4 Wednesdav. June 23,1993 OPINION UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN IN OUR OPINION Oread parking problem belongs to University The proposed ordinance requiring residents to purchase a parking permit in the Oread Neighborhood is not the solution to the parking problem around the University but a plow pushing the problem into another neighborhood. The Oread Neighborhood Association is drafting a proposal to present to the Lawrence City Commission that would require residents living in the area enclosed by Ninth, Fourteenth, Mississippi and Tennessee streets to pay $10 for a permit. Only three permits would be allotted per living unit. The proposed ordinance would require permits to park between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on those streets. The Association determined that commuter traffic was heavy during class times through a survey they conducted. The proposed ordinance is targeting KU students who park in the neighborhood either because students can't afford a $53 yellow-zone parking permit, or once they have a permit, can't find parking in the oversold yellow lots that are close to campus. The Association's ordinance is to ensure that the residents in the neighborhood have a parking space, but it does not solve the bigger problem of University parking. Students will just park at the edge of the neighborhood's boundaries causing residents in that neighborhood to complain. Jennifer Brown, coordinator of the Oread Neighborhood Association, said the group realized the problem involved the University, and they met with Don Kearns, director of the Parking Department. She said Kearns gave him his approval on the parking permit ordinance because he claimed there was plenty of space in the University's lots. Anyone who has circled a yellow lot looking for a spot before an 8:30 a.m. class would disagree. However Kearns and the Association did not discuss any other solutions. Kearns and the Association need to realize the very problem present in the Oread neighborhood signals a bigger problem that falls upon the University's shoulders. Affordable, accessible parking is the solution, not a permit that will only push parking a couple blocks down into another neighborhood. TERRILYN McCORMICK EDITORIAL EDITOR NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE Clinton should take a more decisive stand to gain the confidence of the nation In the early round of cheering for Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, about the only discouraging word seems to be that Sen. Orrin Hatch likes her, a danger signal if ever there was one. But that aside, it's hard to imagine President Clinton striking out with a candidate who's both a serious legal scholar and the kind of grandmother who has a pursueful of pictures. This woman's skills and experience would seem to render ideology irrelevant. In fact, the only negative moment in the nomination news conference came when some TV dork asked one of those long convoluted questions the haircuts are always asking, the kind that essentially says: "You are an absolutely hopeless waffling weenie. Mr. President; would you confess on camera in time for the 6:30 news?" It had not a lot of substance and absolutely no sense of occasion, so you found yourself rooting for Clinton when he snapped at the guy and stopped taking questions. Do it more. Ronald Reagan always sounded decisive, although he was seldom aware of what decade it was. Clinton is probably getting more credit for the spanking than he's getting for the appointment. Part of looking decisive, Mr. President, is to ponder in private. It is not necessary to humiliate the entire legal profession one by one to choose a Supreme Court justice. And if Orrin Hatch objects, you'll know you diu And if Orrin Hatch objects, you'll know you did right. Limbaugh's definitions redefined by columnist As a result, millions of followers who have watched his show or read his book — yes, they can read — have adopted his philosophy. Rush Limbaugh has become rich and famous pushing his concept of "The way things ought to be." There's nothing wrong with this. Rush has every right to spout his ideas. He is protected by the First Amendment, and his pro-white, male message is nothing that conservative U.S. citizens weren't already familiar with. However, I want a piece of the action. I'm not suggesting drastic changes. I'm talking small potatoes. I have a few minor pieces of legislation to introduce that would make the world a better place — at least for me. Call it, the way things really ought to be. Feminine Hygiene Products Act: "Henceforth