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Thursday, March 16. 1972
University Daily Kansan
Garry Wills
KANSAN comment Editorials, columns and letters published on this page reflect only the opinions of the writers.
Election Apathy
This year, as in years past, the candidates running for student offices promised to inform the students and to get them involved in the decision making process of this University. The problem with both of these worthy goals is that most of the students on this campus seem to be dead set against being either a teacher or a page newspaper articles, most students do not know why the buses are running, what the February Sisters want, what Concerned Students are about, why all of the concern about the activity fee or why a number of things have happened, haven't happened or should happen. Despite posters, handouts, meet-the-candidates forums and one font page and most students will vote in this year's elections because "I don't know any of these people or what they stand for and besides I really don't care."
It probably would not make too much difference if everyone were intrigued by campus politics anyway. The percentage of students voting in elections would be favorably impressive. Consequently, senators might be more confident about their right to represent their constituents. It is likely that student politics would be a little livelier and a little more interesting that it is now. Nevertheless, the way student senators would vote in that situation would probably not be too different from the way they do now.
It is hard for students involved in campus politics to understand why most people do not share their interest. They do not realize that most people become involved in something only to the extent that it
affects them. Students pay the $12 activity fee as part of their tuition and most of them are as little concerned about how that part is spent as they are about how the rest of it is spent. It is money that is no longer in their pocket and they are no longer worried about it. Students have no monetary interest in the Senate. Most students do not see any affect it has on their lives unless they happen to belong to an organization that is requesting funds from the Senate.
The only way to get students concerned about their government would be for the Senate to do something which would adversely affect the students or for it to do something so outlandish as speculation on the sanity of the students or would more trouble than student interest would be worth and would hurt the Senate more than help it.
Students, like the rest of the population, have a right to be apathetic even though they are part of the "involved (concerned, aware, etc.) generation." Student officers will not be able to get the majority of students involved in this University unless the students want to, or think they have to, get involved. Most students would be happiest with a government that would conduct itself in such a way as to not force them to get involved. Hopefully in the future, student politicians will face that fact and base their campaigns on something that has a chance to succeed, since students will continue to passively demand their right to remain uninvolved and unaware.
Mary Ward
A Snort Of Snake Oil
Americans are patiates for pseudo-science. Even our snake-oil must be peddled to us out of laboratories, full of chemicals and chemicals like "inburried A&T" or the like.
A perfect example of this is Edith Efron's book on TV network news bias, called The News Twisters, which masks a set of absurd political opinions behind a hard-cocus-pod of scientific "methodology." Mr. William F. Buckley is so impressed by this Rube Goldberg apprehension that he refers to its use in the Unquestionable Efron. She is more like the Iodemic Efron-i.e., the I.E.
The political judgments, which I deal with elsewhere, are the funniest part of the book, but the "methodology" is what she makes the most extravagant use of it. She dismisses as a quite easy matter; but the latter attains her anew every time she contemplates its complexities. And it is this white-smocked cool frenzy of the laboratory that is supposed to stimulate us as blasphemeres against Method.
What the great Method really comes down to is—counting. And it is somewhat disconcerting to find that she has not even perfected this skill, which is her principal boast and claim upon our attention.
Asked to explain her wondrous process on TV, she gasped that "There is no way I can explain it. You would have to read six pages of methodology." Actually her book only takes two well-padded pages of large text and then ends with an %> page appendix explains it and gives lists of her research files.
What was too difficult for her to do on TV I can do for you in one sentence: Emax Efron counted the words said for and against key issues or candidates on TV during the last part of the 1968 convention.
Now, that wasn't too hard to explain, was it? In fact, what was really difficult was making this crude process look like something breaking it down into steps—which reminds me of Stephen Leacock's "How I Come In Out of the House," called "How to Come In Out of the House."
election—and by some miracle of acumen she sat on the period just before the election specifically, the last seven weeks of campaigning.)
Watch Miss Eron agonize. Step one she chooses the newcasts for her word count, because they have more news than do the non-newcasts. Wearing as this choice was, she staggered on to the stage. She wore a little which were, well, the Main Issues. But now (Step three) she had to choose a period for taping newcasts about the
Step seven: "finally, I totalled the number of words spoken on both sides of each issue."
Step six: "when all such opinion was isolated, and filed (first one, you note, the number of words issued) counted the number (always the best count) of words of opinion 'for' (carried over quite marks) and (didn't issue this issue) shewred, her last provisio."
Fourth, having decided to tape during this period, she -taped. A crucial step, you must agree.
