MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2013
PAGE 4
Text your FFA submissions to 785-289-8351 or at kansan.com
How do I tell my roommate she looks like a grandma?
opinion
I'm dropping out. Anybody need a male stripper?
TEXT FREE FOR ALL
Just found a piece of ABC gum under my desk in my school hall... Seriously, people?
According to today's crossword, put AGEE on a burn, not ALOE.
I feel like a meth addict when I constantly check back if I have more lives on candy crush...
When you know that the other person in the public restroom is waiting for you to leave so that they can finish popping.
Can I bum off someone's netflix account?
I've got Gatorade. Advil, my residence hall and phone # written w/ sharpie on my arm, and a kick ass alibi...
Halloween 2013 #LETGO
Ran into a tree on Wescoe Beach while reading today's FFA. Yes, people saw
When you sleep with your window open and you awaken to a guy saying "why is this rain diarrhea so cold."
Halloween is actually a 9-day holiday when you're in college. And I'm not complaining.
In biology, BSA stands for body surface area instead of Boy Scouts of America.
Try finding 802! Where my fellow Vermonters at?! *Crickets*...
Funny, I don't remember Tom Cruise wearing a thong under his button down in Risky Business, but I've seen that costume 4 times tonight...
PROTIP: If you are "off" during the clapping portion of the KU fight song, pay heed. Look southwest for your beacon of hope - the band director will guide your way. Together, we can all enjoy rhythm.
Shout out to the Teletubby in my ME design class.
My face went beardless for Halloween. The temperature drop on my chin was hair raising.
Thanks score center ESPN app for repeatedly telling me about the World Series last night now can you update to important things. Like college basketball?
Why do all tv pitchmen have Australian accents?
Dog size shouldn't matter in apartment leases
PETS
Anime is dumb.
If you ever want to see an apartment owner laugh, ask if their "pet friendly" complex allows 100-pound dogs. They seem to think it's hilarious. In fact, they usually respond with some oh-so-clever quip like, "that's no dog, it's a horse!"
The problem is, I'm never joking when I ask, "Your website says you allow dogs," I insist, as they continue laughing. And then I find the fine print—that tiny section on the website that specifies the 50 pound, 25 pound, or even 15 pound limit for dogs to live in the apartment. They allow "big" dogs, as long as those "big" dogs are smaller than your average golden retriever.
pets tend to exclude large dogs. My question is why?
It's strange to me that apartment complexes in Lawrence are so adamantly against large dogs considering Lawrence is a pretty dog-friendly city. Very few apartment complexes around town are pet-friendly at all, and the ones that pride themselves on allowing
Perhaps when I say I own a 100-pound dog they all imagine Cujo. They certainly don't imagine Nova, my six-year-old Newfoundland, who is a registered therapy dog that I often take on visits to nursing homes, the VA and schools. Even so, when I specify that she's well-behaved and has multiple obedience and behavior certifications backing up my claim, it doesn't seem to make a difference.
When I ask if Nova is allowed in the apartments, most say no right off. Others tell me that she is, but begin listing the many different deposits and fees I would have to pay to keep her in the apartment with me. The most misguided of these was the monthly pet fee that was dependent on the weight of the dog. I expected to have to pay extra for my dog to live with me, but I did not expect to have only a few very limited choices from the
“pet free” apartments, nor to have to pay more for Nova than a dog that weighs forty pounds less. Here are the four most common responses for why large dogs are not allowed in apartments: “They destroy things.”
They don't destroy just as many things as large dogs; they just take longer to do it. Certain breeds of small and medium dogs are actually known for being very destructive if they get bored, and the tendency for destruction has much more to do with breed than size.
"They bark."
All dogs bark, some more than others. Hounds tend to bark a lot, whereas Newfoundlands tend to not bark much at all. It has much more to do with the breed of the dog than the size. I rather live next to a Great Dane or a Yorkshire terrier any day. "It's not healthy to keep them in an apartment."
Some dogs probably should not be kept in apartments. They have too much energy and are bred for running around, so they're going to drive you and everyone else crazy in an apartment. The thing is, this has nothing to do with size. Active breeds like Siberian huskies won't be happy unless they get a lot of exercise whereas a lazy, giant breed like a Great Dane or Newfoundland can live quite happily with just a few short walks a day.
"They're a liability because they probably bite."
Small dogs actually have a higher tendency for aggression than
large dogs. This is partly due to their size and partly due to breeding. In the end, it mostly depends on the training and socialization of any dog. Any dog can bite, but most dogs won't if they've been properly trained. And to be honest, a big dog is much less likely to get away with being aggressive for long, whereas small dogs are often seen as "cute" when they're trying to bite your ankles.
The moral of the story? There is really no good reason to have a weight limit on which dogs can live in an apartment complex. If complex owners are worried about behavioral issues, they should ask to see a good citizen test for the dog or ask for proof of obedience training. Those things would help ensure a well-behaved dog. Limiting the size of the dog only stops potential renters from checking out the space.
Anna Wenner is a junior majoring in English from Topeka.
Adults can learn life lessons from being around children
When was the last time you went outside and played a game with your friends? Or the last time you blew bubbles just because you thought it looked neat? How easily did you used to laugh at the word "poo" being blurted out in an awkward silence? I would venture to guess that it has maybe been a while.
