MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2013
PAGE 4
TEXT FREE FOR ALL
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When other people do their homework while camping they're productive.
When I do my homework while camping I'm that weird girl dancing in the corner. Dance major problems.
Lol. Kansas State. Again. This time for basketball.
Cuz every girl's crazy bout a Tharpe dressed man.
No one in this student body knows how to do a free throw distraction.
Does anyone else wanna hitch rides by jumping on the hood of a random car and screaming "Take me With You! Please!"
We need a mathematic formula for the perfect piece of confetti.
Life lesson. When you sleep through your alarm it's the universe's way of telling you not to get out of bed
BUS JUST CURB-CHECKED GET ME
OUT OF HERE
Is having zero pairs of clean pants a valid reason to skip class?
I just opened up my vent to check for meth money... because thanks to Breaking Bad I believe real people probably do hide drug money in their vents. And could have accidentally left some in mine! But there was no money =[
To the guy who turned in my KU card to the Bursar's Office; Thank you!
To the person who sprayed shaving cream everywhere by Battenfeld, we get it, you are really into no-shave and hate shaving cream.
You feel like the only student in the J-School without a Mac? Try being the only student in the J-School without a laptop.
Don't know the clap? There's this really helpful video to YouTube with a former KU Drum Major .)
Guy sits too close to me while camping.. uncomfortable.. starts JAMMING to irreplaceable by Beyonce... really uncomfortable.
Message to all of the people raking leaves: feel free to leave the big piles in front of the Schol Halis so we can jump in them later.
The way Jamari feels about candy is the way I feel about Jamari. True love.
It's too quiet at camping and the bathrooms have no doors and I need to poop. SOS
Shoutout to KU's grounds crew out in the cold making campus look gorgeous in all seasons.
FUTURE FOCUSED
Consider all factors before making post-grad plans
What do I do after I graduate? This curious question – often thought, yet rarely said aloud – defines University students. The most common answer is, "I do not know." Normally, this does not mean, "I am swimming in options; I just cannot decide." Rather, it often reflects, "I really, honestly, do not know." This is my unscientific assumption: Students are trying to graduate from KU. This is my legitimate concern: They do not know what they are going to do afterward.
I should note that you do not have to do what I recommend. If you came to college to get away from someone telling you what to do, fine. I hope, however, that this recommendation is insightful.
To answer, "What do I do after I graduate?" it is worth examining student behavior. A high number of students change their maiors, drop out of school and stay extra years, all while accumulating more debt. They do this partly because they bountifully explore their ever-broadening interests. But I believe the primary driver
of this behavior is less cheerful. It is the repetition of constantly getting sick of what they are doing, deciding it is not for them, and desiring change. Over,and over and over.
Why does this happen? It has to do with the way we, as students, set goals.
Consider the following two goal-setting approaches. The first involves selecting an arbitrary point, perhaps a career milestone, and then figuring out how to get there. It is an outward approach. As students, we are constantly looking outward for guidance: advisors, friends, upperclassmen and even recent graduates. For example, let us say a college student decides: I want a job when I graduate. I want to be an engineer I need an engineering degree.
That line of thinking is all too common, and in that order is especially dangerous. The only thread of motivation that drives the student is "I want a job when I graduate." In the face of adversity, that is not nearly enough motivation to finish the more challenging, technical degrees offered by
KU. Instead, the person is highly likely to pick another arbitrary point, another career milestone, and set their sights on that. Soon, this person hopes to become a doctor, a writer, a history teacher, a musician, an investment banker aficionado, all with the same weak motivation: I want a job when I graduate. Even nicely-packaged reasons, like "I want to help people," still may not be enough to motivate in the toughest times.
The other approach is different. If the first approach looks outward, the second approach is introspective. One has to identify strengths, weaknesses, risks and potential. What are you actually good at? The person identifies his inclination toward math, his love of technical problem solving and
his desire to manage projects. But even then, where does that leave this person?
And that is just it. These two approaches converge, each from one end. This leads to real conviction. That's the source of internal motivation, and it will help you decide what you want to do when you graduate. The chances of actually accomplishing whatever you decide are exponentially higher.
Neither approach is sufficient alone. Students are notorious for exercising the first approach, despite the necessity of the second approach. This leaves them wondering what to do after graduation. Even advising appointments exacerbate the issue. When was the last time your advisor asked, "Okay, what do you excel at? What would you consider your weaknesses?" Rather, you might hear, "What are you interested in? What do you want to do when you graduate?"
The second approach is defined by serious introspection—times you failed, times you succeeded, times your strengths shined
through—and not something as fleeting as an interest. College is supposed to be a time of exploration. But if exploration is not met halfway by internal reflection, you can be certain that your interests will change sporadically, and you won't be able to answer "What do I do after I graduate?"
So when you are thinking about what you want to do after graduation, do not just throw a dart at a board, à la the first approach. You cannot just think, "I want a job," or "I am a people person." It is, for the majority of people, insufficient. You have to incorporate the second approach; identify your advantages, shortcomings and potential. Dig deep. College is a value proposition. You cannot price everything, but if you are footing the bill for your education and wondering what to do after graduation, take some time to think about both approaches and see where that leads you.
Chris Ouyang is a senior studying petroleum engineering and economics from Overland Park.
INTERNATIONAL
China's water pollution poses consequences for entire world
My friend went to China this past summer to study abroad, and in addition to returning with suspect designer products, he also came back with a latent form of tuberculosis. While discussing the trip, he frequently mentioned the air pollution in Beijing. And although air pollution in China is severe and under-regulated, there's another problem garnering less attention: China's water pollution.
