4 University Daily Kansan / Monday, March 16, 1992 OPINION LIFE IN HELL ©1992 BY MAH GROENING Some things in this life are meant to be funny I'd like to tell a joke. How many people of non-specified nationality, economic status, gender, skin, hair or eye color, with ear lobes neither attached nor unattached does it take to screw in a light bulb? Answer: one, and it' not funny. All right, that was pretty flat, but it's the only politically correct joke I know. Had I filled in any of the specifics, I might have been accused of being insensitive, or even intellectually deficient. One of my favorite teachers has been known to say, "Life is a long, winding uphill road that ultimately leads to death." Pretty grim. Maybe we should all just slit our wrists and end it now. Of course I'm kidding! Because as we travel along that road, there is so Kate Kelley Staff columnist much to see and experience. Some look at nature and see possibilities, some look at all the colors of the rainbow and want to capture them on canvas, some are inspired by the sounds and music all around us. I see someone get hit in the face with one of life's cream pies, and I laugh. There is so much to be serious about in our world. We are all faced with injustices, problems, and sadness. Some things are just meant to amuse, shed a different light on lions, release some tension. If you want to kick back, take a mental break, maybe release some stress through a laugh, or at least a smile, read the cartons, the personals, the humorous guest columnists, and maybe even this column; but read it in the spirit in which it was written. My point is, sometimes it's OK to just lighten up. THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN Many things are meant to be taken seriously, pondered over, have action taken. If you want to be serious, read the news articles, editorials, columns with a serious intent, or my Western Civilization assignments. Kate Kelley is a Fort Leavenworth junior majoring in English. Don't kick drinks off the Hill Proposed city booze ordinance is a party-pooper for a tradition of revelry at KU sporting events The Lawrence City Commission will decide tomorrow whether to change the city code to make illegal the possession and consumption of alcoholic liquor and cereal malt beverages on KU property. For many KU students, a yes vote by the Commission will mean the end of one of the oldest and most enjoyed traditions of KU athletic events. The fact that it is the University's administration that has requested that the city end this tradition makes the proposed ordinance all the more obvious. David Ambler, vice chancellor for student affairs, has asked for this action by the city to enable KU police officers to enforce the current KU policy. Currently, KU police have no authority to ask for identification from anyone violating the policy, and the University can impose sanctions only on students, faculty and staff who violate the policy. The proposed ordinance would eliminate the consumption of alcoholic beverages that occurs on the Hill during KU football games and on campus during the NCAA tournament. "Some of those people were creating a disturbance in front of the families on the Hill watching the game." Amber was quoted as saying, "I think their behavior disrupted the rights of the people sitting on the Hill." The crucial point that proponents of the city ordinance miss is that University activities revolve around students. Students play in the games, and students provide the most vocal support for the players. To say that students of legal drinking age should not be allowed to drink on the Hill because their behavior offends people who are not students is to deny the student nature of the event. The administration should at least be honest and address this proposed ordinance and the current no-alcohol policy for what it really is. It is not an anti-alcohol policy; it is an anti-student policy. Football games and other athletic events are just that — student events. Students of legal drinking age should be able to enjoy them without needing a liquor license. Foam cups must be avoided Mark Coatney for the editorial board The containers are made from dangerous elements that can cause cancer and other harms Too many Lawrence businesses continue to vend Styrofoam containers — all five Kiwk Shops, all four EZ Shops, both Sonics, Danny's, Buffalo Bob's Smokehouse, Town & Country, the Jayhawk Food Mart, Quik Grocer, Amoco, Texaco and several restaurants that use them for carryout. In August of 1898, pressure from students led to a decision to ban Styrofoam cups in the Kansas Union. Before, the Union sold one million Styrofoam cups per year. In November of 1990, McDonald's began to phase out Styrofoam and reduced its waste volume by 90 percent. The reasons for eliminating Styrofoam sales were—and still are—valid. Though proponents and opponents of Styrofoam offer conflicting statistics, the bulk of the evidence favors the opponents. Styrofoam manufacturers herald their product for being strong, durable, insulating — everything but bulletproof. There is a lot of technology keeping soft drinks in cups, but not all of it is friendly. Though Styrofoam is not manufactured with ozone-killing chlorofluorocarbons, called FCCs, it is manufactured with smog-producing pentane gas. Smog is produced when pentane combines with nitrous oxides, contained in auto and factory emissions. Styrofoam producers say they reduce the smog production by building plants in rural areas where nitrous oxides are less concentrated. But the most dangerous elements of Styrofoam are the carcinogens from which it is made: benzene and styrene. Tissue surveys show that these elements are present in nearly everyone's body. Sleeping disorders, chromosomal abnormalities and cancer may result from even small concentrations. Benzene and styrene are supposed to be rendered harmless during the manufacturing process, and they almost always are. But the process is not perfect. There is a minute risk every time a cup made