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MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2014
TEXT FREE FOR ALL
The guy crossing in front of my car was walking exactly to the beat of my music. We bonded.
Text your FFA submissions to (785) 289-8351 or at kansan.com
Saw a guy wearing gym shorts AND a fedora. I wish I were that classy.
You could save a lot of $$ if they considered installing water efficient toilets in most buildings on campus. Everytime I flush, it pains me for the next 8 seconds that the water keeps running. I mean A LOT. Do admins read FFAs btw?! #dosomething
Speaking as clarinet leadership, we don't do the woo. Don't make things up, brass.
Am I the only person on campus without a smartphone?
I can't decide between watching A Goofy movie or Shrek. College has not prepared me for this decision.
The 29 is ridiculous. Sits at the Union for 15 minutes on break then drives nonstop to GSP where it sits for another 5 minutes. Seriously? Choose one and stay at it. No need for this.
Forget Chick-fil-A, we need a Taco Bell on campus.
I really feel sorry for those people who are mocking the people handing out Bibles. I guess "tolerance" only applies when we're talking about you?
Why didn't the grandma working the register at Walmart tell me to have a good night as I left with a new tube of tube?
I was near a group of people working on math. I swore I heard one say "...we take the square root of fairies..."
*sigh* Who peed in the elevator?
Seriously, passing notes in class is rude ... Just text like a normal person.
Damn this town is beautiful in the fall!
Dear Residence Halls, why are you so hot? We pay enough you'd think we could at least get some cooler air in our rooms. From, a Student Paying Over $28,000...
I made a joke about how bitter I can get about things, and all my friends laughed a little too hard.
You fools, the band does not woo (including the clarinets).
stopthewoo
Warm fall weather is amazing.
Saturday's baseball game gave me a minor heart attack but I still believe in our Royals.
Got those Monday blues.
Koch brothers criticism is misguided and one-sided
In Kansas, we hear quite a bit about the Koch brothers' influence on politics and how they're "buying" this country. Criticism of big money in government is fair, but throwing all the blame at the Koch brothers is ignorant. Big money exists on both sides of the aisle, and if you only criticize the Kochs, you're missing an entire political demographic of wealth in politics.
We can start looking at big money belonging to politicians. According to Roll Call's "50 Richest Members of Congress for 2014," Americans hold the top two spots and the next eight are filled by Democrats. Even House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a leader for the "Party of the People," ranks 14th, with a net worth
of $29.01 million. In Kansas, we see big money from Democrats coming to help candidate Greg Orman, who is worth between $21 million and $86 million, according to the Kansas City Star. Four billionaires Peter Ackerman, John Burbank, George Soros and Michael Bloomberg are all coming to Orman's aid.
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In my home state of South Dakota, this big money hypocrisy has turned full swing as well. Democratic Senate candidate Rick Weiland has claimed to be on a grassroots campaign with the slogan to "Take It Back." The big question is: What is being taken back? The fact that the seat he's running for has been held by Democrat Tim Johnson since 1997 or that Weiland claims he's taking back the
Senate from big money, but even that is a false claim at this point. As reported by the Argus Leader, he recently collected $2 million in funds from outside sources, including the Mayday political action committee. The PAC said it's donating this amount because, "[t]he only way to take our democracy back is to elect reformers like Rick Weiland." If that's not irony, I don't know what is.
Big name Democrats are worth well into the millions. According to Forbes, Secretary of State John Kerry's net worth in
2012 was $198.8 million. Bloomberg News reported Al Gore's net worth over $200 million, which almost puts him at Mitt Romney's $250 million net worth figure. Even Bill Clinton has a net worth of $55 million, and he's supposed to be the "relatable" former president.
I could keep going on, but continuing would serve no more purpose. Yes, the Koch brothers' $100 billion net worth, reported by Bloomberg News, seems just unfathomably wealthy. But even their PACs don't fully garner all the criticism they receive for big money in politics. According to OpenSecrets.org, the super PAC with the most expenditures is the Liberal Senate Majority PAC. It also reported for
their "Heavy Hitters" list, the top all-time donors from 1989 to 2014. Koch Industries ranked at number 60.
If you're going to go after big money in politics, go after both sides. The Citizens United case opened the door for big money to pour into politics, but it's not just the Kochs who have taken advantage of it. Both sides in politics have used it to their advantage and also have incredibly wealthy leaders. Big money in politics is all over the board, and if you're going to just focus on the Kochs, then you're being hypocritical. We will never be able to rid the wealth influence out of Congress.
