Opinion THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN BROWN: CONCEAL AND CARRY UNLIKELY TO PREVENT VIOLENCE COMING MONDAY FRIDAY, APRIL 17,2009 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. FREE FOR ALL To contribute to Free for All, visit Kansan.com or call (785) 864-0500. Fruit punch juice packets are a gift from the gods. To the girls who stole flowers from Dole: We got you on camera. Please turn yourselves in. --the Kansas legislative session wrapped up with the ban never going to a vote. A statewide ban is a good idea for both Kansas businesses residents. I suddenly realized that I think euphemisms are ridiculous. What am I doing with my life? All I do is send in stuff to the Free for All --the Kansas legislative session wrapped up with the ban never going to a vote. A statewide ban is a good idea for both Kansas businesses residents. --the Kansas legislative session wrapped up with the ban never going to a vote. A statewide ban is a good idea for both Kansas businesses residents. I can't take guys that wear pastel shorts seriously. I had to dress up for a business meeting today and due to my pure laziness and unwillingness to do my laundry, I had to wear a North Carolina-blue tie. God, spite PAGE 5A "Mangino" means "they eat" in Italian. So I was pretending to be on the phone so I wouldn't get a pamphlet on campus, then my phone rang really loud in my ear and I got a pamphlet. FML. Did I seriously see a girl get on the bus at Fraser and get off at the Union? Procrastination will be the death of me. --the Kansas legislative session wrapped up with the ban never going to a vote. A statewide ban is a good idea for both Kansas businesses residents. Girl with green nail polish on the McCollum bus, I caught you sneaking a peak. --the Kansas legislative session wrapped up with the ban never going to a vote. A statewide ban is a good idea for both Kansas businesses residents. I voted for Chuck Norris and Vince Shlomi for president and vice president. They ran on a strict "Buy what we're selling or we'll kick your ass" policy. Can we make walking across Wesco be the new Buckle game? Because if so, I already Is it weird that I've been using so much Spanish that I forget how to spell words in English? I wasn't staring at you, I was spacing off and you walked into my line of sight. I would have been staring at you but you were really ugly. I would be Chancellor Hemenway's sock puppet any day. --the Kansas legislative session wrapped up with the ban never going to a vote. A statewide ban is a good idea for both Kansas businesses residents. I love the University of Kansas on days like these! Just saying. Why is my toilet seat not heated? --the Kansas legislative session wrapped up with the ban never going to a vote. A statewide ban is a good idea for both Kansas businesses residents. We figured it out: It's the pheromones. EDITORIAL BOARD Statewide smoking ban would benefit Kansans Senators in Kansas recently sent a bill to the House containing a ban on smoking in public places, including bars and restaurants, throughout the both Kansas businesses and its residents According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the levels of secondhand smoke in restaurants and bars are two to five times higher than residences with smokers. This is important, because according to the California Environmental Protection Agency almost 50,000 adult nonsmokers die each year in the U.S. from secondhand smoke. Even short exposures to secondhand smoke can reduce heart rate variability, which can increase the risk of a heart attack or damage the lining of blood vessels. Scott Pelan, Lenexa junior, supports the statewide smoking ban. "I respect a person's decision to smoke," Pelan said. "But I also respect a person's decision not to, and I don't think they should have to be exposed to smoke." hare to be exposed to smoke. Currently 21 states* have banned smoking in almost all public places, including restaurants and bars. Many other states have partial statewide bans. For example, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana and Nevada prohibit smoking in most public places. including restaurants, but exempt stand-alone bars. Many cities throughout the state already have citywide smoking bans in effect. Overland Park and Leawood prohibit smoking in restaurants and bars, and Lawrence's ban went into effect almost five years ago, in July 2004. Johnny's Tavern owner Rick Renfro said he lost about 25 percent of his business when the ban passed. He said smokers who used to frequent Johnny's left because of the ban and started going to other nearby bars outside Lawrence city limits. Although Renfro is against regulations of smoking, saying he thinks it should be a business' own decision, he supports a state-wide ban. "The problem with the smoking