AN 09 Opinion THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN COLDHAM: LAWRENCE HAS UNTAPPED HIP-HOP POTENTIAL COMING FRIDAY United States First Amendment THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2009 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. WWW.KANSAN.COM FREE FOR ALL To contribute to Free for All, visit Kansan.com or call (785) 864-0500. --organize and use information, is lacking from the University's e-mail system, at least when using Firefox and Safari. Search is available using external clients, but it can search only one folder at a time. My mom said she's going to stop helping me pay my tuition if all I do is spend my time trying to get into the Free I tried staring at this girl with my sweet shades on in chemistry today. I don't think I liked it very much after she slapped me. My face hurts. --organize and use information, is lacking from the University's e-mail system, at least when using Firefox and Safari. Search is available using external clients, but it can search only one folder at a time. I will catch a campus squirrel before I graduate. I swear it! --organize and use information, is lacking from the University's e-mail system, at least when using Firefox and Safari. Search is available using external clients, but it can search only one folder at a time. To the random guy who let me get in his car Friday night at Corbin: Do you have any idea where my shoe is, and if so, could you please drop it off at Chi Omega house? Thanks. --organize and use information, is lacking from the University's e-mail system, at least when using Firefox and Safari. Search is available using external clients, but it can search only one folder at a time. --organize and use information, is lacking from the University's e-mail system, at least when using Firefox and Safari. Search is available using external clients, but it can search only one folder at a time. So how do I ask a for a fellow guy's number without looking gay? My roommate wet his bed and blamed it on "falling asleep with a 40-ounce in his hand." "Fess up dude. --organize and use information, is lacking from the University's e-mail system, at least when using Firefox and Safari. Search is available using external clients, but it can search only one folder at a time. I really hope I never have to say this again in my life — but PLEASE, K-State, win tonight. --organize and use information, is lacking from the University's e-mail system, at least when using Firefox and Safari. Search is available using external clients, but it can search only one folder at a time. Dear Free for All, my roomie thinks I submitted the one about not tolerating his weird sleeping patterns. --organize and use information, is lacking from the University's e-mail system, at least when using Firefox and Safari. Search is available using external clients, but it can search only one folder at a time. I want an underground tunnel connecting the dorms of Daisy Hill. 'K thanks I want a hot girlfriend who is into threesomes (two girls, one guy, that is). --organize and use information, is lacking from the University's e-mail system, at least when using Firefox and Safari. Search is available using external clients, but it can search only one folder at a time. I want a boyfriend who isn't into threesomes. --organize and use information, is lacking from the University's e-mail system, at least when using Firefox and Safari. Search is available using external clients, but it can search only one folder at a time. Any guys want to get together for a ill' bromance? --organize and use information, is lacking from the University's e-mail system, at least when using Firefox and Safari. Search is available using external clients, but it can search only one folder at a time. Obviously I'm dating total losers who don't know what they have right in front of them! To the guy who hawks loogies every morning in McCollum's 5-west bathroom: Dude... --organize and use information, is lacking from the University's e-mail system, at least when using Firefox and Safari. Search is available using external clients, but it can search only one folder at a time. To the girl that I biked side-by-side with on Jayhawk Boulevard: I have your pink T-Mobile flowery cell phone. It fell off your bike when you hit that hole. --organize and use information, is lacking from the University's e-mail system, at least when using Firefox and Safari. Search is available using external clients, but it can search only one folder at a time. No wonder the bus drivers that go to GSP/Corbin drive like maniacs. Maybe they are praying for a crash, so they don't have to hear any more stupid conversations. --organize and use information, is lacking from the University's e-mail system, at least when using Firefox and Safari. Search is available using external clients, but it can search only one folder at a time. University should make the switch from Outlook to Gmail EDITORIAL BOARD The current University e-mail system is not sufficient. Outlook's interface is not user-friendly, and it lacks the file space and other conveniences that some e-mail services, such as Gmail, provide. PAGE 5A Technological capabilities students expect, such as nearly unlimited file space and a search function across features of a Outlook. They are, however, features of Gmail. The University should take advantage of students' comfort with new interfaces and ways of communication to offer a progressive e-mail system allowing increased organization. functionality and collaboration for students and faculty. Though the basic e-mail message itself might not have changed much in the past five years, people compose, organize, store and read e-mails differently. Students are acquainted with new interfaces, such as Gmail's, that