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Opinion
NICHOLS: TWITTERS OF STARS GIVE TOO MUCH INFORMATION
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
COMING WEDNESDAY
United States First Amendment
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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TUESDAY,FEBRUARY 10,2009
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--allowed in cereal malt beverages from 3.2 percent by weight to 4 percent. Such a change would permit
The guy reading the newspaper in the cafeteria just needs a friend.
The high pressure zone has come in and there is climate change and I like it.
--allowed in cereal malt beverages from 3.2 percent by weight to 4 percent. Such a change would permit
I hate Western Civilization, but I'm forced to say stupid things because participation is 25 percent of my grade.
I may be a "GDI," but at least my tires are still intact!
--allowed in cereal malt beverages from 3.2 percent by weight to 4 percent. Such a change would permit
Dear person next door:
Stop having band practice at midnight
--allowed in cereal malt beverages from 3.2 percent by weight to 4 percent. Such a change would permit
I ain't got nothin' but lovin' eight days a week.
Just had the best Facechat sex ever.
--allowed in cereal malt beverages from 3.2 percent by weight to 4 percent. Such a change would permit
I think I keep getting blocked and unblocked. My friends keep changing but I am not adding or unfriending. Ha.
--allowed in cereal malt beverages from 3.2 percent by weight to 4 percent. Such a change would permit
--allowed in cereal malt beverages from 3.2 percent by weight to 4 percent. Such a change would permit
Forgive me, four give me, 4 give me. I screwed up.
If you lost a USB flash drive in Anschutz this morning around 9:30 it is at the circulation desk. You're welcome, your friendly IT Tech.
--allowed in cereal malt beverages from 3.2 percent by weight to 4 percent. Such a change would permit
I un-friend people all the time; I even deny the people I know. It's not like we talk anyway. Why would I be your friend?
You know what's interesting about Barack Obama's slogan, "Yes we can? " "Yes" is yes in English, "oui" is yes in French, and "ken" is yes in Hebrew.
--allowed in cereal malt beverages from 3.2 percent by weight to 4 percent. Such a change would permit
What the hell kind of student drives a brand new Audi A6? I hate rich kids.
--allowed in cereal malt beverages from 3.2 percent by weight to 4 percent. Such a change would permit
I have a feeling that I am going to be 0-for-20 on Saturday. Would any girl like to make it 1-for-20?
--allowed in cereal malt beverages from 3.2 percent by weight to 4 percent. Such a change would permit
To the girl in Sociology who insists on taking her shoes off during class: Keep your stinky feet off the chair backs and away from my face.
--allowed in cereal malt beverages from 3.2 percent by weight to 4 percent. Such a change would permit
I have the best kitchenmates.
I don't want to make pizza for you.
--allowed in cereal malt beverages from 3.2 percent by weight to 4 percent. Such a change would permit
--allowed in cereal malt beverages from 3.2 percent by weight to 4 percent. Such a change would permit
--allowed in cereal malt beverages from 3.2 percent by weight to 4 percent. Such a change would permit
Blink182 is back together My life is complete again.
Did you really just pick your nose and wipe your boogers on the floor? That's nasty, dude.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Proposed beer law would harm local liquor stores
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
The Kansas legislature will be voting on a new law this month that would allow gas stations and supermarkets to sell regular beer, as opposed to the "cereal malt beverages" that they are now permitted to sell - beer with 3.2 percent alcohol by weight.
This change will do more harm than good, disadvantaging small, locally owned liquor stores while benefiting the large chains that operate most gas stations and grocery stores.
Michael Myers, the owner of Mom & Pop's Liquor, 19th and Massachusetts, said that the passage of such a law would have a hugely detrimental impact on small, locally owned liquor stores such as his own and could potentially force many of them out of business. He said that under current state law, liquor stores were not permitted to sell mixers, cups, cigarettes — literally nothing but beverages containing alcohol. Gas stations and supermarkets, with their wide selection of complementary products, would be given a markedly unfair advantage.
