Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
ED BOARD: CRIME IN LAWRENCE COMPARED TO OTHER COLLEGE TOWNS
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Class on a day like this? Surely you jest!
I'm scared that I will grow up to be someone mediocre.
My allergies just hit me and now my nose seems to have a stronger current than Niagara
"Ombuds,"what the hell is that? I didn't think you could get pot through e-mail.
You ask why I wear croakies?
What if my glasses were to slip off my face and fall onto the ground? That could not end
I'm convinced that Freddy Krueger lives in the basement of Jayhawker Tower C.
The rec center bus driver officially made my day when he asked the blind woman what bus was she looking for. Awesome.
Sober, intelligent, good-looking girl looking for sober, intelligent, good-looking guy. Does he exist at KU?
--cuts in other areas. Chancellor Hemenway, however, has been adamant about leaving the fee as is. With his departure from the University nearing, the chancellor should not overturn the Senate's vote regarding this fee cut, and Senate should attempt once again to lower this fee next year.
The reason I yell at you when I'm angry is because I want you to hear the mean things I have to say about you.
I'm taking applications for henchpeople. I'll pay extra for sexy viens who'll seduce my enemies with their feminine willes
--cuts in other areas. Chancellor Hemenway, however, has been adamant about leaving the fee as is. With his departure from the University nearing, the chancellor should not overturn the Senate's vote regarding this fee cut, and Senate should attempt once again to lower this fee next year.
Forget the hot dog cart,
Wescoe needs a frozen banana
stand!
--cuts in other areas. Chancellor Hemenway, however, has been adamant about leaving the fee as is. With his departure from the University nearing, the chancellor should not overturn the Senate's vote regarding this fee cut, and Senate should attempt once again to lower this fee next year.
It's comforting that Facebook ads think I'm a Chiefs fan. It doesn't know everything
The people in front of Hash remind me of "stoop kid" from "Hev Arnold."
--cuts in other areas. Chancellor Hemenway, however, has been adamant about leaving the fee as is. With his departure from the University nearing, the chancellor should not overturn the Senate's vote regarding this fee cut, and Senate should attempt once again to lower this fee next year.
Yeah, Coke: Because nothing says sustainability like a new truck pulling its own golf cart, pulling a trailer, handing out plastic bottles.
Right at this very moment I am talking to my high school English teacher on Facebook chat. Anyone else see several things wrong with this picture?
Whoa! The color orange is named after the fruit orange? Somebody was thinkin'
The "maybe attending" option on Facebook is for people who aren't going to come but are too nice to say no outright.
--cuts in other areas. Chancellor Hemenway, however, has been adamant about leaving the fee as is. With his departure from the University nearing, the chancellor should not overturn the Senate's vote regarding this fee cut, and Senate should attempt once again to lower this fee next year.
PAGE 5A
Stoop kid's afraid to leave his stoop!
EDITORIAL BOARD
Chancellor should support Senate lowering nonrevenue sports fee
Every part of the University is feeling the pressures of budget cuts.
Student Senate examined the possibility of lowering the women's and nonrevenue sports fee from $40 to $35 to help with
President-elect Mason Heilman said he was glad the fee remained
Of the current fee, $35 is under contractual obligation while $5 could be put on the chopping block. Nonrevenue sports would still be receiving the contracted amount, and other fees that have a more direct benefit to a larger mass of students would be prevented from suffering cuts.
KANSAN'S
OPINION
at $40 this semester because it avoided a potential fight with the chancellor. Heilman said that next year Student Senate would have to exam.
"We're going to have to work with the new chancellor on fees and see where he or she is comfortable cutting." Heilman said.
Helman also said he would be reluctant to cut a fee voted on by students. The fee increased funding for women's and nonrevenue sports when it was passed by students in 2006, therefore making it a student-voted fee.
ine the budget to see about this fee's potential to be cut.
It's important to take into account that this fee would simply be decreased, while other fees that benefit students have been under the threat of being cut completely.
Heilman said that the cut would probably amount to a significant amount of money being lost but that perhaps the athletics department could cover additional costs until the budget allowed the increase again.
Mike Thompson, Kansas City, Mo., junior, said he supported the idea to decrease the fee. Thompson said that everyone was feeling the pressures of the current state of the economy and that as long as the programs still received funding, he was sure they could make do with a reduced amount
A $15 reduction would help the budget Student Senate is wrestling with and help spare other student benefits from being completely cut. New leadership shouldn't be quite so reluctant to allow Student Senate to pass this reduction.
— Amy Johnson for The Kansan Editorial Board
EDITORIAL CARTOON
COLLEGE CONSPIRACIES:
TYLER DOEHRING
NOTES FROM ABROAD
Nightlife differences across the big drink
German students drink younger, more responsibly than in US
BY MICHAEL HOLTZ mholtz@kansan.com
The drinking culture of Germany may be counterintuitive to most American college students. Drinking a beer in public perfectly legal. Serving beer at a dorm party not a problem.
Don't get me wrong, Germans love their beer. They are behind
coop and team drinking age - 16 for beer and wine, 18 for spirits — and arguably the world's finest beer, it's a wonder to find that many Germans are casual and responsible drinkers, at least compared with most college freshmen in the United States.
Given Germany's lax laws, a comparatively young drinking ag
Forget competitive drinking games such as beerpong, flip cup and circle of death. House parties as we know them in the states are nonexistent in Germany. Most dorms are equipped with a small basement bar. Surprisingly cheap 0.5-liter glass bottles replace kegs — sorry, no keg stands — and Foosball takes the place of beer pong at every party.
Unlike many Americans, Germans are familiar and comfortable with drinking by the time they enter college. They have
only the Czech Republic and Ireland in per-capita consumption rate. Yet the German approach to drinking stands in stark comparison to American college-town traditions.
drunk in safe environments and have established their limits.