ban is it's city to city." Renfro said. "I'd rather it be statewide to level the playing field." Shannon Lobb, Kansas City, Mo., junior, said she didn't mind the ban even though she was a smoker herself. Lobb said that even in restaurants where there was no smoking ban, she chose not to smoke out of respect for the other patrons. "The smell lingers for a long time," Lobb said. "It really doesn't make a difference if I'm in a smoking section — when someone is smoking in a restaurant, everyone can smell it." Legislature should pass the statewide smoking ban, which may reappear during the wrap-up session starting April 29. The ban protects the health rights of nonsmokers by preventing their exposure to second-hand smoke, and protects businesses from losing customers because of citywide bans. -- Amy Johnson for The Kansan Editorial Board *The 21 states with smoking bans are: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New ork, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia. STUDENT LIFE This summer, take time to hit the road on your own This Week's Soundtrack of a Life song: "IT'S OK" BY THE BEACH BOYS "Fun is in, it's no sin, it's that time again, to shed your load, hit the road on the run again. Summer skies in our eyes and a warmer sun. It's one for all, all for one, all for all-out fun." With just four weeks until the official end to the school year (Ahh, that sounds good!), it's time to put the finishing touches on your plans for another perfect summer — of internships, jobs, vacations, camps and, oh, those summer nights. But if I may, I would like to make a suggestion that somewhere in the 12-week outlook for late May to early August, you set aside a week or 10 days (but not at the beginning of summer, because all you'll do is eat, sleep and party) for a road trip. Last year, a mere three weeks before school, I decided to do just that. So I came up with a few things to see, an estimated cost and duration, and then (with permission), on a sunny August afternoon, three days before a concert in Colorado. I took off. I have been on only two in my entire life, but nothing quite embraces the summer values of spontaneity and fun like jumping in the car and driving around the country on a complete whim. Choose an interesting, perhaps novel route: If you live in Kansas, you've been on I-70 too many times. I took I-80 across southern Nebraska and added Cheyenne, Wy., and the beautiful northeastern part of Colorado to my trip. It was a lot better than seeing Kansas again. Now, I don't recommend everyone do this alone nor that even plan as much of the trip as I did, but there are a few musts when road-tripping. - Stop at anything you feel like: Driving is meant for particular destinations, but on a road trip you can pull off when something piques your interest, such as a pony express station or a wind farm (make joke here). - Run into someone else you know: I didn't plan it, but I wound up in Estes Park, Colo., because I felt like heading that direction. I ended up running into and later staying the night with a friend of mine and his family, which saved me money and made for a nice, relaxing evening. ■ Make sure you get out of the car. Experience all there is in each place you stop. Don't drive somewhere, hop out to take a picture and then head to the next spot. Most of all, enjoy everything. On my trip, I saw the majesty of Rocky Mountain National Park and attended my first two concerts, including James Taylor at Red Rocks Amphitheater outside Denver (which might be the best place to see a concert in the world). But I also drove for four hours at 11 p.m. because Sturgis attendees had booked hotels for miles around Mt. Rushmore. Instead of it being a negative, I made something of it by cruising across South Dakota with the top down, listening to the Backstreet Boys. Know whether or not you have to be 21 to stay in a nice place: Certain hotel chains have Life is what you make of it, planned or not. A road trip this summer might just put you back on the high side of life. So, "get through it" (school), "get with it" (summer) and "find a ride." age requirements, but Super 8 doesn't. PHOTO COURTESY OF TYLER HOLMES PHOTO COURTESY OF TYLER HOLMES Holmes is an Overland Park CAMPUS For freshmen, first election proved complicated process Well, it's over. Thursday brought an end to the confusion and craziness that has characterized so much of this Student Senate election. Because I am a freshman, this was my first major student election at the University, and it's been quite a show. From what I've gathered from upperclassmen, this election ranks well above previous elections in the craziness factor. FROSH THINKING Not one of these dramatic incidents concerned substantive issues affecting all students. The controversy started early with the suspension