UFESOAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014
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And all too soon break ends.
Time to attempt to suppress my panic...
Darren Wilson should have stayed on the force. *Going to be tough to find a new job*
I hope the money K-State paid the refs is enough for them to get their eyes checked. So many calls that should have happened...
Nettflix is a beautiful thing, but if you're watching it in class you might as well have stayed home. #dontdoit
What's a girl gotta do for a guy who enjoys staying in on weekends watching movies instead of going to the bars?
Woke up this morning with the unwelcome discovery:
it's December. #Nope #what
bloodhell
Cliffhangers are the
Wind + cold weather = absolute worst
I smell queso in my classroom...
This is torture! #HungryBelly
Tip: women don't care what men prefer. They'll do what makes them happy.
Halfway point until I get to see my boyfriend! #deployment-sucks
Is it sad that I want to buy a Forever Lazy? They look so comfortable!
Don't see what all the rage is about Chipotle...ain't thaaat good.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Bye, Felicia
"House of Cards" comes back in February. Life is complete.
My dog is a mix between world's cutest dog and the devil.
Only a few weeks left in this semester and then I'm outa here!!!!! #RealWorldHereCome
Bought moustache bag clips and don't know how I clipped chip bags without 'em
Alright, Fraser your classrooms are too cold and I don't know if I can handle it anymore. Someone adjust the temperature!!!
My cooking consists of food that uses microwaves and/or cereal bowls.
I want to take a poll on how many girls wear riding boots on campus. Any guesses?
I saw a man wearing a cowboy hat driving a Zamboni at a gas station. Help. Help me.
Social distractions lead to unreflectiveness
I generally try to keep quiet, at least publicly, about the lack of honest motivations people like politicians, students and capitalists have. I cynically believe that they mostly satisfy big money, study and steal money. Following this line of thought, I was happy to come across Professor Leonard Kristhalka's editorial piece in the Lawrence Journal-World, "Thinking is just too painful, study reminds us," on Nov. 20. I was relieved to find
something to read other than the possible environmental and economic effects of the GOP's impending takeover of Congress in January. Krishtalka points out several ways in which our current culture is successful at being unreflective. In response to his piece, I'd like to present a case for optimism.
It is apparent that, collectively, we are not interested in thinking. Let's look at students, politicians and capitalists again. Our peers in class try to avoid thinking by asking questions like: "What exactly is going to be on the exam?" "Is there going to be a study guide?" "No way am I taking that class, I heard the professor is tough." "C's get degrees." I often doubt politicians use their brains at
all. What if they're just puppets that do what they're told by more powerful people? And finally, capitalists: When full-fledged monetary gain is the only goal in the minds of powerful capitalists, well, we've seen what can happen, like the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008.
There are too many distractions in society that make us so unreflective. Recent technological developments have definitely helped bring this culture about: Do people even read books anymore? Do they walk anywhere without staring at their phones or listening to music? Distracted from reality, we lose sight of the importance of reflection.
Despite our unreflective culture hurting our politics,
education and economy, I believe that we naturally desire to be reflective. It's what makes us human. We need to recognize those moments in which we discover we actually enjoy thinking, in order to resist our culture of mental laziness.
The kinds of moments I have in mind are analogous to the following example: "Bob" hasn't read a single reading assignment for English all semester because they are "useless" to him — he knows he can pull off an A in the class without trying. One day, Bob gets to class a half-hour early and doesn't know what to do, so he decides to read a little bit of the book they are supposed to be reading in class. Amazed by its contents, Bob discovers
the reading is actually interesting and thought provoking. Even more incredible, Bob ends up participating in class discussion and even makes some insightful comments. That day he leaves class with his brain on fire, excited about his ideas and inspired to be more thoughtful about life.
Though I always start out speaking cynically about our generation, I always end the conversation as an optimist. If we are being plagued by a lack of reflection, I believe that we will eventually recognize that to be the case, and seek to reverse the trend.