of Styrofoam is used, a risk Americans take 25 billion times per year. In something as simple as a cup, this risk should not exist. Martin Scherstuhl for the editorial board Campus not a market On campus, some days it can be extremely difficult to tell where you are. In my mind, I know that I am at the University of Kansas. Yet when I look around I am bombed with offers for free long-distance service, credit cards, etc. Tell me, am I at an institution of higher learning or a direct marketers association convention? The University is more than a place for higher education; it is a place where marketers are allowed to harass students in person, by mail, through textbooks and in class. The University offers open access to students. No area is too sacred for a markereter to invade. Advertisements are on classroom bulletin boards. Offers for magazine and newspaper subscriptions mysteriously fall from textbooks into the laps of students who were trying to study. Students trying to enroll must dodge past all the vultures promoting once-in-a-lifetime offers for credit cards with only a $25 annual fee and 22 percent interest. Finally, companies take the precaution of sending junk mail to your home in case they have missed you elsewhere. It seems incredibly ironic that a teacher can publicly post a student's grade by ID number only with the written consent of the student, yet the University can sell my name and address without my written consent. Under the Buckley amendment, the names of KU students are blacked out of public KU police reports to protect the students' right to privacy. Does the University forget about the right to privacy when it is approached by companies wanting to buy student names? Letters to the editor In addition to being an institution of higher learning, KU is a marketer's dream. Open access to a large group of students between the ages of 18 and 24 can be very profitable for outside marketers. But their gain is our loss. They take away our right to privacy at home, our right to walk the campus in peace, and our right not to be distracted by bright orange ads during class and while at home reading assignments. Marketers belong in the marketplace, not on our campus. Kellie Hogan Wichita senior K-State fans uncouth The finger and ice-throwing incident at Kansas State was turned into an issue of players' sportsmanship in the letters from the K-State fans. This is really not the issue. What was the problem? The reactions of the fans. I agree that Rex Walters' and Richard Scott's behavior wasn't really acceptable. But the response of the fans was completely uncalled for. This isn't the first time K-Staters displayed poor class when it came to supporting their teams. At the K-State-Kansas football game, some fans snake live chickens into the stadium. Then, amid their creative parody of our chant, "Rock Chalk, Chickenhawk," they threw the chickens high into the air. One of the chickens had helium balloons tied to its neck in an effort to send it into orbit. Others crashed into the stadium seats, bleeding all over the place. How much class did that take? ■ Rob Freelove Ashland sophomore Also, I feel like you're not much of an American since you would not fight for your country! Sure, you have the freedom now, but what if we had a ruler like Saddam? Do you think you would still have the freedom? No! War impeded Saddam When I saw David Caruso's Feb. 11 column "Advertisements glorify warfare" obvious horror, it made me mad! David, I think you need to be in the Middle East under Saddam Hussein feel. Would you still have the same feeling? You certainly would not have the freedom to write articles like that and stay alive. Those people have no freedom like you and... Yes, I am a weekend warrior who served time during the Persian Gulf War. I worked with a hospital; we had civilians in malnourished. Some came with problems inflicted during the Iran-Iraq War or earlier. You cannot tell me it was a mistake for us to go over there. The people have a rough life and will be scared until Saddam is killed. David, you say you want nothing to do with the military. Saddam made his people fight, or he killed them and their families too. Saddam killed people just because they would not do what he wanted. David, how do you feel about Saddam? Would you like him to be your ruler? If we had gone not over, Saddam; probably would have taken control over the whole Middle East and just kept going until he ruled the world. David, you think too much of yourself There are other people too. We fought for our country to keep it a better place to live, so we have freedom Sgt. Wendy Graham computer operator, Computer Center KANSANSTAFF TIFFANY HARNESS Editor VANESSA FUHRMANS Managing editor TOM EBLEN General manager, news adviser Editors Editors News Mike Andrews Editorial Beth Randolph Planning Lara Gold Campus Eric Gorski/Rochelle Ollen Sports Eric Nelson Photo Julie Jacobson Features Debbie Myers Graphics Alimee Brainard/J Jeff Meese JENNIFER CLAXTON Business manager JEANNE HINES Sales and marketing adviser JAY STEINER Retail sales manager Business Staff Business Staff Campus sales mgrs Bill Ileiengood Regional sales mgrs Rich Hanbarharger Creative sales mgrs Lee Jiaeon Co-op sales mgrs Mea Johnson Production mgrs Kim Wallace Marketing director Lisa Keeler Marketing director Kim Claxton Learning manager Leanne Klipch Classified mgrs Kip Chin Letters should be type, double-spaced and fewer than 200 words. They must include the writer's signature, name, phone number, e-mail address, and a photograph of the author and hometown, or faculty or staff position. *The letter should be written in a clear, legible font and with proper indentation.* This will be scored by the person who reads it. Guest columns should be typed, double-spaced and fewer than 700 words. The writer will be photographed. The Kansan reserves the right to reject or edit letters, guest columns and cartoons. They can be mailed or brought to the Kansan newroom, 111 Stuart-Fintt Hall. by David Rosenfield Stick