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4A
Monday, March 2, 1998
ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL
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KU Hillel director responds to course content request
As a member of the University of Kansas community, and as a Jew committed to social justice and the lessons of history, I am outraged at our state government's attempt to intimidate our faculty, administration and community.
I am not entirely surprised that someone in the Kansas legislature has demanded that all courses that broach the subject of homosexuality or bisexuality be identified. Nor will I be surprised if and when this same person who has chosen anonymity — at least Fred Phelps stands proudly behind his hatred — will insist that these courses, or those who teach them, be labeled, branded and segregated.
I am eager to see how those who are required to respond to this request from the capital will do so. As they ponder their options, please consider the following.
In 1943, at the height of Hitler's destruction of the Jews of Europe, the Nazis ordered the roundup of all Danish Jews for deportation.
These Jews had previously been identified, labeled, branded and segregated. However, rather than allow the Nazis to determine the fate of their brothers and sisters, their friends and neighbors, the Danish king and the people of Denmark, proved to Europe that, in fact, it was possible to make choices that would preserve the sanctity of human life.
It is said that the Danish king himself wore a yellow Star of David and encouraged all Danes to do the same, thereby standing with the Jewish people in the face of hatred and persecution. As a
result of this courage and solidarity, the vast majority of Danish Jews survived, while throughout Europe the Jewish people were being burned.
I urge all those accountable to the Board of Regents and to the State legislature to protect and stand with those in our community who could be threatened by this potential witch hunt. They are our brothers and our sisters, our friends and our neighbors.
Steven M. Jacobson Director, KU Hillel Foundation
Many vegetarian options available in Lawrence
This is in response to Nadia Mustafa's Feb. 27 editorial, "Vegetarian options few in Lawrence."
I have been a vegetarian since about fifth grade. I am not a vegan, but I also don't eat any meat or seafood.
After moving to Lawrence, I was surprised at all of the great eating establishments with vegetarian food and all of the varieties of food. True, Herbivores closed, but what about the places like Yello Sub, Glass Onion, Paradise Cafe, Rudy's, Wheatfields and Community Mercantile, to name a few? I have no problems finding great vegetarian food anywhere in Lawrence.
I think that before you write an editorial criticizing the vegetarian food in Lawrence,you need to get out more and find out that the eating establishments in Lawrence are all unique,and make great food.
I think that math undergraduate teaching assistants should have more experience. It would be more helpful to the math students because everyone wants teachers who know what they're talking about. An experienced teacher that has a good knowledge of teaching math would be able to teach the class better. The undergraduate teaching assistants often do not know what they're doing, which is why it takes some students two semesters just to pass Math 002 or Math 101.
When I was in Math 002, I didn't understand it at all. I've never been that great at math, but the teacher didn't do anything to make the situation better. My teacher was not prepared for class. The teacher would spend half of the class time going over homework problems that we didn't understand, and we would have less time to learn about the next day's assignments.
Matt Carlson
Glenview, IL sophomore
Undergraduate math instructors undertrained
I'm writing in response to Tina Terry's Jan. 22 column in The University Daily Kansan. I've often wondered exactly how many college students endure the torture of semester-long intermediate math courses each year instructed by overly-apprehensive, undertrained students labeled as "undergraduate teaching assistants." The column meant a lot to me because I was in that same situation.
My teacher was irresponsible because half of the time he would let class out early when he didn't feel like teaching. This took learning time from students. The only time I knew how to do the work was when I met with my tutor. My tutor explained the problems to me step by step so that I could learn how to do the problems.
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Perspective
Drinking age arbitrary: People drink anyway
There's been a lot of talk about booze recently. As a liquor-store clerk and aspiring alcoholic, I thought it was my duty to examine the clerks' stories.
my duty to examine the al all the way to the bottom of the bottle.
Last week, our all-powerful Student Senate passed a resolution that opposes the state-mandated 21-year-old drinking age, and recommends making the legal age 18.
Senate should have recommended making it 20. If we're going to pick an arbitrary drinking age, we might as well round it off.
Daniel Thompson
opinion @ kansan.com
Not that it matters. If the drinking age was 10, there would be nine-year-olds with fake IDs.
I spend hours each week behind a counter, selling hooch to anyone who walks in off the street. I sell to the rich types who come in and buy over-priced, ritzy French Bordeaux wine. I sell to the blue-collar bunch who buy six-packs of Busch and Bud a little after 5 p.m. every day. I sell to the old men who demand their vodka in single guttural sounds: "Pint-Popov." I sell to the cheap, Mad Dog chugging, "wine" drinkers. MD, by the way, stands for Mogden-David—Mad Dog is just an ironic nickname.
I see a lot of fake IDs, but even my trained eye can be fooled. I probably sell to people who aren't 21. However, if you walk to the counter with Blue Hawaiian Mad Dog, I will ask for a second picture ID. I'm not going to jail so someone can get drunk at home. Go to the Bull or the Hawk like everyone else.
