4A = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
TUESDAY,FEBRUARY 25,2003
TALKTOUS
Kristi Henderson
editor
editor
864-4854 or khanderson@kansan.com
Jenna Goeffert and Justin Hennings
managing editors
864-4854 or jgoeffert@kansan.com and
jhennings@kansan.com
Amanda Sears and Lindsay Hanson
editions author
R44.49428 www.namesuisse.com
Leah Shaffer
readers' representative
864-4810 or lshaffer@kansan.com
Eric Kelting
business manager
864-4358 or adsaes.kansan.com
Sarah Jantz
retail sales manager
864-4358 or adsales@kansan.com
Malcolm Gibson
Malcolm Gibson
general manager and news adviser
864.7567.or.mgibson@kansan.com
Matt Fisher
sales and marketing adviser
884-7686 or mflisher@kansan.com
EDITORIAL BOARD
Needed: funds for theater's 'Stage' project
The artistic director of theatre at the University of Kansas, John Staniunas, has presented a challenge to all theater and film students and plans to offer the same challenge to KU alumni, faculty staff and community.
Stanianas' challenge to students was in the form of an e-mail, which asked them to donate $6.32 each to raise funds for a third theater.
Members of the theater and film department have set a goal to raise $50,000 with the campaign, "Stage Too!"
Anyone who has enjoyed a performance at one of KU's theaters should assist with this goal.
Staniunas said the project had gone well, but he doesn't have an estimate on the amount of donations since the e-mail.
All responses have been positive. Staniumas said he had the support of students. He hopes by Sept. 1 the department will be able to purchase new bleachers for the theater.
The new theater is important to the theater and film department because it needs a space large enough to hold 300 to 500 people, a capacity larger than either of the current theaters.
The University has been helpful throughout the ongoing campaign. Staniunas said fundraising money for their own theater was a way for the department to show appreciation to KU for its support.
But money is scarce and donations may be the only way a new theater will ever become part of KU. A new theater will give another outlet to the theater students as well as provide more productions to the KU community.
As part of this community, students, faculty and staff should give what they can to make Stage Too! a success.
Meghan Brune for the editorial board
SUBMITTING LETTERS AND GUEST COLUMNS
The Kansan welcomes letters to the editors and guest columns submitted by students, faculty and alumni.
The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length, or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Amanda Sears or Lindsay Hanson at 864-4924 or e-mail at opinion@kansan.com. If you have general questions or comments, e-mail the readers' representative at readerres@kansan.com.
GUEST COLUMN GUIDELINES
**Maximum Length:**
650 word limit
**Include:**
Author's name
Class, hometown (student)
Position (faculty member)
**Also:**
The Kansan will not print guest columns that attack another columnist.
LETTER GUIDELINES
Maximum Length:
200 word limit
Include:
Author's name
Author's telephone number
Class, hometown (student)
Position (faculty member)
SUBMITTO
E-mail: hard copy:
opinion@kansan.com Kansan newsroom
111 Staufer-Flint
RERUNS OF OUR LIVES
Neil Mulka and Emily Elmore for The University Daily Kansan
READERS' REPRESENTATIVE
To preview or not to preview Why some events get publicity
COMMENTARY
Leah Shaffer
readersrep@hansan.com
After talking to a variety of student groups throughout the semester, one common question has come up at meetings: Why doesn't The University Daily Kansan preview more student-run events?
When I was a reporter, this issue also often came up. Student group members would call the newsroom, disappointed that the Kansan would cover their event only after it had occurred.
From their perspective, it would be better for a reporter to preview an event before it happened so more people would know about it and show up. To them, it just made sense that it was the student newspaper's job to shed light on what any student group was doing ahead of time.
Burhenn also said that the Kansan is also more likely to preview events when a large percentage of the student population would be interested, meaning more than 50 people could be involved.
They also said that they had seen the Kansan preview other events before, so why not theirs?
It's a fair question to ask, and sometimes, the answers are not clear cut. But generally, deciding which events get previewed comes down to the factors of timing and newsworthiness.
Michelle Burhenn, campus editor,
said that if a group wanted to see a story
That doesn't mean that a small group event will never get previewed, but it has to have a major news angle. Groups can have their events previewed in the paper without paying for advertising. It just doesn't show up as a full article.
Those groups can submit an upcom
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about its event, the group needed to make a case for its news value. Campus editors edit all news story in the Kansan. She said if the event was more tailored to the group than the general public, it is less likely to be previewed.
ng event to be printed in the briefs section of the paper. Briefs are on the second page in smaller type, so many times it's hard to notice that they have been printed.
There is a practical reason for not writing full articles about upcoming events. Mainly, it is difficult for reporters to write interesting preview stories. A paper filled with nothing but upcoming events would lack substance.
For a group wanting a preview of a small event, sometimes it's just a matter of timing and luck.
This information shouldn't deter event organizers from coming to the newsroom with a story idea. The Kansan is open to hearing all ideas, but it is not possible to guarantee stories for every group.