Specifically, the new law would increase the amount of alcohol
markets to sell beer with the same alcohol percentage by volume as liquor stores, and beer companies would no longer have to produce two separate products.
Yet this reclassification could have unforeseen consequences. Marci Francisco, 2nd District State Sen., argued that changing the current definition of a cereal malt beverage would most likely lead small, local liquor stores across the state
technically "non-intoxicating." If the case were to reach the Kansas Supreme Court, there is a high likelihood that the justices would determine cereal malt beverages were indeed intoxicating, which is quite obviously the case. The resulting elimination of the current classification would decrease the
— in an attempt to preserve their market share — to legally challenge this new definition of cereal malt beverages, which would still be
KANSAN'S
OPINION
likelihood that the state would once again allow 18- to 21-year-olds to consume 3.2 beer. This classification for cereal malt beverages was concocted in the 1930s to circumvent Prohibition, which persisted in Kansas until 1948. Beer with slightly lower levels of alcohol was deemed to be non-intoxicating and therefore exempted from the ban. And before 1985, Kansas permitted 18- to 21-year-olds to legally consume cereal malt beverages, but prohibited their consumption of other types of alcohol. It was only in 1985, after the federal government threatened to withhold highway matching funds, that the state raised the legal drinking age to 21. Under current Kansas law,
EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT THIS BILL
Contact your local representative
Visit ipsr.ku.edu/ksdata/vote to find your representative
however, the age of consumption for cereal malt beverages would automatically return to 18 if the provisions penalizing states were rescinded.
Despite the potential benefits of slightly more intoxicating beer and a better alcohol selection at gas stations and supermarkets, this law should not be passed. It would disadvantage privately owned liquor stores and put in peril the future of many Kansas small businesses, as well as the chance, although slim, that 18 or 19-year-olds would once again be permitted to drink cereal malt beverages.
— Dan Thompson for The Kansan Editorial Board
PAGE 5A
ARTS
Finding education outside of class
CAMPUS CONNECTIONS
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
ERIN BROWN
"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" opens at the Lied Center on Thursday. Tickets are available on the Lied Center's Web site
A simple movement of dance, a line from a play, the swirl of colors and shapes with the power to evoke a range of emotions: This is art, and you might be missing it.
Art is often viewed as separate from academics and is hardly held to the same standard as other areas of study. Elementary schools often emphasize mathematics or science, and the realm of creativity is usually at the bottom of the agenda. Young students attend music lessons every other day and draw only when other assignments have been completed. Knowledge seems to be valued over creativity, when in fact creativity stimulates and encompasses knowledge.
The world of art, whether the lyrics to a song or the characters of a play, helps connect people with each other and express human emotion. Music, dance, theater and sculpture all present beauty in abstract ways and enable the mind to grow. Art is important to human development and enables people to experience different aspects of life. Engaging in and supporting the arts should be a priority for KU students.
The Lied Center presents high-quality performances from groups and companies across the country, as well as shows from the University and well-known speakers. Students often receive discounts on tickets to some of the best events in Kansas. For example, on Thursday, the Tony Award-winning musical "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" will come to the Lied Center. General admission is $40 to $49, but KU students can attend for only $20 to $25.
Students have several resources available to immerse themselves in art. Not only is the city of Lawrence a well-known supporter of the arts, but we also have the University of Kansas. The Spencer Museum of Art is located on campus and is free to KU students. The Lied Center is also located on campus, and the University has
departments of art, design, music and dance.
The University of Kansas provides students with many opportunities for success. In addition to the resources the University offers to plan future careers, it also allows for the growth from child to adult. The years spent in college teach young adults how to become functional
Students have no reason not to support the arts, with great deals and close proximity to a wonderful facility.
FIND UPCOMING LIED CENTER PERFORMANCES AT:
www.lied.ku.edu
members of society. To become well-rounded and educated, students should use facilities, such as the Lied Center and other venues, to establish creativity in addition to knowledge. No one should graduate from college without at least an introduction to what the artistic world has to offer
Our University provides us with opportunities seldom seen at any other stage of life. Right now is the time to take advantage of these opportunities and grow to our full potential, not only to learn mathematics and history but also to expand into the world of art, and to gain knowledge and creativity.
