AN 09 Opinion THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN McNAUGHTON: CUTTING CASH FOR ENTERTAINMENT? TRY A BOOK COMING THURSDAY United States First Amendment WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009 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. To contribute to Free for All, visit Kansan.com or call (785) 864-0500. McColum, you say the fire alarms are malfunctioning. Maybe you should fix them. Getting to watch "Lost" in the morning makes me proud to be an American. Dear students, quit getting drunk and doing stupid stuff. My little sister gets way better grades and it bugs me. --his physical body to his astral body burned off, flies into oblivion (the title of the stellar first track), ends up in Czarist Russia and is eventually transported back to his body by a recently assassinated Rusputin. This is metal with a capital M-E-T-A-L (A-C-I-D also suffices). My life's happiness is based on the assumption that girls don't soon --his physical body to his astral body burned off, flies into oblivion (the title of the stellar first track), ends up in Czarist Russia and is eventually transported back to his body by a recently assassinated Rusputin. This is metal with a capital M-E-T-A-L (A-C-I-D also suffices). Personally, if McCollum were actually on fire, Id be OK with having to walk 10 stories out to the parking lot. --his physical body to his astral body burned off, flies into oblivion (the title of the stellar first track), ends up in Czarist Russia and is eventually transported back to his body by a recently assassinated Rusputin. This is metal with a capital M-E-T-A-L (A-C-I-D also suffices). I wish I played guitar. You can do whatever you want as long as you're playing a guitar while doing it. One time, I saw Taylor Swift wearing army pants and flip flops. So I bought army pants and flip flops. --his physical body to his astral body burned off, flies into oblivion (the title of the stellar first track), ends up in Czarist Russia and is eventually transported back to his body by a recently assassinated Rusputin. This is metal with a capital M-E-T-A-L (A-C-I-D also suffices). I just coughed. Do I have swine flu now? You know that you are a poor college student when you bring sack lunches from your dorm cafeteria with you on vacation just to survive. --his physical body to his astral body burned off, flies into oblivion (the title of the stellar first track), ends up in Czarist Russia and is eventually transported back to his body by a recently assassinated Rusputin. This is metal with a capital M-E-T-A-L (A-C-I-D also suffices). I am having a love affair with this ice cream sandwich. --his physical body to his astral body burned off, flies into oblivion (the title of the stellar first track), ends up in Czarist Russia and is eventually transported back to his body by a recently assassinated Rusputin. This is metal with a capital M-E-T-A-L (A-C-I-D also suffices). --his physical body to his astral body burned off, flies into oblivion (the title of the stellar first track), ends up in Czarist Russia and is eventually transported back to his body by a recently assassinated Rusputin. This is metal with a capital M-E-T-A-L (A-C-I-D also suffices). When I told my mom I had a beetle in my house she asked if it was John, Paul, George or Ringo. I got burned by my own mom. To the girl who helped me chase down my receipt from parking at the union, thank you so much. It ended up getting me out of a parking ticket. If I could find you again I would take the money I saved and buy you lunch. --his physical body to his astral body burned off, flies into oblivion (the title of the stellar first track), ends up in Czarist Russia and is eventually transported back to his body by a recently assassinated Rusputin. This is metal with a capital M-E-T-A-L (A-C-I-D also suffices). String cheese and hair do not mix well. --his physical body to his astral body burned off, flies into oblivion (the title of the stellar first track), ends up in Czarist Russia and is eventually transported back to his body by a recently assassinated Rusputin. This is metal with a capital M-E-T-A-L (A-C-I-D also suffices). Taylor Swift affects thousands, commands your attention, and makes you wonder where she'll go next. Wait, no, that's swine flu I'm not falling for that again. Fool me once, shame on you. But after the fourth time, shame on me. --his physical body to his astral body burned off, flies into oblivion (the title of the stellar first track), ends up in Czarist Russia and is eventually transported back to his body by a recently assassinated Rusputin. This is metal with a capital M-E-T-A-L (A-C-I-D also suffices). I swear I saw Bilbo Baggins walking into Snow Hall today. To whomever found my awesome green umbrella on the bus: I hope finding it made your day, cause losing it kind of ruined mine. Summer album releases that shouldn't be missed MUSIC Elevated temperatures and vast supplies of sunshine often signify a lot of things For one, the temptation to coast through these last few weeks abounds. Tight tank tops and miniscule shorts hold on for dear life to the fairer sex, stealing the attention of ogling onlookers. Because earning a diploma and maintaining relationships still hold value, let us instead examine another cause for joy: spring and summer music. This column will likely disappoint you. Seeing as we're already 100 words deep into a column allotted finite space, some of your favorite and most