TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012
PAGE 5A
opinion
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I just got caught in the middle of a frat pack. It was exactly how you wouldn't want your Night at the Roxbury to go.
I was going to go to my 12 o'clock class, but then I found out we were having grilled cheese for lunch.
As if breaking up wasn't rough enough already, "Somebody That I Used to Know" had to reach the height of its popularity at the same time.
What's the point of posting the lecture slides after class? I needed them to help take notes DURING class.
I was typing the "Burge Union" in an email and noticed I accidentally typed the "Urge Union."
I am wearing a green t-shirt and a purple hoodie, and I'm in the mood for pizza. I feel like Donatello.
That moment of sheer bliss when your roommate finishes getting ready in the morning and leaves.
You know you've been skipping class too much when it's the last Monday of the semester and you don't remember what class you have first.
The UDK needs a separate "missed connections" section so those creepy FFAs can be seen where people actually care.
My car runs on gas, not friendship. So pay up!
I'm not giving up my fake relationship with someone I don't know for you.
Why is there a ninja (or a guy attempting to be) in Wescoe?
Calculus: reminding students they should have stayed in bed for centuries.
Did you brush your teeth this morning? Doesn't smell like it.
KU Campus: where squirrels are pumas.
Great, now the heat is on in Anschutz. Time to broil.
If you are actually 21, it is not socially acceptable to be seen at The Hawk.
My kids no longer play rock, paper, scissors. They now play rock chalk, paper, scissors. It never ends because rock chalk beats everything.
I want to ask the girl in front of me if she's aware that her butt cheeks are hanging out of her shorts.
It's hard for me to find motivation to keep studying, and it's not even finals week.
To the dude in "The Flash" costume you're too slow.
Did anyone else treat the spring game like a real game day?
Yes, I am the girl sleeping under the UDK. Don't judge, I'm under a lot of pressure.
It's a rarity seeing gingers on campus, but I just saw a really attractive one walking. Double score!
Compromise is key to restoring US
POLITICS
All boobs are beautiful.
America is on the decline." You hear that a lot these
days. We're being compared to the British Empire or Rome just prior to its collapse. Some argue that we cannot compete with China's centrally controlled economic machine. Others contend that we've become complacent since our rise to super power status after WWII and let our game deteriorate. Some even say that the very core of our system, the notion that any person can achieve success here regardless of the circumstances of their birth, has itself rotted away. I reject these views and am here instead to argue that America can still be great in the 21st Century.
First, I want to talk about what is wrong with the current state of our country and what must change going forward. Our current political climate is toxic and counterproductive. Despite what they'll tell you, neither party is without blame here. The most salient example of the complete dysfunction going on in Washington was the debt ceiling debate last fall. Neither side was willing to put political maneuvering aside and do what was right for the country. The result? The first debt downgrade
in the history of our country and a blow to the world's confidence in our economy. Even worse, the debacle raised questions about the very validity of a democratic system of governance. No political party "won" that showdown.
When we can't look to our leaders with confidence, we become divided and disengaged. People don't want to talk about politics anymore, not because they're too dumb to get it or too apathetic, but because the political climate has become so poisonous that such conversations inevitably end up offending somebody. The system has been taken over by radicals on each side who preach that compromise is not an option. Compounding this, cable news networks have replaced their journalistic integrity with a quest for ratings that has them catering to viewers with specific political beliefs. If you're a Republican, you can watch Fox News and hear what you want to hear. If you're a Democrat, MSNBC will reaffirm your beliefs. This type of environment prevents the open and honest conversations needed to address the problems we face, problems that must be addressed as US citizens, not along party lines. As a result,
a great many people have lost faith in their government and have understandably removed themselves from the discussion in order to focus on other, more constructive aspects of their lives.
There are many issues beyond the dysfunctional state of our political system that need to be addressed in order to return the country to a productive path. Changes must be made to entitlements, the tax code, spending etc.; the list is all too long. But the fact of the matter is, we already know how to fix those things. The fixes aren't being implemented because of juvenile infighting going on in Washington DC. Fix that and everything can be fixed. We deserve better than this and as voting citizens, we have the right and means to get something better.
This brings me to what is right
with our country and how we can use it to restore Washington to something we can be proud of. You are right with America. You chose to attend KU to educate yourself, to learn about the world and form your own opinions. And There are many, many others like you across the country and while they may not all be attending college, they all share your fundamental desire to continually make themselves better through their unique pursuits. You all fee' that deep down, regardless of where you come from, you can do anything in this country. You all understand that this belief is what made the American system work so well—it's not like that everywhere in the world. So now its time for you to demand that politics don't impede that system.
It's time to reject the "team" nature of politics, the notion that you're either red or blue and have to adopt all of that side's ideas and candidates in order to be on their team. Change the channel or radio dial when you aren't hearing both sides of an issue. If media companies want to play the ratings game that's fine, but they'll be forced to
THIS IS HOW WE FIX IT:
change what they broadcast if you refuse to listen to bias and misinformation. Engage others in conversation about the issues you think matter and most importantly, listen to what they have to say and never insult them for their beliefs. You'll quickly find that compromise is usually the best answer and should be what democracy is all about.
The end of the year is a busy time, but a break is coming quickly. Hopefully that time can be used to think about these ideas. Don't get me wrong. I know that not everybody is interested in politics, and they don't have to be. That's why our system allows us to choose people who will be interested for us. But I do know that the majority I spoke of earlier, what's right with our country, expects to continue to live in a place where anything is possible. Elections are how we send messages to our leaders, let's use 2012 prove that our system works and that America can still be great in the 21st Century.
