WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2012
THE HNRIVERSITY DAILY RANSAN
PAGE 5
opinion
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Can Singles Awareness Day be changed to Singles Orgy Day?
As the self-declared representative of Meadowbrook Apartments, we are placing our combat expertise up for hire in the Dormitory Wars. We are not cheap.
Expecting anything less than a snowman with big boobs on a college campus would just be un-American.
Until I can build a decent Fortress of Solitude, I'll say this is low-quality snow.
Blow-drying my feet is NOT that big of a deal.
I hope you all cared enough on Valentine's Day to use condom sense.
Kansas, if you cancelled class due to the snow, I will literally fall on the floor laughing. Sincerely, South Dakota.
Overheard between classes: "I feel silly, I'm the only one without a panda hat."
I think I have an unnatural love for Kevin Young and Jeff Withey.
That strange moment when you try to explain to your prof that you showed up to class on a test day 20 minutes late all because you summersaulted off your lofted bed this morning only to do a backburner on your roommate's desk.
That awkward moment when your girlfriend calls you "Tiger" and it makes you think of all the girls you've cheated on her with.
Please tell me everyone saw the K-State fan with the sign that said "You're not in Kansas anymore!"
That awkward moment when you're sleepy and think you see a monster in the middle of the room, consequently sending yourself and your roomie into a panic.
If you were really #bornandraisedin-
minnesota you wouldn't be waiting for a
bus... You would be walking.
The military science building is prepared to lend orlease weaponry to the Daisy Hill faction.
I'm going to make myself feel better on Valentine's Day. I'm going to play Red Rover with every couple holding hands.
Sometimes I like to put on my grandpa's clothes and pretend I'm a hipster.
YES! So I'm not the only one with a Toy Story comforter! #Disneynerdforlife
The only male who will give me any attention tonight is a 13-pound fluff ball named Sasha. #FAIL
Yesterday, my girlfriend told me she was leaving me for Jeff Withey. I'm OK with this because I would leave me for Jeff Withey too.
Anybody else karate chop the toilet paper instead of tear it?
My friends make fun of me for not participating in cultural trends started by the cast of the Jersey Shore classypersonproblems
Russians challenge current government
INTERNATIONAL
before choosing Medvedev as his successor once his constitutional term limit expired.
The move jeopardized the already fragile image of Russian democracy; Putin served as president between 2000 and 2008
Russian winters have demolished a few threats to the government's power throughout history — literally freezing Napoleon's attempted 1812 invasion in its tracks as half a million troops succumbed to frostbite and hypothermia. More than a century later, Hitler's advancing army planned for a quick summer victory and packed accordingly. Fuel froze inside the tanks, warmer uniforms failed to materialize, and Russia beat back another would-be conqueror.
This scale of participation indicates major discontent over the upcoming presidential election. Last September, Pres. Dmitri Medvedev announced plans to effectively swap positions with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin instead of running for a second presidential term.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Today, temperatures in Moscow feel like roughly negative 7 degrees, but Russian opposition seems prepared to defy the established political order despite the bitter cold and an equally frosty governmental response.
December's parliamentary elections provided one outlet for the Russian public to express dissatisfaction. United Russia officially garnered 49 percent of the vote, which the International Institute for Security Studies reported as a major setback compared to previous years. Independent monitors condemned fraud, as election officials filled out extra ballots for United Russia and bussed voters from district to district.
On Feb. 4, protesters in subzero temperatures demanded legitimate elections and denounced the ruling United Russia party. Reports of the rally's size vary — the government estimated 36,000 people in attendance, while opposition leaders claimed more than 120,000 took to the streets.
Because of increased civic activism, Russian citizens tracked the fraud they saw at their local station and posted comments and videos online. Allegations of corruption sparked immediate demonstrations demanding new elections and the resignation of Vladimir Churov, head of the Central Election Commission.
to remark that after spending two weeks in prison, he returned to an entirely transformed political landscape.
The continuing protests certainly pose a challenge to the government, which would struggle to stamp out such a large and well-publicized group. The postelection changes alone prompted opposition leader Alexey Navalny
Demonstrators carry a huge poster reading "Russia without Putin" during a massive protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's rule in Moscow on Feb. 4. Reports of corruption in December elections prompted the wave of protesting.
"Foreign Policy" magazine notes the diverse backgrounds present within the movement. The discontent united members of the Communist, Nationalist, and Center-left parties shown by Navalney's urge to "Vote, and vote for anyone but United Russia." Members of the middle class and youth, previously skeptical of civic engagement, also appear in the crowds.
We can learn from other protests against authoritarian rule. Russia may take a page out of Saudi Arabia's book and use massive oil revenues to implement social programs aimed at calming the population. (Although widespread corruption could doom the effort.)
Even given public anger, it's unlikely that Putin will manage to lose his March election. A best-case scenario for the opposition would be preventing Putin from winning outright in the first round of voting, forcing him and the second-place finisher into a second runoff election.
While the Cold War ended two decades ago, Russia's size, location, energy resources, nuclear arsenal, economic status and international clout should merit careful attention to its internal politics. Assuming Putin gains his third term, what can we expect to change?
Protestors probably will remain
staunchly committed to removing Putin and other key members of his regime from power, even if they attain some of their goals. The government appears to realize that crackdowns and violence could easily backfire and increase the opposition's size and dynamism. It seems likely Russia will continue offering reforms to try mollifying the public, moderating its stance and slowly mending its political system.
opposition, United States officials should resist the temptation to express support — United Russia could use such statements as proof of outside interference and strengthen its position by stoking nationalist fervor.
