Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FOLMSBEE: AMERICA CAN'T NEGLECT NASA
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WEDNESDAY,FEBRUARY 25,2009
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My microwave just went on mute. I didn't know microwaves had a mute option.
If I buy my girlfriend a dildo,
will she use it on me?
To the two girls and the guy in the library talking about the OU game; it worked! You got everyone's attention; however, they think you are stupid and don't know anything about KU basketball. Go to K-State.
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Since when does library etiquette include blaring music from your laptop and yelling to a person sitting at the same table?
Roommate, you sleep way too much. I refuse to tipetow around your weird sleeping habits. Wake up.
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Does anyone want to lend me their shower? My water was turned off.
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Rihanna is a disgrace to feminism.
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Dear girl sitting outside my Western Civilization II classroom yelling on her cell phone: We don't want to hear about your Juicy Campus gossip. Sincerely, everyone you've probably ever met.
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I study better naked.
Why was cable not working in the dorms right before the Oklahoma game?
To the pizza delivery guy who delivered to Highpoint last week: Please come back. I want you!
Is this the KU-OU game or the Blake Griffin show?
"inflammable" means the same as "flammable"? What a country!
Sherrrrrron Collllins!
Mr. Self: The team looks great but it's definitely time to stick them to the line.
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Blake Griffin was shown 26 times in the second half of the KU basketball game.
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Never have I ever watched a KU basketball game where they haven't won. Coincidence? think not. You're welcome!
To the girl who left her virginity in my room: Can you please pick it up?
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Exchange rate just one reason to study abroad
The KU Office of Study Abroad offers a tremendous variety of programs
PAGE 5A
dous variety of programs in every discipline, from Spanish and Western civilization to business and engineering, and students at this university should seriously consider going abroad before they graduate. Not only can students study foreign language, history, art
or architecture first hand, but they can gain the invaluable experience of living in another country. And despite the recent economic turmoil, now is the
perfect time to travel, as the dollar's rate of exchange with foreign currencies becomes increasingly favorable. The application deadline for summer and fall study abroad programs is Monday, March 2, so there is still time to apply.
"We have something for students in every discipline," he said. And there are plenty of programs are offered in English all over the world — the British Isles, Continental Europe, South Africa, Australia and Hong Kong.
Robert Lopez, outreach coordinator for the Office of Study Abroad, said the University offered more than 100 programs in more than 60 countries around the world, 50 of which take place over the summer. He said studying abroad was not just for those studying foreign language or the humanities.
The University ranks highly among public universities in terms of the percentage of students who study abroad, a testament to the enduring success of its program. According to the Open Doors Report by the Institute of International Education, nearly 242,000 students from the United States studied abroad from 2006-
KANSAN'S
OPINION
versity in number of students who study abroad, and 27.5 percent of KU undergraduates have completed some sort of study abroad program.
2007, the last available year on record, which represents an increase of 1.4 percent from the previous year. The University is the 11th-ranked research uni
Billie Brock, Dilworth, Minn. senior, studied in France as part of the Paris Summer Language Institute, which, she said, gave her insight into French History that she would never have found at home.
Indeed, at a time when much of the world's opinion of the United States has reached low ebb, it is imperative that students make the effort to understand how the rest of the world lives. In our globalized world, this should be an essential part of any college education.
Many students count their time abroad as one of their most memorable and transforming experiences in college.
"Studying abroad opens the doors to acceptance of other cultures," she said.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Visit the Office of Study Abroad in Lippincott Hall or: http://www.studyabroad.ku.edu/.
March 2 is the application deadline for summer and fall programs.
"It is exhilarating to discover that you are not the center of the world," said Mary Klayder, a professor of English who has taught study abroad courses in Great Britain and Costa Rica.
And now is the time to go. Exchange rates, especially during the past six months, have been improving for Americans. A year ago today, a U.S. dollar could buy about 50 percent of a British pound. Today, it is worth nearly 70 percent of a pounds value. Likewise, last year, the dollar was worth about two-thirds of a euro's value. Today, it is worth nearly 80 percent. This means you'll get a lot more bang for your buck.
The deadlines for summer and fall study abroad is swiftly approaching, so don't hesitate to apply.
— Dan Thompson for The Kansan Editorial Board
EDITORIAL CARTOON
GOLLY, IT SEEMS HALF FULL BUT IT'S KINDA HALF EMPTY, TOO...
NICHOLAS SAMBALUK
STUDENT LIFE
Getting through the season of groundhogs and growth
THIS WEEK'S
SOUNDTRACK OF A LIFE
SONG:
"DAYS GO BY"
BY KEITH URBAN
Today marks the midpoint between Groundhog Day and the Spring Equinox, and incidentally, is also Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent
Then there's April rain and May flowers; June, July and August of vacations and late evenings; September is going back to school and the extravagant colors of October (not to mention Halloween); November and December, the holidays with family and friends; January, a new beginning. But really, it's those six weeks held under the Groundhog's sway, ending in mid-March, that we experience the greatest season
Though all three rituals focus on growth and begin in February, we associate the month of March with natural renewal and development. After all, with the beginning of spring, March in Kansas marks the advent of greener grass, buds on trees and more consistently warm weather (despite the wind — but it's always breezy here).
of personal growth.
