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Inursday, December 10, 1992
OPINION UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
IN OUR OPINION
Kansan awards recognize achievement for semester
Considering that this is the last day of the semester and that everybody seems to give out awards at the end of anything anymore, the editorial board has for once decided to go with the flow.
After more than three months of worthy news and worthy news figures, here are the Fall 1992 Editorial Board awards:
Best Use of Nipples: gracing the cover of the Kansan, Mr. Lifto as he dangled concrete blocks from chains attached to his nipples.
Julia Childs Desperation Award: with an easy victory, Dan Quayle as he re-affirmed the high regard we all hold for the Vice President by tossing waffles in to a crowd to convey his belief that Bill Clinton "waffled" on issues.
The Waffle Award: everybody's favorite pro-business, pro-environment, pro-labor, pro-management, pro-growth, semi-conservative, liberal who has never actually inhaled pot nor asked for any favors regarding the draft. Bill Clinton. Worked like a charm.
The "Mom, I won't be home for Christmas" Award: Glen Mason and the entire Jayhawk football team as they rolled to their best season in years, securing a December 25 Aloha Bowl bid.
Black Sheep of the Family Award: Joan Finney, who in only two short years has not only managed to become extremely disliked by the public but be shackled with the blame for dragging down Democrats in the legislature, as well.
Best Actor in a Comedy Series: impersonating a vice-presidential candidate, Admiral James Stockdale, performing in the second of four debates. This was the closest race of the listed awards, with Dan Quayle Al Gore and Dana Carve finishing close behind.
We'd like to thank all of the worthy participants who worked so hard and gave of themselves so that the Kansan would have material every day. Without people like you, these awards would not be possible.
JEFF REYNOLDS FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
ERIC NELSON
Editor
GREG FARMER
Managing editor
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
BILL SKEET
Technology Coordinator
Editors
Editors
Asst. Managing ... Alimee Brainard
News ... Alexander Bloemhoft
Editorial ... Stephen Martino
Associate Editorial... David Mitchell
Campus ... Gayle Osterberg
Associate Campus ... Andy Taylor
Assistant Campus... Katherine Manweller
Jay Williams
Sports ... Shelly Solton
Associate Sports ... Jerry Schmidt
Photo ... Justin Knupp
Associate Photo ... Christine McFarland
Features ... Cholt Hole
Graphics ... Sean Tevis
Wire ... Heather Anderson
Reporters...David Bartkowski
...J.R. Clairborne
...Delin Cormeny
...David Doney
...Kristy Dorsey
...Kristi Fogler
...Joe Hanter
...Tiffany Hurt
...Christine Laue
...Mark Martin
...Lynne McAdoo
...Stacy Morford
...Muneera Naseer
...KC Trauner
Graphic Artist...Dan Schauer
News Clerk...Lisa Golda Taylor
Designers...Andrew Hodges
.Derek Nolan
.Monique Guatalain
Copy Chiefs...John Brothers
.Melissa Vick
.Monique Guatalain
Copy Editors ... Scott Anderson
           .Michelle Betts
           .Stacy Friedman
           .Ben Grove
           .Val Huber
           .Cameron Meier
           .Janet Rorholm
           .Shelly Solon
           .Andy Taylor
           .Julle Wasson
Photographers ... Jason Auld
           .Daron J. Bennett
           .Kim Bueche
           .Kip Chin
           Richard Devinkl
           .Paul Kotz
           .Irene Lanier
           Holly McQueen
           .Philip Meiling
           Pat Tompkins
           Jeff Peters
Librarian ... Emily Diaz
SCOTT HANNAN
Business manager
BILL LEIBENGOOD
Retail sales manager
JEANNE HINES
Sales and marketing adviser
BILL THOMAS
Production
Campus sales mgr .. Angela Clevenger
Regional sales mgr .. Melanie Talaer
National sales mgr .. Brian Wilkes
Co-op sales mgr .. Amy Stumbo
Production mgrs .. Bain Brown
Kim Clayton
Marketing director .. Ashley Langford
Creative director .. Valerie Spicher
Classified mgr .. Judith Standley
Tearsheet mgrs .. Catherine Christensen
Zone mgrs .. Steve Friend
... Steven Perry
... Julie Love
... Kami Katz
Sales Representatives .. Kim Brown
David Ettrie
Jennahy Pointer
Blythe Focht
Miszy Welter
Mark Domikin
Holly Perry
Amy Casey
Julie Love
Amy Carmen
Susanne Reimer
Jennifer Lunard
Wade Baxter
Tricla Bumpu
Jennifer Blowey
Jennifer Evenson
Shelly Mc Connell
Todd Adani
Jennifer Miller
Kate Ireland
Gretchen Van Hoet
Jeanine Shara
Amy Works
Linda Boudeker
John Goffman
Iddi Cole
Sue Kraty
BK's dinner baskets: Whopper of a mistake
Fast food is junk food. The reason we eat it is because it is fast ... hence the name. In today's fast-paced world, people don't want to wait for what they can have right now.
