four points where the lines intersect—these are generally where the subjects should be placed.
If that sounds cumbersome to picture
every time you line up a photo, enable the grid on your preview. It will literally tell you how to make your photo look good! It'll be annoying at first but you'll adjust. After a short while, you will do it automatically anyways and you can disable it.
I almost never use flash in my photos. Even with improved flash settings that are being implemented into smartphones, I dislike the look. There's obviously exceptions (for instance, if it's pitch black) but in a normal light scenario, flash creates an amateur feel reminiscent of the 1990s. Rather than depending on flash, work to create a properly lit environment. Everyone can do this — it just requires a little thought. Play around with your surroundings until it looks satisfactory.
Don't rely on digital zoom unless you absolutely have to. It always lowers the quality of your photos. Digital zoom exists because physical zoom lenses are too big or expensive to fit in a common smartphone. This means you have to "zoom" by physically walking closer to the subject. It sounds medieval, but the true medieval concept is poor quality photos.
If people are your subject matter, always use burst mode. Burst mode lets you take multiple photos in rapid succession instead of
tapping to take a picture, hold your finger on the iPhone's camera button and you will take a series of photos. This also works with the volume buttons. Most people will only snap a photo or two of a group
this is horribly wrong. Humans aren't designed to consistently hold an attractive pose for a few seconds. We have micro expressions that last as short as 1/25 of a second. Not to mention other factors like the sun and the wind. The iPhone 5s takes up to 10 photos a second, which more effectively captures the people in our lives. One of those 10 to 50 photos will likely capture everyone in their best light. This is great because you usually don't have to go back and uncomfortably force everyone to re-pose for even more attempts.
Now that you've taken a photo that looks good organically, you can improve it digitally. Learning how to edit photos instead of using just filters makes a huge and easy improvement to your photos. You'll learn as you go, and it's not too hard to pick up by just playing around with factors such as brightness, contrast and saturation. There's plenty of apps that can help with this. I like Aviary or Adobe Photoshop Express, which are both free for iOS and Android.
There you have it! With these tips, you can start creating beautiful images and stop being the person who makes everybody line up for a reshoot.
Dalton Boehm is a freshman from Merriam studying journalism.
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RELIGION
Religions are meant to coexist
I don't have a lot of patience for those who claim I'm going to Hell because of the religion I practice. Before I settled on Islam as a religion, I was very humbled by the overwhelming number of practices and belief systems people have. And I still am.
Rumi, a fourteenth century Muslim poet writes in his Masnavi about an elephant in a dark room. In this poem people walk into a dark room and each touch a different part of the animal. One touches the leg, the other the ear and another the back. Each declares proudly they know exactly what the animal is, in reality, they are merely describing only a part and mistaking that for the whole.
This is the way we are in our beliefs about God. As the Qur'an says: "but they have split their community into sects, each rejoicing in their own" (23:53). We are one humanity; however, far too often we fall into thinking that we have the monopoly over truth.
I reject this kind of exclusionary language on an ethical level. Seeing this mindset is extremely unhelpful in recognizing the humanity of ourselves and others. It prevents us from realizing we are all imperfect. In reality, we are merely human beings stumbling in the dark, simply trying to understand the world around us.
There was a time when I thought I had found the absolute truth. However, reflecting on my own journey to Islam, I recognized similar paths of spirituality in other people's lives that led them into different religious traditions. Another person's religion can be just as enlightening and enriching to them as mine is to me. Who am I to claim they are wrong, even if I disagree with them on the superficial level of creed?
After all, I'm just a human being stumbling around in the dark. I don't think I have the right to claim I've found
By Garrett Fugate
opinion@kansan.com
answer to everything
answer to everything.
I see each religion and sect as a different path to the same goal. Each has its own teachings on truth and spiritual life. A specific Qur'anic verse comes to mind: "do you not see that all those who are in the heavens and the earth praise God, as do the birds with wings outstretched? Each knows its [own way] of prayer and glorification" (24:41).
religion has its own ways of "praising God." Some might view this pluralistic idea as contradictory to my choice of organized religion. If I believe that all religions have valuable insights into God, then why settle on just one?
In response I would say that I've come to believe that the way we act in the world is far more important than the truth claims we have. It is far more important to me that my Islamic approach to monotheism translate to moral and spiritual insights rather than be fuel to some pointless argument over dogma.
Besides, perhaps a believer in a different religion than mine might bring to the table a unique insight into God that I have difficulty seeing myself.
There is a second part to Rumi's elephant story. While each of us are using our sense of touch to feel our way through the dark, imagine if we each took a candle instead and lit up the room. Maybe if we came to appreciate each of our individual spiritual insights into God, we could better see this common divine reality we've given a thousand different names to describe.
Garrett Fugate is a graduate student from St. Louis studying architecture.
FFA OF THE DAY "Allergies are coming"- Ned Stark
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