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OPINION
Thursday, January 28, 1993
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
IN OUR OPINION
Robinson fails to meet growing student needs
F finding enjoyment in Robinson's neighborhood can be almost impossible. For anyone attempting to use the facilities at Robinson Center, feel-ings of frustration are
given to a severe lack of available space and equipment, students spend much of their time waiting for courts and exercise machines instead of actually playing sports and exercising.
Basketball is the worst. To play a game, students must wait from 30 minutes to an hour for a court. Even then, they are only guaranteed one game. This congestion is due to the fact that Robinson has only four indoor courts. Considering that KU is a school known for its basketball, it seems peculiar that such a small amount of court space is available for recreational use. Universities such as Nebraska offer students as many as 12 basketball courts, plus multi-purpose courts for games.
Racquetball is another sport that lacks necessary attention. Generally, racquetball courts are hard to come by because night reservations are filled during the day and early evening. After that, even if students are successful in securing reservations, balls and racquets are not always available for use.
In addition, the Robinson weight room needs more equipment. It is another example of too many people wanting not enough stuff. As with the basketball and racquetball courts, students are forced to wait for available weights and machines due to the tremendous number of students using the facilities. Weight lifting and racquetball are activities that have appeal all year. It would make sense to find more effective ways to accommodate KU students.
The need to expand Robinson is nothing new. As early as 1907, the University realized that its growing student population was causing strain on its recreational facilities. Improvements for the present Robinson building were planned in the 1950s, and the first major renovation was completed in 1966. Subsequent additions were completed in 1977 and 1980. As this trend suggests, it will soon be time for Robinson to grow again.
The current facilities at Robinson are definitely a vast improvement over KU's first gymnasium, which was in the basement of Old Fraser Hall. History has proven, however, that students' needs change with time. The students' demands for recreational services are exceeding the capabilities of the University. Now is the time to realize that the overburdened Robinson Center will soon require another expansion if it is going to continue to serve KU's needs.
MICHAEL TAYLOR FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
U.S. policy with Iraq determined by need for oil
Of course, it is much more than a mere quest for a "just" order that has so many U.S. planes flying over
The obduction of ... (Saddam) Hussein is not inexplicable. Each of his actions are designed to have a particular political effect both within the country and in the region. His military strength has been sapped to an extent that he cannot do anything more than put up a show of resistance. But in doing so, he is earning respect among the people in the region, which is bound to prove troublesome for the rulers who have cast their lot with the United States.
Iraq when they could have been more justly deployed over Bosnia. It cannot be ruled out that the U.S. mission in Iraq is much more than Saddam — the U.S. might well be looking into the future.
Seven years from now, 80 percent of the world's resources would be in this area, the U.S. and North Sea oil deposits have been exhausted. The United States, which has retained the cardinal principle of securing the flow of oil, could well be looking for a permanent presence. For now, Saddam provides ample scope for the United States to have a free hand.
The Observer of Business and Politics
Bombay and New Delhi, India
num. 10
Jan.19
KANSAN STAFF
GREG FARMER Editor
STEVE PERRY Business manager
GAYLE OSTERBERG Managing editor
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
BILL SKEET. Technology coordinator
TOM EBLEN
MELISSATERLIP Retail sales manager
Business manager
BILL SKEET, Technology coordinator
Asst Managing | Justin Krupp
News | Monique Guilain
... David Mitchell
Editorial | Stephen Martino
Campus | KC Trauner
Sports | David Mitchell
Mall Row Home | Lynne McAdoo
Features | Lynne McAdoo
Graphics | Dan Schauer
JEANNE HINES Sales and marketing adviser
Business Staff
Campus sales mgr...Brad Braden
Regional sales mgr...Wade Baxter
National sales mgr...Jennifer Perrier
Co-op sales mgr...Ashley Hessel
Production mgr...Ashley Langford
Marketing director...Angela Cleverenger
Creative director...Holly Perry
Clifton manager...David Clarke
Art Director...Dave Haber
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'Limbaughland,' a place where the outspoken must beware
There's a new country now forming in North America. It's a place where people don't tax their own brains to develop opinions. It's a place where cubrits for all of society's woes are clearly illuminated under the spotlight of a single omniscient wit. it's a comforting alternate reality I call "Limbaughland," and it springs from the lips of talent "on loan from God."
STAFF COLUMNIST
The single unifying principle defining all the laws of nature in Limbaughland is, stated simply: What Rush says is always correct.
Limbaughland is inhabited by unique beings whose reality is given substance by the divine utterances of the great guru "Rush." Rush is documented 99.8 percent correct, and to criticize his words is a heresy, bringing cries of outrage from the true believers. This is what happened recently when Kansan columnist Lisa Cosmia unwittingly ventured into Limbaughland, without fully understanding the altered laws of nature that operate in this fantasy domain.
