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Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MCCONNELL: A LITTLE ROTTEN FOOD MIGHT BE A GOOD THING
United States First Amendment
COMING THURSDAY
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18. 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.
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FREE FOR ALL
To contribute to Free for All, visit Kansan.com or call (785) 864-0500.
--ed Press
I just got cut off by a housewife with a handmade sweater and came to the conclusion that you can't get mad at a person in a handwoven sweater.
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Dear Mr. Sideburns in Chemistry II: It is not necessary to ask every irrelevant or intuitive question possible in class in your annoying voice. Thank you.
--senator. The Kansan believes this is a problem, and it needs to change.
--senator. The Kansan believes this is a problem, and it needs to change.
I'm sopaid.
--senator. The Kansan believes this is a problem, and it needs to change.
You can't spell manslaughter without laughter.
--senator. The Kansan believes this is a problem, and it needs to change.
Free for All, why is someone getting picked up from Pet World by SafeRide at 2 in the afternoon? That cannot be good for the animals.
My roommate just asked me, "I wonder if there's a law about how many girls I can get pregnant in a year. It would be awesome to have a little army of me."
I'm going to put out a $500 bounty to anyone who can capture one of those dancing Statues of Liberty. Dead or
--senator. The Kansan believes this is a problem, and it needs to change.
--senator. The Kansan believes this is a problem, and it needs to change.
Applied Behavioral Science might be the easiest class ever.
If you are going to play your music loud enough for everyone to hear through the headphones, make sure it is not crappy music.
--senator. The Kansan believes this is a problem, and it needs to change.
To the beautiful blonde who was in Anschutz Library at the computers around 8:30 to 9:15. Call me
--senator. The Kansan believes this is a problem, and it needs to change.
There were two, count them, two comics about Wilford Brimley in the paper. And my life is complete.
--senator. The Kansan believes this is a problem, and it needs to change.
To the person who stole $150 out of my wallet yesterday at the Rec. My Grandma just gave me that money for my birthday. The police are reviewing the camera footage right now. Bring it back and I won't stress charges.
I picked up roadkill earlier this semester to sell the fur to pay for a KU parking ticket. Fur season ended Sunday, though.
Is it just me or do you miss saying "New York, New York" at basketball games?
Applied Behavioral Science is harder than thought.
--senator. The Kansan believes this is a problem, and it needs to change.
--senator. The Kansan believes this is a problem, and it needs to change.
--senator. The Kansan believes this is a problem, and it needs to change.
This economy might push me to do norn!
EDITORIAL BOARD
Students can't afford to ignore their Senate
This semester, every KU student in Lawrence must pay $414.70 in campus fees. Student Senate determines the amount of these fees and how they are spent, but many students haven't a clue what happens to their money, and, alarmingly, most don't seem to care. Last year, a paltry 12.7 percent of students voted in Senate elections, according to a report by Matt Shaw, student
Adam McGonigle, Wichita junior and student body president, outlined an impressive list of programs Student Senate has initiated, improved or funded during the past decade, including the Student Recreation Fitness Center and its recent expansion, wireless Internet on campus, Fall Break and Stop Day, the student minimum wage, SafeRide and Safebus, Legal Services for Students, bluephones, increased lighting around campus, the tuition compact and more. Senate has served as the essential intermediary between the student body and the University administration, acting
as the voice of the students on countless academic policy change
KANSAN'S
OPINION
Alex Porte, Great Falls, Va. junior, student body treasurer and student body vice presidential candidate with Envision, said that with a budget of more than $20 million — paid for by by student fees Senate has the ability to fund programs around campus that can provide tremendous benefits to students
This school year.
Senate spent half of its annual budget in less than 28 calendar days,
and 70 percent in a
mere two months, according to Porte. Much of that went to pay for a costly and controversial engineering balloon project.