Working with kids at an after-school program here in Lawrence has made me realize that youth is something that should truly be treasured for as long as possible. When I am watching the kids play outside on the playground, I realize that if a group of my friends went to the same place, we wouldn't be able to be as entertained as the kids. Not without a few red bulls in our system, at least.
When you're little, you fight over the swing set, a timeout is like the ultimate death sentence and you get to be as blunt as you want with adults because they can't really get mad (my biggest envy of children). However, when you're an "adult" you have all these gross responsibilities.
By Molly Smith
msmith@kansan.com
You have to actually do important things like pay the bills, get a job and never crack a smile (I think that's a rule, right?)
Responsibility seems to come out of nowhere, hitting you like a freight train. All of a sudden you must grow up, and there are no more excuses. Even though I'm technically an adult at the age of 19, I can't seem to accept it. I can't make myself enjoy doing all those mandatory, everyday tasks. Who was the lunatic that decided that we have to grow up, anyway?
I never realized how easy it was to be a child until I began working with children for my job, entering that world all over again. It really is interesting to see how little they know about what's going on in the world, because all that matters in their world is that they remember to tie their shoes and get their multiplication problems done. Everything goes unnoticed by them, and they're just living
everyday to have fun.
everyday to have fun.
As an adult, you can see that some kids are different than others, because we are so used to judging every move our peers make. However, I recently realized that young children don't even notice when someone is unusual or what we may consider to be "socially unacceptable".
I deeply wish that adults had all these same qualities as children. The world would be a much better place if no one ever lost his or her innocence and obliviousness. I know that we can learn from kids in many ways. I spend all day trying to teach them, but at the end of the day, I realize that they are really the ones teaching me. So, maybe we should all take some advice from the children. Just let loose every once in a while, don't be afraid to laugh at the word "poop" and don't be so preoccupied in judging everyone all the time. It's about time we started acting like children, folks.
Molly Smith is a sophomore majoring in speech pathology from Lenexa
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
ENVIRONMENT
Cicadas assist with healthy ecosystems
Cicadas do their first act of service for the ecosystem when they emerge from the soil. Aerating the soil is crucial because plant roots need the aeration to expand and to gain further nutrients from microbial helpers who need oxygen. Cicadas aerate the soil yearly if they are the annual cicadas (the ones you were seeing), and about every 17 years if they are periodical cicadas.
Although we see the effects of the annual cicada more often, the periodical cicada has a huge impact.
The periodical cicada is smaller than the annual cicada and has red eyes with orange wings. Females lay 400-600 eggs at a time when they are above ground, and then billions emerge 17 years later. As care2.com explains, "the cicadas' all-at-once appearance at the end of these cycles is their survival strategy; aside from their numbers, cicadas have few defenses against predators and are clumsy in a fight."
Have you been bugged by the buzzz? Fall isn't just the season for sweaters and scarves - it's also the time for annual cicadas to fill the air with their song. As the seasons begin to change and we say farewell to these noisy insects, let's take a moment to understand why cicadas are so much more than white noise.
This 17-year emergence is especially important for the animals that will eat the cicadas. Cicadas are an incredible source of protein so animals love to eat them. Cicadamania.com states, "all wild animals and domestic pets will eat them. Dogs will gorge themselves until they choke. Squirrels will eat them like corn on the cob. Wild turkeys will grow fat and juicy on the cicada feast. Fish go crazy for them too — you can use them as bait, or use lures that mimic them." Cicadamania.com also compares this emergence as it being "like 17 years of Christmas, Thanksgiving
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Between National Novel Writing Month and No Shave November, English Majors are going to be even more insufferable.
and birthday parties rolled into one incredible month."
The best news has yet to come. The periodical cicada is set to emerge in Kansas in 2015. That gives you two years to come up with how to celebrate the cicada infiltration.
Cicadas also have been used as musical accompaniment. David Rothenberg has used cicadas in his CD, "Bug Music". Don't listen too closely though. The cicada song gets up to 120 decibels. Wikipedia even said "the song is loud enough to cause permanent hearing loss in humans should the cicada sing just outside the listener's ear."
Jenny Stern is a sophomore majoring in biology from Lawrence.
Some people will even venture to feast on this noisy bug. If you are curious as to how to cook cicadas, check out the 2004 online cookbook "Cicada-licious" written by scientist Dr. Jenna Jadin. This cookbook includes recipes such as cicada stir-fry, chocolate covered cicadas, and El Chirper Tacos. They are even low-carb and gluten-free! Be wary, as cicadas are known bio-accumulators of mercury. Also, you may want to consider that they've been underground for 17 years, surrounded by soil possibly containing pesticides.
Cicadas even have a medicinal purpose. According to altmed. com, "the medicinal uses of cicada include treatment of fever and associated seizures; skin rashes; and such eye disorders as conjunctivitis, cataracts, and blurred vision."
What kind of pets do you keep in your dorm/apartment/house?
@JavhawkMedic3
@KansanOpinion I have a saltwater aquarium with a few corals, two clownfish, one blue chromis and some algae that I'm trying to get rid of.
@Serfiaso
@KansanOpinion cacti
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