4
University Daily Kansan
Opinion
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 1985
End of the paper chase
Next week's Student Senate elections will mark the end of the paper chase.
Last year, students could cast votes at only five locations. But with voting machines greeting them as they walk in the door to class, fewer students will have to go out of their way to vote.
The machines also will speed up the vote-counting process. Winners in all Senate races should be known by 10 p.m., predicts David Day, chairman of the Senate Elections Committee.
The Senate Elections Committee decided to swap the stacks of multicolored paper ballots used in most past elections for 24 voting machines borrowed from the Johnson County Elections Office in Olathe.
The machines will be placed in several locations on campus — in both Unions and in the classroom buildings where students will be most likely to vote for candidates representing their professional schools.
In last year's election, workers took about six hours to
tally votes in the races for student body president and vicepresident. But they spent two days shuffling through paper ballots to determine the winners in the 66 senatorial races.
When it comes to obeying new alcohol laws, housing officials at Kansas State University seem to trust their students' judgment.
In addition, using machines will cost the Senate considerably less than the $1,500 spent printing paper ballots in last year's election. Johnson County is lending the machines to the Senate for free, but computer paper for the machines should cost $95. Also, the Senate will have to pay a private moving company a small fee to transport the machines to and from campus.
At K-State, students who turned 19 before July 1 this year are old enough to take 3.2 beer to their rooms and drink it. No KU students, whether 19 or 90, can have beer in University housing.
Finally, the behind-the-curtain privacy of voting machines ensures accuracy: Students can cast votes without other students peering over their shoulders, and no ballots can get lost on their way to the ballot box.
In the wake of the state's new alcohol laws, the University of Kansas decided to prohibit 3.2 percent beer in its residence halls. K-State chose not to change its policy, and K-State housing officials say they might wait to change the policy until the drinking age goes to 21 in 1987.
Although there is nothing inherently wrong with paper ballots, the end of the Senate's paper chase should mark the start of smoother-running elections. And if the Senate can save a little money in the process, all the better.
K-State's right idea
K-State is one of three Big Eight schools that still allows alcohol in residence halls. The other five simply invoked a flat ban.
K-State's policy implies that by the time students reach college, they can learn to follow
school rules and state laws. The policy at KU attempts to resurrect the notion of the University operating in loco parentis — in place of a parent.
Some students are bound to avoid rules and break laws. But housing officials and resident assistants have enough to do without also having to guarantee that students, in the privacy of their rooms, are abiding by the state's drinking laws.
KU officials were correctly concerned about possible liability for drinking-related accidents. The decision to ban beer at any function sponsored by an organized living group adequately addresses this concern.
K-State wisely recognized that drinking and driving would best be avoided by allowing those who can legally buy beer to drink it in their rooms.
It appears that KU could learn a few things from K-State.
Another hole in the belt
Once again, it appears that Kansas will have to make do with less.
Revenue officials have projected that the state will end the current fiscal year, 1986, with $55 million less in savings than expected. Income for fiscal 1987, which won't begin until July, already looks to fall $77.5 million short.
Gov. John Carlin says this won't require spending cuts for the remainder of this fiscal year. But state budget officials are studying their spreadsheets to figure what this bleak revenue picture portends for next year.
fiscal year than it planned for this year.
This might force the same kind of deep spending cuts the state faced in 1982, cuts from which the Regents schools still are trying to recover.
Or, legislators may decide to raise taxes. But last session, a proposal by Carlin to add a half cent to the state's sales tax hardly received a warm reception.
The proposal never came before the Legislature because the Republican leadership denied that it was needed.
They were wrong. The modest sales tax increase would have at least eased the loss of revenue.
It was needed then. It is needed even more now.
Rob Karwath
Editor
John Hanna Michael Totty
Managing editor Editorial editor
Lauretta McMillen
Campus editor
Susanne Shaw
General manager, news adviser
Duncan Caihoun Business manager
**LETTERS TO THE EDITOR should be typed, double-spaced and less than 300 words. Include the writer's name, address and phone number. If the writer is affiliated with the University, include class and hometown, or faculty or staff position.**
**GUEST SHOTS should be typed, double-spaced and less than 700 words.** The
Brett McCabe Sue Johnson
Retail sales Campus sales
Megan Burke
National/Oo-op sales
John Oberzan
Sales and marketing adiser
The Kansas reserves the right to reject edit letters and guest shots. They can be mailed or brought to the Kansas newsroom, 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall.
