4A - THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
TUESDAY, NOV. 13, 2001
TALKTOUS
Kursten Phelps editor 864-4854 or editor@kansan.com
Leita Schultes Christina Neff managing editors 864-4854 or editor@kansan.com
Erin Adamson Brendan Woodbury opinion editors 864-4810 or opinion@kansan.com
Jenny Moore business manager 864-4014 or adddirector@kansan.com
Kate Mariani retail sales manager 864-4462 or retailsales@kansan.com
Tom Eblen general manager and news adviser 864-7667 or teblen@kansan.com
Matt Fisher sales and marketing adviser 864-7666 or mfisher@kansan.com
EDITORIAL
Greek Endeavor breaks down housing barriers
Retreat counters stereotypes before freshmen form them
This year the Greek Endeavor took a positive extra step toward breaking down stereotypes in campus housing. The endeavor is an annual leadership retreat for new students at the University of Kansas. It was at Camp Chippeawa in Ottawa this weekend.
This year, for the first time, scholarship halls, residence halls, and fraternities and sororities from the National Pan-Hellenic Council, historically minority organizations, were invited along with the fraternities and sororities from the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Association. About 150 freshmen attended this past weekend.
Two co-chairpeople from the greek community, Amy Rhoades and Tom Wait, organized Greek Endeavor. "The purpose was to breakdown stereotypes and provide leadership training for freshmen," said Rhoades. Rhoades thought it would be beneficial to invite other involved living organizations on campus.
The new members checked in to the Union on Friday night at 6:30 and were placed into groups with two facilitators each. The facilitators, one male and one female, were juniors and seniors.
Throughout the weekend, the freshman's "identity," whether it was a scholarship hall hall residence, greek member, or member of residence hall, was a secret. This eliminated the chance to apply stereotypes of the different organizations. On Sunday, the freshman's identity was revealed.
Friday night consisted of a scavenger hunt, getting to know group members, and winning prizes.
On Saturday, all of the groups went to Camp Chippeawa for trust games, seminars, and presentations by Associate Vice Chancellor Barbara Ballard, Dean of Students Richard Johnson, and Reuben Perez from the Organizations and Leadership office. Justin Mills, student body president, also spoke to the freshmen about opportunities to get involved with Student Senate. The participants stayed at Camp Chippeawa Saturday night and returned to Lawrence on Sunday morning.
Molly Mueller for the editorial board
Horner said, "Some people were personally insulted at some point in the weekend because of others not knowing which group they were a member of...It was very interesting."
Samantha Horner, Leawood freshman, and a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority said, "It was a great learning experience." Horner was pleased with the speakers and appreciated learning about all the opportunities KU has to offer students to become involved.
Greek Endeavor was funded by Greek Programs. It was appealing for freshmen because it was free, a great way to meet people, and an effective way to break down stereotypes among different groups on campus.
PERSPECTIVE
Paying GTAs fairly could be one thing Kansas does right
The single greatest asset to learning at the University of Kansas is its graduate teaching assistants. As Amy Cummins pointed out in her recent column, GTAs not only lead discussion sections, provide homework assistance, and make and grade tests, they also teach many classes autonomously including mandatory classes such English 101 and 102.
GTAs are at the front lines of teaching at the University and are directly responsible for the quality of education that most first-and second-year students receive. The GTAs are the heart and soul of the University of Kansas.
It is unacceptable that the administration will not recognize the needs of GTAs. It is certainly not asking too much for the GTAs to request higher wages, especially when their salaries pale in comparison to those of similar universities. It is not as though they are greedy - GTAs aren't involved in teaching for the money. They are simply asking for enough money to survive on, and the salary of $8,500 per year that some GTAs receive is not enough to get by.
What is even more important to the GTAs than the actual monetary benefits of a raise is the gesture of appreciation it symbolizes. GTAs work the longest hours and do the most work of anyone at the University. Not only do they
Peter Berard
Guest columnist
opinionkansan.com
Commentary
assist and teach classes, but they take classes as well. They have to juggle the life of both a student and teacher at once. The last thing these people should be worrying about is whether they have enough money to pay next month's rent.
GTAs are the most enthusiastic and passionate people on campus because they are in the prime of their academic lives, but if they have to constantly worry about money, then they will not have the energy to effectively teach their students.
This decreases the quality of education that KU students receive. GTA's are one good thing the University has.
Why are GTAs the only thing KU has going for it? Well, let's take a look at some examples: 1. The University continues to drop in academic ratings every year. 2. Our administration pays the salaries of coaches on faculty that lead teams that embarrass our school and students pay a $20 non-revenue sports
fee. 3. Our administration overlooks the fact that the men's tennis and swimming teams were cut in the name of saving money last year, even though they spent more on a new athletics director than the amount it would have cost to have kept the teams alive. 4. Our helpful parking department would rather spend countless hours handing out tickets instead of finding solutions for the ever increasing traffic and parking problem. 5. The University still doesn't have online or telephone enrollment, a service that most other university students have enjoyed for decades. 6. The different schools that make up KU don't communicate or work together very well, if at all. This is evident if anyone has had to make 12 trips around campus just to get their permit to enroll ready for enrollment. So I ask the administration, what exactly does KU have going for it?
The bottom line is that the KU administration must compensate the GTAs fairly for the value they bring to this University. The GTAs are key in making this school what it is, and everyone, not just the administration, should recognize this.
Berard is a sophomore in business from Overland Park
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
PAYING GTAS WITH FOLIAGE
Dear editor.
Beckendorf. "Pleasant weather." "Great live music." "Friendly professors." And, of course, "KU basketball."
All reasons to come to KU, I was told during my visit in 2000. All true, I've discovered.
