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Friday, November 13, 1987 / University Daily Kansan
Opinion
Default system
Group punishment
A favorite ploy of high school gym teachers and military drill instructors, the practice of punishing the innocent along with the guilty, may soon find its way into student loan collection techniques.
If Secretary of Education William Bennett carries out his threat, schools that have a loan default rate in excess of 20 percent will lose their eligibility for future loans for their students. Thus, students who are not in default on any loans will suffer; moreover, schools will be hurt as well because fewer students will be able to afford the high cost of an education without federally guaranteed loan privileges.
Why hold schools accountable for former students' payment records? The loans are made by private lending institutions to private individuals and are guaranteed by the federal government. Schools themselves have next to nothing to do with the program.
Bennett obviously hopes that by stepping on the toes of schools, the schools can be cajoled into helping the federal government lean on the loan defaulters. But surely our institutions of higher learning have better things to do than to act as Uncle Sam's collection agents.
Though KU, with a default rate of about 15 percent, will not likely be a victim of the proposal, many schools across Kansas and across the country would suffer for events beyond their control.
It's sad that Bennett seems to think that passing the buck to schools is the best way to collect the bucks from students.
Burning issue
KU is not exactly enflamed in controversy, but there is a burning need for improvements in the University's water system.
Fire officials noted after last week's blaze on campus that low water pressure may spell disaster in future efforts to battle fires on the hill.
Apparently the problem was not a significant factor in the most recent incident; firefighters were able to use city hydrants because the structure was on the edge of campus. Moreover, the building was virtually engulfed in flames when crews arrived, making it almost impossible to save anyway.
A major fire along Jayhawk Boulevard would be difficult to combat, however. The University already has planned to seek more than $400,000 from the Kansas Legislature as a first installment on a $1.7 million improvement project.
Let us hope that the state acts quickly to approve the request. Otherwise, years of investment in the University just might go up in flames.
No more jail break
This time it's not a tax overhaul, and it's not a budget overhaul. It's an overhaul of the federal judicial system. New laws, which took effect Nov. 1. strengthen and weaken the judicial system.
The federal government now requires judges to follow guidelines in sentencing for federal crimes.
That's the strong side of the system overhaul.
Also as part of the overhaul, the federal government has snatched away the chance for parole for a person convicted of a federal crime.
That's the weak side.
The new system aims at consistency and predictability in sentencing. The new law requires judges to follow guidelines that consider such aspects as the type of crime and the criminal's record. The guidelines should shield individuals convicted of crimes from arbitrary decisions, which would increase fairness and uniformity in sentencing.
The new system reduces the power and discretion of judges. Although no two cases are exactly alike, similar crimes and circumstances demand similar punishment. It's only fair.
The government's decision to eliminate parole is unfair, however. Individuals may prove that they are ready to re-enter society before their sentences end. Parole also provides an extra incentive for good behavior and cooperation by prisoners.
Granting parole too early or for a reason such as prison overcrowding puts society at risk. But eliminating parole from the federal judicial system is not the answer. Stricter guidelines should also regulate parole decisions. Parole needs to be earned through hard work and good behavior. Signs of reform must be evident before release.
Although parole of convicted criminals opens the door for mistakes and further damage to society, the judicial system isn't 100 percent accurate and, at times, innocent or reformed individuals could end up in prison for life.
Editorials in this column are the opinions of the editorial board.
News staff
Jennifer Benjamin ... Editor
Juli Warren ... Managing editor
John Benner ... News editor
Beth Copeland ... Editorial editor
Sally Streff ... Campus editor
Brian Kabelline ... Sports editor
Dian Ruehlmann ... Photo editor
Bill Skeet ... Graphics editor
Tom Eblen ... General manager, news adviser
Business staff
Bonnie J. Hardy ... Business manager
Robert Hughes ... Advertising manager
Kelly Scherer ... Retail sales manager
Kurt Messersmith ... Campus sales manager
Greg Knipp ... Production manager
David Derftell ... National sales manager
Angela Clarke ... Classifieds
Ron Weems ... Director of marketing
Jeanne Hines ... Sales and marketing adviser
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Wimpy justice
On Monday, Nov. 9, a member of the Kansan editorial board wrote an editorial titled "Poor judgment" that criticized the Supreme Court nominating process because Douglas Ginsburg "lost his bid for the High Court seat simply because he smoked marijuana."
The writer suggested that although this discovery cast a shadow of doubt on the integrity of Ginsburg, it should not have been a pivotal point in determining his appointment.