The University Daily Kansan (USF$ 650-640) is published at the University of Kansas, 118 Staffer-Flint Hall, Lawrence, Kan., 60445, daily during the regular school year, except Saturdays, Sundays, holidays and final periods, and Wednesdays during the summer session. Second-class postage paid at Lawrence, Kan., 6042. In Dogges County, mail subscriptions cost $1 for six months and $27 a month. For an annual fee, a student. Student subscriptions cost $3 and are paid through the student activity fee.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the University Daily Kansan, 118 Stauffer-Flint Hall, Lawrence, Kan., 66045.
To have an endowment association that invests in firms that make profits in South Africa and then transfer them to new firms is one of the contradicts any definition of morality.
Freedom should extend beyond the narrow confines of KU and Walter's brain all the way across the sea to the people in South Africa.
Jon DeVore Lawrence resident
"Conservatism" is just another euphimism for old-fashioned racism. If Reagan refuses to remove U.S. financial support for South African bondage, one cannot expect any progress at home either.
Walter is also apparently unaware that he attends a University. To clear this up, air, such entities theoretical- for noble goals such as freedom.
Walter apparently is unaware of the connection between civil rights in this country and apartheid. Civil rights progress has stalled in many parts of the world, but that the Reagan administration's attitude about blacks is the problem.
Gottfried and the football team
Mailbox
Gottfried and Notre Dame? Much has been written and said lately concerning the possibility of KU's football coach, Mike Gottfried, being hired as football coach for Notre Dame.
Rumors and speculation that Gottfried will be asked to replace Notre Dame football coach Gerry Faust when this season concludes are promoting this crazy idea.
I do not think Notre Dame selects its competition to inflate its winning record in the way they did. They secrete records to compete with that will upgrade the program.
Gottfried says he has not been contacted by Notre Dame about this coaching position. This answer is similar to the one he gave after the 1983 season concerning the Memphis State coaching job for which he applied but was rejected by Memphis State.
If Notre Dame is not the premier coaching position in the country, it certainly ranks near the top. With rich tradition and prestige, why would Notre Dame want to hire Goffried, a coach who has yet to prove himself as a major college football coach?
Well, maybe Notre Dame would hire Gottfried for his recruiting skill? Probably not. Recruiting at Notre Dame has its advantages over KU, granted, but both schools have one thing in common — academics first and football second.
In this 1985 season, virtually none of the five wins to date has come against teams with .500 records, and two of the five wins were against Division 2 powers, Indiana State and Eastern Illinois. Gottfried's other experience in 1983 with a Division 2 power was a loss to Norlinern Illinois here in Lawrence.
Gottfried has defeated only two teams with records better than .500 — Missouri in 1983, and Oklahoma in 1984. The 12 other wins were against teams that were sub-.500. Said another way, these 12 teams lose more than 50 percent of their games.
Evan Walter's column in the Kansan on Nov. 8, "Anti-apartheid protests a waste of time," in which he suggests that the foes of apartheid in this country go to South Africa, is the most absurd piece I have seen on the issue.
Absurd piece on protest
Telling people to leave the country smacks of sentiments I thought were dead, such as "America" like it or "and" "My country right or wrong."
In Gottfried's three seasons at KU, he has proved beyond a doubt that he cannot recruit enough average high school talent, let alone the blue-chip athlete, needed to build a consistent Big Eight contender. At Notre Dame, it's national championships.
Consequently, Gottfried's success (if you can call it that) has come through the Juco connection. This highly successful junior college transfer program and walk-on program is known throughout the community. Twenty-five Juco players are on the '85 roster.
'The self-promoted need or perceived need to win at any cost has overridden the building of a program with integrity.'
Gottfried has displayed extremely poor judgment in the handling of the academically ineligible players. This lack of discipline displayed by Gottfried has compounded these problems.
Playing athletes who are academically ineligible is an affront to common sense, dignity and any sense of fair play. Adding insult to injury. Gifted has the audacity to select one of the players as team captain.
This episode has been an embarrassment to the University of Kansas, the state of Kansas and a blow to the integrity of KU athletics. Also, the athletic department spent more than $100,000 on this mess, and the problems are still unresolved. Money is not the problem here, but a commitment to the University and what it stands for is.
One of the saddest parts of this diry flasco is the impact it has on the
players who attended class, made the grade, stayed eligible, attended football practice, started several games and, through some divine wisdom by Gottfried, are benched and replaced by academically ineligible players. If a player can get a judge to declare him eligible, Gottfried says he will play him. Why not?
The self-promoted need or perceived need to win at any cost has overridden the building of a program with classless acts. I can imagine at KU
Within the embarrassment of this academic situation lies the fact that KU will have to forfeit games won while using ineligible players. According to a Journal-World sports writer, no big deal. Forfeits are not kept track of and most schools do not change their records to indicate such. Again, win today. The end justifies the means, doesn't it.
