THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2013
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I found 4 pickles instead of 2 on my Chick-fil-a today. Truly blessed.
Why is the entryway to Watson the warmest place in the entire library?
True. League of legends isn't academic. However it's the heroin of online games. Leave us be.
I took my jeans off in the middle of my lecture in Budig today (I was wearing leggings underneath).
Can't believe Lawrence's best ugly sweater destination, the Rockin Parrot, was left out of the article on ugly sweaters. Across from the Granada, they've got all you could ever need for cheap!!
I have officially reached the point of "nobody cares about anything anymore."
To the person who wishes to download food, there's a Jimmy John's ordering app. Basically the same thing.
Lindsay Lohan must be in town.
Someone crashed into a storefront on
Mass. St. at 3am.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Typical.
Just saw a girl wearing a Colorado Buffs sweatshirt. Is it socially acceptable to rip it off her body and burn it?
I'm loving all the elf references in the weather section.
I have to speculate that the horoscopes ALL being 5s and 6s is not coincidental this close to finals.
Not sure if I'm drinking whiskey at 6 A.M. on a Wednesday to get over the cold, or if I just am an alcoholic.
I just realized and find it a bit ironic that my organic chemistry lab notebook is carbonless.
I don't know if I drink more when Kansas wins or loses, all I know is that basketball games are bad for my liver.
The cameraman's guide to making it on the Jumbotron
Quiz up is training an entire generation to own Who Wants to Be a Millionaire someday. Is that show still on?
I don't think the world is ready for how pissed off I'll be if we're out of the top 25.
The quiet study areas should not be used for social hour. It's rather distracting to listen to girls gossiping about the VS fashion show.
Totally just laughed at a girl who slipped up along the stairs... Right in her face.
The future freaks me out.
one of things about going to a sporting event is getting on the Jumbotron. There's no better feeling than being displayed on a high definition, 18-foot wide screen in front of all of Allen Fieldhouse. That being said, there are a lot of people in an arena, and getting up there isn't always so easy. I should know; I'm the guy who puts you on
FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
I've been working as a cameraman for the KU video board since the beginning of the semester, and I've gained insight as to what it takes to make the big screen. It all comes down to five key factors: being visible, on time, attentive, dressed up and animated. Allow me to explain.
1. FIND A CAMERAMAN AND BE VISIBLE TO THEM
Look for where the cameramen are — typically on the court and scattered around the top of an area. Choose a seat that's directly in their view. We can't always look around the entire stadium to find people. This is due to time and efficiency — it's hard to scan all of Memorial Stadium or Allen Fieldhouse for that one person we need right now. That means we rely on dense areas of excited fans, like the student section. It's not the only place, but it'll give you the best chance of getting on the lumbotron.
2. TIMING IS EVERYTHING
Even if you've got a good position, it's not a guarantee that you'll make it. You also have to
The Kansas men's basketball team practices inside the Dallas Cowboys' stadium on March 28. The stadium's Jumbotron is the world's largest video screen.
be aware of when we want to put fans up. It's probably not going to happen while the game is being played. The most opportune time is during longer periods of downtime (timeouts, halftime, quarter changes). We don't do this every break, as sometimes there's sack races, announcements or other segments that have to be done. And this leads me to my next point.
3. PAY ATTENTION
When a break comes on, look at what the video board is showing. If fans are on camera, it probably means the whole break will be devoted to fans. If there's something else going on, save your energy for the next break. Take a moment at the beginning of each break to see what's up, and then act accordingly. I see people at every game that I want to put on, but can't because they are on their phone, talking to someone or eating food.
4. Costumes, Children and Posters Now that you know when and where, the only thing left is to make yourself stand out. This is an obvious step, but it's the easiest way to make it. Costumes are crucial, even if it's just a cool hat
a break and keep going as long as you can. Also, staying excited will help you stay up there longer.
We want the most passionate fans to be on display, and those who are willing to come dressed up to a game deserve to be up there. Posters are another great way to get noticed, but leave the negativity at home. We don't want to put up anything offensive or vulgar, because kids go to games too. In fact, we love to put up cute kids who are having fun. For guaranteed success, bring a child, dress up in matching costumes AND have a sign.
5. BE EXCITED!
I'm sure you know that we're looking for fans who are dancing, jumping around and getting excited. What you probably don't know is that cameramen can't guarantee that you'll get on screen. There's a director who sees all the angles and decides which shots are going to be used. If the director notices you're excited, he'll try to switch to you, but if you look like you're about to stop, he'll skip you. Start being excited at the beginning of
There you have it. Now you have everything you need to know, so get out there and be famous for a few seconds! If you don't make it up there, don't be discouraged. Remember that we're only human. We don't always see you. There's a ton of games, and one day, you'll get your shot.