Brown is a Wichita sophomore in journalism and political science.
POLITICS
Subsidies hurt Kansas farms, environment
Subsidies are a form of financial assistance
mational assistance designed to reduce the risks and costs of endeavors that would otherwise fail or suffer. They remain one of economists' preferred methods for correcting the well-understood inefficiencies of the market place. Problems do arise, however, when subsidies are driven by a powerful few with personal interests in mind. The Kansas farm is such a place, where we find this discriminator subsidization; and here we can see how this has led to the marginalization of the public and the environment.
According to information from the United States Department of Agriculture, 39 percent of Kansas farmers did not receive any of the $622 million in subsidies distributed in 2006.
Of those receiving subsidies, the top 10 percent collected 67 percent, yielding a yearly average of $31,745. That left a mere $931 yearly average for the bottom 80 percent of farmers.
The subsidy program has done more than simply shift money around. It creates an abundance of cheap calories. Farmers are encouraged to produce far more than the country can use, depressing prices, increasing subsidy payments, and leaving a surplus of commodities.
Farmers have eliminated the surplus food in wasteful ways. Cows no longer eat grass, but rather are fed corn, the top crop for federal assistance. In fact, according to the National Corn Growers Association, 80 percent of corn grown in the U.S. is consumed by domestic and overseas livestock, poultry, and fish. Only about 12 percent ends up in foods that are either consumed directly or indirectly. "Indirectly" includes such things as high fructose corn syrup.
Actually, the farm subsidies do little to encourage the production of food that we actually eat. Farmers receiving subsidies are restricted from growing "specialty crops" — farm-bill language for fruits and vegetables.
The overproduction of cheap food — done mostly on monocrop farm factories kept afloat by fossil-fuel based fertilizers and pesticides — exacts a terrible cost on the environment and our health.
Writing for Time magazine, Michael Grunwald effectively summarized the subsidization as a "welfare program for the megafarms that use the most fuel, water and pesticides; emit the most greenhouse gases; grow the most fattening crops; hire the most illegals; and depopulate rural America."
It should not come as a surprise that such programs exist, when our culture of individualism encourages us to seek out what is best for ourselves (based on the assumption that this leads to what is best for the many). Instead of progress, we find ourselves in a system that affords all the comforts of socialism for the rich, while reserving rough and unforgiving capitalism for the rest of us.
In the subsidy program, the costs and risks of the few are subsidized by the many. Only the few are allowed to collect the profit in the good times, but all bear the costs in the bad.
Kenny is a Leavenworth senior in civil and environmental engineering.
days after the Super Bowl and national title game, respectively.) It seems pretty ironic that after one of the biggest shots in NCAA history, KU is not a part of ESPN's reflection on all the major sports champions.
Jayhawks absent from SportsCenter montage
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Something has been bothering me since the Jayhawks won another national title. Taking the title home again was a great feeling for all of Lawrence and every KU follower. However, I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed that for some reason the Hawks are nowhere to be found in the five-to-10 second clip that starts SportsCenter and many other shows on ESPN and ESPN2.
The clip opens with the Phillies, Steelers, Lady Vols, Boston Celtics, Florida Gators and Jimmie Johnson. Almost a year after its victory, the University of Kansas is not getting the recognition it deserves. (Pittsburgh and Florida were added the
I hate to bring MU into it, but anybody who watches ESPN regularly knows that there are a lot of MU graduates walking the halls.
People may call the complaint too picky, but any national exposure is great for the University of Kansas, and this exposure is deserved. I no longer live in Lawrence, but it would be great to see some sort of petition brought to ESPN
Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
Matt Cross is an alumnus from Lee's Summit, Mo.
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Brenna Hawley, Tara Smith, Mary Sorick, Keely Hayes and Ross Stewart.
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