There are many other advantages to fast food. Not only do you not have to cook, but it is considerably cheaper than a sit-down restaurant's food.
However, a great fraud has descended upon the land. Veiled in bad advertising, it is attempting to pass itself off as a real restaurant. A fine eatery it is.
I speak, of course, of Burger King.
COMMENTARY
I ventured to this new-look Burger King last night with a group of friends. There were nine of us——enough to sample each of the four different dinner baskets and their variations. Although Burger King has table service, you still have to go through the line to order and make your own drink. In other words, it takes longer to get your food than if you just stood there and waited.
I spedk, or course, of burger king. Yes, BK has gotten desperate. Perhaps in an attempt to keep up with the numbers on McDonald's billions-served sign, Burger King now has dining room service. However, they do not quite have a grasp on the concept of how table service works. And unfortunately, the food has not changed much.
After getting there at 6 p.m., I had ordered and made my drink by 6:15. Despite the fact that I ordered first in our group, I was served last. Some time after 6:30.
DAVID MITCHELL
A rapid repast this was not. The people that went through the drive-in at McDonald's had enough time to eat, drive down 23rd Street, get out of their cars, tap on the glass and taunt us before we were served.
But in all fairness, I should mention that we received appetizers. Popcorn. Yes, all the finest movie theaters, ball parks and bistros are serving popcorn these days. I guess I never realized how chic Orville Redenbacher really is.
The new dinner baskets offer chicken, shrimp, steak sandwiches, and of course, the definition of fine cuisine — Whoppers.
My friend Chris reported that the shrimp was about 60 percent batter. Chris felt even worse when we noticed the sign across the street advertising a much better shrimp deal at Long John Silver's. My friend Eric said that while his steak sandwich was something that vaguely resembled steak, we won't know for sure until we get the results back from the
In every dinner basket, you also get a roll, your choice of fries or a baked potato and your choice of coleslaw or the world's smallest salad. Personally, I ordered the coleslaw, but was given a salad that consisted of two slices of cucumbers, two slices of tomato, a few sprinkles of carrot and a little lettuce. Rabbits have starved on more food than this.
lab.
Even worse, the servers have no idea of who ordered what. Our waitress bounced from table to table hoping that she might be somewhere in the vicinity of the person who ordered what happened to be on her tray.
Here's an idea: if you're going to have table service, invest in some of those little plastic triangles with numbers on them so you 'now who was dumb enough to order the steak sandwich. Better yet, seat people and then take their orders. From what I understand, this concept has been tried before with some success.
But despite all my whining, all I really want for Christmas is for the Burger King guy in the "I love this place" ads to go far, far away.
Of course, Burger King can do whatever it wants. After all, Hardee's has entered the fried chicken business. Now BK has to worry about McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken. But no matter what cosmetic changes the fast food competitors might try to make, a Whopper by any other name is still just a Whopper.
