THURSDAY, MARCH 8. 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY BANSAN
PAGE 5
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Is the wind a viable excuse as to why I cannot make it to class?
I wish it would rain soon, that way all the Ron Paul chalking would go away.
Editor's note: They just do it again.
Operation move Wescoe's soap to Hashinger.
Frat packs and bitch packs tryin to go 4 wide on the sidewalk. You better believe I'm standing my ground.
You know your day is bad when not even Dan can cheer you up.
Everyone around me is playing drawing with friends ... Except me. stupid crackberry.
You know that awkward high school phase? Apparently it doesn't end.
"Last night I got stoned ... " Translation: "Please think I'm cool."
Juenemann's speech lasted longer than YOUR playing.
KU authorized Apogee to install a wireless port in my dorm room, which takes up all my ethernet ports, and my laptop still connects with Freenet Premium first.
Cloudy with a chance of unseasonably warm weather and no air conditioning in the dorms yet is more like it.
My left ear bud just went out, this was one ear bud away from being a tragedy.
Math 002. That's adorable.
You know what I call frat boys in colorful shorts? Fruity Pebbles.
If you fill a swimming pool with enough jello powder during winter will it turn into jello?
You know how when a bird tries flying into the wind and it just can't move? Well I'm pretty sure that the human equivalent just happened to me.
People going up the stairs should have the right away. They are gaining potential energy thus they are doing more work.
Short people scare me. I always imagine them biting my ankles.
Editor's note: Tall people scare me.
I always imagine them running me over. Oh wait, that happens more often than not.
Making Waldo into a horcrux is a terrible idea, unless you want your soul destroyed by a mob of observant 8 year olds.
I admit it, I do have a clown fetish.
Hate to burst your bubble, but angels and Satan are all made up to begin with
I better not get in trouble for checking the basketball score during my bio exam tomorrow. Tests during basketball games should be forbidden.
Going to class after eating with a really bad hangover is worse than Russian Roulette.
I'm legitimately concerned for every obligation in my life that isn't Mass Effect 3.
Rush Limbaugh recently called a female law student who was previously denied the opportunity to testify at a Congressional hearing about contraceptives a "slut," and a "prostitute" on his radio show.
Birth control pill has more uses than contraception
He didn't know the woman and had no information about her other than that she's a college student who thinks that her university should insure birth control in its health care plan for students.
In addition to the offensive character of his remarks, Limbaugh lacks an important piece of this picture: preventing births isn't the sole reason women use birth control.
Whether you've followed the recent debates dealing with contraception, used or thought about using contraception, it's important to know why women choose to go on birth control.
Oral contraception, also called birth control, is taken by over 62 million women between the ages of 15 and 44. according to a November 2011 study by the Guttmacher Institute, which researches reproductive health worldwide. The study found that 49 percent of women who use contraception have at least one other reason to use some form of birth control.
Birth control may be prescribed to help treat endometriosis and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) or to prevent endometrial and ovarian cancers.
In endometriosis the uterine-lining tissue grows outside of the uterus. This condition has the potential to be painful and result in infertility. Birth control can help prevent the tissue growth and buildup, though it isn't a cure.
PCOS is a hormone imbalance that can result in irregular cycles, acne, unwanted hair growth on the face and body, thinner hair on the head and even infertility. One out of 15 women is diagnosed with this disease. Oral contraceptives may be prescribed along with diet and exercise to fight the symptoms, but not as a cure.
Using birth control continually for one to five years can also help lower a woman's chances of getting endometrial and ovarian cancers by 40 percent. A family history of other cancers may indicate that a woman has a higher chance of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Taking a contraceptive is just one way to help prevent a tumor from forming.
Birth control can even help combat more common ailments. It's been used to help clear acne and combat painful menstrual symptoms such as cramps, bloating and breast tenderness. In the process, a contraceptive can shorten
bleeding and regulate when it occurs.
Contraceptives allow women who might otherwise contract painful diseases to not only live peacefully, but eventually have children. Although using birth control is not the only option to treat these diseases, it's an option chosen by a sizable number of American women.
Before you take a stance on the birth control debate, think about the effects birth control has had on the lives of women who have used it for non-contraceptive purposes. Educate yourself on the issues they face if their birth control isn't covered by insurance or if it's restricted by governmental policies.
Angela Hawkins for the Kansan Editorial Board
FEMINISM
Positions of power take commitment
I was recently sitting in a committee hearing and a realization hit me. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was testifying before the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, and I had managed to claim a seat between her secret service detail and a group of rather rambunctious protestors decked out in blinding yellow jackets.
Mentally preparing myself for the partisan back and forth and political posturing that I've come to expect from most hearings, I was surprised to find how deeply respected the Secretary was by each of the senators present. Democrat or Republican, they took turns to praise her dedication, perseverance, vision, persistence, accessibility and ability to do so much on so little sleep.
