4A - THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
FRIDAY,AUGUST 23,2002
KANSAN TALK TO US
Jay Krall editor
864-4854 or jkraill@kansan.com
Brooke Hester
Kyle Ramsey managing editors
864-4854 or bhester@kansan.com and krailley@kansan.com
Laurel Burchfield readers' representative
864-4810 or luurchfield@kansan.com
Maggie Koerth Amy Potter opinion editors
864-4810 or opinion@kansan.com
Amber Agee business manager 864-4358 or advertising@kansan.com
Eric Kelting retail sales manager 864-4358 or advertising@kansan.com
Malcolm Gibson general manager and news adviser 864-7667 or mgkansen@kansan.com
Matt Fisher sales and marketing adviser 864-7666 or mfkansen@kansan.com
University should change plans for Ohio St. houses
Additional scholarship halls face heated debate from multiple groups
A hearing last Tuesday to decide the future of three antiquated houses on the 1300 block of Ohio turned heated as persons on both sides of the issue fought to a stalemate.
The University of Kansas wants to destroy the houses, all more than a century old, and build a new scholarship hall on the site. Just about everyone else wants to stop the University from getting its way.
The Oread Housing Association, the Lawrence Preservation Alliance, and even many scholarship hall residents want to seek out other alternatives to demolition.
Some scholarship hall students wish to keep the halls more exclusive rather than diluting the program with greater numbers. But the University's desire seems to be greater numbers.
Although the opponents' argument that the houses have historical value based on their proximity to the Beta House — seems dubious, other plans should be considered.
The KU Student Housing Association, which is not affiliated with the Uni
versity, proposed a renovation project to add to its cooperative living program. Renovation alone will serve as a better alternative to demolishing houses and replacing them with a scholarship hall that some scholarship hall students do not want.
Adding to the problem of the University's plan to construct a new scholarship hall will be the problem of parking. The lack of parking spaces in existing halls already poses a problem for students and nearby residents, and the addition of another scholarship hall with no plans for increased parking in the area is hardly a reasonable idea.
Similar to other issues in the past -- the tuition hike for example -- the University made plans without offering sensible solutions.
While Governor Bill Graves weighs both sides, the citizens of Lawrence must consider limiting how far the University plans to expand past its borders and into the community.
If the University decides it truly needs another hall, it should consider other plots of unused land it owns, such as 15th and Alumni Place, instead of stretching its interests where they are not wanted.
Steve Vockrodt for the editorial board.
'Kansan'report card
Pass:
Free stuff at Union Fest. It's crowded, the games are lame, and it's obviously geared toward freshmen. But we foragers appreciate the tons of free food and soda.
Ellsworth renovation. It may be inconvenient this year, but Daisy Hill is long overdue for a face lift. Now, if only they'd get to work on McCollum.
No arch. Despiterumors, there will be no arch in front of the visitors center at 15th and Iowa. St. Louis breathes a sigh of relief.
Fail:
Traditions night speech. Just because the event is about traditions doesn't mean the speech should be the same year after year.
The end of KU Info. An Internet search site will never replace KU Info. We here at the opinion page would gladly donate some of our increased tuition dollars to save it.
Road construction. Work on Naismith and Memorial Drive made moving in a hassle. Come on guys, didn't you have all summer to do this?
864-0500 free for
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about
any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded.
For more comments, go to www.kansan.com.
practicing it for term papers, midterm and final exams and projects. I suppose we all had to learn that lesson the hard way.
Puleeeesel So desperate!
Beware, Googori and Orceface are on the prowl again
--practicing it for term papers, midterm and final exams and projects. I suppose we all had to learn that lesson the hard way.
PERSPECTIVE
Wanted: three tickets to the Anger Management Tour to see Eminem. Willing to perform sexual favors to anyone at anytime in any location. Wait, I make an amendment to that. If you're name is Kirk Hinrich, or you're associated with Kirk Hinrich, this offer is not valid.
You know it's going to be a bad first day of class when the first person you see off the bus is your ex-boyfriend.
I can't believe that in Monday's edition of the Kansan it said "freshmen call in and fill this space with your ideas." Duh! Freshmen aren't allowed to have ideas or opinions, don't you guys realize that?
图
(sung) Everybody has toothpick on the table. We like the shish kabob because the beef tastes good. Everybody has toothpick on the table. Alyl
practicing it for term papers, midterm and final exams and projects. I suppose we all had to learn that lesson the hard way.
Ahhh, No more STDs for me...thanks to the power of prayer!