Some people have called Gottfried a fix-it man because he turns programs around. Check the football program at Cincinnati, Gottfried's only major coaching position, after his two illusions 6-15 seasons. Their program is still floundering. So much for "mister fix-it."
KU's football program under Gottfried is displaying the characteristics of a program out of control. For good or bad, KU fans, Gottfried likes his name in the limelight. It's also observed that Gottfried Johnson and Chancellor Gene A., Budig have little control over the KU football program. Who does?
Maybe Notre Dame does need Gotfried. KU cannot afford him. The price is too high.
David Schneider Lawrence resident
Constructive leaders
A glance at the campus activity calendar shows that Student Senate elections are less than two weeks away. This election, however, does
not appear to be inspiring the controversy that enveloped the campus last year at this time.
The two coilitions vying for the top spots can hardly hope to put on a show comparable to the production last year's seven coilations gave us. The controversial issues have seemed to disappear, as Common Sense and Chrysalis appear to be battling student anapathy more than each other.
What is not being brought to the students' attention, however, may have serious negative ramifications for student Senate and every student at KU.
Ruth Lichtwardt, vice-presidential candidate for the Chrysalis Coalition, was arrested in association with the protests at Strong Hall on Monday. Although the five that were arrested were warned at least two times to leave the office, these students decided to remain and face charges of criminal trespass.
The University administration was clear in its statement that these students were in "diametric opposition to what a university stands for."
The Student Senate is the one direct link students have with the administration. Those who have held leadership positions in the Senate have emphasized the necessity of a good working relationship with the administration.
The vice-presidential candidate for the Chrysalis Coalition, however, has placed herself in direct opposition to the administration.
Although student leaders should not allow the administration's decisions to go unchallenged, they must be capable of presenting their criticisms in a constructive manner.
Her arrest on Monday appears to signify an unwillingness to work in constructive ways for an improvement in the educational experience of all KU students.
Unless Lightward and the entire Chrysalis Coalition can answer such objections, students would be advised to look elsewhere for leadership.
Atchison sonhomore
Fall splendor's swift passing
When I was younger, autumn seemed to last forever. Walking home from school, we would kick the gold and red leaves beneath our feet as we rushed to play in the snow, left of late afternoon sunshine.
Once home, we would grab rakes and gather the leaves covering the front yard into billowy piles beneath the large oak in our front yard. We would form forts out of them and then burrow into the sides, popping out to surprise one another.
Then we would push the leaves into piles as high as we could, swinging the rakes above our heads to throw the leaves to the very top of the pile.
We would pull ourselves onto one of the low branches directly above one of the piles and throw ourselves down to land breathlessly among them. The piles never felt quite as soft as they looked when we hit.
Gina Kellogg Staff Columnist
We would take weekend outings with our parents to small towns we had never heard of (but where many of our college friends spent their lives growing up). The crisp autumn air whiplifted through the slightly opened windows, blowing our hair as we pressed our faces to the glass. The trees that whizped past displayed colors that
seemed to glow with a soft fire.
We would stop at roadside stores where they gave free glasses of apple cider. The glasses were just big enough to tempt your taste buds and entice you to buy a gallon to take home. Sometimes there were caramel apples we were allowed to eat in the car — as long as we promised not to touch anything until we got home.
Now the days that are cloudy and gray seem to outnumber the days of sunshine and sparkle.
They filmed the sun glinting off the rushing water in a quiet forest
But today, fall doesn't seem to last as long as it did when I was younger. Suddenly fall just appears, almost overnight. Then just as suddenly, all the leaves have fallen off the trees. They stand bare against the cloudy autumn sky.
I saw a nightly news program lant week make a special broadcast from New England. The colors of autumn for their viewers.
brook, stately trees with fire and gold leaves dancing in the breeze and golden pastures of grazing cows, bleating sheep and running
The scenes made me think:
"Kansas is just as beautiful as that."
But when I glanced through my window at the huge oak outside, the leaves, which had glowed golden in the warm sunlight just days before, now lay silently in yellow mounds upon the ground.
I ran to the window and looked down the street but saw that my tree was not the only one that stood bare of foliage. Few of the other trees displayed any remaining leaves.
It seemed that autumn was already over.
Although the tree may stand naked and bleak, other reminders linger, to show that we are not yet in the clutches of winter.
Last week I was walking my dog and watching my breath cloud up before my face. Faintly from overhead the honking of gese came down to me and I looked up to see the crooked, shifting V. My dog's ear perked as he listened to their muffled calls.
As we watched them disappear from view, I knew that autumn wasn't over yet.