UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN editorials
Unsigned editors represent the opinion of the Kansan editorial staff. Signed columns represent the views of the editorial staff.
December 7
U.S. 40 a deathtrap
To the casual observer, U.S. 40 seems to be a picturesque highway, a tranquil red ribbon of asphalt that snakes its way through the gently rolling hills between Lawrence and Tooneka.
But as any driver who has traveled the highway know, that tranquility is deceiving. U.S. 40 is a deathtrain.
Already this year there have been 72 major accidents along the 25-mile stretch of highway. Two persons have died, dozens more have been injured. Countless minor accidents and near misses have occurred.
One need only drive it once to see why. For most of its length the highway has no shoulders. Where they do exist they are narrow and crumbling, barely able to support a motorcycle, let alone a car or truck. The result is that broken down cars must be left either on the highway or in the ditch.
Combine the lack of safe shoulders,
dozens of blind tight corners, poorly-
marked intersections and sharply-
tuned streets. Have all the ingredients for disaster.
Despite its obviously decrept condition, U.S. 40 is still a heavily traveled highway. Almost all of those who travel the highway do so to save the 60-cent toll on the Kansas Turnpike, which makes U.S. 40 to do so, they flee with death.
State Department of Transportation officials say they know all about the dangers of U. 40 but say there is nothing they can do.
"That stretch of U.S. 40 was under consideration for improvements as part of a $35 million government highway improvement project," said
Robert Slease, public information director of the Kansas Department of Transportation, recently.
"But we discover that the width of the right of way was too narrow, that additional right of way would be needed," he said.
Buying up the land needed for the additional right of way would have been too expensive, he said, so the DOT scrapped the improvement plans.
That apparently was not the only reason, according to statehouse observers. After losing tremendous revenue to other recently improved highways, such as K-10 between Kansas City and Lawrence and I-35 between Kansas City and Emporia, the Attorney have been very sensitive to highway improvements that might cut their revenues even further.
The only bright spot in the tragic saga of U.S. 40 has been in another multi-million dollar highway improvement program approved by Governor John Carlin earlier this year. Under the terms of the program, the state will provide given discretionary funds that allow them to improve whatever they want.
Douglas County has decided to do as much as it can to make the road safer rather than wait on the state. already, one danger corner seven miles west of Lawrence has been widened and new improvements are planned. Other improvements are planned.
But these measures are only a beginning, and the money will soon run out. Until U- 40 is given the financial support it requires, it will need a remitashr.
Editor bows out
Ah. the life of a Kansan editor.
The view from my office, which some staffers referred to this semester as my class clare, is typical.
The make-up editor rounds the corner from the newsroom to the copy room for the thunderdome time this semester! to batch of stories to a weary copy chef.
The phone rings.
The campus desk has sent the fourth hangry reporter to his typwriter to smooth the edges on the front last page story. Five sports writers are baddened in their corner, pushing panels as they play the basketball game above the din of clacking typewriters. The announcer says KU's winning—but not for long;
"Kansan newsroom," a campus editor says automatically. Privately, he will admit that he has answered his question only to bettable a roommate's friend
In October, it was those long hours waiting for the Kansai entrance to get through the gate. The other Des Moines. The editors waited so long that they began to riffle through hold-over areas.
"Mary, I-4, it's for you," he says.
Indeed, it's been a lot for me this semester.
However, he wasn't so thrilled to be yanked out of bed at the same hour on a day when he was supposed to scanner scacked something about a car hit by a train in north Lawrence, only to find it was a dog.
In September, it was mobilizing numbers of the staff at 3 a.m. to 4 p.m. to enforce the law. Lawrence. Our police reporter was excited to be able to report the news about the shootings.
mary EDITOR hoenk
tunately, a few moments later the staffers walked into the newsroom.
It also was dealing with irate staff photographers who were assigned to take photos of people they could not but couldn't get past security guards. It seemed as if every photographer on the job had been caught.
Most recently, it was a reporter's call to the state department in the wee hours of the morning, try to get information about what happened to her who departed for Iran this week. The story wowed the reporter so much that she went home and did her dishes at 4:30PM.
It's been a lot of other things, too.
Surviving fast food diet, sleepless nights, a newsprint crunch, a bomb scare in the newsroom and the shop at 7 a.m. on Monday morning, a directory and textbooks that haven't been opened in weeks; and speculating where December graduates would go to spring editions would select for his study.
To some contributors, Kansan work has just been part of a class. To others, the long hours, hassles and frustrations paid off in the thins we have learned.
