Y MARCH 11, 2009
4A = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
TUESDAY,MARCH 11,2003
EDITORIAL BOARD
'Under God should stay in pledge
Senate passed a resolution 99-0 in support of the Pledge of Allegiance in the wake of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' decision to prohibit the recitation of the Pledge in nine western states. The Court decided that the phrase "One nation, under God" represented a government endorsement of religion. The decision can be solidly based on a certain interpretation of the Constitution (so could prohibition for awhile).
But this is a case of political correctness gone haywire. If you don't want to say "under God," just don't say it. It is not necessary to have the pledge banned.
Michael Newdow, a California atheist with a daughter in public school, objected to the words "under God," according to the official ruling. He said the phrase coerced his young daughter and violated the First Amendment.
News Flash: The United States Senate is in almost total agreement on something.
He is right to some degree. The first phrase of the amendment reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." But the very next phrase is "or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Well, inasmuch as the Court has stuck to the first, it has denied the second. School children in the nine states will be barred from saying the pledge altogether unless the Supreme Court sees it fit to overturn the ruling.
This is not a matter for the courts. The indignation of one man has led to the banishment of an American tradition for almost 10 million school children. This violates the principles of democracy. Newdow should simply have instructed his daughter to omit the words "under God." If this singles her out, she'll have to learn to accept it. The high Court isn't designed to protect the feelings of a schoolgirl.
What's more, the words "under God" fall far from the "establishment of religion." Quite the contrary. The phrase, "under God," means a thousand things to a million different people. It certainly does not bring to mind the narrow, limited case of a state religion.
If you don't like saying "under God," don't say it.
First Amendment litigation is getting out of hand. Because we hold the amendment in the highest regard in its present form, the only possible remedy is using common sense. In the future, we need to take more time for consideration before bringing things like the Pledge of Allegiance under legal attack. We need to admit that the outrage of one is not a solid basis for massive, sociopolitical changes.
Matt Pirott for the editorial board
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MOORE'S VIEW
Chris Moore for The University Daily Kansan
Newsroom needs diversity to avoid racial insensitivity
READERS' REPRESENTATIVE
During any given semester at The University Daily Kansan, it's inevitable that mistakes will slip into the paper. But within the month of February, two mistakes were particularly damning because they were culturally insensitive.
READERS' REPRESENTATIVE
Leah Shaffer
readersrep@hansan.com
The first one involved a Feb. 6 Tongue in Beak article that played up the cultural stereotype that Asians eat dog. The second mistake involved a Feb. 25 Black History Month blurb that highlighted what had occurred in Black History during that day. The Kansan had been running the blurb every day that month, and it usually included short biographical information of whoever the blurb featured. On that particular day, the section highlighted information about Mike Tyson winning his first heavyweight title and R. Kelly receiving a Grammy. Unfortunately, this blurb also included biographical information on Tyson's rape conviction and mentioned allegations that R. Kelly was involved in statutory rape. This information should not have been included in a box that was supposed to highlight positive aspects of Black History.
How did this and the Tongue in Beak article slip into the paper? The quick answer is that both pieces got into the paper, not because of bad intentions, but because of insensitive mistakes. Henry C. Jackson, the reporter who had been writing the daily Black History blurs, who is also white, said the Tyson and R.
It's understandable that reporters can make mistakes, especially when they're stressed out and still learning. The problem is that these mistakes slipped past every editor who proofed those pages. The Kansan cannot afford to roll around in a daze of obliviousness when it comes to culturally and racially insensitive remarks. When that gets into the paper, it only heightens the sense of isolation that minorities might feel on a predominantly white campus.
Kelly facts were included because he had wanted to put more recent events in it. It did not occur to him until later that biographical information should not have been included because it was not a positive aspect of Black History.
At the heart of the problem is that every semester, the Kansan gets a batch of editors who will likely make new mistakes. The other part of the problem is that there are few, if any, minorities on Kansan staff who would be more likely to catch something insensitive before it makes it into the paper.
First, the staff needs more diversity training. Justin Henning, managing editor for the Kansan, said reporters and editors had been going through diversity training since 2001. This training lasts about two hours and takes place at the beginning of the semester at the Multicultural Resource Center. This is a good start, but classroom training should happen throughout the semester. This training should teach new editors and reporters to spot subtle, cultural, ethnic or racial stereotypes that can creep into writing.
Simply apologizing every time something slips in is not the solution to these problems. Instead, two main things need to happen.