allow more interactivity and, therefore, increased ease in composing and managing mail. Gmail's appearance remains the same whether using Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari, which is an important capability at a University with a diverse base of computers. Outlook's interface changes on different Web browsers Search, a key way students find, Though usability issues can be frustrating, the true goal in any new e-mail system for the University must be to offer a proactive, progressive e-mail solution KANSAN'S OPINION in drawing students back to the University's system, resulting in better collaboration. New features will also allow students to become more organized and communicate more readily, therefore, creating a better learning environment. New features, such as instant messaging, should be added not because they are high tech, but because they are important for students. According to Julie Loats, director of Information Technology, fixing some of these problems, and more importantly providing students with dynamic, progressive technologies, "is definitely part of our philosophy." She pointed to the success of initiatives such as the campus-wide wireless network as an example. Outlook provides much more than just e-mail, including calendar functions and scheduling for rooms and appointments. Loats pointed out that any new service, whether an upgrade of Outlook or SEND SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THE E-MAIL SYSTEM TO: vpinfo@ku.edu vpinfo@ku.edu an independent provider, would have to provide the same capabilities. Evidenced by transitions to Gmail by universities across the world, including Vanderbilt University, George Washington University and Australia's Macquarie University, the switch cannot be that difficult. The University and the IT department must be ready to move forward. If the current system is too inflexible to fix, we need concrete plans for the future At the same time, students need to let the University know what is important to them in their e-mail system. Bill Meyers, director of assessment and outreach for Information Services, was especially concerned with what students thought "We do need to better understand students' technological needs," Meyers said. Here is your opportunity. Let the University know a switch to Gmail would benefit students. Alex Doherty for The Kansan Editorial Board NICHOLAS SAMBALUN America needs new space race On July 20,1969,the first humans walked on the moon. This historical moon. This historical event was both a literal and symbolic testament to America's innovation and dedication to exploration, as well as to the successes of what we know as NASA: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Apollo 11 lunar mission was hailed as a monumental success, and its astronauts were crowned as American heroes who won the space race But the lesser known part of the story is that even as Neil Armstrong was making those historic lunar steps, public interest in moon missions was already beginning to wane. Mankind may have taken "one giant leap," but the American public was taking a step back from its support of NASA. That trend has continued to this day, as NASA drifts even more into obscurity. After almost 40 years, perceptions of NASA have transformed from the American badge of honor into just another bureaucratic organ of an already bloated government. Most Americans were not moved by President Bush's mandate to send manned missions to Mars, nor did they notice the quiet retirement of the Space Shuttle, which set up a long-overdue upgrade of the space technologies developed in the 1970s. On the negative side, in November of last year, astronaut Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper accidentally dropped a tool bag worth $100,000 outside the International Space Station while on a spacewalk. This rather expensive bag is still orbiting the earth, but an aloof public cannot be bothered. At this critical point in American history, as technological dependence grows exponentially, America just cannot afford to dismiss NASA. NASA is not defined simply by the space program. NASA funds and organizes an astonishing array of scientific and engineering research, the kind of basic research that is absolutely critical for continuing America's impressive history of technological breakthroughs. The University of Kansas has always been deeply ingrained in research sponsored by NASA. The University has its list of notable space scientists, including Clyde Tombaugh, the alumnus credited with the discovery of Pluto. By supporting NASA, Americans are also supporting university research around the country. What America needs today is another space race; and one might just be on its way. Foreign nations around the globe have begun to invest in similar gov- ernmentally sponsored space programs. The Indian Space Research Organization landed its first unmanned moon probe last year and has just revealed plans to send a manned spacecraft into orbit by 2015. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has plans for a moon base by 2030, and the China National Space Administration celebrated its first spacewalk last year. NASA has the longest history and the best track record, but the scientific endeavors of these foreign nations are growing. If NASA does not receive public support and follow suit, it may become obsolete on the world stage. The support of a grateful nation will not go unrewarded, as there is much to look forward to from NASA in the coming years. The Constellation project has replaced the Space Shuttle program and will be responsible for developing the next generation of spacecraft to deliver a new round of astronauts to the moon. The International Space Station is a testament to global cooperation and deserves our attention. And even without considering the truly astounding achievements NASA has made and should continue to make, Americans should keep a watchful eye on NASA if only to ensure that no more $100,000 tool bags go missing. Folmsbe is a Topeka junior in neurobiology. POLITICS Obama's address bolstered presidency's positive image The front pages of the New York Times, the Kansas City Star and USA Today all had the same thing to report yesterday morning: "We will recrive." President Barack Obama's words from his first "Address to Congress" represent the same American spirit, determination and optimism that every American president tries to convey. Although it may seem easy to say that everything will turn out all right in the end, Obama's speech did more than make promises. In the past week, he vowed to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term. Though this sounds completely impossible, Obama gave me at least some indication that he is doing everything in his power to accomplish this. He said his administration would go through the budget line by line to find out what spending could be cut. I didn't plan on watching his speech Tuesday night, but I'm glad that I did. Obama's first address to Congress since he took office on Jan. 20 represents something more important than your average speech. The issues Obama talked about in his speech, most importantly the economy, are everything Obama's administration intends to fix. I had never paid attention to presidencies and politics very closely before the presidential primary campaigns. But now that I've started keeping up with the news, I've started noticing even more the important traditions of our country. Many of us who just voted in our first election probably didn't realize how much the presidency revolves around image-making and public relations. The presidential address to Congress replaces the State of the Union address for a president's first year. It has been a tradition since George Washington, and each president has an opportunity early on to specifically outline how he intends to solve the pressing problems facing the United States. With the economy dominating the forefront of Obama's administration, it was important for Obama to create a strong determined image for his administration. Obama concedes that his administration cannot do everything to solve America's problems, but at least he seems to be honest. It's nice to know that America's image is something to be proud of again. Simon is a Manhattan sophomore in journalism and history. FROM OREGON TRUMAN CAPPS U. Oregon Oregon Daily Emeralda Everyone can't'B'winners A recent study from the University of California- Irvine reported that one-third of students surveyed expected a B simply for showing up to class on a regular basis. An increasing number of college professors say students will visit them during office hours attempting to haggle a higher grade on a paper, arguing that they tried very, very hard and the professor was unfair in giving them a C or a B - for what the student thought was a really strong effort. Just in case you've forgotten, a B is traditionally defined as "above average." This means a significant percentage of America's future leaders and entrepreneurs think they're above average simply by virtue of the fact that they know how to show up to a specified location on time with some semblance of regularity. I've been called pompous before, but I've never assumed that my professor will give me a good grade because I made his or her class that much more awesome by coming in every day and just being me. And professors don't "give" us grades. They look at our work and evaluate it against their standard of quality, and the grade reflects how close we came to what they were looking for. Sure, it's tough to know exactly what a professor expects of you - thank God they print that sort of information on the syllabus. Effort does factor into the equation; it always takes effort to make something good. It's fully possible, however, to expend a decent amount of effort and create something bad. The real trick, I suppose, is to make the effort in your classes to actually learn something, and then incorporate that effort into your endeavors. Just because you spend a few hours on something doesn't mean it's going to be any good — take this column, for instance. I think this problem is rooted in our upbringing. We were taught that everyone is a winner and, if we try hard enough, we can do anything. As useful as these ideas may have been to our youthful psychies, they evidently persist today in our world of grade inflation and deferred responsibility. The simple fact is that we can't all be winners, and just trying is not a one-shot formula for achieving your dreams. If it were, half the adults in this country would be astronauts and the other half would be princese: If you want to succeed, you do have to try, but you also have to learn and compromise. That means actively participating in your classes, not just showing up, and learning to sacrifice some more of your leisure time to really go the extra mile. 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 Tara Smith, managing editor 864-4810 or smithokansan.com Mary Sorrick, managing editor 864-4810 or morsick@kansan.com Kelsey Hayes, kansan.com managing editor 864-4810 or khayesikansan.com Katie Blankenau, opinion editor 864-4924 or kblankenau@kansan.com Ross Stewart, editorial editor. 864-4924 or rstewart@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 adviser 864-7667 or malbison@kanan.com Jon Schlitt, sales and marketing adviser 864-7666 or jschlitt@kansan.com THE EDITORIAL BOARD Members of the Kansasian Editorial Board are Brenna Hawley, Tara Smith, Mary Sorick, Kelsey Hayes and Ross Stewart.