anticipated music will be left out. But (radio edit) it. Let's get started. PAGE 7A Produced by Brendan O'Brien — who's worked with Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and Rage Against the Machine — this is metal so over the top it's truly epic. Mastodon burst onto the scene with 2002's "Remission" and has continued a penchant for massive themes with its fourth offering. "Crack the Skye," by Mastodon (Released March 29): Also released, this is simply the best metal album by a band new to this decade. The premise is centered on a quadriplegic who astrally projects himself too close to the sun, gets the umbilical cord that connects SEEK AND INFORM STEPHEN MONTEMAYOR Seven tracks comprise "Crack the Skye." Each is an integral piece to a set that tells a story, making it necessary to own the entire album. Download: Are you not paying attention? Buy the whole thing now. ■ "Relapse" by Eminem (May 19): Here's hoping we get similar elements that made his two "LP" records classics and "The Eminem Show" equally great and not the fart and Rastafarian Martian sounds of "Encore." No man entices controversy like Eminem and in that regard, his first single, "We Made You," has succeeded. Among the subjects he roasts to a crisp in the video: Bret Michaels, Kim Kardashian, Jessica Simpson, Amy Winehouse, Sarah Palin and Lindsay Lohan. He does come close to that stoney alien voice I fear. Close, but not close enough to make the song unworthy of praise. The song itself isn't bad. In fact, it grows on you after a few spins. The album rides momentum built by the previously released single "Crack a Bottle" with Dr. Dre and 50 Cent, and the recently leaked "3AM," a disturbing track about a serial killer that is every bit infectious as it is grisly, its lyrics as shocking as its flow uncanny. Download: "We Made You," "Crack a Bottle," "3AM." "American Idiot" cemented their legacy and put them on Dubyas s****list. But now that everybody's favorite punching bag is gone, how will Green Day sound in this new era of Hope and Change? After all, it was Stan's dad, Randy, on South Park who said, "Everything's going to be different now!" ■ "21st Century Breakdown," Green Day (May 15): Fear not. The trio returns armed for further revolutionary anthems. Though the all-black wardrobe and eyeliner they've taken a liking to in recent years might get them confused for My Chemical Romance (and makes it plausible to imagine them staging a concert outside Hot Topic) Green Day still rocks. Pass me the angst, please! Download: "Know Your Enemy." EDITORIAL CARTOON Montemayor is a Mission junior in journalism. EDITORIAL BOARD COMS130 requirement illogical Students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and in six of the 10 undergraduate professional schools are required to take a course to fulfill the argument and reason requirement. Some students take a philosophy class to fulfill the requirement, but students in some schools are required to take COMS 130. Speaker and Audience did not enjoy public speaking and wished that the class had addressed more than just giving speeches. Leigha Woods, Olathe junior, said her communications studies class focused on the process of writing a speech. She said creating outlines should not have been the focus of the class. Woods said she Communication. These classes don't fulfill their purpose. Although some students find the classes useful, many say they are a waste of time and money. Joel Layton, Lenexa sophomore, said communication studies classes should not require students to use a general format for their speeches The University should drop this requirement to allow students more time to take classes that are of interest to them and will be more useful to their maiors. "It would have been more helpful if it had focused on getting over stage fright." Woods said. Layton said that some techniques taught in the class were useful, but that successful speakers did not make generic speeches. KANSAN'S OPINION Jesus' sermon on the Mount' or Martin Luther King Jr's 'I Have a Dream' speech, they didn't really say, 'Here's point A, here's point B'" Layton said. "If you look at The speaker and audience communication course is not useful to students because it focuses on format. The University requires this class so students learn to argue and reason well, but the courses that presume to fulfill this requirement don't really teach students that skill. Amanda Ely, West Chester, Pa., senior, said she took a philosophy class to fulfill the requirement. Ely said that the purpose of the requirement was for students to learn to make sense of arguments, but that the feedback she received on her work in the philosophy class was not constructive. "If we're going to have this requirement, an analytical writing course would be more beneficial." Ely said. "You would get more feedback on your work." General education requirements are designed to provide students with a well-rounded liberal arts education, but in practice, the argument and reason requirement contributes little to this education. It should be replaced with electives more practical to the goals of individual students. — Samantha Foster for The Kansan Editorial Board CAMPUS Excessive meal plans, fees cause unfair waste Deep into a recession, everyone is aware that we are living in times of economic turmoll. Everyone that is, except for some members of this fine institution of higher learning we attend. While paying for my sack lunch at The Studio