there shall be no commercials, infomercials or other elements of the advertising genre broadcast from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. — or any other time I happen to be eating — that promote tampons, panty liners, douches or yeast infection cures." It's not that I'm unsympathetic to the needs for these products or the problems that women face. However, while I'm eating, I think it's disgusting to advertise products people would EDITOR be embarrassed to talk about at the dinner table. You never hear. "You know, Dad, I'm retaining water. Pass the gravy boat." There's a reason you never hear that. It's called loss of appetite. The Jordan Rules Rule: "It shall be prohibited to broadcast more than two commercials featuring basketball player Michael Jordan in one commercial break." Seniority Statute: Everytime Bob Dole mentions the possibility of his running for president in 1996, Sen. Grillock should be forced to mention the fact that he would be more than 75 years old at the end of his first term. Mike, it's called overexposure. Look into it. Does anyone remember what Ronald Reagan was like at the end of his first term? Reagan doesn't. Furthermore, every time Dole tells the tale that he and Bill Clinton are friends, Dole should be given a high That's a lie. Bob. I know it. You know it. And the American people know it. dosage of electric shock. University Regulations, in plain English: Before the Parking Department raises rates once again, parking director Don Kearns should be forced to publicly admit that his office's sole purpose is to squeeze every cent it possibly can out of students for no purpose that improves the University community in any way. Students then gladly would pay the outrageous price for the privilege of parking a mile from the nearest classroom. I know we're getting screwed, but I'd like to hear it from the horse's mouth. Bargain ban: At the start of every semester, KU students are attacked, nay mauled, by vendors of credit cards and coupon pushers. These nuisances are hardly avoidable, and the unsolicited stuff adds to the litter on campus. Enrollment and fee payment are two of the biggest hassles KU students deal with. Banning these bozos from campus would make life a little easier. That's it. That's all will. A few little changes to make life a little easier. I don't ask for much, and that's the wav things ought to be. David Mitchell is the Kansan editor LETTER TO THE EDITOR I am writing in response to the June 9 article entitled, "Junior olympic events pique David Letterman's attention." Custodian olympics draw controversy While I'm just as thrilled as everyone else in the University community at the prospect of seeing some of our custodians racing each other in mop buckets on the David Letterman show, it might interest you to know that not all of the KU custodians share our enthusiasm. Out of approximately two hundred custodians, only sixty-three chose to participate. Many of those who chose not to participate did so out of feeling that riding in a mop bucket (or "We're not trash," was the way one custodian put it, and I doubt if that employee thinks of himself as mop water either. Of course both trash and mop water are substances one uses and then throws away. trash can, which was the original plan) was an undignified and demeaning activity — the sort of activity that would result in disciplinary action if it were to occur during a regular shift. If, as Diana Beebe states in the articles "the Olympics were intended to boost morale and bring the day and night shifts together" it is curious that the people who chose not to participate were not allowed to go and listen to the guest speaker, and that those who did participate got two-and-a-half hours of pay administrative leave, which was denied to the nonparticipants. That is certainly a clever approach to bringing people together and boosting morale. You've really got to hand it to these guys. This event started out as "Custodian Appreciation Day" and wound up with a grievance being filed with the Department of Human Resources. It seems to me that getting everyone together and just saying "thank you for a lot of dirty, hard work and a job well done" might have been a simpler and more eloquent approach. MIKE AUCHARD VICE PRESIDENT KU CLASSIFIED SENATE STAFF COLUMNIST Dinosaur film too violent to be suitable for children "Oh, what cute dinosaurs," I said. The little boy dining with his family at the restaurant where I work looked at me repreachfully. "They're not dinosaurs," he said holding up the plastic toys. "This is a *Triceratops* and this is a *Brachiosaurus*. Target market for the products maybe but not for the movie. I was amazed. This six year-old, who five minutes earlier couldn't pronounce the word "cinnamon," uttered these multisyllabic words with the same confidence anyone else would use saying "cat" or "hat." He and millions like him seemed the perfect target market for the latest Spielberg blockbuster "Jurassic Park." In the first 20 minutes, one person was brutally mailed, another bitten in half. Adults were screaming. Children about the same age as the boy in the restaurant were crying and left after the first 30 minutes. "Jurassic Park" has come a long way from the monster movies of the '60s. Tremember my first dinosaur movie, "Godzilla vs. King Kong." There was no doubt in anyone's mind that this film would be a sitting walk through a toy Tokyo. But Spielberg, in his quest for realism, forgot that while dinosaurs haven't graced the planet, for 65 million years, if a dinosaur looks realistic and bites a realistic-looking human being in half, kids are going to be scared. Proponents of the film content that its PG-13 rating is appropriate. It is true that there is little swearing and no inappropriate naked body parts flashed. (There is a flying torso, but it's fully clothed.) The blood and gore are at a minimum as well. But while most adventure movies are thrilling only at times, "Jurassic Park" is akin to a two-hour, 15-minute roller coaster ride, which can be a little too stressful to a 9-year-old bysche (not to mention the older ones). It is also important to remember that PG-13 is not a restriction. It is only a cautionary notice to parents. Children won't be turned away because their tricycle licenses show them to be only 9 instead of 13. Parents may do what they can to dissuade children, but if I were a kid, I would do everything in my power to go see that movie. And I would have all the media hype behind me to help me out. Both Newsweek and Entertainment Weekly have devoted covers to the film, and the lead story of USA Today's Monday issue was on Jurassic Park's box office records, not to mention the more than 1,000 products available. Kids may not read the articles, but they certainly see the pictures, and they know how to beg for the products. It is as though they were being told, "Look, this is the greatest dinosaur movie ever made, and it's got kids about your age in it experiencing an incredible adventure, but sorry, it's not appropriate for you. Why don't you buy this cool hat instead?" Life can be pretty tough for a kid. Unfortunately, with a marketing strategy as ruthless as the one behind "Jurassic Park," it's not going to get any easier. Val Huber is a Lawrence graduate student majoring in journalism. KANSAN STAFF DAVID MITCHELL Copy Chief Managing editor BILL SKEET, Technology coordinator JAY WILLIAMS General manager, news adviser Editorial ... Terlyn McCormick Campus Planning ... Jess Delfaven Campus News ... Will Lewis Photos ... Melissa Lucy Graphics ... John Paul Fogel PROGRAM DIVIDEND Tracy Ritchie... Copy Editors Christy Corder Gennifer Leaves Tarrittin M Cornick Beth Randolph Jim Reeves Lisa Countrillo Katie Greenwald Todd Puntney Jennifer Swan Chelsea Younke Photographers Valerie Bontrager Doug Hesne Tom Leininger Angle Lower Heather Lofflin Julie Richardson Brian Vandervillet James Wilcox **Letters** should be typed, doubled spaced and more than 200 words. They must include the writer's signature, name, address and telephone number. Writers affiliated with the University of Kansas must include class and homework, or faculty or staff position. **Guest columns** should be typed, double spaced and fewer than 700 lines. The **Kansasan** should right to respect or edit letters, guest columns and cartons. They can be mailed or brought to the Kansasan newsroom, 111 Stauffer First Hall. JOHN CARLTON Business manager JENNIFER BLOWEY Retail sales manager JEANNE HINES Sales and marketing adviser BILLTHOMAS Production PAT BOYLE Accounting Business Staff Retail Account Executives Production manager Robin King Creative director Brian Fucso Classified manager Brenda Daubert Photographer Andrew Amone Retail Zone Managers Jette Burges McWilliams Cathy McWilliams Director Dale Van Sickle Regional Zone Manager ... Dale Van Sickle Promotions ... Josh Hahn Regional Account Executives Arville Crawford ... Franklin Williams Ilene Brenner .Jean Gordon Kathy Kelly .Kesha Larson Shannon Reilly .Jenny Scherzer Julio Suarez .Jennifer Zerbe Campus Account Executive Rick Kelley ... Intern Paulus Probowe ... Creative Staff Danielle Green ... Shanda Kunto Chad Tunget ... Shawn Wright