4A • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
FRIDAY, JAN. 18, 2002
TALKTOUS
Leita Walker editor
864-4854 or lwailer@kansan.com
Jay Krall
Kyle Ramsey managing editors
864-4854 or jkrall@kansan.com and kramsey@kansan.com
Theresa Freed
Theresa Freed
convergence manager
864-4854 or treed@kanan.com
Kursten Phelps
Brooke Hesler
opinion editors
864-4810 or kphelps@kansan.com and
bhesler@kansan.com
Clay McCusition readers' representative 864-4810 or cmccuccion@kansan.com
Amber Agee business manager 864-4014 or addirector@kansan.com
Kate Mariani
retail sales manager
864-4462 or retailsales@kansan.com
Malcolm Gibson
general manager and news adviser
864-7667 or mgibson@kansan.com
Matt Fisher
sales and marketing adviser
864-7666 or mfisher@kansan.com
EDITORIAL Monday events should educate, not preach
Lawrence will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday with several activities honoring the civil rights leader's life and work. Some activities are presented in conjunction with the holiday by the Ecumenical Fellowship, a local religious council. These events include an educational program and a gospel musical. The Douglas County Commission voted to give $1,250 to help pay for the fellowship's activities this year.
Some members of the Lawrence County Commission were rightfully concerned that providing funds for these activities would not be in the best interest of the community.
Last year, events at the Lied Center included a speaker who advocated that evolution not be taught in school and that the Ten Commandments be posted in all courtrooms. Other speakers led the crowd in faith-specific prayers.
Because this event received public money, the activities planned should have been representative of the intent of the holiday. They should have focused on the civil rights aspects of King's work and not on religious issues.
Public money should not go toward events that have strong religious undertones. King was an inspirational leader for people of all faiths, and to concentrate on his role as a Christian reverend would do a disservice to the entire community.
Commissioner Jere McElhaney voted against the funding plan in a 2-1 vote during Monday's meeting of the county commission. He said he did not think that public funds should be allocated to this type of celebration because any similar public event would then expect money as well.
"We have to draw the line somewhere." McElhaney said, "especially with the current financial situation across the state."
He said his family participated in the events and donated to them privately, but he thought that public money should be put to other uses.
"It's a fantastic celebration, and I encourage people to attend, but when it comes to public financing, we can't say yes to every group wanting money," McEhlaney said.
The speakers at these events may not intend to make people uncomfortable, but the content might seem overly religious or political to non-Christians. Events should inform and educate about King and his life's work and goals.
He was a Christian minister and often mixed his messages of equality and civil rights with religious sermons. Arguably, the two are interconnected, but this holiday ought to be about King's contribution to society. These events should be of a comfortable nature to everyone regardless of their faith or political views.
Using public funds to support activities commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. Day is acceptable as long as the events are geared toward King and civil rights. The holiday should not be used as an excuse to preach religious ideals and political views.
Sara Zatar for the editorial board.
WES BENSON/KANSAN
PERSPECTIVE
Opinion page brings back old favorites with a new twist
Sometimes, you just get annoyed in life. And sometimes you get mad.
Like when your tuition is going to increase. Or when you're nearing graduation and can't find a job.
Or even simple things like missing the bus, getting a parking ticket or ending up having to take an 8 a.m. class on Fridays.
Oh, the life of a college student. It's fun, it's wonderful, but let's face it, sometimes it sucks.
You complain or brag to your friends, significant others and roommates about what's going on in your life. You should consider expressing yourself in the University Daily Kansan as well.
Right here on page 4A of the Kansan, your peers will be speaking their minds every day in columns, editorials, cartoons and, yes, your old friend the Free for All. Don't let your friends and enemies have all the fun. We want to hear from you, but not just in the Free for All.
We want your letters and guest columns because people tend to take opinions more seriously if someone is willing to attach their name to their thoughts. So when you're ticked off by the administration, the Kansan, "the
COMMENTARY
Kursten Phelps
kphelps@kansan.com
man" or anything else, let us know.
When you love or hate something in the paper, let us know.
The Free for All is filled every day with such profound observations as, "I forgot what I was going to say, oh wait ... no, I forgot," "Has anyone ever tried to cook a giraffe?" and "Sometimes I feel like a nut. Sometimes I'm drunk." You'll see more stunning thoughts like those this semester. But we also hope that by cutting back on the number of comments printed in the paper, we'll get more remarks that actually say something.
On the opinion page this spring you'll also see a few features from years past. You'll a see a Kansan report card that passes and fails news items from the Hill, Lawrence and around the world. Each week the page will also feature "By the Numbers," a quick
100k at some interesting statistics. One day a week, you'll be able to read two editorials that argue opposing sides of an issue that matters to readers.
The goals for the opinion page are many, but the most important is to reflect the entire student body with our diverse staff members and including as much reader feedback as possible. We hope that the columns, editorsials and other features will provoke readers to agree or disagree with the writers. We hope our page can make you laugh, but more importantly, we hope it makes you thin<sup>b</sup>
Countless things happen every day at KU and elsewhere to stir anger, relief or joy in all of us. The Kansan opinion staff is striving to tap into those issues and reflect what students think. But we can always use your help. Take a minute to write a letter or guest column to vent on all those opinions brewing inside, and send it to opinion@kansan.com or the Kansan newsroom in 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall.