This last comment sparked a chain of thinking in my head that, I must admit, caused me to miss a comment or two. I wrote an article a couple of months ago discussing how far women had come in the United States and how far we still have to go. My editor had returned my draft and asked me to include solutions. "Where to even begin," I thought. Erasing centuries of imbalance doesn't come with Ikea-like instructions.
But it was right before me in one of the more prestigious of the Senate committees. Foreign Relations might only boast a whopping two women out of nineteen members. Yet the most powerful person in the room was undoubtedly seated in front of Chairman John Kerry, and she was discussing everything from Iran to Keystone to cooking stoves.
She was powerful, she was
impressive, and to me she was intimidating. Not because she was cold or dismissive (quite the opposite, actually), but because as deeply inspiring as her work is, I know that I couldn't do it.
I could, if I wanted. Anyone with her intelligence, passion, education, and work ethic could. But like her, they would have to operate on very little sleep, an incredibly demanding work and travel schedule, and constant public interpretation and analysis. Her position is not one for the thin-skinned or the faint of heart
faint of heart.
And it's also not designed for family life.
And therein lies part of the explanation of why so few American women are in positions of power and
a high-powered career path and raising a family. It is impossible to make both a priority without an extensive support system, including flexible, reliable child care and financial stability.
After a few months on the Hill, I know just because they stop paying you at six o'clock doesn't mean you're out the door at that time. We've all heard about floor sessions that last until eight, ten, even two in the morning.
It's not that women can't "have it all" as the cheerful slogan goes. Millions of American women juggle both family and a job. But the status quo makes positions of power and status difficult to obtain for those with family obligations.
Millions of American women juggle both family and a job. But the status quo makes positions of power and status difficult to obtain for those with family obligations.
A commitment to long, exhausting hours, little sleep complete focus, and unwavering dedication: a commitment similar to the one made by prospective parents, which explains why some are faced with a choice between following
status. These positions are fulfilling and meaningful and demanding, and part of what they demand is absolute commitment.
I may sigh about being late for dinner, but I don't have a day care provider waiting for me to come collect my child. If you're
running a campaign for an elected office, it's not feasible to take a few days off when your child comes down with a fever. If you're clocking in sixty or seventy hours a week running a company, it makes it difficult to attend soccer games or parent teacher conferences. And while these choices apply to both mothers and fathers, they have disproportionately affected women.
Onions is a junior in political science and women, gender, and sexuality studies from Shawnee.
ENTERTAINMENT
Celebrities use fame to alter profession
It has been six years, one headlining tour, 10 films, and a few Saturday Night Live acting appearances since Justin Timberlake has released any music. Timberlake may have been a featured singer for a couple of SNL's Digital Shorts with Andy Sandberg, but he has been missing in action when it comes to what made him famous.
With all the great acting roles Timberlake has been in, it's obvious that he is trying to use his success with 'NSYNC and his solo career to catapult him to better opportunities. That's fine.
That's what I expect from someone who has found so much success. When you are a famous face, people want to see it as much as possible. And that is exactly what Timberlake has done. There is just one question: why has Timberlake stopped making music?
The same year Timberlake's last album "FutureSex/LoveSounds" was released; he was a supporting actor in the film "Alpha Dog". Although the film wasn't anything close to being Academy Award winning, Timberlake was able to show off his talent (or possibly just his fame) and secured many more acting roles afterwards. Timberlake would never look back; he hasn't released an album — not even a song — since 2006.
Since then, Timberlake has hosted and guest starred on Saturday Night Live, he's been featured in many songs, he's been a supporting role in drama and comedy films, but he refuses to release his own music. And the reasoning isn't
that shocking. It just happens to be easier to be Justin Timberlake: The Actor than it is to be Justin Timberlake: The Artist.
If Timberlake were to release more music, he would need to sell those records. This would not be hard, because Timberlake was able to sell 10 million albums worldwide at the height of the illegal music download age.
Acting allows Timberlake to live in Los Angeles or New York City, and have a less demanding travel schedule. He can walk to a different set at a large movie studio and act as a different form of Justin Timberlake and still make it home for the nightly news while making the same amount of money he would have making music. Timberlake has simplified his ability to make millions just by showing up; he no longer has to travel the world to collect a paycheck.
Michael Jordan once quit basketball to pursue a dream in a different sport. His former coach Phil Jackson helped bring him back to basketball by telling Jordan he had a God-given talent, and by not playing, he was depriving the world of something great.
Timberlake is one of the best and most popular pop music artists to ever live, and he is depriving the world of something great by not using his God-given talent. There is no doubt Timberlake could go into a studio and make an album that sells more than 10 million copies, but instead he's going to randomly show up on Saturday Night Live acting as a different singer and be funny just because.
But how can you blame him? He makes millions of dollars for just being Justin Timberlake. And that's a tough gig to give up.
lysen is a junior in journalism from Andover.
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