MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 2014
PAGE 4
opinion
The KU Bookstore lost my books.
Isn't it their job to keep track of those things?
Kudos to the people in the union who returned a lost cell phone to its owner.
Text your FFA submissions to (785) 289-8351 or at kansan.com
Whether or not our team does well this year, just hearing the drumline practicing outside the Fieldhouse gets me AMPED for football season.
"Where is the 7th floor?" #Freshmenprobz #deskassistantprobz
TEXT FREE FOR ALL
Rest In Peace empty Rec Center.
wonder if there's beef between the cheerleaders and the Rock Chalk Dancers.
I keep wondering why the freshmen seem to be getting smaller each year. Then I remember I'm a senior and cry a little.
FFA's keep me sane.
I don't think I'll be prepared for this semester until December.
That hot pocket was God's gift to my stomach.
Rebut is a word. Who knew?
My day's been fly as hell.
Currently wall twerking because there are only four months left until Christmas.
"Oh my God, don't tempt me. My favorite thing to do is steal things I can't buy from bars when I'm drunk."
The Royals lost OMG what do I do
I wish I could be a dad because dad jokes are the best.
I'm studying abroad this semester and already have some major Lawrence withdrawals. I also have no way to see if this makes it in the paper... Damn.
Back to school...I think I'm going to cry
I was just told that I'm someone's 'ninth favorite person' but it's OK because he 'knows a lot of cool people.'
FFA OF THE DAY
Elections commission should move forward carefully
Last semester, the Jayhawkers coalition was disqualified from Student Senate elections on April 8, the night before the election, for producing an incorrect financial report. Jayhawkers were given two days to appeal this decision and, as a result, remained on the ballot.
On April 29, the Elections Commission announced the full election results, revealing that Jayhawkers' candidates received approximately 60 percent of the vote. The Elections Commission decided that because the votes were for disqualified candidates, they were invalid. The presidential and vicepresidential candidates from Grow KU took office, despite only receiving 31.6 percent
of the vote.
The Panel found in its Aug. 22 decision that the Commission overstepped its authority by declaring the votes cast for Jayhawkers invalid. The Code clearly states that "If the Elections Commission finds that the results of any electoral race have been materially altered by a violation of this Code, it shall declare the results of that race void and call for a new election for the affected office(s)"
According to the Panel's logic, voters who chose to cast a vote for the disqualified Jayhawkers risked their vote being nullified if the coalition lost the appeal after the polls closed. Conversely, if those who supported Jayhawkers had voted for their second
choice, they risked the integrity of their vote if the Jayhawkers disqualification had been overturned.
The decision to disqualify Jayhawkers has been upheld by the Commission and the Panel, and creating a completely new election would mean allowing time for the formation of new coalitions, campaigning and, potentially, more violation complaint hearings, which we saw far too many of last semester.
To avoid further confusion and voter disillusionment, The Kansan Editorial Board believes the best solution to end the confusion surrounding the spring election is to hold a re-election allowing the 60 percent of students whose
votes were declared invalid to choose between the two remaining eligible coalitions: Grow KU and Crimson and True.
We believe Student Senate and the Elections Commission have an opportunity to show students that their votes do matter. The Elections Commission has a great deal of discretion in how it proceeds with the re-election, and the coming weeks could shape students' opinions regarding the entire election process an important consideration, as only 4,332 students cast votes for the presidential and vice presidential ballots in the spring.
We implore the Elections Commission to consider the student body when planning
the re-election and recognize that freshmen, if allowed to vote, are unfamiliar with last semester's campaign and the remaining coalitions. We also ask: What will happen to the votes of the seniors who graduated in May? Who is making decisions for the student body? What is truly fair in this situation? There are still countless unanswered questions from each viewpoint.
We urge the Commission to carefully consider all of these questions when determining what should happen next. In other words; consider the process,consider the current students,don't make hasty decisions,and do it right this time.The student body is still watching.
On the merits of being bossy
I'm bossy! I'm the first girl to scream on the
track," cries R&B singer Kelis through my car radio. I find myself singing along, loud and proud as I cruise through Lawrence. All night, I'm running through my house singing, "I'm bossy! I'm the first girl to scream on the track," not knowing any other words.
My mom has always called me bossy; most people I know call me bossy. My mom, however, is the only person who has meant it as a compliment. I have never understood why my dominant attribute, the dominant attribute of all the women in my family, is widely considered undesirable.
What makes Kelis and me cool (yeah, that's right, I'm cool like Kelis) is what others find synonymous with nasty and abrasive. Dictionary.com lists bossy among words such as "highhanded and overbearing." The audacious Urban Dictionary paints a more appealing picture saying bossy means you are the "alpha female or the queen bee ... getting paid and staying fly" But if you scroll down, the next entry describes a woman who "probably has a pair .." If this anonymous urban dictator is referring to my double major,
then yes, I do have a pair.
