TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013
PAGE 4
TEXT FREE FOR ALL
Lil Wayne be like "I only see my son once a week, call that Sunday"
I can tell exactly who was at the game Saturday by the darkness and angle of their sunburn.
Text your FFA submissions to 785-289-8351 or at kansan.com
Whenever my calculus professor says "factor out" it sounds like "***ked around" because of her accent. Poor woman is a comedian and doesn't even know it.
It sounds like Optimus Prime and Megatron are battling outside of learned.
So checking out a book in the library and a Hustler nude card being used as a bookmark falls out. At least he reads.
I'm a ginger with a fabulous booty.
Come find me!!
3 days of perfect, cloudless weather means tomorrow will most likely be a hurricane-blizzard.
This campus is beginning to smell like Abercrombie Fierce and I am 100 percent not okay with it.
At this point I wonder if I will be wearing my "Class of 2015" shirt in 2020.
Is he a manly muppet or a muppet of a man?
The only thing I've accomplished today is making people laugh by triping up the stairs in Summerfield.
I always hope I'm going to have a good day and then my horoscope number says otherwise. Today is just a 5.
Can someone please explain to me how "Boy Meets World" wasn't in the Television Throwback article???
Have you ever wondered what it would look like if a full blood bank truck were to crash?
Trent Smiley makes me smiley ;)
I turned on my computer intending to log onto blackboard, but I ended up watching Swedish rap videos for hours. Why do my professors want me to use the internet again?
Dear Ginger-lover, you're probably a ginger.
Crossfit is ruining our nation's gyms.
I'm lonely and single, so I just end up double-fisting ice cream at Sylas & Maddy's college nights.
GENDER ROLES
Give me liberty or give me meth!
wish to be a permanent writer for the UDK FFA.
Modern males have ability to redefine role in society
Being an American male isn't what it used to be. The idea of "traditional" masculinity that was predominant in the time of our fathers and grandfathers is not so ubiquitous today. One of the many great achievements of feminism and the LGBTQ- rights movement has been the deconstruction of rigid, "traditional" gender structures. Of course, we still have a long way to go before we can say the work is finished. But what goes largely unmentioned is where the advances of social egalitarianism and econom i shifts have left a generation of young men in America.
The most glaring example of these shifts is rooted in the recession. Economic hardship brought on by unemployment or high costs has forced a swap in gender roles for many families. Women in general have benefited more from the slow recovery, in large part because male-dominated industries have been the hardest hit
There are more stay-at-home fathers than ever before, and many experts expect those numbers to rise. The fact that women have adapted to roles as parents and breadwinners while many men have struggled to cross similar boundaries has led some more hyperbolic observers to declare that men are becoming "obsolete". Not only is this diagnosis egregiously exist, it is also far from the truth.
When I hear stories about rigid, anachronistic barriers being bent or broken, I can't help but feel encouraged. These shifts are not omens of economic doom or the loss of masculine identity. These are opportunities to create our own identities, and to enjoy the freedom that the feminist (or as I prefer to call it, egalitarian), movement has spent generations struggling for. It's an opportunity to redefine and give limitless potential to the idea of "being a man." Chief among these is the opportunity for today's young
By Eric Schumacher eschumacher@kansan.com
men to give the next generation of children stable, loving fathers — something millions of young people of our generation have lived without. More men are also pursuing careers that would have been looked down upon as "women's professions" just a generation or two ago. The number of male nurses is at an all-time high, and, in England at least, the number of male primary school teachers has risen by 50 percent.
But for all the opportunities being presented, men are acting slowly to take advantage. Great chances are squandered, rewarding careers aren't considered and risks with huge potential payouts aren't taken. Why? Maybe there's a deep underlying fear of "feminization" — that we are losing part of our identity or giving up too much of ourselves by venturing
into new territory once thought of as reserved for women. Perhaps young men just don't think these opportunities are there for them, or overlook the ones that are.
or overlook the ones that are. At the same time, a generation of girls has been raised to define their own identities and self-worth. Sadly, gender equality is still not a reality for women who earn unequal pay for equal work and face many other types of adversity. This is a cause that men shouldn't be opposed or ambivalent to; as gender equality thrives, everyone benefits. Still, too many young men slip between the cracks of the education system and fail to complete college or even high school. Young men of lower socioeconomic statuses are often as likely to go to jail as to finish college or vocational school. Huge numbers of young men are also victims of unhealthy or abusive relationships (with men and women alike) and don't use the resources available to help them.
