WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014
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TEXT FREE FOR ALL
Watching "House of Cards" until my eyes bleed counts as studying for my political corruption class, right?
Text your FFA submissions to (785)289-8351 or at kansan.com
That awkward moment when your professor uses book problems as homework and doesn't cite them
Next time you see a member of the military on campus, thank them for their service! It's because of them that we can freely pursue education!
Dating your cousin is okay if you're in love, right?
My professor just made fun of his chili pepper rating on ratemy-professor.com. I'll pay attention today.
Way to sneak some Hamlet into my horoscope
I have a crush on my religion professor, who happens to be a priest. Is that allowed?
I have seen way too many naked people in Anschutz.
Now that the ice is melting. I must resort to using my fridge to keep my alcohol cold.
I can't enjoy the nice weather because I'm too afraid it's going to go back to single digits next week... I have trust issues.
I don't think our baseball boys could have played anymore studly this past weekend. Rock Chalk! 4-0.
Friends shouldn't be aidou to study abroad and leave me here. Editor's Note: I think you mean "allowed."
It's not creeping if it's legitimate research. #journalism
With changing weather brings a change in student debates. Dropping yoga pants/leggings and readdressing the lack of material in girls' shorts.
res, the police protection issue is an extreme, but when Kansas starts trying to enact laws that restrict your rights or deny you services, we'll see how calm you stay.
Lawrence has never been soggier.
To the guy wearing the blue bro tank in finance yesterday; will you marry me? Please.
Don't sprint jump into a bus with wet shoes ever.
I'm really ecstatic about butterfinger peanut butter cups.
So nice you gotta tweet it twice.
SochiProblems is a reflection of USA
There are a lot of things I love about the Olympics: the
grandeur, the national pride,
the international culture, the
ice skating, the handsome
athletes. But what I love most
is how much can be learned
from the Olympics.
For one, the peaceful cooperation between countries is absolutely incredible. (Let's forget for a moment America's unease at Russian government and the total hate-fest going on in the media; this we will chalk up to national egotism.) Think about it: millions of people with a million different cultural and political opinions come together to watch and/or compete for the pride of their country. Even when countries like Russia—which is visibly underprivileged and oppressive—host the games, we partake, not in approval of the actions of its government, but in honor of world peace and support of hardworking people across the globe.
What if, instead of wars, we could operate all international negotiations this way? What if, instead of threats of nuclear warfare,we could settle all political disagreements with peaceful competition? What if we honor other countries and cultures for their people, not their governments? We'd certainly do a better job of advocating for the will of global populations.
But these are all fantastical 'what ifs' that have quite a way to go before coming true. Still, it's nice to think that we could learn something useful about political interaction from the Olympics.
I read an article online the other day titled, "#SochiProblems Is More of An Embarrassment For America Than It Is For Russia," and it was eye-opening to see such a radically
different perspective on the negative media buzz the Olympics have been stirring up. The article argues that all of those "horrible" things that journalists and athletes have been tweeting about with the hashtag "SochiProblems" are actually startling insights into the bad living conditions that exist in Russia.
Sarah Kaufman, the article's author, reminds readers that not every country has access to the privileges we have come to expect here in America, and that perhaps this should be a wake-up call to those who are uneducated about Russia's contemporary standard of living.
I think this is a lesson we can learn here on campus, too. Many of us get caught up in the bubble of our personal lives, and we never stop to think about anyone's perspective except for our own. When we interact with other people—when we say things, or don't say things, do things, or don't do things—we very seldom stop to think about how those experiences will affect others or cause them to perceive us in unintentional ways.
In essence, we become the journalist complaining about "peach juice" from the faucet, while down the road the locals have to buy bottled water every day because the tap water is contaminated.
Tasha Cerny is a senior from Salina studying English
FFA OF THE DAY Nothing makes you want to go to the rec more than when the bus hits a bump and your stomach jiggles.
STATE
Brownback ignores the plight of prairie-chickens
What comes first:
the chicken or
the economy?
Kansas is facing a crucial decision regarding the Lesser prairie-chicken. The Lesser prairie-chicken is currently listed as a 'Proposed Threatened species with a habitat restricted to five states: Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.
According to the Lawrence Journal-World, "Fish and Wildlife has said the population of the Lesser prairie-chicken has fallen dramatically as 90 percent of its former range has been taken due to extensive conversion of prairies to croplands"
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, "The Lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) (LEPC) is a species of prairie grouse endemic to the southern high plains of the United States, commonly recognized for its feathered feet, stout build, ground-dwelling habit, and mating behavior." Their mating behavior is an intricate dance, complete with fast stomping and exposure of reddish air sacs on their necks. It's pretty incredible. (Side Note—Spring is their mating season and you can actually go and watch them, or the closely related Greater prairie- chicken, dance!)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service is ensuring that some action be taken to protect the Lesser prairie-chicken. The debate is between adopting a range-wide conservation plan or list the Lesser prairie-chicken as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
Also in this letter, Brownback defends his argument, "In short, the recent drought conditions should not serve as a basis for species listing. A return to normal weather and precipitation conditions, along with the ongoing and proposed conservation efforts, should mitigate any perceived need to list the species."
Endangered Species Act. In a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Governor Sam Brownback said, "Kansas will be a strong advocate for independent judicial review of any decision to list the Lesser prairie chicken."
I'm not sure how long Brownback has lived in Kansas, but there isn't really a 'normal' weather pattern and there are no guarantees, especially factoring in climate change, that conditions
will improve for the Lesser prairie-chickens.
Gov. Brownback goes further to argue that the "...listing of the species and the accompanying protections would directly impact and jeopardize Kansas' largest industries — agriculture and energy. The interests of conservation and protection of the species can be furthered without the heavy-handed measures that could accompany a federal listing."
With 90 percent of the Lesser prairie-chicken's habitat overrun by agriculture and energy, I think the state of Kansas owes these birds, at the very least, a "threatened" species listing. This listing status is crucial because it ensures that some measure is actually being put into action to protect the Lesser prairie-chickens whereas independent plans cannot ensure this.
Regardless of your preference of bad dance puns, the Lesser prairie-chickens need legislative support. So get in the groove, save the last dance, and most importantly: pop, lock and protect the Lesser prairie-chickens.
Jenny Stern is a sophomore from Lawrence studying ecology and evolutionary biology
JAKE KAUFMANN/KANSAN
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