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In my hand I hold two things: a memory card and a square of chocolate. Guess which one I put in my mouth.
My history of feminism professor just asked a room full of Tumblr feminists what Tumblr was. SHE WASN'T READY.
thanks to WOW-so- sucky internet, my test answers weren't saved and I have to do the whole exam over again
KU sent out a rave alert but they didn't give an address.
Having a midterm speech, and a 10 page research project due in the same week should be illegal
Is it Friday yet?
Tried to jump back in bed after getting up for food. Missed the actual bed. Fell on computer and sharp end of side table.
My kitchen is one bottle of wine away from yelling at Jeremy to get his cleats on so we can get to soccer practice before my PTA meeting.
KANSAN.COM | THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
All I can think about is Spring Break!
Editor's Note: Chill.
You look desperate.
Am I the only optimist on campus?
Wish this cute guy would just say hi or something instead of us awkwardly glancing at each other.
Ted Cruz would be much worse at being president than McSuffles would.
A beer a day helps wash the worries away
Dream job post- graduation: stock photo model. Or at least a background actor in a pharmaceutical commercial.
Overheard in Murphy:
"Everybody Gets Drunk At Easter." "They do?"
"It's the order of the guitar strings."
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Clough: Spotlight on water crisis in Flint Michigan comes off as insincere pandering
► MATTHEW CLOUGH
@mcloughsofty
Democratic presidential hopefuls Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton met in Flint, Mich., Sunday for their seventh debate this election season. Among the topics they discussed was the current state of Flint itself, as the city's residents remain subjected to lead-tainted water. Yet the candidates' appearance in Flint reigned an important question: is politics for the sake of the people, or is politics just for the sake of politics?
Flint's water crisis hasn't been major news for a while, despite the fact that residents of the city still aren't able to trust their water supply or their government after the events that transpired two years ago. Officials in Flint switched the town's water supply from the Great Lakes to the Flint River without treating the water, which caused lead pipes to corrode into the supply.
The water supply has since been switched back, but residents still aren't able to safely use tap water, so it's important that national attention has once again been focused on Flint. The presidential candidates' presence in the city has been the source of countless news stories, a call for the Michigan governor's resignation and even a nationwide Snapchat story entitled "Flint Water Crisis."
But the sudden attention feels strangely manipulative of the situation, especially given the Michigan primaries were held just two days after the debate. And, although, surely both Clinton and Sanders truly do care about the well-being of Flint's citizens, the timing makes it feel as if they're pandering for last-minute votes.
This is a sentiment shared by Flint residents themselves, some of which believe the candidates wouldn't be working as hard on the issues if it weren't an election year. One video
from the Flint Water Crisis snap story shows a group of residents chanting, "You want our vote; Come get our vote," showing how aware they are of the politics behind the scenes.
So who's really benefiting from the increased media attention in Flint? The residents themselves, or just the candidates' political campaigns? Perhaps both, depending on how officials and other parties choose to act (or don't) in the coming weeks.
The renewed focus on the crisis in Flint is, in theory, a good thing. But it's also an exposure of the unfortunate state of American politics — politicians must do what they can to garner votes no matter the implications. And while it's certainly possible Sanders, Clinton,
and other politicians will continue to advocate and press for reform in Flint, the fact remains that they'll continue to travel around the country to campaign for more votes once the Michigan primary is over.
The bottom line is that Flint needs action and a strong sense of advocacy now. The city's residents have suffered for two years, and change needs to become an expedited process, regardless of the presidential election. Hopefully politicians can use the crisis in Flint to prove that politics is actually for the good of the general public.
Matthew Clough is a junior from Wichita studying English and journalism.
- Edited by Madi Schulz
Befort: We need to stop talking about Trump
BRIDGETTE BEFORT @BridgetteBefort
When I wake up, I go straight for the remote. I need my daily dose of current events, courtesy of the morning news. For almost a year, the national story has remained the same: the upcoming presidential elections. This coverage is typically about the candidates. More specifically, about "the" candidate: Donald Trump.
Media coverage of Trump is inescapable; headlines
surround us, denouncing Trump's latest exploits in seemingly every news source — online, print, television and radio. The press quacks about "The Donald" so often, I am surprised people are not completely sick of him.
But, ironically, instead of increasing the public's contempt, news coverage is having the opposite effect. Donald Trump is ahead in delegates and is edging closer to the Republican nomination with every caucus and primary. In an interview aired Sunday morning on "Face the Nation." Republican candidate Sen. Ted Cruz proclaimed, "The media has given Donald Trump hundreds of millions of dollars of free advertising[...]that has helped create this phenomenon." Very astute, Senator.
It does not appear, however, that the media plans to help Trump. In fact, the media loves to hate Trump and much of his media coverage is negative — ranging from condemnation of his "hesitant" disavowal of the KKK to outright indignation at his reference to the size of certain parts of his anatomy. Negative coverage is enabling Trump to swagger his way to a possible nomination and presidency. For Trump, any publicity is good publicity.
wrong, though. Trump gets a huge amount of coverage. In the first eleven months of 2015, Trump received 234 minutes of network evening news coverage. In second place was Ben Carson with 54 minutes and Cruz finished dead last with 7 minutes. And that coverage was before caucuses and primaries even began.
Cruz isn't necessarily
Trump is in the news a disproportionate amount (I'm giving Trump added attention by writing this article — "mea culpa"), and although the attention is negative, it does not seem to be having the desired effect. The more Trump is bashed and people are told he should not get their vote, the closer he comes to winning the Republican nomination and the presidency.
The media should not completely refrain from discussing Trump, because he is the GOP frontrunner, and thus, should be newsworthy. But instead of spending air time relishing the ratings bonanza from Trump's latest offensive statement or action, the media should spend time discussing relevant issues of importance to Americans during election time - candidates' stances on domestic and foreign
policy and their plans to uphold American values come to mind.
Leaving Trump alone may result in granting the wish of the media and many Americans. A decline in Trump coverage could spur a decline in the chance he is elected the leader of the free world. Most of the campaign coverage has become exhausting and, quite frankly, embarrassing to repeat in good company. Political brawls and drama are better left to the tabloids, not respected news sources. And nobody is interested in Trump's anatomy anyway.
Bridgette Befort is a sophomore from Topeka studying chemical engineering.
- Edited by Madi Schulz
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