yesterday, I was appalled to see that the number of my remaining meals on the cash register read 74. With only two weeks left of school, you do the math. I caught on to this game early in the year and changed my meal plan to the lowest possible amount before starting the spring semester. Yet I still find myself with a hefty surplus of Mrs. E's fine dining. If I cannot manage to use all my meals with the smallest meal plan, how much waste can we expect from students who overestimated the number of meals they needed? And most freshmen can attest to the difficulty of gauging their meal habits for the first year of college. "I think we should get our money back, because a lot of people just spend all of their money at The Studio to get rid of it towards the end of the year," said Marshall Dwyre, Ingalls freshman. "And that's money that we could be spending in a more useful way." As much as I enjoy throwing money out the window, it is ridiculous that all unused meals and cuisine cash are simply "forfeited" at the end of the school year without any sort of refund or roll-over to the next year. Another commodity wasted is the money that all students are given for printing. $8 a year for printing seems to be the result of poor budgeting. One can assume that most people in college have their own computers, and thus their own printers. If, say, 10,000 people don't use their allotted I'm not trying to bash everything that is incorporated into campus fees. I personally take advantage of most of them. But surely it's possible to design a way for students to pay for only the things they actually use. There are also a few things included in the required campus fees that are not advantageous to all students, yet we are still forced to pay more than $800 for them each academic year. The rec center, for example is something every student pays for, yet not everybody uses. The rec is great when you're living on campus, but I know from my own apartment search for next year that many complexes provide their own workout centers. As a freshman, I am grateful that I began school this year and was able to get in on the tuition compact. It is a great stepping stone to help students save money. However, there is so much more that can be done to help students get an education without all the extra costs. I am proud to attend this University, but I know I'm not the only one paying for it all with student loans. I am attending college to get an education, not to waste $9 per meal for cafeteria food and to go to the rec. Wilson is a Hutchinson freshman in journalism and English. printing, then that's already $80,000 that goes to who knows where (the University coffers, maybe?). Carrie Prejean, the first runner-up at the Miss USA 2009 pageant FROM MISSISSIPPI The Reflector BY PAUL KIMBROUGH Mississippi State U. The Reflector Lack of poise doomed pageant contestant Carrie Prey ranner-up at the Miss USA 2009 pageant, caused a stir when she stumbled her way through a trap question from judge Perez Hilton about gay marriage. Hilton said he would not have let her win the pageant following her answer. But it was not what Prejain said that lost her the crown. It was how she said it. "Well, I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. Um, we live in a land that you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage, and, you know what, in my country and in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman," Prejean said. Beauty pageants are judged on style and poise. Prejane showed little of either in her answer. Perhaps she should have pandered to the judge. Perhaps she should be respected for sticking to her beliefs. (A majority of Americans agree with Prejan. A 2008 CBS News poll found that 33 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage.) The Miss USA Pageant is hardly a progressive atmosphere, either. In 2002, on-camera interview time was cut to make way for more bikini time. No one really cares what these girls think. Prejean failed because she called marriage between a man and a woman "opposite marriage." — UWire CORRECTION Monday's editorial "Perkins bonus comes with terrible timing" misstated when Lew Perkins' retention agreement was signed. It was signed in June 2006. The most recent retention contract, which was signed April 12, 2008, encouraged Perkins to stay as athletics director through June 30, 2013. HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR LETTER GUIDELINES Send letters to opinion@kansan.com Write LETTER TO THE EDITOR in the e-mail subject line. Length: 300 words The submission should include the author's name, grade and hometown. Find our full letter to the editor policy online at kansan.com/letters. CONTACT US Brenna Hawley, editor 864-4810 or bhawley@kansan.com Mary Sorrick, managing editor 864-4810 or msorrick@kansan.com Kelsey Hayes, kansan.com managing editor 865-410-8000 Tara Smith, managing editor 864.4810 or tara.smith@kensh.com Katie Blankenau, opinion editor 864-4924 or kblankenaujikansan.com Dan Thompson, editorial editor 864-4924 or dthompson@kansan.com Laura Vest, business manager 864-4358 or lvest@kansan.com Dani Erker, sales manager 864-4477 or derker@kansan.com Malcolm Gibson, general manager and news advisor 984 2667 email malcolm.gibson@abell.com Jon Schlitt, sales and marketing adviser 864-7666 or jon.schlitt@nets.com THE EDITORIAL BOARD Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Brenna Hawley, Tara Smith, Mary Sorrick, Kelsey Hayes and Diah Thompson.