But it was Ginsburg himself who chose to withdraw his candidacy
Ginsburg is a wimp. His inability to stand up for himself should be taken as a sign of his incredible lack of integrity, which should be a pivotal point in determining his appointment.
We should be thankful that this man never got the chance to sit on the High Court because he would not have made a good justice. If nominated, he would have been responsible for upholding justice in the United States of America, but he has proved that he is too weak to defend even himself.
Antique barn
Brad Schwartz, Highland Park, Ill., senior
I applaud you, Tim Erickson, for your Nov. 4 guest shot. Not only was it arguably the best-written opinion to appear in the Kansas in the four years I've been a student, it addressed an issue I had previously thought was limited to discussion in Murphy Hall.
Erickson's assessment of Hoch Auditorium is accurate. The ventilation is poor and the fixtures and rigging are old and rusted. I take it he has never performed in "The Barn," as it is affectionately known, or he'd surely have mentioned that it is no acoustical paradise; performance is difficult to help one another, and therefore feel as though they're performing alone.
bit inconsistent in their upkeep. Some, such as Stauffer-Flint and Marvin, are marvels of remodeling and repair, while others stand horribly neglected.
Danny Lassley, Topeka senior
I see KU as a collector of antiques. The University has a fine collection: Dyche, Twente, Bailey, Stauffer Flint, Snow and Hoch are all worthy specimens. But it seems their owner is a
I started as a traditional supporter of our athletic program. This slowly turned to resentment as I watched money pour into a losing institution while an educational program, with a history, and a filled present with excellence, sat in woeful disrepair. It's quite simple: We deserve better.
Seek compromise
I read with some interest the letters in the Kansan on the Student Senate attendance policy, and it seems that the emotions surrounding him are recurring the real problem with the Senate's rule.
Fortunately, a fair solution to this problem doesn't require the elimination of an attendance policy, but merely that attendance standards be applied the way the school applies them to classes. Under the current Senate rules, a student who misses four Senate meetings, no matter what the excuse, is suspended. Even activities that are recognized as legitimate excuses by academic standards, such as a basketball game, won't exempt a student from this rule.
The current Senate rule makes it virtually impossible for any student who has commitments to legitimate activities on four Wednesday evenings a semester to participate in the student decision-making process. Attempting to keep irresponsible people out of the Senate by delaying decisions that have the greatest interest in the Senate's decisions is self-defeating and blatantly unfair.
It's obvious that some attendance policy is necessary if the student body is to have representatives who take their responsibilities seriously. But while some senators have been quick to deny that they're out to get anyone in particular, they seem to be supporting a rule that, indirectly at least, discriminates against many students like Kevin Pritchard, who are involved in the extracurricular activities that the Senate covers.
I doubt that anyone is out to get Kevin Pritchard suspended from the Student Senate, but actions speak louder than words. Rather than just denying those charges while supporting blatantly unfair rules, people like Stephanie
Quincy would do better to find a compromise that would allow both sides to get what they want — a fair and responsible student government.
Denying students with legitimate excuses a chance to participate in Senate serves no one's interest.
Barry Pickens, Winfield junior
International relations
The talk about racism in the Kansan so far usually refers to trouble between blacks and whites. There is, however, another group here at KU that is subject to racist behavior, the foreign students. Foreign students come in all races, religions and colors and as such have a lot to contribute to life here in Lawrence.
This is something, however, that an unpleasant and thankfully a minority of people don't seem to appreciate. Their racist attitudes and sneering and unpleasant comments spoil life here for everybody. I know of Americans who are particularly hard on people who friends for racism comments addressed at them.
The comments are usually designed to deride a person's culture, accent or attitudes. Often made in an attempt to embarrass or humiliate someone, these contemptuous comments usually presume that their subject lacks the intelligence to respond.
A girl from Thailand and her American roommate were subject to one such attack in an elevator in McCollum Hall — the international dorm. The author of the comments and his friends were clearly attacking the origins of the Thai girl and of other Asiatic students. He felt that McCollum was overrun, and by implication, spoiled by the presence of these students. The two people concerned were so dumbfounded that they left the elevator at the next floor, later putting in an official complaint on the subject.
It is narrow-minded and unpleasant people such as these — I hope that they are reading this — who spoil the image of KU as a friendly and hospitable University for foreign students. Foreign students often have a hard enough time adjusting to a new lifestyle and culture, not to mention an unfamiliar language, without having to contend with these sort of vicious and needless actions. Enough is enough. These unpleasant occurrences have to be stopped before they lead to major incidents.
Julie Williams Aberystwyth, Great Britain, special
student
BLCOM COUNTY
by Berke Breathed
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