Opinion
DALDORPH: CAMPUS SHOULD HELP LAWRENCE GO GREEN
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY,FEBRUARY 16,2009
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FREE FOR ALL
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I wrote my first song today.
Hopefully I will be brave
enough to share it with you.
Why is it that I feel WAY more focused on studying when I get up early and lose sleep?
They don't know that we know they know we know!
--because they can't give consent."
That poor cat never saw that big butt coming.
I got my hat signed by Mario Chalmers at the women's basketball game. When I put it on, they made a three-pointer. Coincidence? I THINK NOT!
--because they can't give consent."
Be bold, and the mighty forces will come to your aid.
I love Lebanon.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say, "Thou shall not party."
--because they can't give consent."
I would just like to say that Alex Rodriguez and the steroid issue that we're currently facing is similar to the McCarthy Era witch hunts. Does anyone else agree?
--because they can't give consent."
Hey, haven't you heard? Everybody's heard. The bird is the word and the word is the
I lost my virginity to the hottest guy I've ever laid eyes
--because they can't give consent."
If I got college credits for drinking, I would be a doctor.
For all you dumbasses who apparently didn't learn this in driver's ed: You're supposed to use your turn signal before you turn, not after turning.
I thought my Valentine's Day was going badly, and then I received a gift in the mail from my mom. It was a DVD version of "Elegy of the Body" by Pope John Paul II.
I just got a text saying, "You're like SafeRide, but you're fast. And not safe."
If I had buttons on my shirt, would I have a better chance of getting laid?
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Id really like it if you'd give me my brain back so I can think about the three tests I have coming up.
Is it me or are all the guys on Comedy Fridays high?
I was going to go to Starbucks, but I am not that motivated.
POLITICS
Teenagers still underage, even though sending pornography
What do you do when child pornography is for, made by and sent by the kiddies themselves?
Overland Park teenagers have recently discovered the consequences of sending raunchy photos of themselves, according to the article "What to do when children send nude photos via their cell phone" by Laura Bauer and Joe Lambe in The Kansas City Star on Feb. 7. An Overland Park high school student was investigated for sending naughty pictures of herself to her boyfriend. After they broke up, he distributed them to his friends. Sending nude or partially nude photos of minors with a cell phone is called "sexting," according to the article.
I don't think minors should engage in this behavior, but if they do, state law should not charge them.
This phenomenon is not limited to Johnson County. A girl in Ohio was charged for sending nude photos of herself to classmates. If she is convicted for felony charges, she may have to register as a sex offender for 20 years.
In The Kansas City Star article, Deputy Tom Erickson, spokesman for the Johnson County Sheriff's office, said, "Nude photos of offender kids are still child pornography, no matter how you slice it. Whether or not the child did it voluntarily doesn't matter
Not only are adolescents' bodies changing, but so are their brains. High-schoolers frequently do stupid things that the school administration (and everyone else on the planet) does not understand. Teenagers are not inherently stupid — their reasoning skills and maturity levels are in the works. With the technology available, it was only a matter of time before they discovered sexting
because they can't give consent. By "child," the law means any person under age 18, which includes both pre- and postpubescent children. There is quite an anatomical difference between a middle-schooler and a highschooler.
Charging "children" the same as adults who distribute child pornography does not seem to add up. And which of the "children" involved should be charged?
Our culture is to blame for kids' exposure to a lot of sexuality, especially in movies, music and magazines. Kids get the idea that to have a real romantic "relationship," they should be sexually promiscuous. Cosmopolitian's
headlines never read “10 Ways to Get to Know Him;” they say “10 Ways to Make Him Wanna Rock Yo’ Body.” Teens start to come to the conclusion that being sexy means showing off everything they’ve got (hey, it worked for Britney Spears).
The state should not charge the person who sends pictures of himself or herself, or the recipient of the unsolicited photos if the recipient is also underage. However, anyone who forwards the photos without the consent of the original sender should be punished.
And the punishment should fit the crime. Take away cell phone and Internet privileges — privileges the kids care about if they are gone. Or sentence them to community service or make them give a presentation to their peers about the potential consequences of engaging in child pornography.
Only if these measures do not significantly decrease sexting should states begin thinking about new laws to deal with these kiddie porn stars.
Parents and school administrators should dole out the punishments instead of taking up valuable time and money in the already overloaded court system. They are the ones who know the children and will influence their behavior.
Hartz is a Stilwell senior in creative writing.
EDITORIAL CARTOON
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Number of job openings at the new Wal-Mart on Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive. Wal-Mart is using the Lawrence Workforce Center as a hiring location. The new store will be opening in April.
