4A = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
THURSDAY,APRIL 11,2002
EDITORIAL
Use your vote wisely to elect next governor
Kansas is not a state that frequents positive press or positive public relations. First, we had the evolution issue, where some school boards did not want evolution taught in the curriculum, which made us look backward and uneducated.
Then came the plagiarism issue with the school board that did not support the teacher's decision. That was embarrassing. Now the Legislature passed a bill allowing "pro-life" license plates.
What could make Kansas receive even worse publicity? Tim Shallenburger being elected as governor could.
Shallenburger, one of the gubernatorial candidates running in the Republican primary in August, does not have a four-year degree from a university. According to Steve Roses' March 29 column, "Final Four, Bottom Four?" in the Johnson County Sun, his degree is from Coffeyville Community College. Prior to attending Coffeyville Community College, he attended Pittsburgh State University. If education has not been important in Shallenburger's life so far, he is not going to make it a high priority if he is elected governor.
Three Republicans are running in the Republican primary on Aug. 6 — Attorney General Carla Stovall, the moderates' choice; State Treasurer Tim Shallenburger, the conservatives' choice; and Bob Knight, mayor of Wichita. The only Democrat running in the primary is Kathleen Sebelius, Kansas Insurance Commissioner.
With such a largely Republican state, the Republican Party has become quite fractured, which is why there are three candidates running for the Republican nomination. If Shallen-burger wins the nomination, it will be an embarrassment to all Republicans and to the state of Kansas.
Shallenburger has proved to be a successful campaigner, and is a good example for professional advancement with only a two-year degree. He has been state treasurer, and speaker of the House of Representatives. On the other hand, the media will exploit the fact that Kansas has a governor without a four-year degree.
Shallenburger has continuously criticized the House Appropriations Committee for not cutting the budget correctly to fix the deficit. However, when invited to the committee, members of the committee asked him where to cut the budget, and he offered no specific answers or solutions.
budget, and he will be required to According to the Department of Administration, Shallenburger gave several of his staffers beyond significant raises, while claiming to be a "fiscal conservative." Maybe he should cut down on the raises instead of cutting down on education.
Shallenburger has been quoted to say, "I never support taxes," according to the Emporia Gazette's article "Candidate for Downsized Government," on March 27. He is also one of the forces behind "cutting" our way out of Kansas' over $700 million debt, including cutting education. Maybe Tim Shallenburger should take a trip to the University of Kansas and see what education is all about. Republican or Democrat, there are higher educated and more qualified candidates to represent the state of Kansas as governor. In the primary on Aug. 6, do not vote for Tim Shallenburger. There are better alternatives.
Molly Mueller for the editorial board
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Whoever said that the commercial for washing your hands on KJHK is the most annoying voice ever, they have obviously not heard the guy who does sports on Thursday mornings.
Student Senate's a joke, a big, fetjokes.
I just wanted to say that Cassio Furtado has a problem differentiating between U.S. service men and Palestinian terrorists. Perhaps he should put down the doughnuts and pick up a history book.
To the person that knows all the information about MacGuyver, you are a big loser. You have too much time on your hands. Give a life.
I find it very interesting that KUNITED is being slammed for being the "greek coalition," and I can only assume that's because of the stereotype between Greeks and alcohol, but isn't it Delta Force and Vision that want a pub placed in the Kansas Union? A little food for thought there.
Why should you die to go to heaven? The earth is already in space.
The past few months I've heard of fundamentalist Arabs crashing planes into buildings, Catholic priests molesting kids and Israelis and Palestinians fighting over a piece of holy land. So listen up, religion does nothing but divide.
I like boobs.
I've said it before. I'll say it again: My roommate has men boobs.
Everybody needs to learn how to use a stop sign correctly.
TALK TO US
Leita Walker
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KNIGHT RIDDER TRIBUNE
'Kansan'report card
Pass:
Voting. Student Senate spends our hard-earned dollars. It's about time we started to care who we're electing. If you didn't vote in the Senate elections yesterday, do it today.
Kansas Cagerz. They drafted our beloved Jeff Boschee, and God knows that's the only thing about which people on this campus care
Kansas baseball. With big wins over ranked Texas and Wichita State, the Jayhawks are showing promise on the field. Keep up the good work, because we'll need something to obsess about after Drew Gooden makes up his mind.
Fail:
Voter harassment. When do you see student senators the most? Oh yeah, the days before the election in front of Wescoe Hall. If candidates want students to care, accosting them on their way to classes isn't the way to do it.
■ Election commissioner at Delta Force party. David Mitchell didn't break any laws. Maybe he's still unbiased. But if you're looking for credibility don't do something dumb like show up at a coalition party
KU Med Center pink slips. As many as 90 people may lose their jobs because of anticipated budget cuts. Let's give the state of Kansas one more round of applause for fiscal stupidity.