With so much to gain, and to lose, students should be more mindful of what Senate does with their money. Ultimately, they must vote. Mason Heilman, Lawrence junior, chair of the student executive committee and student body presidential candidate for United Students, called the perennial trend in low voter turnout disheartening. He admitted that the student demographic was prone to low turnout, a trend
TO VOTE IN STUDENT SENATE ELECTIONS:
LOG IN to Kyou and use the link on the main page.
WHEN: April 15th to April 16th. Voting ends April 16th at 4 p.m.
POLITICS
amplified by the hyper-local scale of Student Senate elections. But this needn't be the case, especially given how ludicrous easy it is to vote. All a student needs to do is log on to the University's Web site, enter his or her ID, and spend a few minutes selecting candidates. The cost of a year's worth of fees is $829.40.
Ultimately, voting is about holding elected officials accountable for their actions and this applies to Student Senate. Students have a vested interest in how their money is spent, and for that reason, The Kansan implores students to take a few minutes to vote on April 15 and 16.
Dan Thompson for The Kansan Editorial Board
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius talks with reporters about the prospect of her appointment as Secretary of Health and Human Services. A possible role for Sebelius in the Obama administration has been a topic of speculation since her name was mentioned as a potential running mate for Obama.
Sebelius should stay on for now to save Kansas Democratic Party
PAGE 7A
There were a lot of interesting rumors floating around last year regarding the future plans of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. As a consistently successful Democrat in the traditionally Republican-leaning Sunflower State, Sebelius has garnered attention during the past few years.
Rumors last summer about Barack Obama picking Sebelius as his running mate did not pan out, but she was given a position as a chairwoman for the Democratic National Convention in Denver. And when Obama won the election in November, Sebelius was high on the lists for a couple of Cabinet positions.
2010 will be Sebelius' last year as governor. In that same year, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) will finish what he has promised will be his last term in Washington. It has also been speculated for some time that Sebelius would run for Senate after her time as governor was complete. Brownback's pledge gives her a prime opportunity to do that without having to deal with
The governor herself shot down speculation about the Cabinet positions, saying her priority was to remain in Kansas. This prompted some rather absurd speculation that she was angling herself to become the next chancellor of the University, because she said she would not accept a Cabinet position around the same time Robert Hemenway announced his impending retirement.
an incumbent.
All that was speculation enough, but now a new issue has come up. President Obama's choice for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Daschle (D.S.D.), withdrew his name from consideration because of apparent tax problems. Once again, Sebelius has been mentioned as a likely selection, and this time other potential candidates haven't gained as much steam.
For Kansas, though, and especially for the state's Democratic Party, it could be disastrous. Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson is capable enough to hold the job for the remainder of the territ, but he has said he is not interested in running for governor himself. Even if he did, his more moderate views and status as not only a former Republican but a former state party chair have never pleased some Kansas Democrats. He likely would not be able to energize Democrats the way Sebelius did,
It seems it would be difficult for the governor to pass up this position. It would complete her ascension to the highest echelons of American government and would let her focus on a field where she has made her name in Kansas, as Insurance Commissioner in the 1990s and as governor.
and Brownback could easily walk into the governor's position.
But the Senate race is where Sebelius' absence would be missed most. Two prominent Kansas Republicans, Todd Tiahrt and Jerry Moran, have expressed interest in the seat. The Kansas Democratic Party may not have anyone strong enough to challenge either for a position Republicans have held exclusively for decades. Having already proven herself capable of handling powerful state GOP candidates such as Jim Barnett and Phill Kline, Sebelius could easily defeat Moran or Tiahrt in that campaign.
Sebelius, the KDP, and Kansas as a whole face a conundrum: What should Sebelius prioritize? A place among Washington's power elite is tempting, but she could easily attain that next year. A long-awaited Democratic victory in the U.S. Senate would also keep the slow rise of the Democratic Party in Kansas moving, something that could pay dividends for her on a larger level in 2016 if she were interested in running for an even higher position. Running for Senate would make the wait to hold an executive position in Washington longer for Sebelius, but it would be better for the KDP and could still work for her in the long run. Whether she takes that path or simply goes for what may be a guaranteed spot is her decision.
