FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2012
PAGE 5
opinion
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Geology 101 a class you pay a lot or money for, just to spend hours talking about rocks. Exciting.
I'm from Wisconsin. This whole no-coat-in-January thing is even stranger to me.
I keep getting excited when my teacher says cleavage. Then I remember that I am in geology class.
The look on peoples faces when they realize the Daisy Hill bus is full...
: Priceless.
Everyone complains about frat packs...I'm more concerned about frat herds. #Budigisout
The only people cooler than Hashinger's Van Helsing kid are Templin's dueling Jedis...
I can't decide if I'm gaining weight or shrinking my clothes in the衣裙.
My name may not be Luna, but I sure know how to Lovegood.
Beating Missouri makes it ok to cheer for Oklahoma State.
You published two FFAs by one person yesterday. He talked about it all day. Editor's note: Guys, it's not classy to annoy people by telling them how many FFA's you've had in one day.
Don't whine about Fraser and Summerfield's elevators if you're too lazy to take the stairs.
Does anyone know where I can find my dignity? I seem to have misplaced it.
Dear architectural engineers, it's not our fault you chose the wrong major. Love, Liberal Arts students
To the hot guy in my lab who said he's going to need to "count on me" this semester...yes. Yes. You can count on me.
Yeah, if I had basketball players in my class, I'd throw myself instead of newspaper.
I wish I could smoke a cigar on campus and not feel like a jackass.
I really need to stop going to dollar night when I have class at 9am. My professor's going to fail me solely on my appearance.
To the architectural engineer who pusted in fla yesterday, admire your dedication, I'll see you at the cave. Also, drinks are on me.
"Chick-Fil-A...I just can't quit you!"
- everyone
Yes, you did just see me frightened by and tripping over my own shadow. Go ahead, judge. You'll be next...
The FFA editor must have had a bad experience with frat guys, nothing but bad things about them get it.
Editor's note: I have nothing against frat guys, but no one ever writes anything nice about them.
Ah bloody hell, here starts the "my major is harder than your major" battle in the FFA. And it's not even the end of the second week.
I hate trying to explain to someone who doesn't go to KU how important and exciting it is to get a post in the FFA.
Gender equality not yet a reality in U.S.
SOCIETY
You got sushi in my chik-fil-a you got chik-fil-a in my sushi #othertableproblems
I am a feminist, but that doesn't mean I've burned all my bras or I hate men (ask my boyfriend.) It doesn't mean I believe we were all birthed from Mother Earth and somehow females are imminently superior to males. It doesn't even mean I think we, as men and women, inherently the same.
Like any life philosophy, there are a hundred and one versions of feminism. In my mind, it's pretty simple. Men and women are different. We experience society, culture and even heart attacks in different ways. Whether you believe in the science that says we think or feel differently, we are biologically dissimilar.
But as people, we're equal. We deserve the same rights and the same opportunities. In this country, we've made enormous steps toward making that a reality beginning back in 1920. Here, unlike many countries, women have the right to vote.
Women can run for office. They can, and do, pursue higher education. They run businesses, raise families and have legal rights to properties and children. In too many parts of the world, women are undervalued, disregarded, or abused. Women are ornaments, property, victims or wards. They are aborted, beaten, enslaved, or oppressed. They often suffer the brunt of war, of tyranny, of violence.
It's easy to look at the U.S. and give ourselves a big pat on the back for having recognized women deserve better.And our accomplishments should be applauded and modeled.
But we must recognize our nation is not the end-all and be-all when it comes to women's issues. As times progresses, issues become about more than suffrage or violence. They incorporate unpaid labor, discrimination in the workplace, sex
trafficking and single motherhood.
American women still earn less than American men, a lot less. Female veterans present new problems in terms of reintegration, post traumatic stress disorder, unemployment, and homelessness. In the U.S., according to the Department of Justice, 25 percent of women experience domestic violence. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 20 percent of American women have been raped at least once. In the U.S., families headed by single women
constitute a significant portion of families living in poverty. Just twelve Fortune 500 companies are run by women. The United States House of Representatives and Senate, respectively, are 16.8 percent and 17 percent women. The U.S. ranks 69th globally for percentage of women in government, tied with Turkmenistan. If you need to put this into perspec-
The problem is that issues like those listed in the previous paragraph are messy and complex. They require analysis, evaluation, and then action. They're not glamorous and they won't be easy to solve, but if the
"This is not a simple game of numbers. I'm not pushing for gender quotas in government or business because that's a superficial solution to a much problem."
there aren't equal numbers of men and women in positions of power. Male or female, any representative can advocate for a population of which he or she is not a member.
more complex problem."