While there remain ongoing debates in Germany concerning the young drinking age, and it is impossible to claim that all Germans are responsible drinkers, the difference between the drinking cultures in America and Germany is clear.
The competitive and excessive drinking customs prevalent across American college campuses are a ways away from what I've experienced in Germany.
Don't believe me? Just ask a German whether they know how to shotgun a beer.
Holtz is a Topeka sophomore in journalism and German.
In Spain, parties last long and late but stay out of the home
BY HELEN MUBARAK
hmubarak@kansan.com
When I think of nightlife in Lawrence,my mind wanders to house parties after football or basketball games. Inviting friends to hang out at one's house or apartment is certainly not unusual.
In contrast, Spaniards consider the home a private place. My Spanish roommates have never invited more than one friend to our apartment at the same time
Coming from Lawrence, where I still cannot drink alcohol legally or enter many clubs, nightlife in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, was a major change for me.
For students in Santiago, a typical night out begins at midnight or later. They usually stop at numerous bars in the same night, having a drink at each one. Afterwards, they head to the "discocetas" or clubs, which don't open until 2 a.m and don't see crowds until 3 or 4. A night
and would never dream of throwing a party. Instead, they hang out with friends in public areas such as cafes or restaurants, and, of course, bars and clubs.
Yet, the most surprising aspect about nightlife in Spain is the difference in timing. Nighttime in Spain doesn't begin until after dinner, which takes places around 10 or 11 and can last more than an hour.
out might end the next morning around 7 with a hot sandwich from one of the city's 24-hour convenience stores.
As the sun rises over the cobblestones, still-lively students make their way back to their apartments holding high heels or half-empty bottles of the region's famous beer, Estrella de Galicia. From an American perspective, it's certainly entertaining to watch dozens of other people parading through the city's ancient streets at the same time I might have been waking up to go to class in Lawrence.
Mubarak is a Shawnee sophomore in journalism and Spanish.
STUDENT LIFE
Facebook and GPA staying connected
Every day we deal with the regular turmoil of student life. Classes, tests, homework, library and meetings — and that's if you don't also have a job or participate in extracurricular activities. Yet despite our busy schedules, most of us find a moment in the day to browse the social networking site that has become a phenomenon in just a few short years. But a new study suggests that Facebook may be causing more harm than we think.
According to USA Today, an Ohio State study of 219 students exposed Facebook's effects on academic performance. Students who did not have Facebook accounts reported having GPAs between 3.5 and 4.0, while those with accounts said their GPAs were usually between 3.0 and 3.5. Study habits among those without Facebook were also significantly better, a reported 11 or more hours per week, compared with those with Facebook, who studied five or fewer hours.
So what exactly does all this mean? Is Facebook dooming students? Well, not exactly. The study didn't find conclusive evidence that Facebook is the cause for lower GPAs. Rather, it simply suggests that there is some correlation between the two. Aryn Karpinski, the Ohio State doctoral graduate student behind the study, suggested Facebook be used in ways that are more educational, such as to create study groups.
Karpinski pointed out Facebook's potential as an asset to students. I can't count how many times I've used Facebook to consult classmates about courses. Once, last year, I used the site to find a classmate in
my Shakespeare class. I didn't know a single soul in that particular course, and remembered the girl's name solely because it was called before mine in class for attendance. Luckily, she messaged me back about a change in due date for a research paper and consequently saved me from losing 15 percent of my grade. Thank you, Facebook.
I'm not arguing that Facebook is more academically beneficial than detrimental, but I definitely think the ability to contact acquaintances and friends easily is great. What a wonderful option to have! Can you imagine the "old days" of having to call someone, who called someone, who tried to three-way call but it didn't work, then finally figuring out plans and calling whomever is involved all over again?
I'm sure there are many Facebook-abusers whose obsessions with recently tagged photos or status updates result in poorer grades. I believe there are an equal number, if not more, of students who manage to balance fun on Facebook with devotion to academics. Of all the other issues wreaking havoc on our age group, such as drugs or violence, I think Facebook is the least of our worries.
Buser is a Columbia, Ill., junior in journalism and English.
University could lead effort to save wetlands
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Regardless of how the federal lawsuit turns out, the future of the Wakarusa (aka Haskell-Baker) Wetlands may ultimately rest in KU's hands. Most people presume Baker University holds all the cards, or if anyone else has any say it is Haskell Indian Nations University. The ultimate fate of this wetland, however, may rest in our University's hands.
Back in the 1950s the Eisenhower administration was attempting to shut down all the Indian boarding schools. Haskell, because it had been the largest and most tribally diverse of all these federal institutions, managed to lobby against closure.
Locals, however, were miffed at losing the opportunity to receive free land. The Kansas congressional delegation brought pressure on the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Before it was over, about two-thirds of Haskell's land was declared "surplus" and given away. The school district got land for Broken Arrow Elementary and
South Junior High. The city and county got Broken Arrow Park. The University got 20 acres.
That small parcel of wetland sits strategically in the path of the "32nd Street route" for the South Lawrence Trafficway. Without the University's collision KDOT can not complete this trafficway plan, even if the federal courts rule in its favor.
State officials claim the University will be no obstacle, and if they did resist, eminent domain would quickly resolve the issue. But the University has never really used that land. Under the threat of having it buried in concrete, the ethical choice would be to return those 20 acres to Haskell. As federal property it would be near impossible for KDOT to pave the wetland. At minimum, the project would be tied up in court until long after Lawrence has grown halfway to Baldwin. By then even the most myopic SLT promoters will have to acknowledge the wetlands is a dumb place to build a bypass.
Mike Caron is an alumnus from Lawrence.
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