Opinion Page 4 University Daily Kansan, December 6, 1989 Regents could use grad This month, while students are vacationing, sleeping in late and celebrating the holidays, Gov. John Carlin is expected to make four of the most important decisions of the year concerning state university students. Three seats on the Kansas Board of Regiments expire Dec. 31 and a fourth is open because of the vacancy left by Jim Dumas, who retired earlier this year. This adds up to more open seats than ever normally occur in a year. Students from the six Regent universities are asking Carlin to appoint a recent graduate of a Regents school to the board. Sixty KU students senators signed a petition Wednesday asking that a former KU student body president be appointed Whether the former student is a graduate of KU or another Regents school, the idea of appointing a younger Regent is a good one. A recent graduate could be an effective student advocate on the board. He or she would be expected to be much more aware of issues that students are concerned about than middle-age bankers and businessmen could be. Politically, the move would be advantageous for Carlin. This November, he received 68 percent of the votes cast in Douglas County, the second highest percentage in the state. Carlin won the vote in all counties with Regents universities except Ellis County (Fort Hays State). Student contributed to those winning percentages. ages. Carlin has given no indication of his thoughts on the issue yet. In fact, given the importance of the Regents in dealing with the financial straits of the state's schools, the soon-to-be open seats have been given little attention. The request for appointment of a recent graduate is not a novel idea. In 1978, then Gov. Robert Bennett was asked to consider a similar proposal. He later appointed Bernard Franklin, then 24, the youngest person ever to sit on the board. Franklin proved himself, at least in students' eyes, an outstanding Regent and was eventually elected chairman of the board. The Kansan wholeheartedly encourages Carlin to seek out a recent graduate who, like Franklin, could serve the interests of students and higher education in Kansas Animal research saves lives opens new areas of learning Kittens are cuddly, monkeys are funny, dogs are pretty and bunnies are cute. But people are invaluable. invaluable. People make pets out of almost any kind of animal — dogs, cats, monkeys, rabbits, birds, horses mice sometimes even bears. horses, mice, sometimes even bears. And it is not surprising that people make close bonds with their pets. Many people are very concerned about all animals. Animals are important. They give us comfort, entertainment, food and, most importantly, knowledge. Monkeys are our closest non-human relative and have often given us valuable insights into how humans work. Dogs, too, show us things about ourselves — take Faylov's dogs as example. an example: Animals have also been invaluable in the CATHERINE BEHAN testing of drugs and other chemicals, the effects of space and the effects of deprivation of love. Sometimes these tests can be painful, cruel and even deadly, but testing on animals is better than testing on people. If researchers did not use rats, I would not volunteer to have cancer cells injected into my body. But I would be very upset if, in order to save a rat, no one told me out what would happen or what could cure it. causes cancer or wounds from Let's save the whales from extinction, but let's use plentiful animals, like rats, to save us from extinction. examine. Some question the use of animals in such research. In seven states (Kansas is not one of them), there are laws on the books that require animals to be taken on demand and used in research from animal shelters that receive state aid. and. Linda Decelles, Lawrence Humane Society manager, said the Humane society did not release animals for research. receive animal society does not believe a research life is a good life for an animal," she said. For some animals, doing research might be preferable to other kinds of life. One person I knew picked out a cute little puppy at the Humane Society. Unfortunately for the dog, kicks, screams and a lot of mistreatment is all he will retail for a long time to come. Fighting for a better life for animals seems like such a noble cause. But when I stop to think about the ramifications on human life if the research on animals stops, I shiver. What will scientists use in cancer research? How will people learn more about arthritis, diabetes, muscular dystrophy and other complex diseases? Animals must suffer so that we will not. Some could argue that it is the greatest gift to give a life for someone else. Why deprive an animal, an unthinkable, inanimate animal, of the right to live? Animals' own pain? Many of us are walking now because of Jonas Salk's monkeys. salk's monkeys. Many of our parents found out we were coming back to the death of a rabbit. Now, fortunately for many millions of rabbits a year, there is a better way to test for pregnancy. But until we find better ways to test other drugs and chemicals, we need animals. People who are against using animals for research say that it adds to the belief that an animal's life is worthless. They also say that research animals get poor treatment. However, the Federal Animal Welfare Act states that animals used in research must be treated well. And Valentino Stella, professor of pharmacology, said the quality of life for laboratory animals was often better than the life most pets received. Life in a research center might also be preferred by animals to death in a *after*. Many animal shelters kill unclaimed animals after a certain period of time. I think that animals would probably choose life — even if research life is low quality — over death. Keep pets healthy and happy. But cats, dogs, monkeys and rats will remain a vital tool for research until we find a better way to protect people from unknown diseases. Tests that may be seen as cruel to an animal can result in life for a human. KANSAN The University Daily Kansan Telephone Numbers Newroom--864-4310 Business Office--864-4358 The University Daily Kansas (USPK 60-640) is published at the University of Kansas, 118 First Hall, Lawrence, Kan. USPK does not regularly school the regular school year and Monday and Thursday during the semester. Subscription includes a Saturday, Sunday, holidays and final periods. Second class postage paid at Lawrence, Kan. 60443. Subscriptions by mail are for $15 per month or $24 per semester and $18 for six months or $32 in your annual fee. A $12 semester fee applies to students enrolled in STAEMSTATER. 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Editor Business Manager Gene George Susan Cookey Managing Editor Steve Holgeman Editorial Editor Rebecca Chaney Carpenter Editor Mark Zerman Associate Campus Editor Brian Lewisson Assistant Campus Editors Colleen Caye, Ann Lowy Sports Editor Ginni Grisswin Associate Sports Editor Ian Clark Entertainment Editor Ann Wynne Production Manager Beckie Roberts, Jan Boutte, Earl Ehl Makeup Editor Janet Murphy, Anne Calvell, Cathy Behan First Aid Manager Bob Hugger Photographers Bud Mishack, Jim Evans Head Copy Chief Terry Hamilton Copy Chief Tom Shary, Dhannah Mines Columnists Cathy Behan, Tom Green, Lisa Guierfer Artists Traceer Hamilton, Tom Hutton, Hal Klupper Artists Rohmina Housman, Jill Wille National Sales Manager Barb Ramion Campus Sales Manager Matthew Langan Classified Manager Laurie Sansempion Production Manager Andy Keeling Artist/Photographer Mike Bangmer Photographer Li Citua, Barb May, Misy Pay, Jennifer Salkins Campus Representatives Larry Allen, John Clark, Kathy Daggan Retail Sales Representatives Jill Hirschkorn, Joany Jacken, Steve Larrick, Arrian Marshaller, Ted Mason, Tom Whalen, Sheryl Scott, Scott Windman, Tod Zongler Editor Paul Jones Journal Editor John Jones General Manager and News Adviser Advertising Adviser . . . . . . . THE DETROIT FREE PRESS ©FREE BY THE TERRENE COUNTY Christmas Eve, 1931: Ronald Reagan's Father; Jack, is laid off... WELL. DAD, AT LEAST INFLATION IS DOWN! GIVE HOOVER A CHANCE! STAY THE COURSE! Joy to the hilt: an enjoyment glut By DICK WEST United Press International WASHINGTON—Has America finally produced so many pleasure points that we have an enjoyment glut? Sakowitz doesn't go so far as to predict that enjoyment lines will be forming in poorer areas the way the needy now line up for giveaway rations of surplus cheese. e enjoy them great. A Houston specialty store owner, Robert Sakowitz, seems to support the affirmative in introducing his 1982 Christmas catalog. But he does say that "there are so many possibilities for enjoyment that people are often frustrated with the overabundance of choices." To that observation I can only add a ruetel "AmI it so?" which party gets custody of the roller coaster. I don't know whether as yet any marriages have been dissolved because of incompatibility stemming from a couple's inability to agree on which ways to enjoy themselves. But if divorces are granted on such grounds, it presumably will be up to the courts to decide A "full-size roller coaster" costing a minimum of $2,430,000 is one of the items touted by the Sakowitz catalog as "the ultimate gift." Sakwitz appears to think a gift such as this would quell any sense of frustration we might feel due to the overabundance of choices for enjoyment. enjoyment. "To be able to enjoy one's self without envy or covetousness or frustration is indeed one of the great gifts of life," he philosophizes. maybe so, but I can see where having a private roller coaster in your neighborhood could create more frustration than it abates. This much I can tell you for certain: If my neighbor Phiheam gets a roller coaster for Christmas this year, and I don't, I am going to be as covetous as all get out. It is difficult for me to see how anyone could look out the kitchen window and watch a neighbor enjoying a loop-the-loop in his backyard without experiencing at least a small accident. wage or salary. Frankly, the shoppers on whose Christmas lists my name appears are more the types who would gift-wrap stock tickers. Featured in the Sakowitz catalog, along with the roller coaster, is $8,158 ticker that provides "real time price information on the stocks or commodities you select." "The ticker tape printout gives you a permanent reference to the day's transaction," it says. "The perfect way to monitor your investments!" Although I can envision myself deriving a vast amount of enjoyment from keeping track of the Dow Jones averages in the privacy of my own computer, I can't afford to tape printout sort of spills the concept for me. Having one's own inventory of old ticker tape could make one an exceedingly popular figure at parades, sure. But I'm afraid there aren't enough parades in my neighborhood to completely eradicate the frustration. I can foresee hewing to reduce the stockpile by flinging tape ticker confetti across the fence at Phib学院 as he whizzes by on his roller coaster. That is the point where I would favor the enactment of an enjoyment conservation program. Dick West is a columnist for UPI. Drop-add glitches frustrating There are only a few things that consistently