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Friday, November 7. 1986 / University Daily Kansan
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Constructive critique
America's education watchdog, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, last week released its $1 million report. "College: The Undergraduate Experience in America."
The report called for an overhaul of undergraduate education and offered recommendations to undercut what the report's authors termed "the specialized careerism" attitude that dominates college education today.
Some of the recommendations were strong, sensible ones that probably should be examined and implemented at colleges and universities across the country. At least one of the recommendations already has been put in motion on this campus.
The report called for colleges to create an "integrated core curriculum that introduces a student to essential knowledge, to connections across the disciplines and, in the end, to the applications of life beyond the campus."
The new core curriculum that will go into effect here at the University next year meets those requirements at almost every turn.
The study also called for an end to using standardized tests as an admission requirement. Several KU officials this week agreed with the report's findings that few schools place much weight on the test scores when considering a student's admission application.
The proposals in the Carnegie report are just that—proposals, and, as such, they should be carefully perused and considered.
But those same officials pointed out the value of the tests when it came to comparison of peer performance, counseling and placement purposes.
Some of the reforms would undoubtedly increase the value of any degree, and the University of Kansas should look closely to see which ones could apply here.
Hope for the hostages
The complex web of diplomatic activity that resulted in the release of David Jacobsen Sunday after 17 months of captivity in Lebanon remains shrouded in a cloak of secrecy. We still don't know exactly why the Islamic Jihad terrorists decided to let Jacobsen go.
Many factors were involved, but it's unknown which were decisive. A popular theory is that Syria had pressured the kidnappers to free Jacobsen in order to avert possible U.S. retaliation for Syria's connection with a terrorist who was recently convicted in London. And Terry Waite, a British Anglican church official who acted as a mediator with Jacobsen's captors, certainly played a vital role.
New possibilities were offered yesterday by the Washington Post, which reported that the freeing of three American hostages in the last 14 months came after a series of arms shipments were made to Iran. Speculation that the U.S. had made concessions
was fueled by an Islamic Jihad statement issued after Jacobsen's release, which mentioned "U.S. approaches that could lead, if continued, to a solution of the hostage issue."
Many observers now believe that Iran, which owns considerable influence with the fanatical Shite terrorists, holds the key to freedom for the five Americans still in Beirut. But an arms-for-hostages deal would set a precedent for the success of blackmail, thus providing a strong motive for further kidnappings.
Still, it appears the ground is fertile for fruitful negotiation. Islamic Jihad reportedly is losing hope of achieving its ransom demand — the release of 17 Shite terrorists jailed in Kuwait. Waite has proven himself as an intermediary who gets results.
A combination of his efforts, internal Mideast pressures, and careful U.S. negotiation may soon win freedom for the hostages that once were all but forgotten.
Grass-roots initiative
Voters all over the country took part in the lawmaking process in Tuesday's election, facing more sensitive and lively propositions than ever before.
Nationwide, voters acted on 225 propositions, from quarantining AIDS virus carriers in California to legalizing marijuana in Oregon. In Kansas as in five other states — we voted for the lottery, as well as pari-mutuel wagering and lioner by the drink.
It's encouraging that people are becoming more aware of the way the democratic process can be used. More people were forced to understand the issues this election. Voters had to know what was going on in order to know what to mark on the ballot Election Day.
Candidates also used the voter-oriented initiatives to their advantage. Gubernatorial candidates counted on the propositions to bring to the polls voters who might otherwise stay home. Many governor hopefuls addressed the issues during their campaign, knowing their stance would gain some constituents who planned to vote on the issues
It's a good thing that voters are able to have a voice in issues because legislators are too often influenced by special interest groups and not their own constituents. In the future, more of these issues should appear on the ballot.
The people who will be affected by the amendments should decide whether the amendments should pass.
News staff
News staff
Lauretta McMillen . Editor
Kady McMaster . Managing editor
Ted Clarke . News editor
David Silverman . Editorial editor
John Hanna . Campus editor
Frank Hansel . Sports editor
Jack Kelly . Photo editor
Tom Eblen . General manager, news adviser
Business staff
David Nixon . Business manager
Gregory Kaul . Retail sales manager
Denise Stephens . Campus sales manager
Sally Depew . Classified manager
Lisa Wellys . Production manager
Duncan Calhoun . National sales manager
Beverly Kastens . Traffic manager
Opinions
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The Jayhawks scored on a long field goal, which had been set up by an acrobatic catch. Everyone whopoed and danced — about six people and the band. More important, the defense made several hard-nosed stands.
eardrums, but I prefer to think it was KU's collective spine locking into place.
Finding victory in agonizing defeat
The man walking by looked up and said, "Boy, some student section."