Then I moved here. And bills came due. And guess what? I can't pay bills with school spirit. I need to go to the eye doctor and the dentist this month, and, since KU GTAs' health care doesn't include dental or vision, I will have out-of-pocket expenses near $600—two-thirds of my monthly income. Pretty leaves, not money, grow on trees, but doctors won't accept foliage as payment.
KU's compensation for my work as a GTA was significantly less than the compensation I would receive if I went to any other school I was considering for my graduate education, but, hey, I figured, money doesn't buy happiness. I can live on $3,000 less if I get to live in lovely, lively Lawrence, I thought. I was enticed by the school spirit and the fall foliage, just as Chancellor Hemenway described at the Open Forum.
If KU administrators expect outstanding graduate students to continue coming here, they need to learn what I did: You can't live on weather, music, friendliness and basketball.
KU HOCKEY COVERAGE
Rebecca Barrett Lancaster County, PA graduate student
Dear editor,
I wish your paper would pay a little more attention to the club sports teams at KU These teams and players work hard and play hard while still representing the University. I am a member of the ice hockey team. We just had two great victories against Southwest Missouri State in Springfield. The first game, Nov 2, we won 6 to 3, and Nov. 3, 1 to 1, which is an outrageous score for hockey games. We outshoot the team 71 to 22, which is also a accomplishment deserving recognition.
Dear editor.
We work hard for the school, not just to play or kill time or relieve stress. Some of us take this very seriously and still wear the KU colors and name, but without all the attention. The simple fact is most people at KU don't even know we have a hockey team. I think it's time something is done about this.
Andy Mosley Lawrence freshman
ALLEN FIRING
Dear editor,
Deal editor,
I just would like to point out to the University of Kansas' big shots how much class, or lack thereof, they had in firing Terry Allen. Yes, it should have been done, but not in the middle of a season. That is the most disrespectful thing KU could have done to a person who has shown nothing but respect for KU, his players and staff. I know of no
one else who could have coached this team with the grace Allen did throughout five pretty lousy seasons.
I know people want results, but what good will it do the team to fire him now? Nothing. They can't get to any bowls this year, so what is their reason for doing this now?
To show our disappointment, I suggest all students and alumni boycott the rest of the games this year to show KU that we will not tolerate disrespect to coaches and players, no matter how bad the team is. Maybe, KU might listen to dollars and cents!
Russell Warren Lawrence senior
KU 2030
The opinion page is soliciting student and faculty projections of life at KU in 2030.
Submissions should be sent to opinion@kansan.com or brought to 111 Stauffer-Flint. Call Brendan Woodbury at 864-4924 with questions.
Essays
Ideas:
- The future of corporate sponsors
- Your organization in thirty years
Art
- Jayhawk logo
Creative:
- An entry in a freshman's diary
- An ad for a bar on Mass. St.
FREE for ALL
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Not all of them will be published. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed.
For more comments, go to www.kansan.com.
I think we should have John Cooper, the old coach of Ohio State, as our new football coach.
理
r m Kingman for the weekend. Yea Kingman.
Wayne Simien had the greatest game ever.
Good job, Wayne.
It's Friday night at 2 o'clock in the morning but I just want everyone to know, call Saferide, they get you home safe.
What a minute. Who am I? Where am I? And why have I raised?
I've been with my boyfriend for almost three years now and I've never really told him how much I care for him, so I told him to check the Free for All in the next week or so to show him how much I care for him. So I hope you print this to show how much I care for him.
It's Saturday morning and I was driving across campus, and I just wanted to thank everyone for contributing to making our campus look so beautiful.
To all the women who want to change the spelling of women, just remember that men are supposed to be in women.
Wow, I just met a girl who talked to the flag guy and doesn't want to admit it. What's up with that? He's a legend.
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I just finished listening to the KU-Texas game. We suck.
Fifty nine to nothing. Where's Terry Allen when you need him?
I'd just like to tell that girl in my math class that falls asleep every day that you look like a bobblehead doll.
Girl in Journalism 301: You are my density...oh wait, I mean destiny
Yeah, this is to all KU students who wear apparel from other universities: Either go home or get some campus pride.
Use 1-800-COLLECT and save a buck or two.
Carrot Top sucks.
What's all this stuff about November to Remember? I was at Abe & Jake's last night and I don't remember a thing.
I just ate a pear off the trees in front of Lindley. It was very tasty.
Question of the day. What should I use tonight, KY-Jelly or Vaseline?
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I love visiting KU.
Hey, if you took a crap, please put it back
Juxtaposition is the coolest word ever. Just say a few times. Teachers love it too.
I don't date greeks or non-greeks. I just date
7th graders.
The worst feeling in the world is getting diarrhea at a bar.
The next person I see wearing their KU First shirt, I'm going to run up and kick them in the shin, then I'll run off and giggle like a schoolboy, even though I'm really a schoolboy.
The Crossing needs to stop polluting our campus with the evil sounds of The Steve Miller Band.
If you're planning on majoring in design or art, break up with your girlfriend. They will only ruin you creatively.
Money can't buy you love, but love can't buy you anything either.
If you stack recently washed cups, they will smell like B.O. later.
KU Info? More like KU Mo-fos.
Have you guys seen the Queen of Jordan?
She's hot. I like her.
I'm eating my brunch with a spork. If that isn't a sign that the apocalypse is upon us, I don't know what is.
Instead of firing Terry Allen, we should have made him run some stairs.
it wasn't sure before, I'm sure I'm a college student now. I just paid for gas in all nickels.
I suppose you would like to see the aliens.
Hello, I guess I just wanted to say that I like eating, and I like to eat dog food.
The tree is ours. Don't sunburn.
Have you had you V-8 today? I did and it was Cameroon flavored.
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