Having worked at a liquor store for more than a year, I have thought a lot about the drinking age issue. I have thought about it because it is intrinsically hypocritical to be able to die for your country and elect your leaders, yet not have a glass of wine with dinner.
Although it is illegal, if you're underage, you'll still get messed up. Maybe even have a two or three chemical night. That seems to be part of the human condition.
At the liquor store, I smell the weed wafting off peoples' clothes, I see the blood-shot eyes, and look into their quarter-sized pupils. I hear the deals for the harder stuff being brokered in the Tequila aisle.
And I'm still only talking about the "smart" college kids. Human beings will ingest about anything, it seems, to get all loopy.
I saw an explanation for this a couple
semesters ago in the Reaction Times, a scienlific newspaper.
I ran across an article about a scientist who was redefining the drives of animals. It seemed every rat, monkey or rabbit he put in a cage with an opportunity to get screwed up jumped at it. Therefore, he concluded, the drives of animals must be eating, sleeping, having sex and intoxication. His hypothesis was further validated by empirical evidence in the field — lemurs eating psychedelic plants and humans sniffing rubber cement.
People, like other animals, like to get messed up. I respect the ones that don't — I find them to be above the primal human appetite. I have the same reverence toward vegetarians and celibates. But give me a bottle of Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon and a big bloody piece of cow flesh, baby, and I'll swoon.
And I am not alone.
Student Senate understood this fallacy.
Most people have these same desires. But we still require our children to squelch their appetite, or hide it, until they reach the magic age of 21. Sure, we trust them to vote and have children of their own—but not to drink.
Student Senate understood this fallacy. However, I don't want to see an 18-year-old drinking age—it would never happen, and there are not enough of those inflatable Miller Lite chairs to go around. However, I would like a little consistency from our government.
Make the drinking age, and every other right and duty granted with age, the same
- 20 years. It is less arbitrary. You're not a teenager anymore, so have a drink.
If no one buys this idea, then perhaps we should resort to Constitutional law. I'm no lawyer, but it seems that since the 21st Amendment, which repealed prohibition, was passed before the 26th Amendment, that brought the voting age down to 18, having a 21-year-old drinking age denies 18, 19 and 20-year-olds the rights all other seemingly "equal" citizens have. An inconsistency that strikes of unconstitutionality.
So move the drinking age to 20, which is also a fine age to set everything else at: The right to drink, smoke, vote and die for your country. It's consistent, fair and makes a lot more sense.
So if your age starts with a one—carry on as usual. If it starts with a two—have a drink. I'll just need to see some I.D.
Thompson is an Overland Park junior in journalism and English.
Oprah among best female role models for children
It seems that no matter how high you soar, some bumbling, envying idiot always wants to bring you down. Some people call it player-hating, most of us call
it plain old jealousy. Oprah Winfrey, a once dirt-poor, black child from the rural south, survived child molestation, parental abuse, and society's predictions of a poor, black child's fate, to become a self-proclaimed business woman. She owns her own multi-million dollar corporation and is quite possibly the
Tina
Terry
opinion@kansan.com
strongest female figure in American society today.
Oprah Winfrey was not with an over-night success, nor was she born with a silver spoon in her mouth. In fact, she came into her profession with three significant strikes against her: She was black, female, and she didn't wear a size five. She did not need the aid of silicone implants, liposuction, skin brighteners or 15 bags of imported hair weave to make it in this world. Instead she armed herself with determination, self-pride, common sense and intelligence. Therefore, it is no surprise that she has as much influence on today's youth as five superficial super models, eight anal athletes and all the amusing talent of Barnum & Bailey's Circus.
She is the ideal role model in our troubled society. However, some people disagree.
I've labeled these people "the jealous few." These people can count their intelligence quotient on one foot. They're in deep depression because they've realized they're incapable of ever landing a nine-figure income. They spend their time envying those who do, and worrying about how these people spend their hard-earned money. What the jealous few don't realize is that their futile envy will never affect society's true role models.
Evidence of this fact is seen in Oprah Winfrey's ability to keep on keepin' on, despite the jealous few's persistent efforts to pull her down. She has managed to keep her self-titled talk show out of the "talk show trash" arena. She's maintained a diverse audience by giving them exactly what they want, whether it be Hanson or the Spice Girls. She has become an inspirational figure to the millions of Americans struggling with obesity. Her work is recognized annually by many awards.
The diverse children of Chicago love her because within her they see themselves. Her life's saga is identifiable to all children, regardless of their physical appearance, race, sex, ethnicity or religious beliefs.
This is what makes Oprah Winfrey such an important figure in American society. This is also why she'll continue to reign as talk show queen and the supreme role model in the minds of America's youth.
Tina Terry is a Topeka sophomore in journalism.
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