If it's a slow news week, and a group member can catch up with a reporter who is looking for story ideas, that reporter will be more open to writing a preview story. There's nothing wrong with that, but it just can't happen all the time.
Shaffer is a Hays senior in journalism and environmental studies.
PERSPECTIVE
Attitude of American supremacy suffocates possibility for change
COMMENTARY
After Sept. 11, 2001, our leaders told us not to change our behaviors and values and stressed the importance of not wavering in the face of terror. The response by America was unprecedented, necessary and essential to the survival of the American spirit in those first crucial months.
Unfortunately, this attitude, when taken to extremes almost a year and a half after the attacks, prevents us from making any progress toward winning the war on terror. Change is exactly what we need right now.
Cooper Wood opinion@kansan.com
When people are so filled with fervent hatred that they are willing to sacrifice their own lives just to strike at a nation, making no strides to change those opinions and beliefs, ignores the root of the problem.
After Sept. 11, Americans of Middle-Eastern descent had to take extra measures to prove that they held the same beliefs as every other citizen. Signs proclaimed "God Bless America" in store windows and American flags waved outside of mosques.
Since then, little effort, if any, has been made to change attitudes about the United States in the eyes of the international community.
Bush was integral in diffusing backlash attacks upon Middle Easterners and Muslims. Attitudes changed and strides were made to befriend others, to understand where they came from and to come together as a nation with understanding.
And that is where the learning and changing stopped.
Since Sept. 11, American foreign policy has taken the attitude of unwavering
Recent debates among the United Nations and NATO about American foreign policy have only emphasized this policy-making machismo, as the current administration has repeatedly seemed to have its mind made up before consulting the rest of the group.
patriotism to the extreme. The United States will not waver, it will not falter and it will not fail in reminding the rest of the world that we are the only superpower, and we will do as we please.
France and Germany seem more miffed about the lack of consultation and the callous disregard for global opinion than they are staunchly against action to remove Saddam.
Ignoring the attitudes and opinions behind the opposition to a war in Iraq is just as bad as the failure of the Americans to address and attempt to change the attitudes and opinions driving the global hatred of the United States. Without an approach of understanding, violence will remain the only solution for government and terrorist alike.
People who call Bush a terrorist and people who call those who oppose the war unpatriotic pansies are part of the problem. Neither of those arguments
are true, and when that goes on, in the Free for All especially, it makes this collegiate community seem like nothing better than a bunch of name-calling 6-year-olds.
These comments are not promoting understanding or academic debate. They are insensitive putdowns that leave the discussion at the starting line.
Name-calling and finger-pointing are no substitutes for learning about different cultures, discussing what should be done with some semblance of civility and getting to the bottom of the attitudes behind these problems. There is no learning going on with these arguments today.
True progress in the debate on Iraq, especially regarding winning the war on terror, will only be made when liberals and conservatives can both stop talking past each other, and start talking together.
Now that may sound like a corny piece of liberal crap, but it's the truth. All involved — whether that be the Bush administration, those opposed to his policies, or students in the middle — need to stop calling names and start taking action.
After we learn how to talk with each other again, perhaps we can start learning how to talk with those whom we most desperately need to understand. Otherwise, terrorism will outlast Al Qaeda, Saddam and even the United States.
Wood is a Topeka sophomore in sociology.
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Do you know that when your calf is half-flexed and you feel it with your hand, it feels like a chicken? Try it.
Slutty top: $40. Bottle of 151: $15. Finally getting to make out with your high school crush: priceless. There are some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's Express and the liquor store.
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I was in my sociology class last week and these two guys behind me were talking about what they were going to do with their girlfriends this weekend, and one guy said he wanted to take his girlfriend to Red Lobster but there was a two-hour wait. Should there ever be a two-hour wait at Red Lobster?
Me and my roommates were just watching the Grammys, and we noticed that Michelle Branch had a booger up her nose.
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The question keeping me up nights is this: Was Clark Kent the secret identity of Superman, or was Superman the secret identity of Clark Kent?
You know what show they really need to bring back? The Dukes of Hazzard.
Right now I'm watching the Grammys, and every single performance has been horrible. Everyone sounds awful. What is happening to the music world?
A big step for America would be admitting that alcohol is a drug.
(Singing) I hate calculus, I hate calculus, yes I do, yes I do. With limits and derivatives, maximums and minimums, it is really hard. Extremely hard.
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The Corbion parking lot is ridiculous.
Whoever designed it should be fired.
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I giddy about Superman. Does that make me strange?
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Sometimes I just want to dunk on Avril Lavigne. Man, that girl's annoying.
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This is Jimmy Jam just calling to say what you do.
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Free car, free car. I'm leaving the keys in the ignition and the doors unlocked, so if you want to steal it it's all yours. All you have to do is put in a new transmission and you can drive it away.
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I walk to class in jeans and a jacket and I'm freezing. This guy in front of me is walking to class in a jacket, shorts and socks. No shoes, just socks, shorts and a shirt. This is ridiculous. He's out of control.