Sebastian Schoneich is a senior from Lawrence studying biochemistry and philosophy
No 'room for debate' with climate change
Last spring, "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" featured a spot discussing the misrepresentation of climate change in the media. Citing a poll in which one in four Americans is said to still be skeptical about climate change, Oliver stated, "You
Though I've watched the clip five times, that line always gives me the giggles because it is so true. We don't ask people's opinions on whether there are seven continents or if the earth revolves around the sun. Some may say such examples do not apply because, unlike climate change, there is no room for debate. The facts paint a different picture. When 97 percent of
don't need opinions on facts. You might as well ask, "What number is bigger: Five or 15?"
When 97 percent of
scientists agree that climate change is real and caused by humans, that is called consensus, not "room for debate." The 97 percent includes leading scientists in the U.S. and abroad: The International Panel on Climate Change, NASA and The American Association for the Advancement of Science, among others.
We live in a society where science is respected and funding for STEM fields increases each year, yet we weaken findings from these same fields of study by
allowing unnecessary debate. It is time American media, politicians and citizens stop calling it a climate change debate and start calling it a climate change discussion, or just "reality."
The announcement about the climate change agreement with China means that now, more than ever, it is crucial to utilize the power of language. When a news anchor, politician or schoolteacher calls it the "climate change debate," they give equal weight to both sides, when in reality, there is no
wiggle room. Using such language only stokes political fires over an issue that must be thought of as an environmental problem poised to impact the social,political and economic integrity of our nation. Our policies are already moving toward significant action on climate change. It is time that the language we use matches the facts.
Gabrielle Murnan is a junior from Pittsburg studying environmental studies
Group projects create problems for students
Group projects create more complications for students.
They cause endless amounts of stress. One or two people do all the work while the rest sit back and enjoy the free grade. Meeting with partners is like the nearly impossible task of trying to find a parking spot on Daisy Hill. It is frustrating and exhausting. They can be a college student's dream but oftentimes end up being a nightmare.
It is common that several students in a class will moan and groan to their professors requesting that group projects be discontinued. However, these students tend to receive the response of, "You're going to have to work in groups later on in your actual career, you will need to know how to work well with others."
At first, this may seem like a plausible reason as to why group projects exist in college, but upon further reasoning, they seem less beneficial and more of a waste of time and effort. Group assignments in the professional
field do exist, however college group projects barely resemble them.
Group projects in college do not give a good reflection
Group projects in college do not give a good reflection of what group projects in the real world look like for various reasons. For one, usually in the business world you get to pick your team, whereas in college you can be assigned random partners. Being assigned a random partner can be beneficial in the sense of working with someone who has a different perspective. However, what students often find when being assigned to work with someone they don't know is a clash in personalities and
other personal issues that frequently end up negatively impacting the project.
In the real world, individuals put in group projects may work harder because they are paid for their work. If all of my group partners were paid for the work they contribute, you can bet they would put forward more effort and avoid the issue of having one person doing most of the work.
Lastly, in most jobs, you and your partners will be required to be there for a certain amount of time each day. This eliminates the struggle of trying to meet up around everyone's crazy schedules. But in college, group members must find a time to meet in between their classes, extra-curricular activities and jobs.
College group projects are unfair, overly stressful and usually not reflective of scenarios that students will face in the professional world. While group projects do offer a glimpse into the area of trying to work well with others, the stress is too high and the effort far too great for the benefits that group projects produce.
Anissa Fritz is a sophomore from Dallas studying journalism and sociology
RPS CK
Do you prefer to work in groups for projects or by yourself?
@KansanOpinion I definitely prefer solo projects. Working around multiple class schedules is a nightmare!
@elizabeth_karr
@KansanOpinion In the end, the only one that can work with you every time is you. Work alone or end up working alone on a group project.
@lgnaddio
@harrypotterjew
FFA OF THE DAY
@KansanOpinion Group projects. Collaboration is essential to the sciences, so it's important to learn how to work with others.
People who actively use the word "moist" need to reevaluate themselves
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