We've learned things about news judgment, ethics, sources, readers, the power of storytelling and the could go on. But the most important thing was that we learned about ourselves and how to deal with our own challenge and in the end, it was what made this manuscript as Kansan editor
A small group of people will gather underneath the Campanile on Dec. 10 as late afternoon begins to fall across the campus. Mr. Jenkins and his persians did last May. They will commence.
December grads feel neglected
None of the amenities will be missing. There will be a band, albeit of kazooes, playing "Pump and Circumstance." There will be a faculty member dressed in dozes to confer degrees upon the graduating seniors. There will even be a photographer.
As many as 800 people could participate in the commencement. That is the official/top estimate of the number of seniors attending. In December, 762 students received degrees.
This small group is not staging the commencement with a tongue-in-cheek attitude. to the graduates who are able to demonstrate all that commencement means in May.
That's not a small number. But why is there so little hope for these folk, who have worked just as hard as their Mayer peers to get that piece of vellum with fancy writing?
FOR THE SPRING commencement, the administration goes all out. There are parent-senior luncheons, departmental luncheons, and special lunches of the manner of honor paid to the Real World fledglings. And, says an official in the records and records office, all December
The problem is many of us can't attend. We have to have jobs soon after our school career. You're supposed to return for the festivities. Technically, we are 1999 graduates. So we should come back.
Walking down The Hill the previous May would be a solution, of course. But the relatives somehow don't believe you've met them. And they find you on have one more semester.
The hoopla needn't be elaborate. At the very least, someone should take out a
newspaper ad and congratulate us. A reception in the Kansas Union with doughnuts and coffee also would be nice.
melissa COLUMNIST thompson
INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS of departments can—and may—be taking it upon themselves to honor their December graduates. Again, something elaborate is unnecessary.
Perhaps it's a bit petulant to expect niceties when we are graduating at midyear. But we have paid money dutifully each semester. We have participated in our
classes and by virtue of the fact that we're graduating, we must have done OK. In recognition of these factors, there should be some serious thought given to this course.
HAPPILY. I found those options—to help
I wondered then what that man's options for survival, and I wondered what my options for helping him and the other unfortunate people I had never noticed
Ayatollah Claus
We would like the chance to walk down The Hill, feel lumps in our throats, have our eyes mist and sing the alma matter.
Chancellor Dykes, the ceremony will begin at 4:30.
Yuletide is time to help the helpless
But, scurrying around up here, it was easy for me to forget.
Last week, I saw a young man—not much older than most students here—rooting through a dumper behind an opulent Massachusetts Street restaurant.
The man began eating from that garbage bin, completely oblivious to me and other people passing.
As I stood by, feeling shocked and wondering what, if anything, to do about it, I realized with a jolt how sheltered my college life had been.
That man was not a part of faraway New York, or even Kansas City. He was in Lawrence, and as was much a part of this class, that much a part that students scournevie on the Hill.
The Christmas Bureau is a loose-knit organization of Lawrence groups that have projects to help the needy this season.
The Red Cross, one member of the organization, offers toys for Tots program by distributing the toys to the parents of an estimated 300 children or older who are needed.
The Red Cross also will see that food and blankets brought to its office in the Com-
Here, then, are a few of the opportunities for sharing that I found Lawrence residents involved in. All can use more help.
and to be helped—numerous especially now that it is the Christmas season.
The Ballard Community Center, 708 Elm St., also needs toys, food and clothing for its Christmas program.
munity Building, 115 W. 11th St., are given to needy families.
Penn House, 1035 Pennsylvania St., is again sponsoring a Christmas Adoption Project, where a family or group can "adopt" a less fortunate family for the holidays. That entails buying toys for the kids and food for a Christmas dinner. So far, 79 families have applied to need 70ey families that range in size from two to ten members.
THE GROUP also is assisting with a Christmas dinner Dec. 12 for low-income families and the elderly. In a Christian tradition, Lawrence resident Ace Johnson will provide the food, and Pam House will act as hosts and help to serve the meal.
will receive toys, food baskets and vouchers for grocery stores. The Salvation Army also will visit seven area nursing homes and distribute gifts to the residents.
The Salvation Army, 946 New Hampshire St., would welcome money, toys and food for its programs. About 100 low-income families
And the ranks of bell-ringers, so often called from KU fraternities and sororites, can use more volunteers. Donations taken by the Salvation Army program.
IN ADDITION, many Lawrence churches and civic groups are doing their part to ease the problems of the poor and lonely this Christmas.