It seemed a more wistful than sarcastic statement. He was, I think, a KU fan. And so were those of us who remained in the stands behind the band last Saturday. The three people on stage were all shrugged my shoulders, as if I didn't know where everyone had gone. A few minutes later they went home.
Gil Chavez
Columnist
The outcome of the game was not unexpected. Kansas and Oklahoma have different attitudes toward football. Coach Valesente wants his players to be student-athletes — something that has become an anachronism in big-college sports. And at Oklahoma, the word "university" means a football stadium surrounded by a bunch of buildings.
If the outcome was not unexpected, the game was a rout and the wind was cold, why did anyone stay? Believe me, during the days after the game I've been asked that question several times.
The band stayed because they were the band and no game is over until they play their last tune. The two guys painted blue and wearing nothing but shorts stayed because they were crazy.
In the section to the north of me, three guys weren't about to leave. After Oklahoma hit 50, one said, "I bet you can't hit 60." When OU hit 60, he said, "I bet you don't get 70." I hoped Oklahoma didn't hear him.
In the section to the south were two Sooner fans. They continually called for more touchdowns. It was strong so the Sooner fans are a remorseless bunch.
Actually I did go home at halftime, but only to put on every piece of clothing I owned that possibly could have retained body heat. I was fortifying myself for the second half. And I returned to the killing fields, not out of some sadistic urge, but out of empathy and curiosity.
The interesting thing about the waning moments of a slaughter is how the victims handle it. They either curl into a fetal position and beg for mercy, or they refuse to yield to their fate and, like characters from a Greek tragedy, continue the fight.
My high school football team, which was one of the worst in
Arizona, once was flayed by one o the best teams in Nevada, 61-0. A few years later, my small-time college football team beat another team by 50 points. So I had seen the carriage from both sides.
Pessimists might say: So what? OU was trying to take it easy. I doubt that — Oklahoma players wouldn't let up in a game against their mothers. Besides, it's easy to get fired-up and fight when your back's against the goal and the game is in the balance. But when the stands are empty and the announcer can be heard snoring into his microphone, it's as hard a thing as any athlete is asked to do.
If the outcome was not unexpected and the game was a rout, why did anyone stay?
Fortunately, like all bad dreams, the nightmare finally ended. The band played a mournful dirge that I guessed was "Home on the Range." As I left the yellow glare of the stadium lights behind me, I remembered that a few weeks after my high school team's dismemberment, we knocked off the second-ranked team in state by more than 20 points. Perhaps, there is hope after all.
What I saw in the second half of Saturday's game was a mixture of both. In the third quarter it appeared as though Oklahoma was about to chase KU right up the hill and down Jayhawk Boulevard. The cruelest blow was struck by KU's cheerleaders when they went to the other side of the field to get Brian Bosworth's autograph. Granted, Bosworth is an explosive-laden truck on the football field, but his mediastar status is an exaggeration, except in Oklahoma.
In the fourth quarter, something popped. It was probably my frozen
Longing for Hammurabi's law
I suppose that under our laws, Judge Prentice Marshall's ruling was correct. But he sure passed up an intriguing deal.
Mike Royko
Chicago Tribune
I'm referring to a compromise that was offered to Judge Marshall by a convicted drug smuggler a few days ago.
The drug dealer, a native of Pakistan named Haji Yameen, had been found guilty of bringing a big load of heroin into this country.
But Yameen wasn't finished with his proposal.
When the moment came for him to be sentenced, Yameen, who is in his 30s, was given an opportunity to speak on his own behalf.
Yameen said he realized he would have to be punished, even though the federal jury in Chicago had made a terrible mistake and he was really
But since he had been found guilty, did the punishment have to be in prison?
Yameen said that back in Pakistan, he had a wife and children whom he loved dearly. If he were locked up in an American prison, he would not see his family for many years. Even worse, he could not provide for them and, in that impoverished country, they might have difficulty surviving.
Every jaw in the courtroom dropped. "It really freaked me out," said the federal prosecutor, Howard Pearl.
So he offered the judge a deal.
"Instead of sending me to prison," he said, "cut off my nose."
could go home to my family."
Judge Marshall, who had never before been offered a defendant's nose, much less any ears, hands or feet, explained that in this country we don't lap off noses or any other appendages.
Yameen looked disappointed. But he quickly offered another proposal. If he had to go to prison, would the judge please allow his wife and children to come here from Pakistan and join him in his cell?
Under our system of law, the removal of a nose would be considered cruel and unusual punishment. Instead we send people to prisons where their fellow inmates can cut off their noses.
In other words, lock the family up with him. It might get a little cramped, but at least they would be together.
Once again, the judge had to explain. We don't permit the families of convicted criminals to set up housekeeping in prison cells. Yameen would have to serve his sentence by himself.
And he sentenced Yameen to six years in a federal prison.