Adam Timmerman is a senior from Sioux Falls, S.D., studying environmental studies
Senate candidate Greg Orman best represents student interests
This is the first time in Pat Roberts' 17-year tenure in the United States Senate that he has been forced to work to win an election. Greg Orman, an independent from Olathe, is performing better than any other candidate Roberts has faced, with the two campaigns' poll numbers nearly equal. This race, which will be on the Nov. 4 ballot, is one students should pay attention to. While Roberts is known as one of the most conservative members of the Senate, Orman wants to work across party lines upon being elected, focus on issues important to the millennial generation, such as health care and tuition rates.
Roberts began serving in the Senate in 1997. He has one of the most conservative voting records of any Senate member and has tended to eschew bipartisanship in favor of contributing to the political gridlock.
Over the past few years, Congress has become inefficient, passing almost half of the number of bills per year compared to a decade ago, according to Pew Research. Roberts, and the others who adhere to this brand of politicking, are the major contributors to this trend. Moreover, since 2000, Roberts has missed two thirds of the Senate Agricultural Committee meetings,
I recently had a chance to speak to Orman, and it is clear that if elected, he would be a drastically different senator. He cited congressional dysfunction and partisanship as the primary problems in Washington.
according to the Topeka-Capital Journal. Roberts claims to be an advocate for the farming population, yet his attendance record and past votes against bills benefiting the farming community indicate otherwise.
"[I am] not going to be a silent soldier for either party." Orman staid. "This race isn't about partisanship; it's about the voters of Kansas standing up and saying 'no more.'" This apparent willingness to embrace bipartisanship and forgo party ideologies makes Orman an attractive candidate. Though other politicians have claimed the country's political system is broken, Orman seems genuinely concerned about fixing it. Orman has said he will caucus with whichever party is in the Senate majority to most effectively address legislative problems.
Issues Orman is
particularly concerned about include higher education affordability, healthcare, campaign finance reform and small business growth. Orman's proposed reforms would positively affect students. He believes student loan interest rates should be lowered, and universities receiving federal funding should be held more accountable in their spending to help lower costs for students.
Concerning healthcare, Orman believes incentives within the industry need to be changed so doctors will focus on favorable patient outcomes instead of making money off tests and procedures. Additionally, Orman is pro-choice and supports marriage equality.
Orman cares about Kansas and national progress in a way Roberts does not. The race is close, with the latest poll numbers indicating Roberts is catching up to Orman's earlier lead. A large number of votes from the KU student body could be enough to tilt the election. Unfortunately, students tend to have low voting rates, meaning this demographic isn't fully utilizing its voice. It is imperative for students to vote this November. Students should contribute to the political process and help bring about change.
Ike Uri is a sophomore from Concordia studying sociology
Breaks are meant for relaxing, not studying
Fall Break was the perfect opportunity for students to relax, unwind and regroup from the pressure college brings. It offered students a few short days to catch up on sleep and do things that did not require much effort. However, it is nearly impossible to have a stress-free break when professors schedule midterm exams on dates following break.
How is one supposed to enjoy their time off when they know in the back of their minds they should be studying for a test instead? Giving a midterm exam after Fall Break is like giving a test on a Monday. Maybe professors think giving us a few extra days to study will give us better grades, but that is not necessarily true.
Personally, I feel giving students more time to study over break does the exact opposite of what a break is meant for. The likelihood of procrastination, or not studying at all, increases, while lowering students' chances of a good grade.
My roommate currently has a midterm exam scheduled Halloween night, which seems way beyond the "midpoint" of the semester. Midterms on dates after Fall Break are counterproductive.
How are college students supposed to perform their best on exams when given so much time off?
While I would like to think I would study for a midterm over break, the odds of actually doing it are rather slim. However, turning my brain off for three and a half days. then cramming before school starts back up are at greater odds. Professors scheduling midterms right after a break defeats the purpose of having a "break" at all and does not allow students to perform as well as they may have if the midterm had been scheduled before the break.
Professors should instead schedule midterms before breaks to make life a little easier on students. Students would be more likely to study for their midterms while they are taking classes and not on a break. Knowing all your midterms are over and having no big tests to return to can make relaxing over a break that much sweeter.
Anissa Fritz is a sophomore from Dallas studying journalism
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FFA OF THE DAY
Not really sure how the Taco Bell on 23rd is still functioning, but I'm so glad it is.
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