UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN editorials
Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Kansan editorial staff. Signed columns represent the views of only the writers.
NOVEMBER 6,1978
Beer sales a solution
At last, a reasonable method has been proposed for the funding of women's athletics at the University of Kansas.
The proposal, made recently by the Concerned Students for Higher Education, supports the sale of beer at football games in Memorial Stadium. The proceeds would go to women's athletics.
athletics. a group's intention, Ron Allen, executive chairman of CSHE said, was to support women's athletics, not to promote the sale of beer.
WOMEN'S ATHLETICS at KU has been in a financial jam since the Student Senate withdrew funding this fall and the Kansas Legislature allocated only partial funding for the program.
Using the profits from beer sales to fund the program would not force the burden of athletic funding upon one group, as would have a 3 cent cigarette tax proposed earlier in the year by the Associated Students of Kansas.
No one would be forced to buy beer. But it would be available for those who want to buy it and thus support women's athletics.
ALTHOUGH OPPONENTS of the proposal may say beer sales will only increase the amount of drinking at football games, making the crowd unruly, it probably will have almost the opposite effect.
than major strangers.
Beer is sold at almost all professional sports contests and there are few cases of crowd disorder.
The rule prohibiting consumption of alcoholic beverages at football games is rarely enforced. Drinking 3.2 beer probably would cause fewer problems than liquor smuggled into games.
ALLEN SAYS he is optimistic that the Kansas University Athletic Corporation and the KU administration will approve the program. But CSHE will face a tougher fight trying to get approval of the proposal from the Kansas Board of Regents and the Legislature.
The Regents should view the proposal as an equitable and inexpensive method to fund women's athletics.
The Kansas Legislature, after shirking its responsibility to fund women's athletics last year, should look beyond the state's archaic view of liquor and approve the proposal.
Litsey says gasohol would mean high taxes
By ROBERT CISKI Research director Litsey for Congress
The main pift of political writing and editorializing is a tendency to respond with gut-level feeling, rather than fact. An anatole and responsible public observer generally presents an analysis of personalities and positions in the best interest of the readers.
The recent editorial endorsing Dan Glickman makes a wonderful emotional appeal. However, there are errors in fact. Gasohol, for instance, was mentioned as a boost to the local economy. Several points were made in a report prepared by the Council of Agriculture for the House Task Force on Physical Resources in January 1978.
Each 5 to 8 BTU of ethanol requires 1 BTU to produce—a net energy loss. The cheapest source of ethanol is corn, which has a higher starch content and lower price than wheat. But ethanol can also impact consumers would mean higher grain and meat prices and higher fuel costs.
In order to be competitive, gasohol would mean higher taxes. I think it is clear that good journalism requires hard work and insightful judgment.
The American political system is built on philosophical differences and competition on how to best serve the public interest. Dan Glickman is a capable, honest and likeable congressman. He is wrong in some of the ways he has voted, and in some the program has supported. Jim Lissey has told what he would do differently—let the votes decide.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was written, at the Kansas' invitation, in response to the Kansas' endorsement of Kanechaukan in the 4th Congressional District race.
The endorsement implies spite between Glickman and Jim Litsey, which is a disservence to them both. Frankly, the editorial is just plain silly.
Supica criticizes trend of Vogel's voting record
By JIM SUPICA Democratic candidate 43rd Legislative District
PROPERTY TAX~Vogel~ vote on a
proposal in 1973 was a vote to
bail out the Department of Aviation
While I was pleased the University Daily Kansan considers me "a qualified candidate" with "an impressive background," I was puzzled by the Kansan's endorsement of a law in the light of his record on major issues in the Kansas Legislature. For example:
NURSING HOMES—He voted to reduce the training of aides and voted against the establishment of division of adult home care licensing in the Department of Health and Medicine.
CAPITAL, PUNISHMENT—He was the only legislator from Douglas County to vote against a bill to reduce homo-
EDITOR'S NOTE: this article was written, at the Kansas' invitation, in response to the Kansas's endorsement of State Rep. John Vogel in the 34th Legislative District.
EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT Haved in vote of putting HBM 80% on the ballot in August 2016.
NUCLEAR POWER—He voted to strike the enacting clause on HB 2019. This would have gutted this important bill that provided for the Legislature to vote on nuclear power sites, instead of leaving such decisions to the Kansas Corporation Commission.