Unfortunately, Putin already displayed his paranoia of international meddling in domestic affairs. He's singled out Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, insisting she encourages protests to undermine Russian power. Though sympathetic to Russian
Fallout from December's election proves independent groups such as election monitors, human rights organizations and the media can still lend credibility to the movement. In a year marked by protest, we can hope this Russian winter marks the beginning of a new era for democracy in the country.
Gress is a freshman in political science and international studies from Overland Park.
CULTURE
Learning to eat the Italian way
"Bologna, Italy? You mean like baloney? From the Oscar Meyer weiner song?"
When I first told people that I would be studying abroad in Bologna, this was the response I got. And while I can lament the improper pronunciation, their assumptions about baloney are actually correct. "Mortadella," as it's called in Italian, was invented in Bologna, along with tortellini and spaghetti bolognese. In fact, Bologna is so famous for its food that one of its nicknames is La Grassa or "the fat one."
Unfortunately, my first few weeks in Bologna consisted of baloney sandwiches instead of bolognese sauce. Not only did I not know how to cook, but I couldn't even figure out how to light my own stove to boil water. Thankfully, once I managed this incredibly complicated task, I was on my way to mastering the most important component of Italian cooking: pasta.
While pasta is a main source of carbohydrates, the beauty of the plate comes from its incredible versatility. Today, I ate pasta with tomato sauce and eggplant. Yesterday, cream sauce with mushrooms. And the day before that, an egg-based sauce with zucchini.
On average, an Italian will consume around 60 pounds of pasta in a year. They accomplish this amazing feat by eating pasta at least once a day. I eat pasta for lunch and dinner and maybe a leftover snack.
Whilethis one-sided dietmay seem unnecessarily repetitive, I'm beginning to have a hard time remembering what exactly it was I ate when I was back in the States. Mrs. E's chicken fingers and cream cheese pizza from Pizza Shuttle? And yet we call Bologna La Grassa.
In fact, ever since I started cooking pasta, I've discovered the wonderful world of vegetables. I've never seen my roommates bring home frozen veggies. Daily trips to the store are common in order to buy fresh ingredients. They'll come home with anything from arugula to artichokes, all things I avoided like the plague at the grocery store simply because I couldn't cook them.
Now, vegetables have almost completely replaced the meat in my diet without me even realizing it. Americans consume about eight ounces of meat a day, roughly twice the global average. I eat meat once every two weeks here. It's been six months since I've eaten a steak.
Not only has my diet changed, but my eating patterns have also adapted to the Italian lifestyle. Breakfast consists of espresso, followed by another mid-morning espresso. Stores close around 2 p.m. for lunch, usually a two-hour ordeal, and then dinner is at 10 p.m. My roommates are dumbfounded when I tell them about eating dinner at 5 or 6 p.m. in the States. I like eating later. There is no 24-hour McDonald's or cafeteria underneath my building that's open until late, so midnight snacking isn't really an option.
In fact, eating dinner later is one of the habits I hope to bring back with me to the States. That, along with using fresh vegetables, eating smaller portions and taking time to eat my meals. Bologna may be called La Grassa, but Italianes sure do know how to eat healthy.
Myers is a junior in English, Italian and European studies from Prairie Village.
HUMOR
Jokes about stereotypes aren't really funny anymore
The jokes we tell stereotyping people oftentimes are inaccurate and aren't that humorous in the first place
In our society, being a part of a group is risky. It's risky being in a fraternity or sorority, being in the School of Engineering, even being in the Honors College. The list goes on and on.
The reason it's so risky to be in any of these groups is because once you cross that sacred threshold of acceptance, you are a target. As soon as you in some way associate yourself with any type of group, people will use it against you. It's a cruel world.
One of today's trendiest groups to make fun of is hipsters. We've all heard the jokes. From jokes about things that are too mainstream for hipsters to jokes about hipsters not showering often enough, they're a common occurrence. It was these jokes that got me thinking about stereotypes in the first place, because I'm often at the butt of these jokes.
Yes, that's right. People often call me a hipster. With all the negative connotations it carries, the word hipster can be a pretty
caustic insult. Admittedly, I prefer to wear slim-cut jeans, and I'm a sucker for flannel shirts and indie music, so I understand the correlation.
The problem is that the jokes people make about me aren't accurate. I shower daily, sometimes more than once, and I like Justin Timberlake just as much as indie folk music. I'm not a cookie-cutter hipster, but the jokes continue.
Am I asking for your sympathy? Actually, yeah, a little. But more than that, I'm asking for your understanding. Some people think that their stereotype jokes about frat bros, engineers and hipsters are hilarious and original. In fact, ex-
funny, because people laugh at them. I can't help but hope that we're smarter than that.
Members of fraternities are "bros." In fact, as soon as you pledge to a fraternity, you go out to buy pastel colored shorts, polo shirts and Sperry Top-Siders. Members of the School of Engineering are full of themselves. They think that their apparent job security gives them the right to insult other majors in The Free For All. Members of the Honors College are dweeps. They may have excellent IQs, but that won't do them much good since they're completely lacking in social skills.
As I've just shown, stereotypes are easy. Anyone can take an extreme example from a certain group and portrait it as the average. All fraternity members wear pastel colored shorts and pole shirts on a daily basis. Or do they?
Everyday, we see a few of them wearing stereotypical frat gear and let those few represent the rest. One or two engineering students post insults about liberal arts majors in the FFA and suddenly all engineers are conceived. As for students in the Honors College, well, those stereotypes are all true. Except for most of them.
Have you ever caught yourself thinking "Man, I really hope this
guy tells the joke about all the frat guys in the salmon-colored shorts again?" Probably not, because that joke wasn't very funny the first 100 times you heard it, and there are probably only 10 guys on the KU campus who own salmon-colored shorts.
Lovell is a sophomore in creative writing from Overland Park.
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