make me angry. Most of them I'll let slide so that people hardly notice that I'm upset, but there are two things that consistently make my blood pressure go up and tolerance level drop. You need to be a large part of life at the University of Kansas — long lines and impersonal computers. I'm willing to put up with one or the other of these evils, but I can't stand having to deal with both at the same time, especially when completing trivial matters, such as enrollment. My understanding of the new computerized enrollment system was that students would not be forced to wait in long lines such as those of the Allen Field House enrollment day. Students were given hardships and apparentations were God-sent with their magical display of line numbers, times and course alternatives. That impression was based on my enrollment early on the second day of the new process. I was lucky. Because of senior standing I was able to receive every class and time I wanted with no hassles from the computers or the fast-fingered operators behind them. I cared little about the six-minute maximum allowed to figure out schedules and decipher timetables; my enrollment took a total of 90 records. conds. I considered myself fortunate, especially after beening the horror stories of my friends, many of whom are juniors. The plight of many underclassmen revolves around trying to complete requirements for entrance to particular schools, or even worse, trying to complete required hours to graduate. Juniors carry no more weight when trying to choose classes than second-se semester freshmen at KU. This occurs despite the facts that most juniors have fewer choices of courses in their TOM HUTTON neld of study and that many have already taken all the elective hours possible. all the elective hours pointed I shuddered at the pight of one friend in particular who, as of last week, had been able to enroll in a back-breaking total of 10 hours. enroll a student in those shudders for someone else became shudders for myself when I foolishly tried to add a two-hour class to my schedule. I suddenly had memories of Allen Field House when I walked onto the first floor of Strong Hall. Gone were the six-minute time slot and mathematical precision of the first time I bathed gone through enrollment. Instead, a long line of people clutching add and drop slips stood before me. I, too, fell meekly into line, holding my multi-signature add slip. As the line moved like the catspup in the Heinz commercial, I was greeted with personable signs such as "Hello," "Have a nice day" and finally came to an open闸 where I found out that I had not filled out a "special permission" form. It didn't matter that I had already received my adviser's signature, a dean's stamp and found a class that was open. I was soon fruiting across campus to receive the course instructor's suggest that I did not an expert in forgery, or at least in scribbling initials, or I could have avoided all the hassles of doing things inside the proper channels. Chances are slim that I would have gone to such lengths for a two-hour elective class. But if I had needed that class in order to graduate, or even to enter a school, I really don't think there would have been too much hesitation. The new computer enrollment process should be amended so that juniors, or other people who must have a class, aren't banded into a corner by the computer display screens that make everything Why not utilize a system that would allow juniors to enroll with seniors, several steps ahead of freshmen and sophomores? Letters to the Editor Oread parking permits would be voluntary To the Editor: 1. I appreciate Catherine Behan's public attention to the parking problems of the Oread neighborhood in the Dec. 1. Kansan. However, many of her assumptions are wrong. The proposed permit system would be voluntary, not mandatory, as Behan reports. And at this point, it hasn't been established that suc. a permit would bear any cost to the resident. Bohan states that a person has six days to move his car. The fact is that people have been cited for parking two days in one spot. Just getting a parking ticket is costly in time and money. There is the added problem of where one moves his car, as well. Beban also implies that any car that sits on the street for an extended period is a junk车. That's untrue. Some people simply drive infrequently. nifectively. The real cause of the parking problem is high density, and density will only get worse as long as an unfail zoning situation exists in Oread. Current ordinances mandate only 1/3*parking spaces for each apartment unit built. To see how unrealistic this requirement is, need only look in the alley behind the complex at 1031 Ohio. on most blocks of Oread. Granted, the permit system is far from perfect, but the solutions Behan suggests are absurd. A parking garage would be uny and expensive and building new driveways is illegal Though the Oread Neighborhood Association has taken no official position on the matter of parking permits, we have long recognized the dilemma that exists. The parking problems in Oread exist nowhere else in Lawrence. So why can't we have a unique solution? John Naughton President, Oral Neighborhood Association Letters Policy The University Daily Kansan welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be typewritten, double-spaced and should not exceed 500 words. They should include the writer's name, address and phone number. If the writer is affiliated with the University, the letter should include his class and home town or faculty or staff position. The Kansan reserves the right to edit or reject letters.