After all, sometimes a 20-second Free for All message just can't quite say all that needs to be said.
Phelps is a senior in journalism, Spanish and Latin American studies from Manhattan.
864-0500 free for
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to
speak about any topic they wish. Not all of them will be published. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded.
For more comments, go to www.kansan.com.
If my bike tire wraps flat one more time, I'm going to tell Eric Cenowith and King Kong that there is no bathtub club. Yeah, decode that one, you jerks.
圆
I'm baaaack.
nere's a tip, parents: go home. Your kids are all grown up, and while you're at it, quit taking all the decent parking spots.
So I just saw that kid from Malcom in the Middle on a new Doritos commercial and I've got two words for you: Fred Savage
Now it's 3:09 a.m. in Naismith Hall, and I've just witnessed a student be attacked by a carrot.
fun it would be for him to come along. I invited him to join me, but he told me he couldn't because he had a project due the next day that he had not even begun.
Open the window, Richard.
Peanut butter and jelly in the same jar.
Can life get better? I submit that it cannot.
I'm so sick of celebrities crying. "My mom and dad hit me when I was young." You know what, my mom and dad beat the crap out of me when I was a little kid, and I'm a better person for it now.
I would just like to make it clear that the Muslim holidays of Ramadan and Eid do not normally fall in December, they follow along with the lunar calendar, so some years it might be in December and sometimes it might be in June.
I hereby doubt the female orgasm Waldo, because it's so damn impossible to locate.
SUBMITTING LETTERS AND GUEST COLUMNS
The Kansan welcomes letters to the editors and guest columns submitted by readers. The Kansan will attempt to run as many submissions as possible that conform to the guidelines below.
GUEST COLUMN GUIDELINES
**Maximum Length:**
650 word limit
**Include:**
Author's name
Class, hometown (student)
Position (faculty member)
**Also:**
Columnists must come to 111 Stauffer-Flint to get their pictures taken
LETTER GUIDELINES
**Maximum Length:**
200 word limit
**Include:**
Author's name
Author's telephone number
Class, home town (student)
Position (faculty member)
SUBMITTO
E-mail:
opinion@
kansan.com
Hard copy:
Kansan newsroom
111 Stauffer-Flint
PERSPECTIVE
Start new this semester, but not just with school
Always find myself enjoying the first few days of a new semester. College is a time, unlike the rest of our lives, when we have a chance to start over again every few months.
COMMENTARY
This starting over can allow us to continue the success of past semesters with fresh outlooks and new faces. If a past semester was a failure, we can easily have a renewed sense of hope.
Part of this hope comes in the promises we make to ourselves about how we are going to change our academic habits. One would imagine these resolutions would center on studying more, joining some clubs or some other academic endeavor.
James Manning opinion@kansan.com
Instead, I encourage everyone to do something more practical — and that something is to do something.
Soon most of us will be entering the work force. As professionals we likely will have fewer liberties.
Maybe I should be more clear.
My epiphany concerning free life and procrastination came when I mentioned to a friend that I was going to attend a concert. He mentioned how
We will have less opportunities to let ourselves go. Life will be less kind to us when we procrastinate.
Although I felt sorry for him, at that moment I was mostly thankful that I had learned the art of killing procrastination.
Let's face it — most of us have skipped *fun* activity because of procrastination. And the next day we almost always wish we would have just gone to that activity.
Long ago, in my dark days as a procrastinator, I would always act out a similar scenario. The night before a project was due, I would have to get it done.
I start off working on it just fine, but then I decide I'm hungry and grab a carton of ice cream. While I'm working on the ice cream, I soon realize Will &
Grace is on and begin to watch television, promising myself I'll get back to work after the show.
Just watching Will & Grace soon turns into just watching Will & Grace, Just Shoot Me and ER.
After I've had enough television, I decide I need to check my e-mail in case I got anything important. After reading three forwards and an advertisement for a credit card, I return to my project. I work again for about 10 minutes before getting a call from my friend. I tell him how tired I am from doing homework all night, and we continue to talk for an hour.
I also listen to my peers talk about
After that I am too tired to finish my work, so I get ready for bed. After getting under the covers I am no longer tired and notice a new copy of Entertainment Weekly. About 30 minutes later, I turn out the lights and lie in bed thinking about what I am going to do about my project.
The next morning I get up early in a mad scramble to finish the work. I eventually turn in the project, feeling a little embarrassed about the low quality and a little perturbed about not going to an activity the night before because I really didn't get anything done anyway.
how they put five hours into their papers, knowing full well most of them just procrastinated like I did.
Yes, most of us have been there, and it is hell.
The simple solution to the seemingly ceaseless problem of procrastination isn't preposterous, though. It's simple: Just end it.
Ending procrastination is easier said than done, but it’s still a simple task.
One way to work toward the elimination of procrastination is to write in your planner or on your assignment sheet a due date that is earlier than the actual due date for the assignment.
Another small step in ending procrastination is scheduling a time in your day when you exclusively approach homework. Make a daily library trip become a bonus class you like so much you never skip.
Soon, doing your work on time will become a habit, not a rarity, and you will again be able to enjoy life to its fullest.
So go out there and do something — go to a movie, a concert or a play; drink a beer with your buds, or work on an assignment that is due next week. Just don't put it off any longer.
Manning is a graduate student in communication studies from Liberal.
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