These online dictionaries illustrate phenomenally well that bossy is a negative term associated with women, especially women who "act like men." The same qualities in a man that merit promotions are the qualities that label a woman bossy. This reminds us that certain attributes are ingrained in males. These include directness, leadership skills, effective communication and success. I am not the first, or the last, woman to point out that these stereotypes are damaging and grossly incorrect. Knowing who I am as a leader and communicator does not mean I have male genitalia. It means I am confident in who I am as a friend, girlfriend, daughter, granddaughter, employee and occasional Frisbee thrower.
Assertive women have often been told the words they use, their tone and their mannerisms make them seem bossy, harsh and abrasive.
When bossy is mixed in with other horribly descriptive words, it adopts a new meaning. Rather than being direct, knowledgeable and efficient, that girl or woman is made to feel overbearing, or worse, manly. I have my mother, not the society we live in, to thank for teaching me that bossy qualities give me strength. Because of her I knew how to handle myself when I was sexually harassed on the school bus at age nine. Because of her, those boys never messed with me again and they damn well knew I was a boss.
Those who associate certain qualities with bossiness in a woman and charisma in a man will continue to perpetuate the belief that women are weak and those that are not have simply stepped over their boundaries. Bossiness should no longer be associated with harpy women; rather it should be associated with adept leaders and strength in difficult situations, regardless of gender.
I am bossy, and I will always be the first girl to scream on the track.
Gabrielle Murnan is a junior from Pittsburg studying political science and environmental studies
Cartoon by Jake Kaufmann
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
What is your opinion on being called bossy?
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Taylor Swift's music video shows diversity through dancing
Unless you've been vacationing in a black hole for the past week
The video's intended message is to embrace our individuality and ignore those who criticize us for doing so. Ironically, the video has brought a huge negative backlash on Swift.
The controversy begins when Swift appears with a group of twerking girls. The first time I watched the video, I didn't pick up on the twerking, I focused to much on their huge hoop earrings and leopard-print jackets. However, the Internet turned out to be more observant than me.
The same day the video premiered, angry viewers filled my Tumblr account accusing Swift of racism and cultural appropriation. According to Swift's critics, her use of African-American women as twerking hip-hop dancers is offensive. They believe the use of twerking in her video is offensive and some commenters claim Swift is using the dancers as objects or ornaments.
you know Taylor Swift has dropped a new single with a new music video. "Shake It Off" is a song so dangerously catchy it should be illegal in most European countries. It is a blatant brush off of all the criticism Swift has received from her love life to her dancing.
The song's music video is based off the flack Swift gets for her enthusiastic dancing at award shows. The video features the singer trying to fit in with various professional dance groups. In one scene she's leading a troupe of ballerinas, in another she's with a hip-hop group. As she bounces back and forth between the groups, she proves she is a less-than-gifted dancer, while somehow making rhythmic gymnastics seem threatening.
Frankly, I can't see it. Yes, some of Swift's fellow girls are
As far as celebrities go, Taylor Swift is incredibly tame. Swift works hard to maintain a positive image for herself and has never been the least bit controversial. Calling her racist is unnecessary and uninformed.
In addition to focusing on Swift, the other main focus of the video is the passion and skill of the dancers. The dancers are most certainly not being used as objects to decorate Swift's video. They are being put forward as individuals of great talent and grace — anyone watching the video can see that.
Maddy Mikinski is a sophomore from Linwood studying journalism
Emma Legault, editor-in-chief elegautt@kansan.com
By Maddy Mikinski
@miss_maddy
The idea that a group has an exclusive claim to a certain type of dance simply because they "started" it doesn't sit right with me. The Italians invented ballet, yet there's no scandal when an American or Russian dancer is cast in a production of "Swan Lake." My four years of dance experience qualify me to say that although the origins of types of dance are important, the amount of passion a person puts into this art form is more so, no matter their race or ethnicity.
HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
African-American, but not all. The dancers aren't relegated to the hip-hop scenes; the music video features dancers of all races throughout.
The assumption that the use of twerking is cultural misappropriation is equally ridiculous. One of the main purposes of the video is to showcase different dancing styles. Twerking, in my opinion, is just another style of dancing. It requires talent and rhythm. Like all other styles of dance, twerking is an art form and deserves to be treated as such.
Madison Schultz, managing editor mschultz@kansan.com
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Hannah Barling, digital editor hbarling@kansan.com
@kelseydoeslife
@KansanOpinion I'm not bossy, I'm THE boss.
@hayjaime
Length: 300 words
Cecilia Cho, opinion editor ccho@kansan.com
@KansanOpinion Encourage girls and women to lead, #banbossy so we don't have to apologize for making decisions and speaking up.
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twittler@kansan.com
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kansan Executive Board are Emme Legault, Madison Schutzt, Cecilia Cho, Hannah Barling, and Christina Carreria.