Is this fast food?
Associate Editorial Editor David Mitchell is a DeSoto senior majoring in journalism.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Hispanic concerns need to be heard
I am writing this in response to the guest column article by Carlos Fleming on Tuesday regarding Hispanics launching an attack against the office of Minority Affairs. This interpretation no doubt is brought on by a lack of completely reading or understanding the facts, I am speaking for myself and not all Hispanic students when I fault the office for what is, on its part, a total disregard of our views and opinions. Four students, representing HALO members, went into the last spring to express our concerns and to give input on how to improve representation of Hispanics on the
campus. It is the job of that office to listen, to say "I can help you, I understand."
The Office of Minority Affairs failed to do this however, and the unprofessional behavior that followed was not something that I or anyone would expect from someone who was supposed to be "fighting for a common cause". That spring meeting was not a mission to "shoot the messenger" or whatever tired, clichéd analogy was used.
I do not expect the Office of Minority Affairs to solve all of our problems on this campus, but as minority students we are told that this office is our first step in solving them when we have concerns. Hispanics did not expect this first step
to be part of the problem. If we cannot voice our concerns and be taken seriously at this step, then where do we turn? Hispanic students and I, like you, understand the importance of being united and wanting to elevate the office to a higher position on the KU campus. We need to remember however that with any sort of elevation it still holds the responsibility to remain accessible and understanding to all minority students and their concerns.
Lurge anyone who is not completely sure of the facts to become familiar with the issues before making such broad generalizations that could inflate tensions between the various ethnic groups on campus.
Kelsey Williams
Toneka junior
KANSAN EDITOR
ERIC NELSON
W 2 H 0 D A L A 4 K 5 S D E L
Semester's long walk coming to an end
I have started every morning of this semester by making the "walk." Besides getting me on campus, the walk gives me a chance to survey student reaction to each day's University Daily Kansas. My serpentine trail usually meets my past several of the newspapers, and each day's edition of the newspaper.
After spending about 75 hours a week at the newspaper, the editor, ship can become a very personal venture. I will always care about the student body's perception of the Kansan. It is very important that the Kansan serve the interests of the readers. The walk was my barometer, as to whether the Kansan was accomplishing that goal.
Today I made the walk for the last $ _{t} $ time.
But I made it with few regrets. I leave the University of Kansas proud of my association with the Kansan, and its numerous accomplishments this semester.
This semester has been one of transition for the newspaper. Design changes have made the Kansan a more attractive and useful information tool. The ability of the Kansan to output full-page positives and negatives has also improved the reproduction of photographs and graphics.
Coverage of the arts and entertainment in Lawrence has also increased in this semester's Kansan with the birth of the KU Life and KU Campus pages. While I believe this is an area still in need of more coverage, this semester helped to lay some groundwork for the future.
The opinion page has run more letters to the editor and guest columns this semester than any other semester I remember at the Kansan. The page served as an outlet for the campus to express its views and concerns. While some people did not necessarily agree with everything on the page, it made them think.
Today the Kansan is printing one of its first full-color sections, the Alaoha Bowl preview. The newspaper should one day have full-color capabilities on a daily basis.
This semester, I also made the effort to get out and talk to several campus groups about the newspaper. I appreciate the time I was given by these groups and am excited about the avenues of communication that have been opened.
And the Kansan was also awarded a National Pacemaker Award, considered the Pulitzer of college journalism, and a Best of Show award at the Associated Collegiate Press and College Media Advisers convention in Chicago.
Honestly believe that the Kansan is a better publication than it was at the beginning of the semester. But I also believe it will be better with the coming semesters.
Greg Farmer, currently the Kansas's managing editor, will assume the editor position in the spring. I am sure that the changes made this semester will be used as a groundwork for future change and improvements.
In closing, good luck to next semester's staff. And Greg, enjoy "the walk."
Kanan Editor Eric Nelson is an Omaha,
graduating with a degree in journalism.
Grace
Bv David Rosenfield