These are all areas in which I and a great many University of Kansas students, staff and faculty members take issue with Mr. Vogel's voting record. I hope to provide a description of my vote for the District in the Kansas House of Representatives.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN
Published at the University of Kansas daily August through May and Monday through Thursday during June and July except Saturday, and Sunday and holidays. Second-class postage paid at Lawrence, Kansas 60645. Subscriptions by mail are $12 six months ago. Student subscriptions are $8.99. County student subscriptions are $7 a semester, passed the student activity fee.
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Whittaker runs grassroots campaign
By STEVE LEBEN Media consultant Whittaker for Congress
Only one candidate in the race for 8th District congressman has run a grassroots, person-to-person campaign. That man is John McCain, who will be the next congressman from that district.
Before addressing some errors in the
system, Kansan endorses, let
tell Bob's boss.
He didn't have big money or party support in the primaries, so he went door-to-door in almost every city of the district. He knocked personally on 10,700 doors and personally telephoned another 6,500 voters to ask them for their vote. No other candidate did half that much, and Bob won in a five-man race even though he was outspent by $50,000.
combat child abuse and to improve the state's adoption laws. These are constructive efforts, and many more are listed in the report sent to the Kansan.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was written, at the Kansan's invitation, in response to the Kansan's endorsement of Dont Allegreu in the 5th Congressional District race.
He had been a supporter of higher education in the Legislature, and would continue to help those interests at the federal level. He is especially committed to financial aid programs. Quite sensibly, he prefers to expand the financial aid programs instead of offering financially subsidized education. Only the financial aid programs, granted on a case-by-case basis, can go to those who financially need it most.
He has continued that type of campaign in
HIS RECORD is a good one. As a reporter for KOVY radio in my hometown of El Dorado, I covered Whittaker while he was representing a district from my county. He kept in touch with his constituents, better than any other legislator. In fact, more than one member kidged him, the amount of mail and number of phone calls he received.
the general election. And he has run a clean campaign, speaking to the issues and running on his record as a two-term legislator.
I know, because I reported on it at the time, and because I wrote a 10-page report on Bob's legislative record that we sent recently to the House Judiciary Participation Act of 1976, carried key amendments to the Homestead Property Tax Exemption on the House floor, and authorized important legislation on the Park—all in his first year in the Legislature.
It's unusual for a state legislator to give
The Kansas says Whittaker's only accomplishment in the Kansas Legislature was his perfect attendance and voting record. While that is something that no other representative could match from 1975-77, that is certainly not all of Bob's record.
I have followed Bob Whittaker around the 9th District as a member of his staff for the past three months. He listens. He cares deeply about what he would make an excellent congressman.
weekly reports to local papers and radio, but Bob did this and more.
BOB WHITTAKER was one of the Legislature's leading proponents of steps to
Cole review reaction hard to believe
To the editor:
I would like to express my total disbelief at the controversy that has arisen over Melissa Thompson's review of the Natalie Cole concert. I found no evidence of stereotyping in her review and I'm afraid that all I can do is chuckle at the sensitivity of such organizations as the Black Student Union.
Paul Nance
Prairie Village junior
The tragedy was that yet another performer was forced to play with the lousy acoustics of Allen Field House. So if you're looking for publicity, Kansas, why don't you visit a performance that there is a need for contemporary 'set' performers in a more intimate setting.
Acoustics in Allen ruin another concert
Paul Nance
Giggles were heard from our small wooden frame house Tuesday when we saw that the black students not only appreciated the poor caliber of the review, they also proceeded to overreact hysterically and generally makes bozos of themselves.
If a white performer had been reported to have "stripped off her black and white jacket", or committed any other such paused-sexual act, I doubt seriously that 200 or even two students would have complained. I'm weary of organizations promoting black or women's rights complaining for the sake of complaining.
We are highly amused here on Kentucky Street. First we chuckled when an ambling incept review of Natalee Cole's book of page of the University Daily Kansas.
Hoch Auditorium would be a nice start.
Perhaps your reviewers can sit
"What won't those guys do to boost an already smug readership," said my friend.
Now large uncontrollable guffaws are striking those of us on "the other side of the mountain," and the point. The tragedy of the Natalie Cole concert wasn't the review that followed nor was it the performance itself.
In reference to one of the other "derogatory" statements in the review, I deny anyone who is upset to look up the word "moussure" in a dictionary, if they have one.
To the editor:
I totally support Steve Frazier and the Kansan staff in their right to print anything they see fit. I am, however, sorry that they didn't complain about the attention to such an illegitimate complaint.
UNIVERSITY DAILY letters KANSAN
Paul Pinney
towards the front—and who knows, maybe even they will get the real feel of a concern.
