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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY & ANSAN
TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2012
opinion
FREE FOR ALL
Text your FFA submissions to 785-289-8351
Editor's Note: The FFA's had to be submitted before the championship game for today's paper, so, sorry if this is awkward.
Riding the bus, I threw a cookie cake at Saturday night. The proof is the layer of frosting on the side of the bus.
Dan the bus driver agreed to take shots with me at Brothers this morning. I really hope I don't get stood up.
2012 Student Senate elections:
Pirates vs. Prom Kings.
It is such a privilege to represent KU in the basketball band! Rock chalk from New Orleans!
What professor schedules a test the Monday after Final Four weekend? Thanks. You made me come back from New Orleans two days early.
I'm really glad half the microbiology slides are in Russian. I just love learning a new language instead of studying.
My K-State friends are cheering for Kentucky only because they don't want KU to win.
Ah, gotta love those Wildcats.
After all the high fives I got Saturday. I'm going to get my hand checked.
There are 19 machines "out of order" at the Rec. Seriously, what are our fees paying for?
The crowds are super loud this morning. I think they're drunk from all the alcohol spilled on Mass Street from the win last night.
Can someone please turn on the A/C in Budig Hall? Thank you.
Walking past cops with an open container in your hand is the weirdest feeling ever.
This zero is my hero. T-Rob, ftw!
Jeff Withey for SWAT team member of the year!
You know you're a true Jayhawk when you think the Alma Mater is the National Anthem!
Nothing beats the atmosphere of Allen Fieldhouse on game day.
Getting Withey with it!
Apparently, having a Ph.D. exonerates you from having to reply to emails.
No, we can't push date night to tomorrow. I shaved everything on my body. You can't do that two nights in a row
I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books.
Thanks to the Army, I see the UDK being delivered every morning around 5:30 a.m. Props to them!
Multiple choices can lead to regret
PSYCHOLOGY
W whenever I go shopping at a grocery store or even for clothing, it seems that after a certain point, the more choices I have, the more regret I feel afterwards. Why is
You walk into your favorite clothing store. You see a shirt you like hanging on a display. Do you want more choices of colors and designs similar to that original? Likely, yes. Do you want many more like that original to choose from? Probably. Is American culture built on the idea that freedom is good, therefore choice is good? Yes, according to Psychologist Barry Schwartz who wrote the book "The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less."
Schwartz also argues, however,
that too many choices actually
paralyze us. Take your average
grocery store for instance. Think
of the type of groceries you typically get. Maybe it's breads, chips,
frozen foods, jellies, dressing,
cookies and so on. Now think of how many options you have to choose from within each of those foods. In his TED Talk, Schwartz
gives the example of his small local grocery store that gives you 175 individual options for salad dressing. So it's clear that choices are abundant in our lives, but why might this cause regret?
Try and think about the opportunity cost, or the benefits of the alternatives to your chosen purchase of your individual purchasing decision. We value anything, in this case the grocery product, in relation to the availability of the competing alternatives. Therefore, if there are 175 salad dressings, we are more likely to regret the purchase we end up making. Also, more choice means more expectations and an additional level of regret or dissatisfaction.
Researchers at the University Dr. DiGennaro Reed and Dr. Derek have sought to further Swartz's research which he termed Choice Overload
(Reed, Derek D; DiGennaro Reed, Florence D; Chok, James; and Brozyna, Gary A. 2011). They've specifically looked at how some individuals tend to
To make a long story short, many factors go into why a high number of choices can cause regret. Examples are time, search
"Also, more choice means more expectations and an additional level of regret or disatisfaction."
try and maximize their choice by looking at all potential choices while others are increasingly satisfied with their choice as the number of potential choices goes up.
costs in looking, perceived risk and regret you've experienced from similar situations in the past. While much of the literature hasn't focused on what we should do as
individuals, it's safe to say that more is often less.
Sofis is a senior in applied behavioral science from Pittsburgh, Penn.
POLITICS
Supreme court to review provision in healthcare bill
Starting on March 26, the Supreme Court listened to three days of arguments concerning the constitutionality of the healthcare act that has come to be known as "Obamacare." Their ruling, which won't come until the end of June, will shape the future of American healthcare. While the healthcare issue has been off the front pages since it was signed in March 2010, the constitutively of one of its more controversial requirements has been in and out of the federal court system. The ruling addresses an issue at the heart of how our nation is governed.