Step five she brushes past in a hasty manner—choosing just what words she wants. If the task is simpler than it may sound²), gives her leisure for the crucial final steps, which should be quoted in their futile devotion to Pure Science.
She counted, and then added. One at a time. The latter, after the former; not, as a messy investigator might do, all together. The technique, you will agree, is breathaking, all seven steps of the procedure. You can stand down for the vulgar. And no wonder Mr. Buckley and many others have said (in effect) 'Wow!'
This way to the snake oil.
Copyright, 1972 Universal Press Syndicate
Readers Respond
Herbie; Rich; Tom; David...
Pills
To the Editor:
I was amazed to see the Kansan quote Kathy Allen, candidate for student body vice-president, as she gave a speech that any girl wanting birth control pills was turned away from Watkins unless she had a medical problem. Ms. Allen said that she had no facts. The Women's Health Task Force has published and circulated personal testimonies of women who were indeed pregnant because of the personal moral convictions of the doctors they saw at Watkins. Documentation of these testimonies is available (names and dates) on request.
According to the Kansan, Ms. Allen also said that free birth certificates were available for Watkins This is not true. I checked this out with the interviewer and they told by Mr. Gillespie that unless the policy had been changed and they were not informed, the pharmacy does not give out free birth certificates.
—Peggy C. Scott
Prairie Village sophomore
Such misinformation is hard to believe on the part of a woman who is chairman of the Senate's Student Services Committee. Her statements are not a statement of fact on the front page of the Kansan, it is worse than just a mistake. Her remarks are damaging to those women in her health services at Watkins, and especially to women who may read the Kansan and go to Watkins expecting free birth care or receiving a moral lecture in return for their effort). Allen's statements raise serious question as to her qualification for office. It was difficult for women to vote for women to vote for Mohammad Amin, who has at least said that activity fees should be redistributed to give women a chance to vote. Taking considerer the $400,000 at stake, this is not a minor issue.
To the Editor:
Wolfe
Tom Wolfe was talking to Leonard Grotta and David Healy last Friday night. Both Grotta's "Evening" and Healy's "Journal of Journalism" apparently the parent parachaundron fathering both articles. If Wolfe's Grotta and Healy's minds back
**us** or **friday night's讲座**, they will remember Wolfe's detailed description of the university interview on Joe Louss at the airport and on the screen. Tom Wolfe's suit probably got as much print space during the conversation with his wife after deplaning or the interplay between a former Mrs. Louis and a professor, Mr. Louis now Kansan readers are assured that Tom was not a Wolfe in cheap clothing. Wolfe set the Joe Louss interview up in an example of the degenerate journalism of the early sixties while the Kansan writers prove prevalent in the early seventies.
Mr. Gretta—Why should Wolfe "reel off his verbal stream-of-consciousness impressions that I read?" You must read "read." If you did not want Wolfe's personality revealed to you, last Friday afternoon in Flint Hall would have been better baby. She was not a baby. The man was here to be heard, not to be re读. Mr. Healy—"my memory set" led Remembrance but you simply gathered your fact and in turn d exploit it but failed to connect it coherently to Wolfe's theory for her article. Perhaps your journalist friend was right in assuming that it was gas escaping in Hoch; it was gas escaping in your article. Since you are a cult reporter I will give you a scoop. It was Kensley's Merry Pranksters who soaked the west stairs and dramatic concluding paragraphs.
Grotta and Healy obviously did not get the "word" Perhaps the first one was for foremost soo-p Journalist's. With all journalists in Wolfe's Dyreshow, then Grotta and Healy raised a complete the random titled "parajournalism." If Wolfe could administer an acid test on those articles, he would be a Parajournalism Horse factor of about 12; very base and very many articles that appear are frequently in the Kansan raising journalism? It is too bad it is not possible to walk on a paper.
To the Earl:
After reading Mr. Fisher's review of the Herbie Mann concert, my only question is
Mann
To the Editor:
Allison Bowen Hinton Shawnee Mission sophomore
-Melody Johnson Lawrence junior
greatly reviewers? I would reviewer appreciate knowing Mr. Fisher's audience and evidently know what he is doing instead of an 'instant jacrifice' for a man who is quite successful in his field and evidently knows what he is doing long. I wonder if Mr. Fisher will ever be as successful in his chosen field if he continues to write his reviews on opinion pages or in Herbie Mann's sound purge 10 or 15 years ago, but I question how many of last night's talk videos Mr. Fisher has posted to her Herbie Mann 10 or 15 years ago. It seems that Mr. Fisher has forgotten that most of last night's talk videos were posted to the 12 years old that long ago. Mr Mann evidently gives his audience what they like to hear (as attested by the statement of Herbie Mann 10 or 15 years ago) standing ovations). It merely reminds me of last year's concert with jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis keeping time to the music by tapping their feet and clapping their hands. Any true lover of the audience only seemed to come when that is inconsistent and that clapping and tapping of the feet is almost impossible. But still the audience only seemed to come when swinging into a familiar "pop-kick" version where they could follow the beat. Perhaps the problem with that is that what is artignant to the fact what jazz represents. If this is the case, then I say "brave" to an audience enough to sensize what the audience likes and give it to them.