PERSPECTIVE
Demand to get your money's worth; complain about poor instructors
COMMENTARY
I hope there are few students reading this column who have had the kind of experience I have had. I had a poor instructor. My experiences with instructors at the University of Kansas have been extremely positive for the most part, but I suppose there exists at every university a few graduate teaching assistants or professors who are downright awful. I expect more for my money.
Audrey Snyder
opinion@kansan.com
I took a 100-level course to fulfill a general requirement. Initially, I had high hopes for the class. The subject was interesting to me, and I thought class discussion should at least be entertaining. I wasn't at all prepared for an instructor with poor teaching skills who wouldn't discuss grading, did not encourage visits during office hours and actually discouraged class discussion.
I complained to my friends. I complained to my parents. I contemplated skipping class on more than one occasion. Finally, I decided to take action. I went to the head of the department.
The department chair was genuinely interested to visit with me. I explained my visit, clarified that I was not in the chair's office to complain about a grade but to make the chair aware of the situation. When I mentioned the instructor's name, I was told that yes, there had been complaints before. The instructor I had was "not
I have been told that the instructor evaluation surveys passed around at the end of each semester are taken very seriously by instructors and their departments. It is important to fill out these evaluations completely and accurately. It is not always enough to wait until the end of the semester to voice complaints. Obviously, these evaluations are not always regarded as seriously as they should be; otherwise, there would be at least one instructor no longer teaching at this University.
one of the best in the department." I was treated politely, advised on how to interact with my instructor to improve my chances for achieving the grade I needed and encouraged to update the chair on the situation. What I was not told was why an instructor who had received poor reviews from other students was still teaching.
tain product; your education. As a consumer, you have the right to request the best product for your money. Most likely, you would complain if your drive-thru lunch was not what you had ordered or if it was of poor quality. I certainly hope your education is more important than fast food. It is important to speak up when you do not receive your money's worth.
As a student, you are the consumer of a cer-
Make sure your complaint is valid before you speak with a department head or other authorities in the University. Don't cry wolf; take responsibility for your own actions. Do all you can to get along with a bad instructor, and don't skip class because you will only make the situation worse on yourself.
Be polite. Customer service usually reacts better toward polite, honest criticism from customers. It's a fair bet that department heads and other authorities at this University do, too.
Your education is one of the most important objectives in your life right now. A good college education has numerous benefits. You or your parents pay for your education, whether directly through tuition or indirectly through taxation. If you do encounter a bad instructor, speak up. It is your right as a consumer.
Snyder is a Shawnee junior in political science.
PERSPECTIVE
Dude, refresh your daily vocabulary
I never fails to amaze me that as I walk on campus from all of the wacky grammar and sayings I hear getting tossed about. The word "dude" can be used by college students as any part of speech if in a bind or short on words.
There are even sayings that have lost their flair. The ones that no longer make the listener's eyes get all big and then they ask you to repeat what you just said because it was so cool. This is why I have compiled the following list of phrase and word substitutions to make your verbal day an怒 of articulated wonders.
Just imagine the help it could give you on Western Civ essays. (John Locke was a dude who thought that other dudes were self-determining dudes...)
"Dude!" (see example above) can be replaced with, "Hello there, it's been all too long since we got together and talked over a couple of beers."
COMMENTARY
Of course there are other things that come up in casual conversations. "The football team sucks" can be replaced with "I find the sub-par handling of the pigskin frustrating and embarrassing to my academic goals at this fine University."
Justin Henning opinion@kansan.com
Can't you feel your popularity rising with every sentence?
What about those Monday morning classes when someone asks you what you did over the weekend. Instead of, "I got so drunk," say, "Friday I ingested an inappropriate amount of alcohol, which resulted in the loss of my Saturday afternoon, as I was hung over."
You may be asking yourself, "What if I don't drink or follow the football team? How can I electrify my conversational sentence structure?"
Think about what you like to do. Let's say that you enjoy doing homework. If someone
asks how you spent your weekend, don't just say you spent it at home writing that English paper. Instead, tell them you "were the self-appointed construction manager of a colossal grammar project." They might think you're an engineer, but what's wrong with that?
Now, dialogue and catch-phrases cannot be discussed without mentioning the art of flirting.
It is important to conceal the underlying message of "I think you're hot" when talking to someone you like. So pad these words, by instead saying, "I think we have a lot in common." There is also, "I love you," which is hard to say unless in a committed relationship. Instead, try using, "When I am with you, I enjoy life more and the overall experience of dating people."
So now you are ready for a new start to that possibly blond conversation. Just remember, if you ever find yourself at a loss for words, remain calm and say the first thing that comes to mind: "I love you."
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Henning is a Leawood junior in journalism.
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