This isn't because our changing society is now punishing men or starting to unfairly favor women. It's because not enough men have chosen to be active participants in their own futures. In the push for true egalitarianism, men have too often been viewed as, or made themselves into, adversaries or bystanders instead of partners. It is clear that we cannot just cling to the tropes and structures that shaped our fathers and grandfathers. We must be more flexible, adaptive and resilient than men of recent generations have been. The forming of our identities is up to us, and no one — female, male, young or old — should do it for us.
Eric Schumacher is a senior from majoring in political science and English from Topeka.
GLOBAL THINKING
Take advantage of art for better cultural understanding
I recently saw "A Comedy of Sorrows," a play written by Ibrahim El-Houssini to illustrate the trials awaiting the Egyptian nation after the 2011 revolution, in Studio 354 in Murphy Hall. The work is poetic, rhythmic, full of rich symbolism and raw emotion. Halfway through, I closed my eyes to block out the harsh stage light and try to imagine the scenes through Ibrahim's eyes, transporting my mind to a dark graveyard housing those seeking out missed opportunities or the smoky Tahrir Square punctuated by periodic gunfire.
Ideally, of course, wed all travel the world and seek out these people and experiences firsthand, but that isn't always a possibility. Travel costs, language barriers and safety concerns all prevent me from pitching camp in Tahrir Square to try to grasp what finally drives people to risk their lives and livelihoods to create a new government in their homeland. Theater and film obliterate these barriers, allowing us to live different experiences vicariously through the characters until the lights come on and the credits roll.
Art also presents us with experiences wed never imagined existed. This summer, while casually browsing the documentaries section of Hulu, I came across the movie "Volcanic Sprint." For 52 minutes, I was a virtual spectator at the Mt. Cameroon Race of Hope, cheering on runners like Sarah Etonge and Max Ekema in their extraordinary race up and down a 10,000-foot volcanic mountain in West Africa. I'll likely never meet Max or Sarah, but I'm lucky
By Amanda Gress
agress@kansan.com
to know their story and feel my world broaden as I hike up Mt. Oread every morning.
in the case study, students at Lesley's "Power of Image" class watched a Korean film before creating Korean ink paintings, writing personal reflections and finally participating in a classroom discussion. The author noted that students were excited to undertake the project, and learned in an interactive way by responding to the characters presented that prompted serious reflection on the topic.
Critics of the theater and film as a source of serious education might point out that authors hold specific points of view and hope to evoke specific reactions in their audiences. This is completely accurate, but it doesn't undermine the value of the medium. While I was studying in Jordan, I watched two documentaries about Palestinian refugees living in Jordanian camps and residents of Palestine purchasing holiday passes to visit their Israeli hometowns. Obviously the producers deeply opposed Israeli policies, and the palpable feeling in the audience reinforced how strongly most of the viewers agreed. While I wasn't presented both sides of the argument in that setting, I did gain a much better understanding of why the issue framed how many of my fellow moviegoers viewed the world. We can't understand different cultures without understanding the different points of view they contain.
For those of us whose teachers aren't planning to begin showing video in classes any time in the near future, the opportunity to experientially learn through art is still easily available. The Spencer Museum of Art frequently hosts film screenings, and Liberty Hall on Massachusetts Street also shows films that fall outside of mainstream movie culture. This October, the Glenwood Arts Theater in Overland Park will hold the Kansas International Film Festival with over 50 movies. I personally cannot wait for the Oct. 25 showing of "Wadida", a Saudi film directed by a woman and detailing one girl's quest to obtain a bicycle of her own.
--instance, don't try to sneak out when Dad is asleep. He WILL catch you. It was kind of like sitting back and watching a movie of three different lives, learning what to do and, of course, what not to do.
Amanda Gress is a junior studying political science and economics from Overland Park.
It's possible that, as our world becomes more technological and image-oriented, film, art and theater will gain a more prominent place in the classroom. In 2013, Young Imm Kang Song, a graduate student of creative arts in learning at Lesley University, published an article in the International Journal of Social Science Studies about methods of teaching that combine film, artistic production and reflection as a way to teach foreign culture.
