OPINION
TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2005
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MCLEOD MADNESS
PAGE 7A
Learn what others found out hard way: Don't pose nude
Of course, that romantic
BETSY MCLEOD
bmcleod@kansan.com
There's nothing more romantic than posing nude in front of a camera for your loved one. It signifies an intimate level of trust, and establishes a sexy, scandalous feeling, knowing how daring and carefree you are.
Of course, that romantic rush of audacious giddiness is somewhat short-lived when you discover that those sexy, scandalous pictures have been posted on the Internet or mailed to every male in the KU listserv.
With the digital camera's recent coming-of-age, the long time trend of amateur pornography has hit an all time high, with exploited nude videotapes or pictures being e-mailed, printed, and posted on the internet or the dormitory bathroom stalls. With the semi-recent Paris Hilton sex-tape scandals and the Girls Gone Wild lawsuits, you'd think that girls these days would be smart enough to keep their top on in front of a lens, no matter how many times they hear the empty promise of "i swear, no one else will see it."
But sure enough, every day as I walk on campus I see at least one girl whose naked picture has been posted all around a frat house or a web site, and is completely oblivious to the fact that anyone but her sweetheart has seen it at all.
Unfortunately, I, as well as everyone else that has seen her in compromising positions on the Internet, can't help but have a chuckle at her expense.
It all makes me wonder what on earth these girls were thinking when the flash went off, pun intended. Some girls allow themselves to be photographed because they think the guy will like them more. Others do it because they're drunk and aren't really thinking straight. Still more run off to Mardi Gras and come home with their hard-earned beads, not realizing that their little peep
show is playing over and over on various Web sites. Some just don't think about the possible consequences.
Once these types of pictures have been viewed by the public, its hard to reestablish respect from strangers that have just spent
fifteen minutes either beating off to or laughing at your naked body. There are, however, cases where girls don't realize they're being filmed. I can't count how many parties I've been to where there's been someone with a video camera taped to his or her hand, eagerly awaiting the chance that some girl will get so sloshed she won't realize she's taken her top off. And of course there's the chance that your hot and sweaty hook-up is being broadcast live all over the Internet "American Pie"-style.
And what about the legal liabilities? Technically, according to the Kansas Legislature, nude photos cannot be copied or printed without written consent of the person being photographed, but in this day and age, there are plenty of loopholes people can jump through.
Sure, there's nothing wrong with shooting a few kinky sex tapes with your spouse, but when the person behind the camera isn't legally bound to you, chances are that there's nothing stopping those compromising photos from being e-mailed to your parents. So, college co-eds, the smartest advice for you is to leave the porno to Jenna Jameson; she looks better doing it than you do anyway. Tune in for next week's scandal: Boys Who Will Say Anything to See You Naked.
- McLood is an Overland Park freshman in journalism and French.
BEELER'S PERSPECTIVE
The WORLD REACTS to the POPE'S DEATH
Nate Beeler/THE EXAMINER
▼ CORRECTIONS
Yesterday's University Daily Kansan voter's election guide did not include Lauren Hays' profile. It also did not include a photo with Rachel Barnes' profile and Angela Raad-Carlson's profile had the wrong photo with it. The correct photographs and bios are below. The Kansan apologizes to the candidates and coalition affected.
Angela Raab-Carlson
Angela Raab-Carlson Shawnee junior Major: Political science and international studies Coalition: KUnited
"I hope to decrease the amount of hidden fees. We already pay for academic services. Yet, it costs $8 to send a transcript. I think that should be
free. I would work so that everyone can get at least five copies of their transcript sent out for free. I also want to help expand Legal Services for Students. They need resources so that they can take more cases to litigation.
Rachel Barnes
Hutchinson freshman
Major: History
Coallition: KUUnited
"I will represent the freshman and sophomore CLAS well and I will work on the KUnited platform issues."
Lauren Hays
Kansas City, Kan., junior
Major: Social welfare with a leadership studies minor
Coition: KUUnited
"I will represent the students in the School of Social Welfare. I will find the issues within the school they would like to see addressed. I will make sure the
students in the school know what is going on in Senate. In doing this, I will provide effective communication to get information out to the students."
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Economic nightmare in east Canada demonstrate need for harp seal hunt
On April 6, Adonia David wrote a letter titled "Condemn Canadian government's slaughter of harp seals." Within, she cited accounts of cruelty from "independent" observers, which essentially amounted to propaganda. These observers are not independent, but are hired by organizations with an interest in ending the harp seal hunt.
As a Canadian, I very much understand the desire to end the harp seal hunt, because I once felt very much the same way. That is, until I had the opportunity to live in Newfoundland and to see the economic depression of that area first hand.
Coming to see Newfoundlanders as real people forced me to place their welfare before that
of harp seals, however adorable pups are. The harp seal hunt is an off-season industry through which fishermen supplement their incredibly low incomes. By encouraging a boycott on Canadian seafood, you are irresponsibly encouraging students to blindly contribute to the human suffering and economic decline on Canada's east coast.
If, having researched both sides of this issue students still feel inclined to join the boycott then that would be a respectable and informed decision. Please educate yourself before becoming involved in Canadian political and environmental issues.
Sarah Dinges
Ottawa, Ontario, junior
Economics
▼ JORDAN'S JARGON
Courses in art history inspire new career path for columnist
Of all the classes I have taken, none have made me think and wonder more than classes in the history of art.