The Constitution gives a few, well-defined powers to the federal government. As stated within the document that lies at the heart of our nation's very day-to-day existence, states have all those rights that are not defined within the Constitution. One of those powers that is granted to the federal government is the ability to regulate commerce between the states in order to ensure equitable commerce for citizens. This does not include the right to force citizens into buying specific items, which is the reason the Supreme Court will listen to whether the government has the right to force people to buy health insurance.
The main issue in this case is whether the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's requirement that most people carry insurance or pay a fee, known as the "individual mandate," violates the Constitution. However, if the court decides that this part is unconstitutional, that doesn't mean that the entire healthcare bill will disappear.
The court could simply remove that part of the law, leaving the rest of the law's provisions in place. It could remove that requirement and the rest of the law that is closely linked with the mandate, which could include the rules that insurance companies stop denying policies to customers who have a pre-existing health condition. Even more confusing is the fact that there is a federal law called the Anti-Injunction Act, which requires tax-payers to pay their assessments before they can challenge a levy's legality. Because the law won't come into affect until 2014, the court may not be able to make a judgment on the consti-
tutuality until after the full law comes into effect.
There are several ways to bring about the lower insurance cost results that the President and Democrat Congress
United States executive and federal government have the right to interpret the Commerce Clause in a way that allows them to dictate to states.
This administration has not been shy to mix and muddle the difference between the three branches of government, a situation that the Constitution was created to avoid. This mandate is an example of a slippery slope. If the government is allowed to dictate to the states, and by direct connection, the citizens of those states and what they should buy, there is nothing to say where this practice will stop.
There are many that will argue that the Constitution is an antiquated document created by a group of wealthy men of direct European descent and that as such, the reserved powers of states is an antiquated idea. But this is basis for our government and nation. We, as the peers of
"It is our duty as American citizens to force the federal government to live within the structure of the document that gave us our system of government."
intended with the passing of the act. Deregulation of state-by-state sales of insurance policies has always been an option, and most importantly, one that is certainly constitutional. This ruling isn't about whether or not Americans deserve higher availability to healthcare and/or lower healthcare costs, but whether the
one another in our locality,
have the right to choose. It is not the duty of the federal government to pick and choose when it adheres to the Constitution. It is our duty as
American citizens to force the federal government to live within the structure of the document that gave us our system of government.
McCroy is a senior in economics from Des Moines, IA.
NATURI
Students should try to enjoy nature efficiently
By Angela Hawkins hawkins@kansan.com
This spring has been exceptionally nice. It's been warm, sunny, the trees are blooming and the grass is green. You don't need rocket science to see that. However, sometimes it seems like we, as students, don't really appreciate it.
Think about it. We have a beautiful spring. We live on a beautiful campus. How sad would it be for the warmth of summer to arrive without the beauty of spring ever being acknowledged?
I know going outside sounds like a time-consuming thing. Running, playing catch or Frisbee, going on a walk; they all take valuable time. Outdoor
activities do take time, but fortunately for students, enjoying spring doesn't have to be a hassle.
Now that daylight savings time has sprung for-
enjoy the sunshine. I recommend taking the path through the trees by Green Hall; they smell amazing and the breeze is refreshing.
"How sad would it be for the warmth of summer to arrive without the beauty of spring ever being acknowledged?"
ward, the mornings are warmer and sunnier. Yet, somehow, there's always a line for the bus on Daisy Hill. Walking to campus instead could provide a rewarding morning experience.
If you go to Mrs. E's for breakfast and wait for the bus outside of Lewis, the only nature you see is the sidewalk and parking lot. If you walk instead, you no longer have to wait for a bus that may or may not be on time, but you get the chance to walk by the trees and
Lunchtime offers another opportunity to get outside. Sure, the underground is usually packed and so is Wescoe Beach, but there are so many other places to eat lunch outside. In front of Fraser, there's a nice, shady plot of grass and pretty much anywhere there's a hill, there's a plot of grass that would be perfect for a mid-day picnic or an afternoon study session.
I understand that sometimes
Let's be honest: You'd be eating or studying inside. Finding a spot outdoors wouldn't cost you any more time than it would to find a seat in the Underground.
it isn't possible to be outside. Good luck convincing your professors to let class out early or to hold class outside, but don't let looking
through windows be the only way you see spring.
We're lucky here. This is a beautiful place to be and a beautiful time to be here. So get outside, turn down your music and put on your sunglasses. Look around you and be thankful for such a nice season.
Angela Hawkins is a sophomore in journalism from Scranton.
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