Loving is a senior in chemical engineering and economics from McPherson, KS.
IMMIGRATION
Are Americans overlooking foreign contributions?
As Americans, we pride ourselves on quite a bit. We're the greatest, the strongest, the most free, a superpower, a world leader, what have you. And when it comes to technology, at least, the United States has a proud tradition of innovation and entrepreneurship. Look no further than big names like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerburg, whose products enrich our lives and set high standards for our competition.
But if you look a little closer than All-Americans like Steve, Bill, and Mark, you'll notice something. Do Pierre Omidyar, Sergey Brin, and Jerry Yang sound familiar? Maybe not. How about eBay, Google, or Yahoo, the companies each of these immigrants helped four'
Those who are fervently "anti-immigrant" are likely blissfully ignorant of the contributions foreign-born researchers, developers, and scientists have made in the United States. After all, it is hard to argue with facts, especially those that reveal that immigrant-founded companies based in the U.S. employ over 400,000 Americans and generate billions in revenue each year. And I don't hear "anti-immigrant" protestors complaining about the pharmaceuticals, computer systems, and hundreds of other products
created through the work of immigrants who are listed as contributors on over 25% of U.S. global patent applications
People should worry about immigration, but the concern shouldn't be over who we let into this country; it should be over who we are keeping out.
It may surprise you that in the U.S., over half of the doctorates awarded in mathematics, computer sciences, physics, and economics are earned by students from another country. That number increases to over 60% in engineering. The United States doesn't have a problem with attracting students to American universities. But after we educate them, our abysmal visa system sends the vast majority of them home to their countries of origin where they create products and services that compete with those in America. Where is the sense in that?
When 64% of Indian students and 68% of Chinese
students educated in the U.S. hope to start a business within the next decade, we should be capitalizing on the chance to jumpstart the economy and put Americans to work. We should be finding ways to increase visas for entrepreneurs and innovators, removing barriers to access, and creating environments that welcome the best talent in the world, regardless of origin.
And we better do it soon. While Congress drags its feet through another election year and the public continues to think of immigration as a fourletter word, our competition in the international race for talent is rolling out the welcome mat for the highly-skilled immigrants we are chasing away. While the UK, Canada, Russia, Chile, Brazil, and Singapore reform their systems in order to attract the next Zuckerburg or Omidyar, the U.S. should remember that pride is a dangerous thing. With an immigrant tradition as strong as America's, we would do well to return to our roots in order to defend our status as the land of opportunity.
Danielle Onions is a junior in political science and women, gender, and sexuality studies from Shawnee.
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ADVICE
Living minimally: why less is more in today's world
This past weekend I sat down to watch the second half of the Matrix Revolutions to get my dose of Keanu Reeves. I have Direct TV and a DVR that I use to record movies and shows but unfortunately this movie in particular was on live and I had no choice but to sit through the commercials. At first I was impatient and annoyed at the commercials, but eventually I started to enjoy the commercials as a part of the movie experience. It built anticipation and whenever I saw Keanu doing Ju-jitsu, it was all the sweeter.
"It's often said that our country is materialistic and is always looking for more whether it's technology or clothing or food. Is there an objective way of determining if this is valid?"
There is almost nothing we enjoy that isn't temporary, fleeting, or not always available. A good example is the commercials that made it exciting for me when the movie came back on. In Behavioral Analysis, this is referred to as deprivation. Deprivation is one of the main principles of reinforcement and the level of deprivation influences how hard we will work to get the reinforcer. A simple example is if you haven't eaten all day and it is 3 p.m., you are probably more likely to put forth more effort to get food than if you were stuffed and didn't want anything to eat. Similarly, because I was deprived of watching Keanu give cheesy one-liners during commercials, I was reinforced more when the movie came back on.
Psychology can also support the notion that less is more. Shawn Anchor is the CEO of a company called Good Think Inc. and he teaches about an upcoming trend called Positive Psychology. In his TED talk, Anchor discusses how, as individuals, we constantly heighten our goals when achieved and we focus on the next hurdle instead
of staying in the present. He says that this approach bleeds through management styles, parenting styles, and our general culture in America. His research seems to support our countries notion that we want more, more, and more.
Entrepreneur Graham Hill, the founder of treehugger.com and lifeedited.com also gave a TED talk about how we waste space, money, and hurt the environment with our attachment to material goods. According to Hill we have three times more space for our stuff than we did fifty years ago but have significantly less room as illustrated by the rise in the 22 billion dollar storage industry. Why is this a problem? He cites credit card debt, environmental impact, and a whole lot of stress that goes with owning so much. Lifeedited.org is his website where he gives advice, help, and links to create an apartment where one multi-purpose room can become 24 different rooms. Over time it saves money, stress, space, and helps the environment.
So how do we know that less is more isn't just grandma telling us to save our pennies? I'd argue that we know because people from different social science fields, entrepreneurs, and other individuals are creating independent, yet valid arguments for why less is more. Various proponents focus on quantifiable evidence, experimental evidence, observational evidence, etc. At some point though we just have to look at all the extraneous stuff we have and ask as Graham Hill does, "Is that really going to make me happier? Truly?"
By Michael Sofis msofis@kansan.com
— Sofis is a senior in applied behavioral science from Pittsburgh, Penn.
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