Not being an artistic person by any means, I still found I can't get enough of art history classes. There's beautiful art, important art, funny art, obscene art, confusing art.
JOHN JORDAN
jjordan@kansan.com
stupid art, ugly art and sarcastic art. And behind all of it, there are geniuses, funny stories, drunks, history and fantastic ideas.
However, my experience to art has been almost totally in an academic sense. Nearly all the art I've seen has been projected on a wall in a classroom in the Spencer Museum.
I know there's more to art than slides, books, lectures and tests and instead of trying to learn more by leaving the classroom, I've decided to take the plunge.
I made the decision to become an artist. This decision stems from my studies in the art we call modern.
What's modern art? It's not the religious paintings or naked statues. It's the splattered paint, distorted faces and block sculptures and a lot more.
A short and dirty description, but it's essentially the truth. Art became modern when it started to do new, unusual things.
Examples include Marcel Duchamp, who a teacher of mine called the greatest artist of the 20th century along with Picasso, painted a mustache on the Mona Lisa. Another painter, Yves Klein, sold invisible paintings. Invisible paintings that people bought with gold. What does one do with an invisible painting, I don't know.
These are two extreme examples of modern art, examples that make my dad say, "What are they teaching you at KU?" Nonetheless, they lead
to the question modern art raises: what is art? One can easily define art and the dictionary definition leaves much to be desired. But they gave us a definition in modern art history class: Art is what the artist decides it is, and, to a lesser degree, what the art community accepts.
This definition can lead to art that only focuses on art itself — art for art's sake — and ignores the good things art can do: inspire, cause change, amaze, etc. Nevertheless, it does help define these peculiar pieces as art.
More importantly, this definition lets me, now as an artist, decide what art is. It's an empowering definition. The numerous classes I have taken, the art I have studied and seen, and the history that I know put me in a position to produce art. So, now I would like to introduce my first work as an artist.
1. John Jordan, am now presenting as art three pages of art history notes taken on white, lined notebook paper, 8-by-11 inches, with black ink, on March 28. 2005 and signed by the artist. The work has of yet not been exhibited but is for sale for three weeks on eBay starting at $25,000.
The work combines my 15 hours of art history study with an emphasis on academic study of art and a focus on an understanding of what art is.
The price comes from a comment by a teacher who is a curator at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and wanted to buy a conceptual painting she had always loved for 'only' $25,000 but couldn't secure the funds to do so.
My hope as an artist is this work confuses and enlightens the viewer/buyer on the question of art. Hopefully the same will happen to me as the artist.
- Jordan is a Salina junior in journalism.
▽ TALK TO US
Andrew Vaupel, editor
864-4810 or avaupel@kansan.org
Donovan Atkinson, Mlaty Huber, Amanda Kim Stilbret and Marissa Stephenson managing editors
864-4810 or editor@kansan.com
Steve Vrocktrot
Laura Francoviglia
opinion editor
864-4824 or opinion@kansan.com
Ashleigh Dyck, business manager
884-4358 or advertising@kansan.com
Danielle Bose, retail sales manager
864-4358 or advertising@kansan.com
Malcolm Gibson, general manager and news adviser 884-7687 or mgibson@kansan.com
Jennifer Weaver, sales and marketing adviser 884-7686 or jweaver@kansan.com
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
EDUCATION SCHOOL BATIMAN
David Archer, Viva Boloza,
John Byerley, Chase Edgerton,
Wheaton Eikins, Paige Higgins,
Matt Hope, John Jordan, Kyle Koch,
Douglas Moffett, Mike Mike,
Motafafe, Erica Prather,
Erick Schmidt, Devin Sibes, Gaby Souza
Sarah Stacy and Anne Weltmer.
SUBMISSIONS
The Kansan welcomes letters to the editors and guest columns submitted by students, faculty and alumni.
The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length, or reject all submissions.
For any questions, call Steve Vockrodt or Laura Francoviglia at 864-4924 or email opinion@ kansan.com.
General questions should be directed to the editor at editor@kansan.com.
LETTER GUIDELINES
Maximum Length: 200 word limit
Include: Author's name and telephone number; class, hometown (student); position (faculty member); phone number (will not be published)
GUEST COLUMN GUIDELINES
Maximum Length: 650 word limit
Include: Author's name; class, home-
town (student); position (faculty
member); phone number (will not be
published)
GUEST COLUMN GUIDELINES
Also: The Kansan will not print guest columns that attack another columnist.
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♦
To the smartars who said that Roy Williams went to the championship game in two years; It was three years.' '89 is one year, '90 is two years, '91 is three years. I hope you're not a math major.
Sorry. I am having a horrible time at a party right now, and I really want you to put this in the Free For All.
What's green and has wheels?
Grass. I lied about the wheels.
The condoms they're giving out on
Wescoe broke on me, and now I
have herpes and a kid.
I'd just like to thank all the redheads
at KU. You make coming to campus
everyday worthwhile.
I write "I like a balloon about the string theory was pretty good, but who made the string?"
The only professional sports team that sucks more than the Colorado Rockies is the Denver Broncos. And John Elway is the most overrated quarterback of all time, and as bad as he sucked, he could still play for the Colorado Rockies.
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