Cohen is a Topeka junior in political science.
CAMPUS
Cutting learning communities unfortunate but right choice
The University is eliminating learning communities in an effort to meet budget cuts mandated by the state. Any budget cut to higher education is fortunate and should be avoided; however, with the current economy the University is forced to take these drastic measures.
I participated in a Latin American Studies learning community the first semester of my freshman year. The learning community had me enrolled in Elementary Spanish I and Comparative Politics. Because these classes were held at several different times, nobody from my learning community had enrolled in the same time slots as I did. Therefore, I did not have a core group of students to study and discuss with, and consequently I did not feel the
A learning community consists of a group of students enrolled in the same core classes who usually meet for a seminar once a week. Learning communities are meant to help students (usually freshmen) adjust to college and give students resources to succeed in college academics. The goals of learning communities seem simple achievable and beneficial; however, these goals are not always met.
I realize my experience does not represent all learning communities. My experience simply illustrates a system that was not fine-tuned to reach all its goals. Unfortunately, because of these mistakes, I did not benefit from my involvement in a learning community.
once-a-week seminar was helpful. Moreover, I felt my experience in a learning community was simply a waste of my time.
Any budget cut in the realm of academics will hurt several people. Nobody wants to see programs cut and faculty laid off. Unfortunately this is our reality and we must face this crisis. I hope the University will be able to bring learning communities back in the future and will be able to work out the small problems in order to make them more beneficial for all students involved.
Brown is a Wichita sophomore in journalism and political science.
University should take position on budget crisis
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Editor's note: This letter was sent to Nancy G. Kinnersley, president of Faculty Senate, and as a letter to the editor.
I am appealing through you, as president of the Faculty Senate, to the Faculty and Senate Executive Committees, for you to take immediate action to express to the KU administration, our elected Kansas Senate and House representatives, Senate President Steve Morris, House Speaker Mike O'Neal, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and the media a solid and forthright position on the current state budgetary crisis in Topeka.
This morning I have expressed to the offices of Barbara Ballard, Marc Francisco, Steve Morris, Mike O'Neal and Gov. Sebelius my total outrage at the position currently being taken by the Republican leadership in both Kansas legislative chambers on the issue of whether the governor should be authorized or allowed to transfer money temporarily from one portion of the State coffers to another, for the purpose of averting a situation unprecedented in my memory as a member of the KU faculty, namely that our checks be withheld on Friday.
Whenever Kansas is covered in the national media, as it is today, it almost always makes us look like a bunch of reactionary fools, except, of course, when it comes to basketball.
I believe we should at the present time express our complete support of Gov. Sebelius' position to veto the recently
passed Kansas budgetary bill which would not only exact crippling budgetary reductions on the state's institutions of higher learning but, what is perhaps even more importantly, the bill would force Kansas public schools to dismiss large numbers of teachers, drastically increase class sizes, and otherwise fail to adequately service the public educational system in this state.
My three grandchildren, who attend Belinder School in Prairie Village, will be directly and adversely effected if this situation does not improve. Even tax increases (God forbid!) should be considered seriously in dealing with the Kansas budgetary shortfall.
If such appeals do not have the desired effects, i.e., get state employees paid on time, get state residents their tax refunds, and minimize the budget cuts that will be forced upon both higher education and K-12 education, then more direct action will be in order, such as strikes, demonstrations in Topeka and elsewhere, and calls for the impeachment of House and Senate leaders.
In addition to addressing you and FacEx with this appeal, I take the liberty of sending copies to the chancellor, the provost, the Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the chair of the Faculty Senate Committee on Faculty Rights, Privileges, and Responsibilities, of which I am a member, and the local newspapers.
— Gerald E. Mikkelson is a professor of Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian Studies
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864-4810 or bhawley@kansan.com
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kawai Editorial Board are Brenna Hawley, Tara Smith, Mary Sorick, Kelsey Hayes and Ross Stewart.