As I said, the judge was undoubtedly correct. Under our system of law, the removal of a nose would be considered cruel and unusual punishment. Instead we send people to prisons where their fellow inmates can cut off their noses.
But it makes me wonder if we
ought to think about Yameen's offer and some of the possibilities it presents.
As everybody knows, our prisons are so overcrowded that we have to let criminals out early just to make room for a new batch of fiends.
So maybe we should provide judges and convicted criminals, such as Yameen, with options.
For example, when Yameen said:
"Cut off my nose," the judge could have said: "OK. I'll lop off three years if we lift off your nose."
After all, it is Yameen's nose. And if he can do without it, who are we to step in?
Then Yameen could have said,
"That leaves me with three more years. How much are my ears damaged? How many months will it take of laxert for each ear."
"That leaves me one year." Yameen might have said "How about two big bites and we'll call it even."
"You got a deal," the judge might have said.
That way, Yameen could have returned to his family. If they really love him, they'd overlook his altered appearance Besides, he could always go to a novelty shop and buy one of those plastic party noses that are held on by a piece of elastic.
And we would save the thousands of tax dollars that we'll now spend to keep Yameen in his cell.
This could be a solution to the cell shortage, and it could also be a way of reducing crime. Especially sex crimes, if the offenders would agree to the removal of the appropriate appendage.
And there may be some precedent for this type of arrangement. At least there is in Chicago.
The only difference I can see is that the judge might have a hard time depositing a nose in his secret bank account.
As we all know, some Chicago judges have turned criminals loose after being given something of value by the defendants or their lawyers.
Mailbox
Autograph seeking
KU cheerleaders asking for the autograph of an OU player? Surely not. Yet Sunday's Kansas City Star reported that OU's Brian Bosworth "was on the sidelines signing autographs early in the third quarter for young and old KU fans, including the Jiahawk cheerleaders."
Merely a reporting error, I
thought. The excellent cheerleading squad wouldn't do such a thing, especially during a nationally televised game. It was the day after Halloween, I reasoned; perhaps people were still dressed in their Javahawk cheerleading costumes.
But, alas, Monday morning the Kansan sports page confirmed the unbelievable. KU cheerleaders were indeed gathering autographs from
Andrea deVarennes Derby senior
Bosworth in the midst of the game.
KU fullback Arnold Snell said in the Star that Bosworth's "posing with our cheerleaders during the game showed no class whatsoever." I agree, Arnold; no class on the part of the cheerleaders.
Of course, a 64-loss is nothing to cheer about but asking for help is necessary.
The president has always said he does not expect officials who came to work for him in Washington to make it a permanent way of life. He has said that he always understands when they want to leave. And many have gone on to better themselves financially, or to leave the direct White House mantle to take higher profile Cabinet positions.
Senate shift means end for staffers
Helen Thomas
UPI commentary
With the loss of the Senate to the Democrats and the threat that Reagan will become a lame duck president, several of Reagan's top aides are expected to fly the coop.
Patrick J. Buchanan, the White House communications director, is expected to leave within the coming months, if not sooner. And deputy press secretary Larry Speakes has openly acknowledged that he is talking to Merrill Lynch investment brokers and to others about a high-salaried public relations position. If he had his druthers, he would prefer to become the publisher of a major newspaper.
Some of the possible successors to Speakes, if he does decide to leave, include Sheila Tate, the first lady's former press secretary, who is now a vice president of a public relations firm; Gary Shuster, formerly of CBS and the Detroit News; and Anne Dore McLaughlin, deputy secretary of interior.
Tate says she is "flattered" to be considered but gives no indication of whether she would take the job if it were offered. It would mean a salary cut and giving up the freedam of the private sector. But it also would be highly prestigious to become the first woman to become the top spokesman for the president.
But there are no indications that Donald Regan, chief of staff, will move on. He is having his day in the sun as a public servant after being chairman of the board of Merrill Lynch.
"The cry "bring back Lucky" might not be too far fetched around the White House. Not so popular with the staff is Rex, the first lady's King Charles spaniel, who replaced the lumbering 100-pound sheep dog named Lucky, now exiled to the Reagan mountaintown ranch near Santa Barbara.
It seems Rex nips and barks and exudes an arrogance worthy of the nation's No. 1 dog. According to aides, even the president is not spared.
It was ever thus in post mortems after elections that administrations lose: They try to see the bright side and put the best face possible on the results.
So it was with spokesman Larry Speakes on Tuesday evening when it appeared that loss of the Senate to the Democrats was inevitable. He told reporters that the president's appearances in some 18 states had made many of the Senate races "a horse race."
No one can say that Reagan did not go the extra mile. What's more, he appeared to be enjoying every minute of it, twitting the Democrats and engulfed in a sea of red, white and blue balloons. No one doubts he will be back on the boards again in 1988 defending his policies and stumping for the Republican presidential candidate.