Unbelievably, I had the chance to speak with Ibrahim H-Eoussimi immediately after A Comedy of Sorrows concluded. We talked about the play, about Egypt and about how much I'd enjoyed myself. I thanked him, sincerely, because I hadn't just been entertained (for free) on my college's campus for an evening. For those two hours, I'd had the chance to travel to another world.
LETTER GUIDELINES
RELATIONSHIPS
Love takes effort and constant evaluation
HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
College is that time in your life where you're looking for that "special someone."
Bend letters to kansanopdesk@gmail.com. Write LETTER TO THE EDITOR in the e-mail subject line.
Well, that's what everyone says anyway. Every girl hopes for that妤tyale-like future with that ideal boy. Sometimes all that corny material shown in movies can really make me nauseous, but at the end of the day, we all would secretly like to be in that corny situation. I'm starting to notice that finding love doesn't quite resemble the movies. I don't think I, or anyone else for that matter, will ever quite have anything similar to the classic tearjerker known as "The Notebook." I think if someone ever said anything like, "If you're a bird... then I'm a bird," to me I would probably immediately burst out laughing anyway. Sorry, girls, but no. Just no.
**Length:** 300 words
The submission should include the author's name grade and haimetown. Find our full letter to the editor policy online at karsen.com/letters.
Trevor Graff, editor-in-chief
editor@kansan.com
Allison Kohn, managing editor
akohn@kansan.com
Dylan Lysen, managing editor
dlysen@kansan.com
All this has me wondering if dating has become extinct in this day and age. Notice that we live in a time where relationships are progressing on the Internet instead of on a face-to-face basis. Boyfriends and girlfriends are just someone to take pictures with, and courting isn't even in our vocabulary. Girls are wrapped up in the media that surrounds us with fake ideas of what a relationship should be, and don't even get me started about those captivating Luke Bryan love songs. Is he trying to kill us with his charming words?
Will Weber, opinion editor
www.besper@ansan.com
Mellee Pointer, business manager
mpointer@ansan.com
Seam Powers, sales manager
Love has become one of those words tossed around like a Frisbee, and similarly, it'll occasionally smack you in the face. I've never found love myself, and you all are probably thinking that I don't have a clue about love at the age of 19.
To guys reading this article, try to take the initiative to bring romance back to life. I know some of you are wrapped up in being the player that all your friends want you to be, but someday you're going to grow up and wish you had gotten the experience of falling in love.
That's probably true, but I have seen love. I've learned what love is through my older brother and sisters. Being the youngest of the family (by a lot), I got to learn from a lot of mistakes, wrong turns and bad choices. For
Molly Smith is a sophomore majoring in speech-language pathology from Lenexa.
But I also got the privilege of watching each of my siblings fall in love. They've taught me that love is unconditional, sharpened by challenges and strengthened by our growth. No, it's nothing like the movies. I've seen that it's more real and genuine. It has flaws, and what's beautiful about it is that it's not perfect. I love that my sister, after having been married for a few years now, still says she has the best husband in the world.
I guess I'm just hoping that we as a society haven't killed romance. For all those girls who, like me, haven't found the "perfect" guy that they want to be with forever. I want to suggest that you take a look at yourself first. For I believe that loving yourself is key to knowing what you want from any relationship. Start by getting rid of people that drag you down, people that have been nothing but wrong to you and, most importantly, those people that don't make you a priority.
By Molly Smith msmith@kansan.com
Sean Powers, sales manager spowers@kansan.com
superpowers
@KansanOpinion the weather is missing from the pull down menu!
@KansanOpinion if I'm listening to music and then try to unlock my phone to reply to a text the song I'm listening to starts over!
@TheEmmaBean
@superpowers
@KansanOpinion ...the fact that my Snapchat keeps logging me out!!! Anyone else?!
@Davis Samuel
CONTACT US
Brett Akagi, media director & content strategist bakagi@kansan.com
Jon Schitt, sales and marketing adviser
jschitt@kansan.com
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Trevor Graff, Allison Kohn, Dylan Lyon, W尼 Webber, Pointer Point and Powers.
1.