U. S. is to stake a claim as a global leader in women's rights, they must be addressed.
tive, Afghanistan ranks 30th in the world.
This is not a simple game of numbers. I'm not pushing for gender quotas in government or business because that's a superficial solution to a much more complex problem. The problem isn't necessarily that
Danielle Onions is a junior in political science and women, gender and sexuality studies from Shawnee.
INTERNATIONAL
Self-determination is a tenuous idea. What happens when a certain group decide they want to break away from a mother nation? That question is being asked right now in the United Kingdom.
The nation that previously owned the 13 colonies could lose yet another part of its dominion. Scottish independence has been a cornerstone policy of the ruling party of the Scottish parliament, the Scottish National Party. But now it appears that rhetoric will give way to decisive action.
On January 10th, the Scottish Secretary announced that Scotland's parliament would discuss a proposed referendum on Scottish independence to be held in the fall of 2014. The prospect of Scottish independence raises many issues, ranging from politics to Britain's nuclear deterrent force. In the end, if the Scottish people legally vote on a properly conducted referendum to become the newest independent nation in Western Europe, they should be allowed to as a sovereign nation.
Even though the Scottish people have been in union with England since 1707, they have always seen themselves as different from the English. The English are Anglo-Saxons and the Scots lineage comes from Celtic backgrounds. Scottish voters have always felt unrepresented by English political aspirations and part of the property, not part of the leadership. While the Scottish Parliament has certain legislative power, the Parliament of the United Kingdom maintains a wide range of reserved legislative power over it.
There are several issues which make Scotland independence an illogical way forward. First and most problematic is the fact that the current British nuclear deterrent force is based in Scotland. If Scotland were to become an independent nation, it could be possible that the nuclear deterrent force of one nation would be within the territory of another sovereign nation.
Also, Scotland has a population of 5.2 million and an estimated GDP of $^{c139.7}$ billion, quite a bit lower than the GDP of $2.48$ trillion of the United Kingdom. Why would Scotland willingly break away from that sort of economic power? Scotland would also lose many of the welfare benefits of being part of the United Kingdom. Most importantly, they would lose British funding for the NHS Scotland, which is a branch of the greater National Health Services system.
However, if the Scottish people feel that despite all of the reasons against independence, that they have the right to decide in a referendum, the future of their nation, they should do so. I understand that this would take away British territory and any loss of GDP is bad for a nation's economy. However, if it is the will of the nation's people, they should be allowed to determine their national destiny through the peaceful voting process. We can all agree that this is a much better means to an end than violent rebellion. Democracies that champion the power of the vote, have laid the seeds of this self-determination process.
Unlike attempted independence in places like South Sudan, there will be no bloodshed in the Highlands even though currently it is a political mess. For one, the Scottish parliament doesn't have the power to hold such a referendum, because a temporary transfer of power from the British government is required. Furthermore, only about 30 percent of Scottish voters want independence from the United Kingdom.
There are several logical reasons why Scotland shouldn't seek independence; they would knowingly cripple the banking power and economic growth they currently experience as part of the United Kingdom. They'd also cripple themselves militarily, losing their current nuclear deterrent.
Whether in the end, Scotland has full independence, greater autonomy or neither, what is certainly clear is that Scottish voters should have the right to decide their nation's future. As a separately sovereign people, they have the right to vote on the destiny of their land. In the past two years, the world has seen many government overthrows and independence movements, most of them at the cost of human life. This is a benchmark for the world on how to decide the fate of a nation through the power of the peaceful voting process.
Billy McCroy is a senior in economics from Des Moines, IA
FOOD
Adding spice to your meals
Mexican food is a universal crowd pleaser. I love making it at home because it's fairly easy and always delicious. Our Americanized version is pretty far from any dish you'd find in Mexico, but I'm not going to go out and advocate that you all attempt an authentic Mexican feast just yet.
I've incorporated my favorite part of Mexican food into all of these recipes: the spice. I add Siracha to just about anything and I've been known to eat hot peppers straight out of the jar. So it's no surprise I enjoy plenty of hot ingredients in my cooking as well.
For those of you less familiar with the different types of peppers and their spice levels, I've assembled a selective list of the more common peppers available and ranked them based on their placement in the Scoville Scale named after its creator Wilbur Scoville. This scale rates peppers from 0 to over 1,000,000 based on their capsaicin levels which is the active element that makes chilli peppers spicy;
Red, Green, and Yellow Bell Peppers: These peppers contain no heat so they are a 0 on the scale. Peppercini's and Banana Peppers: 100-900.
