THE HNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
MONDAY, JUNE 18, 2012
PAGE 7
opinion
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Instead of a subway or monorail:
Ziplines! And ski lifts for the uphill.
LARP is just make-believe for adults. I'm not hating, that's just what it is. Now, where's my mage's staff.
I am pretty sure the person living below me is recording a rap album. Make the beats stop!
I wonder how my professor would react if I had pizza delivered to me during our two and a half hour class? I'm starving.
Memories fade,but Google search never forgets.
Hearing these kids talk about sports but not correcting them must be what life is like for God all the time.
My dad: At some point you're going to have to learn a trade. "I'm pretty good at being pulled over."
I'm stuck somewhere between Couchville and Toiletshire.I think it's called Hangover City.
To the guy who named flies: you are the most creative.
I don't know how I would survive this summer without the UDK.
If anyone in this room is a vampire, it's definitely her.
I'm out of Kleenex and therefore also out of toilet paper.
BLOCKBUSTERS
Film hits causing reading craze
Hollywood has been stealing ideas from authors and the stories they write for years, but recently things seem different.
Ever since the very successful "Harry Potter" book series was made into a very successful film series, Hollywood hasn't stopped looking for novels to be turned into either a summer blockbuster or winter hit.
But now, some books can owe their popularity to their cinematic reincarnations. The two most obvious book-to-movie series that came after "Harry Potter" are "The Twilight Saga" and "Hunger Games Trilogy". But those aren't the only novels being turned into films. Seth Grahame-Smith's new novel genre "horror mash-up" has created two novels, and
two films to boot, "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" and "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies". The first of the two, "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" is released nationwide June 22. Even today's most popular novel series "50 Shades of Grey" looks like it's going to be made into a movie.
But that's not new. After "Hunger
Games" made its advertising rounds throughout theaters this past year, I remember coming back to Lawrence and people constantly telling me to read "Hunger Games." Although I still have not given "Hunger Games" a chance, everyone else seems to be chomping at the bit.
The funny thing is that "Hunger Games" first started publication in 2008. I didn't hear about it until (very) late 2011. What took so long? Sure, it may have been a pretty successful book before the movie was made, but did the advertising for the movie make the books more popular? If so, I think "Hunger Games" author Suzanne Collins owes Hollywood many thanks.
But there is something more important happening here than an author's free publicity. Hollywood may be lazy and just taking story ideas from someone who has already been successful, but the truth is they are getting more people to read. And for someone who is basing his career off of people reading what he writes, I couldn't be happier about this.
I'm not a fan of "Twilight" or "Hunger Games," and I haven't even looked at "50 Shades of Grey" yet, but if people are going to start reading because of movies, I can't complain. Maybe "Hunger Games" will push them to read more often, movie or no movie.
Lysen is a junior in journalism from Andover.
ENVIRONMENT
Effects of oil spill still present in Gulf
B british Petroleum's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is still affecting wildlife and seafood businesses.
On April 20, 2010, the BP Horizon Deepwater released 5 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico over a period of three months. It was the largest accidental marine spill in petroleum history. The explosion killed 11 workers and 17 were injured. Other immediate effects included birds and turtles covered in oil and dying sea coral. Two years later, the oil is no longer seen on the surface. However, scientists have found considerable amounts on the ocean floor. Consequently, fishermen are finding mutant seafood in the Gulf proving lasting effects BP's oil spill has had on the regional ecosystem.
The mutagenesis of the seafood has affected multiple marine species. This
includes fish with oozing sores, underdeveloped blue crabs lacking claws, and eyeless shrimp. After the oil spill, many fisheries closed due to many marine organisms dying. In short: less business. The fisheries that remained open have to deal with the mutant seafood.
Fisher Tracy Kuhn stated "At the height of the last white shrimp season, in September, one of our friends caught
400 pounds of these." She was referring to the eyeless shrimp. What was most disturbing was these shrimp simply do not lack eyes but eye sockets.
The deformed fish and crustaceans are not solely due to the oil, but the chemical that de-clumped or "broke" the oil up. After the oil spill, BP released almost 2 million gallons of toxic Corexit dispersants. The chemical 2-butoxyethanol in Corexit causes harm to red blood cells as well as kidney and lung damage in humans. It can also arrest the development of human embryos. Imagine the effects it can have on simpler and smaller creatures like seafood. It is possible the mutagen entered the genome of shrimp to the few generations that survived the immediate spill.
Gulf seafood has constantly been tested lower than the safety thresholds
created by the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency. Seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is among the most tested in the world. Recent FDA reports have claimed the seafood as safe as it was two years ago. However, many tourists and locals are reluctant to eat it. BP claims the fish with oozing sores happened before the spill due to parasites in the ocean. Regardless, the oil spill has had pronounced effects after the initial explosion.
This catastrophic event has negatively affected the economy of Gulf fisheries as well as crustacean diversity in the ocean. This is something that may never be restored.
— Saha is a junior in neurobiology from Overland Park.
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
Which movie are you excited for this summer?
Follow us on Twitter @UDK_Opinion.
Tweet us your opinions, and we just might publish them.
Vikaas Shanker, Editor
864-4810 or editor@kansan.com
@Timmy_Hewitt
Ross Newton, Business Manager
864-4358 or glent@kansan.com
@UDK Opinion Magic Mike. Hands down the best thing to ever be put on screen.
@megpal57
@megpal57
@UDK_Opinion Definitely Ted! Hilarious
trailers with tweets just as funny.
@WhatTedSaid, I can't wait!
Elise Farrington, Sales Manager 864-4477 or keland@kansan.com
CONTACT US
Malcoim Gibson, News Advisor and General Manager
864-7657 or malbison@kansan.com
Jon Schilt, Sales and Marketing Advisor
84-7654-7656 jonshtsan.com
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of The Kansan Editorial Board are Wikaas Shanker, Megan Hinman, Kelsey Cipolla, Megan Boxberger, and Jessica Janasz.
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