Think about it: truly testing those New Year's or Lenten resolutions against those dark, cold days, just longing for the excitement and comfort of warmer days (OK, so we've had some unseasonably warm days this month). February and March are just a fight, morning after morning, to extricate yourself from bed, shower, eat, go to class, eat some more, go to more class, do homework, fall asleep later than you should and wake up to start the whole process over again.
When looking at the four weeks of February, I simply planned to make it through, five days at a time. But, on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, I watched the movie that bears the same name — starring Bill Murray.
Yet after months of reliving the same day, and even proclaiming himself a god, he realizes he can gain from every day. It's a slow and, at times, painful process, but everything finally comes together, culminating in the perfect day.
Watching it this year, I remembered why I loved it — not for the humor or the music ("I've Got You, Babe" by Sonny and Cher over
and over again) — but because of the feeling one gets from watching Murray. He eats everything he wants, has sex, steals money, gets drunk, runs from the cops and kills himself in a whole host of ways, including driving himself and the groundhog off a cliff.
Though none of us may have to bear a year reliving the same awful day, the stretch we're in is the closest we'll get to doing just that. It's tempting to go through the motions in anticipation of spring break and the warmer days that follow, but "Groundhog Day" offers a better solution — improve.
Find something different to busy yourself with each day that contributes, to yourself or the community — over the course of 40 days, perhaps (after all, a habit takes three to four weeks to create). "Tis the season of growth: Take advantage before it's too late.
PowerPoint in lectures overused and overrated
Holmes is an Overland Park freshman in political science.
O any given day in any given class, I sit in a classroom staring at a
As students, we face the daily dilemma of whether to focus on PowerPoint slides or listen to speakers during class. Many times, I choose just to listen because of slides that are overloaded with information and awfully designed.
EDUCATION
lime green or blue or red screen. Blinking restlessly, I try to decipher the black text filling the screen. As soon as I copy down one slide, the next shows up. This repeats until I eventually stop looking at the screen and try to concentrate on a professor talking.
Call me old-fashioned, but I'd rather not have a PowerPoint unless it's well-made. One of my favorite instructors, for example, never used PowerPoint in his class. He always made his point clear and I never felt bored in class. His animated expression and gestures showed his passion for his subject, which drew me to
People need more than one outlet of information, and good presentations allow them to hear, see and do, said Rick Altman, presentation consultant and the author of "Why Most PowerPoint Presentations Suck." His suggestion sounds simple, but not many people — whether professors, TAs or students — are successfully doing this. Some people seem to make slides only because they think they have to. Others rely on PowerPoint to cover up their weaknesses, such as when they become nervous and simply read out texts on slides.
PowerPoint is not a must, but it can be good when used appropriately. Don't just make it. Before you work on it, think about what messages you want to get across. And even before that, ask yourself if PowerPoint is really necessary at all.
- Outline important points, but use less text and fewer words that represent your idea. — Altman
- Avoid using red and green because some people are color-blind. — Altman
- Here are some tips from professionals on effective visual presentations:
- Try the "squint test". Squint at the slide, so that none of the text on the slide is legible. Make sure you're still able to understand what the main point of the slide is from the layout design alone. — Andrew Abela, founder of ExtremePresentation.com
A simple aural presentation can be powerful, but images, such as maps, graphs or photos, can make even stronger presentations. When you put graphics on PowerPoint slides, they should be relevant, rather than images to make the slides less boring. Also, always make sure to put text and images that are big and clear enough for the audience to see.
Miyakawa is a Tokyo, Japan senior in journalism.
the class.
BLOGS
Porta Portese shopping
mdent@kansan.com
I choked. It was embarrassing. I haven't really shopped in a market situation since. Then a few weeks ago I heard about one in Rome. It's called Porta Portese.
This isn't a regular market. Those are all over the city, every day. This is the market. Every Roman peddler who sells anything from genuine antiques to used Genesis CDs to knock-off watches that have already stopped telling time sets up shop at this mile-long alley near the Trastevere area every Sunday morning.
BY MARK DENT
mdont@kansan.com
My most memorable bargaining moment came my junior year of high school in Juarez, Mexico. I wanted a fake Rolex, bad. It was the first thing I looked for at an indoor jumble of shops and tents called "The Mercado." The guy wanted $30. I settled for $20, knowing it couldn't be worth more than four cents.
But more than that, it's the bargaining. There's a sense of excitement that comes with arguing about a price, even though you'll still probably get ripped off.
Part of it is the shopping.
You're on vacation. You want to shop. You want to buy a native style dress or maracas or a crummy shot glass that will break in your suitcase on the plane ride home.
ROME - Markets in foreign countries always pull travelers in
Here, the sellers are supposedly tougher than the Central American variety when it comes to bargaining. Of course, the city's best thieves join them. If you feel someone stick his or her hand in your jeans pocket, and there's a decent chance you might, it's not because that person is attracted to you.
Then I got sucked in. Right away. Porta Portese does that.
I went this past Sunday, with two goals in mind. One was to get some gloves, needed for a trip to Switzerland this weekend. The other one, the main one, was to get another scarf. It was a sensible plan. Gloves and a scarf, nothing else, no wasting money on some counterfeit item.
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