Anaheim and Poblano Peppers: Anaheims are long and lighter green, and Poblanos are a deep dark green almost the same size as a bell pepper; these peppers are fairly mild ranging from 1,000 to 3,000.
Red and Green Jalapeños: One of the most popular peppers used especially in Mexican food: Usually around 5,000, but it can range anywhere from 3,500 to 8,000.
Serrano Pepper. Looks like a slightly smaller, dark green jalapeno but much spicier ranging 10,000 to 25,000.
Habanero Pepper: A tiny little guy that comes in a wide variety of colors but hits at 150,000-350,000. Yum!
Naja Jolokia: Or as it's more
commonly known: Ghost Pepper. This pepper from India holds the world record for hottest pepper with its Scoville index ranking over 1,000,000. (If you come across one of these, DO NOT eat it)
A hint: the majority of the spice in a pepper is held in its seeds so if you wish to bring down the heat simply remove some or all of the seeds before preparing. Remember, always wash your hands after dealing with the insides of hot peppers, and avoid touching your eyes, nose, etc. I want you to enjoy these recipes not be injured by them. And for those of you that prefer mild flavors, you can stick to the mild varieties or just omif the peppers all together. But hope some of you take the adventurous route and try some of the hotter ones. It's not a great meal unless your mouth is on fire the whole time, right?
Gabby Pred is a junior in political science and peace and conflict studies from Kansas City.
GUACAMOLE
3-4 avocados, cut in half lengthwise around the pit, take apart, remove
1-2 tomatos, diced
1/3 of a red onion, diced
2 green jalepeno peppers, de-seeded and diced
Juice of ½ a lime
Gilantro, to taste, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Smash avocados in a large bowl, add all the other ingredients and stir until evenly blended.
CHILI TOFU MUSHROOM TACOS
1 package milt cord
small corn or flour soft tortillas
1 package button mushrooms
2 small red peppers, diced
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
(You can use a pre-made seasoning
or any spice mix of your choosing.
I like to use a combination of chili,
cayenne, cumin, and garlic pow-
der.)
Crumble tofu and chop mushrooms. Saute together in a pan with olive oil over medium-high heat with the seasoning and a few dashes of hot sauce. Serve in tortillas with cabbage, scallions, sour cream and cheese.
3 tablespoons olive oil
Hot sauce, to taste
Shredded cabbage
Scallions, chopped
Sour Cream
Shredded cheese
SALSA VERDE
1/2 of an onion (red or yellow)
3-6 green peppers, depending on size and pungency (I like to use both Anaheim and Serrano in this salsa)
4 tomatilos (They look like green tomatoes with husks on the outside.)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
cilantro, to taste
salt, to taste
For a fresher, raw approach you could simply chop all these ingredients finely and put in a bowl but I like to put the peppers, tomatillos, and onions on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil, and roast in the oven at 400 degrees until you see them starting to get slightly brown crispy spots, this makes for a much more flavorful salsa. Then I take my roasted ingredients, garlic, and cilantro and blend in a food processor or blender until smooth, then add salt.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
I can't help but say that I was slightly disgusted with Jacob Moffitt's article about Tim Tebow. I too, have been irritated and overwhelmed with all the hype surrounding Tim, but realistically, how does his agenda differ from any other celebrity? If Lil' Wayne and Wiz Khalifa can promote drug use; Ke$ha and Pitbull can promote drunkenness; Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton can promote sexual promiscuity; and the entire cast of Jersey Shore can glorify all of the above, then how could it be so wrong that Tebow writes "John 3:16" on his eye blacks?
Now, I'm not hating on these
celebrities because they usually play a part in my Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in some way or another. But which one of those people do you think I'd want my little sister looking up to? For once, somebody isn't standing on a street corner shouting, "God hates fags," or picketing the funeral of a fallen soldier "in the name of Christianity."
No, instead, Tebow simply bows on his knees before and after each game thanking God for his phenomenal talent. How is his "Tebowing" different from every other player that performs a ritualistic, and sometimes ridiculous, touchdown dance after scoring? It's freedom of expression. man, even though it's considered "religious".
The media has built him up on such a high pedestal that we're all watching his every move waiting for him to slip up and "let you down." That's not fair.
I really hope I'm not perceived as a Bible-beating, God-fearing, right-wing fanatic because I'm not. I'm just another guy who would promote and defend something if I believed it would have a positive effect on somebody else.
Chad Huston is a senior in journalism from Tulsa, OK.
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