The second part of the solution is something that all newsrooms struggle with. Newsrooms need more minorities. You don't have to be a journalism major to participate at the Kansan. Past campus editors have not been journalism majors, as have correspondents, columnists and designers. Anyone can apply for positions. If the Kansan can get more minorities in those positions, it will be better off.
Mistakes will always slip through; it's simply human nature. But with more training and more participation from minorities, those types of mistakes will happen less frequently.
Shaffer is a Hays senior in journalism and environmental studies.
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You know, sex is kind of an intimate thing if you think about it.
This is to the nihilists out there:
Sometimes war is not the answer.
Saddam is obviously hiding nuclear weapons, and frankly, I don't want to get nuked because he got pissed off that we attacked him.
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The ever more sophisticated weapons piling up in the arsenals of the wealthiest and the mightiest can kill the illiterate, the ill, the poor and the hungry, but they cannot kill ignorance, illness, poverty or hunger.
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I'm 20 years old and I watch the Disney Channel every day.
Time to wake up, people. America is a rogue nation known to be stockpiling chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. America has repeatedly broken international treaties and defied the United Nations in world court. Our so-called president, the son of a previous ruler, was not elected but thrust into power in a bloodless coup. In reality he's a mere figurehead cut off from the people and controlled by extremist factions of the right — or should I say reich — wing.
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This is the second time I've seen Lord Wad for president. I just wanted to pledge my allegiance to Lord Wad.
Increased tuition enhances education
According to a recent article in The University Daily Kansas, "Many students may not realize that the last tuition increase was not a one-time event."
That surprised me, because there was so much public discussion last year and into the fall about the tuition increase proposal, both how the money would be used and the fact that this was an ongoing effort.
GUEST COMMENTARY
At the request of the Board of Regents, the University proposed a five-year plan that would raise resident undergraduate tuition to the average of all public Big 12 universities. The Board approved this plan last year, but the actual increases are decided on a year-to-year basis. The five-year plan calls for an tuition increase of $16.50 per credit hour — the same as in 2002-03 — and a base increase tied to the Higher Education Price Index.
Robert Hemenway opinion@kansan.com
All of the Regents universities are involved in this process. We had our first opportunity to discuss our tuition proposals at the Feb. 20 Board meeting. There will be additional discussion at other meetings this spring. The Board will vote on the changes in June. Once that happens, we'll communicate the information to all students.
Our tuition strategy is not a direct result of the state's recent budget cuts. We do not intend to replace budget cuts with tuition dollars. As we did this year, the bulk of the new tuition revenue is targeted at enhancing academic programs and student life at the University. We believe that if students pay more, they should get more.
As we did this year, 20 percent of the projected new tuition revenue will be used for KU Tuition Grants, essentially not harming the neediest KU students. This year, nearly 4,000 students received KU tuition grants, which total $2.2 million. The outcome of this concern for cost and access? The University had its largest enrollment increase in 16 years.
At Lawrence, the tuition increase funded $8.7 million worth of technology
improvements, graduate teaching assistant salary increases, higher student hourly wages, classroom improvements, library support, new faculty startups, support for schools and departments, and other benefits to students. At the Medical Center, the figure was $1.1 million for a similar list. We plan similar outcomes with the new funding, in keeping with a plan developed last year by students and faculty.
Even at the end of this five-year plan, the University will remain modestly priced compared with other Big 12 universities and peer universities nationwide. For this strategy to work, the University needs a four-way partnership of faculty, students, donors and state government.
Faculty compete and win research grants — $245 million worth last year. Students are doing their part, through a tuition increase of about $600 per year Donors are also doing their part; through KU First Invest in Excellence, which has raised $404 million so far for a variety of projects. Recent reverses in the stock markets have reduced the amount of private funding the KU Endowment Association can provide, but its commitment to supporting the University and our students is undiminished.
The other partner is the Legislature and the Governor. They must try to do
their part, too. It's ironic that faculty, students and donors have increased their support for KU while state funding has declined significantly.
That Kansan article concluded with a student saying. "Well at least now I know (a tuition increase is) coming and can start preparing for it." That preparation should include taking full advantage of student financial aid programs, including any tax credits and savings programs that apply to your situation. Friday, I testified at a U.S. Department of Education hearing on ways to improve these programs. I spoke from personal experience, because I know how Pell Grants, Stafford Loans and other forms of financial aid spell access to higher education for many students.
I say it to donors all the time and I'll say it to our students as well: Thank you, Jayhawks, for your investment in KU. The increased tuition you pay enhances the University and enhances your own education. It also underscores the growing need for this state to once again become a full partner in the funding of its universities.
Homeway is chancellor of the University of Kansas.
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