Opinion THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE NEXT INSTALLMENT OF NOTES FROM ABROAD
COMING WEDNESDAY
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2009
United States First Amendment
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
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They say celebrity deaths come in threes, trust Billy Mays to throw in one EXTRA! FOR FREE!
My roommate's a barista, I'll never pay for coffee again!
--rights not granted to law enforcement agents, except in cases of medical emergency.
I'm so stoked for finally being back in school I can barely contain myself.
HAHAHAHA
So can't seem to find a job in Lawrence.I'm about to become a stripper.
Dear FFA, Is it bad that I have more beer in my fridge than food?
Why does Facebook want to help me find local goth singles?
--rights not granted to law enforcement agents, except in cases of medical emergency.
I have a girl crush on Jennifer Connelly.
--rights not granted to law enforcement agents, except in cases of medical emergency.
--rights not granted to law enforcement agents, except in cases of medical emergency.
I am so depressed. I'm just going to sit on my couch and watch Scrubs re-runs until I feel better.
I really shouldn't be allowed in Wal-Mart after 9:00 pm, I end up trying to relive my childhood with some toy I never had as a kid
I lost my shirt at a party this weekend. Great success!
EDITORIAL BOARD
Proposed policy infringes on privacy
Administrators at the University of Kansas are considering perhaps the biggest hit to student privacy rights in decades.
A new proposal would allow housing officials to enter a student's dorm room or scholarship hall room if there is "probable cause" of alcohol or drug use. This new policy is an effort to decrease underage and excessive drinking on campus.
Students on the Student Housing Advisory Board have already approved the change in policy, and it appears as if Student Senate will have the final say in the matter.
Current housing policies only allow police or housing staff to enter a student's room with verbal consent or a warrant granted by a judge. Officials in the department of student housing should not be afforded
Although the University should be commended for trying to curtail excessive drinking, taking away students' privacy is not the only — or
best — way to accomplish that goal.
The recent medical amnesty program, which allows students to call for help with an
intoxicated friend without the possibility of disciplinary or legal action, was a positive step in encouraging responsible drinking behaviors.
The recent changes in policy are an obvious attempt to mend the University's alcohol policy because of the recent deaths of KU freshmen Dalton Hawkins and Jason Wren.
KANSAN'S OPINION
Neither Dalton Hawkins nor Jason Wren died in a dorm room. Hawkins was found dead near a University scholarship hall reportedly after a night of drinking at local bars. This proposed policy would only encourage students to drink in
other places, much like Hawkins did the night of his death. And it makes little sense to say this policy could have prevented Wren's death. Wren was
kicked out of Oliver Hall after repeated drinking violations. If this policy had been in effect at the time, Wren would likely have only been kicked out sooner.
Administration officials should be applauded for implementing a mandatory alcohol education program. Education and awareness will
go much further than taking away students' privacy.
But these positive steps forward don't rectify several steps backward. The administration is considering other drastic measures that come shockingly close to infringing upon students' First Amendment rights.
In a "Summary of Alcohol Initiatives" the administration identifies reviewing "the University's chalking policy" and mandating training for members of student media outlets to implement "socially responsible advertising." Alcohol deaths are sad, tragic and everything possible should be done to avoid them. But recent proposals by University administration go too far and ask too much of students.
Kevin Hardy for the Editorial Board
NOTES FROM ABROAD
3
First-hand tips for a good hostel experience
I was sleeping on the bottom bunk when my friend on the top decided she wanted to get
water in the middle of the night. She slipped on the metal rail above me, causing the bed to shake a little. I apparently mistook the shake for a murderer trying to kill me in my sleep and woke up yelling
This would normally be fine, except for the six total strangers who had been fast asleep before my outburst. Thus concludes my first night staying in a hostel.
The looks I got from the sleeping strangers the next morning (and the rest of my time in Galway City Hostel) reminded me of the 'I'll pretend I'm not upset, but really what's your problem? But I didn't let a few
For example, a girl traveling with me was put in a separate room because we didn't book our stay together. Her new roommate turned out to be a 50-something year-old man traveling alone named Eddie. Eddie was sort of reling his younger years by visiting as many places
bad looks ruin my hostel experience. Instead, I learned from them.
as possible, or at least that's what he told her while he relaxed in his boxers. Being a good person, Eddie felt it was his mission to share the tricks he'd learned from his travels with everyone he met. Sleeping in cemeteries, Eddie told our friend, was the best money saving trick for travel.
Eddie was probably the highlight of my hostel stay. Although I appreciated his mildly insane pieces of advice more than any practical knowledge he offered, I figured someone might find his logical bits of wisdom helpful. So, in true Eddie fashion, here are five tips for hostels.
1. Friends who book together stay together.
If you're going with friends and want to sleep in the same room,
make reservations on the same bill.
2. Make sure it's not going to turn into that Hostel movie.
Check reviews of hostels before you book a bed.
3. Pack light and live freely.
light and live freely.
Bring only what you need and don't pack anything that you wouldn't want to lose.
4. Sleep easy.
If you're nervous about the bed, bring a bed bag and a spare pillow case. Light sleepers should consider earplugs or an eye mask.
5. Make it your home.
Bring a power adapter, shower shoes and other practical items you wouldn't normally bring for a hotel.
Edited by Kristen Liszewski
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