After Christmas, after the projects have ended, nothing may have changed for those people.
But, for those who give something this season, there may be a difference.
The shock and the feeling of helplessness at the sight of a man eating from a garbage bin may be replaced by the knowledge that there is a way to help.
The options, for both, do exist.
Blunders lessen Kennedy's chances
If all of my predictions had come true Gerald Ford would be president today and the Baltimore Orioles would be the World Champions and I would be $100 richer.
But I feel prepared now to try my hand at another projection. And I can think of one that will please me more. Ted Kennedy, the Democratic candidate of President Carter, will be in the Senate this week in the Democratic race. Sure, he's still ahead in the polls, but just give it time.
Kennedy was, in effect, drafted into the Army after graduation and co-taught to coach who landed him as the lead coach of the country and his entrance into the race coincided with Carter's nadir in the season.
WHAT KENNEDY needs to face up to, or rather what he should have faced up to
In the few weeks that Kennedy has been in office, he will be most likely of his level can be directly attributed to his incompetence and some can be tied to Carter's decide show of strong leadership skills.
david
Suffering the after effects of a stroke, she still has a brave and rational and cool-headed intelligence, trapped though it is on a failing body. She experiences four yew, five eyes, and two ears. She wonders if "they" have captured her. But panic is not in Emily Silson's experience
preston
Kennedy's poor efforts in trying to answer Roger Mudgill's questions in a special CBS interview last month are typical of his career. He has said he is interested in what many now call the "Ea-sh" interview, Kennedy himself and hawed about his actions in the Chappaquiddick incident and showed a glaring lack of ability to answer questions about all types of political issues.
Another blunder Kennedy committed was in recently stating his uncategorical opposition to the shah and his regime.
Review ignores character's past
Emily Stilson, the character played by Holya, has been a boast-storming aviator and wingwalker in the proper days of flight. She is used to experiencing danger, the unknown and situations where one can fail. She walks through a leg of uncertainty to a safe landing.
To the Editor:
To the Editor:
"I like to say how pleased I was to see the recent article on some of Lawrence's local news, where he wrote that many people don't realize the enormous amount of talent that lives here. The art is there."
or she would have crashed a plane long ago. Hellyr sensitively portrays the more complex character; if the reviewer wanted scenery hysteria, this is his hard luck but she will never do it.
Coverage is needed for local concerts
before he entered the race, is that he is not as smart or as good in front of crowds, press conferences or interviewers as were his brothers.
Lawrence special student
Nan C.L. Scott
What most people have also failed to notice is the growing number of big name national and international artists that are now beginning to recognize Lawrence as a artist. This is not surprising, since new artists, especially, have taken it very impressive. This semester alone we seen such up and coming bands as Bram Tshukovsky, Southside Johnny and the Buckets, and Steve Jobs and the Buzzocks. They didn't come to Kansas City; they came to Lawrence.
Part of the reason for this is the increased awareness by college students of the current resurgence of rock 'n' roll, JKHK, the student-operated KU station, is partly responsible for the exposure, as is the press in general. Lawrence can expect in the future that if concert promoters and the bands themselves can see interest and support here
A statement such as that, pointed to Kennedy by every political leader from the White House, said he was irresponsible and could have seriously damaged the union front that the leaders of this country have so proudly expressed in Nov. 4 raid on the embassy in Tehran.
Increased coverage of these local events by the Kansan is essential.
Scott Enstein
Assistant music director-KJHK
THE BEST HEAP the weapon the United States has a strong combo against the Iranian action against Iraq, but not from a senatorial leader and a presidential candidate, are just the tools that Kh菱尼会 use to win.
Kennedy later qualified his position on the
matter, but what kind of leadership is that?
It has not taken long for Kennedy to lose ground in the popular poll. He ran far ahead of Carter when he was not a candidate. He was a mystical and faraway man, with a sharp mind and a faintness of dollars. But now that he has been on the campaign trail in the Midwest and the West, in areas that are not as friendly as the East and before crowds that are not so patronizing, he has shown a level of ability to meet the challenge.
OR, AS EDITORIAL,刑官 Jim Berry said a character recently, "I don't think I can take much more of knowing them than a day or two." Throughout the campaign, I suspect,
We, as Americans, should forget Ted Kennedy and set about electing a real president. I'm betting we will.
senseless government spending policies should catch up with him as the campaign trail winds into the primary season.
All of this, on top of the unanswered questions about Chappaquiddick, his expulsion from Harvard for cheating and his
further instances of his inability to handle situations while stumping will be brought to light.
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