Few people know that the Chinese face one of the world's scarcest and most polluted water supplies. Can you imagine your shower smelling like a polluted river? No, because it's unlikely you've ever even smelled a polluted river. Can you imagine not being able to drink from the tap in your kitchen? It may not be preferred over bottled or filtered water, but at least it won't poison or kill you. Chinese people even have to question drinking their bottled water.
Of China's more than 4,700 underground water-quality testing stations, nearly three-fifths are considered "relatively bad" or even worse, according to a recent New York Times article. This is as categorized by their lax environmental standards too, not by U.S. or international standards. Their rivers endure chemical spills almost daily. China's rapid industrialization has outpaced its scarce water supply, continuously shrinking what's drinkable.
To compare, the Great Lakes hold about 20 percent of the world's fresh water for less than 5 percent of the world's
population. China only contains 7 percent of the world's fresh water for around 20 percent of the population. Its two main rivers, the Yellow River and Yangtze River, run through China's industrial belts. Once it reaches the coasts, the rivers' water must undergo extensive treatment to be used. Would you want to drink water that had just flowed through chemical spills, human waste and agricultural runoff?
As we all know too well, one person's problem quickly becomes someone else's problem. Like when your roommate oversleeeps and needs a ride to class, pronto. Now you have to decide if you want to give him a ride or suffer scorn through the weekend. Well, China's shared river with Southeast Asia, the Mekong, is causing border tension. By the time other countries receive the Mekong's dwindling flow, it's been contaminated by China. With such global impact, China's water problem may soon burden the rest of the world. Though it seems unfathomable now, water shortage may cause the next world war. It won't be civil rights or freedom we fight over, but one of the most basic resources.
So, what's China doing to solve its problem? It's creating a system of aqueducts to move water, called the South-North Water Transfer Project. It's estimated to cost $62 billion, with over half of that total already spent. In addition to being costly, these aqueducts may leak and cause contamination. No guarantee exists that they will effectively and efficiently serve their purpose. And they only redistribute the water supply, rather than adding to it.
To increase the supply means investing in technology that will sanitize more water. A large pilot plant has been built in Tianjin, a northern city. However, even if it does work, it will be difficult and costly for China to provide these resources on such a large scale. Most of us can't even imagine water being a finite resource. We just walk to the spigot and turn on potable water. We don't worry we may become sick or crinkle our noses at its questionable odor. We don't walk several miles a day, carrying it back in jugs over our heads. All these luxuries are unacknowledged. We fail to appreciate our immediate access to clean water. The next time the waiter tops off your glass, think about how many people live without such an opportunity. And when you hear about China's ghost towns, air pollution and poverty rates, consider its more immediate problem: a clean water supply.
Anrenee Reasor is a junior studying economics and EALC from Thayer.
WINTER
Don't let chilly weather dictate your attitude
Before you know it, we will migrate indoors for what seems like an eternity of freezing winds and Christmas songs on the radio. While snow and holidays do bring good times, the hibernation takes a toll on us. The idea of a cozy room and a book sounds nice until you endure it for a few months. Days seem to go by slower. It gets dark obnoxiously early and frostbit temperatures gnaw at your sanity.
I've lived in Kansas my entire life and every year I'm still shocked by how invasive the cold can be. It's my personal belief that the term "when hell freezes over" is inaccurate because a true hell is already frozen. I might be a bit dramatic about the cold—I'm totally comfortable in temperatures more than 100 and don't consider it nice until it's at least 85 outside. Naturally, I'm going to hate it when it's even fairly chilly. However, it's not just my taste in weather, but the side effects that come with it.
During the summer, leisurely activities like swimming, walking, and barbeques are always available. Bored? Just walk outside and be entertained by the sun. The benefits of good weather are seemingly endless. When the outdoors aren't available though, finding fun things to do becomes extremely difficult. The lack of activity coupled with the dreary weather can lead to a miserable winter. For me, it's this way every year.
I've decided that enough is enough. I want to fight it this time around. So, what's one to do when faced with the bleakness of yet another Kansas winter?
Something — anything different. The harshest part of winter is the rut. Be it school, relationships, work, whatever, I get caught up in routine and life becomes somber. Mixing things up is a great way to combat the monotony. It can be as simple as taking a different
route to work or listening to new music. Focusing on the small things is key, though working on big things can be a great solution as well. Just remember, variety is the soice of life.
But finding ways to do things different may not be enough on its own. It's good for a change of pace, but can be troublesome due to the pesky weather we're trying to avoid.
Seeking out new hobbies can be expensive too. If your wallet is in hibernation, going out to eat or starting a new project isn't always feasible. It's definitely frustrating, and just like the weather, it's out of our control.
Well, if a different way of doing things or a new hobby isn't putting the 'spring' in your step, what can?
Most people's winter sadness isn't too severe. It's basically just a four-month bad mood because school is hard, life isn't fair and the weather is even worse. This is why it's so important to just remember to be happy. It sounds simple, but honestly, it's silly to let weather determine our emotions. Happiness doesn't have to rely on a combination of uncontrollable existential conditions.
That applies to my advice too. While my tips are good to practice, they may not provide the solution for you. The only real way to combat the weather is to understand that you are the only one who (to a non-Fahrenheit degree) can control your life.
Dalton Boehm is a freshman majoring in journalism from Prairie Village.
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
Halfway through a video about a breast cancer survivor and her surgery, I realized that I was watching a video that unabashedly featured boobs while in the library. Now I just look like
@SpectrumOfSound
@KansasOpinion out of 10, a 5 at best. If I had it my way I would connect a hose from Emporia to here for me to drink.
@loganzane512
@KansanOpinion I live in McCollum...#NuffSaid
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