Miller
To the Editor:
During the Student Senate and class officer elections, you will be able to vote on the Allen Field or the Endowment Association to select "yes" will petition or request the Athletic Association and the Endowment Association to select the Floor Proposal. Under this proposal, in accord with the Athletic Association's decision to open the floor, the Field House would be open in the morning and evening hours for recreation. By opening the floor in the north and south end of the field house (they are already in on the east and west sides) our east-west basketball courts.
The north and south courts
Two other points should be made (1). This is not a matter of special emphasis but academic to extra-curricular project. These funds could only be available for this project. (2) This proposal is on behalf of the Association raises about $160,000 to pay for the tarsant surface. The funds will be used to expand the institutional facilities as proposed.
The petition is presented to ask you to make the decision. Please do so.
Funding for the proposal is very complex. In 1966, the east side of the Memorial football stadium in St. Louis brought students' students' request for better seating. At that time, $35,300 was borrowed from the town hall expansion. It was to be paid back by 1891 from revenue raised by the sale of student season football sales in recent years have been higher than projected estimates, it now appears the loan will be repaid. The proposed agreement therefore proposed to add the cost of the Field House floor proposal (not to exceed $80,000) existing agreement would increase a $80,000 increase in the current loan would also mean that the cost would be shared by many students just those currently enrolled.
David G. Miller President of the Student Body
could also be lined for other indoor sports such as volleyball and badminton.
Traffic
Griff and the Unicorn
To the Editor:
By Sokoloff
1. too, would like to
congratulate the Kansan for the
excellent editorial (Tom
Fearon) for Fea's Security and
Security division. After
reading the letter from Mr.
Ross, I was surprised that
reaction was on brother!!
Before I continue, I would like to state that I personally have not received any parking tickets for violations on campus in the two years I have worked here. I do not intend this letter to knock the students we get back at them for transgressions of my own.
zoning restrictions. Is it any more unfortunate that a 10-year-old is attacked than a 20-year-old?
It is truly unfortunate that because of the "Green Stamp" policy regarding traffic tickets and the unrealistic zoning restrictions, our campus officers are unable to sphere of apathy and insecurity.
Please, please, before it is too late, let's see the student body as a whole coupled with all faculty and staff members unite for the security of our totally unrealistic parking laws and a thorough investigation of our Traffic and Security division personnel. Only by doing this can we regain campus respect for our campus officers.
As a mother of a 10-year-old, I cannot help but view the question on one hand of where the adult supervisor was at the time the photo was taken. On the other hand, however, consider the 20-year-old student who must walk perhaps several blocks on unlighted and unprotected roads to reach his destination on campus at night simply because of the unrealistic
-Geraldine J. Rasmussen
Publication Sales Supervisor,
Kansas Geological Survey
E O
Dwyer
I read with great interest the story in the Tuesday Kansan relating how you stormed from my office to your job that you would not mess with that "ummitigated bullshit." I wish to command for you this message and you that some mischievous culprit has had the unmitigated gall to surreptitiously enter your office and give you body president!" I am sure the person has done this reprehensible deed without your permission. I have a little experience in the affairs of student government as yourself would ever consent to having his hand in the university's sincerely hope that you will be successful in your efforts to find this person who has placed you in the idiotic position of the student to run for student body president.
To the Editor:
Dear Rich Dwyer:
Steve Emerson Topeka senior
Congrats
Despite KU's relatively poor basketball season, I think this year's squad deserves congratulations. The put out work worked as well as the more than any KU squad I've seen. This extra effort was needed because they had to overcome adversity on at least two counts: they got the team worked up, and year's team, and 2) consistently "very questionable" refereeing, especially on the road, where it was most difficult. Stallworth got hot, he was tapped for 2 or 3 "fouls" which sent him to the bench or slowed him down on the court. And he never drew shots shooting 20-30 times, with 4 or 8 hands in his face. And it seemed the other team always got into the l-and-i before us, and that the key men never fouled out, and
Thank you, KU, for a very exciting season.
-Gary Kaplan
Hutchinson senior
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