THE CONTEXT
Last week's items you might have missed. Check out Kansan.com Roundup for full stories.
Cost of passport book, now available at the new Passport Acceptance Center in 300 Strong Hall. The center will open today and can be used by students, faculty staff and the public.
Vanlerberg
Caleb Sommerville/KANSAN
THE CONTEXT
Minimum number of years Michael Vanlerberg, Fall 2008 graduate, could serve after being convicted of using explosives to destroy a mailbox in November 2007. Vanlerberg also said he stole and blew up a Jayhawk statue from the Legends Place Apartments.
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148
Number of days of proposed new school year. The University Calendar Committee formulated the proposal to reduce the number of school days from the current 150. The proposal would cut Stop Day and possibly change fall break. Changes wouldn't actually occur until 2012.
THE CONTEXT
ECONOMICS
Dating made easy with economics
Competition in the movie rental industry has made me a rich man. In the
pre-Redbox movie rental days I had to go to Blockbuster and rent a movie for $4. Because I was a poor student, my dates weren't appealing to the ladies. I'd rent a movie for $4, the girl would come watch the movie and then leave, to be seen again only in awkward random moments around campus. After a few failures I realized ladies just weren't pleased with only a movie. They wanted more and had no sympathy for my empty pockets. But dinner and a movie just wasn't possible when renting a movie cost $4. But then the glorious Redbox was invented. Movies could be rented from a vending machine at McDonalds for only $1.
There, I told you my secret to success but I didn't ruin my chances of ever dating on this campus again for no reason. There is a moral to this story: Everyone benefits from competition. Competition drives businesses to increase their productivity. Productivity is derived from efficiency and technology. In the Redbox example it's easy to see that the machine was the technology, which led to the more efficient allocation of resources. The machine made the movie rental industry more capital intensive and less labor intensive. This reallocation significantly lowered the long run average cost for Redbox. Redbox in turn was able to maximize
My dates got so much better. Redbox saved me so much money that I could now get a movie and two Totino's pizzas, one for me and one for the lucky lady. I could see myself looking back years from now, thanking Redbox for helping me win over the woman of my dreams.
profits at a much lower price to the consumer, making everyone wealthier.
The enhanced productivity of Redbox has freed up $3 for every movie rented According to a 2006 Harris Interactive survey, 18 to 24-year-olds watch 88 DVDs each year. That means Redbox allowed average students to spend $24 a year on something they otherwise would have gone without (there is a real stimulus). I bought pizzas with my extra dough. What did you do with yours?
But it is also easy to see the discomfort created by ever-present competition. Redbox doesn't need any cashiers, so my enhanced ability to woo you fine ladies was offset by Blockbuster Bob's unemployment. Concern for Bob is understandable, but, ladies, don't feel guilty for enjoying that delectable pizza. The economy is not a zero-sum game. The extra demand for Totino's pizza will force Totino's to expand; maybe it will hire Bob (or he will be hired by the industry you spent your extra $261 on).
We have to resist the urge to hold back competition. Doing so undermines productivity and wastes resources. Think of where we would be if we kept the producers of typewriters, wagon wheels and VCRs around. Without competition it would be a lot harder for poor guys like me to afford a night of Redbox and Totino's for one lucky lady.
Davidson is a Tonganoxie senior in economics.
FROM CALIFORNIA
ANNA STERLING
UCLA
Daily Bruin
Interracial relationships opportunities for growth
I am a Pilipina dating a white guy. Contrary to popular belief, interracial relationships are still difficult endeavors to undertake. Sure, relationships in general are tough, but interracial dating requires a lot more effort for both parties to understand each other.
Though it can happen to women of color are constantly being fetishized, commodified and exoticized. Were seen as something other than the white standard.
It would probably be a lot easier for me to date a Pilipino. I could wake up in the morning craving spam, eggs and rice and probably be met with equal enthusiasm. Meetings with the family would probably be easier as well. Nonetheless, the fact
that people come from different backgrounds means there is more room to grow through crosscultural exchanges.
While I sometimes feel agitated by the need for me to teach my boyfriend about the struggles of people of color, he teaches me a lot as well. He has taught me that sure, he's white and that it inevitably affords him numerous privileges and opportunities, but he comes from an Eastern European background which is different than a Western European heritage.
If there is one piece of vital information I can offer to people in an interracial relationship, it's that color doesn't define how much a person will care for you, respect you, motivate and inspire you. And it's these aspects more than anything else that really make a strong relationship.
UWire
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