That assignment can wait...procrastinate
Ah yes, it's that wonderful time of year again. A time when everyone is trying to hold on to those last fleeting moments of summer before classes begin in full swing. A time when we are already beginning to see due dates and deadlines in the not-so-distant future. The stress of another semester is upon us all.
I have learned this past summer that this kind of stress is not only around during the school year, but also during the heat of summer, when we are all supposed to be relaxing and getting away from it all.
Never fear, however, because there is a solution, a cure to this impending stress we face.
I confess. I discovered it a long time ago, in my wee grade school days. Since then, I have been fine tuning and perfecting it into the art it now is. I call it the Art of Procrastination (what, you were expecting something less predictable?
I call it an art because of the myriad ways in which I have seen it in action. I have procrastinated everything from research papers and studying for major exams, to job applications and family vacations. It is the cause of some stress, and a less than perfect finished result, but in the end makes for another task completed.
Come on, this is only the second day of classes).
Yes, procrastination has made my day-to-day life extraordinarily bearable.
At this point, I must insert a small disclaimer.
To my professors: I promise that I will do my best not to procrastinate on any assignments you may choose to give, and I will always give 110% in and out of class.
To my fellow students: I learned last year that, although procrastination is with us all — and in some cases is unavoidable — I do not recommend
COMMENTARY
Sarah Zafar opinion@kansan.com
I can guarantee that at least once in everyone's life, the temptation to procrastinate has taken on a force all of its own. Suddenly, a day at the lake really is more important than meeting a deadline. I have done it all when it comes to procrastination, and while I secretly enjoy my little successes, I have also felt the stinging burn of a teacher's or boss's
wrath, when I am forced to admit my wrongs.
At any rate, procrastination is something everyone does, some more often than others, and while it is sometimes a risk worth taking, other times it is better to actually put the time we have to good use and create a quality end result.
So, there you have it, my first column of the semester, written in the rush of getting ready for the start of another school year where I hope to repeat my successes and learn from my mistakes.
I apologize for the complete lack of originality, and if you are still reading, sorry to have put you through another moment in your life where you could have been doing something useful, like putting off that reading assignment until later...
PERSPECTIVE
Zafar is a Wichita sophomore. She is undecided on a major.
K, so here's my story: I'm 45. I work full-time, I remember when JFK was shot and I
Oldtimer finds fountain of youth at school
No, really. And before you think someone my age probably isn't too much fun, let me tell you something. I recently overheard the webmaster at my office telling a friend that his parents, ages 49 and 51, had just gone to the annual Sturgis rally on a motorcycle. At their ages! He was mortified; I thought it sounded great. I'd do it if I had a Harley. Or a husband.
don't find jokes about bifocals or hormone replacement therapy particularly funny anymore.
I'm also a KU student.
That conversation made me wonder, though, how people see me now. Yesterday I noticed a woman outside the Kansas Union who was passing out flyers that said something about "Students" and "$$$$." She handed them to all the people walking in front of me. But when I came by, she paused and then waited for
the folks behind me. I'm guessing it was because I look too old to be a student; it's certainly not because I look like I really don't need "$$$$."
GUEST COMMENTARY
So how did I end up back on the Hill?
So how did I end up back on the Hill?
Most likely it's a mid-life crisis thing.
My Little Sister in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program is going into 9th grade this year, and through her I tend to get caught up in the Back to School sales. I love school supplies. I love to smell the crayons, I finger the spiral notebooks and wish I had something to write in them with brand new pencils.
Sue Novak
opinion@kansan.com
Also, I think I reached that stage in my life when I realized that what I do today is what I did yesterday and is what I'll be doing tomorrow, and a fear gripped me that I just couldn't shake. Is this really all there is?
And that is what brought me to new student enrollment on the campus I left ten years ago, after completing a master's degree that took me at least 3 years too
Returning, I learned that some things never change.
long to finish. I know I swore after graduating, that I'd never take another class ever again, but really, it's wonderful to be back.
Like "Wow, why on earth did they decide to have construction going on right outside the Union bookstore on the busiest days of the year?" or "Wow, what made me think the computer enrollment system would actually be working on the day I signed up?"
And I even experienced a Freshman moment: "Oh good lord, I just stood there talking to my new professor for 20 minutes and my zipper was down the entire time!"
Maybe it's this return to vulnerability that's making the whole thing worthwhile. After learning that I needed to come back at 6:00 in the evening to register, I headed back to the Union and this time the lady with the flyers smiled and handed me one.
I learned that some things have changed a lot, like "A dollar an hour to park? Are they nuts?" or "How come the undergrad guys don't turn my head like they used to? Wow."
This new adventure is making me younger already.
Novak is a Lawrence non-traditional student in journalism.