Poor Lisa Cosmillo. She committed the unforgivable sin of not consulting the bible of Limbaughland, "The Way Things Ought To Be," before equating the word feminist with Limbaugh's term "feminai." Instead, she attributed Rush with the interpretation made by her father, a mere foot soldier in the army of this theocracy.
"For shame Ms. Cosmillo," cried the true believers, "Your credibility is shot!" Limbaughites prove Cosmillo's point during the very act of righteously condemning her. "Rush himself says there are only 25 known feminizies," they proclaim. If racists and
sexists read their own views into Limbaugh's commentary, that's unfortunate but not Rush's fault; they imply
Their reasoning ignores the fact that Limbaughland is the invention of Rush, who creates the rules of engagement there. This king of contrived controversy provides all the denigrating labels the narrow-minded could possibly hope for, and then conveniently washes his hands of the inevitable consequences. He defines his labels to encompass those who take nearly non-existent extremist positions. He then repeatedly pounds these labels across the airwaves, coverty encouraging his gullible followers to do the dirty work. They complete the job by buming together all feminists as "feminazis", all environmentalists as "environmentalist wackos", and all opposition of any kind as "politically correct."
In Limbaughland, these labels are the only language necessary for "intelligent" discourse. If you protest the use of a label, they wave the word of Rush in your face while exclaiming.
"You blasphemed the words of our guru, and here's proof."
Perhaps Cosmillo did miss the letter of Rush's law, but she focused unerringly on the spirit reflected in the beliefs of her father who, like countless millions of other Limbaugh fans, can read between the lines and fill in the blanks so defily provided by the master.
I've listened to Rush for 18 months, and I think I've discovered the premise which forms the fabric of Limbaughland reality. It is that no matter what problem confronts us, there's always a group of conspirators to be rooted out and exposed as scapegoats. Thus, Limbaughites need never look to themselves for solutions, but can instead condemn whatever group the all-knowing Rush says is to blame.
Does anyone else detect the incredible irony when people who embrace such a belief system use the term "nazi" to describe someone else?
Steve Chapman is an Overland Park senior majoring in systematics and ecology.
Failure to invest in teachers apparent
STAFF COLUMNIST
Ryne Sandberg will collect $7.1 million next summer to play for the Chicago Cubs. Bruce Willis was offered $16 million to make "Die Hard 3." Executives of large corporations are paid thousands of dollars for giving an after-dinner speech.
Meanwhile, KU faculty members are keeping their fingers crossed for a 3 percent salary increase proposed by Gov. Joan Finney. This would boost some of the lucky long-tiners clear up into the $40,000 range.
That's not for a season, a film or a meal. It's a year's worth of income.
Some people may argue that this disparity exists because those with megaback contracts are, after all, the creme de la creme of their professions. Ballplayers — the George Bretts excluded — have only a few years to be in top form. Public adulation is fickle.
The average salary of a professional baseball player is now more than $1 million. Lesser-known entertainers and business people have six-and-seven incomes.
Some people may point out that
There's little mention of investment value for good educators; the return is not immediately apparent. Our failure to make a large enough investment, however, is obvious. According to the 1992 Condition of Education report by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, 9-year-old students in the United States are educationally behind those in Taiwan, Canada, Spain, Korea and 14 of 15 republics of the former Soviet Union. By age 13,
exorbitant fees for movie stars, athletes and CEOs are investments. Returns on gate receipts, box office sales and publicity can be spectacular.
our science students also have slimmed behind students in France.
are our these are the kids who will be our global representatives in 20 years.
In some cultures, teachers are venerated. In the United States, an old saying proclaims (with apologies to George Bernard Shaw): Those who do. Those who cannot, teach.
There are several professions to which people aspire by altruism, although economics drives most ambition machines. Sometimes they happily coincide, such as in medicine and law. The above saying, though, suggests that the motive for tracing, if not altruistic, is one of default.
That is not true, of course. But regardless of its validity, that such a saying endured at all is an indictment of our entire system.
The irony is that dedicated teachers are one of our most valuable resources. Yet we seem to give more importance to second basemen.
If teaching salaries were one quarter those of professional athletes, think of what a scramble there would be among students to become teachers
— and among states, districts apn schools to hire the creme de la creme of those graduates.
Only when our educators' salaries are high enough to prompt such stiff competition, however, will we begin to see the real return on that investment.
There are only so many dollars in state budgets to go only so far. It can not be an easy job to decide how to divvy up the revenues. Few people believe that administrators or legislators spend those dollars in the best possible way, so the attitude among voters is, "Not with my dollars."
I just find it remarkable that our society even debates whether our teachers should receive as much as say, an auto worker. Considering all why on earth would anyone want to be a teacher? The same knowledge and expertise would be much more lucrative if applied in the "real" world. Hey, Topeka! ... is anyone out there listening?
501 Bluez
Cecile Julian is a Leawood senior majoring in Journalism.
by Moses Smith
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