Dalton Boehm is freshman majoring in journalism from Prairie Village.
POLICY
@BadBuddhist4
@KansanOpinion Excusable
laziness.
@VanessaAsmussen @KansanOpinion home-cooked meals.
@MorganAideen @KansanOpinion sleep, glorious sleep
@ThatHawkwardGuy
@KansanOpinion Not writing seven papers in one week.
HistoryMajorProblems
@Thinmints420
@KansanOpinion Not feeling guilty about skipping class
Kansas schools are a critical component of quality of life in the state. Without adequate K-12 education, students are not prepared to attend college or enter the workforce, and the quality of schools can influence where people decide to live. Historically, the state has recognized that local funds are insufficient to provide this public service, and the state contributes money to school budgets to support education for all Kansans.
Low tax revenue spells trouble for Kansas education budget
It's simply not possible to understand the Kansas budget without examining the state's education spending. It represents the single largest expenditure for the state: the Kansas Department of Education spends one out of every four dollars budgeted in a given year. The effects on the lives of Kansans is huge, with more than 485,000 students enrolled in Kansan public K-12 education at more than 1,300 public schools. More than 40,000 Kansans work in those schools.
The adequacy of that funding is now being called into question. In 2006, a major case before the Kansas Supreme Court (Montoy v. Kansas) determined that education funding was both insufficient and unfairly distributed. The Kansas state constitution requires that "suitable provision for finance of the educational interests of the state" be provided, which was the basis for the Montoy decision and the impetus for the resulting increase in funding.
Obviously, determining exactly what constitutes "suitable provision", is difficult and arbitrary. Professor Michael Podgursky of the University of Missouri Department of Economics has testified in Kansas court that there is no statistically significant relationship between money spent and student performance - in other words, a certain baseline level of funding won't guarantee
By Amanda Gress agress@kansan.com
that every student can attain a certain test score.
On the other hand, it's difficult to argue that school districts do not absolutely require funding to educate their students. Teachers must be paid, books must be purchased and buildings must be maintained. These are not optional expenditures for schools, and there is only so much "waste" which can be eliminated before districts must begin making potentially harmful decisions for students' education. Currently, leaders at the Kansas Board of Education state that the schools are at a breaking point; there's no more excess money to cut.
The problem is that Kansas is now reducing the money it spends to fund its schools. A recent study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that Kansas has cut its education budget by 16.5% since 2008 - the fourth largest reduction of any state in the country. Some of this represents savings as schools in rural areas consolidate, and some is gained by raising more money locally through property taxes. The rest is simply schools making do with less.
This situation exists because Kansas no longer collects sufficient tax revenue. State revenue dropped in the recession, and a temporary increase in the state sales tax offset some of the losses until the economy began to recover. However, Governor Brownback drastically cut income taxes, shrinking state revenue and prompting new education spending cuts.
the future of Kansas's education budget may hinge on another case before the Kansas Supreme court, Gannon v. Kansas. The Wichita, Hutchinson, Dodge City and Kansas City school districts are suing the state, again with the goal of forcing it to provide "suitable provision" for public education. If they win, the state budget will be forced to include an additional $440 million for education funding.
Right now, the state is relying on its rainy day fund to pay its obligations while lawmakers wait for the promised gains from economic growth following tax cuts to materialize. The Kansas City Star reported that the legislative research staff found that it's just not possible to add an additional $440 million without somehow increasing revenue.
Supporters of the tax cuts argue that the income tax savings benefit Kansans. They're wrong. This year, 85 of the state's 105 counties raised their property taxes to compensate for the lack of state funding. Kansans still pay taxes, and tax revenues become concentrated in areas with higher property values.
Oftentimes, lawmakers are faced with complicated problems that do not have clear solutions. For Kansas, this is not one of those times. Paying for education requires money, and raising that money in turn requires taxes sufficient to fund the state budget. Instead, conservative Kansas policymakers have chosen to cut spending now while hoping that an unbelievable windfall is headed our way. Unfortunately for the state, ignoring Kansas's obligations to its students can't make the need to fund education disappear.
Amanda Gress is a junior majoring in economics and political science from Overland Park.
FFA OF THE DAY
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Anyone else realize the girl in the RockChalkLiving.com ad was washing her dishes with a toilet brush. Uh...
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