of treasurer Alex Porte, an Envision candidate, by student body president Adam McGonigle, a United Students member. The suspension appeared to some students to have political undertones. The antics of Free State presidential candidate Titu Lee garnered the attention of media and students with a YouTube video. Add in a canceled debate as well. Anonymous threats led Kansan editor Brenna Hawley to cancel the debate. Then, more twists when less than eight hours before polls opened, the Student Senate elections commission suspended United Student's vice-presidential candidate May Davis. Looking back, though this election certainly proved to be entertaining, I'm not sure it was healthy. JONATHAN SHORMAN except the debate, which was actually canceled the first time around. But both Students of Liberty and United Students pushed for zero fee increases this year, so maybe even that matchup would not have resulted in a tight focus on issues. That the issues seemed to remain on the sideline may have stemmed from the similar, though not identical, platforms of United Students and Envision. I imagine that if the Envision coalition hadn't formed and the race had been between United Students and Students of Liberty, issues may have made for more tension. Maybe this election cycle was just ripe for distraction, with little issue divergence among the three major coalitions. Witnessing this election as a freshman has impressed upon me the importance of Senate and the passions it can evoke on all sides. And that's something I suspect won't change, even when I log in to vote next year as a sophomore. Shorman is a McPherson freshman in journalism. FROM CALIFORNIA CHRIS CURRY San Jose State U. Spartan Daily Share the sidewalk stopped at the red light on Second Street. I could hear him huffing, trying to catch up to me. His shaggy head jutted out from the rest of his body like a truck pulling a stumpy trailer. "You need to get off the sidewalk!" he barked at me. "Excuse me," I didn't say it then, but had said it a few moments prior when my bicycle and I slowly rolled by him. His flapping trench coat left little room to get around, but I was able to sneak between him and the sycamore trees on the sidewalk. I didn't even touch him. Having to weave in and out of people and utility poles has given me a surgeon's precision with my handlebars. Got him. He couldn't even beat his dead horse. Then he hit me with what was, no doubt, in his mind the cleverest thing he had ever said. "It's called a sidewalk, not a sidebike." "What are you, crazy?" I replied. "I'm not going to ride in the street. You wouldn't walk in the street. Why do you expect me to bike in the street?" I'll stretch reality and assume he suddenly recalled his high school physics class and imagined the consequences of me hitting him versus those of me hitting a car. Force is equal to mass times acceleration. The Consider these two possible scenarios: amount of force is relative to the amount of danger. The amount of danger should determine the route one chooses. I'm sticking to the sidewalk. The combined 230 pounds of me and my bicycle traveling at an average sidewalk speed of 10 miles per hour run into an average American, who according to the Centers for Disease Control, weighs 165.5 pounds. Worse case would be a sprain or a fracture. I can't see anyone dying. Or, an average car, which according to the Environmental Protection Agency weighs just more than two tons, running at a moderate downtown speed of 25 miles per hour, hits the aforementioned 230 pounds, now traveling at a street speed of 15 miles per hour. People die this way. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 698 cyclists were killed by automobiles in 2007. Biking with the protection of a concrete curb between you and 4,000 pounds of steel and rubber is, no doubt, safer. I'm not advocating that any cyclist ride on the sidewalk in the same manner as on the street. Any sidewalk biker has to ride slower and be prepared to stop for driveways and doors. But pedestrians need to learn to share the path with courteous bikers. UWire HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR LETTER GUIDELINES Send letters to opinionkanansan.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 Tara Smith, managing editor 864-4810 or tsmithwikansan.com Mary Sorick; managing editor 864-4810 or msorick@kansan.com Kelsay Hayes, kansan.com managing editor Katie Blankenau, opinion editor 864-4924 or blankenau@kansan.com Dan Thompson, editorial editor 864 4924 or dthompson@ikansan.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 newcomer Jon Schlitl, sales and marketing adviser 864.7266 or jonschlitl@sunnybrook.edu THE EDITORIAL BOARD Members of the Kansasian Editorial Board are Brenna Hawley, Tara Smith, Mary Sorrick, Kelsey Hayes and David Thompson.