Toneka junior
Reaction to review 'out of proportion'
To the editor:
I believe the uproar over the Natalie Cole concert review has been blown way out of proportion. Obviously those who have attacked Melissa Thompson don't understand the meaning of the word "review." A story is one person's opinion—in effect, a biased one.
report,
orlando Orlando Hurt wrote in a letter to the editor published Thursday: "The fact that Miss Thompson did not particularly care for the concert I can accept, I cannot accept the fact, however, that she made it blithely apparent in her review."
appear.
Door. Mr. Hurt realize the "Kansan story." logo gave Ms. Thompson the right to her own opinion? Mr. Hurt, also, I believe, did not catch the overall tone of the review, which I believe was favorable to Natalie's performance. Ms. Thompson reports, "Cole swayed with style before a KU Homecoming crowd of 10,900."
In reference to Chris Gardner's letter to the editor, he reports, "Natalie Cole is not Doris Day and there was no weak point in Cole's performance." That held for opinion and he was allowed to report it, just as Ms. Thompson had the right to report her opinion.
Mr. Gardner also said, "But now, Melissa, tell us what apparently everyone knows but you; it was the gym that distorted the sound, not the sound system." From my reading, a saw in paris posted by Thompson's reporting, "such intricate singing seemed fruitless in the field house."
Sharron Parker stated in her letter to the editor, "Had this article not been of such a negative nature, we could appreciate its dominance on the front page; it had to some people that it's overall tone did not carry over into negative. The headline read, 'Cole warmed KMS with special night' concert."
discrepancies not only on the part of Ms. Thompson, but also her crrite critics.
Obviously Ms. Thompson made some foolish errors, such as botching up song titles and using what some took as offensive words to describe him. I wonder if people should reread the "review" carefully and reread the letters to the editor of November 2. You will see
Gary Bedore
Lisle, Ill. senior
Cole review critics can't reach gut-level
To the editor:
I found a few comments in the University Day Kaisan's "Letters" of November 2 concerning Melissa Thompson's concert review amusing and enlightening.
Chris Gardenhire wrote, "Thompson's writing was journalism at its worst. Thompson had little knowledge of her subject beforehand."
Brian Orlando Hurt stated, "I was shocked and appalled at the review that the Natalie Cole concert received from one very close friend. He added, 'She was unfamiliar with the works of the various artists, her closed and narrow mind eliminated the prime ingredient of objectivity, and unconfined of the sound system unfounded.'
Roderick Bremby wrote, "I was stunned by the lack of quality of the review. I was clear that the reviewer was unqualified to make such a review".
make sure
Firstly, Catherine lyw wrote, "The next time you send somebody to review a concert, maybe you should send somebody who appreciates and understands the music. Apparently the reviewer knows little or nothing about black music."
nothing aside, that these people believe that a valid criticism involving music or individuals is harmful.
that is familiar with the artist and background of his or her work. I'm pretty sure that that's a bunch of shit. It seems that these people have limited capabilities with regards to the appreciation of "reviews" or "criticisms" regarding the arts.
Yet for some, to admit a dislike for the work would be difficult because they were told it was great. The same holds true with the Cole concert.
Some of the best, if not "the best," criticisms of the visual or performing arts are by those who have little or no previous experience with the specific artist or group. Their criticisms are usually fresh. In fact, I prefer "critiques" of that nature.
Honest, gut-level responses are great, but very difficult to come by or stomach. We are a very conditioned and manipulated society. The recent Monet exhibition in St. Louis promised us a new kind of immediately baked on entry to the show because it's "there," in a large city in a major institution. In addition, historians, art critics, and graphic reproductions have added to the tale of how Monet made him well, sat. If you don't like his work, you don't like it. No problem.
Art forms can be appreciated on many different levels, and each level is of equal value. I really feel sorry for those who went through difficult times or incapable of evaluating their reactions.
It's funny that many of us fail to recognize that we are all "critics" of things of which we have limited knowledge. Most of us have never seen a show before, and find ourselves describing a show as "good" or "bad". Most of us have never written an entire book, made a record, directed a television show or even written an article about one we experience these art forms we become instant critics.
I didn't go to the concert and I didn't read the review. But that doesn't matter. If Thompson gave her honest impression, that's enough. She shouldn't back down to
Michael Aurbach
Wichita graduate student
Letters Policy
The University Daily Kansas welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be typewritten, double-spaced and not exceed 500 words. They should include the writer's name, address and telephone number. If the writer is affiliated with the organization, they should include the writer's class or home town or faculty or staff position.
The Kansas reserves the right to edit letters for publication.
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